Chapter 19: As a childhood friend.

Translator: Soafp

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“Asaba-kun, will you go out with me for a while?”

“Sure. Are you going on an inspection tour?”

　The president called out to me, and I immediately knew what he meant.

　He was supposed to go to an affiliated company in a neighboring prefecture this afternoon.

　It seems that I will be accompanying the president.

” Yeah, it’s close by and it’s only a day trip, so it’s not that important. Leave Seiji to my wife.”

“I understand. Just to be safe, I’ll let my father, Hono…., mother know as well.”

These days, I’ve been working as a sort of assistant to the president’s secretary. I was given the job because of its relatively flexible hours, but it was probably a nepotistic hiring by all accounts.

　To be honest, it hurt the eyes of those around me, but I was grateful for the time they gave me to spend with my father.

　Besides, the boss took me out every once in a while like this. He jokingly told me that it was a training session to get a grasp of the flow of money.

　I decided to read the contents of the preliminary inspection on my tablet while I was on the move.

　I spend a lot of time in silence with the president, but it is not a hardship. My colleagues are surprised at this. Apparently, the president is quite frightening.

　He is not scary in appearance, but he has the air of someone who has climbed the ladder.

　The president’s communication skills are high. Because he is rather good at it, he is said to be afraid when he is silent.

　But that was the habit of the president, or rather uncle Narimiya, when he was pondering something.

　I just know it and I’m not afraid to wait. Because she had that kind of thing.

　If I had asked her at the time, I wonder if anything would have changed.

That is why my colleagues wonder about me, but it has always been that way.

But I felt uncomfortable because it seemed like cheating, so I made a proper appearance as a subordinate and treated him properly.

“….Have you met Haruka?”

　I went out in the company car and around the time I got on the highway, I heard such a thing.

　The president’s language is strange. It is the language of an uncle. I glanced at the driver, Tachibana-san, in the mirror, but he did not seem surprised.

　Is this a private conversation?

“…No, we haven’t met, but…yes, a letter, I see. Thank you very much.”

“Yeah, sure. No, it’s not that. I’m sorry. I’m just curious… yes. I care about it a lot.”

　As Uncle Narimiya, huh? He must really care about me a lot. I don’t know how much I can repay him.

“That’s…thank you.”

“Hahaha, that’s not good. Next time, I’m curious about the details. I understand that you can’t reveal it, but… you know.”

　Apparently, the letter was passed on.

　I wonder if she has read it.

I wonder if she received it.

　I wonder if she successfully got the message that it was me who ran away from hearing what she had to say.

It’s not something I could never reveal to uncle, but it’s hard to explain what’s contained in it…

“…Ah, uhm…”

“Ah. After all, I shouldn’t have done that. It is not in my nature. Let me be frank. Will you take Haruka away from me?”

“…?　She and I are no…..”

“In college… when Toki was out of town. I saw her one time. I saw her crying once. It was when she went to the town where you live and came back. Then Seiji collapsed and she left home until you came back. Well, now it’s different.”

“…… Different?”

“Yeah. I you know, made up my mind. I assumed it was settled. But since you came back…hahaha. She started coming back much more often. She has been smiling a lot more…”

“I see…is that so?”

“I have not heard the situation properly, and of course I believe that the matter has been settled between the parties concerned. Looking at Toki-kun and Haruka, I think my daughter made a fool of herself. Even so. Just for a little while. Can’t you meet her?”

“…Me and her are no longer…but as a childhood friend…yes. My father would like me to meet her as well.”

“I see. Thank you, Toki.”