#henmi kazuma

[yokozawass-fan-account]

Henmi: Oh my god, Yokozawa-san, you're losing lots of blood!

Henmi: Quick, what's your blood type?!

Yokozawa: B positive

Henmi, crying: I'M TRYING!

[maleaser]

0_0

Henmi: Kirishima-san! Why is Yokozawa crying? He hasn’t stopped all day.

Kirishima: Oh, he did one of those are you Uke or Seme tests. 

Henmi: What did he get?

Kirishima: He got Uke on all 23 tests he did.

[julijasm]

When he returned to his desk with the lidded paper cup in his hand, Henmi had just arrived at the office. “Good morning, Yokozawa-san!” “Yeah, mornin’.” He knew Henmi had been out drinking with co-workers the previous evening, but he didn’t show an ounce of fatigue, and his complexion was decent. Begrudging Henmi’s youth and vitality, he settled the coffee cup on his desk. “That was quite the storm last night, huh! I left home that morning with my clothes still out drying on the line–it was horrible! If I’d known it would start raining then, I would’ve headed straight home and not gone out drinking.” “Yeah…that’s nice…” Yokozawa let the banal chatter flow in one ear and out the other, and at his half-hearted reply, he was swiftly reminded of the gravity of the damage done. “It’s not ‘nice’ at all! Now I have to wash my clothes all over again!” Yokozawa couldn’t have honestly cared less about Henmi’s clothes, seeing as he himself had suffered bodily damage. That at least was a hell of a lot better than ruining your health. And while it had been his own fault for underestimating the weather and not buying an umbrella on his way home, he still couldn’t bring himself to sympathize all that much with Henmi’s plight. “Wait–you do laundry on weekdays? You’re actually pretty hard-working huh…” “I actually quite like cleaning and laundry. It’s kind of…a stress-relief for me, I guess? Do you not do much housework, Yokozawa-san?” “Only when I have to. Though I guess I don’t mind cooking.” “Oh right–don’t you cook with Hiyori-chan over at Kirishima-san’s place sometimes? Invite me over sometime!” “Yeah, sure. One of these days.” “EH?” At this vague, random reply, Yokozawa received in return an expression that looked as if Henmi had just seen a ghost. The unexpectedly shocked reaction had Yokozawa in turn hesitantly replying, “Wh…what’s with that expression?” “Well–usually you’re all ‘I don’t have any food fit to give you!’ or something! What’s with you today? Don’t tell me you have a fever…?!” “Of course I don’t–I just responded randomly is all.” The unexpected display of concern led his true feelings to slip out a hair. “Hey–isn’t that a little mean?” “I’m not telling you you can’t have any, am I? Just, if there’s a chance, maybe.” “I’m holding you to that!” “Yeah yeah; hey, isn’t the air conditioning a little strong today?” A shiver rippled down his spine at the cool air blasting over him. The thermostat was usually set rather high to conserve energy and he typically found himself wishing it were cooler, but today it was actually a little cold. “You think? It feels as hot as ever to me; are you sure you aren’t looking a bit rough?” “‘S your imagination.” He’d tried to force a nonchalant expression, not wanting Henmi worrying too much over him, but Henmi saw right through him. While surprised at how sharp Henmi could be in the strangest of respects, he tried not to let it show. He couldn’t have his subordinates fussing over him. “No–something is definitely off with you today! You don’t have your usual…intensity.” “What the hell’s that supposed to mean? Fine, sure–maybe I’ve got a little heatstroke; I’m not as young as you, after all.” “You’re only three years my elder!” “And those three years mean a hell of a lot; I’ll make sure to eat something energy-packed for lunch. But forget about me–how’s that proposal from the other day coming?” He changed the subject with a vague smile; much more of this cross-examination and he’d start to show cracks. “Oh–it’ll take a bit longer. I haven’t been able to get all the data compiled yet…” “Well–just show me everything you’ve got now.” “All right then–I’ll send you an e-mail.” Henmi flitted back off to his own desk and started up his computer. Relieved that he seemed to have thrown the guy off his trail for now, Yokozawa flipped over to work-mode in his own head.

[TRANSLATION] SEKAI-ICHI HATSUKOI ~ YOKOZAWA TAKAFUMI NO BAAI 2, CH. 3 PART 10

[yokozawass-fan-account]

Yokozawa: I'm having a child

Henmi: Oh my god, Yokozawa-san, that's awesom-

Yokozawa, slamming down adoption papers: It's you, sign here

[yokozawass-fan-account]

Henmi: What's a thot?

Kisa: It's a thoughtful person.

*later at the Sales department*

Yokozawa: Here's your coffee, Henmi.

Henmi: Thanks Yokozawa-san, you're such a thot!

Yokozawa: *spits out coffee*

[yokozawass-fan-account]

Yokozawa: Do you want to know how I actually hurt my wrist?

Henmi: Yes!

Yokozawa: I was hula hooping. Kirishima, Hiyori and I attend a class both for fitness and for fun.

Henmi: Oh my god.

Yokozawa: I mastered all the moves. The pizza toss, the tornado, the scorpion, the oopsie doodle...

Henmi: Why are you telling me this?!

Yokozawa: Because no one will ever believe you.

Henmi:

Henmi: You sick son of a b-

[julijasm]

Leaving Henmi behind, cradling his head in the kitchenette, he headed back to his desk–when he ran into his superior leaving a meeting and looking quite distraught. “What’s wrong? It’s still quite early for you to be back, isn’t it?” It was a full half hour before the meeting was scheduled to end as indicated on the scheduling board. Usually these things went over time, so something must have happened. “No, we’re stumped. I don’t really get why myself, but Kirishima’s in a rather foul mood today. You’ve been pretty close with him lately, haven’t you? You know anything about this?” He shuddered at Kirishima’s name being tossed into the conversation so casually. “Oh uh, no. No clue.” Actually, he had one hell of a clue, but there was no way he could spill that it was ‘probably because he’s fighting with me’. Still, for Kirishima to be in such a bad mood that even those around him were starting to notice–that was a big deal, and was likely why his superior had been so shocked by the display. “He seems really on-edge; now I’ve got a stomachache from feeling like I had to walk on eggshells around the guy. You had some medicine in your desk, didn’t you? Mind if I get some from you?” “Oh, not at all.” He pulled out a drawer and passed over the packet of stomach medicine he kept on hand. While he was at it, he dropped a dosing packet for himself into his pocket, making a mental note to take it later. “So how did the meeting go in the end? You were supposed to bring up that proposal in today’s meeting, weren’t you?” “Oh–that went perfectly fine. Actually–we were able to wrap things up much more quickly than usual. Seemed like everyone was in a, ‘let sleeping dogs lie’ mood, and no one raised a fuss about it.” “Ah, so that’s why the meeting ended so early.” It was great that the agenda item had passed, but he couldn’t stop worrying about Kirishima’s attitude. It was highly likely that his foul mood stemmed from his anger and frustration with Yokozawa, and the sense of responsibility made his chest hurt. “What’s the matter? You look quite serious…” Henmi asked concernedly, having just arrived after him. It was as if his flustered demonstration from before had never even happened. Yokozawa couldn’t help being jealous of the guy’s ability to so easily switch gears. “Seems like that measure passed successfully in the meeting.” “Seriously?! That’s great! But then–why do you look like that?” “Don’t ask me…” He didn’t have it in him to explain just now and took off for the kitchenette again. Bringing up Kirishima now would just dig his grave even deeper. “I’m gonna go take some medicine as well,” their superior added, slouching forward slightly as he rubbed his stomach and left the room. It must’ve been a really tense meeting. “Geez, what’s going on with everyone?!” Henmi voiced his displeasure fretfully, finding himself left all alone.

[TRANSLATION] SEKAI-ICHI HATSUKOI ~ YOKOZAWA TAKAFUMI NO BAAI 2, CH. 3 PART 9

[julijasm]

Even if someone had seen him walking with Matsumoto, it was illogical that anyone would be able to divine her background just from that; which meant that someone had spilled her details. And there were only two possible suspects in the entire company who could be responsible. He took the elevator up to the sales floor and headed for his desk, when one of the suspects called out to him unconcernedly, “Ah~ Yokozawa-san! Someone’s the subject of a lot of gossip this morning~” “Come with me.” “Eh? Huh?” It pissed Yokozawa off even more that the guy seemed so genuinely perplexed. Dragging Henmi into the kitchenette area, Yokozawa proceeded to interrogate the thoroughly frightened man. “What did you say?” “Wha–what do you mean, ‘what’?” His voice deepened at the clearly confused Henmi. “Don’t play stupid when you know fully well what I’m talking about–are you the one who started that damn rumor?” “Of course not! I would never do anything like that!!” He didn’t miss the way Henmi’s expression stiffened for just a moment, and he hardened his glare and pressed, “Are you sure?” “I’m sure! Just…when some of the girls from the editing department asked who you’d gone home with, I told them it was a girl who worked at Books Marimo and–OWW!” Before Henmi could finish speaking, Yokozawa dropped a fist onto his head. While he may not have started the rumor, it was clear if he’d mentioned it to just one person, it would spread throughout the entire company. “So you are the leak… Shit, you’ve really done a number on me here…” “All I did was tell the truth!” Yokozawa turned his cold gaze to Henmi, rubbing his head and still trying to excuse his actions. “Can you honestly tell me you weren’t at least a little curious yourself?” “Geh, well…” Given the way his eyes were dancing about, he likely couldn’t entirely refute Yokozawa’s accusation. He was actually quite fond of Henmi’s utter inability to easily lie, but at times like this, his irritation with the guy won out over his admiration. “One of these days–I’m going to e-mail the entire company one of your deepest, darkest secrets.” “Hey–wait, don’t do that! You’re–you’re joking, right?” “Who knows.” Of course he was joking, but he let the guy think he was just saying so for revenge. He knew it was a rather childish response, but he could probably get away with this much at least. “Wha–what do you mean my ‘deepest, darkest secret’?!” “If I told you, it’d lose all meaning.” In truth, he knew no such secret of Henmi’s–but everyone had at least one or two things they didn’t want anyone else to know about. If you told someone you knew their secret–they’d surely be able to think of what that might be. It was probably Kirishima’s influence that had him pulling pranks like this lately on Henmi. Maybe the guy was starting to rub off on him from spending so much time together.

[TRANSLATION] SEKAI-ICHI HATSUKOI ~ YOKOZAWA TAKAFUMI NO BAAI 2, CH. 3 PART 9

[julijasm]

“Thank you for the meal.” “Not at all–quite the contrary, thank you for coming out with us tonight. I look forward to working together further in the future.” The drinking party was finally over; they’d started out discussing work, but as everyone got a bit of booze in them, the conversations devolved into ones of little worth. Okada in particular had been quite excited to discuss books he’d read recently. Yokozawa greatly enjoyed speaking with him, as they shared similar tastes. Perhaps he’d unconsciously been avoiding speaking with Matsumoto in that sense as well, troubled with how best to interact with her. He rarely had the chance to speak with younger women, so he wasn’t exactly clear on just what to say. With how far apart he and Hiyori were in age, there was no problem–but he couldn’t imagine the things that female high school and college students thought about. Once Hiyori reached that age, maybe he wouldn’t be able to understand her either… “Whoa–are you all right, Henmi-san?” Katou’s worried voice reached his ears, and he turned to find Henmi staggering to his feet. He was finished for the evening. “‘M fiiiiiiiine, jus’ fiiiiiine.” “How exactly is this fine? You’re pissed out of your skull.” Henmi’s lips pursed at Yokozawa’s comment. “‘M not drunk at all!” But Yokozawa had no intention of wasting his time listening to the ramblings of a drunk. On top of his unsteady footing, his speech was slurred as well. Yokozawa wasn’t exactly inexperienced in this field, but why did they always feel like they were never drunk enough to be drunk? “Katou–you’re headed home the same was as Henmi, right?” “Well, yes, but…wait, you don’t mean for me to take him with me, do you?!” “Sorry–I’ll leave him in your care.” “Can’t we just…leave him here?” Katou pressed, expression dejected. He probably hadn’t expected to draw the short straw. “Ask him yourself.” “‘F you’re worried ’bout me, ‘m juuuuust fine!” Henmi sounded completely and utterly confident in himself–and Katou let out a long sigh. “…Guess not.” “Thanks for taking care of him.” He clapped Katou on the back as he attempted to steady the wobbling Henmi, then grabbed a cab for the pair. Ensuring that they got into the car safely, he opened the passenger-side door and called out to the driver, “Please take them–and Katou, I want the change back for this.” “Ah–thank you very much.” He watched the taxi speed away, one job done for the time being, then turned back to Okada and Matsumoto who he’d kept waiting. “My apologies for the wait.” “Nah, I should be apologizing to you–I might’ve given Henmi-san a bit too much to drink.” “It’s probably only enough to give him a bit of a headache tomorrow.” He glanced over to Yukina, who was looking on worriedly. “What about you–you okay?” He seemed to have only ordered sours and other light beverages most of the evening, but he’d still drunk quite a bit. “Yes, I’m quite all right. I took you up on your offer and had a lot to eat.” Yukina’s unconcerned response invited laughter–just as he’d professed, he’d eaten quite a lot for one person. It left one feeling full just watching him; Yokozawa had had that kind of an appetite at one point, but nowadays it would destroy his stomach. “Well, if you enjoyed yourself, then that’s all for the best.” “Well, shall we part ways here? You’re on the subway, aren’t you, Yokozawa-san? And you as well, right Matsumoto?” “Ah–well, yes…” At Okada’s question, Matsumoto nodded meekly. “Well then, could I ask you to take care of Matsumoto here? I’m a little concerned about letting a girl go home alone at this hour.” Yokozawa somehow managed to stifle the agitation that threatened to show on his face. “Oh–ah, yes, of course.” He’d figured this might happen, given that they were using the same train line. He had no place being surprised by this turn now of all times. “We’re headed the other direction, so–thanks for this evening!”

[TRANSLATION] SEKAI-ICHI HATSUKOI ~ YOKOZAWA TAKAFUMI NO BAAI 2, CH. 3 PART 7

[julijasm]

“Sorry for the wait!” Henmi quickly turned the discussion to the newly arrived lifeboat. “Hey! We’ve been waiting for you, Manager!” Yokozawa sighed at how out-of-hand the guy was getting–then raised his face to glance up when Okada continued, sounding slightly apologetic. “Oh, sorry–I brought along an extra; is that okay?” “Of course, by all mea–” He swallowed his words at the end when he realized that it was Matsumotothat Okada had brought with him. “I–I’m really sorry, barging in on your gathering like this. I’m really…out of place, huh?” “Not at all, not at all! Having a girl here will make this an even livelier get-together, so we’re thrilled! Oh–oops, does that count as sexual harassment?” With the sudden appearance of the person they’d just been gossiping about, Henmi was in high spirits. He was patently teasing Yokozawa, who was beside himself with anxiety. “Henmi, pipe down. Isn’t it a bit early for you to be letting the booze go to your head?” “I’m not drunk yet~! Ooh, Yukina-kun, scoot over, scoot over!” “Oh, sure–Matsumoto-san, you can sit over here.” “Eh? Oh no–I’ll be fine on the end here!” She tried to stop them, but those around him seemed to have the same idea and vacated the space next to Yokozawa. He wanted to tell them to cut out the unnecessary actions, but fumbled the attempt, and pursing his lips, he fell silent. “Umm, then…please excuse the interruption…” She was clearly nervous, but hesitantly settled herself between Yukina and Yokozawa. He turned a sharp glare at all who were regarding them coolly from across the table, but did nothing more to exert his authority for today. He typically would’ve yelled at them to cut it out, but with Matsumoto right there, he couldn’t bring himself to raise his voice. “Oh, so what’ll you have to drink?” Okada, seated directly across from Yokozawa, passed a drink menu to Matsumoto. “Hmm, I think I’ll have a beer myself…” “Th–then could I get a ginger ale?” Taking in her expression as she shyly voiced her order, Yokozawa couldn’t deny that there might be something to Kirishima’s and Yukina’s suggestions. Kirishima had warned him not to do anything that might make her fall for him, and he’d laughed it off at the time as utterly ridiculous, but maybe it wasn’t so ridiculous at all… He couldn’t be sure just what type of ‘like’ this was…but it was clear she had some measure of feelings for Yokozawa. “One beer and one ginger ale, is it? I guess I’ll have another beer myself; what about you, Yukina-kun?” “I think I’ll have whatever Yokozawa has.” “Gotcha. Excuse me! We’d like to make an order here!” Henmi, seated nearest to the aisle, put in their orders, and they brought the room back to order. When the drinks arrived, they raised their glasses in the second toast of the evening. “You were still working this late in the evening?” Given that she was seated right next to him, he couldn’t exactly ignore Matsumoto, and he therefore started an innocent conversation with the clearly nervous girl. “Oh, no–I actually finished a bit before, but a sempai was showing me how to do something, and so it got late and… But still–because of that, I got to come here this evening, so I suppose I was lucky in that sense.” “Well–eat and drink as much as you want. Everything’s covered as an expense tonight, so don’t hold back; feel free to try things you wouldn’t normally eat.” “Thank you; I’ll take you up on that offer, then.” He turned a sharp glare at Henmi, who was leering suggestively from across the table, and brought his glass of shouchuu to his lips. Truthfully, he was starting to lose track of how best to keep some distance between himself and Matsumoto–what was ‘normal’? He couldn’t tell at all right now. While he had no intention of doing anything suggestive, he had to be careful of his unconscious words and actions. [TRANSLATION] SEKAI-ICHI HATSUKOI ~ YOKOZAWA TAKAFUMI NO BAAI 2, CH. 3 PART 6

[julijasm]

Yokozawa was finishing off the last of the salad by himself, when Yukina started, “That reminds me… Matsumoto-san keeps asking me when you’re going to come around again, Yokozawa-san. Seems she still hasn’t gotten to thank you.” “Ah–geez, I told her she doesn’t have to thank me. Just tell her she doesn’t have to worry, would you?” He appreciated the gratitude, but it felt awkward having her continually fawning over him. Maybe it was their gap in ages leaving them with a gap in how close it was appropriate be. “You should tell her that kind of thing yourself–I mean, it sounds like she wants to see you, after all.” “Huh?” Yokozawa furrowed his brow at Yukina’s comment. He couldn’t fathom why on earth this girl would want to go out of her way to see him, and laughter bubbled up over the confused expression on his face. “Like I said–I think she likes you. You’re pretty thick sometimes, aren’t you, Yokozawa-san?” “Yukina-kun, are you serious?!” Henmi launched himself forward, desperately curious. He seemed ready and raring to turn Yokozawa into a subject of conversation now, possibly as revenge for earlier. “Well she’s never outright told me as much–but in all likelihood, yes. I have pretty good instincts for things like this. You seem pretty intimidating, Yokozawa-san, but underneath, you’re actually really well-grounded and kind. Aren’t you popular at your office?” “‘F course not!” he snorted, laughing off Yukina’s suggestion, and reached out his chopsticks for a block of deep-friend tofu. “Are you sure you just haven’t noticed that people like you? What do you think, Henmi-san?” With the ball lobbed his way by Yukina, Henmi settled in to think, a pensive expression on his face as he hunched his shoulders. “I dunno… He’s just as scary even around the office, and women tend to steer clear of him. But–I guess that hasn’t been the case as much lately, huh? He’s in a better mood these days, and I feel like more and more people are inviting him out for drinks.” “Geez–have these kinds of conversations when I’m not around, would you?” He openly gaped at Henmi, who was innocently blabbing the kinds of things you usually would say behind someone’s back. When he directed a sharp glare in the guy’s direction, Henmi promptly apologized. “Ah–I’m sorry! The booze left me a little loose-lipped, I guess. But…what’re you gonna do? When you think about it, the fact that she knew about you even before the incident…means she was interested in you, right?” Turning a curt expression toward Henmi, who was staring at him with eyes filled with curiosity, he returned sharply, “I’m not gonna do anything!” “But she’s a college student! You don’t have a girlfriend now, right?” Kirishima’s face immediately popped into the forefront of his mind, and his agitation nearly bled onto his face–but he hid it by bringing his glass to his lips. “Why the hell do I have to discuss my private life with you?” Still, Henmi pressed on. “Eh?! Wait–so then you do have one?!” “God, shut up. And anyways–what does her being a college student have to do with anything? This isn’t some shoujo manga, you know; she wouldn’t fall for me over some stupid thing like that.” As he was arguing with Henmi, Yukina put in his own opinion. “You think? I think it’s quite amazing when someone saves you when you’re in a bind. You can fall in love with someone for the most seemingly inconsequential of reasons.” “…You sound like you’re speaking from experience.” A careful smile bloomed across Yukina’s graceful features. “Well, no more than anyone else.” “And hearing it from you…makes me strangely want to agree.” “It does?” It was advice from someone younger than himself, but there was a strange weight to Yukina’s words. There was the fact of course that they way he spoke didn’t sound like he was teasing, but it also sounded like he’d been through something like this before as well. Still, he didn’t want to continue this conversation any further, and he forcibly put the matter to rest. “Well, whatever–this conversation is finished. It’s rude to just put words in her mouth when she’s not here to defend herself.” “Yeah, you’re right–we’ll just let the two of you work things out on your own…” “Huh?” He cut a sharp glare at Henmi who didn’t seem to know when to quit. No matter how many warnings he tossed out, the guy just didn’t quite get it, so he was understandably fed up with it by now.

[TRANSLATION] SEKAI-ICHI HATSUKOI ~ YOKOZAWA TAKAFUMI NO BAAI 2, CH. 3 PART 6

[julijasm]

Yokozawa braced himself for Kirishima’s possible arrival, but the person who entered turned out to be a store employee. “…Ah!” He thought he recognized her–it was the young woman he’d saved on the train the other day. If he recalled correctly, she’d said her name had been Matsumoto. She’d mentioned mainly working the register, but today she’d left her station and was perhaps going to be helping out with the autograph event. “I’ve brought some coffee!” “Eh? But–Yukina-kun already brought everyone drinks…?” At the manager’s words, Matsumoto colored in shame. “EH?! He did?! I–I’m so sorry! This was totally unnecessary huh…” She’d perhaps meant it as a thoughtful gesture, but her timing had been off, it seemed. Taking pity on Matsumoto as she stood there, shoulders slumped, Henmi raised a hand. “Well, since you’re here–could I get some coffee? I was just thinking I’d like some! Yokozawa-san, you’ll have some too, won’t you?” “Oh–sure.” It was hot outside, and he truthfully would’ve rather had a cool drink, but taking into account the atmosphere of the room, he nodded his assent. “Then how about you pour some for everyone?” “Of course!” As she passed around cups to everyone, she drew to a stop before Yokozawa. “Umm, thank you so much for the other day, Yokozawa-san…!” He grew flustered, not having expected her to bring up the events from before in front of everyone else. “Oh–no, I just really only did what anyone would’ve done. You don’t need to worry about it.” But neither Henmi nor Katou were the type to just let something like this slide. “What do you mean ‘the other day’?” As expected, Henmi cut right to the quick of the matter. He could feel their gazes on him, bubbling over with interest, but he glanced away and let brushed off the question. “None of your business.” And then Matsumoto spoke on his behalf, her words slightly muffled. “Oh, the other day, Yokozawa-san saved from a pervert on the train.” Yokozawa massaged his temples–fucking perfect. She probably thought she’d been helping him as he seemingly struggled for an answer, but it only wound up fanning the flames of curiosity even further. “Wow, really? As expected of Yokozawa-san! What a cool guy~!” “It was nothing, really. I even let the culprit escape.” Hitomi nodded his agreement. “Still, that sounds amazing! You definitely don’t want to let guys like that get away with it, but you so rarely actually notice what they’re doing.” He’d been certain they’d all turn the display into fodder for banter, and at the expected response, Yokozawa’s expression soured. “All right, that’s enough of this discussion.” “Aww, c’mon! Let’s talk about it a little–” But Henmi’s objection was cut off by another knock on the door–and just as Yokozawa rejoiced that he’d been saved, he shuddered at the words of the employee who’d poked his head inside.

[TRANSLATION] SEKAI-ICHI HATSUKOI ~ YOKOZAWA TAKAFUMI NO BAAI 2, CH. 3 PART 3  Art: とばり

[julijasm]

The atmosphere in the room lightened with the laughter that followed, and when Yokozawa let himself get drawn into chuckles as well, Kirishima spoke up, addressing him, “By the way, Yokozawa–just what on earth are you doing? There’s no way in hell your huge self can hide that easily.” “…!” He’d somehow convinced himself that he wouldn’t be noticed, but Kirishima had nonetheless spotted him, it seemed. Reluctantly correcting his posture, he kept his eyes averted and gave his greetings. “…Good morning.” “Eh? Oniichan?” Apparently Hiyori hadn’t noticed him. She must not have noticed anyone else in the thrall of meeting her beloved Takanashi. Her eyes went wide as she stared at Yokozawa. “‘Oniichan’?!” “……….” Henmi grew agitated at the single word from Hiyori’s mouth, and without even looking, Yokozawa could tell clearly that everyone was looking at him. He thrust an angry glare at Kirishima in an attempt to communicate that he’d tried not to stand out precisely because he had known this would happen, but the expression he received in return was one of self-satisfaction. “So you’re close with Hiyori-chan then, Yokozawa-san! I see–you’ve been spending a lot of time at Kirishima-san’s place lately, haven’t you?” At Henmi’s comment, Katou cut in, “Oh yeah, now that you mention it, that reminds me of Kirishima-san showing me a picture of Yokozawa-san cooking someth–” “One more word out of you and I can’t be held responsible for what happens–got it, Katou?” At the sharp glare that dared him to say anything more unnecessary, Katou got the hint and immediately grew quiet. “Oh uh, I don’t…really remember the particulars actually…” It wasn’t as if he’d done anything embarrassing, but it certainly hadn’t been like him, and he therefore didn’t want to be a topic of conversation to people who had no business discussing it. “C’mon, there’s nothing to hide, Yokozawa; everyone here knows perfectly well that you come over to my place and eat dinner all the time. You’re close friends with Hiyo here too, right?” At Kirishima’s prompting, Hiyori nodded strongly. “Right!” While Yokozawa typically would’ve found the display endearing, just now he was desperate to keep them from spilling anything carelessly. “Hmm, but still…Yokozawa-san’s an, ‘Oniichan’ huh…” “You gotta problem with that?” “No, not really, I just–wow!” Yokozawa hadn’t wanted to put on a scowl in front of Hiyori, so instead he kicked the leg of Henmi, who’d spoken suggestively, under the table. Kirishima simply looked on at the display in amusement for a moment before finally swooping in to save him. “Hiyo–isn’t it about time for you to be heading downstairs?” Hiyori grew frantic when he showed her his watch. “Ah, you’re right!” Without her noticing it, the time had rolled around to start lining up as printed on the numbered tickets. “Still got that ticket you received earlier?” “Yup, I put it in my wallet! I’m gonna head down then, Papa!” “Can you make it down on your own? You want me to go with you down to the first floor?” “I’m fine! Geez, you’re such a worrywart, Papa!” Matsumoto watched the father-daughter argument, extending her hand. “Ah, I’m headed downstairs as well, Hiyori-chan–shall we go together?” “Would you mind? I’m sorry for the inconvenience.” “Not at all; I need to get going myself. Well then, I’ll take Hiyori-chan and be off! C’mon, Hiyori-chan, let’s get going.” At Matsumoto’s prompting, Hiyori nodded eagerly. “‘Kay! Umm, sorry to have disturbed you in this busy time!” “I’ll see you later, Hiyori-chan.” At Takanashi’s parting words, Hiyori left to room with a beaming expression. Her steps seemed unsteady as she toddled out, likely because she was so excited, but with Matsumoto with her, there was probably nothing to be worried about. “Hiyori-chan certainly seemed thrilled to meet Sensei.” Yokozawa responded idly to Henmi’s comment, “Sure did.That was the first time I’ve ever seen her so nervous, but I guess that just shows you how much she looks up to her.” He’d been shocked when Hiyori had shown up, but her innocence had helped calm the whole room. Maybe that had been Kirishima’s intention from the get-go, bringing her here. “I apologize for the disruption, Sensei. Thank you so much for humoring my daughter.” Takanashi shook her head as Kirishima bowed his thanks again. “Not at all! Thanks to her, my nerves are completely gone now. I feel like I can get through this event calmly now. I’ll have to thank her properly later…” “Please just relate those feelings of gratitude to the fans who you’ll meet today and tomorrow. They’re all coming here with the same thoughts and emotions as her, after all.” At Kirishima’s words, Takanashi’s expression changed to one of realization, and she nodded firmly. “I shall, then. I’ll do my absolute best today!” Hiyori’s words from before seemed to have been delivered on behalf of all fans; she hadn’t done anything particularly special herself–and that was exactly what Kirishima had wanted to relate to Takanashi.

[TRANSLATION] SEKAI-ICHI HATSUKOI ~ YOKOZAWA TAKAFUMI NO BAAI 2, CH. 3 PART 4 Art: とばり

[julijasm]

Giving his greetings to the employees he knew as he passed, Yokozawa drew up close to Henmi, who was busy with the preparations. “You’re here early, Henmi.” “Ah, good morning, Yokozawa-san!” “Morning; I see you weren’t late today.” Henmi’s expression turned sour at the tone of admiration in his voice. “What do you mean ‘today’? That’s mean, Yokozawa-san! I’ve only ever been late once, and that was back when I first joined the company! How long are you going to keep bringing that up?” “Oh, is that when it was?” “Yes that’s when it was!” He couldn’t help teasing Henmi like this when the guy got riled up so easily–and he briefly considered that perhaps this was how Kirishima felt when he teased Yokozawa, a thought that left him feeling strange.

[TRANSLATION] SEKAI-ICHI HATSUKOI ~ YOKOZAWA TAKAFUMI NO BAAI 2, CH. 3 PART 3

[julijasm]

“Oh yeah–so is Kirishima-san not here yet?” “!!” Just as he’d been about to settle into an empty seat, he jolted to attention at the unexpected name from the store manager’s mouth. His expression nearly twitched involuntarily, but he made as if to rearrange his chair and casually inquired of Henmi, “Kirishima-san…is coming today?” “From what I hear, yes. Were you not aware?” “I–I suppose not.” Most of the meetings to discuss the upcoming event had involved only Katou; he’d completely forgotten that Kirishima would be attending as well. He was the editor-in-chief, so there was no way he wouldn’t at least show his face at an event within the city limits. Yokozawa knew he simply needed to keep a calm, unruffled expression on his face, but running into Kirishima outside of their private lives always left him with a strange nervousness. Reminding himself that displaying agitation only increased suspicion, he somehow managed to maintain a poker face.

[TRANSLATION] SEKAI-ICHI HATSUKOI ~ YOKOZAWA TAKAFUMI NO BAAI 2, CH. 3 PART 3

[julijasm]

“Kirishima-san! This is quite a surprise! You rarely come down to the sales department. I was just on my way up to see you!” Others around them appeared equally curious as to just why Editor-in-Chief Kirishima had come all the way down to the sales floor. “Just brought by the data for the promotional materials. Sorry it took so long. Some of our people had meant to bring it over a while back, but it wound up getting buried under some other documents and we just unearthed it now.” He handed a data CD to Henmi. “Thank you, and I’m sorry to have had the editor-in-chief himself bring it all the way here…” “Nah, I was on my way anyways.” “‘On your way’?” Henmi sounded audibly confused at Kirishima’s words. No surprise, as there was little likelihood he could guess what Kirishima’s true reason for coming could be. Yokozawa had a very bad feeling and turned his back to avoid meeting Kirishima’s gaze, instead pretending to focus on his computer screen. But naturally there was no way something like that was going to keep him from being noticed, and Kirishima easily found him. “Oh there he is. Yokozawa, come on—we’re going drinking.” “?!” The entire floor broke into murmurs at Kirishima’s invitation, unable to believe that Kirishima had come all the way here just to invite Yokozawa, with whom he’d clearly never had any relationship outside of work, to go out for a drink. Indeed, given that they’d gone at it rather heatedly a few times during meetings, several had in fact thought them to dislike one another. Strolling over to Yokozawa’s desk, he repeated his invitation again for good measure. “Did you not hear me? I said let’s go get a drink.” “…I’ve still got work to do.” He made a small attempt at resisting, but Kirishima just snorted derisively. “Huh? There’s no way you of all people haven’t met your quota on time. What the hell have you been doing all day?” “Shut up! This is next week’s work!” As soon as he’d let the words fall from his lips after getting riled up, he realized he’d been goaded on. The expression on Kirishima’s face as he grinned down at him was irritating beyond anything. “Then do it next week. These guys’ll be able to work better without a loudmouth like you here anyways. Right?” Henmi, who’d been watching the both of them with unguarded interest, responded in a flustered manner as Kirishima suddenly turned the conversation to him. “Eh? Ah well, that’s…” That he didn’t outright deny the implication…meant that the agreed with it, at least in part. When Yokozawa directed a harsh glare at Henmi, Kirishima reached forward and ruffled his hair roughly. “What the—hell are you doing?!” “Stop giving your underlings a hard time. It’s just cause you’re making such a scary face is all! Cut them some slack. Now hurry up and get your shit together and let’s get out of here.” “And why on earth would I go out with you?” Tired of playing this game in front of such a large audience, he unthinkingly let out his true thoughts. But Kirishima remained cool even in the face of Yokozawa’s unpleasant expression. “Aren’t you a little young to be going senile? Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten about this morn—” “…!” Yokozawa loudly pushed his chair back in an effort to cut off Kirishima’s words. He’d never suspected that Kirishima might threaten him like that in the office of all places. Cutting in before he could say any more stupid things, Yokozawa raised his voice and spoke. “Ah! Oh that’s right! We were supposed to have that chat about the campaign!” “Exactly. So glad you remembered!” Yokozawa seethed at the shameless smile the guy pasted on; but if he let himself blow up here, there was no telling what sorts of rumors might sprout up. “Well, shall we go, then?” He’d never used expressions like this even while making the rounds on business. If he’d known this sort of thing might come up, perhaps he would have worked more on his forced smiles. Yokozawa brushed past Kirishima out the door and left the office, fleeing the curious gazes of his coworkers.

Yokozawa Takafumi no Baai, Vol. 1 Chapter 1