Volume 1 - CH 15

I met Masato-senpai when I first joined the company… Well, not really. 

The first time I met him was when I was much younger, had long hair, and hadn’t dyed it like I do now. Besides, he was very drunk at the time, so he didn’t realize my true identity when we first met at the company.

I’m surprised at how naive Masato-senpai can be, but maybe it’s better for me if he doesn’t realize the real me. Because it’s very embarrassing, yet at the same time it’s very sad that he doesn’t remember the promise he made to me…

Our first meeting was when I was in the third year of high school and Masato-senpai was a recent employee at the company where we work now. To be honest, my life was too boring up to that point. I felt like a robot, my life was programmed to do certain things without going out of my lane in front of some thoughts set by my father. Because I come from a wealthy and renowned family, my obligation has always been to be an honor student with a lot of values to show to society.

Since then, I have done nothing but strive to live up to my parents’ expectations. That included doing many activities and studies ever since I was in kindergarten.

In the face of my hectic schedule and responsibilities, I had no time to make friends or distract myself with someone in a park, which caused me to always be alone.

As a result, I had been forced to turn down invitations to play with my classmates after school or go on field trips during vacations. And as expected, my high grades and how responsible I was with my studies were necessary incentives to make me the school committee president.

That added another layer of responsibility and admiration for me. Everyone treated me as if I was some kind of goddess, perceiving me as someone busy who had no time to enjoy my youth. No one wanted to approach me because of the respect and admiration they felt for me. 

At the end of each class, when everyone was saying goodbye or heading somewhere else to hang out or be distracted by banal conversations over coffee or ice cream. 

I would stand alone, watching them from a distance as they enjoyed the life of an ordinary high school student.

But it wasn’t until one day I was invited to join the whole group in a sports festival. I was so excited about it, I decided to take the first step and put all my efforts to be a part of my peers.

It was the first time I got to engage in conversations with people my age outside of school.

This group activity turned out to be more fun than I had imagined, because before I knew it, I was with a group of girls having coffee in a popular coffee shop in the city. Many conversations on topics I didn’t understand came up impromptu one after the other, without protocols and social norms. But I didn’t mind, as I was really enjoying it despite not being able to contribute much to the conversations. 

This was what I wanted to do. Going to Karaoke, family restaurants with friends, having casual conversations, and creating happy memories through sleepovers or trips. What comforted my heart the most at that moment was that the moment we said goodbye, they had invited me to go out with them again. I felt that I had finally fit in, that I was part of the society that I had so closely watched as if I were some sort of ghost.

But that little bit of happiness I had at that moment in my life brought serious consequences. I had forgotten to go to intensive classes that day, and my father would not forgive me for that one mistake. A short time later, I approached the group of girls with whom I had gone out for coffee and a chat after the school festival was over.

And for some reason, they were aloof to my presence. As soon as I asked them why, they coldy told me that it was a bad idea for me to keep hanging out with them.

As expected, my father was responsible for my return to the world of solitude after having tasted that breath of fresh air after leaving the cage in which I was locked up… 

So, they were forbidden to hang out with me again…

I felt a strong sense of anger towards my father. So, I quickly went home and waited for him to arrive to ask him for a reprimand for what he had done.

I felt very scared, it was the first time I was going to rebel against him. But it turned out everything was in vain… because he shouted at me with all his might while telling me things like; “Open your eyes already, you are not made for that kind of world…!”.

That caused me to run away from home. I felt a lot of resentment towards him, and I began to hate the fact that I had tried so hard to please my father for so many years, that I had been an honor student, that I had refrained from having friends and the life of a normal teenager… 

I despaired at my inability and indignation at wanting to fulfill my worldly desires. I made choices without a shred of rationality in me, and ended up getting on a train in order to head downtown.

It was then that I entered a karaoke bar, a place I had always wanted to visit. At the front desk I selected a customer plan of my choice, and headed to the room I had paid for.

I felt embarrassed, as I was inexperienced in this world. I didn’t know how to select a song, let alone order drinks or food. 

I was completely helpless. I didn’t know how the world around me worked. That generated an even greater feeling of bewilderment in my head… 

The frustration in me was so great that tears began to well up in my eyes.

—Hey, are you crying?

Suddenly, someone approached me and spoke to me. I was so surprised at this unexpected event that as soon as I turned around, I saw a group of men who looked like college students.

—Oh, it’s a high school girl, and she’s so cute.

—Why are you crying? Did your boyfriend leave you?

One of the guys grabbed my arm and stroked my head, as if it was something completely natural to him. I was perplexed and disgusted at the nerve he had in treating me that way.

—Why don’t you come to our room? We have alcohol, you’re going to have a good time with us.

—No, no… I’m fine, thank you.

As soon as the boy put his hand around my shoulder, I had no way to escape. I started to feel very scared, and my body unconsciously started to tremble… But an idea popped up in my head.

If I accept the invitation of these guys, and do something that could cross the boundaries that my father would never accept, it would be a way to get back at him for what he did to me. I was really confident in my ability to do it, I guess there was nothing wrong with breaking the rules and doing something bad for the first time in my life. 

And just as I was psyching myself up to do it…

—I’m sorry, did I keep you waiting too long?

A drunken Onii-san dressed in a suit appears in front of us. Could this be my prince on a white horse? Well… Not literally, but in a symbolic way. 

At Onii-san’s words, one of the boys stared at him.

—Eh? Is this girl with you?

—Exactly… I met her on one of those dating apps.

Everyone was puzzled by his answer. Including me. 

I feel something inside me start to wither… How could I believe that this would be the prince who would come to my rescue… Give me back my feelings of admiration! 

—Although… I can give you the girl if you pay me what I paid for her.

—You’re crazy, old man.

—Yes, we’d better get out of here.

After that, the group of college students quickly lost interest in me, and left the place.

—Umm… Thank you for your help.

I was very grateful to him at that moment for saving me. Even though he treated me like I was a slut, I can’t demerit his bravery for saving me from a group of guys who were probably going to cause a huge problem for me.

—Hey, you… Hurry up and go home. Got it?

—No…!

—Okay, do whatever you want.

After that, Onii-san filled a glass of water from the drink dispenser, gulped it down, and then staggered back to his own room.

That man is way too drunk… Even so, does he really intend to leave me alone? Even though he saved me, it’s like he doesn’t care about me. And I’m still mad at my father!

—Hey…!

As if my legs had a consciousness of their own, they moved on their own and I headed towards where Onii-san was going. I came to a straight corridor and on either side were two lighted rooms.

I didn’t know which room to choose, whichever one I opened I might find a surprise, or worse… So while undecided, I began to count at random until luck guided me.

By mere intuition, I chose door number three, and opened it without a second thought. And luckily, I was right and I had found it.

—Hey…? You’re the same girl from a moment ago.

—O… Onii-san. Do you want to do something kinky with me?

—…Whaaaat?! Do… something… kinky?! Huhhhhh??!?!

No wonder he raised his voice. For as soon as I entered the room, I started undressing in front of him. I unbuttoned my shirt, button by button until my bra was visible. As soon as I started to unbutton my bra, Onii-san’s eyes were staring at me as if they were about to pierce my chest.

And because of this, I could see his lower body getting excited… I know what I’m doing is incredibly stupid. But still, I have to believe it’s worth doing. I have no choice but to be a bitch.

It would be better if someone watched us through from outside through the window and interrupted this.  I’m aware that I’m causing a lot of trouble for Onii-san… If he doesn’t want to do it, let him tell me now… I want someone to stop me….

—…Are you crying?

—Ugh… I just want to do this to teach my father and everyone around me a lesson.

—Huh?

—I don’t care about anything, don’t worry about what happens to me, do whatever you want to me…! 

—Are you serious?

—Eh… Yes! My body is yours….

The Onii-san continued to look at my breasts, and his arm extended towards me, making my shoulders jump involuntarily.

—Ouch! Why did you do that?!

Onii-san had flicked his fingers on my forehead.

—If you’re so afraid, then don’t take off your clothes in front of a stranger and offer your body to him as if it were anything normal. 

He then took the clothes I had taken off and placed them in my hands, then took off his jacket and put it around my shoulders.

—Am I so unattractive?

—Stop talking nonsense, you idiot!

—Huh?

His answer was so unexpected that it made my whole body freeze.

—We men are usually jerks, clearly losing our temper and our capacity for self-control if a high school girl were to approach us while taking off her clothes. But unlike those fools, I don’t plan on going to jail for molesting a minor!

It’s kind of hard not to take him seriously when he’s trying hard not to look at my breasts and having his ears red… My Onii-san is very funny. 

—… Pffft. Haha!

—Don’t laugh at me!

I don’t know if he’s serious or if he’s just saying that to warn me. But I really thought he was a nice person. As soon as we were able to release the tension in the room, I put my uniform back on and explained to him in detail why I acted the way I did.

—So, I thought that if I did bad things, my father would understand a little more. I’m not an ideal daughter… 

—You’re so selfish.

—What?!

His answer stunned me at that moment. I really thought he was going to take pity on me, and tell me that I’m living in a terrible situation.

—Golden rule, never make a decision without thinking about the consequences. If you think that doing something like this will do something bad to your father, you’re wrong, you’re the one who will get hurt.

Yes, my Onii-san is right about that, it’s the first time someone was direct and honest with me.

—Think about it, you are giving your body, the most valuable thing you have, to any stranger you meet along the way. That’s not right. If you find it hard to live with your parents, then choose a different path. It’s your life, you can do what you want with it… But always respect yourself.

This man was engaged in a serious conversation with a high school girl he met no more than an hour ago… How is it possible for someone I don’t know to be so interested and concerned about me?

As soon as I had finished listening to his words, I started to cry. Everything I had been holding back until then, overflowed from my eyes and I couldn’t stop.

—Come on, don’t cry anymore, everything will be all right.

—I’m not crying.

—Okay okay…

My Onii-san handed me a pocket handkerchief while calming me down. He’s someone with a serious speech problem, but… He’s very kind.

—You know, there are many ways to deal with stress.

—…Can you give me an example?

—Sure… You just have to sing really loud.

The next thing he did was to take the tablet and quickly select a song. As I watch him, I can’t help but wonder if the reason he’s drunk is because he’s trying to de-stress.

—Take this! Sing with me. Sing as loud as you can, it doesn’t matter if you get hoarse, you’ll see that all your stress will disappear immediately.

—Okay!

—But first, I want to know something. You’re underage, right? — he asked while looking at the time on his watch — If my memory serves me correctly, minors are not supposed to be out of the house after 22:00. 

—Um… We still have 30 minutes.

—…That’s okay. Since I invited you to sing, I’ll allow it for now. But after you’re done, I’ll send you home, okay?

—All right! Hehe…

For the next half hour we both sang at the top of our lungs in that room. And I must admit, it was a great way to relieve all the stress and the bad time I was going through. 

And when I tried to drink alcohol, that Onii-san was so cautious that he prevented me from drinking it. He’s pretty serious in that aspect.

—How do you feel now?

—Yes! It’s been great.

To be honest, at this point I was already starting to miss my Onii-san, after all, I have very few friends and I don’t usually hang out with anyone. Experiencing this moment of happiness and then going back to my dreary routine was very depressing.

We walked from the karaoke bar to the station where the cab plaza is located. My Onii-san was kind enough to accompany me to that place since it was nighttime and it was very dangerous for a girl like me to walk alone.

—Take this. — he said as he took out a card from his pocket.

—A business card? Why are you giving it to me?

—If one day you are stressed again and have no one to turn to, you can call me. Then I can take you to karaoke again.

—……

—Why aren’t you saying anything?

—Onii-san, are you flirting with me?

—Go away now!

—Haha okay.

I would love to keep looking at the red-faced man in front of me forever. But alas, it was time to say goodbye.

—Well, here we say goodbye. See you later.

—Yes… Thank you for everything.

My Onii-san waved his right hand in farewell and started walking towards the train station. It was very strange, most logically I must have hated the words “see you later”, since he is an older man. But… At that moment, I really wanted to see him again.

—Onii-san!

—Hmm?

—When I’m older… Will you have a drink with me?

—Huh?!

The expression on his face denoted how stunned he was at my words.

—Okay… When you’re a responsible adult, we’ll go out for a drink together.

—Really?

—Yeah. And I’ll take you to an excellent bar where you’ll taste the best sake of all.

My heart at that moment pounded uncontrollably at the sight of his smiling face. To hide my enthusiasm, I puffed out my cheeks and tried to appear disinterested.

—Ew. I’d rather you take me to a BAR where there are cocktails and more juvenile things.

—You’re still a child, you don’t appreciate the sweet taste of a good sake.

—I am.

—Hahaha. That’s true.

—Mooou~~… But, will we really do it? Promise?

I stood in front of my Onii-san once again, and extended my little pinky finger. He looked around with a slightly embarrassed look, and also raised his pinky finger in resignation.

Hahaha, this is his punishment for treating me just like a child.

The moment our fingers intertwined, I pulled my Onii-san to me with all my strength, and as he lost his balance because of how suddenly I acted, I hugged him very tightly.

While I was glued to him, I got close to his ear and whispered…

—When I’m older, you’ll get my first one too, right?

—Huh~~…?! Go home now!

—Hahaha~ See you later, Onii-san!

I said goodbye for the last time and then got into the cab. On the way home I looked at the card Onii-san had given me. It had his name and surname engraved on it along with the logo of the company he worked for. 

—Kazama Masato… Masato-san? Masato-kun…? Or Masato-senpai?

He was definitely all I needed. Just muttering his name makes me believe that I can do anything from now on.

Even though our encounter was somewhat fleeting, I can’t deny that it was the most intense moment of my entire life. I enjoyed it more than anything I had ever experienced before.

Most of all, I couldn’t ignore the strong heartbeat in my chest. I am looking forward to working hard and becoming a responsible adult.

After that night, I strayed from the lane set by my father. And it’s not that I tried to run away again or do something crazy without even thinking about the consequences. Rather, I began to strive to forge my own path. 

I had a lot of problems with him because of that decision, and mostly because I didn’t go to the college he had ordered me to attend. But I have no regrets. I did very well in life despite making my own choices. 

During my college life, I focused on making up for the things I had not enjoyed in my childhood and adolescence. I made friends, met a lot of people, went out to a lot of places. Basically, I enjoyed my own version of youth. 

I managed to keep my grades up in all my subjects, and even became so well-liked by my classmates and friends that I was chosen as a contestant in the Miss Congeniality contest. In addition, I was able to enjoy the taste of good sake. Just as my Onii-san had told me. Although it is his fault that my friends made fun of me saying things like I was a heavy drinker despite having a pretty face.

Time took its course, and I finally became an adult in the working world, thus I was able to successfully enter the company that was of my first choice.

That’s right… The same company where my Onii-san is an employee. I really thought that this was all a game of fate, since the person who I wanted to be with the most was going to train me for a certain amount of time until I become a useful staff member and would also be the one in charge of me.

Compared to four years ago, I couldn’t help but feel the light in my eyes cloud over as I saw him in front of me again. My longed-for dream was coming true in front of my eyes.

Although, I felt disappointed, but at the same time, lucky, because as soon as he saw me… He didn’t recognize me. Still, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to get to know each other again, and start a relationship from scratch with my Onii-san.