Isekai Office Worker: The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter

Episode 4

Seiichiro has mentioned that he's been in relationships before, which is frankly a bit of a relief given how the isekai genre typically goes. But that leads to the question of whether or not he's deliberately ignoring the fact that he's pretty undeniably in a relationship with Aresh now. It's entirely possible that Seiichiro simply thinks Aresh is being helpful, although “having sex to be helpful” does stretch the boundaries of credulity somewhat. And it also requires Seiichiro to ignore the very obvious signs Aresh is showing – the way he's reacted to being paid is very telling, both when he asks if he's being treated as a sex worker and then this week when he looks positively stricken when Seiichiro insists on doing it anyway. But the fact of the matter is that Aresh hasn't actually said the words; he's assumed that sex = dating and that his intentions and feelings are obvious, and the fact that Seiichiro is persistently denying any understanding means that he needs to just open his mouth and say it. It doesn't matter if Orjef is stunned by how emotive Aresh is when it comes to Seiichiro; he's known Aresh for years. If the man in question isn't aware, something needs to be done to change that.

In all fairness, Seiichiro may be starting to get the hint. He didn't see Aresh's hysterical arrival at the infirmary, but he felt the younger man's reaction to his attempts to say he'd pay him back beyond just money. There's an increasing desperation to Aresh's actions when he's with Seiichiro, from his not-as-obvious desire to be called by his first name to his carefully correct pronunciation of Seiichiro's. If Seiichiro doesn't want to believe he's dating Aresh, he's going to have to work pretty hard to keep that fiction alive in his head, because Aresh is beginning to recognize that assumptions aren't getting him anywhere. And we viewers can see that his attachment to Seiichiro is the real deal.

I know we're only four episodes in, but Aresh's obvious interest in Seiichiro has been one of the most successfully shown pieces of this series. From the fact that he was always looking at the other man in episode one to the finale of this week's episode, when Aresh drags himself towards a banquet he plainly doesn't want to go to, it's easy to see that social interactions aren't really his thing unless they're with the person of his choice. His protectiveness is on full display whenever someone else gets close to Seiichiro, and really only Orjef seems aware of how much Aresh is putting himself out there for the so-called tagalong. Of course, Norbert may be about to learn that, seeing as he was busy playing fairy godbro for Seiichiro, who appears to be garnering a lot of attention with his polished appearance.

Speaking of Orjef, he's one of the unsung heroes of this story. As Aresh's closest work subordinate, he's in a position to really see the ways his boss is changing, even if he hasn't entirely put the pieces together about who it is that Aresh is in love with. Orjef is basically the stand-in for the rest of the court, gleefully watching Aresh's behavior change and wondering who the cause is, quietly supporting him from the shadows. Nothing has indicated that same-sex relationships are taboo in this world; in fact, Aresh's (for him) obvious interest in Seiichiro suggests the opposite, as does the fact that he's not bothering to hide anything or telling Seiichiro to keep things quiet. While the prime minister sees Seiichiro as a talent to be exploited and Norbert sees him as his new bestie, Orjef is primed to view Seiichiro as the person who makes his friend happy. He's likely to be a strong supporter of the relationship – just so long as Aresh doesn't mistake his approval for interest in Seiichiro.

Rating:

Post Script: If you're wondering, the novel's sex scenes are also fade-to-black. Just in case anyone thought things were toned down for the anime.

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Isekai Office Worker: The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

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Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, is the majority owner of Anime News Network, LLC. One or more of the companies mentioned in this article are part of the Kadokawa Group of Companies.