In the large boardroom of Shinsei Technologies, the air was heavy. Rows of polished wooden chairs were neatly arranged, the front occupied by senior executives, and the back row filled with managers and HR representatives.
Among them sat Emi Nakamura, quietly observing. She had her notebook open on her lap, pen resting across the page, though she wasn't writing anything. Her eyes occasionally moved from one speaker to another, her face calm but serious.
At the front of the room, an old man with thinning white hair and a round, wrinkled face leaned against the table. His dark business suit looked expensive, but the way it strained against his large belly made him appear uncomfortable. He was Masahiro Yamamoto, father of Haruto Yamamoto. His voice was slow, rough with age, but carried weight.
"Our company," he began, holding up a hand as if to steady himself, "has generated two hundred billion yen in the last two years." His words echoed in the silent hall. He coughed once, then continued, "But the government keeps pressuring us… pressuring us about work-life balance. They demand we treat employees like delicate ornaments. Hmph." His lip curled in disgust. "In this market, in this competition, who can afford such things? Still… if they force our hand, we have no choice but to act."
He leaned back, folding his arms across his chest. "For the rest of the matter, our CEO will explain."
The old man slowly lowered himself into his chair. Then, with quiet footsteps, Ayaka Takahashi, the CEO of Shinsei Technologies, walked to the front.
She was a tall woman in her late thirties, her black suit pressed sharply, her hair tied neatly in a bun. She carried a calm confidence. Taking the microphone, she smiled briefly before speaking.
"Good morning, everyone," she said, her tone polite but clipped. After a few formal greetings and small acknowledgments, her expression hardened.
"From today forward," she said clearly, "every office will be restricted to a fixed number of employees. Currently, that number is thirty. In the future, it may increase, but for now, it is fixed."
Her voice carried an edge. "If your office exceeds that number, you will fire the least productive employees. We cannot waste resources on people who drag the company down. Remember this."
Murmurs spread across the room. Emi remained still, her pen unmoving.
Ayaka continued, "Furthermore, every employee will leave at six sharp. There will be no overtime. HR will remain only until six-thirty, enough to review all daily reports. No exceptions."
Her eyes scanned the room slowly, like a hawk surveying prey. "Efficiency, not hours, is what matters. Any HR manager who cannot enforce this will be… reconsidered."
Silence filled the room. The weight of her words was heavy.
Eventually, the meeting ended. Executives and managers exchanged hushed words as they began leaving, each one silently calculating what this new policy meant for them.
When it was Emi's turn to approach the CEO, she stood, straightened her skirt, and walked forward with composed steps.
Ayaka looked at her with a faint smile. "Emi Nakamura. Your office performance has been impressive. One of the best in the company."
Emi bowed slightly. "Thank you, ma'am. Our employees work hard."
The CEO tilted her head. "I've heard Haruto Yamamoto recently joined your office."
"Yes," Emi replied carefully.
Ayaka nodded, flipping through a folder on the desk. "That makes thirty-one employees under your branch, doesn't it?"
"Yes, ma'am. Because of Haruto, we now have thirty-one."
The CEO stopped flipping the pages and gave Emi a sharp glance. "Then you know what this means. You must fire one employee."
Emi's heart skipped a beat. Her fingers tightened around her notebook.
Ayaka scanned the file. "Let's see… Kenji Sato."
The name struck Emi like a hammer.
The CEO's tone was calm but firm. "His recent work has been fine, but overall, he's still behind. You have a good reason to fire him."
Emi's lips parted slightly, but no words came out. Her chest tightened.
She finally spoke, her voice softer than usual. "Ma'am… he's been working harder recently. I was considering giving him more time."
Ayaka's eyes narrowed. "Emi." Her voice cut sharply. "A word of advice—never get emotionally attached to your employees. It will cloud your judgment."
Emi lowered her eyes. She didn't reply.
The CEO closed the file with a snap. "Somebody recommended this to me directly. Fire him this week."
Emi's head shot up slightly. "Ma'am, but—"
Before she could finish, Ayaka Takahashi had already turned, walking briskly out of the meeting room.
The sound of her heels echoed until the door shut.
Emi stood there frozen, notebook pressed against her chest, unable to move.
....
(Kenji pov)
I looked at the clock on my office computer. The digital numbers glowed 1:30.
I had stayed back an extra half hour today, making sure every file was neat and all the work was lined up properly. A little smile tugged at my lips. My productivity was going up day by day.
"Maybe… maybe I'll get a promotion soon," I thought, leaning back in my chair.
"And then… maybe Emi and I could work together more closely… maybe even share an office one day…"
I let out a stupid little chuckle under my breath—
"Hehe… hehe…"
—before coughing and shaking my head hard.
"Kenji, stop daydreaming. Focus."
I grabbed my ID card and stood, ready to head to the cafeteria for lunch. That's when I heard a voice behind me.
"Afternoon, Kenji."
I turned. It was Haruto. His black hair was slightly curly today, and there was a strange, side smile on his face. A smile that wasn't quite friendly.
"Good afternoon, Haruto," I replied politely.
"You don't know if the afternoon will be good," he said casually, tilting his head.
I blinked. "What?"
Before I could press further, I heard Emi's voice from her office.
"Kenji, come in."
Haruto waved a hand at me with that same sly smile. "Go on. She's calling you." Then he walked away.
"What's his problem?" I muttered, shaking my head as I pushed open the door to Emi's office.
---
Inside, Emi was sitting at her desk. She wore a black shirt tucked into a black skirt. The outfit made her look sharp, professional—almost intimidating. Her long black hair had slipped loose from behind her ear, a few strands brushing against her cheek whenever she moved.
I sat down across from her. My chest felt tight for some reason.
She looked at me for a moment, then spoke in a calm, steady voice.
"Kenji, I have a good news… and a bad news for you."
My stomach sank. "What… what is it?"
...............
By two o'clock, I was sitting in the cafeteria with a tray in my hands—two sandwiches and a hot coffee. For some reason, instead of sitting alone, I dropped into the seat across from Haruto. Ayana, Ryo, Shinji, and a few others were also at the table.
"Oh! Hi Kenji," Ayana greeted.
"H-hello, Kenji," another voice chimed in.
I unwrapped one sandwich and took a bite. Haruto's eyes flicked to my tray.
"Two sandwiches? You must be really hungry."
I swallowed and shook my head. "Nah. I just wanted to eat them for the last time."
"What?" Ayana blinked. "Last time? Are you… are you leaving the office?"
I nodded once.
"What?!" Everyone except Haruto gasped.
"Why, Kenji? What happened?" Ayana asked again.
Before I could answer, Shinji and Ryo exchanged a smirk.
"So, who's going to give you money now to buy those dirty clothes, huh?" Ryo sneered.
Something inside me snapped. My eyes narrowed. My voice turned cold.
"What did you say to me, Shinji?"
The table went quiet.
I leaned forward slightly, lowering my voice.
"You know, I'm leaving this office. I have nothing to lose. But you? You can be fired for fighting in the cafeteria."
Shinji froze, his smirk vanishing.
"Whoa, whoa—no fighting, guys," Haruto cut in, raising both hands with a lazy grin.
I finished my sandwiches silently. After that, I packed my things into my bag and at 2:30 sharp, I walked out of the office. This time… for good.
Strangely, there was no sadness weighing me down. Only a strange calmness. Everyone else was probably wondering why I didn't cry, why I didn't look back.
Outside, I sat on a wooden bench. The afternoon sun was warm, filtering through the clouds. My thoughts replayed the last words Emi had told me.
"Kenji, I have a good news… and a bad news for you."
My stomach sank. "What… what is it?"
She leaned forward slightly, her dark eyes serious.
"The bad news is… you are going to get fired."
My world froze. "What?! Fired? Why?! Emi—I've been working hard, you know that! My performance is improving every week. I've been—"
Before I could ramble more, Emi raised her hand and pressed one finger gently against my lips.
"Breathe," she whispered.
I fell silent, staring at her.
"The good news," she continued softly, "is that I am resigning too."
"What…?" My voice was barely a whisper.
At first my chest ached—why should she resign because of me? Why should her career suffer? But then, another thought rushed in, warmer, gentler. She was doing this for me. For us.
I felt something loosen inside me. Relief? Gratitude? I couldn't even tell.
A car horn pulled me out of my thoughts. Emi's black sedan slowed down in front of me. She leaned out the window, her dark hair brushing her cheek.
I stood, slung my bag over my shoulder, and got in beside her.
"So… did you really resign?" I asked quietly.
"Yes," she replied without hesitation, eyes fixed on the road as she drove us away.