Chapter 3 : Balancing Acts and Hidden Tensions
"I don’t get it. How is it safe with my eyes closed? I could do this with my eyes open, too."
"You can’t," Ashi said firmly.
"Why not?"
"Because it’s too embarrassing."
"Ahh, okay, I understand." Haari's voice trembled slightly, betraying his nervousness. "My heart is racing like it’s going to explode any second. She’s sitting on my shoulder."
Ashi’s thighs pressed against Haari’s shoulder, the contact soft but uncomfortably close. His eyes were squeezed shut, and he looked increasingly uneasy. He shifted his weight, attempting to find a more comfortable stance.
"Kichiro-san, stop moving! I can’t keep my balance if you keep shifting," Ashi’s voice cracked slightly with frustration.
"Just a little more," she added, trying to sound encouraging despite her visible struggle.
"Nicawa-san, is this enough? Did you reach the file?" Haari asked, his voice quivering with a mix of worry and impatience.
"Yeah, but it seems like the file is stuck. Just hold on, I’m going to try and pull it out," Ashi replied, her voice straining as she wrestled with the stubborn file.
Haari, standing near the bookshelf, braced himself against it, his face etched with concentration and anxiety.
"What if I open my eyes? No, no, I promised her I wouldn’t open them until she says so. But she’s taking forever." Haari shifted nervously, eyes still tightly shut. "Okay, I’m opening my eyes just to see if I can help Nicawa-san."
Haari cracked open his eyes and glanced upward. His face paled with shock.
"I can’t see anything above except two giant Mount Everests. I must be the first person to witness two Mount Everests in the whole world."
"Kichiro-san, you’re moving too much. Please try to stay still," Ashi’s voice strained as she adjusted her position to maintain balance.
"Nicawa-san, you’re squeezing me too hard. I can’t breathe," Haari gasped, feeling the pressure building.
As balance faltered, Haari and Ashi tumbled to the floor, papers scattering around them.
"I’m sorry, Nicawa-san. Are you alright? Did you get hurt?" Haari asked urgently, his face flushed with concern.
"I’m okay, but Kichiro-san, your hand is—"
"My hand?" Haari glanced down in panic, realizing his hand had inadvertently grabbed Ashi’s personal space. "I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to—"
"I know it was my fault. I took too long to get the file. You don’t need to apologize," Ashi said, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Haari bowed deeply, mortified. "No, it was my fault. I was the one moving around too much."
"Kichiro-san, you don’t need to be so hard on yourself. We got the file, so let’s just finish our work," Ashi said, offering a reassuring smile.
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"Yeah, let’s do that," Haari agreed, though he still looked unsettled.
---
In the evening, Haari and Rafta walked home together, their footsteps echoing on the quiet street. Haari appeared exhausted, his shoulders slumped.
"Oh man, you look wiped out," Rafta said, glancing sideways at Haari.
"Yeah, even with Nicawa-san’s help, today was exhausting. What about you? Aren’t you tired from all those bills? It must have been boring," Haari asked, his tone reflecting his tiredness.
"Definitely. I felt like I was about to collapse. I used a trick to speed things up by checking for mistakes."
"A trick?"
"Yeah, I went through the previous calculations looking for errors, but guess what I found."
"What?"
Rafta’s face flushed red with frustration. "I found nothing. So I had to dig through the files myself. You won’t believe what I found after two hours of struggle."
"What?"
"A mosquito."
"A mosquito?"
"On the last page of the files, a mosquito had died on a number, making it look like ten lakh, but it was actually nineteen lakh," Rafta exclaimed, his anger evident in his clenched fists.
"Calm down, Rafta," Haari said, trying to diffuse the tension.
"You have no idea how infuriating that was," Rafta muttered, still seething. "I’m going to kill that mosquito."
"Huh? But it’s already dead. It paid the price for what it did," Haari said quietly.
---
The next day, Haari arrived at the office early. He greeted Ashi with a cheerful, "Good morning, Nicawa-san."
"Good morning, Kichiro-san," Ashi replied with a warm smile.
"Hey, Haari, you’re early today. What’s up?" Rafta asked, setting his bag down and eyeing Haari curiously.
"I’m not early; you’re late," Haari said, a teasing smile on his lips.
"Really?"
"Good morning, Densi-san."
"Huh? Oh, I didn’t realize you were here too. Sorry, good morning, Nicawa-san," Rafta replied, offering a polite nod.
"Why isn’t Habi-san here yet?" Haari asked, glancing around the empty office.
"Oh, she’s taking the day off," Rafta said casually, sorting through some papers on his desk.
"Why’s that?"
"She mentioned having other business to attend to today," Rafta explained, his tone indifferent.
"Oh, I see. Habi-san really is a busy person, isn’t she?" Haari said, nodding in understanding.
"Yeah, she is."
---
During break time, Rafta lounged on the rest room sofa, his face buried in his arm.
"Are you okay? You look pretty worn out today," Haari asked, leaning against the door frame with concern.
"Yeah, just a bit tired from this morning. Without Oki around, it’s a lot harder to handle everything," Rafta said, his voice muffled and weary.
"Huh, I’ve never seen you work this hard since I joined. Are you done already?" Haari asked.
"If you need help, just let me know. I’ll do my best to help you," Haari offered earnestly.
"No, you’re helping enough. Just give me a moment to catch my breath," Rafta said, closing his eyes briefly.
"Densi-san, could you help me move these files to the storeroom?" Ashi’s voice came from the doorway, holding a stack of files.
Ashi noticed Rafta sleeping and frowned. "What’s with him?"
"He’s just a bit worn out from the morning work," Haari explained defensively.
"Oh, so a lazy person can get exhausted too," Ashi commented, rolling her eyes.
"Don’t be like that," Haari said, feeling uncomfortable.
"But it is surprising to see him actually working."
"I know," Haari said with a smirk.
Haari covered his mouth, concern crossing his face. "Did he hear us?" He glanced over his shoulder at Rafta, still asleep. "Oh good, he’s out cold. Thank goodness."
"What're you doing?" Ashi asked, looking between Haari and Rafta.
"Nothing, it’s just been a bit tougher to manage all the work without Habi-san," Haari explained, his tone slightly defensive.
"Yeah, it’s been a bit challenging," Ashi agreed.
Haari cleared his throat. "By the way, you said you needed help, right?"
"Oh, yes. I need help moving these files to the storeroom. I doubt Densi-san can manage it right now."
"I can help with that."
"Really? But don’t you have your own work?"
"I finished mine already, so it’s no problem."
"That’s quick."
"Well, if you think so, then let me give you a hand," Haari said, offering a reassuring smile.
"I appreciate it."
---
In the evening, as Ashi prepared to leave, she turned to Haari. "Thanks for your help today, Kichiro-san."
"No problem. Let’s keep up the good work," Haari replied with a smile.
As Ashi left, Haari noticed Rafta’s disheveled appearance and looked concerned.
"Wow, Rafta, you look like a zombie," Haari said, his eyes wide with worry.
"Let’s talk about you. What’s the secret behind your sudden burst of energy? What did you do in the storeroom with Nicawa-san?"
"Hey, hey, hold on. We didn’t do anything unusual. I was just helping Nicawa-san with her work."
"Really?"
"Look, you’re in no shape to argue right now. Go home and rest. We can discuss this later," Haari said, his tone firm but kind.
To be continued...