Two days later-

By now, it had become December.

There were about two or three dozen employees in the product development department of a major restaurant chain.

Within the room laid a large desk, a PC, a new photocopier, and a coffee maker, all of which can be used by anyone. In addition to that, the room was equipped with an air purifier.

Additionally, the staff had an area to meet, gather, eat, and take breaks.

Taking advantage of such a well-equipped area was a woman was reviewing an assignment written by her male subordinate.

“Hmm…not bad…you’ve done a pretty great job with this document I assigned you. The contents look delicious and nutritionally well-balanced. It’s well-written and detailed, and you even met your deadline.”

“Ah, thank you so much!”

“You did exceptionally well this time, but I can’t give the same score for this document as last time.

“E-Eh……!?!? W-why Manager Hazuki Cha-…why!?”

Compliment first, then point out.

Hazuki, the female supervisor who employs this strategy, prepares the materials handed to her and casts a critical glance in the direction of her subordinate’s face. However, she hadn’t missed a word he said at all.

“Hey…you just tried calling me『Hazuki-Chan』, didn’t you? You’ve been trying to call me that more often than not.”

“Ah…well…”

“Do you not know how to talk to your superiors?”

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no! I-it just happened to slip out…that was it….a-and because Manager Hazuki is kind!”

From the perspective of her subordinates, Hazuki’s very being was rapidly morphing into something greater. The accusatory tone of her voice and the tapping of her red pen on the table made her sound even more intimidating than before.

“That’s pretty nice of you. Anyway, let’s get back to the main topic. Now, as for the reason why you didn’t get a perfect score, let me explain.”

“Yes, yes, please.”

The air in the room changed immediately when Hazuki and her subordinate shifted back to their serious nature.

“Here’s the number one reason. Our company offers grilled hamburger curry at the high price of 1350 yen without tax. What kind of customer group did you consider first?”

“All women.”

“That’s quite rough…because it applies only to well-organized materials …..Well then, let’s change the question. What’s the average annual income of women?”

“You mean the average annual income of women as a whole? Shouldn’t that be around 400,000yen?”

“No, it doesn’t even come close to 300,000 yen.”

“Huh….? Ehhhh….!?!? I-I was under the impression that they made that much…”

“Women, unlike men, are less likely to be granted wage increases. Mostly due to marriage and child-rearing.”

“I see…”

Although Hazuki was only 26 years old, her broad range of achievements and abilities were highly valued, leading to her appointment as area manager in this department.

The responsibilities of an area manager are as diverse as they are extensive.

Serving as a bridge between headquarters and stores below. The gruelling process of devising, executing, and marketing in order to increase sales. Making sure to provide proper management support for stores, etc.

It was a necessity to have this many skillsets for this type of work.

Data management and Analysis. The cognitive ability to pick out the latest demands in the market. Skills in the business, including creativity and critical thinking. The communicative ability to comprehend your subordinates’ work status.

Additionally, there was also the skill of following ‘this’ person, wishing to do your best if this person says so, and committing to doing what you announced.

As an area manager, Hazuki is naturally strict about her work, as it had a great deal to do with their performances and sales. She never raises her voice towards her subordinates, but it wasn’t unusual for her to reprimand them if they did something they weren’t supposed to. She does, however, maintain a fantastic work ethic and never says the wrong thing; therefore, she is highly trusted and respected by her colleagues.

“If you’ve taken into account the current situation of women’s annual income today, then you should have no problem figuring out what I’m talking about, right?”

“With a price tag of 1,350 yen, women might find it difficult to get their hands on it…right?”

“Exactly. The menu you created looks very appealing with the way you adopted the seasonal veggies approach. But with a price like that, no one would want to buy it. That’s why it’s essential to try lowering the price so that customers will be more willing to order and become repeat customers. If you had done that from the very start, I would’ve already given you a perfect score.

“I see…I never even thought about that.”

“Stop looking so disappointed. Didn’t I tell you? What you did was great. So I’ll allow you to call me Hazuki-Chan.”

“T-thank you so much!”

To communicate in a way so that others could understand. In order to keep her subordinates motivated, Hazuki employs specific affirmation techniques.

It was essential for Hazuki to point out what was wrong, but if the words she hurled at them hurt them in any way or form, it was highly likely that their working efficiency would drop, forcing them to work longer hours. In order to avoid such a situation, it was important for Hazuki not to undermine their motivation.

“I see your point! Then I’ll go redo it right away!”

“Hold on. I’m not done speaking yet.”

“Ah, sorry.”

The subordinate felt happy being praised by Hazuki, who had a higher standing above him. Due to the sheer excitement he had, he tried to rush out and correct the problem right away.

“There were a few things I pointed out, but the document itself is okay. I’ll make the necessary changes and do the rest.”

“Eh? But doesn’t manager Hazuki has a job too? I can’t place that kind of burden on you!”

“You’ve become quite the……loud mouth. As a punishment, you should go get yourself a cup of coffee.”

“Hey…that’s isn’t punishment, and I want to give it my all.”

“Hmm…if that’s the case, then you better prepare yourself after the break.”

“Okay, I understand! Then I’ll take your word for it and excuse myself for a break.”

“Yes, then in the meantime, could I trouble you to give me your right hand?”

“…Your right hand?”

Hazuki’s subordinate had no idea clue what she was talking about. A question mark appeared on the very top of his head, but he held out his hand as instructed. She proceeded to place a small package in his hand.

“It’s a gift. You did a good job this time as well. Thank you for your hard work.”

“!!”

Inside the small packaging was a round chocolate chip cookie. She handed it to him while expressing her words of appreciation for the hard work he did. It may have only been a cookie, but this alone would be enough to make him happy, considering it’s a gift from someone higher above.

“If you don’t eat it and throw it in the trash, I won’t forgive you, okay?”

“Ugh…Hazuki…Chan…”

“Well…I might have to order you to work overtime today. I haven’t even taken a break yet, yet you’re still interrupting me…and to top it all off, you’re still prattling on about me…”

“I’m sorry!”

“FuFu, have a nice day~.”

The word ‘overtime’ is often described as the strongest and most vicious. Anyone who hears this word will be terrified. Hazuki smiles as she watches her subordinate scurry to the break room as fast as he can.

Then another subordinate called out to her.

“Manager Hazuki, have some coffee.”

“Oh, you’re as tactful as ever, Kaya. I was just about to pour some out for myself.”

“Glad to hear that. And I appreciate the time you took out of your busy schedule to speak with me on Saturday.”

“No, don’t worry about it. I had fun too.”

An empty cup is placed on a tray, and the freshly poured black coffee is set on a coaster. The one who did this was none other than Kaya Shiba.

Their relationship was of boss and subordinate, but they often went out together in private.

“Manager Hazuki, did something good happen to you?”

“Oh, I’m surprised you noticed. I thought I was hiding it pretty well.”

“It was more of a hunch rather than a feeling of certainty. Though, if you don’t mind me asking, what happened?”

“Pretty smart of you to bring that coffee for this very reason. If someone owes you something, you can’t say no to them. And you’ve already exceeded your quota at work.”

“Compared to you, Manager Hazuki, I’m not that good.”

Kaya smiled bitterly as she quickly saw through her aim. The atmosphere in the product development department was rather lax when compared to the rest of the office. However, this was also one of their policies.

Product development and ideas were born and developed throughout the many conversations you have with staff members. This was just how Hazuki ran her company because if the atmosphere gets awkward, things will not progress.

“Kaya, I still have some work left to do, so we’ll just pick up where we left off. Is that okay?”

“Of course, thank you.”

Although they maintain a natural distance in the workplace, they were drinking buddies in private.

Then Hazuki told Kaya about what happened two days ago.

“Remember the time we went out for drinks last Saturday? On my way back home, a man helped me.”

“You were helped? That’s rather surprising to me. I had always assumed that you’re the type of person who could handle everything on your own..”

“What are you talking about? Let me finish.”

Of course, Hazuki was reluctant to tell Kaya the truth.

About the fact that she was extremely weak to alcohol.

And the fact that she was so drunk that she fell asleep on the floor.

As you can imagine, there was no such character in this company. That’s why Hazuki hoped that no one would guess that she was drunk.

“The matter of the help I received is a secret, but the man left right away without giving me his contact information. Isn’t it nice that he helped me without expecting anything in return?”

“That really is amazing. Walking around on a Saturday with an expensive brand bag, there is no way he wouldn’t realize.”

“That’s why I’m feeling good today. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I wanted to extend my gratitude to you as a member of society.”

“But, in my opinion, that man seems a bit rude.”

This result was inevitable since she lied about how he rescued her from a drunken stupor.

“Hmm, but he was a really sweet guy. A male version of Kaya, if I have to say.”

“A male version of me? If you’re referring to the male version of myself, wouldn’t this person be similar to my younger brother since he also shares the same kind of personality? But he is my younger brother, after all.”

“Now now, let’s quickly end this conversation before your bro-con side starts to show.”

“Hmmm~ I’ll make sure to brag about him lots the next time we have a conversation like this.”

“I’ll take my time. Now, it’s about time for us to get back to work.

That was the end of their chat in the office. It lasted about five minutes.
As to why Hazuki ended their conversation so early, it was to avoid affecting the work schedule that she had planned early on.

This workplace was running smoothly according to the schedule, with Hazuki taking the lead.

That night, at 21:30.

On the 20th floor of the Alegria gardens gr tower condominium, Hazuki made a phone call to someone as she marvelled at the beautiful night sky from her balcony.

“Sorry to call you so late at night, Chiaki. Are you free right now?”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be calling me out of the blue this late at night, especially if I’m free….hey…I can tell you’re laughing, you know?”

“That’s because Chiaki-san and I have a very good relationship. And I would never be this rude to anyone but you, Aki-san.”

‘There it is, your odd way of expressing happiness. Now I can’t say anything back, can I?”

“But it’s also Chiaki’s weakness, isn’t it?”

“Hazuki, stop being so cowardly and strategic!”

Hazuki and Chikai continued to talk intimately on the phone. The two of them were friends, but they had a slightly unique relationship.

“I wonder why I rushed to pick up the phone, only to get a dose of Hazuki’s teasing…”

“What are you talking about? You’re trying to tell me that you’ve been physically and mentally damaged?”

“Maybe you’re right.”

“Hmm, you’re still as relentless as ever. But I guess it’s not so bad since you’re also benefitting from picking up the phone to answer me, am I right, Chiaki-san?”

“People who can afford it always have so many things to say. No matter what I try to say to them, they always have a comeback.”

“Stop being so sarcastic. You have way more money than I do, plus…aren’t you the CEO of the Lovers’ agency service company that has been doing especially well lately?”

“Hey, don’t talk like that. It’s all thanks to you that I’ve been able to pull through.”

Yes, that was the person Hazuki called. It was Chiaki, the one who ran the lovers’ agency service business.

Over time, the two of them had developed a relationship similar to those of business partners. Hazuki always rings the phone at this time of day for the same reason.

“So…let me guess, is it another reservation?”

“Yes. Work has been pretty hectic these past few days, so I’d like to take a break from it all.”

“As expected from an Area manager of a major company. Pretty tough with all the expectations and responsibilities, am I right?”

“Not as much as Chiaki-san. In your case, you’re also responsible for the lives of everyone who works there.”

“No, no, no, I always slack off and let everyone else do the work. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“『It’s not that big of a deal.』Tsk, stop trying to lie to me. If you were the kind of person who slacked off, you wouldn’t have been able to achieve so much.”

As Hazuki said, the performance of the lover agency service company whose president is Chiaki has been growing year after year. Not only is the demand for this service increasing, but it is also a company that is said to have a high level of agents.

“And, if you’re slacking, how can you possibly be conducting company business at this time? It’s generally the time of day when you are closed for appointments. Thus, Chiaki-san, I really appreciate your efforts.”

At this very moment, Hazuki bowed her head and expressed her gratitude.

“You’re a pretty smooth talker, aren’t you? Dropping all of our agents one by one in succession.”

“You’re making jokes like that again.”

“I’m not kidding. I haven’t mentioned this to you before, but you’re known as the ‘queen of veteran killers’ within the company.”

“What’s with that strange nickname…..? I’m sure Chiaki-san is the one who gave me that nickname anyway.”

“Correct.”

“Really now…aren’t you being a little too rude towards one of your customers?”

“But it isn’t a mistake, am I right? I know it seems pretty unbelievable, but tell me, what kind of client would reject one of my veteran agents so quickly? There’s none other than you, Hazuki-Chan.”

“Eh…t-that isn’t true…”

Hazuki assumed that what Chikai was saying could only be meant as a joke, but what she said wasn’t a lie or an exaggeration. It was true, and she knew it.

“So, back to the topic at hand, can you introduce me to an agent you recommend, Chiaki-san, for my next booking?”

“I’d like to introduce some of them to you, but lately, all the veteran agents seem to have fallen in love with you, so…yeah. And furthermore, some of my other agents seem to have fallen under the weather, along with some voluntarily retiring, so there’s that as well…”

“Is that so? If that’s the case, I’m fine with a mid-level person or a substitute that Chiaki-san has high hopes for.”

“We can’t afford to lose our first mid-tier player right now…….is it too much to ask? How about some newcomer agents?…though you’ll probably crush them like ants…”

Hazuki, the queen of veteran killers. It was her nickname, but she was the real thing, no doubt. It was a natural request from Chiaki, who wanted to grow and stabilize the company.

“I’d rather not work with a newcomer, to be honest. One time, I worked with a newcomer, but we couldn’t really kick start our conversation. When money’s involved…I don’t think I can have a good time…”

“Ah … that person also fell in love with Hazuki at first glance, so please forgive him.”

“It didn’t look like that based on the way he was behaving. It was as if he hated me.”

“He’s just doing his job! Sheesh….you’re just as smart as you are dull, aren’t you, Hazuki?”

“I’m not dull.”

“……”

[The fact that you immediately say you’re not dull is proof of your dullness] Chikai intended to make a comment but kept it to herself in order to keep the conversation going.

“Well, for the time being, how about I introduce you to two mid-level agents and one newcomer? If that doesn’t work out, I’ll introduce someone else.”

“Thank you. Please take care of it right away.”

“-Just a minute, let me pull up the data.”

Chiaki took out the list of agents she had organized together for the sake of higher efficiency. After booting up her computer, she took a peek at the agents’ data and started to introduce them to Hazuki directly as a representative director.

“Let’s see…the first person in the middle class, his name is Nakagawa Kawasaki. Thirty-two years old, with a height of seventeen inches. His rating is 4/5 out of the 23 requests that he has taken. He’s a very caring and communicative person, and although his face looks stern, he’s pretty cute when he smiles. He has a hobby of visiting flower shops, so he gets along with women rather easily.”

“He’s still highly evaluated even though he has taken various requests. I wonder if someone like that can satisfy me.”

“I already sent you his introduction page from the website, Hazuki.”

This was what Hazuki meant when she said Chiaki worked fast. The moment Chiaki finished saying this, the data was already transferred to Hazuki’s phone.

“Thank you. Can I ask you to introduce me to the second person? I’ll check the data you sent me while I listen.”

“Copy that. The second person in the middle class is Oshiya Katsuzaki. He’s 29 years old, 6’9”. The number of requests he has received so far totals up to 20, and his rating is 3.9 out of 5. He knows a lot about alcohol and can recommend you some delicious drinks. Out of all the guys in the middle class, he has the best face, in my opinion. His favourite hobby is gaming.”

“It’s pretty fascinating that he knows so much about alcohol. Maybe the both of us could go to the bar sometime.”

“Yup, this person here has been to many bars. It would be good to take this person with us for drinks. I also sent you the data for the website.”

“Thank you. Finally, there’s the new guy. To be honest, I’m not expecting much.”

“You’re a thorn in my side, Hazuki-chan. I know you have bad memories of the newcomers, but…”

Chiaki followed up by saying, “And here’s the newcomer substitute”, though I guess it goes both ways.

“Now, last but not least, the newcomer, Shiba Ryoma. His height is──”

“──Wait a minute. Say his name again.”

“Name? His name is Shiba Ryoma.”

“Shiba Ryoma……”

Hazuki placed her hands on her chin and made a grim face. She recalled hearing this name from somewhere but couldn’t accurately pinpoint where.

“What’s wrong, Hazuki? I don’t think it’s such a funny name.”

“No, it’s nothing. Please continue on with your explanation.”

Hazuki slowly exhaled as she turned her rotary chair a full 180 degrees and directed her eyes towards the stars in the night sky.

Car lights flickering on the streets. Lights leaking from a building, directly shining down onto a building. The picturesque scenery brought forth by electricity managed to calm Hazuki down.

“Here I go. Name, Shiba Ryoma. He’s 176cm and 20 years old. The number of requests he has so far is 4. His total rating tallies up to 4.9/5.

“Eh? The newcomer is pretty amazing…”

“Also, have a look at this. This rating here is all done by one fixed client making many requests; however, if they keep coming back and have this many ratings in such a short amount of time, they must be a favourite.”

“Hmm.”

“Also, this evaluation criteria is pretty interesting; look…it’s stated that it’s 4.9 because the client is so frustrated with the customer rating him highly all the time! Hahahaha, isn’t that funny! Most agents would want to be rated 5/5, but not this guy!”

“….Give me more information about him.”

“Could you be a little less bitey even for a moment!?”

“Sorry, I was just curious about the rest.”

There was one thing that was stuck on Hazuki’s mind. It was a vague memory of the time on Saturday when she was drunk. The individual that Chikaki was describing to Hazuki sounded a lot like the man who helped her. Both of their last names are Shiba. Their height and age also sounded similar.

Hazuki remembered when he bought her a water bottle to help sober her up, where he kindly considered her circumstances and called a female driver to fetch her home. And where he endured the freezing cold for ten minutes just to look after her. She felt terrible for being unable to offer him her thanks for everything he did.

“So, let’s continue. I’m not sure whether or not this will help you very much since it’s all based on a single client’s opinion, but here I go. Ryoma Shiba is a person who excels at shortening the distance, and he’s a pretty good listener. He gave me more than I could ask for. He affirms my hobbies and listens to my selfishness without hesitation. That’s a lot of praise from this girl. There’s nothing negative about him in the data.”

A dependable person. A person who doesn’t make unpleasant faces. Little by little, Hazuki’s image of him began to piece itself together.

“And…that’s about it, I guess? So, any mid-level agents that interest you? Or do you want to find another mid-level agent instead?”

“Chiaki-san, can you send me the profile of this Shiba-kun? I’d appreciate it if you could send me a public photo of him.”

“I don’t have any problems showing it to you, but it seems like you’re more inclined towards him rather than the other two middle-class agents, aren’t you?”

This was the first time an agent had ever made Hazuki say,『Send me his profile』, despite being a newcomer. Without a moment’s delay, Chiaki sent over the data to Hazuki.

“I sent it.”

“~Fufufu….no way, no way, no way, really….!”

A fearless smile escaped Hazuki’s face as she declared, “Chiaki-san.”

“I’m going to nominate him. I’m going to nominate that Shiba-Kun.”

“Mou! Could you stop teasing me? I’m serious about this!”

“I’m not teasing you. I really mean it.”

“Eh!? Are you sure this agent is the right person for the job? The new guy who was listed as a substitute!?”

“I don’t find him unpleasant. He’s twenty years old, he can drink, and I don’t have a problem with where he’s going to take me.”

“Well, I don’t know whether it’ll end up like the new guy before, okay?”

“This time, I’ll enjoy him to my fullest extent….though I’m sure he wouldn’t feel the same way about it.”

“Hmmm..?”

Hazuki was whispering to herself as she stared at the profile page that Chiaki had sent her.

“I wonder…if Shiba-Kun is free this Saturday?”

“The evening should be fine; the only requirement is that he return home before midnight.”

“There’s no problem at all then. Then, on Saturday, can I book three hours from 20:00 to 23:00?”

“Uh, yeah. I understand. Then I’ll book that time slot…….”

Chiaki was taken aback by Hazuki’s choice of a newcomer, but she quickly took control of the PC and confirmed the appointment. From there, they went back to chatting a bit, and Hazuki ended the call not long later.

“Phew…”

A space all to herself. Exhaling a small breath and placing her phone on the desk, Hazuki raised the corners of her mouth to form a mischievous grin.

“What a strange coincidence that he was doing this kind of work…”

On top of the kitchen table, reflected in the glass with the night view, was the empty plastic bottle that had been bought for Hazuki when she was drunk.