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

“Huh…? Embarrassed? Honoka…?”

Rinta had a surprised look on his face. Since he didn’t know that Honoka was actually attracted to him, it was natural for him to be surprised. It was perfectly natural, but—

“That’s right! Is it strange for me to feel embarrassed? Even I feel embarrassed sometimes! Geez, it’s annoying.”

Honoka said this as if sulking, turning her face away from Rinta with a pout. She wasn’t really angry. But still, the fact that she was increasingly attracted to Rinta, and he was completely oblivious to it, was a bit annoying.

“Oh, sorry. You’re right. Please forgive me.”

Honoka could hear Rinta saying such words, but thinking she wouldn’t forgive him so easily, she remained with her face turned to the side.

…And that’s when it happened. Honoka felt a large hand gently patting her head. When she turned her face toward Rinta, to her surprise—Rinta was looking at her face and patting her head.

—Ah… Hirarin…

Rinta, gazing at her gently, looked incredibly wonderful and cool. Honoka’s heart skipped a beat, and she gazed back at him with moist eyes.

However, a few seconds later, she came to her senses and embarrassment welled up inside her.

“W-w-wait, Hi-Hirarin! Wh-what are you doing?”

She said to Rinta in a hushed voice so her mother wouldn’t hear. Why was Rinta suddenly doing something that only real couples would do? Her mind was confused by Rinta’s inexplicable behavior. Plus, instead of her making him fall for her as planned, she was becoming more and more attracted to him. This also filled Honoka with confusion and frustration.

“Ah, sorry. I thought maybe we should do something that would make us look like a real couple to your mom. And since I made you angry, I thought I’d comfort you a bit… I’m really sorry.”

Rinta spoke in a hushed voice too, bowing his head with a genuinely apologetic expression. Seeing this, Honoka panicked.

“Ah, no, Hirarin. I’m not angry. And if you bow your head like that, it’ll look to Mom like we’re fighting, so please stop.”

“Oh, right… But I really am sorry, Honoka. Normally I would never do something like that, but somehow I unconsciously just… Why did I do that? Something’s wrong with me today. That was sexual harassment. You must have hated it. I’m truly sorry.”

Far from hating it, far from sexual harassment, she was super happy and her heart had skipped a beat…

Keeping her honest feelings to herself, Honoka jokingly replied to hide her embarrassment.

“Well, I didn’t really hate it, so it’s fine. I don’t think of it as sexual harassment either. I’m sure Hirarin did it unconsciously because I’m just so cute… hehe.”

From Honoka’s perspective, she was embarrassed, flustered, and joking as best she could. She expected Rinta to say something like “What are you talking about, idiot?” But Rinta’s response was—

“Ah, that’s exactly right… yeah.”

At Rinta’s unexpected reply, Honoka was mentally screaming “SERIOUSLY!?” while feeling her head spin with happiness.

—Ah… she couldn’t take it anymore. She was going to die…

Feeling like she might pass out at this rate, Honoka tried to maintain her composure and forced herself to speak to Rinta.

“Hey, Hirarin. Shall we move on to the next place?”

“Oh, yeah. Let’s go.”

And so the two of them finished one game of bowling and headed to their next destination, the arcade.

Even while walking along the sidewalk toward the arcade, Honoka received frequent messages from her mother.

“Where are you going next?”

“I don’t approve, so come home right away.”

“The matchmaking candidate is a much better person. Choose him instead.”

Honoka replied to each message while walking.

“Going to the arcade next.”

“I’m not coming home. Please approve.”

“Not interested. Rinta is a wonderful person too.”

But her mother showed no signs of accepting it.

“Hey, Honoka.”

“Huh?”

“Are you okay?”

“Oh, yeah. About what?”

“About what… Your face is pale, you keep checking your phone, and you seem lost in thought.”

“Ah, no… Mom keeps sending me messages, so I’ve been seriously replying to her.”

“What’s she saying?”

“Things like where we’re going next, that we look like we’re having fun, that I’m getting along well with my boyfriend.”

“I see. So the fake date is going well?”

“Ah, yeah. Well, I guess so.”

“That’s good… but make sure you watch where you’re walking.”

“Oh, yeah. I’m fine.”

In reality, it wasn’t going well at all. But thinking it wouldn’t be good to worry Rinta too much, Honoka forced a smile and gave a vague answer. At this rate, things definitely weren’t going to work out. Honoka wondered what she should do next.

Maybe she should try sending a stronger message saying that Hirarin was a good person.

Thinking this, Honoka began typing another message while walking.

“Rinta is good at his job, kind, and really a good person!”

Hmm… this might still be too weak. What other good things about Hirarin… were there?

“Hey Honoka! The light’s red!”

“Huh?”

It was just as she was about to look up, startled by Rinta’s voice, that Honoka felt her elbow being firmly grabbed and pulled backward with force. The momentum sent her body flying backward. Honoka landed on her backside, facing backward.

“Ouch, that hurts~ Geez, Hirarin, what are you—”

She started to say, but when she looked ahead, she saw Rinta with his body partially in the road at the red-light crosswalk. Rinta was off-balance. It seemed that in his haste to pull Honoka back, he had stumbled into the road himself. A car was speeding toward him, honking its horn loudly.

“Hirarin, watch out!”

At this rate, Hirarin would be hit by the car!

The moment Honoka thought this, the car made a screeching sound as it swerved. Rinta twisted his body as if dancing. By a hair’s breadth, the car passed by, avoiding his body.