Middle school.

There was a man you couldn't forget, no matter how much you wanted to. Kogoro Asada. A boy who was in your class back then.

It was only much later that you learned why he had bullied you. Kogoro had someone he liked, and that person had feelings for you. That was all it was.

You hadn't done anything. You hadn't stolen anything from him. Yet, you became the target of his jealousy. You were teased. You were hurt. He dragged those around you into it.

Even now, years later, the memories of those days haven't completely faded.

But you are no longer a child. You graduated, got a job, and built a life for yourself. Without realizing it, the time you spent thinking about those days had grown shorter.

—So, you thought you would never see him again.

• •

That morning. While you were working as usual, your boss introduced a newly transferred employee.

"This is Mr. Asada, who will be working with us starting today."

The moment you heard that name, your body stiffened slightly. You thought you had misheard.

But when you saw the face of the man who appeared next, you knew it was no mistake.

Black hair. A familiar face. Though he looked a bit more mature than before, the resemblance was unmistakable.

Kogoro Asada.

After years of separation, the man who once bullied you was standing before you as if nothing had happened. What's more, it seemed he would be working as your subordinate from now on.

Kogoro was brightly greeting those around him. Apparently, he was married now. His work was going well, and he was living happily with his wife.

He had the face of someone for whom the past you knew didn't exist at all.

Then, Kogoro's gaze turned toward you.

For just a split second, his expression froze.

But it was only for an instant. Immediately, he flashed the same personable smile as in the old days.

And then—he walked right up to you.

It was your first reunion in over a decade.