Chapter 42: CH 42

“Sorry, Yuika. I need to talk to you about something. …”

“Small talk?”

“Yeah”.

“Let’s hear it.”

Maybe Otomizu was going to confess her feelings.

However, an office romance while on a business trip would raise problems.

I didn’t know what to do, so I decided to talk to Yuika on the phone.

However, I couldn’t just ask her straight out.

I thought it would be best to ask her in an indirect way.

“It’s about a guy I know. ….”

“Enough with the preamble, let’s get down to business.”

“Yes.”

I didn’t know why she was so angry.

I mean, why was my position lower than that of a high school girl?

As long as I was asking for her advice, I had no choice but to comply.

“It’s no use hiding it, so I’ll be honest.”

“There was no hiding, though.”

“It’s just a possibility, … maybe my junior likes me.”

Yuila often teased him, but it was only a joke.

She was probably surprised at the possibility of this shock.

No wonder.

I just noticed it a few minutes ago myself.

Yuika replied.

“… What are you talking about now?”

“Don’t say it like that. It’s a bit harsh.”

I didn’t know why, but Yuika seemed to have noticed.

Weren’t high school girls these days too advanced?

The average guy wouldn’t even notice it…

“So, here’s the thing …”

“Oh, yeah.”

“She is coming to this room soon.”

“Mmm-hmm.”

“Maybe … she is going to confess to me.”

Then Yuika said,

“Go ahead, Onii-San.”

“Don’t say that like it’s a car commercial.”

I was talking seriously, but Yuika’s reaction was the same as usual.

After listening to the whole story, Yuika sighed heavily.

“In other words, if she confesses to you?”

“To put it simply, yes.”

“So this is the creature known as a helpless man, huh? I’m learning a lot.”

“I’ll clear my name later.”

“Later passed three seconds ago.”

It was only natural that I would be taken aback.

If I were a normal man, I would be able to go with the flow and take appropriate action.

But for me, who had always been a callous person, this was a tremendous obstacle.

“Onii-San also cares about his junior. Why don’t you just say yes?”

“It’s not that easy. In an office romance, the woman’s side is subject to a lot of criticism. In some cases, it can even affect your work.”

“Is that so?”

“It varies from company to company, but in my company, it’s especially common because we’re old.”

“Hmm. I’m worried about it for the sake of your junior.”

Apparently, Yuika was impressed with the fact that I was concerned about Otomizu.

For me, it was an obvious thing; but for her, it might have been a surprise.

“I understand. I’ll give you some serious advice.”

“I can count on you.”

As if to regain her composure, Yuika cleared her throat.

“In any case, you should listen to her sincerely.”

“You’re right, it is … true.”

“It’s not good to dawdle in the middle of a conversation. You’ll hurt your junior even more.”

“I see.”

“The other thing is to be confident, I guess. Then you can make the choice that you think is right for you, Onii-San.”

To be honest, I was surprised because I didn’t expect her to give me such serious advice.

Yuika was, I believe, a sophomore in high school.

It was a big deal.

“For a high school girl, you’ve got it all figured out.”

“I think I’m probably on the normal side.”

“Really?”

“Onii-San’s at ……, yeah. I don’t have to tell you.”

“You just had a terrible thought.”

It was strange for an adult to ask a high school girl for advice, but talking with Yuika brought me back to myself.

I had come to trust Yuika so much in our casual daily exchanges.

“Phew. … It’s funny how when you tell me to have confidence in myself, it makes me feel that way.”

“I know.”

“I’ll try as hard as I can. Thanks.”

“Yeah. Good luck.”

This was when I was about to finish our conversation.

“Hey …”

Yuika stopped me.

“What is it?”

“What would you do if I told you I was going to confess?”

“Will you?”

“No, I’m not. Just hypothetically.”

What’s up with that?

Assumptions were unusual.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do, but if I touch a high school girl, I’m in serious trouble.”

“Yes, I know.”

The tone was emotionless, but it sounded a little depressing.

Could it be that she thought she was unattractive?

I didn’t mean it that way. …

“Well, …, there’s something.”

“What?”

“If you ask me who I trust the most right now, it’s probably Yuika.”

Yuika was silent for a while, but I thought she was smiling on the other end of the phone.

“See you, Onii-San. I wish you the best of luck.”

“Ah.”

I put my phone on the table and looked at the clock, the time was already past eight-thirty at night.

――Knock knock.

There was a knock at the door.