CHAPTER 3
I rolled into the office a little earlier than usual. Not because I wanted to be early, just… I guess nerves? Or maybe that old habit of showing up before anyone else when I had something to prove. Not like I needed to prove anything here. Swan trusted me. Still, it didn't stop my palms from getting clammy as I pushed the door open.
The branch smelled the same—coffee brewing, printer humming, faint paper scent. People chatting in corners, typing keys like some kind of weird orchestra. And then me, standing in the middle like a pawn in someone else's chess game.
I tried to straighten my jacket. Pretend I was calm. Pretend I was confident. Pretend my mind wasn't buzzing with, "Don't mess this up. Don't look stupid. Don't screw up in front of Saki."
Yeah, there she was. Sitting at her desk. Looking like she had already noticed me and judging silently. She always looked calm, professional… unreadable. But maybe I caught the tiniest twitch in her eyebrow as she glanced my way. That was enough to make my stomach twist in a bad way.
I walked to my desk, fumbling slightly with papers I hadn't even used yet. Typical.
Then I heard a voice, smooth and slightly teasing.
"First day nerves, huh?"
I turned to see a man I guessed was in his forties. A little round, kind eyes, glasses slightly crooked. He had that comfortable presence, the kind of person who didn't need to shout to be noticed.
"I guess…" I said, voice quieter than I meant.
He laughed softly. "Guess? That's not very confident of a sensei."
I blinked. Sensei?
"Sensei?"
He grinned like I had asked the dumbest question of the century. "Yeah, sensei. You ever play old-school RPGs? Taught me a thing or two in my time, kid."
I blinked again, caught off guard by the casual absurdity. "Uh… I played a few."
He leaned in slightly. "Few? A few?! We are going to get along just fine, sensei."
And just like that, my first bond at this branch had been made. I couldn't help but grin. He had this way of being friendly without asking permission. Without judgment. It felt… nice.
Saki, of course, noticed. I could tell from the way she stiffened ever so slightly. Her eyes flicked toward us, probably thinking I was about to say something embarrassing. I didn't. Just smiled. Internal panic? Maybe. External calm? Absolutely.
Then the rest of the office started noticing me, one by one.
The energetic girl by the printer waved, calling me "Mr. Calm" with this teasing tone. I didn't respond immediately, but the corners of my mouth lifted. I didn't need to. The joke wasn't for me, anyway—it was for the hum of life around here.
The quiet tech guy peeked over his screen, eyes wide, watching my interaction with the older man. He didn't speak at first. But I caught the slight nod he gave. Respect. Slowly, little by little, people started warming up to me.
Then it happened.
The wind—or at least, that's what Saki would later insist—brought her in.
She walked past my desk, hair catching the light, smile playful, eyes bright. And just like that, our shoulders brushed. Slight. Harmless. Nothing significant. But enough to make Saki's internal system short-circuit somewhere.
I noticed her flinch, of course. I gave the tiniest, calm smile. Nothing more. She looked away quickly, reddening just slightly, probably cursing the air itself.
"Must've been the wind," I muttered quietly, more to myself than anyone else.
Saki's inner monologue screamed, though she kept her expression professional. *Why does he get to smile like that? Why does it feel… wrong?*
Lunch came. I followed the older man to the small office kitchen. Coffee smelled stronger here, more bitter than my taste. He poured one for himself, one for me, no words, just presence.
"So…" he said finally, leaning against the counter, "you plan to survive the rest of the week without crying at the printer?"
I chuckled quietly. "I think so."
He laughed. A full, honest laugh. "Good. You'll do fine. People notice calmness, Yuuto. Not loudness, not bragging, not whatever. Calm people… they stick. They matter. Understand?"
"Yeah," I said softly, letting it sink in.
A few more office members trickled in. The energetic girl teased about my calmness again. A younger boy tripped slightly spilling a few papers—everyone froze, but I just bent and helped him silently. One simple smile. That was it. That was all it took. People slowly started trusting me.
Saki noticed, of course. I knew. I could feel her subtle glances, the tiniest eyebrow quirk, the hand brushing hair behind her ear. She was flustered, and it made her fluster even worse because she didn't want to admit why.
And then—of course—the wind. Or fate. Or the universe conspiring against her peace.
The cute girl walked back into the kitchen, holding a folder she had forgotten. She brushed past me again, closer this time. I gave a calm, polite smile. Nothing more. She looked slightly irritated, maybe wondering why I didn't blush or fumble like the others.
Saki's chest tightened. Her thoughts scrambled. *Why am I noticing this? Why do I care?*
I returned to my desk after coffee. Mentor waved me off with a grin, whispering, "Sensei, you're going to do fine here." I chuckled silently, feeling a strange warmth. Friendships. Bonds. Little things I never expected.
And Saki… she watched quietly, pretending not to, pretending I didn't notice. But I did. I always did.
And maybe that was fine. For now.
Because the office was alive. And for the first time in a while, I felt like I belonged.
Even if the wind—or the universe—was planning to keep testing me with small, fluster-inducing encounters.