“Boss, was your trip here okay?”
“Yeah, it was easy. The road wasn’t a disaster or anything, just well-paved.”
The Boss looked quite stylish today, just like always.
Even after a long time apart, his unique style was unchanged.
He was wearing sunglasses and a suit again, so it was hard not to think that way.
“So, Lindera, have you been doing well lately?”
“Yeah, I’ve been well. The Headquarters has been supporting me quite well, too.”
“That’s true. You even mentioned wanting to take on more missions this time around. So, I thought you were doing alright.”
Honestly, meeting the Boss wasn’t terrifying or anything.
Of course, given the ranks, it was naturally harder to approach him than the Commander, but there was no need for that.
Lindera and the Boss had known each other for a long time; to her, the Boss was practically like a parent.
There was no reason for me to treat the Boss poorly.
“You look prettier than the last time I saw you; did something happen?”
“Excuse me?”
“Well, if nothing’s wrong, that’s good. Let’s go inside.”
“Okay.”
Not sure what that was about, but I headed inside.
It wouldn’t look great to keep chatting with the Boss at the entrance of the ship either.
“By the way, what do you think of the new Commander?”
“Are you talking about the Commander, sir?”
“Yeah. He looks okay, but I really don’t know how he works in practice. The paperwork doesn’t really give the full picture.”
That’s definitely true.
Reports do come through, but they don’t have much detail on the Commander.
I occasionally kept in touch, but this was the first time I was getting asked about this, so it felt sudden.
But answering wasn’t too difficult.
“He’s doing well. It’s understandable that being new is tough, but he’s doing his job right and gaining trust from the agents.”
“Really? If you say so, he must be better than the last guy.”
“Yeah, definitely.”
The last guy was really terrible.
I had never met him in person, but just from the previous records, it was clear.
I could tell just by looking at the earlier documents how shockingly inept he was, considering most tasks had to be redone by Lindera.
Thinking about it this way made my current workload feel lighter compared to what Lindera used to handle.
Well, now I was delegating work to three people in the office.
“Why are you suddenly smiling? You’re not usually one to laugh.”
“I just think my work is easier than before, and it feels good.”
“That could be true. Last year when you were here… your complexion was terrible. You even looked much better just riding in the car today.”
Had my face really improved that much?
Or was the old Lindera really that unexpressive?
The Boss kept complimenting my face and expression, which was a bit awkward.
Well, it was undeniable that Lindera was quite beautiful.
Besides, last year’s Lindera wasn’t even me.
“The Commander is waiting inside. Should we go in?”
“Yeah, let’s see how that praised Commander is doing.”
Hearing the Boss, I opened the door to the reception room where the Commander would be.
It wasn’t a place I used frequently, but it was the Boss, after all.
It felt like a similar situation to when I first became Lindera, but somehow different.
“How have you been, Commander?”
“Thanks to the Vice Commander beside me, I’ve been doing quite well. The Boss’s support has definitely helped, too.”
“That’s good to hear. You look better now than when we first met.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
In the past, the Boss and I would arrive first, then the Commander would come in behind us.
This time, it was the opposite; the Commander was waiting, and we both walked in.
Not that I thought much of it.
Just that some time had passed since then.
Just three months, but still.
“It seems Lindera is certainly doing a good job. It’s a little dusty in here, too.”
“Um, excuse me?”
The surprise on the Commander’s face.
I rarely saw him flustered, but I didn’t dwell on it too long.
“I’m sorry. We don’t use this place much, so… I’ll manage the reception room properly next time…”
“Ah, that’s not what I meant. I’m just glad we don’t have to use the room much.”
“Uh?”
That was what the Boss liked; people who did their job well and didn’t half-ass it.
After all, the previous Commander was always using the reception room for himself.
“I mean, it’s not somewhere you’d frequently have guests, so there wouldn’t be a need to use it often. Plus, agents don’t need to come here, either.”
“Ah…”
“In that sense, the last guy was indeed terrible. Preparing alcohol for himself in the reception room. Tsk.”
“Haha…”
“Lindera, there’s no refrigerator here, right?”
“Correct. We haven’t stocked it since we cleared it out before.”
Even though it was a reception room, it definitely wasn’t a place for drinking and partying.
It was meant for proper conversation with guests and important discussions.
There was no reason to have a refrigerator there.
Cars weren’t something you needed to refrigerate either, and we only had work-related talks here, so that was enough.
“Good. Well, that’s a relief. Hmm…”
“What’s on your mind?”
“Shall we return to work talk for a bit?”
The Boss crossed his legs and said that calmly.
Well, the superficial purpose of coming here was that, after all.
He might have come to see me after a long time, but the main point was work.
It was unavoidable.
“…Yes.”
“Don’t be too nervous. We’re just checking how that Commander you praised is doing…”
“Yes…”
Well, I wasn’t too worried.
To be honest, we hadn’t had many operations involving the ship yet.
It was true that if we did more, we could earn more profit and reduce pollution further.
Whether privately or publicly, it would ultimately be beneficial.
*
“What did you think?”
“He’s definitely sharp. I was worried since it’s his first time in command, but he’s fine.”
“That’s right.”
“I see why you rated him highly.”
The Commander stepped out, leaving the Boss and me alone in the reception room.
It seemed we were heading into more personal topics now.
“The previous Commander was indeed bad, but considering that, this one has definitely improved.”
“We’ll definitely have more agents soon.”
“Right, given how few agents we have, it’s hard to carry out many operations.”
That was definitely true.
Doing more operations was one reason to hire more agents.
While it might be a bit overwhelming right now, just a little,
eventually, we’d need more money to recruit more agents, and to do that, we had to take on more diverse tasks.
“Hmm… Ah.”
“What?”
“Are you getting along well with the Commander?”
“Excuse me? Well… for now, yes…?”
What a sudden question.
It was awkward that the Boss suddenly asked if I was getting along with the Commander.
There really wasn’t a need to bring that up.
“Hmm… so there might be a man in the picture…”
“Please stop with the weird comments.”
“No, you’ll soon be in your mid-twenties. Isn’t it fine? You look okay, and your personality seems nice.”
“Ha…”
Why does he always do this?
Sure, he’s known Lindera since she was little, but come on…
I’d rather bite my tongue than date a man.
Of course, I knew the Commander wasn’t a bad human being.
I’ve felt that clearly while working together.
But dating is a whole different ball game.
“Hmm.”
“What’s bothering you?”
“It’s just that I’ve raised you like my daughter, and now that you’re over twenty, haven’t dated at all. Can’t I be worried?”
“…..”
That’s… fair enough.
Still, there’s nothing I can do about my dislike.
Lindera, in her early twenties… it was certainly a common age for a normal person to be interested in dating.
But still… it just didn’t feel right.
“Hmm… is the Commander actually not a good fit?”
“It’s not that he isn’t a fit; I just don’t think dating is relevant. I’ve always thought that.”
“Hmm.”
“Ha…”
I know the Commander isn’t a bad person, and I recognize he’s good in that aspect, but hearing it being discussed is just unsettling.
Both Midori and the Boss…
Why do they always link me and the Commander?
“Oh, right.”
“What now…”
“I brought a gift with me today but totally forgot about it.”
“…What?”
Suddenly?
“Well, it’s not anything fancy. Just some alcohol.”
“Why alcohol all of a sudden?”
“It was gifted by a vendor this time. I had a bottle, and it wasn’t bad. There’s more than just that, but I’ll just mention the alcohol for now.”
That’s random.
But it’s not strange for business partners to give alcohol or such items.
And the Boss drinking alcohol… well, it suited him honestly.
He was the Boss, after all.
Opening champagne while wearing a sharp suit and stylish sunglasses looked cool.
But wearing sunglasses indoors… well, it’s fine if it looks good.
“Anyway, drink it on Friday or the weekend. You like it, right? Alcohol or things that are bad for your health like caffeine.”
“…….”
“Oh, but there’s quite a bit, so you should drink it with the Commander. Now that I think of it, I haven’t given the new Commander a gift either.”
“I’ll do that… sure.”
Since the Boss specifically mentioned it.
I had no choice.
Plus, while the Boss and I have a personal relationship, it felt odd if I was the only one receiving things.
It wouldn’t be bad to enjoy some expensive alcohol after a long time.
For now?
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