Episode 4 - Drunken Truths (1)
#Chapter 4 - Drunken Truths (1)
The drinking session at the izakaya went on past ten o'clock.
I was a lightweight, so I'd been nursing two glasses of beer for over three hours.
-Nom nom.
Instead, I ate a ton of grilled skewers.
"Se-ryuuu—why aren't you drinking?"
Yu-ra, on the other hand, had drunk quite a lot.
Her speech had gotten a little more drawn out than usual, but her expression and behavior didn't seem much different.
"Yu-ra, you really hold your liquor well. What's your limit?"
I asked, pushing the empty beer glass and tokkuri to one side.
"Hehehe... I'm the type who doesn't get drunk."
'She seems a little drunk, though.'
Yu-ra drained the remaining sake in her cup.
"So you can't drink much, Se-ryu?"
At some point, she'd even stopped addressing me so formally.
"When I drink, I get dizzy and sleepy, so I can't drink much."
"Hmm."
Yu-ra propped her chin on her hand and looked at me.
"That's unexpected."
"What is?"
"I thought you'd be able to drink well."
"Why?"
"Just because."
Yu-ra narrowed her eyes.
"You're always so deadpan."
"What does that have to do with alcohol?"
"And you never come to company dinners."
"That's because I can't drink."
"You hate company dinners."
"...That's also true."
Yu-ra laughed softly.
"I know."
"Know what?"
"That you hate company dinners."
"Was I that obvious?"
"Extremely."
"..."
"Whenever a company dinner notice goes up, you suddenly check your calendar."
"I might have plans."
"And if you don't, you make some."
"...Well, I think I made it to the first round almost every time...?"
"Come on! The real company dinner starts with the second round. Once the first round ended, you'd always disappear while everyone was figuring out the next place."
She was exactly right.
Yu-ra giggled.
"But here's the funny thing."
"...?"
"You hate company dinners that much, but when someone asks you for something at work, you rarely say no."
'That's because someone keeps bringing me work.'
I almost said it, but swallowed the words.
This morning's 'fox' conversation came to mind.
Yu-ra saw my expression and smiled.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You've got a face that says you want to say something."
"I don't."
"Hmm."
A suspicious look lingered for a moment.
Then Yu-ra slowly traced the rim of her cup with her finger.
"Actually, I."
"Yes."
"I thought you were interesting from the first time you came."
"Me?"
"Yeah."
Yu-ra naturally dropped the formal speech.
I couldn't tell if it was the alcohol or if she'd meant to do this all along.
"Why?"
"Don't you remember?"
"What?"
"Not long after you joined."
Yu-ra thought for a moment, then spoke.
"The product integration project."
'Ah.'
I remembered.
It had been less than a month since I'd started working at this company.
At the time, Yu-ra was in her first year, and it was her first time taking the lead on a fairly large project.
"Back then, I completely misjudged the scope of the work."
"...It was a little big."
"A little?"
Yu-ra shot me a look.
"The Development Team openly said the schedule was impossible."
"They did."
They really had.
It wasn't that the plan itself was strange.
The problem was the amount.
Product registration process changes.
Inventory integration.
Promotion conditions.
Admin functions.
Legacy data migration.
Integration between an external vendor and the company system.
It was the result of a first-time project lead being a little too ambitious.
The problem was that the schedule and even the external collaboration had already been locked in. And I wasn't even assigned to that project in the first place.
"You weren't even assigned to that work originally. We were on the same team, but you had different responsibilities."
Yu-ra looked down at her cup.
"But you suddenly came over and helped."
"Because they were short on backend people back then."
"It was more than that."
"..."
"You didn't know the company systems at all back then either."
...That was true.
I didn't properly understand the service structure or who was responsible for which system, so every time something came up that I didn't know, I had to go find developers on other teams myself.
"You went to the Delivery Team to ask."
"..."
"You asked the payments side too."
Remembering how awkward that had been, I rubbed my chin for no reason.
"That API was a bit unusual."
"You stayed until dawn matching data."
"...That was because the schedule was tight."
Yu-ra stared at me.
"You always said that."
"Said what?"
Yu-ra folded down her fingers one by one as she spoke.
"'Because it's urgent,' 'because there's no one,' 'because it'll get done faster if I do it.' You always talked like that."
"Because it was true."
"Exactly."
Yu-ra smiled.
"That's what I found interesting."
I didn't quite understand.
"Normally people avoid work that isn't theirs."
"I avoid things too, when I avoid them. On the personality test, my avoidant score came out pretty high."
"I know."
Yu-ra smiled.
"You avoid meetings like crazy."
"..."
"You avoid company dinners."
"..."
"You're good at avoiding pointless work."
"I sound like a really weird person—"
"No!"
Yu-ra shook her head firmly.
"But when someone was actually in trouble, you didn't avoid it."
For a moment, I had nothing to say to that.
Yu-ra poured a little more sake into her cup.
"After that project ended."
"Yes."
"I thought I was going to get chewed out so badly."
"...Why?"
"Because I got the scope wrong..."
"...It was your first time leading one."
"Even so."
Yu-ra shrugged.
"But in the end, we met the deadline."
"We all did that together."
"I think it started then."
"What did?"
My hand stopped as I was lifting my glass.
Instead of answering, Yu-ra smiled slightly.
"Just."
"..."
"That I started noticing you, Se-ryu."
Something tickled oddly in my chest.
Yu-ra went on as if it were nothing.
"You kept doing it after that too."
"Doing what?"
"Whenever I scoped a project too big."
"..."
"While everyone else was asking to cut the schedule, you'd quietly look at the docs by yourself."
'This feels ominous.'
"Then over messenger."
Yu-ra imitated my voice.
"'If we push just these two to the next sprint, I think the rest is doable.'"
"..."
"'In exchange, I don't think this feature can be supported in this process.'"
"That's just prioritization—"
"I know."
Yu-ra smiled.
"You always say everything is 'just.'"
"..."
"But I liked that approach."
This time she said it clearly.
I looked at Yu-ra for a second.
With her face slightly flushed from the alcohol, she was fiddling with the end of a skewer.
"It's not that you did everything I wanted no matter what."
"..."
"You'd say no when something wasn't possible, but you'd still work with me to find how it could be done."
That was a little unexpected.
I'd just been trying to finish the work.
"And that time there was an incident at dawn."
"When?"
"Last winter."
I searched my memory.
"When the promotion discount rate got entered wrong?"
"Ah, that..!"
It had been around two in the morning.
It was the day a scheduled batch ran and the promotion discount rate for a certain product category got applied incorrectly.
Yu-ra had spotted the problem while monitoring operations, and she'd contacted the two developers in charge, but neither of them answered.
"I called you then."
"...I was really surprised."
"Honestly, I felt terrible even as I was calling."
"Oh, so you do feel sorry sometimes?"
Yu-ra shot me a look as if telling me not to ruin the mood.
"You weren't even the one in charge.."
That day, I wasn't the owner of that feature.
But I got the call for the sole reason that I'd seen similar code before, so I opened my laptop and started responding to the incident.
"Do you know what you said the moment you picked up?"
"I don't remember."
'Actually, I do remember.. When you get a call about work while you're sleeping, you can't forget it even if you want to.'
"'Take the promotion down first. I'll look at it.'"
"...Normally when there's an incident, stopping the feature comes first. That was just standard response."
Yu-ra laughed softly.
"So that was 'just' too, huh?"
She went on, reminiscing about that time.
"With a voice that had just woken up."
"I really had been sleeping then..."
"I know."
"I was so sleepy."
"But you never once got annoyed."
"..."
"When I said I was sorry."
Yu-ra imitated me again.
"'It was an accident, so what can you do. Let's just get it under control first.'"
Feeling awkward, I picked up my beer glass.
One sip.
'Why is it so embarrassing to have someone else tell me stories about my own past?'
Yu-ra kept talking.
"And when it was resolved after three."
"..."
"'You should get some sleep too, Yu-ra. I'll organize what needs to be reported tomorrow.'"
"..."
"That time, I kind of."
Her words trailed off.
Yu-ra's finger tapped slowly beside her cup.
"Kind of what?"
"I liked it..."
This time I couldn't answer.
Yu-ra laughed softly, as if my reaction amused her.
"Whyyy— are you embarrassed?"
"...No."
"Your ears are red, though?"
"It's the alcohol."
"From two glasses of beer?"
"I always turn red when I drink."
Yu-ra let out a small laugh.
"And."
"...There's more?"
"A lot— you just didn't know."
Yu-ra tapped the table with her fingers.
"You know how there are guys at work who are only nice to female employees."
"There are a few..?"
"And on the flip side, there are people who only suck up to their superiors."
"That's probably because they're seniors.."
"But you never did any of that."
I thought for a moment.
"You used polite speech even with new hires."
"Isn't that normal?"
"Plenty of people don't."
"...People can differ."
Yu-ra went on.
"When a junior made a mistake, you didn't call them out in front of people."
"That's because saying it in front of people makes things worse."
"If a female coworker asked you to get coffee, you'd just say no if you had work."
'I already have an Americano with two extra shots at breakfast and lunch. I shouldn't have another...'
"I got turned down a few times too."
"I was genuinely busy then."
"I know."
Yu-ra lifted the corners of her lips.
"So that made it even more interesting."
"What did?"
"Because you weren't trying to get on my good side."
Those words landed a little heavily.
Someone like Yu-ra had probably seen plenty of men at work trying to get on her good side.
Let's get lunch, let's get coffee, what are you doing after work, are you free this weekend.
To someone used to those approaches, a person who asked for nothing might have stood out instead.
"But."
Yu-ra lifted her cup.
"That person."
"Yes."
She looked at me and smiled.
"In three years, you never once asked me to grab a meal."
'Because I want to eat fast and rest..'
"Coffee either."
'Because I'd rather get coffee with two extra shots from that chain than sit down somewhere...'
"And alcohol, obviously."
I quietly closed my eyes.
It strangely felt like I was under attack.
"You never asked me first either, Yu-ra."
"I did, though?"
"When?"
"Team lunch."
"That's a group thing."
"Coffee."
"You called me to talk about work."
"..."
This time Yu-ra closed her mouth.
'I won.'
I felt just a little proud.
Then Yu-ra emptied her cup and said,
"So that's why I'm doing it now."
"Doing what?"
"The two of us eating together."
'She really came in swinging.'
"And drinking."
I was at a loss for words.
Yu-ra propped her chin on her hand and looked at me. Her eyes were a little more unfocused than usual.
"Se-ryu."
"Yes...?"
"I."
Yu-ra paused for a moment, then slowly went on.
"I've been watching you for quite a while. Longer than you think."
'If I made an "I SEE YOU" joke here, it would totally kill the mood, wouldn't it...?'
"So."
Yu-ra pointed one finger at me.
"I don't keep just anyone's secret."
It was about my ability. But somehow, it didn't feel like that was all she meant.
I took a sip of the beer left in my glass for no reason.
Strangely, I felt myself getting drunk much faster than before.
"...Thank you, Yu-ra."
===
It was a little past eleven when we left the izakaya.
Feeling awkward for no reason, I'd drunk two more glasses of beer.
Thanks to that, my head was spinning.
Yu-ra had drunk a fair amount too, but her steps and conversation still seemed fine.
Except she was closer than usual.
At some point, she'd naturally grabbed my arm and was walking like that.
'Guess she is a little drunk after all.'
"Yu-ra, you said you live alone in an officetel tower near the office, right?"
"Yesss."
If I walked her home and left right away, I figured I could just about catch the last bus.
As we walked through the night, Yu-ra suddenly looked up at me.
"Hey, Se-ryu. I have something I'm curious about."
"...What is it?"
"That ability—"
It was about my ability again.
"On the first day, and today in the meeting room."
Yu-ra narrowed her eyes.
"Why was it my butt both times?"
"Hup.."
It had finally come.
"The first day was really a coincidence."
"Then what about today?"
"...Because you were being annoying, so I was messing with you?"
"Why the butt, of all places?"
"Well."
"There's my hand."
Yu-ra poked my hand.
"There's my arm."
This time she naturally linked her arm through mine.
"There's my shoulder too."
Then she even leaned her head against my shoulder.
"..."
"Why."
Yu-ra grinned.
"Was it my butt, I wonder—?"
"I'm... sorry.."
"You did it twice."
Yu-ra tilted her body slightly and looked up at me.
"A grown woman's butt, huh? It's basically the same as a strange man secretly touching it! Twice, no less."
"...When you put it that way, it sounds wrong."
"But it's not incorrect, is it?"
I had nothing to say.
Yu-ra laughed softly.
"You like butts, don't you, Se-ryu?"
'Yep. I do, actually.'
"No."
"That answer came really fast."
"..."
"Hmmm."
She looked like she didn't believe me at all.
"Then do it."
"Do what?"
Yu-ra lightly gestured behind herself.
"This time, openly."
"...Excuse me?"
"The connection."
I stopped walking.
"Right now?"
"Yeah."
"You're drunk and messing with me, aren't you?"
"I'm not."
Yu-ra let out a small laugh.
"I'm giving you permission."
"..."
"I don't like it being done secretly."
Yu-ra looked into my eyes.
"But if I know about it, it's fine."
Maybe because of the alcohol, those words sounded far more dangerous than usual.
"...Should I really do it?"
"Yeah."
"You won't regret it?"
"I won't. Ugh, why are you so timid!"
I glanced around, then let out a small sigh.
Yu-ra's butt.
My right hand.
Connect.
A faint white line linked the two.
"...Hyat!"
Yu-ra's eyes widened slightly.
"You can see it?"
"Yeah."
Yu-ra stared at the white line as if fascinated.
I lightly swept my palm.
Swish.
Yu-ra's body flinched slightly.
"...That's really weird."
"You can feel it, right?"
"Yeah."
Once more.
This time I tapped my palm with my fingertips.
-Flinch.
Startled, Yu-ra put on a playful expression and said,
"Hmm... I didn't say you could do it twice. Did it feel good once you tried it?"
Then suddenly.
Yu-ra grabbed my left wrist.
"Huh?"
"Se-ryu."
She pulled my wrist toward herself.
"—Wait a second!"
Startled, I tried to pull my hand back.
"Why?"
"That's, uh—"
But before I could pull away, my left palm touched Yu-ra's butt through her clothes.
Flinch.
This time it wasn't Yu-ra who froze. It was me.
"..."
Yu-ra looked at my face and smiled.
"Why are you so surprised?"
"No, if you suddenly do that—"
"You were fine doing it earlier."
"That was just a sensation. This is actual physical contact."
"Exactly."
Yu-ra left my hand there for a moment, then slowly pulled it away.
Then she looked at the faintly connected line.
"I was curious."
"About what?"
Yu-ra poked behind herself with her hand.
"Really touching it versus touching it through sensation."
Then she looked at me as if gauging my reaction.
"Which feels better?"
"..."
I couldn't answer.
"...Why? Are you shy? Don't be like that, tell me."
Yu-ra asked, as if she'd already figured me out like a profiler.
"...No matter what I pick, I end up being the weird one."
"Pfft."
Yu-ra finally burst out laughing.
"Ahaha, you're so funny, Se-ryu."
"I'm not funny at all."
"I'm being serious."
"That's even scarier."
After teasing me for a while, Yu-ra grabbed my arm again and leaned against me as if nothing had happened.
"Still, I."
"Yes?"
She spoke while looking down at the faint white line.
"I find this side more fun."
"Sensory sharing?"
"Yeah."
Yu-ra lifted the corners of her lips.
"You don't have to actually touch me."
"..."
Those words lingered strangely in my ears.
'So actually touching wasn't that great for her...?'
"Se-ryu. Let's gooo— I'm sleepy."
"Ah, yes."
We started walking again.
But unlike a moment ago, I kept noticing Yu-ra leaning against my arm as we walked.
'...This.'
I was starting to think that having my ability discovered wasn't the real problem.
But there was one more urgent issue at hand.
'There isn't much time left until the last bus.'