“The operation was a success, and may the future of the office be… Cheers!!!”
“Cheers.”
“Cheers.”
To be honest, it wasn’t that tasty; I was just pouring drinks to get tipsy and we cheered like that.
Ah, by the way, it was Midori who said the cheers.
In a normal scenario, it should have been the Commander who did it, but he had an oddly quiet personality.
“What’s up? Why are both of you so quiet?”
“Isn’t it okay? More than that, let’s hurry up and grill some meat.”
“Yes, I’ll do the grilling.”
I was feeling good about the successful operation, but that didn’t mean I was going to shout cheers loudly.
Just enjoying this delicious meat comfortably was enough for me.
Besides, we weren’t the only ones in the store, so I didn’t want to draw too much attention.
Anyway, I downed a shot of soju and started grilling the meat.
The grill was already hot, so as soon as I placed the meat on it, it started sizzling immediately.
“Ahhh…”
“It’s not cooked yet, so don’t eat it.”
“Commander, no matter how hungry I am, I won’t eat meat that’s this pink!”
“Then that’s a relief.”
We all picked a table at the barbecue restaurant, waiting for the meat.
Initially, we wanted to go into a room, but it was packed inside.
“Commander! But who’s paying today?”
“It’s a company meal, so it’ll naturally be on the budget.”
“Ohhhh…!”
“Even if I can’t use the budget, I’ll pay, so don’t worry.”
“If you buy meat like this every operation! I, Midori, will dedicate this body to the Commander!!!”
“No need to offer that much, just don’t puke while drinking, okay?”
“Nya-hahaha!”
The two were joyfully chatting even though the meat wasn’t fully cooked yet.
Well, to be honest, I wasn’t feeling bad either.
With the successful operation and finally stepping outside the ship, I felt really good.
When I first saw Babil as I stepped out of the ship, I was honestly a bit surprised.
I’d seen it from the window, but not this up close.
– Szzzz…
What can I say, it had this cyberpunk vibe that mixed well with an ordinary modern appearance, it was really fascinating.
The signs on the streets were glowing, and there were robots everywhere for citizens’ convenience.
All the buildings were tall, stacked to optimize space.
Anyway, the scenery I saw outside for the first time was better than I expected.
“It seems it’s ready to eat now.”
“Yay!”
“I’ll enjoy my meal.”
“Yes.”
Just like that, while I listened to their conversation, the meat was perfectly grilled.
The pink meat was now grilled just right, and we officially started our meal.
*
To be honest, even though it was a company meal, nothing special was happening.
Excluding Midori, neither I nor the Commander was that talkative.
Naturally, the Commander and I quietly ate meat while Midori did most of the talking.
“Ahhhh…. It feels good to drink after a long time!”
“Midori, if you eat that fast, you’ll get sick.”
“Come on, how can a regular person’s body compare to an Agent’s? Of course, I’m not as buff as the other agents!”
“…Lindera. Drink in moderation.”
“I’ll try my best.”
I didn’t plan to drink much.
I didn’t really know my limit, and I wasn’t foolish enough to drink boldly with a guy around.
The chances were slim, but I could end up completely drunk in front of the Commander and… something bad might happen.
Although I wasn’t one to talk since I used to be a man, after all, men often think with their lower parts.
Even normally decent humans can act on their instincts when drunk or excited.
“By the way, Lindera. Your outfit is… a bit different from usual.”
“?”
“Aren’t you always in a suit on the ship?”
“Oh.”
That was what it was about.
Suddenly bringing it up made me wonder what they meant.
I knew I was dressed differently, but I didn’t really want to wear it; I just had nothing else to wear.
A three-striped jersey and short shorts.
They were both black, so it didn’t look odd, but it was unfamiliar to me.
“Usually, there’s no reason to go out on the ship. Naturally, the only clothes I have are my work suit and pajamas.”
Well, I’d think it was odd too if someone who always wore a hard suit suddenly wore sweatpants.
It really was odd.
By the way, the Commander wore a shirt to the company meal, unlike me.
If he was going to bother getting ready, did he really need to waste time preparing for a meal?
“Really?”
“Yes. Since I haven’t had a chance to go out since being on the ship.”
“Even so, isn’t it too much to only have that?”
“If I’m comfortable, there’s no need to worry.”
And that was true.
There really was nothing uncomfortable about it.
In fact, this was the first time I was wearing clothes other than formal or pajamas.
“You could say that. I’m no different.”
“Are both of you just living at home? A person should have at least something to wear casually outside!”
“Hmm.”
“Hmm.”
I wonder about that.
Both the Commander and I reacted the same way to Midori’s comment.
I guess we had a little connection in this regard.
Even though it had been a while since we started working together, we didn’t really know much about each other, so it felt a bit curious.
“Commander.”
“?”
“The plate is empty. You should eat.”
Since the conversation had been focused on me, I just casually put some meat on his plate.
After all, we gathered here to eat meat and drink.
There was no need to dwell on my own stories.
“Me too!”
“Could you pass your plate over?”
Of course, I decided to put some grilled meat on Midori’s plate too.
After all, she was the one who talked more than the Commander.
*
“Haha! Soan, did they really say that?”
“Yes. Of course, the Commander eventually brushed it off.”
“Well~ the Commander is super handsome, so nowadays he’s the hottest guy among the agents, right?”
“Really?”
“Of course! Did you see that post on the bulletin board? All they’re talking about is the Commander and stuff?”
My head was spinning a bit.
Was it because we were talking about the Commander’s popularity, or was it the alcohol?
I didn’t know, but probably both.
We had already been at this gathering for two hours.
“Weren’t the 1st Squad kids looking really happy this time?”
“Definitely…. They were.”
As Midori pointed out, everyone treated the Commander really well, even though it hadn’t been long since they met him.
Of course, they treated me well too, but their fondness for the Commander was evident.
“People need to be good-looking to be liked, don’t they?”
“Midori, but you’re pretty too.”
“Of course! That’s a given!”
It was a bit funny hearing Midori say that.
The Commander was attractive, sure, but he didn’t have anything particularly unique about him.
He was just incredibly good-looking, that’s all.
Perhaps it made me feel more deprived because of that?
Anyway, unlike some black-haired and black-eyed individuals, Midori had gray hair and pink eyes – she was distinctly beautiful.
“By the way, the Commander hasn’t returned yet….”
He had mentioned he was going to the bathroom or outside, but for some reason, he hadn’t come back.
What’s going on?
He’d drunk a bit too much and looked out of it, so was he perhaps passed out in a garbage bin?
“Hmm… has it been about 5 minutes…?”
“About that long, I think.”
“Hmm….”
I felt dizzy.
I wasn’t particularly weak with alcohol, but I didn’t think I was very strong with it either.
Well, this level of drinking was common in social circles.
Also, since the alcohol I drank today didn’t taste great, I probably drank it more easily.
“Huh…. Midori?”
“Yeah?”
“Just a minute. I’m going to check on him.”
The atmosphere was starting to wind down, but he hadn’t made his way back, so I couldn’t even leave my seat.
He’d said he’d take care of the bill, but if he wasn’t here, how could we leave?
There was absolutely no way we were going out for round two tonight, so I’d call a designated driver to take us back with the car we came in.
Ah, I also need to call for a driver.
What a hassle.
Ugh.
Anyway, I told Midori that and stood up to head to the bathroom first.
Even though I was a girl, I had no choice but to sneak into the men’s bathroom to look for the Commander.
“Ha.”
I found it absurd that I had to sneak into the men’s bathroom.
For real.
I knocked lightly on the door before entering, but there didn’t seem to be anyone.
After heading inside and looking around…
“…Crap.”
“……”
I found the Commander just lying there.
Completely drunk, looking like he was quietly sleeping.
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