The office thrummed with its usual pulse—keyboards clacking, voices murmuring, coffee machine wheezing in the corner. Rafta shuffled in, a bandage plastered crooked across his nose, his trademark smirk nowhere in sight. He looked like he'd been dragged through a blender.
Before he could blink, Oki barreled over, eyes blazing. Wham—her fist slammed into his face, no warning, no mercy.
"Gah!" Rafta flailed, legs buckling as he crashed to the floor with a meaty thud. Out cold, sprawled like a ragdoll, arms splayed over the tiles.
Oki crossed her arms, peering down at him, brow furrowed. "Huh. Weird. He's usually slippery—dodges me every time. What's up with him today?" She sighed, crouched, and hauled him onto a chair, his head lolling. "Rafta, you in there?" she said, patting his cheek—once, twice, harder. Nothing.
She grabbed a half-empty water glass off someone's desk and flung it in his face. "Rise and shine!"
Rafta jolted up, sputtering like a drowned cat. "Wha—what the hell?!" He swiped at his dripping face, groaning. "Water? Really? What's your problem?"
Oki grinned, leaning back. "Oh, good—you're not dead. Thought I'd lost you for a sec. Now spill—what's with the nose bandage? You fall down the stairs or something?"
Rafta slumped in the chair, rubbing his temples like his head was a ticking bomb. "First, explain why everyone's trying to knock me out! Yesterday, some jerk sucker-punched me—lights out. Next thing I know, I'm waking up in the damn basement."
Flashback
Rafta groaned, consciousness trickling back. His nose throbbed, a dull, angry ache. "Ow… crap, my face," he mumbled, prying his eyes open. Dim light seeped through the basement, flickering over stacks of old files and humming machinery. "Where the hell…?"
He staggered up, leaning on a dusty shelf. "Basement? Seriously? How'd I end up here?" He shuffled to the door, shoving it open. Midnight air hit him—crisp, biting, stars glaring down like they were laughing. He stood there, shivering, hair a mess. "What is even going on? Did I piss off the universe?"
The office thrummed with its usual pulse—keyboards clacking, voices murmuring, coffee machine wheezing in the corner. Rafta shuffled in, a bandage plastered crooked across his nose, his trademark smirk nowhere in sight. He looked like he'd been dragged through a blender.
Before he could blink, Oki barreled over, eyes blazing. Wham—her fist slammed into his face, no warning, no mercy.
"Gah!" Rafta flailed, legs buckling as he crashed to the floor with a meaty thud. Out cold, sprawled like a ragdoll, arms splayed over the tiles.
Oki crossed her arms, peering down at him, brow furrowed. "Huh. Weird. He's usually slippery—dodges me every time. What's up with him today?" She sighed, crouched, and hauled him onto a chair, his head lolling. "Rafta, you in there?" she said, patting his cheek—once, twice, harder. Nothing.
She grabbed a half-empty water glass off someone's desk and flung it in his face. "Rise and shine!"
Rafta jolted up, sputtering like a drowned cat. "Wha—what the hell?!" He swiped at his dripping face, groaning. "Water? Really? What's your problem?"
Oki grinned, leaning back. "Oh, good—you're not dead. Thought I'd lost you for a sec. Now spill—what's with the nose bandage? You fall down the stairs or something?"
Rafta slumped in the chair, rubbing his temples like his head was a ticking bomb. "First, explain why everyone's trying to knock me out! Yesterday, some jerk sucker-punched me—lights out. Next thing I know, I'm waking up in the damn basement."
Someone from the company saved me… I need to find out who and thank him. He saved my life. If it wasn't for him… who knows what could of happened? she murmured to herself, determination flickering in her eyes.
The office was lively as ever. Ashi walked in, greeted warmly by her coworkers.
"You're back!" Oki exclaimed, her voice carrying across the room. "What happened? Why didn't you came yesterday?"
Ashi shrugged, keeping her tone casual. "I wasn't feeling well, so I took the day off."
Oki approached, her concern evident. "Are you alright now? You should've told us!"
Ashi smiled apologetically. "I was too sick to inform anyone. I promise it won't happen again."
Oki placed a hand on her hip, still looking worried. "It's not about the work. Your health is more important. If you're still recovering, take it easy, okay?"
"I'm fine now," Ashi reassured her.
As she settled at her desk, Ashi thought back to what her aunt had told her. Who was it that helped me? Only three people knew about her absence: Oki, Rafta, and… Haari.
Meanwhile, across the room, Haari rummaged through his desk drawers, a look of frustration etched on his face.
Rafta noticed and walked over. "What's wrong? Did you lost something?"
"Yeah, I can't find my ID card," Haari replied, not looking up as he continued his search.
"You sure you didn't leave it at home?" Rafta asked, leaning casually on the desk.
"No, I already checked at home. It's not there. It has to be somewhere in the office," Haari said, a hint of panic creeping into his voice.
Meanwhile, in another department, Ane let out a satisfied sigh as she leaned back in her chair. "Ahh, finally done verifying all those files. If it wasn't for senpai, I'd be buried under all this paperwork."
She picked up the last file and noticed something fall out. "Huh?" Looking down, she saw an ID card. Picking it up, she examined it. "Oh, it's senpai's ID card. He must've accidentally left it in the file and forgot to take it back, I have to return it to him."
Determined to return it, Ane headed to Haari's department. Upon arriving, she found it empty, the team presumably on break. "What should I do? Should I leave it here? No, that's rude. I'll hand it to him personally after the break."
As she turned to leave, Ashi spotted her. "Excuse me, do you need something?"
Ane turned back. "Oh, hello. I was looking for senpai, but he's not here."
"Break time just started. If it's something urgent, you can tell me," Ashi offered.
Ane hesitated before saying, "I found his ID card. He left it in a file he submitted two days ago."
Ashi smiled. "Oh, don't worry. Give it to me, and I'll make sure he gets it."
"Really? Thank you, ma'am," Ane said, handing over the card.
The rooftop was quiet, the soft rustling of potted plants carried by a gentle breeze. Haari laying againgt therailing alone, sipping his drink and gazing at the distant skyline.
"Kichiro-san, you're here too," Ashi's voice broke the silence as she entered .
Haari turned, startled. "Oh, Nicawa-san. Are you here for lunch?"
She nodded, laying aginst on railing little distance from Haari looking to the city view. . "Yeah, Habi-san's busy, so I came up here to eat."
"Kichiro-san," Ashi began after a moment, her tone casual but tinged with curiosity, "what were you doing yesterday in evening?"
Haari froze, his hand stopping mid-sip. The can of coffee hovered in front of his lips as his mind scrambled for a response. "W-what do you mean, why do you ask?" he asked, his voice betraying a hint of panic.
"Just wondering," Ashi replied, her tone light and nonchalant, though her eyes studied his reaction carefully.
Haari let out a nervous laugh, setting the can down on the ground. "Oh, nothing special! I was at… uh… a friend's place. Night party." His voice wavered, and he avoided her gaze, hoping the topic would die there.
Ashi didn't respond immediately. Instead, she adjust back slightly, her gaze drifting toward the horizon. Then, without warning, she said, "Thank you, Kichiro-san."
Haari blinked, confused. "Huh? For what?"
Ashi turned slightly, resting her arms on the railing as she faced the wind. The breeze played with her hair, and the sunlight softened the contours of her face. "Thank you for saving my life," she said, her voice calm but sincere.
Haari felt a chill run down his spine despite the warmth of the sun. His heart began to race as he stared at her, frozen in place. The sight of her serene smile, paired with her heartfelt words, made his chest tighten.
He quickly shook his head, snapping himself out of his daze. "Huh? What are you talking about? How did I save your life?" he asked, feigning confusion as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
Ashi raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile tugging at her lips. "You're not very good at lying, Kichiro-san."
Haari's heart skipped a beat. He looked away, pretending to focus on a nearby potted plant, but the guilt was etched all over his face.
"My aunt told me that a man from my company helped me that day," Ashi continued, her voice steady and calm. "Only three people knew I wasn't in the office: Habi-san, Densi-san, and you. When Habi-san is busy in work everytime, so she's out the question, and Densi-san…" She paused, smirking. "Well, let's just say he's not exactly the type to go out of his way to see someone, he's slacker after all. That only leaves you, Kichiro-san."
Haari sighed, realizing there was no point in denying it. He slumped slightly in his seat, scratching his head. "Okay, fine. I went to check on you. But it's not like I did it on my own. Habi-san told me to go because you weren't answering her calls. So really, you should be thanking her, not me."
Ashi tilted her head, her expression softening. "Maybe I will. But right now, I'm thanking you."
Haari opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Ashi's tone suddenly shifted. Her smile faded, and her gaze grew sharper.
"By the way," she began, her voice low and serious, "when you entered through the balcony that day… did you see anything?"
Haari's eyes widened, his face draining of color. "H-huh? What do you mean?" he stammered, his voice cracking slightly.
"You know what I mean," Ashi said, her eyes narrowing. "Do I need to explain it?"
Haari swallowed hard, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "Ah… actually, no! I didn't see anything! You were wrapped in a bath towel, so I didn't see a thing!"
"You mean it?" Ashi pressed, her gaze unrelenting.
"Yeah! Really!" Haari said, nodding furiously.
Ashi studied him for a moment before letting out a deep breath of relief. "Alright then."
Haari, still flustered from their conversation, exhaled deeply. Hoo, I thought she was going to kill me. Women are really scary, he murmured under his breath, thinking he wasn't loud enough for her to hear.
Ashi caught the words and allowed a small, amused smile to play on her lips. The tension between them dissipated, replaced by a lighter, more relaxed atmosphere.
As the breeze rustled the leaves, Ashi straightened and reached into her pocket. "By the way, this is yours, right?" she said, holding out a familiar ID card.
Haari blinked in surprise, his expression shifting from confusion to realization. "Huh?" He stepped closer, taking the card from her hands. "Where did you get this? I've been looking for it everywhere!" His voice was a mix of relief and disbelief.
Ashi crossed her arms and tilted her head slightly. "You forgot it in a file you submitted two days ago. A coworker found it and gave it to me to pass it along to you."
Haari furrowed his brow, trying to recall. "Oh… Wait. So, did Yane bring it to you?"
Ashi raised an eyebrow. "Yane? You know her?"
Haari nodded, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he glanced at the ID card. "Yeah, her name is Ane Yane. She's new to the company, a bit inexperienced, but she's doing her best. Actually, she's the one I submitted that file to the other day."
He paused, his tone becoming more reflective. "She saved me, honestly. If it wasn't for her help with sorting and verifying those documents, I'd have been in serious trouble. I owe her a big one. I should thank her in person."
Ashi shrugged lightly, her expression neutral but intrigued. "I didn't know her name, but yeah, maybe it was her you're talking about. She seemed polite when she gave me the card."
Haari chuckled softly. "That sounds like her. She's diligent, though she still has a lot to learn."
Ashi smirked, leaning against the railing once more. "You're surprisingly thoughtful, Kichiro-san. I didn't expect you to be the type to remember details like that."