Chapter 18: Unraveled Threads: A Day of Revelations.

The office hummed with the usual morning activity as employees settled into their workstations. Ashi walked in with a cheerful greeting, her spirits buoyed by the new day.

“Good morning, Densi-san, Kichiro-san!” Ashi called out, her smile wide.

Rafta glanced up from his desk, where he was leisurely stretching and sipping coffee. He gave a relaxed wave, but a hint of concern flickered in his eyes.

“Morning, Nicawa-san. Ready to dive into another day?” Rafta asked, his tone casual but his gaze lingering on her.

“Yeah,” Ashi replied, trying to shake off the remnants of a busy morning.

Haari, engrossed in his work, looked up and offered a friendly smile.

“Good morning, Ashi. How’s everything going?” Haari asked, his eyes warm with genuine interest, but a subtle worry crossed his face.

“Good morning! It’s going well so far. I’ve got a few files here that need sorting out,” Ashi said, gesturing to the stack of documents on her desk.

As she settled at her desk, Ashi's expression shifted from cheerful to frustrated as she began to sift through the documents. The tangled budget allocations and resource lists were clearly more complicated than anticipated. Determined not to let the task overwhelm her, she decided to approach Rafta for help.

Ashi walked over to Rafta’s desk, where he was now casually scrolling through his phone, seemingly relaxed.

“Densi-san, I need some help with these files. They’re a bit confusing,” Ashi said, holding out the stack.

Rafta took a quick look at the files, flipping through them with a nonchalant demeanor. He raised an eyebrow, slightly intrigued.

“Hmm, these are quite the puzzle. You might want to ask Oki-san. She’s really knowledgeable about this stuff,” Rafta said, returning to his phone. He shot Ashi a sympathetic look, sensing her frustration.

“Oki-san? Alright, I’ll check with her,” Ashi said, her hope renewed but her anxiety still palpable.

With a grateful nod, Ashi headed over to Oki’s desk, only to find it empty. She frowned, her frustration evident, and her shoulders slumped slightly. Her determination, however, did not waver.

“Looks like Oki-san isn’t here at the moment. I’ll have to find another solution,” Ashi said aloud, glancing around the office as if searching for an answer.

Determined not to let the task overwhelm her, Ashi turned her attention to Haari, who was working intently at his desk. She approached him with a renewed sense of urgency.

“Kichiro-san, I could really use your help with these files. Densi-san suggested I ask Oki-san, but she’s not at her desk right now. Can you help me out?” Ashi said, a note of urgency in her voice that Haari could not ignore.

Haari looked up from his work, a bit taken aback but willing to assist. He noticed her distressed look and felt a pang of empathy.

“Sure, Nicawa-san. Let me see what’s going on,” Haari said, setting aside his own tasks and stepping into the breach with a supportive demeanor.

He took the files from Ashi and began reviewing them carefully. Despite his limited knowledge on the specifics, Haari did his best to understand and support Ashi.

“From what I can gather, these files seem to relate to our project’s budget and resource allocation. I’m not an expert, but I can help you go through them,” Haari said, trying to sound reassuring, but he couldn’t help feeling a bit out of his depth.

“Thank you, Kichiro-san. Your help is much appreciated,” Ashi said, visibly relieved. The warmth in her voice was genuine, but Haari noticed a flicker of something else in her eyes—perhaps gratitude or something deeper.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

“No problem. Let’s start with the budget overview and see if we can make sense of it,” Haari said, diving into the task with Ashi. He could sense the collaborative effort was not just about the files but also about building a sense of camaraderie.

As they worked together, Haari and Ashi discussed various points and clarified details. The atmosphere was focused yet collaborative. Haari noticed Ashi’s occasional glances and furrowed brows, hinting at underlying concerns.

“This section is quite confusing. What do you think this budget allocation is intended for?” Ashi asked, pointing to a particularly tangled part of the document.

“It looks like it’s earmarked for a marketing campaign. Maybe we should check for any related documents or previous budgets that could give us more insight,” Haari suggested, trying to be helpful.

“Good idea. I’ll look into that,” Ashi said, jotting down a note. Her gratitude was evident, but so was a lingering sense of unease.

They continued working through the files, Haari offering suggestions and Ashi making notes. Their collaborative effort made the task more manageable, and by the end of their discussion, Ashi felt more confident about the project.

Ashi thanked Haari for his assistance and returned to her desk, her sense of accomplishment evident. The task was now much clearer, and she felt prepared to tackle her remaining work. As she sat down, she couldn’t help but glance back at Haari, a mix of relief and unspoken gratitude in her eyes.

An Hour Later

As Ashi was engrossed in her work, Oki returned to her desk, looking a bit flustered.

“Hey, sorry I wasn’t at my desk earlier. I received your message and had to handle an urgent errand. So, what is it you needed help with?” Oki said, her voice tinged with apology.

“No worries, Oki-san. I actually got some help from Kichiro-san. We managed to make good progress on the files,” Ashi said, her tone appreciative.

“Oh, that’s great to hear! Kichiro-san is really good with these things,” Oki said, her expression brightening. She looked over at Haari with a nod of approval.

“Yes, he was very helpful. I appreciate the suggestion to ask him,” Ashi said, her voice tinged with a deeper sense of appreciation than just professional gratitude.

“Anytime! If you need more help, just let me know,” Oki said, her offer genuine.

Lunchtime

On the Rooftop

Lunchtime arrived, and the office was abuzz with activity, but Haari and Rafta had taken a break from the usual hustle. They had decided to retreat to the rooftop, a quiet spot where they could enjoy their lunch and some fresh air.

Rafta leaned against the railing, sipping from a can of cola. He looked relaxed and content, but there was a glint of mischief in his eyes.

“Nothing like a break up here,” Rafta said, taking in the view of the cityscape.

Haari sat nearby on a bench, unpacking his bento box. “I agree. It’s nice to get away from the office noise for a bit.”

As they ate and chatted, Haari looked over at Rafta. “So, how’s your day been, Rafta? Any interesting updates?”

Rafta chuckled. “Not much. Just the usual. Helped Ashi with some files this morning. She seemed a bit lost with them.”

Haari nodded. “Yeah, she came to me for help after you suggested she ask Oki-san. It’s good she got some support.”

Rafta raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. “So, did you manage to figure out the files?”

Haari took a thoughtful bite of his lunch before responding. “We made some progress. I’m not an expert, but we managed to clear up some confusion. It’s always nice to lend a hand, especially when things get complicated.”

Rafta shifted topics, a mischievous glint in his eye. “So, how’s your date go the other day?”

Haari nearly spit out the water he was drinking. “A date? Where did that come from?”

Rafta leaned in, smirking. “Aren’t you on a date with Nicawa-san the other day?”

Haari looked flustered. His thoughts raced: So, he saw us?

Rafta nodded. “I saw you both at the ice-cream shop. She seemed to really enjoy that ice-cream.”

Haari sighed, shaking his head. “No, you’ve got it wrong. We weren’t on a date yesterday.”

Haari’s thoughts whirled: I don’t let him know that we were following them. The memory of their “spy” outing flashed through his mind.

Rafta’s curiosity piqued. “Hum?”

Haari explained, “That day, I didn’t have anything planned, so I decided to go out and kill some time at the market. I ran into Nicawa-san when I was wandering around. We joined each other’s company and visited some places together.”

Rafta chuckled. “Is that so? I thought both of you were dating.”

Haari shook his head. “No, you’ve got it wrong. We just ran into each other by chance.”

Rafta leaned forward, his tone slightly teasing. “Even if you’re not officially dating, spending the whole day together isn’t any less than a date, you know.”

Haari looked uncomfortable. “Look, we spent the day together just to kill some time, nothing more.”

Rafta smiled knowingly. “You know, no girl spends an entire day with someone unless she finds something interesting about them. And from what I know about Nicawa-san, she’s not the type to just hang around with anyone. If she wanted, she could have just said hello and moved on. But she stayed with you. So, don’t ignore this. If you’re interested, you should ask her out on a date.”

Haari blinked, surprised. “A date?”

Rafta just smiled and took another sip of his cola. “Yeah, a date. Think about it.”

Rafta headed down the stairs to the office.

Haari watched him go, his thoughts swirling. “You’ve got it all wrong, Rafta. She spent the whole day with me because she wanted to know about your relationship with Habi-san. She was concerned about getting caught, so she invited me to accompany her. She's one hell of a spy.”

To be continue............