∙ ❀ Philophobia ❀ ∙

Chapter 11 - Office Drama

Chapter 11 — Office Drama

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Yuuki arrives at the office a bit earlier than usual, feeling more comfortable with her daily routine. The morning sunlight filters through the large windows as she steps off the elevator, her bag slung over her shoulder. She waves at Mr Hagari—this floor's general assistant—and makes her way to her workspace, feeling more at home each day.

Sitting down, she powers up her computer, ready to dive into the next section of the level design project. The previous few days have been a whirlwind of learning, meetings, and collaborating with the team. Daichi had already complimented her progress twice, and Aya had invited her to lunch the day before. It feels like things are clicking into place.

"Morning, Yuuki!" Aya calls from across the room as she walks in.

"Morning!" Yuuki replies, giving her a wave.

"Oh, by the way, today's check-in meeting has been moved to tomorrow."

"Oh really? I hadn't heard."

"Yeah, the change only just went through."

"Gotcha. Thanks for the heads up."

Just as Yuuki turns back to her work, watching the loading bar slowly crawl across the screen, a voice behind her makes her freeze.

"Morning, Miss Yoshino," Janice's voice drawls, sounding less than friendly.

'Dear god, not now...' Yuuki turns in her chair to face the older woman, plastering on a polite smile. So far she has been able to avoid Janice, but it seems her luck has run out. "Good morning, Janice."

Janice stands there with her arms crossed, her expression unreadable behind her glasses and low hanging-fring. Her pencil skirt and high heels make her look sharp and put-together, but the tension in her posture tells Yuuki that something's very off. She is a beautiful lady, there is no dought, but her personality overshadows that by a mile.

"May I have a word?" Janice grits out, gesturing to the break room on the other side of the room.

"Uh, sure."

Janice leads Yuuki into the secluded room, closing the door behind them sharply. The atmosphere becomes tense, and Yuuki finds it harder to breathe.

"So," Janice starts. "I've noticed you and Natsume come to work together every day. You two seem pretty inseparable."

"Yeah, we live in the same complex," Yuuki says calmly, pulling out a chair at the small table. "So, it's convenient to go to and from work together."

Janice arches an eyebrow, her lips curling into a thin smile. "How convenient."

Yuuki doesn't miss the tone in Janice's voice. The older woman taps her fingers on the table, her nails clicking against the surface in an oddly rhythmic way.

"I suppose it's nice for you, Yuuki," she continues, "getting a head start at the company, walking in every morning with someone like Natsume. I'm sure the higher-ups are already keeping an eye on you."

Yuuki raises an eyebrow, amused. So this is what everyone had warned her about. Janice's icy reputation preceded her, but Yuuki didn't expect her to be so upfront with the passive-aggressive remarks.

"Oh, I'm sure they are," Yuuki replies with a casual shrug, completely unbothered by Janice's jab. "But not because I'm walking in with Natsume. I've been putting in the work."