Parsed with an automated reader. The content accuracy is not guranteed.
“……you don’t seem all that well
for some reason. Did something happen at work?”\n\nThat was the
first thing Kusamakura opened his mouth to say when he headed to the
park for lunch as usual. Tatsumi lifted his naturally lowered head
and shook it slowly. \n\n“No, there are no problems at all. My
stress from before has gone down considerably……”\n\nHe
wasn’t sure what changed, or how it happened, but the coworker that
had spoken to him before—a new hire, a female employee named
Shimura, became Tatsumi’s messenger, replacing Yamauchi. Unlike
Yamauchi, she interacted with him without hostility, almost way too casually. Of course she had done various things for him, but he was thankful
that he no longer felt the pressure he had felt up until now more
than anything. However, with one problem gone, another had surfaced.
Tatsumi thought back on the unusual phenomenon happening around him,
and unconsciously let out another sigh.\n\n“If it’s not stress
from work, then what is it?”\n\n“No, it’s nothing……”\n\n“If
you’re saying it’s nothing, then don’t make such an impudent
face.”\n\n“Impudent……”\n\nJust what sort of face
was he making, Tatsumi wondered as he touched his cheeks. He knew he
wasn’t really joking with him, but using such an old-fashioned word
brought a wide smile to his face. \n\n“What?”\n\n“Nothing.”