Madam, believe me, how can I be a minotaur?

Section 125

Hearing this, Miss Tomiyama knew that Yamada Yuta had not understood her hint. She sighed helplessly and said, "There are easier ways to stay. A promotion and a raise aren't impossible. Look at Takeshima-kun; he's much more clever than you."

Takeshima was the handsome colleague who had called Yamada Yuta to the office and had walked out looking dejected not long ago.

"Alright, Yamada-kun, you can go back now. Think carefully about what I said. Personally, I don't want you to leave. After all, I quite ‘like’ hard-working and diligent people like you."

After hinting like this, she added again, "Oh, right, please call Takeshima-kun over here. I have something to discuss with him."

Then, without giving Yamada Yuta a chance to speak, she waved him out of the office.

Noticing her reaction, Yamada Yuta immediately realized that his answer had not satisfied the boss.

But since the boss had already given him the order to leave, he couldn't stay any longer. He lowered his head and walked out of the office, feeling somewhat dejected.

After calling the devastated Takeshima to the office, he returned to his workstation.

At first, he couldn't figure out what exactly had disappointed the boss about his answer.

But when he was lying on his company futon at night, tossing and turning and unable to sleep, he suddenly remembered the boss's last words before he left the office.

The boss said she liked his "hard-working" and diligent personality, and she mentioned it twice.

Thinking about how he hadn't been working as hard recently, often going straight home after work, and even when he did work overtime, he would leave an hour early.

He suddenly felt that he might have understood the boss's intentions and understood why she was disappointed in him.

In other words, as long as he worked as hard as he did when he first joined the company, the boss would be satisfied with him again and wouldn't fire him, right?

Thinking of this, he immediately made a decision—continue to work overtime this morning.

This is why he's only just now getting back.

After all, he really doesn't want to be fired.

Because the boss is right.

In Tokyo right now, it's really hard to find a job, and it's even harder to find a good job with such a high salary like he has now.

To be honest, there are countless people eyeing his job right now.

So, he has to work harder. Only by satisfying the boss can he keep his position.

Although he had made a decision, he couldn't help but sigh again when he thought about the upcoming overtime hell.

After a while, he adjusted his mindset and took out his keys to open the door.

As soon as he entered, he noticed Asano Makoto standing in the living room, looking at him with a smile.

Looking at this scene, for some reason, he suddenly had a sense of déjà vu.

He felt like he had seen this scene somewhere before.

It seemed like it was in his house back then, but Asano-kun seemed to be coming from Eriko's room…

Just then, before he could fully recall it, Asano Makoto greeted him first: "Hello, Yuta, why are you so late?"

“Uh…”

Hearing these words as if he were the owner of the house, Yamada Yuta couldn't help but feel a little dazed.

But the next second, he subconsciously answered Asano Makoto's question: "I worked overtime this morning, then went out for a meal after work, and it's always hard to get on the train when I go home, so it's gotten this late."

Hearing these words with three reasons at the same time, Asano Makoto couldn't help but frown.

For some reason, he felt that Yamada Yuta's expression when he said this seemed a little nervous, as if he was hiding something.

Although that matter probably had nothing to do with him, Yamada Yuta didn't seem to want him to know.

Asano Makoto thought for a while, but couldn't figure out the answer, so he stopped worrying about it.

Anyway, it has nothing to do with him.

Then, without waiting for Yamada Yuta to ask him why he was in his house, he took Yamada Yuta into Miyajima Eriko's room.

Looking at Eriko lying on the bed, completely covered, he carefully considered his words and said, "Eriko seems to be sick again, probably because she was caught in the rain yesterday, but I gave her medicine before I left the hotel this morning."

"Eriko is sick again?"

Yamada Yuta said this, and then subconsciously walked to the bed, ready to lift the quilt and take a quick look at his girlfriend's condition.

Asano Makoto knew that Eriko was pretending to be asleep, so he immediately reached out to stop Yamada Yuta's actions.

Then, he slowly shook his head and said, "Yuta, don't disturb Eriko yet. She probably didn't sleep well last night because she was sick. She fell asleep on the bed not long after she came back."

Yamada Yuta thought for a while, perhaps feeling that Asano Makoto was right, and nodded: "…That's right, let Eriko rest well."

"Yeah, let's go out and talk."

Saying that, Asano Makoto led Yamada Yuta out of the guest room, and then closed the door.

After walking to the living room, he said again with a sincere face: "Yuta, I've been here for almost an hour. Now that you're back, please take good care of Eriko. I won't bother you anymore. After all, it's not appropriate for an outsider like me to stay here all the time."

But what he didn't expect was that as soon as he finished saying this, Yamada Yuta refuted very excitedly: "Asano-kun, you're being too polite. You're a friend of Eriko and me, how can you be an outsider! ?"

Perhaps because of what the boss said last night, Yamada Yuta suddenly understood the importance of having good relationships with other people.

Although he understood some of this before, he has now taken it a step further.

For example, he would never have been able to say these words before today.

It must be said that these words are quite useful.

Thinking about what he had done, Asano Makoto couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

But just as he was about to say a few modest words, Yamada Yuta suddenly smiled bitterly and said in an embarrassed tone: "But, Asano-kun, could you please do me a favor?"

Because of his guilt, Asano Makoto subconsciously wanted to give Yamada Yuta some compensation.

So, he nodded directly without saying a word: "Of course, we're friends, after all. Tell me, Yuta, what's the favor?"

Seeing his generous appearance, Yamada Yuta immediately looked even more embarrassed.

A awkward smile appeared on his face as he slowly said: "Well, I want to trouble Asano-kun to stay here this afternoon and help me take care of the sick Eriko."

"…Huh?"

Chapter 171: Rejection

Asano Makoto was a little confused.

He couldn't understand why Yamada Yuta would make such an outrageous request.

Fortunately, he wasn't confused for long.

After seeing his expression, Yamada Yuta directly explained: "Asano-kun, because I wasn't used to sleeping at the company the first time, I stayed up very late last night before falling asleep. I also got up early this morning to work overtime, so…"

Last night, in order to figure out what the boss was saying, he stayed up until 3:00 AM, and slowly fell asleep after understanding the boss's intentions.

And realizing that the boss wanted him to work harder, he got up very early in the morning and was sitting at his workstation before 8:00 AM.

At this time, other people hadn't even gotten up yet.

After other people got up, they basically went home, and only he worked overtime until 12:00 noon before leaving the company.

Hearing the explanation, Asano Makoto immediately understood what Yamada Yuta meant—he was too tired now and needed to rest.

But if that's all it was, he still couldn't understand.

Just staying up late and working overtime, how tired could he be?

He had worked several all-nighters in a row to make money in his previous life.

Taking care of Eriko doesn't take much effort, pouring water and chatting, it's just an afternoon, at most plus one night.

Not to mention that Eriko is not sick at all, she is just pretending to be asleep.

When she really falls asleep, there will basically be nothing to do.

And even without these external factors, Yamada Yuta, as her boyfriend, shouldn't he take good care of his sick girlfriend, even if he is tired?

So, Asano Makoto didn't understand why this request was made.

He didn't hide his confused expression at all, so Yamada Yuta saw what he was thinking at a glance.

After hesitating for a while, he smiled bitterly and said, "Asano-kun, please don't tell Eriko about what I'm going to say next, I'm afraid she'll worry."

Asano Makoto was stunned, and then immediately nodded with a serious expression: "Yuta, don't you trust me? Don't worry, I'll keep my mouth shut."

"It's not that I don't trust you, I just don't want Eriko to worry."

Yamada Yuta first shook his head and explained, then sighed heavily and began to talk about what happened in the boss's office yesterday afternoon.

Of course, he was talking about the version that he thought was true, that is, the boss thought he was not working hard enough.

Hearing his explanation, Asano Makoto finally understood his difficulties.

It turned out that his company's recent performance was not good, the boss was preparing to lay off employees, and he was also on the layoff list.

In order to satisfy the boss and keep his job, he decided to work overtime every day for the next period of time, regardless of Saturdays and Sundays.

This is why he wanted Asano Makoto to help.

During this most critical period, he must not disappoint the boss, so he planned to rest well this afternoon, and go to work overtime directly after waking up.

He will not go home tonight, but plans to live in the company, and continue to work overtime tomorrow morning, and then come back in the evening.

Starting next week, he will also work overtime every day until he goes home at night.

And the time for this overtime hell is not fixed, he plans to continue until the boss is satisfied with him.

Hearing these words, Asano Makoto didn't know what to say.

After thinking for a long time, he could only say comfortingly: "Yamada-kun, don't work too hard, you can always find another job, it's not worth it if your body breaks down."

Yamada Yuta shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Asano-kun, you don't work, so you may not know, this can't be helped, it's very difficult to find a job in Tokyo now, and it's even more difficult to find a good job with such a high salary as I have now."

"And don't worry, I won't always work overtime, it is estimated that the boss will be moved by my efforts in at most a month."

Hearing these words, an idea suddenly popped into Asano Makoto's mind, and then he directly gave up the plan to continue to persuade him: "This… well, then, just know it in your heart."