Chapter 27: A Splash of Color and Surprises

With Holi just around the corner, the city was already alive with the festival's spirit. Children ran through the streets, joyfully throwing water at anyone who passed by. Haari arrived at the office clad in a raincoat, much to the surprise of Oki and Ashi.

"Why are you dressed like that?" Ashi asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Just trying to stay dry," Haari replied with a shrug.

" What do mean stay dry. oki asked.

" The holi festival is around the corner and Children ran through the streets, joyfully throwing water at anyone who passed by so to got soaked by their water i wear the rand coat to protect myself." Haari said.

Later, Rafta entered the office, dripping wet from head to toe. The entire room stared in shock.

"What happened to you?" Oki asked, her eyes wide.

Rafta chuckled as he walked in, drenched from head to toe. "You wouldn’t believe it," he said with a grin, "On my way here, a group of kids were having a water fight and decided I looked like a good target."

Oki’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Seriously? You got caught in a water fight on the way to work?"

"Yep," Rafta said, laughing. "I tried to dodge them, but you know how kids are—quick and relentless. Before I knew it, I was soaked through."

Ashi shook her head, amused. "You must have looked like a walking waterfall. Did they at least apologize?"

Rafta waved it off, still chuckling. "Nah, they just cheered and went back to their game. Honestly, it was kind of fun—though I didn’t expect to be part of their festival festivities."

"You’re definitely bringing a splash of Holi to the office," Oki said with a smirk. "Go change before you start leaving puddles everywhere."

"Right," Rafta agreed, heading towards the changing room. "I’ll be back to dry off and ready for the day, hopefully without any more surprise showers."

Next Day.

As Haari arrived at the office, he noticed that Rafta and Oki were missing.

"Nicawa-san, did you see Rafta by any chance?" Haari asked Ashi, who was at her desk, searching through some papers.

"No, I’m also looking for Habi-san," Ashi replied, her brow furrowed in concern.

"Where did they go so early in the morning?" Haari wondered aloud, his mind racing. *Wait, don’t tell me they’re off doing something... together somewhere in the building like?*

Haari slapped himself on the forehead. *No, they’d never do something like that, not in the office, right?*

Ashi looked at him, puzzled. "What happened? Why did you slap yourself?"

"I was just distracted," Haari said, trying to brush off the incident.

"Distracted by what?" Ashi asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Oh, don’t worry about that," Haari replied hastily, just as his phone began ringing.

"Hello?" Haari answered loudly, somewhat impatiently.

"Hey Ashi, what took you so long to pick up my phone?" Oki’s voice came through the receiver.

"Habi-san, how did she get my number?" Haari muttered, confused.

"It’s Haari speaking," he added.

"Oh, Kichiro-san, I thought this was Ashi’s number," Oki said, sounding surprised.

"No, you’ve got the wrong person," Haari said.

"You need to change your number," Oki advised.

"Why?" Haari asked.

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"Because your number is very similar to Ashi’s," Oki explained.

"Similar?" Haari echoed. "So which digit isn’t matching with my number?"

"Why don’t you ask her?" Oki suggested.

*I wish I could,* Haari said. "By the way, where are you?"

"Oh, I totally forgot! Come downstairs to the private pool and bring Ashi with you," Oki said before hanging up abruptly.

"What the hell? How can she hang up like that?" Haari exclaimed.

"What did she say?" Ashi inquired.

"She said to come downstairs to the pool," Haari replied, his confusion evident.

"Why?" Ashi asked.

"I don’t know. She didn’t tell me anything," Haari said as they both headed towards the pool area.

The pool area, situated at the back of the building, was a serene spot usually reserved for relaxation. However, today it was the setting for an unexpected surprise. As Haari and Ashi arrived, they found the area eerily empty.

"Where are they?" Ashi asked, looking around.

"Yeah, I can’t see anybody here," Haari agreed, just as Ashi suddenly fell into the pool with a splash.

"N-Nicawa-san!" Haari called out, rushing towards the pool.

Ashi surfaced, sputtering water. "Who pushed me?"

"Push you?" Haari asked, his eyes scanning the area.

"Yeah, someone pushed—" Ashi started, but was cut off by the sight of Rafta standing with a mischievous grin.

Before Haari could react, Oki tried to push him into the pool, but he managed to dodge her. Oki lost her balance and ended up falling into the pool herself.

"What the hell? Why did you dodge me?" Oki exclaimed, her voice a mix of frustration and surprise.

"Why do you ask? I dodged you in self-defense," Haari said, his anger rising. "And why are you trying to push me into the pool?"

Rafta stepped forward with a playful smirk. "Why do you ask? You have to go inside the pool if you want to know the answer."

"Eh?" Haari replied, bewildered.

"Sorry, buddy," Rafta said, giving Haari a gentle shove. Haari stumbled and fell into the pool with a splash.

Oki, now floating on the water, looked at Haari and said, "Didn’t you check the calendar today?"

"Calendar?" Haari asked, trying to keep his head above water.

"Today is a very special day," Oki said with a wide grin.

"Special?" Haari echoed, confused.

"Today is my favorite day of the year, and it’s Holi!" Oki declared.

"Holi?" Haari said, suddenly realizing the significance of the day.

"Yeah, I know that," Ashi said, who had managed to swim to the edge of the pool. "But I didn’t expect us to celebrate it like this."

"Wait if you know,so why didn't you—?" Haari began, as he turned around . BOOBS.

"Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to—" Haari stammered, quickly turning away.

"Nicawa-san is completely soaked; I can see through her clothes." Haari face showed surprise and embarrassment, with widened eyes and a flushed expression."

Haari took a deep breath. "Just forget what you saw."BOOBS " No I can't "

He glanced back at Rafta, who was clearly enjoying the view, causing Haari to scowl."What? He’s staring directly at her."

"Ashi, your clothes are—" Oki said to Ashi, who was now climbing out of the pool.

"Oh, don’t worry. I’m already wearing a swimsuit," Ashi said.

"What a disappointment," Rafta muttered, just before Oki punched him on the arm.

"Stop staring at her, you pervert!" Oki scolded.

As Ashi and Oki got out of the pool, Haari attempted to climb out, but they turned a garden hose on him, dousing him with water.

"Hey, don’t do that! I can’t see anything!" Haari protested, trying to shield himself from the stream of water.

........................

As everyone continued enjoying the chaos of the pool party, laughter and splashes filled the air. Suddenly, a new voice cut through the noise.

“What is going on here?” came the unexpected question.

Haari and Rafta turned in shock.

“What is she doing here?” Haari asked, wide-eyed.

Rafta, equally stunned, asked, “Um, Boss, what are you doing here?”

The Boss, clearly irritated, responded, “What do you mean, what am I doing here? It’s my company.”

Rafta added, “We know that, but it’s not like you to visit the company at this time around.”

The Boss retorted, “What do you think I am? A seasonal bee that only comes around when the season’s right?”

Rafta, unfazed, said, “You know yourself very well; I don’t think I need to explain.”

The Boss, visibly annoyed, threw a punch at Rafta.

“Wow, what was that for?” Rafta exclaimed.

Haari added, “You should be glad she only punched you and didn’t fire you. Last year, she fired ten employees because they were scarching her back.”

Oki then asked, “Hey Boss, what are you doing here?”

“I came to check if the work is going well, but what am I seeing here? I don’t think—” The Boss started, but was abruptly interrupted as Ashi pushed her into the pool.

Everyone was shocked.

“Whaaat? Did Nicawa-san just do that I think she did?” Haari and Rafta exclaimed in unison.

Oki, smiling, said, “Yeah, she did. I can’t believe it!”

Without missing a beat, Oki pushed Ashi into the pool and jumped in with her.

“What do you think you two are doing?” the Boss yelled from the water.

Oki replied, “Don’t be so angry, Boss. Today is Holi—a happy day that comes only once a year. Let’s enjoy it together and don’t worry about the work; we can cover it later.”

“But that’s not what I’m here for,” the Boss protested.

“So forget what you’re here for,” Ashi said, smiling.

Everyone was taken aback by the sudden turn of events.

“What’s up with Nicawa-san today? She’s acting so strange,” Haari remarked.

Rafta, curious, asked, “Hey Haari, can I ask you a question?”

“Sure, what is it?” Haari replied.

Rafta continued, “What kind of person is Nicawa-san?”

Haari pondered, “I think she lowers her guard when she feels comfortable and keeps it up when she doesn’t want to engage unnecessarily. That’s my take.”

Rafta nodded. “I think that should be enough for you.”

“What do you mean, enough for me?” Haari asked, puzzled.

Suddenly, Rafta jumped into the pool, joining the commotion. The Boss and Oki kicked him mid-air, causing him to fall outside the pool with a splash.

Oki and the Boss, visibly annoyed, shouted, “Watch where you’re going, you pervert!”

“That’s unfair!” Rafta protested from outside the pool. “Why are only the ladies having all the fun?”

Ashi, sensing the shift in mood, suggested, “Since we’re celebrating Holi, why don’t we invite all the employees to join us?”

Rafta, still feeling left out, called out, “Hey, are you ignoring me?”

Oki nodded in agreement. “Yeah, Ashi’s right. It would be fun to have more people celebrating with us.”

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