Actually, There’s Someone at Your Workplace Who Likes You ~ I’m Being Transferred to a Sales Office Filled With Only Beautiful Women!?

Ruka tapped on a photo in her smartphone album and brought it up on the screen.

Then, she simply stared at it intently.

The photo was taken from afar, showing a high school-aged boy dressed in a soccer uniform.

Yes—

It was a picture of the senpai Ruka had admired from a distance during high school.

“He’s so young… and so cute.”

She chuckled softly as she gazed at the image of her admired senpai from back then.

With a smile, Ruka spoke playfully to the man on the screen.

“But whether it’s back then or now, you’ve never changed… Rinta-senpai.”

The memories of her high school days, when she would always watch Rinta from afar, came flooding back.

At the time, Ruka was a first-year student.

Every day on her way home from school, she would pass by the sports field and catch sight of the soccer team practicing. She had never paid much attention to soccer before, but for some reason, she found herself lingering, watching their practice.

“A sport where you have hands but can’t even use them… how inconvenient.”

That was the first thought that crossed Ruka’s mind when she saw soccer for the first time.

But as she continued to watch, her eyes began to follow one particular player—

—Rinta.

On the field, Rinta’s passion radiated from his entire being.

His intense gaze.

His reckless, all-out playing style.

The brilliant smile that lit up his face whenever he made a good play.

Ruka found herself more and more drawn to him.

Yet, when she caught glimpses of him after practice or around school, he had a tanned face and a bright, easygoing smile, showing his white teeth as he laughed with his friends.

That contrast—his fierce determination on the field and his warm, friendly demeanor off it—only made Ruka admire him even more.

Before she knew it, her eyes would unconsciously search for him whenever he was around.

“But… all I could do was watch from afar, Rinta-senpai.”

She spoke again to the picture on her phone.

Ruka had always struggled with social interactions. She was shy and found it difficult to express her true feelings to others.

Talking to boys, in particular, felt like an insurmountable challenge for her.

So for the entire year before Rinta graduated, Ruka could do nothing but admire him from a distance as her “beloved senpai”.

She never told anyone—not her friends, not a single soul.

All she could do was secretly snap photos of him from afar and look at them later. She never even once spoke to him.

Rinta probably never even knew she existed.

Yet, because of him, Ruka—who hadn’t even known much about soccer at first—gradually became interested in the sport.

Now, she watched everything from J.League matches to Japan’s national team games, proudly calling herself a soccer fan.

After Rinta graduated, Ruka received numerous confessions from men, both in high school and university, asking her to date them.

However, being naturally reserved, she felt resistant to the idea of a romantic relationship.

More than anything, her admiration for Rinta never faded. Unable to imagine being with anyone else, she turned down every confession.

Ruka never really felt a strong desire to have a boyfriend.

She figured that, someday, she would probably fall for someone other than Rinta—but that day never came.

Even after becoming a working adult, nothing really changed.

Then, one day—

A completely unexpected reunion with Rinta.

Caught off guard, Ruka couldn’t possibly reveal her past feelings. She decided to keep her high school admiration a secret and interact with Rinta as if nothing had happened.

Or rather—

She felt a sense of unease, almost fear, at being close to him again.

After all, her memories of Rinta had likely been idealized over time.

The word “idol” in Japanese translated to “icon” or “figure”. To Ruka, Rinta had been just that—an almost mythical presence from her high school days.

What if getting to know the real Rinta shattered that perfect image?

That fear made her hesitant to grow close to him, even after their reunion.

However—

“Rinta-senpai, you really are exactly the person I thought you were… Even after all these years.”

Ruka narrowed her eyes, chuckling softly as she spoke to the photo on her screen.

Passionate about everything he did.

Always giving his all for others.

That same kind, warm smile.

The more she got to know the real Rinta, the more he aligned with the image of him she had always carried in her heart.

That’s why today’s unexpected moment with him had been so sweet, so exciting—like a dream come true.

If she could continue spending time like this with him, every day would feel bright and full of happiness.

However—

But—

Ruka hesitated.

She knew she could never confess her feelings to him. She couldn’t even bring herself to take the first step toward getting closer.

The thought of making things awkward between them scared her.

“Oh! By the way, Rinta-senpai, what I said today about ‘watching a show together with someone who shares the same love for it’—I really did mean it that way, okay?”

Even though Rinta wasn’t there to hear her, Ruka’s face turned red as she muttered to his photo.

She hadn’t meant to say it as a hint at her feelings. It was just something that slipped out naturally, something that could be taken either way.

But—

What if she did confess?

What if her relationship with Rinta deepened and they became closer?

Ruka entertained the thought for a moment.

No… No, that was not something she should do.

Rinta’s arrival at the Shimizu sales office had lifted everyone’s spirits.

If she selfishly pursued a personal relationship with him, it might disrupt the office’s atmosphere.

With that in mind, she couldn’t bring herself to make a move.

Or rather—

Wouldn’t someone like Honoka, with her bright and cheerful personality, be a better match for Rinta?