yournovel Chapter 91 In-Class Family Gathering [1st Update, Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Chapter 91 In-Class Family Gathering [1st Update, Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Chapter 91 In-Class Friendship Meeting [Eleventh Update, Requesting Monthly Tickets]
After Rokko was divided up, Yamada Masakazu, unusually, walked into the Finance Review Department during the afternoon workday, clapped his hands, and called out to everyone: "Tonight, Takenoya, in-class friendly meeting."
The office was silent for half a second, then a suppressed murmur of cheers erupted.
Wakako Kishigami was the first to look up, smiling as she asked, "Section Chief, what's the reason for this?"
Masakazu Yamada remained unfazed: "The official topic is 'A Meeting to Recover from the Fatigue of the Miyazawa Case (Partial Conclusion) and the Financing Review Department.'"
"It's too long, I can't remember it."
"Then let's call it a consolation party."
Chihaya Yuri sat in her seat without raising her head, her pen continuing to move across the documents, only her lips twitching slightly.
Kiryu Yaya glanced at her.
Since leaving her house that morning, a thin barrier had been erected between the two of them.
It wouldn't be accurate to call it awkward, since we still have to coordinate work, circulate documents, and confirm requests every day.
That's also true to say that no changes have been observed.
For example, if the two of them bumped into each other in the tea room, she would naturally nod and then each pour their own tea.
Now she'll glance at him first, then look away before touching the kettle.
Wakako Kishigami seemed to have sensed something. On two separate occasions, when she ran into Yaya Kiryu in the corridor, she gave him that meaningful smile that was unique to married women.
Kiryu Yaya could only pretend he didn't see it.
This subtle change is neither good nor bad; it just makes people feel a little uneasy.
After all, Chihaya Yuri was his nominal direct superior.
Six o'clock in the evening, at Dianwu Bridge.
In May, it gets dark later in Osaka than in April.
The ginkgo trees on both sides of Midosuji have turned from tender green to a deeper emerald green, and the setting sun shines obliquely through the gaps between the tall buildings, dyeing the entire street a warm gold.
The old, dark blue curtain at the entrance of Takenoya was still there, swaying gently in the evening breeze.
When Kiryu arrived, most of the people from the financing review department had already arrived.
Masakazu Yamada naturally sat in the innermost seat of honor, next to several senior employees including Yusuke Hashimoto.
Kishima Wakako was sitting in the middle-left seat, chatting quietly with a female employee next to her.
Chihaya Yuri sat on the other side of the table, leaning against the wall, with a cup of oolong tea in front of her as usual.
Kiryu Yaya took off his suit jacket and draped it behind him. Just as he was about to sit down in the lower seat near the door, Kishigami Wakako suddenly waved to him.
"Kiryu-kun, there's an empty seat here."
She pointed to the side next to her.
Kiryu Yaya glanced at that spot, then at the direction of Chihaya Yuri.
The two seats were separated only by one person, Wakako Kishigami.
"Then I'll take my leave."
He walked over and sat down, placing his briefcase in an inconspicuous spot.
Wakako Kishigami looked at him with a smile and lowered her voice, saying, "How's your collaboration with Section Chief Chihaya going lately?"
"Fortunately, Section Chief Chihaya has always taken good care of me."
"Just taking care of her?"
Kiryu Yaya turned his head and looked at the face of Kishishiro Wakako that seemed to say "I know everything," and remained silent for a second.
"Department Head, please ask whatever you want to ask."
Wakako Kishigami chuckled and waved her hand, "It's nothing, nothing, just chatting."
She said it was just a casual chat, but her smile clearly said, "I know everything."
Kiryu Yaya felt that married women's intuition in certain aspects might be even more sensitive than the debt smell of the financing review department. Everyone arrived quickly.
The staff brought out beer, oolong tea, and several plates of snacks to accompany the drinks.
Masakazu Yamada raised his glass and, as usual, made a few opening remarks, from the Miyazawa case to the Rokkaku split, then to how hard everyone had worked during this time, and finally to "Relax a little tonight, and don't drink so much that it affects your work tomorrow."
Everyone raised their glasses.
"Cheers."
The beer glasses clinked together, making a crisp sound.
The atmosphere quickly relaxed.
After a few drinks, Hashimoto Yusuke began to reminisce about the old days of the Osaka branch during the bubble economy era.
They said that the branch's year-end party was held in a five-star hotel back then, and the prizes alone cost tens of millions of yen. The first prize was a trip for two to Hawaii, the second prize was a golf membership voucher, and even the third prize was the latest model of video recorder.
"And now?"
Someone asked.
"Now—"
Yusuke Hashimoto took a sip of his drink and sighed, "The budget for the in-class friendly association isn't even enough for a private room."
A murmur of laughter rippled through the crowd.
Wakako Kishi took over the conversation, recounting amusing anecdotes from her early days at the bank.
"Back then, I was a new employee at the counter. One day, the bank manager came down to inspect the area, and I was so nervous that I put the customer's passbook and withdrawal slip into the copier together."
"and then?"
"Then the bank manager stood behind me for a long time and said, 'You're a newbie, it's okay.'"
"The branch manager is such a good person."
"No, it was the bank manager back then."
Everyone laughed again.
Kiryu Yaya listened as he poured drinks for his seniors, his movements as natural and practiced as ever.
Chihaya Yuri sat on the shore on the other side of Wakako, mostly listening quietly and occasionally taking a sip of oolong tea.
On several occasions, when Kiryu Yaya refilled her tea, her gaze would linger on his hand for a moment before quickly looking away.
Wakako Kishigami watched all of this unfold, and her smile deepened.
After a few rounds of drinks, the conversation gradually shifted from past bank stories to recent popular TV dramas and gossip news.
A young female office worker mentioned the final episode of "Tokyo Love Story," saying that when Rika cried alone on the train, she cried for a long time along with her.
Several people nearby nodded in agreement, and even Wakako on the shore said that the scene was filmed too intensely.
Have you seen it, Kiryu-kun?
Suddenly, Wakako turned to him and asked.
"I haven't seen it much."
"Huh? Young people don't watch Tokyo Love Story?"
"I usually work overtime a lot."
"That's true."
Wakako Kishigami nodded, then glanced at Yuri Chihaya and said with a smile, "Chihaya-class leader, you probably don't watch TV much either, do you?"
Chihaya Yuri, holding her teacup, said casually, "I watch it occasionally."
"What are you looking at?"
"--news."
Wakako Kishigami couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Does that count as news?"
"The news is not sensational."
This remark was very much in line with Chihaya Yuri's style, and everyone at the table laughed.
As the conversation progressed, the topic somehow veered towards dating and marriage.
This seems to be an unavoidable topic at Japanese drinking parties.
Especially at mixed-gender workplace gatherings, after a certain point, people will always start asking questions like "Do you have a partner?" "When are you getting married?" "Do you want to be introduced to someone?"
First, someone asked Hashimoto Yusuke how old his son was this year. Hashimoto smiled and said that he was already in high school, which made everyone sigh.
Then someone asked Kishigami Wakako how many years she had been married, and Kishigami said eight years. The other person said that she was getting itchy.
He laughed and replied from the shore, "It's been itching for ages."
The atmosphere became increasingly relaxed.
Finally, someone turned their attention to Kiryu Yaya.
"Does Kiryu-kun have a girlfriend?"
The person who asked this question was a young female employee in the financing review department named Nakamura Yuka, who joined the company last year and was a year ahead of Kiryu Yaya.
I am currently single.
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