Ikeda Corporation.
Even as a broke college student, I'd heard that name countless times.
They're the big dogs when it comes to packaged bread, snacks, and those addictively cheap convenience-store sweets. Their commercials were all over TV and online. Heck, I probably ate something from them yesterday without realizing it.
"The headquarters is in Tokyo, with branches everywhere. So… Ginjo-san, you understand now, right?"
Haruka Mochizuki stood before me in her pristine OL suit, a faint blush on her cheeks, looking as if she'd just revealed a closely guarded secret.
Well… did I "understand"? Not exactly.
I mean, the business card she handed me did say Ikeda Corporation.
But this was the same woman who wore a cute college uniform on the weekend and now, just a few days later, had transformed into this mature, sophisticated office lady.
…Was this some kind of cosplay hobby? Or was this roleplay?
I wanted to believe the business card was legit, but part of me half-expected her to pull out cat ears and say, "Nyaa, just kidding!"
Mochizuki must've noticed my raised eyebrows because she suddenly stood up and placed her wallet on the table. From it, she produced a work ID and driver's license.
"See?"
Solid proof. There was no room for doubt anymore.
Mochizuki Haruka wasn't a college girl. She was an adult. A 24-year-old office worker.
"I… I'm really sorry. I made you think I was a student," she said, bowing her head, her voice soft and apologetic.
"No, no, it's fine…" I waved it off. It wasn't like her choice of clothes was any of my business. I was just… curious.
An awkward silence fell between us. Neither of us seemed to know what to say.
Then, out of nowhere—
"Ginjo-san… you really didn't notice?"
"Eh?"
"That I'm… not a college girl?"
I replied truthfully, "…Nope. Not at all."
"Completely? No sense of… weirdness or anything?"
"Not even a hint."
"Is that so…"
A tiny smile formed on her lips, as if my answer had lifted a weight off her shoulders.
I could tell she was relieved. Maybe even… happy.
The truth was, when I first met her, I did feel she had this mature vibe that most girls my age didn't. But with makeup and the right outfit, today's girls can blur the lines pretty easily.
I decided not to say anything that might hurt her pride. The last thing I wanted was for this stunning, shy OL to break down because I'd blurted out, "Yeah, I totally knew you were pretending."
Mochizuki sat down again, looking calmer now. My eyes, on the other hand, were betraying me.
Her silky black hair curled slightly at the ends. Her white shirt clung to her chest—and wow. Those curves could start a traffic accident.
I gulped.
The tight pencil skirt hugged her hips and thighs, the black stockings tracing her legs down to her heels.
What would those stockings feel like to the touch?
I shook my head before my imagination ran too wild.
"Um… Ginjo-san?" Mochizuki's voice jolted me back to reality.
"Can I… ask you something?", I asked quickly.
"Y-yeah, sure."
"Why… why are you dressed like a college girl?" I blurted out, my curiosity getting the better of me.
Mochizuki turned her face away, her ears turning red. "Well… everyone has… different interests."
I raised an eyebrow. "Interests…?"
She fidgeted, her hands clutching the hem of her skirt. After a moment, she sighed deeply, as if gathering courage.
"I didn't do it because I like it. It's… hard to explain. Back when I was in college—three or four years ago—I was… invisible. The plain girl with old-fashioned braids. A bit chubby, too."
She gave a self-deprecating smile. "In class, I was like a ghost. I had friends, sure, but I never once spoke to a boy my age. For three whole years."
Her voice trembled slightly, as if reliving those lonely days.
"My youth… it was gray. Full of regret. I thought romance wasn't for me. I'd given up on it."
She took a small breath, her eyes softening.
"But I did admire couples. I wanted… to know what that felt like."
"When I had my coming-of-age ceremony, I didn't want to look fat in my kimono. So I started dieting, exercising like crazy. And somehow… I succeeded."
I unconsciously glanced at her body again. Slim waist, perfect curves, and holy— I quickly looked away.
She noticed.
"…You're staring."
"C-cough! No, I just—uh—admire your… effort!"
A faint laugh escaped her lips.
"I put on the uniform because I wanted to erase that inferiority complex. I wanted to relive the youth I never had. To do all the things I couldn't do back then…"
Her voice softened, almost like a confession.
"It's… my way of healing myself."