Lost Items and Feelings of Love
Huh? Where did it go?
I put my hand into the right pocket of my skirt and rummaged around, then fumbled through the left one too.
The thing that should be there is not inside.
Did I drop it, by any chance?
Oh, that's my favorite one.
Oh, come on.
When was the last time I used it?
I went to the restroom, and I went to a meeting.
Ah. Maybe in the meeting room.
I should check the system.
Lost items within the company are posted on the internal system's lost and found list once they are delivered to General Affairs.
If someone picked it up, I should be able to find it.
With a glimmer of hope in my heart, I return to my desk and wake my computer from sleep mode.
I enter my passcode and log in to the company system.
I select the lost and found list from the General Affairs Department tab.
Handkerchiefs, towels, hair clips, smartphones, Bluetooth earphones, ballpoint pens, fountain pens, tablets, umbrellas, reading glasses, clothing, scarves, pouches.
Every conceivable item is listed with its description and where it was found.
How can people lose things like smartphones or tablets and not notice?
Surprised by the sheer number of lost items, I sort them by date and time, and there it was, second from the top.
Towel handkerchief, Rilakkuma pattern, Third Meeting Room
"Found it."
I say it out loud, and the tension leaves my shoulders.
Thank goodness.
That was a gift, so I didn't want to lose it.
However.
To claim a lost item, you have to go to the General Affairs Department.
And in the General Affairs Department, there is that person.
When we worked together on an internal project last year, he was a section chief.
His achievements were recognized, and he was promoted to department manager. He transferred to the General Affairs Department.
He is tall, bright, and easygoing.
A person you can rely on.
Just as my first impression suggested, he handled troubles without raising his voice, resolving them with precise instructions.
I thought he was wonderful, and working with him was very easy and fun.
When the project ended and we disbanded, I was so disappointed I cried.
In the subsequent personnel reshuffle, we ended up in different departments, and while I congratulated him on his well-deserved promotion, I was honestly terribly depressed.
Ah, I am in love with this person.
That was when I realized it.
But, on the ring finger of his left hand, a platinum ring was sparkling.
His wife seems to be a wonderful person, too.
The moment I realized it, my heartbreak was sealed.
But still. It's free to have feelings, right?
Even in work, you need a little bit of joy.
Like being a fan of an idol, if I just watch someone out of reach from afar and let my heart race, I can get through even the most depressing days.
Well then.
I'll go pick it up.
I didn't know what to do when I lost it, but if I think of it as a chance to see his face, I'm lucky.
It's a bit awkward that he'll find out I lost the towel handkerchief he gave me, though.
(1000 characters)
#UnrequitedLoveLiteratureClub
#33DayWritingRun
I'm participating in Naru-san's project again this week.
A Rilakkuma-patterned towel handkerchief—even though I like Rilakkuma, I don't actually own one.