Suzu rubbed her temples with a tired expression."Alright… I don't think I'll be back for a few hours."
Ichigo nodded stiffly."It's fine. I'll just… catch up with everyone till you return. Uh—and I'll try to make up with Miss Ayaka."
Suzu dropped both her hands onto his shoulders, leaning slightly forward with a heavy sigh.
"You look exhausted, Miss Suzu," Ichigo asked quietly.
"It's nothing," she replied with a small lifeless smile."I haven't slept. Working all night again… but it's nothing new. The last thing I want is to ask help from a newcomer."
She forced herself upright and turned to leave—then paused at the door.
"Oh, right… before I forget."She looked back at everyone, voice calm but powerful:
"Let's have a a welcome party tonight. Just us team members."
Instantly, every pair of eyes in the room lit up like fireworks.
Ryo sat up straight at his desk. Yui clapped her hands with sparkles in her eyes. Yamada was holding his smile back to not look like he gets excited at a mere mention of party. Even Ayaka raised her head from her desk with a drool but excited "party?" expression.
Suzu smiled faintly at their reaction—then left the room.
The moment the door clicked shut, the room erupted.
As soon as Suzu left the room, Yui launched herself at Ichigo like a cat claiming its territory, wrapping herself around his arm and grinning.
"Oiii—get off me!! I just sat down!!" Ichigo complained, trying to shake her off without success.
On the other side of the room, Ayaka leaned back in her chair, half-awake but watching with interest."They seem awfully close… Are they dating or something?"
Yamada, calmly stirring his coffee like an exhausted old man, replied:
"Well… you could call it a relationship of some kind."
Ryo, fixing his wrinkled shirt and crooked tie after the earlier fight, sighed heavily."Not the kind you're imagining… Something happened in the past. In college."
Yamada nodded dramatically."Yui sticks to him because she loves him so much… I don't want to reopen trauma, but you could call it a sibling-type love."
Ayaka's eyes widened."Yui and Ichigo are siblings!?!"
SMACK!!!Ryo immediately slapped the back of Yamada's head.
"IDIOT! Say it properly! Now she's misunderstanding everything!"
"S-Sorry…" Yamada bowed nervously, then corrected himself:"Long story short—When Ichigo was a fresh first-year, on his FIRST DAY… he got into a fight with a professor who was harassing Yui."
Ayaka leaned forward, fully awake now."Huh!? An argument on the first day… for Yui?"
Ryo scoffed, crossing his arms.
"Argument?" he repeated, then chuckled to himself. "Well yeah… let's just leave it at that. From that day onward she was glued to him. She has no romantic feelings for him—but her love is way more terrifying than romance."
Yamada nodded in agreement."Y-yeah… I know. She treats him like a younger brother and spoils him nonstop. And Ichigo accepts her as his sister and loves her just the same."
Miss Ayaka looked genuinely stunned.
"She used to show her affection in broad daylight," Ryo continued. "It practically stopped Ichigo from having a love life. When I asked her why she does that, she just said—'My brother is too precious for this world.'"
"She just a Yandere at this point!!" Miss ayaka exclaimed but the lowered her voice not to reach Ichigo and Yui.
"Yo, what are you all talking about." Ichigo joined the conversation
all three gasped in surprise together and replied together
"Nothing!!!"
a whole days passed Ichigo took a tour of entire building talked to almost everybody inn office... everyone had already taken a liking to their new junior.
"This is a surprise, Ichigo has charmed every single person in the entire building.. Leadership runs through is every move" ayaka said to other 3 memberes of their team.
"oh well. his always been like that, In college his first friends werent his classmates but us senior year students. he has always been the most loved person" Ryo Said with a smile on his face
Yamada chuckled "Yeah no matter what he will always be our idiot junior"
The office floor buzzed with quiet chatter and clacking keyboards. Sunlight streamed through the tall glass windows, casting long lines across the desks.
Ayaka crossed her arms, eyeing the two men with a sly smile. "Interesting… weren't you both arguing with him this morning?"
Ryo leaned back in his chair, spinning it slightly. "That was just shock. He's like a kid brother to us." He shrugged, sipping his coffee.
Ichigo stepped between the desks, hands in pockets. "Yo, Ryo. Let's fu—"
Ryo exploded.He choked so violently the chair rolled back, and the entire mouthful of coffee sprayed across Ichigo's face, splattering onto nearby papers and even the floor tile.
Several employees turned their heads.
"WHAT—?! W–WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING, YOU PERVERTED IDIOT?!" Ryo shouted, voice echoing across the cubicles.
Ichigo stood completely still for a moment, coffee dripping from his hair and jaw.Then, with a slow, exaggerated wipe of his face, he glared at Ryo.
"Let me finish, dumbass. I meant—let's forget this project for now and roam the building. Like our college days."
Ryo slammed his cup on the desk, coffee still dripping from the rim. "You should be the LAST one talking like that! This is an office. People can HEAR you. You're not in college anymore!"
Around them, a few colleagues tried not to laugh, quickly turning back to their screens.
Ichigo smirked. "Relax, man. They've heard worse."
Ryo's eyes widened as he wiped the spilled coffee off his desk. He leaned forward, lowering his voice even though half the office was already watching.
"Don't tell me…" He pointed accusingly at Ichigo. "You've been roaming around the building talking like this to everyone—using that language—you crazy fuck!"
A couple of nearby employees froze mid-typing, glancing over their monitors. One intern even ducked behind her laptop, trying not to laugh.
Ichigo with a innocent look on his face. "Was...i not supposed to?."
Ryo grabbed his head in disbelief. "Oh god—Ichigo, this is a corporate office, not your goddamn house!"
Suzu finally stepped out from Reiko's cabin, stretching her arms like she'd been negotiating for hours. Despite looking exhausted, her face glowed with a triumphant smile.
"Hey, rookie!" she called out, brushing her hair back as she walked toward the group. "Wrap things up. We're heading out for your welcome party. Call every team member. Drinks and food are on me tonight—I just closed a big client and got paid. So let's celebrate your welcome!"
The office immediately perked up; people peeked over their monitors, whispering "Party?" and "Tabs on Suzu?"
Ichigo leaned closer to Ryo, muttering under his breath, "Uh… more like celebrate your paycheck."
Suzu's eyes snapped toward him instantly—sharp, deadly, like twin laser beams.
"You wanna go or not, you damn rookie?" she said in a piercing voice that made even two interns at the far end sit up straight.
Ichigo sweating "y-yes mam."
"Guys, Suzu is going to pay for our meal tonight!" Ichigo announced with a smile."Let's empty her wallet!"
Yui instantly jumped from her chair with a bright smile and began packing up.
A cold hand suddenly rested on her shoulder.
"And where do you think you're going?" Miss Ayaka asked with a chilling sweetness.
Yui froze."Sure there's a party… but you're not leaving until you finish your design."
Cold sweat dripped down her forehead."Y-yes ma'am…" she whispered, defeated.
Yamada dropped his hand Ichigo's shoulder."You go ahead with Miss Suzu. We'll come later—just send the location."
"Alright, fine." Ichigo sighed.
Suzu stretched, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it with one smooth motion."Hurry up, rookie. Let's go."
Ichigo wrinkled his nose."Don't you think you should quit smoking? You look like some sexy mafia boss."
She glanced at him, then exhaled a puff directly into his face with a smile."I wish I could stop…" she said with a tired smile,"…but it's already part of me. I'll need a new addiction to kill the old one."
Ichigo coughed, waving the smoke away."So—do you even have a car? Why are we heading to the parking area?"
"Yeah, I do." She jingled her keys.Then smirked."Where would you like to sit? The roof? Or the trunk?" Suzu asked
Ichigo stared at her with a dead expression."I seat for a human please."
Suzu clicked the button on her key.A sleek, glossy SUV blinked its headlights a few steps ahead—one of those "only-the-rich-buy-this" models everyone drools over online.
Ichigo stared at it, unimpressed.
"Quite the expensive one, huh…?" he muttered.Then, in his usual dead tone:"You sure you're not robbing the company?"
A vein popped on Suzu's forehead.
Her smile twitched.Her teeth sharpened like a demon's.Her eyes burned with pure fury.
"Can you—JUST FOR ONCE—say something nice, you moron?!"she snapped, grabbing him by the collar.
Ichigo blinked innocently."…I did call your car expensive."
"THAT'S NOT A COMPLIMENT!!" fire breathing from her mouth.
"Now get in the car before I leave your nonchalant ass here," Suzu growled, practically breathing fire like an angry dragon.
Ichigo looked at her with pure pity."Ohh… poor thing. You got constipation."He even placed a hand on her head like he was praying for her soul.
A vein exploded on Suzu's forehead."You will die by my hands someday, you bastard…"
We both got into the car.
Ichigo buckled up, turned to her seriously."Show me your driving license."
Suzu's eye twitched."Why? You doubting me, you twerk?"
Ichigo raised both hands defensively."I–I didn't mean it like that. Just… to be safe. No offense."
"Don't ask me again. I own this car and I'm older than you," she snapped.
Ichigo pointed at her calmly."That doesn't prove you have a license."
Suzu ignored him completely and started driving out of the parking lot.
"Anyway… where are we going?"
Ichigo thought deeply."Hmm… okay. Option A is 4 miles away. Option B is probably full. Option C is good but I hate the manager. Option D is under renovation. And Option E is perfect but three miles away… soooo let's go with Option A."Dead serious expression.
Suzu slammed her palm on the wheel."You want me to kill you, bastard?!"
"Let's go to Option A."
"DON'T IGNORE ME OR I'LL ACTUALLY KILL YOU!"
"You seem knowledgeable about drinking places."
Ichigo smirked proudly."Well… a year ago you could find me in one of these every morning."
Suzu groaned."That's not something to be proud of…"
"Play some music, damn it. You're so boring."
"Play it yourself."
Ichigo put on a song. They drove in silence until Suzu started humming along.
"Oh? You like this song?" Ichigo asked.
"I don't."
"You don't like this? It's literally trending everywhere."
Suzu sighed."No, I do like the song."
Ichigo blinked."Then what do you mean 'I don't'?"
She answered casually—"I mean I don't have a license."
"Huh?"
"HUHHHHH!??"Ichigo exploded."Isn't it a bit TOO LATE to tell me that, you maniac?!"
Suzu lowered the window and flicked the cigarette bud outside.
"See? I'm driving safe."
Ichigo's eyes almost burst out."That's NOT the point here, moron!" he snapped."And STOP throwing your buds on the road! It's not your personal property!"
Suzu rolled her eyes."Whatever. Stop whining like a kid."
Ichigo slowly turned his head toward her like a horror movie ghost."…What did you say?"
Suzu clicked her tongue."You heard me, kindergarten."
Ichigo gripped the handle of the car door."Let me out. I'm walking."
Suzu accelerated slightly."No. I wont die alone."
Ichigo clenched his seatbelt like it was a lifeline."You're insane… absolutely insane…"
Suzu flicked her hair back."Takes one to know one."
Ichigo glared."I'm normal. You're the one driving without a license!"
She shrugged casually."Relax, I've been driving for years."
Ichigo pointed at the dashboard."YEARS?? Your speedometer is literally shaking."
Suzu squinted."…It does that when it's cold."
"It's 29 degrees outside."
She turned up the AC."Not anymore."
Ichigo slapped his forehead hard."Did I do something to piss you off??"
Suzu smirked without looking at him."You talk too much. You were quieter when you were scared of Ayaka."
Ichigo puffed his cheeks like an offended hamster."I wasn't scared. I was being respectful. And answer the damn question."
Suzu took a long drag from her cigarette, exhaled dramatically."Oh, you definitely pissed me off."
Ichigo blinked. "How!?"
She slowly turned her head toward him, eyes glowing like a dragon awakening."The program you submitted instead of showing up for your interview…"Her voice dropped dangerously low."…was the one I was working on for three months."
Ichigo gulped.
"…with no sleep."Her tone got sharper.
Ichigo shifted in his seat.
"…no weekends."
Sweat formed on Ichigo's forehead.
"…no sunlight."
Ichigo's soul left his body.
"And then YOU show up—" she leaned close, baring her teeth like a demon,"—and basically say, 'Hey, I did better than you.'"
She practically breathed fire.
Ichigo flinched so hard his knee hit the dashboard."I–I DIDN'T SAY THAT!! AND I DIDNT EVEN SHOW UP IN FIRST PLACE!!"
Suzu snapped back at the wheel."Exactly. You even dared to send it through some random guys hand.
Ichigo whispered to himself, "Ahh..Shit... I get why she wants to murder me now…"
Suzu flicked his forehead."So you better be grateful that you are alive"
"y-yes mam"
Suzu parked the car
After getting out Ichigo pointed at the skid mark her car left on the pavement."Is that from us?"
"Focus on the restaurant, not the road."
"I'm focusing on my short remaining lifespan."