(M) Chapter 19 – Uninterested
Chapter 3, Part 3
Novel Title: 融愛~Melt Down~ (Melted Love ~Melt Down~)
Author：風結子 沙野 (Fuyuko Sano)
Illustrator：雅良 水名瀬 (Masara Minase)
Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)
Protagonists: 葉越海理 (Yougoshi Kairi -MC), 葉越翼久 (Yougoshi Tasuku -ML)
*Please read at Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*
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The long lashes are raised high, and the eyes are turned towards Tasuku. Those eyes are black like the asphalt after a rainy night, with a slick membrane of water – combined with the redness around the edges, they look like they are in heat.
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Kairi moved his finger from the iced coffee button on the vending machine to the jasmine tea button and pushed it. The liquid pours unevenly into the paper cup. Lately, due to the stress building up from work and home, his stomach has been aching painfully.
He took a seat at the counter by the window in the break area.
The fragrant warm drink is soothing to both his stomach and heart. This jasmine tea is a well-selling product of the Sakuraba Foods company.
Sighing, he gazed out at the world spread out beyond the large, tightly sealed window.
The sunlight pouring down from the clear May sky was bleaching the office district. The overly crisp scenery looked almost like a paper craft town. If this were a paper craft town, then he must have been a flimsy paper doll. Or perhaps he didn’t even exist as a paper doll…
As he drifted in a strangely detached state of consciousness, the sound of heels approaching drew near.
“Yougoshi, is this seat taken?”
Without waiting for a response, Tajima Aiko from the marketing department sat down on the stool next to him.
When Kairi said “You’ve been working hard,” she replied with an unkind remark, “Saying this just makes me feel more tired.”
Aiko took a big gulp of her black coffee and says, “The restaurant expansion project is getting a lot of attention internally, you know.”
“That’s why both Tokiya-san and I feel like we’re going to get stomach ulcers – we can’t afford to fail at this.”
“Ah, that’s why you’re drinking tea. Yougoshi is always the coffee type, and an iced one at that.”
“You know me well.”
Since they were in the same cohort and assigned to the same department, Aiko and Kairi have had quite a few meals together, sometimes just the two of them. That was probably how she noticed that Kairi always drinks iced coffee. At home he usually has it hot, but outside he prefers iced for a refreshing feeling.
“I remembered that you always go for iced coffee, while I’m the type who sticks to hot coffee.”
“I see.”
“…Yougoshi, you don’t seem to have much interest in people, do you?”
“Huh?”
“Even when we have meals together, you don’t remember people’s favourite foods or dislikes. You’re diligent with your own work. But you don’t seem eager to learn about others’ projects. It’s like you really don’t have much interest in people.”
That hits a sore spot. It’s more bewildering than unpleasant.
“Am I that unpleasant?”
“No, everyone else is just captivated by your good-natured personality. So they don’t notice.”
“I see. Then that’s good.”
“No, it’s not good. In marketing, you need to be interested in people. Right now it’s fine since you’re working with Tokiya-san. But if you don’t improve, it’ll be troublesome going forward.”
It’s a painful but accurate assessment.
Aiko seems to be genuinely concerned.
“Thanks.”
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*Translator’s Note: 🎵He got that toxic vibe, exactly what I like… 🎶← lyrics from ‘Red Flag’ by Cloudy June. -K
*GLOSSARY:
- Onii-san / Onii-chan / Nii-san / Nii-chan / Aniki = (Big/Elder) Brother
☝🏻I’ll be using these throughout my translation.
Next update: 2025.01.14
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