Monday morning. All employees had been gathered in the first-floor entrance hall of the Shindou Holdings headquarters building. The white marble floor reflected the cold light of the fluorescent lamps. The murmur of over six hundred employees was swallowed up by the high ceiling. Fujisaki Riko stood at the edge of the Creative Department's row, still carrying a throbbing ache deep in her chest. *(What happened that night is already over.)* She told herself that, and spent the weekend reading through materials for the Verdia project. She thought if she buried herself in work, she could forget. And yet, the man wouldn't leave the corner of her mind. The man who sat next to her at Bar "Le Voir" on that rainy night. The man with silver eyes, with whom she spent a night without even knowing his name. Even when she heard the new president would be announced at the morning assembly, Riko didn't pay it much mind. It was just about the higher-ups, anyway. It had nothing to do with her. That's what she thought. The moment she saw the man standing on the podium, Riko's world stopped. Short jet-black hair. A single streak of red mesh on the left side. And silver eyes, cold as ice. The man who had sat next to her at that bar on Friday night, who had spent the night in her apartment — he was standing there, in a suit. "[cold] I'm Shindou Eito. From today, I'll be rebuilding this company. I look forward to working with you." The Eito on the podium was a completely different person from that night. His voice was low and cold, his expression frozen and unmoving. The moment his eyes happened to meet Riko's, his gaze narrowed for just an instant. But immediately, he looked away, expressionless. Her legs trembled. A cold sweat ran down her back. *(He remembers — he remembers, and he's pretending not to know.)* Even after the morning assembly ended, Riko couldn't move from that spot. When she returned to the seventh floor, where the Creative Department was, Riko sank into her desk chair and stared blankly at her computer screen. Her mind was completely blank; she couldn't think about anything. From the neighboring desk, Taniguchi called out to her. Taniguchi was a good-natured colleague who had joined the company the same year as Riko, and was oddly well-informed about office gossip. Always cheerful, but occasionally said sharp things. "[excited] Hey, Riko — wasn't the new president at the assembly insane!? He's super hot, right?" "[scared] ...Y-yeah." Riko answered in a hoarse voice, still looking down. Not noticing Riko's state, Taniguchi leaned in closer. "[serious] But hey, Riko. Do you know Article 42 of the employment regulations?" Riko's fingers stopped on the keyboard. "[scared] ...Article 42...?" "[serious] It's the one that says if a manager and a subordinate date, it's grounds for disciplinary dismissal. Before, a senpai on this same floor was dating the department head and got found out — they both got fired." Taniguchi reached for her computer, opening the employment regulations page on the company portal. There, it clearly stated: *'In the event that a romantic relationship between a manager and a direct subordinate is discovered, one party shall be transferred or demoted.'* The line that leapt into Riko's eyes was the one that followed — in the worst case, disciplinary dismissal was also possible. "[gentle] I think you'll be fine, Riko, but be careful when you deal with the president. The Verdia project is the president's project, right?" The Verdia project. Rebranding for a long-established cosmetics manufacturer. A budget of three hundred million yen. A large-scale project on which the fate of Shindou Holdings rested. It had been left up in the air after the sudden death of the previous president, but at this morning's assembly, Eito himself had declared he would take the lead. Riko was the planner for that project. *(Working directly with the president —)* The memories of last night flashed back. In the dark room, wrapping her own arms around his neck. The sensation of his fingers touching her skin. The low voice whispered near her ear. And in the morning, waking up to find no one there. The cold sweat wouldn't stop. If anyone found out — disciplinary dismissal. If what happened that night became known, Riko's career would be over. And for Eito too — if it came out that the newly appointed president had been involved with a rank-and-file employee, his position would be in jeopardy. *(Why did this happen...)* Riko bit her lip. Her fingertips were trembling. A little past eleven in the morning. The new president's rounds of greeting began. Eito went floor by floor in order, meeting the employees face to face. Soon, the sound of his footsteps approached the Creative Department on the seventh floor as well. The air on the floor tensed in an instant. The door opened, and Eito entered. He wore a perfectly fitted black suit, walking with his back straight. The small silver piercing in his right ear glinted, reflecting the fluorescent light. His tall frame, over one hundred eighty centimeters, made the office ceiling feel lower than usual. "[cold] Members of the Creative Department, I look forward to working with you from now on." Eito's voice was cold as ice. The employees all bowed their heads at once. Riko too bowed her head, desperately trying to feign composure. At that moment, Eito's footsteps stopped in front of Riko's desk. Her heart leaped with a thud. When she looked up, the silver eyes were right there. The same eyes that had gazed at her gently that night. But now, they held a completely different coldness. "[cold] You're Fujisaki Riko, I take it." "[scared] ...Y-yes." Her voice trembled. The gazes of the surrounding employees all gathered on Riko at once. Eyes of curiosity, eyes of surprise, and a little bit of jealousy. "[cold] I've looked over the materials for the Verdia project. Revisions are needed." His tone was matter-of-fact. Not a shred of the previous night's tenderness remained. "[cold] This company has its own rules. Managers and subordinates maintain strictly professional relationships. You — understand that as well, I trust." Riko caught her breath. *Forget what happened last night.* — She felt as if that was what he was saying. "[whispers] ...Last night —" Eito cut off Riko's words as she started to speak. He took one step closer and whispered in a voice the other employees couldn't hear. "[cold] Forget about last night. We are simply president and employee." Saying only that, Eito turned his back and walked away. The sound of his footsteps grew distant. Riko stood frozen. Deep in her chest, a tight, crushing sensation. A sense of loss, as if the tenderness of the night before had been an illusion. The man who had sat next to her at the bar, who had listened to her talk without saying anything — he was nowhere to be found. *(I know that.)* *(I know that — so why does it hurt this much?)* Past nine o'clock at night, only Riko remained on the Creative Department floor. Her colleagues had long since gone home, and only the computer fans hummed quietly. Outside the window, the lights of the Akasaka buildings twinkled countless times. Tokyo Tower glowed orange in the distance. Riko was absorbed in revising the proposal for the Verdia project. *(I have to work.)* *(Work is the only place I belong.)* Glaring at the numbers and graphs on the monitor, Riko told herself. Love had failed. Even a one-night relationship — she was told to forget it. So, at the very least, she had to do her job properly. The fingers tapping the keyboard trembled just a little. Her vision blurred. But she didn't stop. If she stopped, she felt like she would cry. At that moment — The sound of the elevator arriving echoed through the quiet floor. Someone was getting off on the seventh floor. Who, at this hour? Riko looked up. Footsteps approached. The hard sound of leather shoes. Her heart began to pound like a frantic bell. The door opened. Standing there was Eito. He had taken off his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt. His tie was off, too. He looked completely different from the cold-hearted president of the daytime. With a slightly tired expression, Eito gazed at Riko. "[surprised] ...President...?" Riko tried to stand up and caught her foot on the chair. Eito's hand supported her stumbling body. That hand touched her shoulder. Warm. The same warmth as that night seeped slowly into Riko's shoulder. "[whispers] No one's here." Eito whispered low. His voice was soft, like a different person from the daytime. "[whispers] ...Working overtime?" "[whispers] Y-yes... I was revising the proposal..." The words wouldn't come out properly. The cold words from the daytime echoed in her head. *Forget about last night. We are simply president and employee.* And yet — Eito circled around behind Riko. His presence drew near, his breath falling on the nape of her neck. The next moment, Eito's arms wrapped around Riko's body. "[whispers] ...Don't tell anyone." The voice whispered in her ear was sweet, and trembled just a little. Riko's body stiffened. "[scared] ...President, why —" Her voice shook. The strength in Eito's arms increased slightly. Her back pressed closely against his chest. Through his suit, she could hear the sound of his heart. A steady rhythm. But a little faster than before. "[whispers] ...In front of you, I'm not the president." Saying that, Eito buried his face in Riko's hair. His breath tickled the nape of her neck, and Riko's body twitched. "[scared] ...B-but, during the day you were so cold..." "[whispers] If I hadn't been, people would have been suspicious. If our relationship gets out — you'll be the one in trouble." Eito's voice carried a tone of concern for Riko. Had the coldness during the day been to protect her? Thinking that, a warmth spread deep in her chest. But — if that was true, why did it still hurt so much? "[whispers] ...I had long forgotten the warmth of touching someone." Eito murmured quietly. "[whispers] ...Ever since my parents died, I've been alone. I couldn't trust anyone. I was afraid to lean on anyone. But — you're different." Riko caught her breath. Eito's arms held her even tighter. "[whispers] ...So don't tell anyone. This is a secret just between you and me." Tears spilled from Riko's eyes. The cold words of the day. The sweet embrace of the night. The gap between them felt like it would tear her heart apart. But inside Eito's arms was warm, and she didn't want to leave. *(This person — by day he's the president, and by night — he's just my Eito-san.)* The two of them stayed like that, holding each other, for a while. Outside the office window, the light of Tokyo Tower twinkled quietly. On the empty floor, only the computer fans hummed softly, as if hiding their secret. The next morning. The café "Harukaze" on the first floor of the headquarters building was bustling with morning employees. The fragrant smell of coffee mingled with the scent of freshly baked sandwiches. Riko received her latte at the counter and sat down at a window seat. Taniguchi sat across from her, carrying a tray. "[serious] Hey, Riko — didn't the president kind of have his eye on you yesterday, in a big way?" Taniguchi said, biting into her sandwich. Riko took a sip of her latte and feigned composure. "[gentle] ...Do you think so?" "[serious] Since the Verdia project is the president's project, I think you should be careful dealing with it. He just took office, after all, and he's on edge." "[gentle] It's fine, it's work." When Riko said that, Taniguchi suddenly grinned. "[laughing] But the president is super hot, isn't he. Maybe a feast for the eyes —" Riko spat out her latte. "[surprised] S-sorry...!" Seeing Riko cough and grab a napkin, Taniguchi laughed out loud. At the sound of that laughter, Riko's t