About Love: Chapter 4

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Leaning against the wall of the building, Asaka stood still. The wind blowing through the gaps between the buildings was biting cold, and though he was wearing a thick shirt, he regretted not bringing a jacket.

At precisely 7:30 PM, Sasagawa arrived, right on time. A gray suit, a black bag—his appearance was so unremarkable that, in the chaos of a crowded train platform, one might have easily overlooked him. But the moment his eyes found Asaka, his previously unhurried steps picked up slightly.

"Good evening."

The man hunched his shoulders slightly, as if to ward off the cold.

"Sorry for calling you out so suddenly."

Sasagawa gave a small shake of his head in front of him.

"Not at all. I'm happy you invited me. Still, it’s quite cold today. Maybe it’s the wind."

"It is… Shall we get moving?"

The two of them started walking side by side.

Leaving behind the bustling entertainment district, they turned onto Yashikimachi Street, where the crowd thinned out considerably. Ahead of them, there wasn’t a single person in sight. Only the sound of their footsteps echoed loudly through the old arcade.

"Asaka-san, did you have the day off today?"

"No, I worked."

"I see…"

For a moment, Asaka wondered why Sasagawa had asked that. It wasn’t until much later that he realized—it must have been because he was in casual clothes.

After rounding the corner by the bakery and climbing a gentle slope, they reached the sign for Ruri-iro. The noren curtain hanging at the entrance bore the name in white against a deep indigo background.

The moment they stepped inside, the proprietress behind the counter let out a delighted "Oh!"

"Asaka-san! It’s been a while."

"Yes, sorry I haven’t been around."

She turned to Sasagawa, who had taken the seat beside Asaka, and greeted him with a warm smile. "Welcome."

It must have been his first time in a place like this, because he kept glancing around at the decorations and the menu, unable to settle down.

As the proprietress set out a small appetizer on the counter, she asked, "What would you like to drink?"

Sasagawa hesitated, flipping through the menu, so Asaka recommended Yumezakuchi—a sake from Toyama, mild and easy to drink, unlikely to be disliked.

They clinked glasses in silent acknowledgment.

Asaka watched Sasagawa as he took his first sip. He could hear the subtle sound of his throat swallowing, followed by a quiet exhale. Slowly, the tension in the man’s face melted away.

"This is good."

Satisfied with that response, Asaka finally took a sip himself. The sake had a smooth, floral aroma—his favorite brand. To say he had come to Ruri-iro just to drink this would not have been an exaggeration.

He wanted to get drunk quickly. But the presence of the man beside him put the brakes on his right hand.

This person wasn’t an old friend. He was a client. If Kohara found out, she wouldn’t just scold him—she’d probably smack him upside the head. If she knew that he had asked out a friendly client just because he couldn’t stand being alone…

"Asaka-san, who is this gentleman? Introduce me, won’t you?"

The proprietress asked while clearing away the empty dishes. Asaka took a deep breath, still holding his glass.

"This is Sasagawa-sama. He was the very first client whose wedding I organized."

"Oh my," she murmured, clearly intrigued.

"So Sasagawa-sama is a very special client to you, then."

"That’s right."

Beside him, Sasagawa lowered his gaze, clearly embarrassed. Ignoring him, Asaka ordered another drink. He kept an eye on the level of Sasagawa’s glass, timing it just right to order another for him as well.

"Are you busy these days?" Sasagawa asked, making polite conversation.

"More or less. Even though we’re a little past peak season, it’s still the wedding rush. What about you, Sasagawa-sama?"

"Aside from the end of the fiscal year, it’s not too bad. I take it easy."

Asaka hated the sight of an empty glass, so he kept ordering more, never letting his drink run dry. At some point, he stopped holding back out of courtesy for the man beside him. And with a bitter realization, he thought to himself—what a pathetic excuse for a man he was.

"Um…"

The man beside him spoke hesitantly.

"I might be prying, but… Asaka-san, are you troubled by something?"

The thought that even someone he hadn’t known for long could see through him so easily was almost amusing.

"Not really… Do I look like I am?"

He forced a teasing smile, but Sasagawa's expression remained serious.

"You’ve seemed lost in thought for a while. If you’d like, I can listen. I probably can’t do much beyond that, but if talking helps lighten your burden…"

Kind or just overly considerate…?

Asaka let out a small, wry laugh. He regretted, just a little, that he had called out someone special like this just because he hadn’t wanted to be alone.

"It’s really nothing."

That afternoon, at the very end of a consultation, a bride-to-be had left with a bitter parting remark: I wish I’d never come here. Her voice had been ringing in Asaka’s ears ever since.

"But talking about myself would be boring. Why don’t you tell me something instead, Sasagawa-sama? Your wife is a homemaker, right? You once mentioned she was great at cooking. I’m envious. Does she wait for you to come home before having dinner?"

"Yes, she does."

Sasagawa lowered his gaze slightly, as if embarrassed to talk about his personal life.

"And your home is always spotless, your shirts perfectly pressed, and your sheets always freshly washed, right? That sounds like a dream."

The proprietress chimed in from behind the counter.

"If you think so, then hurry up and find yourself a nice girl—and introduce her to me while you’re at it."

Asaka shrugged.

"Why do women keep overlooking a great guy like me?"

He joked, making the proprietress laugh. But beside him, Sasagawa simply nodded solemnly.

"It might be strange to say this in front of you, but out of all the couples I’ve worked with, I’ve never admired any as much as you and your wife. You don’t even need words to understand each other. When one of you stumbles, the other naturally reaches out a hand. That’s… my ideal. So please, Sasagawa-sama, stay happy with your wife. Just knowing that will be enough to keep me going in this job."

Then, almost as an afterthought, he murmured:

"To be honest, I had another couple break up today. It’s been happening a lot lately… Haha…"

The lack of a response made the air feel unbearably heavy. Asaka quickly emptied his glass and ordered another drink.

"Asaka-san…"

Sasagawa spoke suddenly.

"It’s unfortunate that your sincerity didn’t reach them."

Maybe it was the alcohol, but Asaka felt dangerously close to crying.

"Let’s drink, Sasagawa-sama."

He pushed a cup toward him, downing his own. Trying to chase away the looming tears, he kept drinking, cup after cup. Before he knew it, he was sinking into a deep, muddled haze—until his memory faded completely.

◇:-:◆:-:◇

Spring and autumn were peak wedding seasons, and every year, the office was so busy they could have used extra hands. But now that December had arrived and the rush had passed, the tense atmosphere at Office Dragée had finally begun to settle.

After inspecting a church and reception venue with a couple set to marry in two weeks, Asaka parted ways with them on-site and returned to the office.

By 7 PM, the place was empty. He sat down at his desk and pulled out the unfinished script from his bag. He couldn’t go home until he completed the plan for tomorrow’s consultation.

The couple he was preparing for had an extensive list of requests. Unless he put serious effort into it, there was no way to fit everything within their budget. Some things would be impossible, and they would have to compromise—but as a coordinator, Asaka, like anyone in his profession, wanted to fulfill as many of their wishes as possible.

With an onigiri and coffee he had picked up from the convenience store, he spread out his notebook, materials, and a memo detailing the couple’s requests.

About thirty minutes into struggling with the plan in the cold office, he heard footsteps in the hallway. The sharp sound grew closer until the office door swung open.

Kohara entered, carrying large paper bags in both hands. Asaka quickly stood and took the bags from her, but they were heavier than expected, making him stumble slightly.

"You carried these here by yourself?"

Kohara let out a smug little huff.

"This is nothing compared to carrying kids. Just put them in the corner. I’ll sort them out tomorrow."

Kohara, who never let her private life mix with work and never showed a trace of domesticity, briefly revealed a glimpse of her motherly side. As she crossed the office, she lightly patted Asaka on the shoulder before stopping in front of his desk. Picking up the half-finished script, she let out a small chuckle.

"You should allow more time for travel between Sakanoshima Church and the reception venue. If it rains, traffic will be a mess."

"You're right. I'll adjust it."

Kohara flicked the edge of the script with her finger.

"Other than that, I’d say it’s coming along well… or I would if you’d actually finished it. That aside, where were you last night? I tried calling your cell, but you didn’t pick up."

"I was at a movie with a friend. I must have had it off while watching."

"Hmm…" Kohara murmured, peering up at him.

Asaka shrugged.

"It wasn’t anything urgent, so it’s fine. But—who did you go with? Sounds suspicious."

"It’s nothing like that. A guy friend of mine won tickets to a preview screening and invited me. It was an American film called Inspire. I’d recommend it. There’s a scene at the end where the protagonists, now in their seventies, finally have their wedding. The atmosphere was incredible. It really made me think—at the end of the day, a wedding is about how you express yourself."

Kohara’s brows furrowed.

"Asaka… You went to a romance film with another guy? And that wasn’t awkward?"

His face burned with embarrassment. Sure, the theater had been full of couples, and sure, a tall man like Sasagawa had stood out even more among them… but still.

"You don’t have to put it like that. Sasagawa-san knew about the movie’s content and still invited me."

Kohara’s eyes widened.

"You went out with Sasagawa-sama again? You’ve been seeing him a lot lately."

"It’s not that often. The last time was when he taught me billiards, about a week ago."

"That’s still once a week."

Now that she said it out loud, Asaka realized—yeah, they had been meeting that often.

Kohara sighed, placing a hand on her hip.

“No matter how well you know Sasagawa-sama’s wife from coordinating their wedding, it’s highly inappropriate to be taking her husband out this often. I doubt she’s happy about it.”

Even without Kohara pointing it out, Asaka had been thinking the same thing.

Before making plans with Sasagawa, he always made sure to ask, Won’t your wife worry if you’re out late? But Sasagawa would always respond with something like, Oh, she’s going out to dinner with friends that day too, or She’d probably prefer me spending time with you rather than going to a company drinking party.

And so, Asaka had convinced himself it was fine. Even for last night’s movie, he had initially declined, suggesting, Wouldn’t it be better to go with your wife? But Sasagawa had replied, She already made plans to see it with a friend.

That left Asaka with no reason to refuse. It had all started after they went out for drinks. After two couples in a row had broken off their engagements under his watch, Asaka had hit a low point. That night had been one of the worst drunken disasters of his life—easily in the top three.

He had blacked out, thrown up repeatedly, and on top of that, made Sasagawa take him all the way back to his apartment. The next morning, when Asaka woke up to find Sasagawa dozing off in the corner of his room, still sitting upright, he felt the crushing weight of his own actions.

The hangover was miserable, but the guilt of having caused Sasagawa so much trouble made his stomach churn even worse.

“I don’t even know how to apologize… I got drunk on my own and dragged you into it. And your wife—what must she think…”

As he apologized over and over, Sasagawa rubbed his tired, reddened eyes and shook his head.

“I already called and explained everything to my wife. There’s nothing to worry about.”

If only he had shown even the slightest annoyance—just a hint of exasperation. But no matter how Asaka looked at him, Sasagawa remained perfectly composed.

His gentle demeanor was reflected in every word he spoke, making Asaka feel oddly suffocated.

“I actually really like the atmosphere of izakayas, so I was happy you invited me. I’m not much of a talker, and I don’t have any particular hobbies, so I don’t often get invited to drinking parties at work.”

He let out a small, self-deprecating laugh, his eyes downcast. It was true—Sasagawa wasn’t the most talkative person, and some might even find him dull. But Asaka had never disliked people like him.

“There are plenty of people who are good at talking,” Asaka said. “But people like you, who are good at listening, are surprisingly rare.”

Sasagawa lifted his gaze.

“My boss once told me that being able to listen means you have a natural sense of empathy for others.”

And so?

The words left his mouth before he could find a conclusion. But even without one, Sasagawa’s hesitant expression softened into a smile—one that said he had understood exactly what Asaka had meant.

“I hadn’t enjoyed drinking that much in a long time.”

Sasagawa scratched the back of his head, looking slightly bashful. At that moment, Asaka thought—I want to go drinking with this man again. After that, they started keeping in frequent contact.

Most of the invitations came from Sasagawa, but in terms of casual phone calls, Asaka was the one who reached out more. He enjoyed talking to Sasagawa. Something about his slow, steady voice had a calming effect.

When they were together, Sasagawa often talked about his wife—how they had driven to the coast for lunch on Sunday, how she had begged him to go to the movies with her.

Asaka had never thought that Sasagawa was neglecting his wife to spend time with him. But he also understood why it might look strange—two grown men, meeting up so often just to hang out.

Kohara, watching Asaka fall silent, tilted her head and let out a small sigh.

“I’m not saying it’s wrong to be friendly with a client. Just… keep in mind that he’s been married for barely a year. Make sure you’re maintaining the right boundaries.”

Her words left no room for argument. All Asaka could do was nod.

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