>>5631127All these concerns, they weigh on you.
Your face goes slack, eyes slowly growing vacant.
Yesterday’s words of Kitabayashi’s bounce around in your empty mind: <span class="mu-i">You’re a big softie</span>
It’s cold in this room, you’re not sure how Kaiba manages it.
How would Yukimori Kyoden handle this?
He seems like the kind of person that would simply do what was needed.
The thick skin required to be a manager is something you’ll have to develop with time.
You take a breath and try to focus your thoughts, locking eyes with Kaiba.
Kaiba’s face is a picture of concern, with her hands defensively hovering before her.
It seems like she has caught on and knows why you’re he--
<span class="mu-g">“Are you okay, Nagata-san?”</span> says Kaiba instead, <span class="mu-g">“Y-you kinda looked like you were about to cry.”</span>
<span class="mu-g">“Eh?”</span> you reply, <span class="mu-g">“I’m fine. I was just …thinking.”</span>
Allowing your worries to stew while watching cat videos for two hours probably wasn’t the greatest idea.
Everyone procrastinates sometimes, right? Besides, Kaiba-san was in a meeting.
What were you doing?
The trip is tomorrow and you’re talking to Kaiba-san at the moment.
Oh, right. You have to lie to Kaiba-san to breach the subject of the chat.
<span class="mu-g">“I was,”</span> you begin, then try again, <span class="mu-g">“…The people from IT, they monitor network traffic for safety reasons and to avoid leaking stuff to the press, they told me you send images to somebody. Images about the trip.”</span>
<span class="mu-g">“Eeeeeh,”</span> shouts Kaiba, blushing, <span class="mu-g">“…People know? Did other people, like, read everything?”</span>
What’s one more lie? This bothers Kaiba-san. You can shoulder it.
<span class="mu-g">"I don’t think so,”</span> you say, <span class="mu-g">“But they forwarded an image to me which had information on the trip on it. Like that it's a trip for idols and managers and that we’re leaving by bus from the office.”</span>
<span class="mu-g">"Can you explain why?”</span> you ask, <span class="mu-g">“You’re sharing company information, it’s dangerous.”</span>
Kaiba-san looks embarrassed, she’s squirming in her seat, <span class="mu-g">“I was just chatting with a f-friend, I didn’t mean to create trouble,”</span> she says, <span class="mu-g">“I had to cancel plans with her and she wanted to know what I was doing instead…”</span>
<span class="mu-g">”Emiko-chan wouldn’t do anything bad with it,”</span> she adds.
Finally. Emiko-chan by name. Check that off the list, that’s safe information now.
You now have cause to discuss it. Though you still don’t have reason to suspect this Eriko of anything bad.
<span class="mu-g">“I’m sure this Eriko-chan is a good girl,”</span> you say, the biggest lie you’ve said today, <span class="mu-g">“But if she tells a friend, who then gossips it to somebody else, and so on, then it might get to somebody bad eventually.”</span>
