The Secret Between the President and Me in Our Office for Two
Rui Takane, a sharp and ambitious executive, has just been appointed the new president of a special division at the giant talent agency 'Hololive.' Her first order of business is hiring a personal secretary, and she chooses the most unlikely candidate: Kakeru Aoi, a timid and seemingly incompetent young man.
'You. You're my secretary from today.'
With that single, high-handed declaration, Kakeru's quiet life is thrown into utter chaos. Rui runs the office like a typhoon, scattering documents,
The Secret Between the President and Me in Our Office for Two - A Night of Crossed Paths and a Reversal Proposal
7:00 PM.
Aoi Kakeru felt like his heart was about to leap out of his mouth.
Kanda Nishikicho, Chiyoda Ward. Just a three-minute walk from Hololive Central. Turn down one alley, and the city's clamor faded away like a lie. There, the shop stood quietly. White exterior walls. A modest, navy-blue sign. *Lirio Blanca*.
Kakeru took three deep breaths.
In his chest pocket was a handwritten note, left on his desk that morning. The handwriting was a little rounded, but far more careful than usual.
*"7 PM. I'll be waiting at Lirio Blanca. You'd better come. —Rui"*
*(President Rui… is waiting for me.)*
Yesterday's huge fight flashed through his mind.
"I'm never asking you to be my secretary again!" — The documents scattered across the floor. Her voice, cold and sharp.
And then, the cry from her heart he'd overheard in the office late that night.
*"I will protect her!"*
I said it.
For her sake.
*(I have to apologize properly.)*
*(And then — I have to say it again, with my own mouth.)*
With trembling hands, he pushed open the white door. A bell chimed softly, its sound falling into the quiet interior.
The interior was calm, based around white tones. A small café with about twenty seats. Behind the counter, a blackboard listed coffee bean varieties in chalk. The air was filled with the rich scent of coffee, mingled with a faint, sweet butter aroma.
"Welcome. Oh my, you must be Kakeru-kun?"
A voice.
From behind the counter.
Standing there was a woman he didn't recognize.
Loosely permed, ash-brown hair at semi-long length. Her downturned eyes gave a gentle impression, as if she were always smiling. Bright brown eyes gazed steadily at Kakeru. On her left wrist, a bracelet of colorful natural stones swayed.
Her voice was incredibly soft. So soothing it could almost lull you to sleep.
"Ah, yes. I'm Aoi. Um, is President Takane…"
Kakeru peered into the back of the shop. The window seats. The counter. Rui was nowhere to be seen.
Kirino Hana smiled, a little troubled.
"I'm sorry. Rui-chan rushed out just a moment ago. She said an urgent matter came up from Stella Glow. She left this for you."
What she held out was a hastily scribbled note in Rui's handwriting.
*"Sorry, another time. —Rui"*
His mind went completely blank.
*(She's not here.)*
*(President Rui isn't here.)*
7:00 PM. The promised time. He'd been led here by Rui's handwritten note, visiting Lirio Blanca for the first time. And she wasn't at the promised seat.
The strength drained from his fingers.
He slumped over the counter, dejected.
"So disappointed. Oh dear, oh dear."
Hana's voice sounded distant.
"Would you like some of Rui-chan's special lemon cream pancakes? It's what she always eats."
"…Yes, please."
Still slumped over, Kakeru answered in a muffled voice.
*(Why does this always happen to me?)*
He just wanted to talk to Rui properly. He just wanted to make up after their fight. That was all.
"Ah, youth."
Hana murmured quietly, then began working behind the counter.
——
Fifteen minutes later.
Kakeru poked at the pancake placed before him with his spoon.
The lemon cream wobbled gently atop the white pancake. Even in the depths of such despair, his stomach was honest. One bite, and a sweet-tart flavor spread through his mouth. It was incredibly delicious.
"So good…"
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
"Right? So, what happened? Did you have a fight with Rui-chan?"
From across the counter, Hana offered him a cup of tea. The fragrant aroma of Earl Grey rose up.
"A fight… well, I did something stupid."
Kakeru began to speak, haltingly.
The poaching of Tachibana Kanna. Rui's frustrated tears, which he'd never seen before. Unable to stand by, he'd gone alone to their rival company, Stella Glow. Kamiya Ren had utterly crushed him, with data and a smile.
"I just wanted to be of help to the president. But in the end, I just made her angry. She said she didn't care about me anymore…"
Rui had thrown the documents at him. White paper scattered across the floor.
The piercing pain in his chest from that moment came rushing back.
Kakeru pressed a hand tightly against his stomach.
"Hmm."
Hana leaned against the counter, gazing at Kakeru with kind eyes.
"You're Kakeru-kun, Rui-chan's secretary, right? Lately, that girl talks about nothing but you."
Kakeru's hand stopped.
"…Huh?"
"'He didn't even cry when I snapped at him about the coffee temperature,' or 'He didn't run away even when clients hurled abuse at him during sales,' or 'There's this idiot who went to Stella Glow all by himself.' Honestly, her eyes have been sparkling nonstop. It's almost embarrassing to watch."
Hana narrowed her eyes, looking thoroughly amused.
Deep in Kakeru's chest, something pulsed, *thump*.
*(President Rui… talks about me?)*
"That girl just can't be honest. She's terribly clumsy. But she's watching you, properly. Deep down, I'm sure she understands that you got hurt doing something foolish."
Hana gently lifted her cup.
"Am I… am I needed by the president?"
"'Needed' doesn't even begin to cover it. That girl is—"
Hana started to speak, but just then—
Her gaze stopped at the corner of the counter.
There, a smartphone had been left behind, carelessly abandoned.
"Oh dear, Rui-chan forgot her phone. This is bad, that girl can't live without her smartphone."
Making a big fuss, Hana picked up the phone.
The screen lit up.
There was no lock screen set.
Kakeru peered at the displayed wallpaper from the side.
—His heart stopped.
What was reflected there.
A late-night, empty office.
Slumped over the desk, asleep — was himself.
A night when he'd been alone, fixing a project proposal with only the light of his computer, without even turning on the room lights. He must have fallen asleep without realizing it. His mouth was slightly open.
*(When did she— no, why—)*
His mind went completely blank.
He couldn't breathe.
"Whoa, so heavy! That's totally her wallpaper! Just how much does that girl like you?!"
Hana's deep, belly-deep laughter echoed through the quiet shop.
"W-wait a minute! What is this supposed to mean?! Why does the president have a picture of me?!"
Kakeru shouted, his face bright red.
Panic. His heart felt like it was about to explode.
"What do you mean, 'what'? Isn't this obviously mutual? Wow, Rui-chan, you go, girl. Secretly taking a picture like that… I wonder if she was looking at it with a big grin."
"The president… likes me…? Wh-whaaat?!"
His thoughts couldn't keep up.
That flawless, perfect queen.
That Takane Rui, who always cast cold glances at him, saying, "You're useless."
My sleeping face — as her wallpaper?
Grinning broadly, Hana was brewing a fresh pot of tea.
"That girl likes you. She just can't be honest about it. You should accept all of her feelings."
Kakeru felt as if his heart had been squeezed tight.
Likes.
President Rui… likes me?
He wanted to think it was impossible.
But shown this photo, he couldn't argue back anymore.
"…What should I do?"
"It'll be fine. If it's you two, things will surely work out. But, Kakeru-kun. If you're going to stand beside that girl, you have to be prepared."
Hana's voice suddenly turned serious.
"The entertainment industry isn't easy. Kamiya Ren from Stella Glow — that man, especially. Rui-chan has been fighting alone all this time. You have to be there beside her, to protect her properly."
Saying that, Hana pulled a memo from behind the counter and held it out.
"Here, take this. This is from my information network back in my manager days, so I guarantee its credibility. There's a rumor that Tachibana Kanna has been really into game streaming lately."
Kakeru gripped the memo tightly.
Tachibana Kanna. The top talent Ren had stolen away.
Game streaming.
Inside his head, he heard the sound of something clicking into place, like puzzle pieces fitting together.
"…I understand. Thank you, Hana-san."
Kakeru bowed deeply.
There was no time to hesitate anymore.
He had to make his resolve.
——
10:00 PM.
Hololive Central, 7th floor.
The office was empty and pitch dark.
Only the emergency lights dimly illuminated the hallway. Through that faint glow, Aoi Kakeru walked straight to his desk.
He turned on his computer. The cold, artificial light that bloomed forth illuminated Kakeru's face, filled with determination.
His fingers trembled over the keyboard.
*(Ren's SNS strategy excels at viral reach.)*
*(But it's one-directional broadcasting. Two-way communication with fans is weak.)*
Inside his head, all the pieces of information connected.
Tachibana Kanna — a top talent with three million followers.
Keita — a popular game streamer with three million subscribers.
Bring these two together for a collaboration.
Realize two-way interaction through a live broadcast.
A new value that Stella Glow could never imitate.
"…This is it."
Kakeru began typing feverishly at the keyboard.
This wasn't an apology to Rui.
This was a declaration of war, in his own words.
*"Project Proposal — Tachibana Kanna x Keita Large-Scale Collaboration Live Broadcast Project"*
"I will definitely get Kanna-san back."
Kakeru's voice rang out in the darkness.
"I will protect her from you, no matter what."
It was his first counterattack — aimed at the unseen Kamiya Ren.
——
At the same time.
Akasaka, Minato Ward. Stella Glow Tower.
The top-floor president's office.
Beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, Tokyo Tower shone with cold, mechanical light.
"I see. I accept the changes to the contract terms. As expected of you, Rui-kun. You leave no openings."
Kamiya Ren wore a composed smile. The gesture of him brushing up his platinum blond hair was picturesque. His clear, blue-gray eyes reflected the light of the desk lamp — the room's only source of light — shining coldly.
"If you can accept all of our requests, we will continue to consider this positively."
Takane Rui fixed her sharp gaze on Ren from behind her silver-rimmed fashion glasses, her dark brown eyes unwavering.
*(I was set up.)*
Summoned under the pretext of an urgent discussion about contract changes, she'd been detained until late at night. The negotiation itself was a mere formality, completely unproblematic. In other words, this was harassment.
"Well then, if you'll excuse me."
Rui turned to leave.
"Oh, by the way, Rui-kun."
Ren's voice stabbed into her back.
"Your secretary is quite an interesting fellow. Aoi-kun, was it? If he comes here again, I'll be sure to enjoy myself as well."
Ren wore a meaningful smirk.
A cold smile, devoid of any warmth.
A chill ran down Rui's spine.
*(This man — what is he plotting?)*
"I told him, you see. 'Rui-kun has always needed someone to protect her. It's impossible for you.' And then —"
Ren took a step closer to Rui.
"'I will protect her,' he said. So passionate. Truly amusing."
Rui felt as if her heart had been crushed by a cold hand.
Kakeru had said that.
That timid, always nervous Kakeru.
"How nice. Youth. Do your best. I look forward to seeing how this plays out."
Ren turned on his heel.
It was a signal that the conversation was over.
Rui rushed into the elevator.
The doors closed.
Her heart was pounding so loudly, she couldn't stand it.
"…Kakeru. Am I… dragging you into this…?"
For the first time, anxiety and regret.
She was the one who wanted to protect him.
But she was the one who had been protected.
Her face reflected in the elevator mirror looked on the verge of tears, and Rui bit her lip hard.
Just then.
*Buzz.* Her smartphone vibrated.
The sender was Aoi Kakeru.
With trembling fingers, she opened the message.
*"The proposal is done. Please look at it tomorrow. I will definitely get Kanna-san back."*
A single tear spilled from Rui's eye.
"You… idiot."
Wiping away the tear, Rui softly struck the elevator wall with her fist.
She'd gone and stood him up for their promise.
And yet, this idiot had been working alone on something like this.
"I'll be right back."
The elev
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