After getting yourself and Matsui some coffee, you return to your office and finish up some tasks.

Hours tick by and eventually there's a knock at the door. It's time.

You swallow, try to calm down a bit, and speak up, "Come in," you say.

The door opens and Watase walks in, wearing a long-sleeve sweater and seemingly confused, "Yo, you wanted to see me?"

You can't just outright accuse her of sexual assault.

That'd only make her mad. You have to be careful about it.

"Yes," you say, locking your fingers together, hoping to seem professional, "I did."

"Could've just texted me," she says, "Instead of being so formal about it."

You're about to speak when Watase interrupts.

"Actually, wait," says Watase, "I'm sorry I didn't visit you in the hospital, I should've."

"Eh?" you reply, "Don't worry about it. I was only there for a day."

"Still," says Watase, "I feel bad. I should've helped back then. If I did your face might not've gotten busted like that."

"Not your fault," you say, "I told you not to, didn't I? I didn't want to risk you getting hurt."

"...Me getting hurt?" says Watase, strangely offended, "Have you seen me?

"How's the shoulder?" you say flatly, "Long-sleeve shirt is coming in handy, it seems."

Watase's face falls, "Pretty banged up," she says, "Been sore all weekend."

This can't possibly be a woman that sexually assaulted you, right?

The uncertainty recedes a bit, a weight falling off your shoulders.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," you say, then press a self-important hand to your chest, "Luckily, you had me to take care of you."

Watase rolls her eyes with a smile, "My hero~" she says with a mocking smile, then turns serious, "It was dangerous what you did, though."

"I know, but all's well that ends well, right?" you say.

"I guess, just don't do it again," says Watase, "But what's up? Why'd you schedule a formal meeting?"

Ah, yes. The confrontation.

It's not as scary now, though.

"It's about... what happened at the hot spring," you say, with as much tact as you can muster.

"Hot spring?" says Watase, "That's like a month ago. What about it?"

You're a professional manager.

With a functional spine.

"Well, after we had drinks together..." you say, making a hand gesture that basically tells Watase to work out the rest for herself from there.

Watase leans against the far wall, folding her arms, "What's up with you?" she says, "Why are you being so weird all of a sudden?"

"It's not an easy topic to bring up," you say defensively.

"People get drunk all the time," replies Watase, "If that's what you meant."

"It's about what happened after..." you say.

Where'd that spine go? Huh?

You absolute rubber duck of a person.

"Look, I can watch you be a cute mess all day, but I can tell it's bothering you," says Watase, "What's the problem? You got drunk, I dragged you to a room, we woke up."

So, she's sticking with that, huh?

Watase hasn't seemed defensive in any way thus far.

Maybe it's okay to simply be open and honest.

You pull in your lips, speaking carefully, "...There has been a new perspective on what happened..."

"What?" says Watase, "Why do you talk like that?"

You take a deep breath, "Okay," you say, sighing, "So, here's the deal. Kaiba was awake back then and she heard some stuff when you dragged me into the room and now, well, she's absolutely convinced I'm a lesbian in denial."

Watase locks eyes with you, is quiet for a long painful moment, and then straight-up snorts.

"Hahaha!" laughs Watase, "For real!?"

"It's not funny!" you say, getting up from your chair and slamming your hands on the desk, "She refuses to believe otherwise!"

"Kaiba's the black-haired girl, right?" says Watase, trying to catch her breath, "The one that had the scandal?"

Is that how she's known around the company?

"Ah, yes," you say, "It's all gotten very awkward."

Watase takes a deep breath, "Fuuuu..." she says, "So what now? You want me to tell her my side of things?"

"No! Er... no," you say, "She's in a weird place right now. It wouldn't help."

"You mean Narnia?" says Watase, "She's so far in the closet that that's where I imagine she'd be."

Yes, the Japanese know about Narnia. I looked it up.

"Er... maybe," you say, "Just don't bother. I'll talk to her myself."

You can pretty much imagine how that would go.

It'd be like feeding Kaiba to a Watase-shaped shark.

Fufu~ So, you were listening in. Were you? Interested?

Watase mentioned mostly being interested in women older than herself, but there's no doubt that she makes an exception at times.

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"Yeah, I remember her ogling you at the hot spring," says Watase, a faint smile on her face.

"Watase, this is serious," you say, "I need to know what Kaiba heard is real or not."

Watase walks forward and sits in the empty chair across your desk, leaning back and crossing one leg over the other, "Alright," she says, "Shoot."

Ah, here comes the uncomfortable part.

"Kaiba said... she heard m-moaning, from, well, ...me," you say, feeling your face heat up.

"Moaning?" says Watase, raising an eyebrow, "I know exactly what girly moans sound like and that wasn't it. It was more like ... groaning? Maybe?"

"Groaning?" you echo.

"I mean, I was pretty out of it myself, but I remember you trying your hardest not to throw up," says Watase, "You were VERY drunk. Clutching your stomach and all."

"Then why would Kaiba say that..." you begin.

Watase shrugs, "I dunno, some people hear what they want to hear I guess," she says, "I think girl-on-girl action was probably on her mind for days at that point. Considering the scandal and all."

You're sitting here embarrassing yourself because of the horny fantasies of a teenage girl!?

Locking eyes with Watase, you face becomes more serious with each passing seconds while Watase's face breaks out in a giant grin as the shared realization washes over the both of you.

"Wait!" you say, holding out a hand in an effort to save your dignity, "She also said she heard you say stuff."

Watase shrugs, "I mean, sure, but like I said I was piss-drunk myself and it was over a month ago, no idea what I could've said."

What God have you angered to deserve this?

"I think Kaiba said that she heard you say... that'd you'd put me into bed...?" you say carefully.

"I did, right?" says Watase, "I got you under the covers and all."

There were also the bits about her allegedly saying she'd turn you in her office pet and how Watase said you were cute.

Eheh~

No!

You can't say those things, you'd die of embarrassment!

Watase would absolutely say something like 'Huhu, sounds like something I'd say. Up for it?'

And she'd pull a collar out nowhere or something!

"I'm not a cat," you say defiantly.

"What?" says Watase, confusion plain on her face, "Look. Do you have any other questions?"

"Er... I remember waking up with you being naked and fondling me... Why was that again?" you say.

"Hmm," says Watase, thinking back, "I mean, you're cute. I remember hoping to get something out of it."

"Eh..." you manage, "T-that's sexual assault!"

"Hah!? Sexua..." she says, taken aback, "If I'm not allowed to feel-up a girl I'm sharing a bed with, then when AM I allowed?!" retorts Watase.

"You got me in that bed!" you reply, "I didn't decide to get in it!"

"...That much is true," says Watase, sighing, "I was hungover and woke up next to a short, blonde girl with hair that smelled like white camellia flowers. Sorry."

"D-don't remember the smell of my hair like that," you mutter, "Flattery will get no you nowhere!"

"Seems like it is," says Watase, matter-of-factly.

"Out, out!" you say, ushering her towards the door with a face like a tomato, "You've cleared your name for now. Thank you!"

Watase holds up her hands defensively, then allows herself to be pushed towards the door, where she stops, "A month later and you're still thinking about that morning, huh?" she says, "Are you sure Kaiba-chan isn't right?"

Try as you might, you can't seem to move Watase another inch.

You roll your eyes and groan.

"Don't let Kaiba hear those," says Watase, grinning.

"Please, I don't need another person to bully me like that," you say, "Not interested."

"I've met plenty of girls who said the same," says Watase, "Why not just give women a try? Can't hurt?"

"Try?" you say, "Like a piece of fruit? Right."

"Why not?" says Watase, "What'd you got to lose?"

"Yeaaahh.... I don't think it works like that," you reply.

"Oh, but it does," says Watase, smirking, "I can tell you about plenty of married women who were just as sure about themselves as you are."

"G-gross!" you say, trying to push her out the door, "I don't wanna hear that!"

It's like she's glued to the damn floor!

"Most stuck with their husbands after, but life's short," says Watase, "You could've died last week. Memento Mori and all that. Have to keep trying new things."

Why is everyone saying that?!

You've never died before, why would you start now?

"But I didn't!" you say.

"Gotta keep trying new things while life lasts," says Watase, easily shoving you a step back and keeping you there, "You don't have to switch sides. Just try it."

Can you really dismiss something you've never tried?

Absolutely.

"No way!" you say, "Date with a girl? No."

"Isn't the person more important than the gender?" says Watase, "You'd love somebody for their personality, right?"

Trap question. Saying no would be stating you'd only consider people for their body.

Or guys for something more specific.

She's not wrong. There should be more to it than that.

Sexual attraction is important, but not like you have much input with your hard zero of experience.

Maybe you could give it a try, like a single date?

Like she said, there's no harm in it.

Wait..

You look up into Watase's brownish-orange eyes.

She looks down in yours, a soft, dreamy smile on her face.

"...This is what you said to those married women, wasn't it?" you say.

Watase smirks, then shrugs, "Maybe."

"Hmpf!" you pout, ushering her out the door, "Out! Out!"

"Fiiineee," says Watase, finally allowing herself to move, "See you around."

"Bye!" you say, closing the door behind her.

How dare she use a speech like that?

She almost had you.

----------------------------------------

Watase walks off with a smile.

What a strange, but productive meeting that was.

Nagata has been obsessing over some light-touching from a month ago.

This is almost too easy, isn't it? If only she knew sooner.

Watase didn't plan to use her old tactics on Nagata, but she seems vulnerable to them.

So, why not? If that gets them together, then all the better.

The seed of doubt has been planted.

Now it's just waiting for the right place and the right time.

Just like all the other times before.

----------------------------------------

"I wish I had some gruelling deadline!" you snap in your lonely office.

With nothing pressing coming up, your mind is free to mull over Watase's words.

Should you give it a try before you commit seriously to a relationship with a guy?

It'd be hard to do once you start dating somebody in earnest.

That means missing out on that experience for life.

There's so much else you haven't done.

You've really led a sheltered existence in a way.

But do you even want to?

> Every single thread I get people asking me if we can redo or retcon the sexuality vote.

> That's not going to happen. If you retcon then the votes don't matter.

> And if the votes don't matter then why even bother playing quests to begin with.

>

> This is the best I can do: an optional one-time yuri pass.

> The college "experimenting" phase that Nagata missed out on.

>

> I doubt I'll ever offer it again as this is blatant fanservice.

>

> Decision

>

> >1 - No. Even after what Watase said, there's just no appeal. Not even curiosity, really.

> >2 - Yes. You kind of want to try. With whom, when, and where will remain to be seen.

>

> Winner

> >1 - No. Even after what Watase said, there's just no appeal. Not even curiosity.

At least you managed to confirm that you weren't abused in your sleep.

With a sigh, you tap your fingers on your desk as you contemplate things.

You'd just like someone, anyone, to welcome you home -- for once.

To feel a warmth different from your heated blanket.

Coming home to an empty apartment.

To cook meals for one.

It gets tiresome.

However, when it gets down to it, even if you really consider it, you can't see yourself with a woman.

You already knew that about yourself, but even a one-time thing to experiment simply has no draw.

Even if you try to forcibly conjure up a fantasy, it's always a man with his arms wrapped around you.

If anyone asked, you wouldn't say you feel lonely, you have your cat, Azuki, after all, but the mere fact that you sat down and even considered Watase's words speaks volumes.

You unleash a death stare at the phone on your desk, "Ring!" you say.

But it doesn't.

If it's warmth you want, you'll have to find it elsewhere.

Some tea, maybe. Your fingers wrapped around the mug.

It's depressing to consider that once your parents pass on, then you'll truly be alone.

Nobody that you have a meaningful connection with.

Oops, these are some dangerous thoughts!

Best do what you've always done and bury those feelings with work.

Lots to do!