Chapter 1.3 - To Lunch or Not to Lunch
By lunchtime, Mirei felt beat. Not exactly because of work – that bit was so routine she could as well as do it asleep – but because she had been lying through her teeth back at the elevator. Not only did she not eat anything on the way, she had in fact also skipped breakfast.
(Only getting water the whole day is harsh.)
Just as she was contemplating whether to sneak into one of the food shops downstairs, she saw a pair of eyes peeking over at her. It was the junior from the elevator glancing over with something that probably was best described as meekly hopeful.
Mirei smiled back at him shortly and then averted her gaze in favor of obstinately staring at her computer screen. A few moments later she heard a clap and when she cautiously glanced upwards she could see comforting hands resting on the young man’s shoulder. His colleagues seemed to drag him along. She also saw a peevish grimace watching her before it vanished along with the group. It was an expression of either a little scolding or some sort of mild amusement. Maybe it was a bit of both.
After they were all gone and out of sight, the tension was released from Mirei’s shoulders. She stretched her back straight by raising her arms and pumping her fists against the ceiling, one after another. Eventually, she slumped back into her chair’s backrest.
(Ah, so much to getting some lunch…)
She tiredly glanced twice against the square patterned sound protection installations at the ceiling while thinking back on everything.
When she refused his lunch invitation this morning, she made it sound like she carefully weighed her words, but the truth was she had them long prepared while the man had failed to say anything during the elevator ride.
(I mean, it’s impossible, right? And I don’t even know his name to begin with.)
That last one was on her, though, she probably should have remembered it from the interviews. He may not be from this branch, but he was still a colleague. Yet, she also felt no interest in learning it. She made a mental note to look it up, as she didn’t feel like doing it right away. Mirei had a feeling that they probably wouldn’t meet anytime soon again. Not directly, anyway. And she wasn’t going to challenge any odds.
She stretched herself again, ready to get some more work down. But before she could get too far with that, she felt something cold on her cheek.
“Not taking a break is against the law, you know.” She heard a familiar voice behind her. “Well technically.”
“Going with them would still be work.” She raised her head to look at the face peering at her. “Well practically.”
“Oh, why? Getting some nice lunch is about the only enjoyable thing we have to look forward to every day.”
“Oh why, then quickly run back to your happy time off.”
“Your tongue really is the last thing to stop working even when you’re running on fumes.”
“Well, I’m clocked out, I am free to do anything I want. Even if it happens to be to continue working for ease of mind.”
“Then as your superior, am I not obliged to provide you with a better ease of mind?”
A small bag was held before her nose. Mirei could smell a sour salad sauce and salty soy sauce fragrances coming from it. She frowned.
“Come to the meeting room, will ye?” He grinned.
