>7 - Watase Yoko wants to meet up for lunch (Monday)
The hours fly by as you send out various emails and try to keep up to date with everything happening in the idol world.
The clock hits 1 PM before you know it and you hurry to gather your things to meet up with Watase Yoko who’s waiting in the hallway.
You’re going to have lunch together.
Meaning she’s going to complain about her manager while you eat and nod.
“Yo,” says Watase.
“Good afternoon, Watase-san,” you say, “Sorry for keeping you waiting.”
Watase leans in, “Haa?” she says, unexpectedly fierce and getting really close.
Great start. What’d you even do wrong? Ah.
“Y-yoko-chan,” you say, leaning away.
“Yoko,” corrects Watase.
“Yoko,” you say, looking away.
If she’s gonna be like this the entire time, then you’re never lunching with her again.
She might be almost a foot taller, but you’re still older AND her superior.
It wouldn’t hurt her to give you some proper respect while you’re in the office, right?
Watase grins and points over her shoulder with a thumb, “I know a nice place not too far, let’s go.”
Oh. It seems like she has already decided on a place. That’s fine.
You nod and simply follow her as she heads out the door.
To your surprise there’s already a taxi waiting.
“Eh?” you say, looking at Watase, “Where are we going? Is it far?”
Watase’s brow furrows, “No,” she says, her expression softening, then pointing at your shoes as she scratches a cheek, “It’s just that, I noticed you’re sometimes walking in heels and I didn’t want to make you walk the entire way in those.”
You’re wearing flats today, so walking a short distance it wouldn’t have been an issue.
Still, that’s… oddly considerate of Watase.
Watase herself is never seen wearing anything other than sneakers or combat boots.
The both of you get in the taxi and are driven towards a small bistro.
It was about a ten-minute drive in the busy Tokyo streets, but that would’ve been killing in heels.
Once inside you both order your meals, just a light lunch for you and seafood for Watase.
You enjoy your meal over friendly conversation and as expected Watase spares no time to tear into her manager.
[https://assets.legendkeeper.com/3ed7873d-90ce-4eda-8fee-38e2765aea7c.png]
He’s unexperienced. Knows nothing about the industry. Refuses to heed advice. And so on so forth.
You listen attentively and nod at the appropriate times, making comments like: “Wow, that’s crazy.”
After a while she changes the subject and instead wants to know what you’ve been up to.
It’s true that you haven’t really spoken much in person since the hot spring trip, so you indulge her.
Leaning on a hand, Watase listens with a soft smile on her face as you talk animatedly about getting your idols ready for their debut.
Although it’s the new girls that’ll debut, you mention how it’s scary for you as well and that you can’t help but worry about the reception to their debut.
After that you talk some more and Watase seems eager to learn more about you, Nagata Miho, but after mentioning a handful of things you confess with a chuckle that you’re not all that interesting.
Watase says she disagrees, but before you can talk more your alarm rings.
It’s time to get back to work.
There’s a taxi to take you back to the office and on the ride back you mostly talk about the meal you just had.
Watase Yoko might seem awfully crass at times, but you’re happy to find yourself reminded that she can be kind as well.
Back at the office, you part ways with a wave and return to your respective duties.
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>5 - Help Kaiba prepare for her audition by going shopping
It’s Tuesday and as you look over your schedule, you’re reminded that Kaiba’s audition is this Friday. The way she has been presenting herself around the office has you nervous.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Surely, she wouldn’t actually go to an audition like that. Right?
…
Maybe just send an email to see if she wants to go shopping together, just in case.
You kind of need new clothing yourself, anyway. It just overlaps, that’s all.
Considering that you’ve got Enatsu’s and Chigusa’s job planned for Wednesday and Thursday, this shopping trip will have to happen today.
Considering that Kaiba hasn’t all that much going on with the live vlog on hiatus, you decide to set out around 3 PM, near the end of the workday.
Unlike Kaiba you probably have to head back to work afterwards to catch up on those missed hours, but it serves as a nice break.
At 3 PM, you meet up with Kaiba in the lobby where she’s sitting on a couch in front of a small table.
She’s surrounded by a bit of a mess, just staring blankly ahead.
“Aoi-chan, hello~” you say as you approach her, adding a smile and wave.
Kaiba looks up, snapping out of her daze, “Nagata-san,” she says.
She seems to remember where she is, looks at her surroundings, and hastily cleans up the mess.
The papers she collects and stuffs in a large purse.
You wince as you watch them crumple.
Hopefully they weren’t important documents.
[https://assets.legendkeeper.com/3cde9bb0-c60b-457f-91c1-ce4bed62f08b.jpg]
She seems at a loss what to do with this second pair of pants she has brought along.
After glancing left and right a few times, she spots what she’s been looking for and pulls out a backpack that had been hidden under the table.
Kaiba puts the jeans in there and leaves the backpack there for now.
You crack a smile, “Why the pants?” you ask.
“Ah, the, eh, ones I had one were dirty, so I changed in the bathroom,” she says.
“Okay…?” you ask, turning your head slightly, “Everything alright?”
“Mhhmm,” says Kaiba, making a small sound of confirmation, “Let’s get going, okay?”
She gets up and turns towards the exit.
You glance back, “Don’t you want to take the backpack?”
“Eh?” says Kaiba from the door, looking uncertain, “It’s heavy… I’ll come back for it later.”
“Heavy?” you say, glancing at the backpack.
It does appear stuffed to the brim.
”What’s in it?” you ask.
“Ah, stuff… like clothing and things,” she says, “I’m… going to a sleepover at a friend’s house.”
Kaiba made friends! That’s delightful to hear. If it wasn’t an obvious lie.
Nevertheless, Kaiba doesn’t seem to want to talk about it.
She wouldn’t be… meeting up with EmikoDesu55 would she?
Even she would have more self-respect than that, wouldn’t she?
“Nagata-san,” says Kaiba from the door, “You coming?”
“Ah,” you say, “Of course.”
The both of you head off into the city and end up only buying a handful of things.
You buy a new dress, a grey one, apologizing to Kaiba for taking up so much time as the shopkeeper takes your measurements in a private room so it can be tailored down to your size while Kaiba waits.
Naturally, you have to strip down to your underwear for the measurements to be taken.
It’s a dress after all. A body-hugging one. The underwear stays on as it has to be taken into account.
The seamstress clears her throat, “You’ll have to remove any padding that you have in the bra…”
“Eh?” you reply, looking confused, “There’s none.”
“Hah?” replies the seamstress.
Kaiba excuses herself and decides to wait outside.
You watch her rush out the room, wondering what's up with her.
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In the end Kaiba purchases a travel-size make-up kit, a pair of jeans, two shirts, and a sweater.
It’s closing in on 5 PM at this point, so you decide to head back.
As you hit the borders of the shopping district, Kaiba speaks up, “I’ll be going this way…” she says, pointing towards a street heading north.
“Ah, alright,” you reply, then give a mournful look as you drop your shoulders a bit, “I have to head back to the office for now…”
“Nagata-san, fighto~,” says Kaiba, raising her fist with a thin smile filled with sympathy.
The both of you part ways.
Strange, you could’ve sworn Kaiba’s house was in the other direction.
Maybe she really is meeting with a friend.
Once you arrive back at the office you notice the backpack that Kaiba left behind is still under the table.
Ah, she must’ve forgotten all about it.
It’s probably bad to leave it here, right?
Somebody could walk in and take it.
You decide that you’ll take up to your office.
After dragging the bag from underneath the table, you grab firm hold off one of the backpack’s straps and with a grunt of effort swing it over your shoulder.
And as you do the bag’s momentum successfully takes you down to the ground.
The breath is knocked out of you as you hit the floor.
Heavy! Gosh, what’s in here?
Has Kaiba been carrying this around?
Pulling yourself up from the ground, you dust off your suit.
Then you upright the bag and begin to undo the clasp…
“Oh my~” rings a voice, with a sound of heels clacking on the lobby’s tiling, “What do I see here?”
Geh!
It’s Kitabayashi Yui, heading off from work for the day.
”You alright?” she says, “You hit the ground pretty hard there…”
“I’m fine, Yui-chan,” you say, “Just trying to move Kaiba’s bag that she left by accident.”
Kitabayashi earlier look of concern is replaced by a smug grin, “Kaiba’s, eh?” she says, looming over you, “You weren’t about to open it to have a little peek inside, were you?”
”That’d be a little like spying, now wouldn’t it?” she adds, “You know, I haven’t forgotten about that what you told me…”
Ah, yes. You asked for her help with the EmikoDesu55 situation.
But to do so you had to reveal that you spied of Kaiba’s private chat.
Not only did she reprimand you pretty harshly for that, but she made you promise to reveal to Kaiba that you spied.
“I know,” you say, looking down in regret, “It’s all gotten very complicated…”
You look back up, staring Kitabayashi in the face, “I’m trying to find the right moment, I really am…”
Kitabayashi stomps her food down, “That’s not fair!” she says, pouting, “Don’t look at me like that!”
She scratches the side of her head, “Aaargh, fine,” she says, “But you better tell!”
You nod, “I will,” you say, “Can you help me get this bag to my office? I’m not trying to do anything with it. I just want to make sure it isn’t stolen from the lobby by anyone.”
“Fine,” says Kitabayashi.
Together you lift the bag.
“Heavy!” cries Kitabayashi.
The bag eventually finds its way to your office.
Kaiba recovers it the following day, but dodges any questions regarding the content.