Actually, There’s Someone at Your Workplace Who Likes You ~ I’m Being Transferred to a Sales Office Filled With Only Beautiful Women!? - Chapter 22: When Rinta Said "Hello!" and Got Suspicious Looks

I felt like I’d drunk quite a bit, but since I walked home in the cool night breeze, I didn’t feel that drunk.

I was not particularly fond of alcohol and rarely drank, but when it came to drinking parties, I could actually handle a fair amount.

I arrived at my one-room apartment and took the elevator up to the third floor.

Today was fun—I got to see unexpected sides of the other three members. That was the great thing about welcome parties. You made discoveries like this, and they helped bring everyone closer.

Welcome parties were one of Japan’s greatest inventions. Yeah. Well, actually, I had no idea if other countries had welcome parties too.

—As I absentmindedly thought about such trivial things, I stepped out of the elevator and noticed a woman standing in the hallway.

My apartment was the middle unit in a row of three on this floor. The woman was standing in front of the door to the unit before mine, unlocking it. She was probably my next-door neighbor.

When I’d moved in, I’d tried to greet the neighbors, but she wasn’t home. This was a good chance—I should introduce myself.

As I got a little closer, I take a good look at her from behind. She was wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans, a very casual outfit. But her hair was striking—big, bouncy curls of flashy blonde. I was such a contrast to her plain clothes that it felt bizarre.

—Was she a foreigner!?

I didn’t know a single word of English. Feeling a bit nervous, I called out to her.

“H-Hello!”

She finished unlocking her door with a soft click and then slowly, cautiously turned around to face me.

Her face was framed by bold red lipstick and heavy eye makeup, giving her the look of someone who worked in the nightlife industry. She seemed about my age, maybe a little older?

But no… she looked undeniably Japanese.

Was her blonde hair dyed? Or could it be a wig?

As soon as our eyes meet, she murmurs in a wary, almost fearful voice, “W-Who…?”

Yeah, I guess that was fair. If some random guy suddenly called out “Hello!” from behind in the middle of the night, anyone would find it suspicious. She’d said “Who?” in Japanese, so she was probably not a foreigner after all.

Crap, if I didn’t handle this right, she might scream. I needed to do something fast.

“Ah, um, sorry for startling you! I’m Hirabayashi Rinta, I just moved in next door. Nice to meet you!”

“Oh? Ah… I see… Oh, you’re the one who left that detergent as a moving-in gift the other day…”

When I took another look at her face, she really did have that heavy makeup typical of a hostess—like someone who might work at a cabaret club. She was quite beautiful, and if she did work at a club, I had a feeling she’d be a popular hostess.

Her plain clothes were probably because she had changed out of her flashy work outfit and was now heading home in casual wear.

I had always imagined hostesses to be more outgoing and lively, but her way of speaking seemed a little hesitant. It didn’t quite match the boldness of her makeup.

Well, I guess it made sense. The way she talked at work and how she acted in private must be different. And right now, she was obviously suspicious of me, so this reaction was completely normal.

So, I tried to give her my kindest smile as I responded.

“Oh, yes! That was me.”

“Oh… um, thanks.”

“No problem at all.”

“Well… goodnight, then.”

Without even introducing herself, she quickly opened her door and slipped inside, as if trying to escape. I thought I had been polite, but…

The sound of the door slamming shut felt like a clear sign of rejection, which made me a little sad.

Well, whatever.

If a woman living alone suddenly had a male neighbor move in next door, that reaction was understandable.

At least now I knew that my neighbor wasn’t some creepy old guy.

Thinking that way, I stepped into my own apartment.

The next day and the day after were the weekend, so I had time off from work.

I spent the time tidying up my apartment and wandering around the city to buy things I was still missing.

It had been seven years since I’d left Shimizu City after graduating from high school.

Being a small town, there weren’t any drastic changes, but there were still a few new stores here and there. Just strolling around and discovering them was actually pretty fun.

Then, on Monday morning, when I arrived at work, the other three were already there.

“Ah, everyone! Thank you so much for the welcome party on Friday! I had a great time!”

I bowed, and all three of them smiled and said, “You’re welcome.”

At that moment, the department chief, Jinguji, looked around at us with a somewhat anxious expression.

“You know… I don’t really remember much from the middle of the party onward. I didn’t say anything weird, did I?”

—Oh. I thought so.

I was about to reassure her that she hadn’t said anything strange, but before I could, Honoka let out a dramatic sigh and said,

“Oh, come on, Reika-shochou! You don’t remember? You were practically begging Hirarin for a kiss!”

Huh!?

What did she just say?

That never happened!

“Wha—!? R-Really!? I-I’m so sorry, Hirabayashi-kun!”

The usually composed and sharp Jinguji Reika was now flustered, bowing her head in apology.

This joke had gone a bit too far—she looked way too distressed.

“Hey, Honoka! Stop making things up! Shochou never said anything like that!”

Hearing me say that, Ruka, who was standing next to me, nodded in agreement.

“That’s right. Honoka-senpai is just making up stories.”

“Huh…? W-Wait, really?”

As soon as the director turned to look at Honoka, she just laughed sheepishly and scratched her head.

The next moment, the older woman raised her fist, her face turning into a demonic expression as she suddenly shouted—

“HOOONOKAAAA!”

“I-I-I’m sorry, Shochou!”

Honoka shrieked as she bolted for the far corner of the office like a rabbit fleeing for its life.

But even while running, she still managed to take another playful jab at the chief.

“But, shochou! Why didn’t you deny it right away? That means you think you could have said something like that, right!?”

“N-N-No, that’s NOT true!!”

The always dignified, model-like Reika was completely gone now. Instead, she was furiously chasing after Honoka, her face bright red.

Meanwhile, Honoka was still grinning as she dodged around the office, clearly having the time of her life teasing the director.

And then there was Ruka, just calmly watching the whole scene unfold with an amused smile.

Man…

This place was kind of chaotic.

I’d never worked in an office like this before, but honestly, the lively atmosphere wasn’t so bad.

As I thought that, I gazed at the three beautiful women in front of me, feeling surprisingly at ease.