Sazuki Nagihara, a 24-year-old sales representative at an advertising firm, lives in fear of her boss—the infamous department head Masato Watase, known for his ruthless perfectionism and cold demeanor. Every day he scolds her more harshly than anyone else, earning them a reputation as a disaster pairing.
But everything changes one night when Nagihara receives a mysterious message. "You did your best today." "You're doing just fine." The sender is Watase himself—her tyrannical boss hides a gentl
Secret Gentleness, Identity's Trap - Men of the Sun and Moon
Wednesday morning, the third floor sales department of the Akasaka Tougei Building was wrapped in its usual chaos.
The sound of keyboards, ringing phones, conversations among salespeople. In the midst of this noise, Nagihara Satsuki sat at her desk. The message from "yoru_no_niwa" last night lingered in the corner of her mind.
'I want to see your smile more'
She continued to contemplate the meaning of those words.
Then, department head Seo Mariko approached. A woman in her late thirties with a stern expression.
"Nagihara. We have a new project."
Department head Seo placed documents on Nagihara's desk. The project name was 'Cosmo Flora New Product Promotion'. A request from a cosmetics manufacturer.
"Your partner will be Kashiwagi. Since there's a competition within the sales department, please do your best."
Partner—Kashiwagi Kouhei. When Nagihara heard that name, she tilted her head slightly. Of course she knew of him. The most popular senior in the sales department. But she had never worked directly with him before.
"Understood."
After Nagihara's response, department head Seo left. She picked up the documents. Project explanations, client information, target demographic analysis. As Nagihara carefully reviewed them, a voice suddenly called out.
"Nice to work with you, Nagihara!"
A bright voice. When she turned around, Kashiwagi Kouhei was there.
With chestnut-colored semi-long hair casually tied back, he smiled with amber-colored eyes gleaming. A small silver piercing on his right ear reflected in the morning fluorescent lights. A leather cord accessory wrapped around his suit cuff accentuated his soft atmosphere.
"Let's do our best together."
A hand offering a handshake. Nagihara hesitated but accepted it. Kashiwagi's hand was warm, his grip gentle.
Twenty-three years old—younger than her. He was in his fifth year at the sales department, so he was her senior. But his manner had a friendliness that didn't feel hierarchical.
"Thank you for working with me."
Kashiwagi laughed at Nagihara's formal tone.
"No need for formalities. We're one team together. Let's keep it relaxed."
With that, Kashiwagi pulled a chair beside her desk. He began reviewing the project documents at the same height as Nagihara. That casualness—Nagihara felt her heart lighten at work for the first time in a while.
From the back of the office, Watase Yuto watched the two silently. The 32-year-old sales department head kept his gaze fixed on the area around the shared desk, not from his private office.
His expression was blank, but his gray eyes gleamed coldly.
Throughout the morning, Kashiwagi patiently taught Nagihara how to approach the project.
"With cosmetics, you see, they don't sell just on appearance and function. What's important is thinking about what kind of 'self' the user wants to become. I think you could explain that part with data, Nagihara."
Kashiwagi's words were kind. Nothing like Watase's harshness. More than that, whenever Nagihara seemed anxious about something, he immediately noticed and spoke up.
"It's okay. We'll definitely nail this project. With your sense, Nagihara."
He encouraged her that way.
At lunch, invited by Kashiwagi, Nagihara headed to the 14th floor employee cafeteria 'Lighthouse Terrace'.
As they rode the elevator up, Nagihara noticed how close she was to Kashiwagi. In the narrow elevator, their bodies were almost touching. Kashiwagi seemed completely unbothered, but Nagihara's heart was beating a bit faster.
The employee cafeteria was spacious, characterized by large windows overlooking the Akasaka district. You could see the daytime Tokyo landscape at a glance. Blue sky, buildings stretching into the distance, the flow of passing cars.
Kashiwagi guided her to a seat by the window. The two sat facing each other.
"You're always so serious, Nagihara."
Kashiwagi smiled while bringing curry to his mouth.
"You're sincere about work, and clients rate you highly. But you know, I think you could relax a bit more. Department head Watase's way is certainly perfect, but humans don't need to be that perfect."
Those words struck something in Nagihara's heart. She had endured Watase's harshness all this time, but with just one of Kashiwagi's words, she felt a little lighter.
"You're right, the department head is strict."
Nagihara murmured softly.
"I'll back you up, so don't worry. Let's make something good together."
With that, Kashiwagi narrowed his eyes at Nagihara. A bright smile. Nagihara found herself smiling back softly and unconsciously.
Near the cafeteria entrance—
Watase Yuto suddenly appeared. He held a coffee in one hand and glanced at the two of them. In that moment, his gray eyes held something complex.
But immediately, he looked away and left somewhere.
That night, Nagihara returned to her one-room apartment 'Maison Harukaze'.
She lay on the bed and opened her smartphone. Recalling her conversation with Kashiwagi, she felt a strange warmth. For the first time in a while, someone at work had treated her kindly.
When she opened the Liite app, sure enough, a message from "yoru_no_niwa" had arrived.
【yoru_no_niwa】
"You seemed happy today. I want to see your smile more"
Nagihara's breath stopped.
This person—they really are watching me.
Today, when she was with Kashiwagi. Does this person know that smile of hers? Are they at the company? Or—
She started to type a reply, but her fingers stopped.
'Who are you?'
She wanted to ask that, but something frightened her. If she learned this person's identity, their kindness might disappear.
Nagihara deleted the reply. And typed different words instead.
"Thank you."
That was all. But it was all she could manage.
The next day, Nagihara and Kashiwagi were jointly creating materials for a client meeting.
Cosmo Flora's new product 'Luminache'—a premium cream to make skin appear brighter. The target was women in their late twenties to forties who were conscious about self-improvement.
Kashiwagi's ideas and Nagihara's meticulous data analysis fit together surprisingly well.
"This part is good. You're analyzing the purchase motivation from the target's psychological perspective. Nagihara, you have great sense."
Kashiwagi lightly tapped Nagihara's shoulder. At that moment, her heart skipped. But it wasn't a bad feeling.
She was being recognized. For the first time at work, she was truly being recognized.
As the two became absorbed in their work, footsteps approached.
"Progress report."
Watase's cold voice.
Nagihara stiffened. But Kashiwagi responded brightly.
"Department head. The materials are almost complete. Want to see them?"
Kashiwagi offered the documents. Watase reviewed them without changing his expression. A long silence. Nagihara barely breathed.
"Not bad."
With that short phrase, Nagihara felt relieved. But—
"However, your analysis of the target demographic's purchase motivation is shallow. You're only capturing the surface-level desire to 'look brighter'. You're failing to grasp the deeper psychology beneath—'I want to change myself', 'I want to be recognized'."
Watase pointed out coldly.
Nagihara's heart raced again. Was her analysis insufficient? Was she really—
"Kashiwagi, you handle the follow-up. Nagihara still lacks experience."
Watase said that and left.
Nagihara was speechless, her gaze falling to her own desk.
"You're okay."
Kashiwagi tapped her shoulder. His voice remained warm as always.
"The department head is strict, but he's not completely rejecting it. He said 'not bad', right? Besides, because you provided that analysis, I can move to the next step. We're a team, so that's how it works."
Nagihara looked at Kashiwagi's face. There was a truly warm smile there.
Not calculated. Pure kindness.
In that moment, something changed within Nagihara.
Kashiwagi Kouhei, like the sun. The mysterious moon-like existence that sent messages from the night garden.
Two men were beginning to occupy a large space in Nagihara Satsuki's world.
That night, the light in Watase Yuto's private office remained on late.
On the desk, the Liite app was open.
'Seeing you beside him makes my chest ache'
His fingers stopped on the screen.
Delete. He rewrote the message.
'I want to see your smile more'
As his finger moved toward the send button, Watase quietly closed his eyes.
Fifteen years ago, I left you behind. And now—I'm trying to approach you like this.
Such an awkward man, he thought, as Watase Yuto sat alone in the late-night office, staring at the screen.
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