Naeko pouted as she stormed through the corridor, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floor. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest, her brows furrowed, and her pace quickened as she passed by colleagues without so much as a glance. She didn't even acknowledge Chiba, who had just called out to ask if she wanted to grab lunch together.

She was upset—plainly, visibly, and unapologetically. The incident that morning had caused her foul mood. All she could think about was cracking open a cold beer tonight and drinking it alone in the silence of their apartment.

--

"What are you doing?" Takagi asked, appearing at Chiba's side as he watched Naeko disappear down the hallway.

Chiba, still staring after her, scratched his head with a sheepish expression. "Well… it looks like Naeko is upset about something."

Takagi raised an eyebrow. "Okay? Did you two talk about it?"

Chiba nodded and started walking with Takagi toward the cafeteria. "I tried. But she just grunted in response and walked off to the office ahead of me."

The two sat down on a bench near the cafeteria window and began ordering lunch.

"Maybe you did something wrong last night," Takagi suggested while unwrapping his chicken sandwich.

"I don't remember doing anything," Chiba replied, frowning. "I remembered her birthday, we celebrated it together. We even had a great time at Tropical Land for our anniversary."

Chiba slurped up his noodles while deep in thought. Nothing stood out as a mistake, not even a small one.

Takagi gulped his water and leaned back, hand on his chin. "Women are hard to figure out sometimes…"

"Then don't try to guess," came a voice from behind. Shiratori joined them, setting down his lunch—an immaculate homemade bento courtesy of Kobayashi-sensei.

Chiba and Takagi stared at the bento with a mix of envy and admiration. It was neatly arranged, filled with juicy chicken steak, crispy potato wedges, fresh salad, and steaming rice. A colorful balance of flavor and care.

They couldn't help but sigh.

Sato wasn't the type to make bentos—she showed her affection in more subtle, consistent ways. Naeko, on the other hand, had made Chiba a bento once, but she had smothered everything in mayonnaise, especially the tonkatsu. Chiba, being honest to a fault, had commented that tonkatsu should be eaten without any condiments. Since then, Naeko never brought him another bento.

"What do you mean?" Chiba asked, curious about Shiratori's remark.

"You don't guess what women feel—you deduce it," Shiratori said matter-of-factly. "It's difficult for beginners, but I believe you two can handle it."

"Easy for you to say," Chiba muttered, still eyeing Shiratori's bento as his stomach growled again.

Takagi chuckled and patted Chiba on the back. "Try talking to her again tonight. Ganbatte!"

Just then, Sato called out to Takagi, and he left with a smile.

--

That night, Chiba sat alone in their apartment, trying to clear his mind and plan the conversation ahead. He had bought Naeko's favorite snacks and her preferred drink. While the TV played quietly in front of him, his mind was elsewhere—on her. On whatever he had done—or failed to do.

But the clock kept ticking.

It was 11 PM, and Naeko hadn't come home.

Chiba's anxiety grew. He tried calling her several times, but she didn't answer. He stared at his phone, willing it to ring. Still nothing.

Worried, he called Yumi, Naeko's superior.

"Yumi-san? Is Naeko with you?"

"No. Why?"

"She hasn't come home yet. I'm starting to get worried. Did she say anything to you about going out after work?"

"No, nothing. That's strange… I'll try to call her too."

"Thanks. I'll check around the neighborhood just in case. Sorry for bothering you this late."

"Don't worry. Just let me know when she's back."

Chiba grabbed his jacket and hurried outside. He headed straight for the security post at the apartment complex.

"Good evening. Have you seen Miike-san tonight?"

"We saw her this morning when she left for work, but not since then," one of the guards replied.

"If you do see her, please give me a call," Chiba said, handing over his number again just in case.

He went to the parking area, scanning the surroundings. The air was chilly, and his breath came in visible puffs as he walked toward the bench near the small garden. No one was there.

He sat for a moment, trying to catch his breath and calling her phone again.

That's when he heard it—a faint ringtone.

He turned toward the sound, heart suddenly pounding. He got up and searched beneath the bench. There, tucked just out of sight, was Naeko's phone.

His stomach dropped.

Why would she leave it here?

He picked it up and called Yumi again. "Yumi-san… I found Naeko's phone. Under the bench near our apartment."

"Chiba-kun, calm down. I'll be there in 15 minutes."

He nodded, though she couldn't see him, and rushed back inside to grab his car keys. As he stepped out the door, he glanced around their apartment and noticed something was missing—but couldn't quite place what. He brushed it off and locked the door.

--

Inside the car, Yumi looked serious as she spoke. "She mentions you sometimes, but to be honest, I don't always listen closely…"

"How about recently? Did you notice anything off?"

"She did seem off today. Her mood was strange."

Yumi paused, thinking hard.

"Oh! When we were about to ticket a car parked in a no-parking zone, I lost sight of her for a while. When I got back to the mini patrol car, she reappeared with a big smile on her face."

Chiba's eyebrows shot up. "Really? Why would she suddenly smile?"

"No idea. I didn't ask. But I remember exactly where it happened."

"Please take me there."

--

They drove to the area—a modest commercial strip with a convenience store, a net café, a small bookstore, a pet shop, and a cozy-looking bar. They parked nearby and began looking around.

Chiba asked, "Where exactly did you lose sight of her?"

Yumi led him toward the bookstore and pet shop. "Here. I remember flipping through a magazine while waiting."

Yumi went into the bookstore to ask the cashier about Naeko. Meanwhile, Chiba stood outside, staring at the pet store.

Something about it felt… off.

Why was it still open at this hour?

And then, like lightning, it struck him—the missing item from the apartment. Sachan, their Brazilian turtle pet. The tank had been gone.

He rushed toward the pet store, leaving Yumi mid-conversation with the bookstore employee.

He flung the door open.

--

"Thank you for coming, everyone! It means so much to me!"

Naeko stood on a small makeshift stage inside the pet store, microphone in hand. Behind her, a small crowd of pet lovers clapped and cheered. Right next to her, dressed in a hilariously tiny hat, was Sachan, their turtle, perched proudly in a miniature party bowl.

Naeko turned toward the door—and froze.

"Chiba-kun?"

--

Later, the three of them sat in a café—Chiba, Naeko, and a very annoyed Yumi—sipping their drinks in awkward silence.

"I can't believe I worried for nothing," Yumi grumbled, arms crossed.

Chiba looked sheepish. Naeko was avoiding Yumi's gaze but was glaring at Chiba like a disappointed teacher.

"So let me get this straight," Yumi said, exasperated. "You were mad because Chiba forgot your turtle's birthday after planning a whole party to celebrate it at your apartment. And when he didn't say anything, you decided to move the party to the pet store while you were at work—without telling anyone—You sat on the bench to decide, then left him and went off to celebrate alone?"

Naeko nodded and mumbled, "I even made Sachan a tiny hat…"

Chiba blinked. "That explained the phone under the bench... But wait… when did you pick up Sachan? The security didn't see you."

"There was no one at the post when I went to grab Sachan and left. Must've been during their shift change."

Yumi let out a long sigh. "Can you two please act your age?"

Both of them looked down in shame. Then, without a word, they glanced at each other and quietly chuckled—amused by the ridiculousness of it all.

At least Sachan had a birthday to remember. After all, the party was not over yet.