[Novel] Whiskey, Mostly Soda-Mixed, Until I Quit Being a Minato-ku Girl

From the window of her sister's room in Hamamatsucho, you can see Tokyo Tower.

Yuna Harushima was walking to visit her sister, who lived in a tower apartment—though it was a mid-level rental unit—just a three-minute walk from the station. Here in the business district, she felt slightly out of place in her navy lace occasion dress and 7cm heels. The sound of her shoes, which had echoed while she walked along Dai-ichi Keihin after leaving the ticket gate, had faded away once she entered the apartment entrance.

Yuna and her sister Eri have identical faces. Born into this world as identical twins, they now lead different daily lives at the age of 25.

"Is that another snack from Mom? You really do love Hangetsu, don't you?"

What her mother, who lives in Kamakura, sent Yuna was a local specialty sweet. Her mother still finds reasons to send the snacks the two of them have loved since they were children.

Until six months ago, Eri had lived with Yuna in Kuhombutsu. Even now, after being left behind by Eri who suddenly announced she was "moving in with someone," Yuna still lives in that apartment alone. Because the Hangetsu delivery slip was addressed to "Yuna and Eri Harushima," Yuna had dutifully brought it over.

"Well, it's delicious, so what's the harm? Doesn't Ryoji-san like them too?"
"He does, but... I don't like sweets because they make you gain weight."

The person Eri started living with is the president of a venture company registered at a shared office in Uchisaiwaicho. The audio equipment rental subscription business he started with his college classmates is reportedly seeing steady growth in its fourth year.

Yuna knew from looking at real estate websites that this apartment, which they rented to live together, was a 1LDK with a rent of around 450,000 yen. It would be impossible to live there on the income of Eri, who works as a receptionist in a high-rise building in Otemachi. Eri's life was only possible because of her partner, Ryoji.

Because Yuna knows this, she tries to be kind not only to Eri but also to Ryoji. The information that their relatives are at ease must be favorable to him as well.

"So. You didn't just come here to drop off the Hangetsu, did you?"
"...Yeah. Is Ryoji-san really not going to host any more parties?"

Until just before he started living with Eri, Ryoji frequently held home parties at the apartment where he lived. Ryoji would gather his venture executive friends, models, and college buddies, while Yuna and Eri would gather women who wanted to connect with them and, if possible, spend the night with them. Of course, in the midst of that play, there were times when one would find someone they wanted to be with forever.

That is also the reason why the frequency of parties decreased at the same time as Ryoji's move. He wanted to be with Eri rather than mindlessly expanding his network and partying every night. Currently, his drinking buddies have taken over the parties, but with Ryoji, the central figure, gone, the scene has begun to lack excitement.

"As long as I'm with him, he won't. No matter how many times he's invited, the answer is the same."
"I see..."
"Oh. Sorry, a call from Ryoji. He says he's downstairs at the apartment now."

Saying he seems to have a lot of luggage and she's going to go pick him up, Eri left for the entrance. Left behind in a room that wasn't her own, Yuna looks outside from the window with the yellow curtains open.

...Tokyo Tower.

Even now that the Skytree has opened, the red tower located on the northeast side of Minato-ku continues to be the symbol of Tokyo. Executives of startups and seed-stage ventures all lived in Minato-ku, trying to increase their connections even outside of work.

I want to be a partner to as many of those men as I can. Yuna herself thinks it's a brazen desire. Eri must have had that wish too, but now that she is with Ryoji, she lives so peacefully that it's as if she has forgotten such a desire.

There is someone behind Yuna, who had been looking out the window. When she turns around, Ryoji is standing there.

Oh, hello Yuna. You were here.

Ryoji, who entered the living room carrying a golf bag, bows to Yuna. It seems he recently started playing golf to get to know people at the next stage of business.

Yuna speaks to Ryoji as he places his bag in the corner of the room. Since she was originally one of Ryoji's drinking buddies, they still have an easygoing relationship.

Ryoji, are you only doing golf lately? What about parties, sometimes...
Right now, I want to devote my time to building relationships with people in the banking sector.

Ryoji answers, cutting over Yuna's voice. It felt to her as if Ryoji was showing that he was no longer one of those people playing house by hanging out with other startups.

I see... W-well, I'm going home. I'll come again.

It's not that it's particularly uncomfortable. Since we are adults, there are plenty of moments when our interests don't align. It just happened to be that way right now, and that doesn't mean it will be the deciding factor in a falling out.

That's why, after leaving the apartment entrance, Yuna wasn't all that depressed. After all, Ryoji isn't her only connection.

* * * * *

Just as she was about to pass through the ticket gate at Hamamatsucho, Yuna's phone vibrated. The caller was a man named Tatenaka. He was one of the entrepreneurs who used to drink with Ryoji.

When Yuna answers the phone, Tatenaka speaks in a bright voice. He talks so fluently that Yuna often just lets his words wash over her.

That thing I mentioned yesterday. Four of us are gathering at a teppanyaki place in Nishi-Azabu from 6 PM. Do you have any good girls?
I'll ask around.
Thanks, I'll send you the map.

Only at times like this does Tatenaka get straight to the point. To him, Yuna was nothing more than a hub for meeting various women, and to Yuna, Tatenaka was nothing more than a way to connect with new men. Every time, he would contact her the day before about a drinking party, and the number of participants would be finalized on the day of. Yuna's job was to hear that and gather the women.

Yuna first asks acquaintances who want to meet high-class men. If acquaintances aren't enough, she expands the scope to their acquaintances, and she was able to successfully gather four participants, including herself.

She decides on a meeting point near the restaurant and shares it. The women were meeting for the first time, but as they headed to the restaurant, they introduced themselves and probed each other's preferences so their targets wouldn't overlap.

That restaurant in Nishi-Azabu is in the basement and doesn't accept first-time customers. Having secretly continued operations even during the COVID-19 pandemic, one can enjoy drinks and meat to their heart's content in a private room here.

Thank you for today~
A company president! I'm so happy to meet you!
I'm a lightweight, so please don't get me too drunk, okay?

After the party started, Yuna wanted to go home, setting aside the fact that she was the one who invited them. The women, who seemed to have only recently started drinking, were using nasal, sycophantic voices to touch the men and lean on them. The men, for their part, didn't seem to mind being fawned over, and throughout the party, Yuna tended to keep her head down.

“Well then, thank you for the taxi fare!”

Once the gathering ended, the women said this and climbed into their respective taxis. Being stingy, they would likely only ride for one meter and then take the train home. They weren't just looking for encounters; they were trying to turn the difference from the taxi fare they received into their own profit.

Tired of other people's ulterior motives and the persona she had crafted for herself, Yuna decided to take a taxi all the way home to Kuhombutsu.

＊　＊　＊　＊　＊

Yuna, who had fallen asleep for a moment from the exhaustion of a disappointing drinking party, woke up with a start and stopped the taxi. She had intended to go home, but she might have gone too far.

She hurriedly got out of the car and opened the map on her smartphone. As it turned out, it was nothing serious; she had simply gotten off the taxi at Jiyugaoka, which was before her house.

Since her home was between Kuhombutsu and Jiyugaoka, it wasn't worth hailing another taxi. However, it was also true that she was wearing 7cm heels today, so she would need to rest while making her way home.

After walking for a while and feeling her feet reach their limit, Yuna was drawn into a nearby shop that looked like it was still open.

It was an authentic bar that felt like a hideaway. When she opened the wooden door, the bartender prompted her to take a seat with a look from the dimly lit interior.

Yuna liked alcohol, but she wasn't a heavy drinker, nor was she particularly knowledgeable about it. After thinking for a while, she recalled a cocktail she had once drunk when she was whimsically playing around and got dead drunk, and she ordered a low-alcohol version of it.

“Excuse me, could you make me a Godfather highball?”

The bartender lowered his eyes, gave a slight nod, and began to make the cocktail. A little bit of whisky and amaretto into the glass. After stirring, he poured in the carbonated water and gave it one more turn with the bar spoon. She followed the bartender's movements with her eyes every step of the way.

Yuna received the cocktail, which was placed on a cork coaster, with both hands. The sweet scent of amaretto wafted from the crackling carbonation.

She took a sip right away and enjoyed the aroma as it passed through her nose. After savoring the scent of her “second time meeting in life,” Yuna intentionally slowed her drinking pace. Since she had come in to rest her feet, she wanted to stay as long as possible with just one drink.

By the time she had drunk about half the glass, the door to the shop opened. A tall, slender man entered and sat down next to Yuna.

“An Adonis, please.”
“Certainly.”

The man looked to be in his late 40s, wearing a crisp suit beautifully. The jacket, which was likely custom-made, was slim but didn't intentionally create a waistline, giving her an impression of steadiness rather than stylishness.

Yuna wasn't familiar with the wristwatch peeking out from the sleeve of his suit. She wasn't an expert, but she vaguely thought it was about the same price as an Hermès Apple Watch, or perhaps cheaper. She knew she shouldn't stare, but she had intended to glance at it secretly, though it seemed he had seen right through her.

“Excuse me. If you don't mind me asking, what are you drinking? It smells lovely.”

Perhaps feeling the awkwardness of her gaze, the man spoke to Yuna. She wondered if he had created an opening so she could look at him properly, but it seemed he was truly just interested in the drink.

"I had them mix my Godfather with soda."
"Hmm. That sounds delicious. I'll have to try that sometime."

At that moment, the bartender served an Adonis to the man. The man gazed at it enchantingly before swallowing a sip as if to confirm its taste.

"What is an Adonis? That thing you're drinking, sir... is that the kind of thing one should order when first coming to a bar?"

The man looked young, yet he also looked like he had lived through many years. Hearing Yuna's thoughtful question, the man shrugged and smiled.

"I'm an old man, actually. My name is Koda. I think you should drink whatever you like, but... when I visit a bar for the first time, I make it a point to order an Adonis. It lets me gauge the bartender's skill."
"Is that how it works?"
"People who like short cocktails test a bar's mettle with a Martini. But for me... oh. I've gone and talked too much, trying to show off in front of a lady."

Yuna stared intently at Koda's hand as he stopped talking and put his lips to the Adonis. He had become aware of her gaze, but perhaps he still didn't find it comfortable. He leaned his body and turned his face toward Yuna.

"...Is something the matter?"
"No, I just thought... you aren't the type who likes to lecture people."

There are many men who view women as immature beings and love to teach them things. Yuna was often lectured on various topics by men she met for the first time. Each time, without much interest, she would repeat, "I see," or "That's amazing."

But what about the man in front of her, who called himself Koda? He said he had talked too much and was filling the silence with alcohol. Yuna figured that his reluctance to get too involved with a woman was likely due to either a very upright personality or perhaps having been deceived by a woman in the past.

I didn't get anything out of today anyway, she thought, tilting her glass to her lips. Maybe even this guy wouldn't be bad for a night, she mused, before standing up to reapply her lipstick in the restroom and returning to her seat.

* * * * *

She had thought it might be nice to be held on a whim. Yet, Yuna's invitation was easily dodged by him.

"A woman like you wouldn't be satisfied with an old man like me. I wouldn't want to disappoint you."

Strangely, Yuna didn't feel bad about being rejected. On the contrary, she was surprised to find that he had even been checking on her cocktails along the way.

With legs that felt refreshed, she stepped out of the bar and decided to thank Koda.

"Um, thank you for everything. And so..."
"Please, you really don't need to worry about any thanks."
"But."
"Hmm. Well... if it's weighing on your mind..."

Koda took a small leather case from the inside pocket of his suit. He pulled out a business card and handed it to Yuna.

"Let's drink again if you'd like. You can reach me here."

Below the name Pantera, it listed the name Koda, his position as Deputy General Manager, his phone number, and his email address. Pantera was a foreign sanitary products manufacturer that seemed to have a formal atmosphere; was it really okay for him to use his company business card for personal matters?

Perhaps that question was written on her face, as Koda shrugged his shoulders and smiled again.

"You see there are two email addresses written here, right? The one at the bottom is for personal use."

"Take care on your way home," Koda said, walking toward Jiyugaoka Station. Watching his back as he left, Yuna stood there for a while, feeling the weight gradually return to the tips of her heels.

* * * * *

The next day, Yuna, who had the day off from work, stared at her smartphone screen in her room.

The person she wanted to contact wasn't Koda. She wanted Eri to hear about what happened yesterday.

Aiming for 12:30 PM, when she figured it would be Eri's lunch break and she would have finished eating, she sent a message first.

"Something interesting happened yesterday."

Eri replied immediately with "What do you mean?" so Yuna called her. Just as the second ring started, a voice identical to her own answered from the other end.

"Well, the teppanyaki place in Nishi-Azabu yesterday wasn't interesting at all."
"Is that a setup? You can get to the point now."
"Ah... yeah. Right. I stopped by a bar in Jiyugaoka by myself, and there was this interesting, cool older guy there."

When she told her about what happened yesterday, Eri let out a loud sigh over the phone.

"Yuna, you were being teased."
"Teased?"

Eri, assuming that her twin sister had been rejected, embarrassed, and had a bad experience, expressed her displeasure. Yuna, on the other hand, sprawled out in her room, which was large for one person. Above Yuna's head, the same yellow curtains as in her Hamamatsucho room swayed. They were the color Eri had chosen.

"It didn't feel like that, though."
"No way. Not taking what's offered is just making a fool of a woman, isn't it? We're still 25. Unless you're into older men, we don't have the luxury to deal with guys who act all wise like that."
"Is it okay if I have the luxury?"
"Even if you did, you shouldn't waste yourself."

Fair enough. As expected of someone who, despite having played around so much, managed to snag Ryoji in the end. Perhaps Yuna's feeling last night that she had found someone interesting was just an illusion brought on by alcohol and fatigue.

"I wanted to have some fun yesterday, but it didn't go well... I wonder if I should stop doing one-night stands and find a boyfriend instead."

At the words Yuna let slip, Eri gave a short laugh, "Ahaha."

"Come over to my place again. I'll make sure you can enjoy yourself then, since I have no choice."

"Yeah, thanks," Yuna said, and the call ended. She realized it was 12:40 PM. Eri was probably going to brush her teeth before her afternoon work.

Yuna also thought she should brush her teeth and sat up. She had just woken up and hadn't eaten anything yet, but she wanted to do something about the stickiness in her mouth, which was far more unpleasant than any guy acting wise. She also decided to switch her mood, thinking it was fine to just forget about Koda now.

* * * * *

Yuna sometimes finds herself gathering women, and other times she is the one being gathered.

Three times in a row, Yuna was invited by women to parties with men she didn't know. The first was a house party at a high-rise apartment in Roppongi. With foreigners mixed in, they enjoyed themselves until morning, using not just the living room but various other rooms as well.

The second time was at a sushi restaurant in Hiroo. This was less of a fun time with high-class men and more like a group blind date, a casual drinking party with young office workers of her own generation.

The third time was at a dining bar in Azabu-Juban, where things were a bit more relaxed. Although it was a glamorous and comfortable space, what she felt as she left was not loneliness, but a sense of exhaustion.

Yuna wondered if she had gone a bit strange. She would head to various neighborhoods in Minato-ku, dining with businessmen and celebrities night after night. The banquets that lasted until dawn and the one-night flings—she should have enjoyed them, feeling as if she were living every moment to the fullest.

And yet, lately, she felt like something was missing. She became anxious, wondering if she had finally passed the age of being a glittering girl who spends her nights out in Minato-ku. Should she, after all, find a boyfriend?

It wasn't quite a clear sense of craving. It wasn't enough to call it anxiety. She wasn't dissatisfied, either. But once she started doubting her own actions, her mind could no longer find peace. Even after returning home, Yuna would just stare blankly, neglecting to brush her heels.

* * * * *

It was some time later that she revisited that bar in Jiyugaoka. It was a night when she had been invited to an uninspiring meat-French dinner in Shirokane, but decided to head home right after the meal.

When she opened the wooden door, Koda was there, just as he had been that day. He seemed to have become a regular, chatting amiably with the bartender.

In the middle of their conversation, he noticed Yuna and simultaneously raised his hand and the corners of his mouth slightly. To her, it looked as if he had completely forgotten that he had turned her down that night.

"It's been a while."

Yuna felt awkward about his words, but Koda didn't seem to mind at all. Feeling that sitting at a distant seat would be too obvious, Yuna took the seat next to Koda.

"Are you on your way back from a drinking party today, too?"
"How did you know?"
"I just thought, perhaps you have a sense of inexplicable exhaustion despite having had a good time."

Yuna started to ask if Koda also remembered that feeling. She started to say it, but then fell silent, thinking that if she said it, she would be confirming her current state.

Perhaps Koda saw right through her, even that thought. He asked the bartender, "A highball for her. Make it light." It was as if he were saying, "Good work today."

When the highball was placed in front of her, Yuna timidly clinked her glass against Koda's for a modest toast. The thin glass overlapped, and a high-pitched sound echoed through the shop. After listening to the lingering, crisp, and pleasant sound, she noticed he had a gimlet in his glass, which he swirled. She couldn't tell if he had just arrived, or if it was his second or third drink.

"I did say we should drink again. I gave you my contact information, but I don't have yours."

He added that these things are all about timing, then said as if he had just remembered, "Come to think of it, I don't even know your name."

Yuna realized she hadn't introduced herself either, and after a short pause, she answered quietly.

"I'm... Yuna. Yuna Harushima."
"Ms. Harushima, is it? Once again, it's an honor to meet you."

He seemed to be concerned in his own way that Yuna hadn't reached out. Yuna lowered her gaze to her hands, wondering if men, no matter how old they get, always want to be on the minds of young women.

"Were you hoping to see me?"

At the question that slipped out, Koda laughed lightly, exhaling through his nose.

"If anything, I was worried about you. A woman who looks at least 20 years younger than me, sitting alone in a bar with a gloomy face. As an adult, that's just something you can't help but notice."

Yuna tried to recall if she had looked that tired the last time she came to this bar. She wasn't really aware of it, but if she had caused him worry, she felt sorry.

Perhaps sensing that feeling, Koda asked her this.

"Did you find someone wonderful today?"
"Oh... no. Things don't always go that smoothly, do they?"

Both that day and today, she was wearing an occasion dress suitable for a date. Considering that she had invited him so casually that day, she figured he must see right through the fact that she was living a flashy life in Minato-ku, and she lowered her eyes. She had never thought of that as something to be ashamed of; if anything, she considered it a symbol of being a winner. But she also dimly realized that in front of a man like Koda, that meant nothing. Although he wasn't an executive, he had stability and class.

"Am I trying too hard, I wonder?"

The reason Yuna let that slip out, she didn't even know herself. She didn't know, but she wanted to ask Koda about her feeling of spinning her wheels. Honestly, she wasn't even aware of the answer she was hoping for from him.

"Hmm. Being able to try hard and take action to find someone who suits you is a privilege of the young. It's certainly not a bad thing."
"...Do I seem childish to you, Koda-san?"

To that question, Koda replied, "That's not it at all."

"Tokyo is a social venue in its entirety, after all. Men and women alike, day or night, regardless of whether it's work or private life, are constantly looking for someone who suits them. Seeking to become a better version of themselves."
"But is that a privilege of the young?"
"Perhaps 'young' was the wrong word. Could we rephrase it as being 'intense'? An old guy like me, rather than wanting to improve myself through change and stimulation, craves calm moments."

A calm moment—was that like this time at the bar? Yuna thought of this and wondered if she was an unnecessary stimulation for Koda.

"The ripples and waves that occasionally appear in a calm life are actually quite welcome."

Yuna felt a little happy that she wasn't a bad kind of stimulation for Koda. She took the word 'ripples' to mean that she wasn't an annoying presence, rather than something trivial. While that was by no means a reason to truly desire him as a romantic partner, anyone would be happy to receive a positive evaluation from someone else. So, she parted her lips slightly and said this.

"Koda-san, um..."

For just a fleeting moment, Yuna felt the urge to try and claim his time after he finished drinking at the bar. But as she started to say it, she realized that doing so just to confirm her own self-efficacy wasn't right, and she withdrew her words. She remembered that this middle-aged man didn't seem to be living for the status of being a 'man sought after by young women.'

"No, it's nothing."
"Is that so?"

Yuna thought that Koda must have seen right through what she was about to invite him to. Thinking she had almost embarrassed herself again, Yuna instead handed Koda the business card she usually gave to men she met for the first time at parties.

“I’ll give you my contact information, too. Please don’t hesitate to reach out.”

Koda accepted the business card and gave a slight bow.

* * * * *

The following week, Eri invited Yuna over.

It seemed Ryoji was planning to host a party at home for the first time in a while. Yuna felt her heart leap at the news. If it wasn't wrong to actively search for the perfect person for herself, then attending this party was an opportunity. Whether it turned out to be just for fun or something serious, it didn't matter.

When she headed to Eri and Ryoji’s apartment in Hamamatsucho and visited their room, wine was already lined up on the living room coffee table. There was a Cava they intended to open first, then probably a light-bodied red, and finally a dry white.

“Eri, is there anything I can help with?”
“No, I’ve already ordered the food. Just sit down.”

As she sat down as prompted, the intercom rang. After unpacking the hors d'oeuvres delivered by the courier, they occupied most of the coffee table.

There was roast beef ordered from Shirokane, and for a bit of starch, bite-sized Inari sushi from Azabu. Yuna felt that the slightly sophisticated selection was very much like Eri, and perhaps that was why it matched Ryoji’s tastes.

After a while, the men arrived at the apartment. Once five people, including Ryoji, had arrived, Eri began to open the bottle of sparkling wine.

“Wait. Is this everyone?”
“Yeah. We’re the only women.”

It was clear that Eri had been thoughtful. Many of the men were faces she hadn't seen in a while. By creating an opportunity to build a deeper relationship, Eri was likely hoping that Yuna would finally find a partner, rather than just someone to play around with.

Yuna realized that this was what Eri meant when she said on the phone the other day, “I’ll make sure you have a good time.” Her sister’s consideration was both touching and welcome. If she was going to be here, she might as well present herself properly and hope to catch someone’s eye. Her days of playing around might be coming to an end, but if she could find someone who suited her, she thought that would be a happy outcome.

With the illuminated Tokyo Tower in the background, the light sound of a toast echoed through the room, and the long night’s banquet began. The men Ryoji had gathered included a magazine model, a CEO who had started a company with his own patents, a radiologist, and a foreign-affiliated consultant.

Every one of them was someone who had placed themselves in a top-tier world at a young age, Yuna thought. What Yuna felt upon reuniting with them was that, as expected, the people Ryoji brought were a cut above. Compared to the men she was introduced to by others, they were always a head above the rest.

“Yuna-san, you mentioned the other day that your workplace is a clinic in Toranomon, right? Are you busy?”
“It’s a beauty clinic, and I only work day shifts, so not really.”

The radiologist asked her that. Yuna was grateful that the men were interested in her. None of them were bad. Ryoji, who continued to live with Eri, must have even been able to imagine what kind of men Yuna would be able to talk to well.

At the dining table behind the coffee table, Eri was chatting with Ryoji and another man, a foreign-affiliated consultant. He was apparently a classmate of Ryoji’s from his student days.

“Hey, Eri...”

Yuna was about to ask her sister if it was okay to open the red wine. She caught sight of Eri smiling gently, and she slowly lowered the wine bottle she was holding. It was then, without any warning or preamble, that Yuna suddenly realized she felt at peace.

It wasn't just the relief of having Eri here. The fact that Eri was laughing happily with Ryoji felt like a source of joy for Yuna.

...Somehow, it's fine. Maybe that's enough.

That thought surfaced in Yuna's mind. She excused herself from the table and headed to the restroom. As she held her hands under the cold water at the sink, she suddenly felt as if everything had been worth it today.

"I'm strange."

A woman with the same face as her was happy. That felt just as important to Yuna as her own happiness. Right now, that was what mattered to her here, not being chosen by someone in this room.

Once everyone was pleasantly tipsy, the party came to an end. Eri said she and Ryoji would handle the cleanup, but Yuna decided to help as well. Yuna knew that Eri had wanted her to move to another location with a nice guy to continue the night, but she hadn't done so.

She cleared the plates from the table and washed the empty bottles in the kitchen. Glancing at Eri, who was wiping down wine glasses, Yuna closed the curtains. Even the dazzling Tokyo Tower could be hidden by closing the curtains, and that would allow the hosts to sleep comfortably afterward.

"Thank you, Eri."

After thanking the host in Hamamatsucho, Yuna entered the JR ticket gate alone. She had considered taking the Keihin-Tohoku Line to Oimachi and heading home from there, but... wanting to share her current feelings with someone, she opened her smartphone.

What she opened wasn't a messaging app, but email. The person she wanted to talk to right now was already decided in her mind.

"Are you free now?"

She didn't know when Koda would see the email. With no read receipts, she couldn't tell if he had read it, and whether he would reply was even more uncertain. Her heart felt taut with the thought that she wanted to talk but it might not be possible.

However, while she let one Keihin-Tohoku train pass by, a reply came from Koda.

"I'm in Akasaka right now. Would you like to have a drink together?"

From the link attached to the email, Yuna grasped the location. Although it was a bar she had never been to, she realized it was an authentic bar of the kind Koda seemed to like, and the tension she hadn't realized she was holding in her brow eased.

Yuna went back down the stairs she had just climbed and ran up to a different platform. As she reached the top of the stairs with a light step, a train slid into the station. She decided to head to Yurakucho first and take the Chiyoda Line to Akasaka.

* * * * *

She took the elevator up to the bar on the fourth floor of the building. As soon as the elevator doors opened, they led directly into the dimly lit interior, and Koda was sitting in a slightly recessed area.

Perhaps recognizing the sound of her heels, Koda turned around before she could call out to him. He raised his right hand while still seated in the leather chair, signaling to the bartender that she was with him.

"Thank you for getting back to me."

Koda did not ask, "What happened all of a sudden?" By not asking that question, Yuna sensed that he was worried and being considerate, just as he had been the other day. She thought she must first clear up that misunderstanding.

"I didn't contact you because something bad happened. Actually, I felt good, so I wanted to talk to you, Koda-san."
"Oh?"

At the counter seat, you don't look directly at each other. Even so, Yuna saw the wrinkles at the corners of Koda's eyes and felt relieved, knowing he was listening with genuine interest.

"I was at a party at my twin sister's house today."
"You're a twin?"

Koda was surprised by that first. Come to think of it, she had never told him that. Seeing Koda's surprise, Yuna realized that they knew almost nothing about each other.

A relationship where they know even less than when trying to get someone to notice you at a party with many people. And yet, he knows what Yuna aspires to and what makes her tired.

That was why it was surprising even to her that she hadn't told him she was a twin, and she realized that if he didn't even know that, she surely hadn't told him about her age or her job either.

"We've become close without knowing anything about each other."
"Isn't that how it happens when you get close to someone, surprisingly?"

Come to think of it, Koda had said the other day that "Tokyo is a social scene where you are constantly looking for someone who suits you." Yuna imagined if he might become one of those "people who suit you" with whom she could be at ease. With that in mind, she said this to him on purpose.

"In that case, maybe I don't need to force myself to try and know about you, Koda-san."
"Haha. You really know how to say things."

Yuna was confident that her voice and attitude conveyed that she wanted to see him because she felt relieved. Rather than trying to pry into each other, they could grasp each other's feelings with few words. She was convinced that even this bit of banter would surely work to bring them even closer.

Koda tilted his glass. Since he was drinking an Adonis, this must be his first time at this bar today.

"From your perspective, Koda-san, is there a cocktail you would recommend for me?"
"Hmm. Let's see. It's not a cocktail, but why don't you try some whisky?"

Koda answered Yuna's question this way. She felt that drinking whisky without a mixer, when she always drank it as a highball, was too high in alcohol content, but Koda wanted her to try it neat.

"You don't need to drink a lot. I'd like you to enjoy the difference in flavor with two or three types in quarter-pours."

He said that Yuna, who enjoys highballs, was like a fledgling bird. She was standing at the entrance to enjoying the world of whisky. If she could find a whisky that matched her taste, it would become a benchmark, making it easier to choose drinks in the future. He described the first whisky one learns to love as becoming one's "parent bird."

Intrigued by his words, Yuna decided to order a small amount of whisky. But the bar had such a wide variety that she couldn't choose. When she asked for his help, Koda prefaced his recommendation by saying, "This is just my personal opinion."

"Let's choose one from Scotch, one from Bourbon, and one from Japanese whisky."
"Is Japanese whisky famous?"
"Yes. Japan is one of the world's leading whisky-producing regions."

"I didn't even know that," Yuna said before she could stop herself. This was a standard phrase for flattering men, but right now, she was saying it from the bottom of her heart, without any calculation.

"Well, you can just learn as you go. For Scotch, I think Glenmorangie is good. For Bourbon, Elijah Craig. How about Chita for Japanese whisky?"
"Then, I'll go with those."

As she was told, Yuna decided to compare the three glasses. She checked the differences in taste while frequently sipping water as a chaser.

“...I think I like Glenmorangie.”

After taking her time to compare them, that was the answer Yuna gave. Hearing this, Koda quietly replied, “That’s good.”

“If you know your own preferences, you can reduce hesitation when choosing something. Not just with alcohol, either.”

Knowing her own preferences. She realized that even until now, she had been choosing everything based on preference unconsciously, but perhaps especially in the last few years, she had been more distracted by the utility of choosing it rather than the preference itself, and Yuna faltered.

“I see... By the way, which one do you like, Koda-san?”
“It wouldn't be helpful to use my preferences as a reference. But for me, a Scotch called Glen Grant is like a parent bird.”

Learning that he liked the same type of thing, Yuna couldn't help but beam. Seeing Yuna’s eyes, moist from the alcohol, Koda immediately looked away, downed his Adonis, and signaled the bartender for the check.

“Harushima-san, you’ve had a bit too much to drink. Shall we get some air?”

Without waiting for Yuna’s reply, Koda paid the bill, called the elevator, and let her get in first. Even after they got off on the first floor and started walking outside, he wouldn't meet Yuna’s eyes. Moreover, Koda tried to head toward the station with quick steps.

That somehow made Yuna dissatisfied. For some reason, she wanted him to look her in the eye, so Yuna blocked Koda’s path. Even though she knew his cost-effectiveness as a high-class man was low, she couldn't help but invite him, leaving it to the emotions within her.

“Koda-san, I don't want to go home yet.”
“Don't tease me...”
“I’m not. I still want to be with you.”

Every time she opened her mouth, Yuna was aware that her tone was becoming more childish.

“Koda-san, you think I’m a child, don't you?”
“That’s not true. But someone like me...”
“Don't say ‘someone like me’! You said it yourself, didn't you? That even if you don't know anything, you can get along when you can. That if you know your preferences, you’ll have less hesitation!”

Yuna was aware that she might indeed be a child. Although she said preference, it wasn't a preference in the sense of someone who would bring her wealth. Unable to summarize what this was in the end, she hugged Koda.

“...It’s your fault. Because you became the standard, I stopped enjoying drinking parties. Even though they are sparkling people. Even if we always talk about work or hobbies, I can't get into the depths of their hearts. Because you... because you, who knows nothing, enter so easily, it’s become boring to just stroke the surface!”
“That is, Harushima-san, you are...”
“I don't know! I want you to stay with me tonight, I want you to touch me in many places, but I don't know what that means for me! Don't make me explain something even I don't understand!”

Feeling Yuna, who spoke with the intensity of scribbling in a notebook without being able to organize her thoughts, in his arms, Koda slowly exhaled a large breath through his nose. Then, as if he had surrendered, he replied to her.

“I won't ask you to explain. But I am an old man. I am by no means someone you should waste yourself on. Do you still wish for this?”

When Yuna nodded, he hailed a taxi on the main street.

* * * * *

The next morning, Yuna woke up in Meguro. Koda lived in an apartment about a five-minute drive from Meguro Station.

She had suspected that he was consistently passive toward her invitations because he was annoyed by the prospect of spending the night together—but she felt, based on his touch last night, that this had been a groundless fear.

Yuna rose from the springy bed and showed her face in the living-dining room. Koda was sitting at the table, quietly drinking coffee.

“Good morning. Did you sleep well?”
“Yes. ...May I use the washroom?”
“Go ahead. It’s to the left when you go out there.”

Even while Yuna was washing her face at the sink, she could feel the presence of someone else in the house. It had been a long time since she had experienced a morning like this. She had spent mornings in hotels occasionally, but places devoid of any sense of daily life felt surreal.

Being able to sense someone else living their life to a different rhythm from the morning was something she hadn't felt since she lived with Eri. Since the sisters moved out of their parents' home and Eri left their shared apartment, Yuna had been living in a room that felt stagnant. While it was comfortable to live at her own pace, she sometimes felt a sense of loneliness.

When she returned to the living room after washing her face, Koda had prepared a cup of coffee for her. It didn't seem like he had just brewed two cups at once, but rather that he had freshly extracted it for her.

Sitting at the dining table, Yuna accepted it. She took a long, deep breath, inhaling the fragrant, sweet aroma rising with the steam.

“Harushima-san, what about work today?”
“I have work, but I’m taking the morning off. I wanted to go home and do a few things.”

Koda’s tone and attitude toward Yuna hadn't changed after a night together. He was cautious, but not guarded. His carefulness was like someone trying to ensure their long coat didn't brush against anything in a shop filled with glassware. Yuna said nothing about it. If he preferred not to bring up anything that had happened since she entered this room last night, she was fine with that.

“I’m heading to the office, so I’ll be leaving around 8:30. Would you like to leave together?”
“Where are you going?”
“Kayabacho.”
“I see. Let’s go get a meal sometime. If your workplace is around there, maybe Ginza or Hibiya.”

Even though Koda was still hesitant to step forward despite having spent the night together, she was confident that he wouldn't turn this down. At Yuna’s words, Koda closed his eyes and smiled, saying, “That sounds good.” As expected, he wouldn't refuse.

Koda placed his finished coffee cup in the sink and asked this:

“I’m going to toast some bread; would you like butter or marmalade?”
“In that case, marmalade, please.”

Yuna habitually skipped breakfast, but she decided to eat today. She thought that if he wouldn't refuse her suggestions, she would try not to refuse his as much as possible.

While biting into the toast, Yuna noticed that Koda’s plate had a Lisa Larson illustration on it. It was a plate with a sense of style she wouldn't expect a man to like. Noticing her gaze, Koda opened his mouth.

“I got divorced six years ago. I didn't think it was worth the trouble to replace the things I was already using.”

Though she felt it wasn't right to pry, Yuna asked about the circumstances. Koda had married about 15 years ago, but divorced six years ago due to his wife’s infidelity. They had no children, and it seemed she had left behind the furniture they had bought together, like the sofa and the double bed, when she moved out.

Yuna bit her lower lip, realizing that Koda also knew the loneliness of living alone while feeling the traces of someone who used to be there. She, too, lived with the bags she had shared with Eri and the extra duvet that had belonged to her sister.

“Don’t you feel lonely?”

Before she could think, the words spilled from Yuna’s lips. Koda looked intently into her eyes as if to savor the meaning of her words, then looked away and smiled just a little.

"I'm at a good age now, so I had thought I might just live a life far removed from romance."

From the tone of his words, Yuna realized once again that Koda did not regret last night—in fact, it was quite the opposite. But the words that followed felt slightly shadowed to her ears.

"Harushima-san, why do you care about me so much? You care, and then..."
"..."

Yuna could not answer that question.

She still didn't understand. Even after saying all those things last night, going up to his place, and spending the night together, Yuna still didn't fully understand herself. She was happy that Koda cherished her and wanted to be with him, but she didn't know what that meant for her.

After a brief silence, Koda said, "I'm not rushing you for an answer." It looked as if he regretted stepping over a line he had intended to be careful about.

* * * * *

As planned, the two of them left Koda's house at 8:30. He said he would take the Mita Line to Otemachi and transfer there. For Yuna, the route to Ookayama via the Meguro Line seemed to be the shortest.

At Meguro Station, the platform splits into the Mita Line heading north and the Meguro Line heading south from the same island platform. They got off there together, Koda gave a slight bow, Yuna returned it, and they boarded their respective trains.

By the time she arrived at Kuhombutsu Station, a message arrived on Yuna's smartphone. It was from Eri.

"Wasn't it fun yesterday?"

Realizing that Eri had sent the message out of concern for her, she decided to call Eri while walking. Eri never called her, but Yuna felt it was easier to talk than to type out a message.

As if she knew a call was coming, Eri answered on the first ring. Eri had taken a paid day off and was planning to go shopping with Ryoji today. Yuna decided to keep the call brief.

"It's not that it wasn't fun. If anything, I was just happy that you seemed happy, Eri."
"Were you thinking about me?"
"Yeah. I realized you'd found a comfortable place to be."
"What's that supposed to mean? ...Well, yeah. Thanks."

Yuna wondered for a moment if she had sounded like her mother back in Kamakura. A moment later, she decided that was fine. Eri sighed and said, "But, I can't believe you were thinking about that."

"If that's how you feel, Yuna, maybe I should stop inviting people over."
"Yeah, that's fine. Thanks for everything until now."

To Yuna's answer, Eri pressed, "Really? Are you sure?" Then, she asked, "What happened?" Yuna decided that she would have to tell her twin sister after all.

"It's about that guy I told you about before..."

When she told her what happened last night, Eri let out a voice that sounded truly surprised.

"Is that for real!? I think I might not understand what you're thinking, Yuna.""

Yuna swallowed the words, "I don't even know myself." All she knew was that while she felt relieved seeing Eri looking so happy yesterday, she also realized that she might not be looking to find her own happiness in the same place as Eri.

"Well, if you don't have any regrets, Yuna, then that's fine."

Yuna gave a vague reply to Eri's words. After a moment of silence, Eri said, "I'd better hang up now," as if to break the atmosphere that had settled between them.

"I haven't put my makeup on yet. I want to leave the house by 9:30."
"I see. Well, talk to you later."

After hanging up the phone, Yuna arrived just in front of her apartment building.

* * * * *

Even after that, invitations to parties kept coming Yuna's way. She would half-heartedly decline requests to come to Toranomon or Akasaka-mitsuke. As a result, the frequency of the invitations gradually decreased because she was seen as not being very sociable.

That said, Yuna didn't really contact Koda much either. If she did, it was just to whimsically send photos to the contact address she had obtained on the day she stayed over. They were all things unrelated to the answer to the question he had told her not to rush—things she found in the city that made her chuckle, or ornaments she thought were cute.

She decided to invite him to dinner the day after a heavy rain. Seeing the news that the Meguro River had temporarily reached a dangerous flood level, she felt concerned and thought of sending him a message that wasn't just a photo for a change.

Since Koda lived on the fifth floor, he probably hadn't faced any real inconvenience. Still, when she saw the information on her weather app, she felt she wanted to see him and talk to him face-to-face.

Opening the messaging app, Yuna fell into thought. How should she phrase it this time? Trying to come up with an excuse would be too transparent. After agonizing over it, she ended up sending the same message as before: "Are you free any day?"

This sounded as if she had found an explanation for her feelings toward him, but that wasn't the case. She had decided not to send any messages until she could articulate her own feelings, but she couldn't help it.

Around the time the date was about to change, she got a reply from Koda.

"I've been swamped with work. How about next Friday?"

If someone were to say that a manager at a major company whose commercials everyone knows couldn't possibly be free, they would be right. Now that she knew he was safe, there was no need to feel anxious about meeting him in a hurry, so Yuna decided to wait for that day.

* * * * *

When the promised Friday arrived, Yuna decided to leave work on time and head to the meeting place. The invitation, which had suggested Hibiya or Ginza, was realized in Hibiya, which was accessible from both of their workplaces.

Without a reservation, they wandered into an oyster bar in Midtown. Yuna felt there was no need to be formal, put on airs, or rush things with him. For some reason, she felt she could trust that Koda felt the same way.

They ordered a platter of raw oysters and shrimp along with highballs, and toasted to start. When Koda suggested, "Shall we order a bottle of Chablis?" Yuna replied, "Isn't a highball fine?" Their thick glasses clinked lightly as they touched, but perhaps because the restaurant was bustling, the sound didn't reach their ears.

"Thanks for your hard work. You were busy, weren't you?"
"Today's presentation is finally over, so I can finally take a breather. Sorry to have kept you waiting."

At Koda's words, Yuna says "No, no," while drinking her highball. Then, reaching for the lemon on the oyster plate, she looks at Koda's face.

"Lemon. May I squeeze it?"
"Of course."

Both of them inhale the scent of the squeezed lemon before eating the Saroma oysters in one bite. As she swallows the oyster, Yuna thinks that they seem like people who have been eating the same things side-by-side for a long time.

"...So. I was worried. Because the rain was so bad the other day."
"Ah. Well, our place is technically outside the flood zone on the hazard map. But thank you for your concern."
"I see. That's good. Maybe I was worrying for nothing."

At those words, Koda replies with a "No, no" of his own. He says this while dipping the shrimp cocktail served on the plate with the oysters into the sauce and eating it neatly, leaving only the tail.

"Were you really that worried about me? Thank you."

Yuna pouts her lips slightly at Koda, who says thank you while wiping his hands with a wet towel without looking at her. She was the one who asked if it was unnecessary worry, but she felt he could have been more grateful for her concern.

"Maybe I wasted my time worrying. Why am I so concerned about you, Koda-san? I've been thinking about it for a long time, but I still don't know."

Hearing Yuna's words, Koda's hands stop. He grips the wet towel he was using to wipe his fingertips with a light pressure and says, looking surprised:

"You've been thinking about it for a long time?"
"Yes. You said there was no rush for an answer, but I felt I had to come up with one."
"I see..."

Hearing Yuna's words, Koda looks up at the ceiling. Although he says nothing explicitly, Yuna knows as if she could read his mind that he is thinking, "I shouldn't have asked that unnecessary question the other day."

"I'm sorry. Until now, no matter what Harushima-san said, I thought you were just teasing me... Could it be that what you said the other day wasn't just a whim?"
"Eh?"

Yuna asks back, caught off guard. She had thought Koda might have some insight into her own feelings that she didn't know about, but was that not the case?

"I wondered about various things, like if you might be in love with me... but then I felt like a high school student, worrying about it all by myself, and it felt ridiculous. How is it for you, Harushima-san?"

Yuna thinks about it again. If she talks about preferences, he is certainly her type, but she isn't quite confident that love should be based on that alone. The place they are in now isn't a luxury hideaway restaurant, and what they are drinking is just a plain highball. Shouldn't she be looking for a man with more value to be her lover?

But perhaps this is the person she wants to have by her side. Yuna picks up a shrimp and peels the tail off vigorously. She realizes after she finishes that she could have eaten it without doing that, but she eats it anyway without caring.

The age gap between her and Koda is enough to be father and daughter, and he has also failed at marriage once. But even so, Yuna feels that being able to spend a comfortable time together without hesitation, even without saying much, is important to her.

After letting herself think for the time it took to eat the shrimp, Yuna answers.

"Maybe... that's it? Hmm, I think so. I finally understand now. ...Wait! I just assumed you knew and were asking me."
"No, no. I didn't know either."

When they met at the bar in Jiyugaoka, he had seen through her exhaustion, and they had shared the sadness of being left behind and living alone without needing words. That was why she had been convinced that he could read her feelings as if they were an open book.

"In that case, Yuna. Shall we go out together?"

Koda said this, calling her by her name for the first time. As he stared straight at her, Yuna blinked rapidly with her eyes cast down. Seeing this, Koda laughed and drank the last of his highball.

"You were so aggressive every other time, so this is an unexpected reaction. Is it a no after all?"
"I'm just surprised! Koda-san, you were so passive before, but when you decide to go for it, you really do."

When Yuna lifted her gaze, she finally met Koda's eyes. At that moment, they both burst out laughing, and Yuna covered her face with her left hand to hide her blushing.

"Hey. You said before, didn't you, Koda-san, that 'Tokyo is a social scene'?"
"Yes."
"I like the social scene. People I've talked to, people I haven't—everyone is looking for a place where they belong. Parties can certainly be a bit tiring sometimes, but... in the midst of that, I found you, Koda-san."

Koda had been clear, but she chose her words carefully, hoping to be forgiven for using an indirect expression. She had already expressed her clear feelings when she invited him out before. She hadn't been sure of the meaning of her own words back then, but she figured it was fine since she had already told him.

Hearing Yuna's answer, Koda said, "I see." The reason she only saw the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, pushed up by his raised cheeks, was that Koda was looking at the plate rather than at Yuna's eyes.

Before she knew it, there were only two oysters and three shrimp left on the plate. Koda, still keeping his focus on the plate, changed the subject.

"Once we finish eating this, what shall we do next?"
"Would it be alright if we went to Meguro again?"

Yuna said this knowing full well that the "next" Koda was referring to wasn't their post-meal plans, but the next item to order on the menu. Koda was taken aback by this and finally raised his gaze toward her. His eyebrows were shaped as if to say he couldn't believe that was her response.

If Koda would forgive Yuna's unexpected reaction, they would surely be able to get along well as lovers. She waited patiently for Koda's answer. While opening the menu he was holding, he said this.

"...There are still traces of the woman I lived with before, but if you don't mind that."

Hearing her say, "Of course," Koda seemed relieved and called the waiter, saying, "For now, let's just eat." Watching him order additional beer, ajillo, and baguette, Yuna sipped her highball leisurely.

(End)

#CreativeAward2025 #RomanceNovelCategory