Actually, There’s Someone at Your Workplace Who Likes You ~ I’m Being Transferred to a Sales Office Filled With Only Beautiful Women!? - Chapter 19: What Did Honoka Say About Me Before I Arrived?

“When only Honoka-senpai is friendly with Hirabayashi-san… wouldn’t it be better for the whole office if everyone were friendly? Right, Reika-shochou (it means director)?”

When Aido-san suddenly turned to Jinguji-shochou and said that, I was caught off guard.

Being friendly with all of them?

Why?

──Ah, no. Considering it’s a small office and most of the staff were women…

Maybe having everyone be friendly with each other was actually important.

Shochou, having received such a suggestion from Aido-san, gave a slightly wry smile and spoke to Honoka.

“That being said, Hono-chan, you used to say all those things before Hirabayashi-kun arrived, but it’s nice to see you’re getting along well now.”

“Eh? What things? What did she say?”

What had she been saying before I got here? Curious, I turned my gaze toward Honoka.

Her already big eyes widened even more in shock, and she suddenly started panicking in an exaggerated manner.

“Wa-wa-wa, it’s nothing, nothing at all!”

“Actually, Hirabayashi-san, what Honoka-senpai said was—”

“Ruka-tan, stop right there! If you say it, I’ll kill you!!”

Honoka’s idol-level cute face was completely ruined by the sheer terror in her expression as she shook her soft, wavy, chestnut-colored hair wildly.

…Did she really just say “I’ll kill you” over this?

Just what on earth did she say about me?

“What she actually said was, ‘The new Hirabayashi-san seems like a nice person. I hope we can get along well’.”

“Huh…?”

For some reason, Honoka completely froze, as if time had stopped. She just stood there with a blank expression.

At first, I was worried that she had said something awful about me, but… she had thought that way about me even before I arrived.

Yeah, this girl really was a good person.

“Thanks, Honoka.”

When I thanked her, Shochou suddenly cut in from the side with a mischievous smirk.

“That’s right, that’s what she said. But Hono-chan, I know you’re shy, and you probably didn’t want that to be revealed… but saying ‘I’ll kill you’ is a bit much, don’t you think? You’re going to scare Hirabayashi-kun.”

“Ah, ahh… Y-yeah, you’re right. I-I can’t believe I said that… ohoho.”

Honoka awkwardly fiddled with her fluffy hair, forcing a strained smile.

Ah, I see. So she was just really shy.

Though honestly, hearing “I’ll kill you” did freak me out a little.

──Just as I was thinking that and looking at Honoka, I noticed that, for some reason, she was now glaring at Aido-san with an angry expression.

However, Aido-san simply glanced at her out of the corner of her eye and then coolly turned her attention back to Shochou.

“…So, Reika-shochou, about what we were discussing earlier.”

“Hm? What is it, Ruka-chan? What discussion?”

“The idea of everyone being friendly.”

“Oh? Ah, yeah.”

“Just like we all use nicknames with each other, how about Shochou and I also start calling Hirabayashi-san more casually?”

“M-Me too?”

“Yes. Shochou can call him ‘Rinta-kun’, and I’ll call him ‘Rinta-senpai.’ How about that?”

“M-Me? Calling Hirabayashi-kun… ‘Rinta-kun’?”

Would a dignified, model-like manager really call me “Rinta-kun”?

No, no way.

That would be way too unsettling.

Besides, I was sure the manager herself would have some reservations about it.

Sure enough, Jinguji-shochou looked visibly troubled, glancing back and forth between me and Aido-san.

“Ah, well… Since I’m your superior, calling you ‘Hirabayashi-kun’ feels more natural. But Ruka-chan can call you ‘Rinta-senpai’, right?”

“Ah, yes.”

Yeah, that made sense. That was normal.

Aido-san’s suggestion that “everyone should be friendly” was probably her way of helping me fit into the office more quickly, which I really appreciated.

But as Shochou said, it was only natural for a superior to call me “Hirabayashi-kun”.

For some reason, Aido-san looked slightly tense as she straightened her posture and stared directly at me.

“I see. Understood. Then… would it be acceptable if I start calling you ‘Rinta-senpai’ from now on?”

Considering the effort she was making for me, of course, I had no reason to refuse. Besides, I did want to get along with everyone here as soon as possible.

“Yeah, of course. That’s fine, Aido-san.”

“Thank you very much. Now, if you’ll excuse me—”

…Huh? What was she doing?

Aido-san suddenly closed her eyes and took two or three deep breaths—long, deep ones.

Her chest, not as prominent as Honoka’s but still well-shaped, subtly rose and fell with each breath. I accidentally caught sight of it, and for some reason, I felt a little embarrassed.

Then, all at once, Aido-san’s eyes shot open, and she spoke.

“P-p-please take care of me, R-R-Rinta-senpai!♡”

Uh…

I didn’t even know how to respond to that…

Maybe because she usually spoke so coolly, it made this moment stand out even more.

The way she said “Rinta-senpai!” was so… bubbly? It was seriously cute.

“I-I look forward to working with you too, Aido-san.”

Crap. I stuttered too.

“Um… Wouldn’t it be most appropriate for Rinta-senpai to call me simply ‘Ruka’? What do you think?”

…Huh?

Me, calling a junior girl by her first name?

I already started calling Honoka by her first name, so I guess it was not that strange…?

But wait—I’d never, in my entire life, called a girl by her first name.

And now, calling both of my female coworkers so casually?

I had no idea if that was the right choice or not, but my brain was currently in complete chaos.

“I-Is that… not okay…?”

Ah… Aido-san looked absolutely devastated.

Her soft, delicate eyebrows were forming a sad, downturned shape, and her beautiful, double-lidded eyes had taken on a pleading expression.

There was no way she truly wanted me to call her by her first name.

She was only suggesting it to foster a sense of unity within the office and help me adjust more quickly.

If I rejected that, she would surely feel as if I were rejecting her personally. Of course, that would make her feel sad.

“A-ah, no! I didn’t mean to say it’s not okay! Not at all! I was just worried… What if you actually feel uncomfortable about this, but you’re forcing yourself for my sake? That’s why I hesitated for a moment.”

“Oh, no, Rinta-senpai. That’s not the case at all. If you call me Ruka, I’d be really happy.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. Aido-san actually said that?