The door of his shared room at the inn slammed open, and Sesshoumaru Taisho sighed, not looking up from his laptop. "What now?"
"I've figured out the group event!" Bankotsu Nintai boasted, crossing the room. He hadn't bothered closing the door behind him, and Sesshoumaru resigned himself to not getting any more work done. Once Bankotsu got an idea in his head, he wouldn't rest until everyone knew about it—and was on the same page.
"I thought you'd booked a hike up to the local shrine so they could buy charms for the third quarter," he said, leaning back in his chair.
"I did, and we are, but now we're going to cross Umenoki Todoro Park Bridge instead." Blue eyes gleamed, and Sesshoumaru closed his laptop, giving his colleague his full attention.
"Is that not reserved for people with a death wish?"
Bankotsu waved him off. "Nuance. The point is that it's a great trust-building exercise, especially for the new recruits."
Sesshoumaru tapped his fingers against his desk. Technically, the desk came with the room, but since everyone else was focusing on racking up the CEO's alcohol bill, he'd sequestered it for himself. "Including the woman you are pursuing," he stated knowingly.
"Listen, the innkeepers swear every company that's used the bridge comes back from their trip with a 'new respect for life and teamwork'. If Higurashi happens to fall extra hard for me after I help her get over that stupid fear of hers, that's just a perk."
Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. They'd started at the company around the same time, and he still hadn't figured out what he'd done to put himself on Bankotsu's radar in the first place. The man had gotten it into his head that they were a perfect match, going as far as to request assignments where they worked together. Sesshoumaru was a wiz when it came to numbers and organization, leaving Bankotsu to deal with the face-to-face negotiations when they arose.
Sesshoumaru hadn't argued, as it gave him more time to edit and revise, but some new hires had skewed Bankotsu's vision, and his latest obsession included a pair of long legs and sapphire eyes. He was professional enough that he didn't let it interfere with his work, but a group retreat allowed the lines to blur, and Bankotsu was determined to bed the woman before they returned.
He hadn't noticed a change in her behaviour since she'd started working at the company, but Sesshoumaru never paid much attention to trivial things like that. She was nice enough to look at, he supposed. She was a diligent employee who was more than willing to work overtime when needed, but Bankotsu had been offering up his skills so she could go home on time—as another way to look good in her eyes.
Sesshoumaru hadn't figured out if his tactics were working, but considering Bankotsu was resorting to something as treacherous as walking across a rickety bridge over a steep ravine at daybreak so that he could swoop in as the hero proved they hadn't been that successful.
"As long as no one gets hurt—" he began.
"They haven't had a major injury in the last two years," Bankotsu assured him.
Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "Draw up a waiver before we leave and ensure everyone signs it."
The man clapped him on the shoulder. "This is why I ran it by you first! Just because you aren't the team leader doesn't mean you don't have our best intentions at heart." He snorted. More like he was trying to avoid a lawsuit. Bankotsu's grip increased. "Come on, everyone else is finished unpacking and is headed down to the bar. Stop being your usual recluse self and join us."
Sesshoumaru pursed his lips. "Must I?"
Bankotsu shoved him out of the chair. "Yes, you must. I have decreed you to have used up all your hermit points and must now socialize before you're allowed to slink off again." He smothered a groan but allowed Bankotsu to push him out of the room, promising no more than one drink—and threatening to let him sleep on the bathroom floor at the first mention of shots.