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“Sorry to keep you waiting!”
“Oh, not at all. I just got here myself, Ibuki-senpai…!”
“I was waiting, though.”

We exchanged greetings in hushed voices in front of the station. Since it was a weekday, the foot traffic wasn’t too heavy, but there was no need to take unnecessary risks.

“Alright, let’s go. The restaurant I reserved is just over there.”
“Okay~”

Today was a rare day for me to go out for something other than work. Usually, the only time I went out was to accompany Yukino on her shopping trips, but this time, it was a dinner gathering with colleagues—the first in months.

I usually turned these down, finding them a hassle and preferring Yukino’s cooking. But since she had her company’s year-end party tonight and would be home late, I figured I might as well accept the invitation for once.

“Hey, Wakaba, what kind of place is it today?”
“They have a great selection of craft beers, and the other drinks are really good too!”
“Wait, Wakaba-san, you drink?”
“Got a problem with that?”

Wakaba, who was leading the way, was usually a reliable coworker with great leadership skills—but once alcohol got involved, she turned into a mess. She loved drinking, but she wasn’t exactly strong at it, and every time, she ended up wasted and causing trouble for everyone around her.

Knowing this all too well, Akane, our junior, furrowed her brows and pouted in discontent.

“Ibuki-senpai, you’ll help out too, right?”
“No.”
“Ehh, come on. You know how much trouble Wakaba-san causes when she gets drunk!”
“No.”

Take care of your own girlfriend. That was the message I was trying to send with my blunt refusal. Akane sulked even more, but if she didn’t like it, she should at least try to keep her girlfriend in check.

“We have a reservation under Wakaba.”
“Welcome. Let me show you to your seats.”

As we walked while bickering over Wakaba, we eventually arrived at the restaurant. It had a nice atmosphere, but a large group—probably a company party—had taken up most of the place, making it a little too lively.

“It’s noisy.”
“Can’t be helped. It’s year-end party season.”

I wasn’t a fan of noisy places, and neither was Yukino. I imagined how much she would hate being in this kind of environment as I took my seat.

If it were me, I’d probably be in a bad mood surrounded by such a noisy crowd. But knowing Yukino, she’d put on a friendly face despite everything, so I probably didn’t need to worry. Then again, if someone as graceful and beautiful as Yukino were being friendly to everyone, she’d end up attracting a bunch of guys who’d get the wrong idea, which would be a whole other problem.

“Anyway, let’s have a toast.”
“Aye, cheers.”

Even though we were technically coworkers, our group was basically just a bunch of friends hanging out. Unlike the rowdy salarymen next to us, we didn’t bother with any formal toast speeches.

“Cheers to all our hard work.”

We lightly clinked our glasses, and that was that.

“Hey, by the way, that girl at the edge of that group is seriously gorgeous, don’t you think?”
“What’s this, Wakaba-san? Are you cheating?”
“No, no, it’s not like that! I’m just stating an objective fact!”

As we drank and snacked while chatting, Wakaba pointed with her thumb toward the group of salarymen, making a comment that could definitely be mistaken for flirting.

“Even if it’s a fact, would you normally compliment another woman in front of your girlfriend…? Wait, she really is beautiful. Is she a model or something?”
“Akane… you’re in no position to judge. And she’s wearing a suit, so she’s obviously from the same company as that group.”

Following their gaze, I turned to look—and sure enough, there was a stunning woman sitting among the male employees.

“Wait… that’s Yukino.”
“Huh? You mean the famous ‘best friend’ of yours?”

She was sitting there with an expression I’d never seen before—completely blank, devoid of any emotion. It was so cold and unfeeling that, for a moment, I didn’t even recognize her.

“No way, your best friend is that gorgeous?”
“Not only is she that pretty, but she also has insane wife skills? Ibuki-senpai, you really caught yourself a good one.”
“I haven’t caught anything yet.”

I never expected Yukino’s year-end party to be at the same restaurant. What were the odds?

More than that, I had never seen her look that scary before. Had one of those guys swarming around her like moths to a flame done something to piss her off?

“I’m gonna head to the restroom for a bit.”
“Alright, see ya~”

Feeling a little concerned, I got up under the pretense of going to the restroom. I followed the arrow marked “WC,” but instead of heading inside, I stopped near Yukino’s table to eavesdrop on their conversation.

“Asada-san, what do you usually do on your days off?”
“Nothing in particular.”

“Hey, Yukino-chan, now that I think about it, we haven’t exchanged contacts, have we? Since we’re here, let’s swap LIME.”
“I don’t use LIME. Also, could you not call me by my first name?”
“Man, you’re as cold as ever!”

The drunken men took turns swarming Yukino, each trying to strike up a conversation. Now that I thought about it, it had been a while since I last heard her last name. Asada Yukino. The only time I ever heard her full name spoken aloud was back in school, so it felt kind of refreshing.

If we got married, would she be Yamagami Yukino or would I be Asada Ibuki? Personally, I liked Yamagami Yukino better.

“If you don’t use LIME, what about Insta?”
“I don’t use that either.”
“Yeah, right. Well then, your phone number is fine. Give it to me.”
“I don’t have a phone. You already know my company email, right? That should be enough.”

Yukino answered them in the most dismissive, indifferent tone without even glancing up from her phone.

“Come on, you say you don’t have a phone, but you’re literally using one right now.”
“Who knows?”
“But even if I email your company phone, you never reply.”
“That’s because your messages aren’t work-related. I don’t think it’s appropriate to use a company-issued phone for personal matters.”

So this was how Yukino acted toward people she had no interest in? I was so used to her being kind and considerate that she felt like a completely different person. But seeing how completely uninterested she was in those guys made me feel relieved—at least I wouldn’t have to worry about her getting caught up with some weirdo.

“Yukino-chan, you’re barely drinking! Here, have some more.”
“No, thank you. I’m allergic to alcohol.”
“Wait, that’s a thing!?”
“Yes. Also, I believe I already asked you not to call me by my first name. Should I file a harassment complaint?”
“Ugh… I’m sorry.”

At that point, I figured I should head back before anyone got suspicious. Looked like I didn’t have anything to worry about after all. Yukino was nothing like me—she was firm and unwavering. There was no way she’d ever fall for some loser who only approached her for her looks.

Still… an alcohol allergy? Then what was that all about when she drank at my place and passed out immediately?

I mentally noted to ask her about it later tonight and headed back to my coworkers.

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