I (30), Who Works for a Black Company and Died While Regretting My Gloomy Life, Started Over From High School!

Chapter 145: Sharing Drinks with Haruka

In a calm izakaya interior, the adult version of Haruka and I sat facing each other.

Although it was a restaurant I found quickly with a smartphone search, the relaxed atmosphere was quite nice.

Hehe, it feels a bit strange for classmates to exchange business cards, doesnt it?

Yeah, its kind of a weird feeling, realizing weve both become adults.

Once we sat down together, we instinctively pulled out our business cards, a habit wed picked up as working adults, and shared a wry smile.

Thanks to that, the tension between us eased more than Id expected, and the atmosphere became warmer than Id thought it would be

(But, Harukas business card huh.)

The characters printed on the small piece of paperthe company name, department, followed by Shijouin Harukadanced around as if they were proof that the girl had completely become a working adult.

Seven years had passed since she was a high school studentwhether I liked it or not, I couldnt help but feel the weight of those years.

As I thought about these things, a waiter came over and said, Sorry to keep you waiting! They began serving the food and drinks on the table.

Well then shall we cheers?

Yes, thank you for your hard work, Niihama-kun.

Fried chicken, rolled omelette, wakame salad, teriyaki skewers, and various other dishes were spread out on the table. We raised our glasses with a light clink.

(Drinking with the adult Haruka feels a bit strange)

I, who had no experience going out for drinks with a woman in private, sipped beer for the first time in a long while with a slight nervousness.

The bitterness on my tongue and the fizzy sensation as it went down my throat were the flavors of adulthood that I hadnt tasted in a while. Strangely, I felt like I could appreciate the taste better now compared to when I was a stressed-out salaryman.

Mmm its delicious.

Haruka, taking a sip of her Campari orange, showed a satisfied expression. Her pink lips touching the transparent glass had a somewhat provocative allure, making me acutely aware of her matured charm.

Do you usually drink, Shijouin-san?

Yes, embarrassingly, I started drinking somewhat regularly after becoming a working adult

With the glass now about two-thirds empty, Shijouin-san said somewhat self-deprecatingly.

When I was a child, I couldnt understand why adults liked alcohol so much but now, I painfully understand. When you drink, you feel a bit lighter.

She wasnt enjoying it for pleasure, but using it to distract herself from stress. Hearing Haruka talk about this, I felt a pain in my chest.

This wasnt a healthy way to drink.

So, do you usually drink alone? Or with friends or, uh, a boyfriend?

Bringing up that word felt like a stab in my heart, but I forced it out to get the necessary information.

In the first loop, I didnt know the details of Harukas life up until the end.

However considering Harukas beauty, during her university days and working life when romance would have been more active, countless people must have approached her.

During high school, I didnt make any friends at all, so when I entered university, I was determined to make plenty. At first, things seemed to be going well, but

Ah, I see. Could it be that a lot of guys approached you?

Yes, thats right. Once I entered university, I was approached by so many I mean, really a lot of guys. It might sound like boasting, but according to those people, they couldnt help but try to woo me because my appearance stood out so much.

(I see, once she started being approached by guys a lot, I guess that natural barrier she had in high school would have disappeared. And)

But Harukas voice, as she spoke, didnt have the tone of someone boasting about her looks or popularity. Instead, it was as if she was recounting a very burdensome memory.

But, Im really quite immature. Up until now, Ive never had a boyfriend.

Is that so?

That was something to be joyful about for my selfish possessiveness, but it was abnormal by regular standards. Once she recognized that her beauty was drawing romantic attention from many people, that natural barrier from high school would have disappeared. And

The people who approached me were always very popular with the opposite sex. They were athletes, had good looks, or were from high-level universities Of course, those are all strengths. But for some reason, those people were always overflowing with confidence

Ah

I quickly understood the situation.

With her peerless beauty, once she reached the age where romantic freedom would be higher, there would have been an overwhelming number of approaches, compared to high school.

However, precisely because she was the excessively beautiful daughter of the company president, many men felt intimidated, and only those who were naturally high-spec and full of confidence dared to approach her.

So, those kinds of guys were actually not your type,

Im sorry for those people Yes. Some of them, when I turned them down, would become extremely abusive or even try to grab me. Fortunately, our driver was there to help, so nothing serious happened

Wow There were guys who went that far.

It was probably the result of the typical overconfidence and exuberance of an extroverted person. I couldnt understand the reason for getting angry. Their pride, wounded by rejection, must be more important than anything else

As such things continued I started to become a little wary of men. And even among the female university students who didnt like me, I heard rumors like Shes a bad woman who changes boyfriends like clothes, so I didnt have any friends

I see Thats quite

Her much-anticipated university debut seemed to have ended in a miserable way.

In this first loop, there were no friends like Kazamihara or Fudehashi, and she must have felt quite lonely.

But hey even though youve become a bit wary of men, you still came out with me today.

While I carefully crafted my words, the fact remained that, as a man, I was the one who invited her to dinner.

I thought she might have a strong aversion to it

Thats because, Niihama-kun, you didnt exude much heat.

Heat?

Yes, among the countless invitations I received from men I somehow came to understand the level of fervor they directed towards me. Its a slightly different feeling from romantic attraction, more like a burning passion.

What Haruka was saying somehow made sense. It was probably a mix of possessiveness and desire that men directed towards her, this angelic and delicate Haruka.

In other words, it was a feeling even more intense than liking.

The people who approached me were mostly those who directed a strong heat towards me. No matter how gentle their approach seemed on the surface, they couldnt hide it. But

Haruka looked at me with a genuinely puzzled expression.

When you, Niihama-kun, invited me to dinner earlier there was absolutely no sign of heat on your face. Instead, I could only see a strong worry that seemed like you might burst into tears any moment. It was like how my mother or father would do.

I had that expression, huh.

To be honest, I was captivated by this matured Haruka, and if I said I wasnt even a bit excited about this izakaya date situation, it would be a lie.

But what was occupying my mind now was the intense sense of urgency that if I didnt save Haruka, everything would be over. Certainly, there would be little color or heat in my expression.

Why are you so worried about me? We were just classmates back then.

Thats

I was about to reflexively say it.

It was because, to me, you are the most important girl in the world.

Of course, the goal was to save the high school Haruka, but right now, in front of me, I also wanted to save the adult you I wanted to say it out loud.

Before, at my workplace, there was someone who collapsed.

While still concealing the truth, I opened my mouth to convey my feelings.

We didnt have much interaction, but she was a beautiful and kind person. Undoubtedly, she was someone who should have led a happy life.

Listening to my confession, Haruka was listening quietly with a solemn expression.

But that person was mentally crushed by workplace bullying and became like a speechless doll. Its still a trauma for me.

Thats terrible.

Yeah, its really a horrible story. This story must not become a prophecy for you.

That person had no outlet anywhere. If they could have vented their suffering to a colleague, boss, or even a friend, maybe they wouldnt have reached that state.

The more earnest a person is, the less likely they are to complain and instead confront their daily struggles silently. But that also means that the damage accumulates endlessly without relief.

So, Ive become sensitive to people carrying excessive stress, and even if Im seen as persistent, I want to meddle. The reason I boldly stepped into the territory of a former classmate after so long is because of that.

Youre kind, Niihama-kun.

Perhaps sensing the emotions I unintentionally put into my words, Haruka seemed to understand my motive.

Well, Ive also worked in a black company, so its not just a matter for others.

Thats you mentioned it earlier, but whats it like? Im curious because I dont know about workplaces other than my own.

Haha, well, its bad. First of all, theres no concept of overtime pay. Even if you work a hundred hours of overtime in a month, its all unpaid. Its normal to be called in on holidays, and theres no handover or manuals because the turnover rate is high.

Thats its practically a crime

As I explained the internal situation of my company (which Ive actually already quit), Harukas face twisted slightly. Well, it was understandable. If I talked about the aspects of power harassment and excessive workload, our company would probably be quite the formidable black company.

But you know, what was even harder was, in the end, people. The mental pain inflicted by those heartless people who dont see others as human.

My words, heavily infused with my real feelings, made Haruka twitch.

Just because theyre seniors or bosses, its a constant stream of insults, calling people idiots, morons, telling them to die! And sometimes they even say things like parents must be incompetent! To be honest, theyre all like dead inside as human beings!

! I understand! Incredibly terrible words fly around! And its treated as if its completely normal!

Exactly! Its weird that you can spew out all kinds of abuse just because its the workplace! Even though theyre adults, theyre hardly any different from rude students!

Yes, yes, thats exactly it! I thought the adult world would be strict but rational! But, its not like that at all!

In response to my passionate complaints, which had leaked out my emotions, Haruka returned with an enthusiastic reaction, as if she completely understood.

The shadows on her face had become extremely faint, and her voice was lively.

Indeed, she probably hadnt had the opportunity to vent out this kind of stress until now.

(It might be insensitive, but Im having a lot of fun)

The darkness of society that had been tormenting me since I became an adult.

To be able to complain about it to the woman I cared about, be empathized with, and drink alcohol over it this loop felt very pleasant.

(If only before dying from overwork, I could have reunited with Haruka and had a conversation like this)

In that case maybe, without relying on the miracle of time loops, I could have avoided my downfall.

Dreaming of such things Haruka and I, the adult version, were getting more and more heated about our workplace grievances, and the atmosphere at the drinking session was steadily warming up.