“Is the temperature in the car okay? Please let me know so I can increase the temperature!”

“…Thank you for your concern, but I’m fine.”

“Glad to hear it! So…your destination is the Alegria Gardens Gr Tower, right? Just have to make sure with you.”

“Yes, please take me there. Sorry for calling you out so late.”

“No, no. don’t worry about it. I’m just doing my job!”

In the car. Hazuki was responding to the driver with complete awareness. It was as if she was a completely different person than when she was talking to Ryoma. No, this was just the way she is.

“So, what did you do today? I heard that you were drunk, so I was wondering if you had a…..drinking party or something?”

“Well, something along those lines. I just needed to consult with a business associate of mine.”

“Eh!? You were there for a consultation!? It’s so amazing that you have people to depend on you at such a young age. I would have never imagined that were the case.”

“Well, partially, I guess it’s because I’ve been working there for a long time. Say, you seem pretty young to be working as a driver, right?”

“I’m turning twenty-six this year.”

“Ah…so you’re the same age as me. I thought you were much younger than that.”

“Eh, do you really mean it!? Thank you very much! That just relieved all my stress in two ways!”

Being seen as young and being the same age. A smile spread across Hazuki’s face as she swayed her body from side to side as she expressed her happiness. It was a rare sight to see a driver in such high spirits.

Despite her reckless behaviour, she was able to compose herself rather quickly and drive safely.

“So, back to the topic at hand, you were consulting with a business associate of yours today and had a lot of drinks, right?”

“Yeah, he was a very strong drinker──”

“You forced yourself so that Miss doesn’t have to bother with it, is what you’re saying?”

“That’s right… I’ve been forcing myself to look good, but I think I’ll put a stop to it now. I can’t afford to make the same mistake twice.”

“Yes, you should. Please be kinder to your body! It’s healthier for you too!”

The two were exchanging words through the rearview mirror. Since they were roughly the same age, they were able to close the gap between them fairly quickly.

“Um, is it okay if I ask you a question, Miss? There’s something that has been weighing on my mind since earlier.”

“What is it….?”

“Why did you continue to pretend to be drunk in front of the man who helped you? By the time I arrived, you were limping, but when you boarded the cab, you began to sober up, so why?”

“You have a pretty sharp eye for a driver.”

“Thank you for the compliment! So what’s your reason for doing so?”

“….The night breeze sobered me up, but I couldn’t comprehend the situation. A strange man stood next to me the entire time. If he had attacked me, I wouldn’t have been able to resist, so I decided not to provoke him to be on the safe side.”

“Huh!? So Miss didn’t have the faintest idea that he was calling a cab for you?!”

“I only had vague memories of him talking to me or something…”

“So that’s what you meant. That makes sense then.”

At that time, Hazuki was drunk. Her drunken state was inevitable. That was the scariest part about Alchohol.

“But…your very fortunate Miss that such a kind man came to your aid. You might have been taken home or sexually harassed in private if it hadn’t been for that man.”

“It’s also possible that the man had planned on sexually harassing me.”

Hazuki couldn’t remember all of her conversations and interactions with Ryoma. As a result of the lack of clarity, she also stated the possibility of sexual harassment.

“Ah, that’s okay. That man would never do that.”

“Eh? How can you be so sure?”

This was the first time Hazuki had learnt about Ryoma’s concern for her, the man who had saved her.

“Because he specifically asked for a female driver instead of a male one, out of concern for you, Miss. No one so considerate would do something like that.”

“Is that so? So it wasn’t a total coincidence that I got a female driver?”

“That’s right. Plus, when I went to pick you up, that man was keeping his distance from you. Had he planned on doing anything strange, he would have stood closer to you.”

“……..”

“And that’s not all. For about 20 minutes, he waited out in the cold snow, protecting you until it was time for you to leave. If such a man had sexually harassed me, I would have lost faith in humanity long ago.”

Perhaps because she(cab driver) met many people in her life, she was more persuasive than most.

“…I see.”

Hazuki calmly accepted the driver’s words, vividly looking heartbroken.

“And how could you suspect him of sexual harassment after everything he’s done for you?”

After hearing all of her prior explanations, Hazuki noticed a bottle of natural water in her purse. Immediately, she vividly recalled who was the one who had bought it for her.

“It sounds like something out of a fairy tale, but he may have had an ulterior motive along the lines of ‘I know that this lady lives in the tower flat, so I might get some reward’, you know? Although I think there’s a very slim chance of that since he didn’t stop you from returning back home.”

“Pfft-, it certainly sounds like a fairy tale.”

“It was something I was that confident about……Sorry!”

“If you’re so sure of him, I have no choice but to believe you. Frankly, I’m convinced.”

Hazuki felt like an idiot. She had been wary of the driver’s compliments and had been pretending to be drunk the entire time. A warm feeling arose in Hazuki when the stranger expressed concern for her. Not only that, but it also made her feel like a natural member of society.

“I have one request of you, driver.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“You have his contact information, don’t you? If so──”

“──I’m sorry, I can’t do that…”

The driver, who had heard all Hazuki had to say, lowered her voice and apologised.

“I understand that you want to thank the man, but this is a matter of confidentiality.”

“That’s right……I’m sorry. I know it’s a lot to ask.”

“I’m sorry for being so inflexible.”

“Fufu~, shouldn’t we be flexible in the first place?”

“Yes, that’s right!”

Both of them were working adults of society. They both had a certain amount of common sense; thus, they could bring this discussion to an end rather quickly.

The rate at which the heavy atmosphere dissipates cannot easily be re-created. Following this, they resumed their cheerful conversation before arriving at Hazuki’s condominium, their final destination.

“Thank you very much for today. You’ve been a big help.”

“No, no, no, no, absolutely not! Anyway, the fee is 910 yen. You can also pay by credit card if you want.”

“I’ll pay by cash then…And please, take this as an expression of my gratitude.”

“E-eh….!!?”

Without refraining or hesitating, the moment Hazuki handed her the money, she screamed like a frog being trampled. What Hazuki presented before her was not just 1000 yen or 5000 yen; it was a 10,000 yen bill.

There was a vast difference between 10,000 yen and 910 yen. If you did a quick calculation, that would amount to a difference of 9000 yen or more.

“A-ah, n-no, that’s…not right….! I’ll pass you back the change! Let’s see…hmm…”

“I’d like to get your driver’s card as payment instead. If there’s a next time, I’ll ask you again.”

“My card surely can’t be worth that much, you know!? Here it is! It’s free!”

“Thank you. ….And you should obediently accept favours when they come. We’re the same age, so you don’t have to be shy.”

After accepting the business card with both her hands, Hazuki slipped the 10,000 yen bill into the drivers’ hand the same way she exchanged business cards. She wouldn’t have been able to do this if she hadn’t had dozens or hundreds of opportunities to exchange business cards. It was a skill she had acquired over the years.

“Then I’ll ask you again.”

“Well…uh…yes! Then, I’ll take it without reservation! Thank you very much for having me!”

After handing over the cash, Hazuki turned her back on the driver and approached the entrance of her condominium as the cab drove away.

There was only one thing on Hazuki mind at the moment.

“Hah…I wonder what I should do to get the driver to talk. She’s such a hard worker. It’s definitely going to take a lot of work.”

Hazuki had convinced herself that it was a matter of confidentiality, but deep down, she hadn’t given up yet. The only thing that kept her going was her desire to thank the man.

“Fufu, I wonder if it’s going to be my first time to have such a happy experience without having to use that.”

Grabbing her card key and phone from her bag, Hazuki turned on her phone and operated it while disarming the security at the entrance.

When she stopped moving her hands, the LCD lit up; what was displayed was──the homepage of the lover’s agency service, Farfalle.