"But I'm sure we share the same feelings. "
Hana gave Mari an inquisitive look coupled with a frown, prompting the older woman to clarify her words as quickly as possible.
"Ah, I mean, not like that! I don't have feelings for the Chief! " Mari quickly replied, struggling to get out a coherent sentence.
She even left her pot of ice cream beside her on the bench, to energetically wave her arms and physically contradict what the young woman was thinking.
It seemed to work, because Hana's face finally relaxed.
Mari sighed for a long time, having narrowly avoided a crisis.
Chief Kobayashi was definitely a touchy subject to talk about.
"What I mean... " Mari continued with a smile, "is that I can see myself in you. "
This seemed to interest Hana, who had become curious.
What did Mari mean by that?
Did she also...?
"You didn't fall in love with him today, did you? " Mari asked, in a barely audible voice.
Hana simply nodded her head in response. Without a word.
Mari slowly fell back, pressing her body against the back of the bench they were sitting on; and slowly enough to avoid knocking over her melting ice cream. She combed a few strands of hair behind her left ear, showing perfectly manicured nails with cute and colorful flower patterns. She revealed by the same gesture that her ear was not pierced, and thus, that she did not wear an earring. This was rather strange and unusual, especially for a woman who seemed to follow all the trends and the latest fashions.
Hana then looked away to her caramel and mint ice cream. She'd been craving something sweet, without it being extravagant.
"You met him before today, and, go figure..." Mari continued. "You wanted to see him again, even if it meant coming to work at our company on purpose? "
Mari also seemed to be recalling things that only she knew, showing a bitter and nostalgic face.
Her deduction had been correct, and it reminded Hana of all the job interviews she had to go through, for more than six months. She had been turned down several times, but in the end, she had been hired. She wasn't sure if she had ever wanted to give up. But if that had indeed been the case, she was glad she hadn't given up until now.
"I don't know if you'll really be able to keep up, with a job this demanding... " Mari reflected aloud. "Not to mention the fact that the person you're interested in is not someone easily approachable... Have you ever dated anyone, Hana-chan?"
Mari turned her gaze to the young woman, and expected to see her a little depressed by her words, but it was not to be. Hana merely smiled, while shaking her head at her to answer "no".
Hana could only feel a certain attachment to her older colleague, who was quite caring with her. She appreciated the attention and concern that was directed at her. This made her feel even more resolute and confident.
"Hmm... that makes me feel better... "Mari said while getting up from the bench.
Hana gave Mari a questioning look. The latter had to clarify again what she meant by that. The young woman was not very good at detecting abstract topics of conversation.
Taking Hana's hands in hers, Mari looked at her with a confident gaze, and smiled tenderly.
"I'm reassured that you're someone who doesn't seem to be cold-hearted, Hana-chan. " Mari confessed. "There's nothing harder than solving your own affairs of the heart. Especially when you have little or no experience in it... "
Mari then tightened her grip on the young woman's home, as if to emphasize what she would say next.
"But I'm confident that if it's you, you'll get it done. "
Hana felt a strange sensation come over her. She shivered, and her heart seemed to beat faster. Her hands felt warm, as did her chest. Was this what they called forming a relationship with someone?
And more than that, was this the closest she could come to having a friend?
She wasn't sure, and it was only her first day. So it was too early for anything to be decided, and fixed in advance.
Making friends was unpredictable in itself. It was not something planned, something scheduled; but something that happened by chance. A happy accident.
The most important friends one could make all had the same thing in common, after all: one could never remember how it started, and it was unlikely to ever end.
'Stay away. I don't want anything to do with you. How do I have to tell you this so you'll understand?'
Those hurtful words had come back to her mind.
The most important friendships had little chance of ending, it was true.
But it was also true that when they did end, it was not without consequences, nor was it peaceful.
"But if you need advice, don't hesitate! " Mari declared, putting her thumb on her chest to point to herself. "I've dated a lot of men, so from your perspective, I could be an expert on relationships! "
A relationship expert? Could such a title really exist? Hana was curious to know what kind of advice her older sister could give her. But something else made her even more curious at the time.
"What do you mean by the fact that you see yourself in me, Mari-san?" Hana finally asked.
This time Mari put on a clever and amused smile. And pointing an index finger at Hana, Mari lowered it several times, as if she was pressing a button or an imaginary wall, as she answered:
"That's. A. Se. Cret. "She articulated very clearly.
Then, raising that same index finger to place it on her own pink lips, she added thoughtfully:
"I suppose finding out for yourself might be good practice? "
The two women threw their empty cardboard cups into the nearest trash can; then, worried, Mari added:
"But you know, Hana-chan... " She said as she turned to return to their workplace. "You should refrain from saying or showing too many personal things about yourself... Not everyone is as nice as you. Or as Ren-kun, Yuuto-kun, or myself..."
It seemed to her that the young woman was walking behind her, which encouraged her to speak a little more.
"The world of adults is much more terrifying than the world of children. It is far more cruel, and people with truly good intentions are rare... And apparent kindness can also hide evil things... "
Not hearing the young woman's footsteps echoing her own, Mari stopped and turned back to Hana.
She was surprised to see that Hana was not looking at her and was showing her back. The new recruit was facing the opposite direction, looking at something in the distance. But Mari didn't immediately see anything that would attract Hana's attention so much that she forgot about her surroundings.
Perhaps across the main street?
Curious as to what Hana was absorbed in looking at so intently, Mari followed the young woman's contemplative gaze, and found what she was looking at: chief Kobayashi, walking side by side with deputy chief Ogawa.
She couldn't see Hana's expression from where she was standing.
Yet, she would surely remember for a long time the painful and sad tone with which the young woman spoke, when she pronounced two simple yet important words:
"I know. "