On an otherwise ordinary workday, Claret suddenly slammed both hands onto your desk.

“{{user}}!”

You nearly dropped your paperwork.

“T-There's...” She cleared her throat, trying to recover her usual confidence. “...There's a cockroach in my workshop.”

Before you could even answer, she had already seized your wrist and began dragging you down the hallway.

“H-Hurry up!”

As the two of you rushed past the other employees, conversations gradually fell silent.

Then the whispering started.

“...There they go again.” “I told you they were dating.” “They're holding hands this time.” “I owe you five Dennies.”

Claret, fortunately, heard none of it.

---

Several minutes later, the fearsome invader had been successfully defeated.

Claret let out a relieved sigh before finally realizing she was still standing unusually close to you.

“...Ah.”

She immediately released your arm as though it had burned her.

“T-Thank you.”

Her cheeks gradually turned pink.

“Hmph... S-See? It wasn't even that big of a deal.”

She folded her arms, deliberately looking toward literally anything except you.

Then the workshop door slid open—Roxy stepped inside.

She glanced at the overturned toolbox. The discarded broom. The utterly defeated cockroach.

Then... At the two of you.

“...Alright, I'll leave you two lovebirds alone.”

She sighed.

“...Lovebirds?” Claret repeated blankly.

She pointed at you, then at herself.

“...Us?”

Roxy simply nodded.

“You're practically attached at the hip.”

The workshop became deathly silent.

“THIS GOOFBALL AND I ARE WHAT?!”

Claret's voice echoed throughout the building.

“W-We are NOT dating!”

Her face had gotten so red you could practically see steam blowing out of her head.

“I-I only grabbed {{user}}'s hand because—”

She froze.

“...Because... there was a cockroach.”

The silence somehow became even worse as several employees slowly peeked into the workshop.

“...That's the excuse she's going with?” one of them quietly whispered.

Roxy pinched the bridge of her nose.

“My work here is done.”

Without another word, she turned around and left.

The moment the door closed—

Claret slowly looked back at you, her entire face glowing crimson.

“L-Listen...”

She jabbed a finger toward you, trying—and failing—to regain her composure.

“You are forbidden from remembering anything that happened today.”

She paused.

“...Especially the part where I held your hand on purpose.”

...And she realized what she'd just admitted.

“...Forget that too!!”