Fortunately, payday was on the 20th of each month. Although he had only worked for two weeks and was still in his internship, the money he received was enough to satisfy Naga. Even though the salary was kept secret, judging from the amount he received, he could somewhat understand Koga Yu's desire to keep this job no matter what.
When a man's wallet is fuller, he tends to be bolder.
After thinking about it all day, Naga finally made a decision when she left work. She went straight to the door of the General Affairs Department and waited for Maeda Reiko to come out.
"Um, Ms. Maeda. You…" Naga called out to her target, only to realize that she was really not good at inviting women out. All the excuses she had thought of before vanished without a trace when she saw Reiko's smiling face. In the end, her cheeks even felt hot, and she mumbled insecurely, "You… dinner… I… um, I wanted to ask you out."
Reiko blinked, her eyes, lightly lined with eyeliner, curving into gentle crescent moons as she smiled. "Is Yumeno-kun asking me out for dinner?"
Naga swallowed hard and nodded.
Reiko hesitated for a few seconds, seemingly about to agree, when Naga was attacked from behind by a force, causing him to stagger and almost fall into Reiko's arms.
He frowned and was about to turn around to see who it was when he heard Miku Shimokawa's energetic voice, "Yumeno-kun, you haven't even treated your senior to a meal yet. Are you already chasing girls as soon as you get paid?"
Reiko greeted Miku somewhat awkwardly, smiled apologetically at Naga, and said, "Sorry, my family is waiting for me to eat," before hurriedly leaving.
"Hey...senpai, I remember you encouraged me last week to ask Maeda out, right? What kind of trouble are you causing by doing this?"
Miku pursed her lips and angrily punched his arm. "This is your first time getting paid, and you didn't even ask me out for dinner. I've been your benefactor, guiding you through your work for the past two weeks."
Hmm... a person? Someone who always causes strange computer malfunctions, which then dramatically improves his repair skills!
Okay... I'll let it go since she's pretty. Naga suppressed her displeasure, patted her wallet, and said with a pout, "Shimokawa-senpai, would you do me the honor of having dinner with me tonight?"
Miku glared at him and muttered under her breath, "So insincere." Then she walked to a spot next to him where they could leave side by side. "Let's go, I'll grant you permission to treat."
So… his dinner companion changed from Maeda Reiko, whom he planned to pursue for a month, to Shimokawa Miku, known as the company's gossip hub. Although Naga was pleased to see the envious looks from single men on the street when they saw Miku, the thought of treating such a beautiful office lady to dinner made him feel the pain of his wallet about to be emptied.
Hmm… there seems to be a Western restaurant near my house that's having a sale, but the ambiance is rather awful. Naga glanced at Miku beside her and thought that a woman like her wasn't really suited to be there. She should be sitting in a more upscale place with a man, sipping red wine and enjoying the night view. Of course… that is, provided she doesn't talk too much during the meal.
"Hey, have you decided where you're going? My stomach is already rumbling and protesting to me." Miku hugged her belly with both hands, speaking to him in a childlike, spoiled tone.
"I...uh, I haven't decided yet. How about..." Naga gritted her teeth, hallucinating that stacks of ten thousand yen bills were flying away on wings, "You tell me, what do you like to eat? I'll listen to you. Uh...who told you to be my senior."
Well... goodbye to my money... Seeing Miku tilt her head and look at a luxurious hotel next to her, Naga felt his heart bleeding. He couldn't help but want to tell her that he might not even be able to afford a meal in a place like that, even if he pawned his clothes.
"That's it." Miku said lightly, her slender, fair fingers pointing straight to the dizzying hotel… and the alley next to it.
At the entrance of the alley is a quaint ramen shop. The ramen chef, with a bald head and a ruddy complexion, waves his arms and serves bowls of steaming noodles. The simple stools are filled with all sorts of people, and a few are in line.
"What... do you look down on cheap places?" Seeing that Naga had no reaction at all, Miku flicked his head in annoyance. "This is where Senpai is going to eat. If you don't behave, I'll throw you into the noodle soup."
"Oh, not at all, I love noodles," Naga quickly replied, letting out a deep sigh of relief for her empty wallet.
Miku smiled and pulled him along, saying, "Even if you don't like the food, you'll immediately crave it when you think about the prices there. I'm not trying to be mean, but you can't be stingy when you treat a girl to a meal. If you bring Maeda here, she'll definitely split the bill and never agree to another date with you again."
Naga scratched his head. Of course, he hadn't planned to invite Reiko to dinner here, but his plans didn't include anything too upscale. He glanced at the luxury hotel with lingering fear and said, "I'm still broke. If it weren't for your thoughtfulness, senior, I would have seen the bottom of my wallet tonight."
Miku glanced at him sideways, "How could I bear to eat you out of house and home in one go, such a cute junior?"
Hey hey... do you mean you're going to keep ripping me off for fun?
"Don't look so unhappy. You should feel honored to have a beautiful woman like me to eat with you, and you're just paying the bill." Miku puffed out her full breasts and swayed them proudly.
"Uh... if it's just ramen, I'd be happy to treat you anytime," Naga joked after glancing at the price.
"Then it's settled. If I make an excuse to refuse your offer to buy me noodles, I'll throw you into the noodle soup."
Miku said crisply to the chef, "Two bowls, one large and one small. Thank you."
Hmm... But there are times when I don't have time. Although she complained in her heart, Naga still had to honestly admit that she was happy. Being able to have a meal with a girl like Miku like on a date was something that had never even happened in her dreams before.
Working in the HR department was a very happy thing for Miku. In the time it took to eat a bowl of noodles, she could tell you several colleagues' strange little secrets. Naga was a little surprised and thought that maybe all the entertainment gossip in the company's personnel information was backed up in this senior's mind.
Miku frowned. "I was just casually mentioning that those two were easier to pursue, I didn't know you'd actually put them on your list. So if I said I was easy to pursue, would you come and pursue me?"
Naga immediately shook his head. "I can't win her over anyway, so I won't waste my time." He was much more frank with the woman he knew had no hope with.
Miku turned to look at him. Perhaps it was the steam from the hot soup, but her delicate cheeks were flushed with a shy blush. Her slightly narrowed eyes looked a little moist, as if veiled by a layer of mist. She stared at him for a while before muttering, "Idiot."
"Huh?" Naga looked at her in confusion.
She picked up the bowl in front of her and drank the rest of the soup in one gulp, then patted her slender waist, which was wrapped in casual clothes, with satisfaction. "Ah...so full. I mean, you're a big idiot."
"Why?"
Anyone who doesn't ask a question when told that is truly an idiot.
Miku blinked, her rosy lips curving into a mischievous smile. "Anyone who gives up without even trying is a complete idiot."