Not long ago, I entered the corporate world, brimming with hope and ambition. After a nightmarish first twelve months, however, that all seems like a distant dream. I long for simpler times, when my boss’s constant put-downs didn’t ruin my evening train ride home. These days, the bachelor’s life I looked forward to mirrors my own squalid state of mind, as I dig into another greasy supermarket bento alone in my apartment, next to a sink full of dirty dishes…

A sweet, familiar face flashes through my mind, but I swiftly dismiss it with a shake of my head.

“What is wrong with me? She’s literally my coworker…”

Sure, there’s this one girl—the cute and confident Mami Himekawa. She’s got the looks, the laugh, the walk, and that voice, but I highly doubt that we’re compatible that way. Or am I missing something?

But just when I least expect it, the answer to that question reveals itself while I’m at work in the office one day—

“Hey there, kiddo. …Got a moment?”