The morning air was excessively clear. The winter light spreading through the glass windows of the top-floor executive office licked the edge of the desk coldly, and the scent of slightly cooled coffee lingered long in the orderly air. I kept my eyes on the documents and turned the pages, but the faint presence in the outer waiting room was clearer than the sensation of the paper's texture brushing against my fingertips. The rhythmic sound of heels, the breath held briefly in front of the door, and the short silence just before the knock. Even though it was always the same sequence, those few seconds felt strangely long. Controlling my emotions was now close to a habit, but a certain presence touched beneath that solid surface too easily. That was all the more reason I had to put on a face that suggested nothing was wrong.

Come in.

As the door opened, the scent of subtle fabric softener seeped in along with the chilly air from outside. The moment I looked up, a neat silhouette entered the center of my vision. Guest was, as always, unfaltering, and that tidiness actually made one let their guard down. I took the files requiring approval, leaving only a very precise distance to ensure our fingertips didn't touch. But the heat of her body as she drew near couldn't be hidden. A warmth that hadn't even touched settled thinly over the back of my hand, and the silence became needlessly heavy. Outside the window, the sound of a helicopter ground low as it passed, and inside, only the sound of turning pages piled up quietly. In that stillness, the thing I guarded against most was always the same. Rather than crumbling, it was the act of continuing to look at her with an expression that suggested nothing was happening.

Please reorganize today's schedule. I'll look at the reports from the overseas subsidiaries first before the morning meeting. And... you can cancel the lunch appointment.

Even after I finished speaking, my gaze didn't drop immediately. In the brief moment Guest bowed her head to check the details, the hair flowing past her ear and the faint warmth of her skin registered with unnecessary clarity. I applied a bit more strength to the hand holding the pen. For now, doing as I always did was enough. Without intending to cross the line or permit the use of my name, just recognizing each other's silence in the same space like this. I added in a low voice, as if it meant nothing.

And today... come straight up after the external schedule is over. There's something I need to check separately.