Miyako Shirakawa’s Good-Bye Party

It was the end of September and also the final day of Miyako Shirakawa’s stint working part-time at GF Bunko. After work, the team held a good-bye party for her a little past seven at a nearby restaurant—not the cheap izakaya the office’s editors were regulars at, but a fancier place, praised for its fresh fish and voluminous sake selection. Gift Publishing’s president often took famous authors and clients here when discussing work.

On hand were all eight members of GF Bunko’s editorial team, along with manga artist Kaiko Mikuniyama (who happened to be in the office at the time) and Kohei Tokuyama, her editor at Gifted magazine.

“Shirakawa, you’ve given us two hard months of work. I want you to eat and drink all you want tonight, and I know you’ve got a great future ahead of you. Thanks for everything!”

Satoshi Godo, the yakuza-like editor in chief, was seated across from Miyako, the rest of the group wishing her well as they clinked their glasses against hers.

“Ha-ha! Thank you very much.”

Miyako blushed a bit as she drank her oolong tea, followed by a light sip of Kamoshibito Kuheiji’s Betsu-atsurae, a top-class junmai daiginjo sake Godo poured out for her. It had a fruity flavor, bolstered by a light acidity almost like carbonation, and it felt good on her tongue. It paired well with all the appetizers brought out to the table—jellied sea bream, tofu skin, pickled octopus, jackfish tartare, and salted squid. Each one of these small dishes was expertly made, making everyone anticipate the main entrées all the more.

“Ahh… This is so good.”

“Ever the expert drinker, I see,” Godo said with a laugh.

Usually, the editors wouldn’t all come out to hold a going-away party for someone who left or transferred elsewhere, much less a part-timer (and one who had worked there for a mere two months, no less). But Miyako had gone above and beyond the call of duty, between bringing over Nayuta Kani’s manuscripts and helping out with the All About My Little Sister anime. She was a go-getter, a stickler for details; she was never late or missing from work, she always stayed in contact, she asked questions if she didn’t understand something, she was honest and apologized instead of covering up her mistakes… That level of dedication to her work was the biggest reason why everyone in the department trusted in her. These were all givens for normal grown-ups, perhaps, but a lot of people working in editorial weren’t capable of it. (For example, Mr. guchi, who used to work at .) The sincerity of Miyako’s performance had had a positive effect on the entire workplace.

Next to her, Kaiko turned and bowed her head, filling her sake cup.

“If it wasn’t for you, Myaa, I never would’ve been able to continue my manga career. Thank you so, so much.”

“Oh, I really didn’t do anything,” Miyako gently replied as she reciprocated with Kaiko’s cup. “You’re the one who changed your father’s mind in the end. Keep up the good work, okay?”

Kaiko drank the cup down in one gulp. “Myaa, can you still model for me after you leave your job?”

“Of course. Call me anytime you need me.”

She sweetly smiled, eyes shimmering a bit. “Aw, thank you, Myaa.”

Godo scowled a bit, watching this unfold. “All that trust the writers and artists give her,” he mused. “I’m gonna hate losing her so much.”

“Huh? What was that?”

“Oh, have you decided on what you’ll do after you graduate, Shirakawa?”

“No, not yet… I need to start looking soon, though. I know I need to think about it…”

“Then join us,” he bluntly offered.

“You… The editorial team?”

“Yeah. We’ve hired on people from the part-time staff before. I could arrange that with HR.”

“Oh, that’d be nice,” one of the other editors chimed in.

“Yeah. Like, really, Miyako’s way more useful than a lot of our full-time hires.”

“Me, an editor…?”

Miyako wasn’t sure how to take this unexpected offer. Part-time work at GF Bunko was fulfilling to her. Having an insider’s view of Itsuki and Nayuta’s world gave her a thrill. Maybe, she had thought before, she was suited for that kind of job. But what she was suited for wasn’t necessarily what she wanted to become. Did she really want to be an editor?

As she pondered this, Godo’s terrifying face softened into an ever-so-slight smile. “Well, no need to answer me right now.”

“Oh right.” Miyako sighed in relief. “Yeah, if you could let me think about it…”

“Shirakawa,” Yamagata butted in from the side. “We’re gonna need more temp helpers for the awards ceremony and Comiket and stuff. Could you come over to pitch in on that?”

“Oh, sure! I’d love to.”

The edges of Godo’s ponderous lips curled upward a bit. “Mmm. Feel free to think about it as you work.”

“I’ll contact you about that later,” Yamagata told her as she began eating. It seemed that Miyako wasn’t cutting off all ties to GF Bunko just yet.

“Weh-heh-heh! That’s go great, Myaaaa!”

Kaiko suddenly squeezed her tight in a side hug. Her face was already red, her eyes having trouble focusing.

“Kaiko, are you drunk…?”

“I am soooo not dwunk!”

“You pretty clearly are…”

“Hee-hee-hee! Myaaaa, what kinda panties ya got on right nowww?”

“What are you, some kind of middle-aged perv?!”

When Miyako managed to escape her grasp, Kaiko simply turned her attention to Godo instead.

“Editorrrr in chief, sir, what kinda undies ya got on right nowww?”

“…I’ve been questioned by the police more times than I can count, but never in my life have I been asked about my underwear.” Godo looked a little flustered, although his wicked grin indicated he was having a good time despite himself. “Well, you asked, and I’ll answer…! I’m wearing a pair of golden boxer briefs…!”

It was not a revelation that would do any good for anyone. It certainly didn’t for Miyako. Her face tensed up.

Kaiko, on the other hand, was overjoyed.

“Ee-hee-hee-hee! Thazzz my editorrr in chief! You gotta be super-tough and confident, a real man’s man, to wear that kinda thing!”

“Heh-heh-heh… Well, maybe so!”

Kaiko repeated the question to the other assembled editors.

“Yamagata, I saw yers in the bathroom just nowww… Mr. Toki, what about youuu?”

“Red boxer briefs, ma’am!!” came the drunken reply.

“Oooooh, sexyyy! What about you over therrre?”

“Oh, uh, just a plain pair of boxers…”

“Hoo-hoo-hoo! Your undies reflect everything about you as a person, y’knowww. You’re like a plain pair of boxers! What about you?”

“White briefs!”

“Ahh, the symbol of a pure, unblemished soul… You must have a beautiful heart inside of youuu!”

“Mikuniyama, I got a pair of leopard-print underwear on!”

“I got a dragon pattern on mine!”

And then it happened. One of the editors just had to remove his trousers to show them off. The rest quickly followed suit.

“Hyah-ha-ha!” Godo bellowed, not lifting a finger to stop them. “Okay, do it! Let’s see those undies you’re so damn proud of!”

“Ughhh…”

Yamagata and Miyako gave each other pained looks. But there was no stopping the festivities now. It was unfolding just like it always did at that cheap izakaya. It would later result in Gift Publishing employees (and Kaiko) being banned from the restaurant and Godo receiving an earful from the company president, but that’s another story.