“&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;you don’t seem all that well for some reason. Did something happen at work?”
That was the first thing Kusamakura opened his mouth to say when he headed to the park for lunch as usual. Tatsumi lifted his naturally lowered head and shook it slowly.
“No, there are no problems at all. My stress from before has gone down considerably&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;”
He wasn’t sure what changed, or how it happened, but the coworker that had spoken to him before—a new hire, a female employee named Shimura, became Tatsumi’s messenger, replacing Yamauchi. Unlike Yamauchi, she interacted with him without hostility, almost way too casually. Of course she had done various things for him, but he was thankful that he no longer felt the pressure he had felt up until now more than anything. However, with one problem gone, another had surfaced. Tatsumi thought back on the unusual phenomenon happening around him, and unconsciously let out another sigh.
“If it’s not stress from work, then what is it?”
“No, it’s nothing&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;”
“If you’re saying it’s nothing, then don’t make such an impudent face.”
“Impudent&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;”
Just what sort of face was he making, Tatsumi wondered as he touched his cheeks. He knew he wasn’t really joking with him, but using such an old-fashioned word brought a wide smile to his face.
“What?”
“Nothing.”