We share the same feelings.

"It seems that you're very interested in our Chief, isn't it? "

At first, Hana was a little taken aback by the precision of Ren's statement. Then she panicked a little. Would they criticize her if she told the truth? Would they make fun of her? Or even get angry?

She avoided eye contact with her three new colleagues as much as possible, focusing either on the patterns on the wood of the table, or on her chopsticks that remained lined up on said table, or on the menus posted on the wall across the room.

But that's when...

"Did you, perhaps, fall in love with him at first sight? "Mari asked sincerely.

Her tone of voice was calm and filled with kindness, which made Hana feel comfortable again. It was as if the older woman had felt her anxiety, and wanted to reassure her a little.

This gave Hana courage, even though it was almost non-existent, and allowed her to pull herself together.

She turned her head to the woman wearing glasses with thin, round red frames, and Hana looked her straight in the eye.

" What if that' s the truth? " Hana asked, with a confident look on her face, despite her slightly shaky voice.

"Oh!" Mari blurted out in surprise. The older woman rushed over and gently took Hana's hands in her own. "So there really was something! "

"I'm never wrong when it comes to watching all of you," Ren smiled proudly.

"Right on your first day? " Yuuto questioned, "You only saw him for, what? Five whole minutes? And you call that love? "

"Oh shut up Yuuto-kun! "Mari told him off. "It's not the amount of time that counts, but the intensity. Right? "

"But... I really don't understand... "Yuuto sighed, still confused. "Women are really strange... "

Ren quickly patted Yuuto's back, before turning his attention back to Hana. He was obviously not entirely satisfied with her answer, and stared at her in spite of himself. But that didn't mean he didn't have sympathy for Yuuto, who was in uncharted territory when it came to feelings, or even women.

"But... isn't the Chief already taken? " Yuuto asked, "I mean... He's really an old guy, isn't he... So I wouldn't be surprised if he already has someone. "

Ren sighed heavily. "Yamamoto-san talking about our Chief's love life? Give me a break here... "

"What do you mean by that? " Yuuto asked, still confused.

"Anyway, it's not like you can understand that kind of thing, right? " Sighed Ren.

Okay. Maybe she was starting to understand them.

Yamamoto Yuuto didn't know anything about life outside of his job and was pretty naive. Ito Ren was an overly curious workaholic with a lot of manners.

As for Hasami Mari, she was...

Hana fidgeted a bit more in her seat, her hands still trapped in Mari's.

"I... I checked earlier... " Hana began, "And... He didn't have a ring, on either hand... "

"How clever you are, Hana-chan! "Mari exclaimed, beaming.

That's right. Hasami Mari was that kind of woman. The kind you could become friends with almost instantly, naturally. As if she was a long lost friend that you had just found again.

So Hana couldn't help but feel comfortable with her.

Mari loosened her grip on Hana's hands, momentarily returning her attention to her bowl of ramen. She seemed pleased that she had ordered a portion of roast pork to go with it.

Ren emptied his glass of iced tea and then set it back down on the table in front of him, the ice cubes hitting the rim of the glass with a crystal clear sound. Then he cleared his throat.

"Anyone could have known that, even without extraordinary observation skills," Ren said, not addressing anyone in particular. "I mean... would you observe his bad temper, every day for three hundred and sixty-five days straight, and think 'Woah, this guy must have a lovely, loving wife waiting for him at home'? "

"Probably... Not... " Yuuto conceded while slowly chewing his ramen. "He probably doesn't have a girlfriend either, with all the overtime he works every day... "

"Could you please refrain from talking with your mouth full, Yamamoto-san?" Ren scolded.

"Here we go again... What a gramps he is... "Mari muttered under her breath.

Once again, Ren didn't react to the teasing and started to eat his food as well.

"But... Now that you mention it..." Yuuto thought aloud. At the same time, he wiped some broth from the corner of his lips, then with a thoughtful look, looked at Ren. "I once saw his phone wallpaper, and it wasn't even a known person or place. Or even anything interesting. It was just... basic? "

"Eeeeh, now you're getting creepy, Yuuto-kun! " Mari reacted, faking a shiver. "Acting like a stalker! "

"I highly doubt Yamamoto-san would be able to pull off something like that... " Ren sighed. "He would have to be interested in someone first for that to happen, and you know how he is, Hasami-san. "

"How... I am? " Yuuto repeated, doubtful.

Mari cast a sidelong glance at Yuuto and pouted, "Yeah... No way. "

This made Hana smile.

The rest of their lunch was spent mostly talking about work and the various questions Hana asked. Her three colleagues also gave her advice on how to handle her first week of work.

Eventually, they finished their meal and walked out of the small restaurant back to the company building.

"You guys go ahead! Hana-chan and I are going to buy ourselves an ice cream before we go back to work! " Mari smiled while taking Hana by the arm.

The two men didn't question her decision - they barely raised an eyebrow and nodded, really - and continued on their way to their workplace.

"M...Mari-san?" Hana stammered; surprised by the sudden gesture of the woman older than her.

"Let's go, Hana-chan! "Mari insisted while pulling on the young woman's arm.

Mari then dragged the young woman behind her, and led her to another small store selling cold and hot drinks, as well as all kinds of ice cream flavors.

The store was called "Sweet Lavender", and in accordance with its name, the interior of the store had been painted with many shades of purple; pastel purple being the predominant color.

There were two seating areas for on-site consumption: an indoor room, and an outdoor terrace with tables and chairs shaded by three huge white umbrellas.

The refrigerated cabinets held at least a dozen different flavors, forming a disorganized and chaotic rainbow. Mari and Hana carefully examined the name of each flavor.

One' s choice depended mainly on your state of mind and emotions at the time, but also on one's preference for one taste over another. While Mari was excited and eager to share personal things, Hana was more anxious, wondering what Mari would bring up as a topic.

A few minutes later, the two women were sitting on a bench just outside one of the green spaces in front of the Marline Insurance building. The fall temperatures were still warm enough to enjoy the outdoor spaces without feeling a cool breeze. And the view was quite beautiful, the maple leaves beginning to turn orange and yellow, but not yet wearing deep, vibrant reds.

This was just the beginning of all the changes that were happening at the end of summer, and Hana thought it mirrored her own personal life a bit. Things were changing for her, too, right now. She wasn't sure if it would be as significant a change as the ones she had experienced before. But getting a job was a big step in itself. However, she still wasn't sure if she was going in the right direction.

"So... I guess you didn't tell us everything earlier. Right? " Mari guessed; focused on amassing enough strawberry ice cream on her little wooden spoon.

Again, Hana was a little surprised.

Adults were really quick-witted. It made her shiver a little.

It was a real change of pace for her, even with her previous studies. There was no one more outspoken and open-minded than the real, working adults. And here she was now: out of her own world, discovering strange and surprising things. Interesting, exciting, frightening things.

She was 21, but that didn't necessarily make her an adult. She felt frozen in time, since her seventeenth year. As if nothing had changed since then.

Yet she already had all the duties, responsibilities, and rules that an adult had to live by.

So she wasn't exactly confident. Not by a long shot. But, maybe, if she was brave enough, and didn't leave anything behind, she could really change, again. Just like back then.

She looked Mari straight in the eye, despite her racing heart. Mari, meanwhile, was still staring at her ice cream bowl.

"I may not have said everything... But what makes you think I'm going to tell you everything? We have only just met today. "Hana said curtly.

Mari smiled, then left the cup of ice still in her hands to direct her gaze towards Hana. This time, the two women looked each other in the eyes.

It was only right to be suspicious of others in everyday life. Hana knew this perfectly well. She looked naive and ignorant. But that was just a facade. There was no one more distrustful than she was of others. Also, the people she could trust blindly could be counted on one hand.

However, Hana felt that Mari had a way of constantly surprising her, and making her let her guard down. And what she said afterwards only confirmed this impression.

"You're right, we only met today... " Mari conceded.

"But I'm sure we share the same feelings. "