───● The Tsundere OL is Broken ●○●
Is there any meaning to being alive?
I—Mochizuki Seira—have been thinking about nothing but that recently.
I graduated from university and got a job. My university had a decent reputation, so my job hunt went relatively smoothly.
In college, I think I had a pretty good time, messing around with my female friends was fun.
I also had… well, I think I had a boyfriend.
Though the more I think about it, he was a boyfriend from hell.
“Haaah… I wanna die.”
“Hey, Seira, what if the section chief hears you…!”
“I’m sorry…”
Today, like every other day, I face my computer. If all I had to do was work at my computer, it would be fine.
The problem is my boss.
And it’s a boss I’m in the same room with all day long.
“Excuse me, Mochizuki-sa~n? The documents you just gave me, I told you to put the company name here and here, right? It’s not there.”
“Eh… No, I checked earlier, and you said you didn’t need it, Chief…”
“Huh? I never said that. You must have misheard me, didn’t you?”
“…”
Every single day. What’s the point of living, getting chewed out by this petty, insidious section chief?
“Oh, honestly. Isn’t it because you always mishear things like that that you got dumped by your man?”
“…!”
The murderous intent almost escaped my throat, but I suppressed it with an iron will. Because the chief had said it in a loud voice, I could hear whispers from those around me.
“Eh, Mochizuki-san got dumped…?”
“That was last year’s news. About a month after she started working. Apparently, the guy never even thought they were dating in the first place.”
“Eh, that’s horrible. What’s with that?”
I’m so sick of it. I silently returned to my seat and began redoing the documents as I was told.
In college, I had a boyfriend… or I was supposed to have.
My group of friends was what you’d call the top clique, and while everyone around me was getting boyfriends, I was the only one who couldn’t. So when I finally got one right before graduation, I was truly happy.
He was my first boyfriend ever.
And that ecstatic me… that bastard threw me into the depths of despair.
‘Eh…? You were serious? Sorry, not happening. Besides, I already have two other girlfriends.’
Before anger, before hatred, I cursed my own stupidity. Why had I been so happy to be with a guy like this?
Had I thought that any guy would do? The thought of that me makes me want to puke.
In the end, we broke up in less than two months, and I stopped all contact with him. I blocked him on social media, too.
Ever since then, I’ve been alone.
I live alone, so even when I go home, I’m alone.
I opened my social media without thinking.
A stream of posts from my college friends about going to theme parks with their boyfriends, or going on dates here and there, lined up one after another.
The feeling of envy, even that has long since disappeared.
…Is there any meaning to being alive?
“Eh? A boy’s bar?”
“Yeah! I was thinking you might like to come too, Seira-chan!”
Today is a no-overtime day at the company.
With tomorrow being a holiday, I was planning on going home early, but the one who stopped me was my senior, Miki-san.
She’s helped me out so many times, I can never say no to her, but…
And now that senior is inviting me to a boy’s bar.
“We sometimes go to this place on days like this when we have the next day off! There are cute guys, it’s great~! Good for the eyes and for your health!”
“Haa…”
Honestly, I just want to go home and sleep.
I’ve been dealing with that shitty chief’s harassment since morning, and I was mentally and physically exhausted.
“You haven’t been looking well lately, Seira-chan… I was hoping this might cheer you up, even just a little…”
“…”
I know that my senior at work, Miki-san, is worried about me.
And it feels wrong to turn down her kindness.
“Okay, I’ll go.”
“Eh, really—!? I’m so happy! I’m sure you’ll like it too, Seira-chan!”
She grabbed my hands and shook them up and down.
Ugh, honestly, I’ve never been to that kind of place, and I don’t really think I’ll enjoy it.
I’m aware that I’m a boring woman, and I’m actually more worried about putting a damper on everyone else’s fun.
“Who should we get to attend to you, Seira-chan!”
“Hmm~ maybe that guy?”
“Eh, but his request fee is high~. Isn’t that a bit much for a first-timer?”
“Maybe someone who isn’t too pushy would be better for her?”
They’re getting all excited without me. …Well, I’ll just make some small talk and leave. The people working at a place like this must be used to women. They should be able to at least keep a conversation going.
A sign that read, ‘Festa’ Boy’s Bar, was shining with dazzling neon lights.
A short walk from the station, in a pretty good location, seemed to be our destination for the day.
Miki-san led the way and opened the door to the bar.
“Welcome~! …Oh, Miki-san! You came again!”
“Yuusei-ku~n, I’m back ♡”
…Eh?
Honestly, I was put off from the very beginning.
…Judging from the conversation, Miki-san must come here often. This way of speaking might be the standard here, but… even so, her tone was so unfamiliar that I couldn’t believe my ears. Still, the boy didn’t seem to mind my reaction at all and guided us to the back of the bar.
“A party of five ladies, to table three! Welcome~!”
““““Welcome, ladies.””””
Wow, amazing.
When the person at the reception called out, all the staff in the bar welcomed us.
And every single one of them was handsome.
…Okay, my mood did lift, just a little.
When we were seated, we were all made to sit quite far apart from each other on a wide sofa, at equal intervals.
Eh? Why? Why is there so much space?
Confused, I leaned in a little toward Miki-san to ask.
“Eh? Why are we sitting so far apart?”
“A boy will come and sit in between us!”
“Ah, in between!?”
Apparently, the format is for a guy to sit in between the girls.
I see, so even though we came as a group, we’re basically meant to talk one-on-one.
Eh, I’m getting nervous… I thought I just had to go along with everyone’s conversation…
“Welcome, Miki. Should we just have the boys come over for everyone today?”
“Ah, Yuusee-kun. There’s something I wanted to ask about…”
Miki-san was asking something of the staff.
I guess she’s consulting about which boy will attend to us?
“I see, I see, roger that. In that case, then… Ah, it’s Friday, so he might be a good choice. …And you, Miki?”
“Ehh? You have to ask~? For me, it’s always Yuusei-kun and only Yuusei-kun ♡”
Ugh, that’s so cringe.
I really didn’t want to see this side of my respected senior.
“Pardon us, ladies.”
One by one, the boys from the bar came and sat with us.
But every single one who came was not only handsome but also adorned with flashy, dazzling accessories, so I couldn’t help but feel intimidated.
The seat next to me was still empty. But looking at these men, so dazzlingly dressed up… they’re in this line of business, so… they’re probably laughing at us on the inside, aren’t they. The thought made me disgusted with myself for being such a horrible person.
Even if that were true, there’s no fault in them for talking to us with a smile, without showing a hint of displeasure.
Lately, my thoughts always turn negative.
Next to me, Miki-san is starting to get cozy with Yuusei(?)-san, and it looks like everyone else has their favorite boy with them, their eyes already turning into hearts.
Hey, didn’t you say something about cheering me up?
I let out a sigh. …Honestly, I don’t really feel like I can enjoy this.
I just don’t think I can get along with this type of guy. I really am a boring woman, through and through.
“Pardon me, my lady.”
Finally, a voice called out to me, and I raised my gaze.
“…”
That day, I met an angel.
“Nice to meet you, my name is Masato. And what is your name, miss…?”
“Ah, um, Seira.”
“Seira-san! It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Honestly, in terms of sheer handsomeness, the boys who had come over earlier might have been better looking. Their accessories were flashier, too.
But the boy who came to me… he had a very calm, simple and honest impression. I liked his clothes, too.
He wasn’t overly dressed up; his suit was a deep navy, giving him a subdued look.
His baby face was also a plus. The sense that he was a little kid trying too hard to wear a suit stirred my protective instincts.
“Are you here after work today?”
“Y-Yes… because tomorrow is a holiday.”
He was pouring ice and alcohol into my glass. The whole time, he never lost his gentle smile.
“That’s right~! I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I wonder why Friday nights are always so exciting?”
“Fufu, you’re right.”
…Eh, did I just laugh?
Perhaps it’s because the boy attending to me was a younger kid, completely different from what I had imagined. I felt a sense of anticlimax, and the tension I had been feeling before I knew it had melted away.
“What are you planning to do for the holiday, Seira-san~?”
“W-Well… I’ve been getting into games recently…”
And just as I said that, I realized.
For a first topic, isn’t ‘gaming’ a bit too nerdy? I would never say that at a mixer, but it seems I had let my guard down too much.
Maybe I should have said something safe like reading.
“Eh! That’s great! What kind of games do you play?”
But that worry was instantly proven to be baseless.
Looking at his expression as he looked me straight in the eye without a single change of color, I remembered that I was here to enjoy myself in the first place, and worrying about such things was pointless.
He never once showed a suspicious expression and was genuinely interested in what I had to say.
“Well, let’s see, RPGs, and the type where you build a town, and…”
“I love RPGs too! When I was a kid, I played ‘DraDra Fantasy’! It’s so much fun, right! I’d love for you to give me some recommendations!”
He had a huge smile on his face the entire time. There was no sense of duplicity at all.
He might just be a really good actor and secretly be totally put off, but at least I couldn’t sense any of that from him, and for some reason, I felt like he was having fun too.
Maybe that’s why.
I found myself happily drinking the alcohol he had poured for me.
“So that shitty boss!! She made sure everyone could hear when she said I was dumped by a guy…!”
“That’s seriously horrible…”
Wait, when did the conversation turn to this? I just kept drinking, feeling good.
Masato-kun was close, and I was getting dizzy.
I figured, what the heck, and before I knew it, I was venting all my recent frustrations. I might have gotten a little too heated.
I took a sip from my glass, not even sure how many I’d had, and let out a breath.
“…But you know, I’m the stupid one. I was the one who was all giddy, thinking he was serious about dating me.”
“Eh? But that guy was the one who asked you out, right?”
“Well, yes, but…”
That was true. With a smirk on his face, that bastard was the one who had asked me out.
It was the first confession of my life, and I was on cloud nine, but I should have realized it at that point.
“That’s terrible! You didn’t do anything wrong, Seira-san, did you? No matter how you look at it, he’s the one in the wrong!”
The boy in front of me was getting angry on my behalf. And for some reason, that made me incredibly happy.
“But that’s just how it is. For women. In the end, we don’t have any choice in the matter.”
So, I added, my words laced with self-deprecation.
And then.
“You know… I really can’t accept that.”
“Eh?”
He leaned in toward me.
The proximity made my heart skip a beat.
“Sure, there might be few men. But does that give them a reason to act superior? I hate guys who get complacent like that.”
It was the first time I had heard anything like that.
I’ve talked with a fair number of men, but he was the first one to say something like this. As I stared at him in surprise, he continued, looking a little embarrassed.
“If I were in that position… I’d want to date someone as beautiful in both looks and personality as you, Seira-san.”
──In that moment, I felt like some kind of stopper inside of me had broken.
Header:
[ In Igarashi Koumi’s Case ]
Chat Title:
< Koumi
Masato (14:15):
I was scouted to be an idol or something, lol.
Koumi (14:18):
Huh?
Is that okay? Isn’t that something suspicious?
Masato (14:25):
I also refused at first, but then they told me to just hear them out.
Koumi (14:27):
I feel like you should quit (talking to them)……
If you got a business card or something, I should look up the company.
Koumi (14:35):
Masato, you refused, right~?
Koumi (14:40):
……Hey, are you really okay?
Koumi (14:43):
Missed Call
Koumi (14:45):
Missed Call
Koumi (14:48):
Missed Call
Koumi (14:50):
Voice Call (5:15)
Koumi (15:01):
Seriously, please be careful!?
Come back home safely.
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