Volume 1
Chapter 3: The Gears of Fate Begin to Turn (Part3)
● I Witnessed a Tsundere Office Lady… ●○●
“…Yes…”
Lately, all I can do is sigh.
It’s Wednesday today. The middle of the week, the turning point. Thursdays and Fridays feel close enough to push through, but Wednesdays? That’s when the gloom hits hardest for working adults.
I bet a lot of people would agree.
“Seira, what’s wrong!? You’ve been so full of energy lately!”
“Miki-san…”
Miki-san, a senior colleague who’s recently started calling me by my first name—a sign of how close we’ve gotten.
At work, she’s the capable senior everyone in our cohort trusts. …Well, at work, that is. I think so too… mostly.
But ever since I stumbled upon a side of her I wish I hadn’t, I can’t help but see her differently. Still, Miki-san is a good person.
“Well, the boss has been a pain, and midweek always kills your motivation, right~?”
“Yeah… I guess…”
That’s not why I’m so down, though. Of course, I can’t tell her the real reason.
“Hey, come on, let’s hit up En this weekend. Sound good?”
“…Okay.”
A sharp pang stabs my chest.
I know she’s being kind, inviting me like that, but that word—En—hits me hard right now.
I watch Miki-san walk off, flashing a smile as she chats with other coworkers, and I pull out my phone.
Making sure no one’s around… I open the notes app.
There, written in stark text, is the surname “Katari”… and an address.
(I’m the worst… I know this is a crime…)
—That day.
The day I saw Masato-kun, followed him home, and became a stalker. Ever since that day, something heavy and oppressive has nested in my heart.
What did I even hope to accomplish by figuring out his address?
That weekend, I was a mess, staring at the address on my phone, doing nothing with it.
Of course, I thought about deleting it.
I should erase this information—obtained through a criminal act—and face Masato-kun with a bright smile again.
That’s what I told myself.
He’s such a good person. I could just casually ask, “Hey, the other day I thought I saw you heading toward the park on your way home. Do you live around there?” He’d probably answer.
But… I couldn’t do it.
The ugly part of me clung to this information, refusing to let go.
His personal information, something I’d never known before.
Until now, we were just a shop clerk and a regular customer—nothing more, nothing less. No, more like we couldn’t be anything more.
I didn’t even know his full name. If I told anyone I liked him, they’d just look at me with pity.
…But this information felt like it could change that.
If I could “accidentally” run into him, maybe at the right moment, in his private life…
The thought made my heart race. I’m such a disgusting creep.
But I had nothing else to cling to.
To break through this fragile, insignificant connection—to get closer to the angelic Masato-kun—I had to cross a line. That’s what I convinced myself.
“…Ha.”
Another sigh escapes me.
In the end, I haven’t used the information. I can’t bring myself to delete it, but I’m too cowardly to act on it either. I’m a pathetic, spineless creep.
Truly beyond salvation.
“Ugh, another sigh!?”
“Eek!?”
“Whoa, why’re you so jumpy?”
Miki-san had come back without me noticing. If she’d seen my phone screen just now, my life would be over!
I hurriedly hide it.
“Even I wouldn’t snoop on your phone~,” she teases. “What’s up? Boy trouble?”
“N-No, it’s not…”
“Oh? Then what, did you buy a Masato-kun photo collection or something?”
“What’s that supposed to mean…?”
A photo collection of a bar’s waiter?
Does such a thing even exist?
…Anyway, she didn’t see the note, so I’m safe.
From the sound of it, Miki-san’s planning to go back to En on Friday. Naturally, she’ll probably invite me along.
What kind of face am I supposed to make when I see Masato-kun?
If I act weird, he’ll get suspicious… but can I even face him like normal? I’m not confident.
As I stew in my thoughts, Miki-san gives me a curious look before heading back to her desk. I decide to ask something—just to confirm. It’s not a big deal, just checking.
You know, the basics of being a professional: communicate, confirm, consult.
“By the way, how much would a Masato-kun photo collection cost?”
“Pfft, like that exists!”
---
“Why am I the only one stuck with overtime thanks to that boss…?”
In the end, I got roped into staying late with some flimsy excuse, the only one in the department. Now I’m finally heading home.
I wrapped things up quickly, so it’s not too late, but it was still a pointless drain.
“Guess I’ll go home, play some games, and crash…”
I glance at my watch. It’s 3:00 p.m.
Even with summer approaching, 3:00 p.m. is already pretty dark.
But the station area is lit up with streetlights and shop displays, so there’s no shortage of light.
(Oh, right, I meant to buy toner and moisturizer…)
As I near the station, I remember I’m running low on skincare products. Luckily, there’s a big drugstore nearby, so I’ll grab some there.
With that in mind, I adjust my course slightly toward the store.
I close my phone and look up.
—That’s when it happened.
“…Huh?”
Right in front of the drugstore.
Amid the bustling crowd heading to the station.
A boy was handing a handkerchief to a girl wearing a mask.
On its own, it’d just look like a couple or something.
But the boy was in a familiar uniform.
His hairstyle was different, but my eyes, filled with longing, couldn’t be fooled.
“Masato-kun…”
A small voice escapes me.
A voice too quiet to reach him, easily drowned out by the station’s clamor.
Still, my mouth stays open, unable to close. I’ve never seen the girl before, of course.
She looks like she’s crying.
It feels like I’ve stumbled into a scene from a story.
The sounds and people around me fade away, leaving only the two of them vivid in my mind.
It’s like…
A scene where a prince meets a princess. A moment where the princess’s heart melts under the prince’s kindness.
And me?
A dark emotion begins to rage inside me.
Who am I, watching this encounter from the sidelines?
Just a bystander, jealously watching the heroine meet her hero?
A side character who’s fallen for the hero, only to be called a nuisance by the audience?
—No.
No, no, no, no, no.
I want to be the one! Me, me, me!
I want to be with Masato-kun!
“…Ugh.”
Nausea hits me, and I brace my hands on my knees.
Lately, I’ve been tossed around by these ugly emotions.
But I don’t want to give him up. I clutch at my pounding heart and stare at the dazed girl.
She’s wearing a mask.
Her face is a tear-streaked mess… her hair is disheveled, and her clothes are dirty in places, like she’s been crawling.
Honestly, she’s far from cute in this state.
(If it’s a girl like her, even I could—!)
“…Ugh, cough, cough!…”
Even I could be better! The moment I think it, my own vileness makes me gag.
I’m disgusting. Truly disgusting.
A mob character, jealous of the heroine.
A pathetic creep who deserves this role.
I force my trembling legs to move and follow Masato-kun.
Work tomorrow, shopping—none of it matters anymore.
---
When I arrive at En, a clerk I’ve never seen greets me at the entrance.
“Welcome, my lady. Is this your first time?”
“No…”
“I see! Do you have a specific request?”
“…Masato-kun.”
“Oh! You must be the lady who often requests Masato!”
Yes. This.
This is what soothes my heart. My parched, broken heart fills with a dark glow.
Just thinking that, in this place, I’m Masato-kun’s only one sends shivers of joy through me.
“Yes. That’s me.”
“You’re in luck, my lady! Masato wasn’t supposed to be here today, but he’s in by chance. It’ll take a moment, so please wait. I’ll escort you.”
It’s not by chance.
But saying that would definitely creep them out, so I stay silent and follow. I’m led to a seat, where a glass for drinks is set out.
I came here on impulse, but what am I supposed to say?
Who was that girl you were with earlier?
Do you have a girlfriend?
No, asking like that would reveal I was watching.
…Given the nature of this place, he’d probably say he’s single even if he isn’t. But if he did say he has a girlfriend, I don’t know what I’d do. Better not ask.
My thoughts are still a mess when he arrives.
His hair is slicked back, and it suits him.
The contrast between his gentle demeanor and the bold, confident hairstyle makes my heart skip.
“Good evening, Seira-san. You came back.”
“…Huh.”
It was him earlier. I’d held onto a faint hope that I’d been mistaken, but of course not.
There’s no way I’d mistake Masato-kun.
“But I’m surprised. You said you only come on Fridays.”
“…I saw you walking into this place… outside…”
Half a lie. I saw him much earlier.
When he was being kind to that girl…
The dark emotions creep back.
“Oh, I get it! I was just doing some shopping! I wasn’t scheduled to work today, so I’m in my uniform! It’s kinda embarrassing, actually…”
Shopping? That’s not true, is it? You were with a girl, weren’t you? Who was she?
Why won’t you tell me?
My emotions boil, simmering like a pot about to overflow.
I can’t hold back this ugly version of myself.
“…It’s okay. You can say anything here, no need to hide. I don’t know what’s going on with you, Seira-san… but I actually kinda like listening to you, like always.”
“…!”
His kindness douses the boiling emotions.
But at the same time—the fact that I stalked him twists my feelings into chaos. To think I’d stoop to jealousy and stalking over someone so kind.
I’m truly the worst.
“I’m… sorry…”
Was I always this emotionally unstable?
I can’t hold back the tears.
“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I…”
I stalked you.
I saw you today.
I can’t say it.
If he hated me, I’d die.
I can’t.
He rubs my back gently.
“It’s okay. I don’t know what happened… but I’m sure you’re not bad, Seira-san. You’re a good person.”
The floodgates break.
My emotions accelerate, unstoppable.
The regret of doing something unforgivable.
The overwhelming love I can’t control.
They mix and explode.
I lean into him, letting him support my weight.
Just for now, let me rely on you.
“It’s okay, Seira-san. I know you’re a kind person.”
“…I’m sorry…! I’m… the worst woman…”
Yes. The worst.
Truly the worst.
Because right now…
A single, selfish answer has formed in my mind.
An irredeemable, self-centered answer.
It’s your fault, Masato-kun…
You made me fall so hard, you drove me to this.
God, I hate myself.
Blaming him with such shameless deflection.
I wrap my arms around his back.
Pulling him closer, holding him tight.
My brain trembles with sweet, twisted satisfaction.
All I have left is the desire to claim Masato-kun, to make him mine and ruin him.
I hug him tightly, my grip firm. Oh, I should apologize first.
I’m sorry, Masato-kun.
—I’m never letting you go.
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