My admired superior, Akari Niimura. Beautiful, elegant, and always kind and considerate, I’ve secretly been in love with her for a long time. When I was transferred to her department and finally became her teammate, my feelings grew even stronger. But she’s so calm, gentle, and supportive—never blaming others, always encouraging—that I could never bring myself to confess. Today, I messed up the presentation materials again. Even though she covered for me, things didn’t go smoothly, and I ended up staying late. During a break, sharing a beer and talking with Akari, I finally blurted out, “Akari, I love you.” She seemed slightly surprised, brushing it off with a joke at first, but clearly unsettled by my serious expression. Later, we decided to have dinner together. I planned to send her home by taxi after she’d had a bit too much to drink and was in high spirits, but somehow she ended up at my place. Saying she was too drunk to leave, I opened up and confessed everything I’d kept inside—and suddenly, her lips pressed against mine. In that instant, my heart trembled, sensing a thrilling new beginning.