There were many things that could be faked. Kyle's performance, the food, everything that Haru had seen had just been a brilliant plan cooked up by Kyle to distract them from the main thing.
And he had almost gotten away with it.
If not for him, Tsumi would really have left without even taking a peep at the financial report.
Kyle not stopping her only meant one thing… their financial report was ass!
Haru laughed internally and adjusted his glasses for the 1 millionth time.
'If the financial report was good, then Kyle would have brought it out to brag a long time ago.'
That was the kind of man he was, he would often boast about the smallest achievements as though they could cover his many faults.
He frowned, his expression stern as he stared Kyle in the eyes.
"Or are you uncomfortable with presenting it? Is there something you are perhaps trying to hide?"
Tsumi's expression shifted when she sensed the animosity in his voice. "Haru, no need to be rude."
"Sorry if I came out that way, Tsumi—"
"Please don't use my first name…"
The silence was deafening.
Haru turned to the other side of the room, took out his handkerchief, and wiped his eyes before turning back.
"Uhum… as I was saying… we run a business, and since the existence of the cafe, it has been nothing short of a liability."
"Haru…" Tsumi's voice bore a slight warning, but Haru did not stop.
"But it's true, Miss Tsumi. Kyle obviously has no idea how to run a business, and the financial report will only prove this!"
Tsumi was about to speak when Kyle cut in, his face impassive, a mix between boredom and disinterest.
'So he finally showed his true self…' Kyle thought as he stared at him.
Akiko was trembling with anger, her hand holding the cup so tightly that Kyle felt she would snap it in half.
In the past few weeks, he had not just increased their wages but also created better working conditions. To them, Haru could not be farther from the truth.
Kyle was not going to say anything initially, but after seeing the murderous look in Akiko's eyes, he decided to speak up.
"A financial report is not the problem, we already have one prepared, shall I get it?"
Haru nodded, and Kyle began walking back to his office when Haru called out to him.
"And if the cafe isn't performing optimally, please be a decent human being and shut down this place—"
Thwack!
Before he could complete his sentence, Tsumi slapped him right in the mouth, rocking his head backward.
Her formerly friendly gaze had melted away, replaced by an eerie chill that caused the hairs on Haru's neck to stand still.
And her eyes… they were even colder.
"You are overstepping your bounds, Secretary Haru."
Tsumi knew just how much Haru was bullied by Kyle in the past, so she ignored the jabs he had been idly throwing around all morning.
It was only natural for there to be some bad blood between them… the only reason she brought him in the first place was so that they could make amends.
She wanted him to see this version of Kyle, and yet he still could not look past his hatred.
"But Miss Kato, you know I'm right…" Haru lifted his gaze, his eyes bearing a defiance Tsumi had never seen before.
Tsumi gritted her teeth, her eyes narrowing, because she knew that Haru was right…
The new Kyle was great, but even she had to admit that his claims were too far-fetched. Only rare talents could pull off something like that, and even then, it was not so often.
"I agree with your offer," Kyle said as Sakura handed a file to him. It seemed she had gone to get it in the short time she and Haru had clashed.
"Kyle… are you sure about this?"
He nodded and pulled out the white paper from the file.
"But on one condition, Haru. If what I claimed is indeed true, then you will have to quit working for my sister."
Both Kyle and Haru stared each other in the eyes, the tension between them engulfing the cafe like a thick cloud.
The conditions were high, too high even…
To Kyle, the cafe was everything. It was currently the only job he had and the reason he had dropped out of school.
As for Haru? He had risen up in the company in such a short time. Although he was talented, it would be a lie to call it pure talent.
In the past, Tsumi had brought him up, hoping he would be a good influence on Kyle. Getting to where he was in another company, regardless of talent, would be incredibly difficult.
'Is Kyle trying to bluff his way through this? Why is he even doing this when he can just refuse?' Tsumi wondered.
For a few seconds, Haru's conviction wavered, but his faith in Kyle's incompetence gave him the drive he needed to push through.
"I agree with your terms! But let's make the rules clear. You said the sales report is 'huge'… considering how low last month's profits were…"
Haru paused to calculate things in his mind.
"This month's projected income must be at least four times that of last month. Do you accept?"
"Four times? Isn't that too much?" Sakura commented from the side, her concern visible on her face.
Tsumi's face remained stoic. 'Sakura is in charge of finance, if she is this nervous then—'
"Sounds perfect."
Tsumi's eyes widened slightly as she glanced at Kyle, but to her surprise, he looked perfectly composed, as though Haru's words had no effect on him.
'Has he made up his mind to give up the cafe?'
An old memory graced her mind, and Tsumi tensed. She remembered how Kyle had told her he felt guilty about leeching off her, and how he was working on the cafe to become independent of her contributions.
'Why are you doing this, Kyle? Don't you know the reason I work this hard is because of you?'
It was already too late to say anything; the deal had been struck, and it was up to her to be the judge.
She sat down at her table, her expression stern as she raised her hand.
"The report?"
Kyle walked up to her and placed it in her hand, nodding slightly as her gaze met his.
Tsumi took a deep breath and flipped through the paper in complete silence, and after reading through it for a few minutes, she shook her head and placed it on the table.
"I'm sorry, Kyle, you were close, but not nearly there."
Kyle froze. "Wait, are you serious? I was sure we at least made 4x in our sales last month."
Tsumi sighed. "Like I said, nearly there. You were off by just a few sales."
She was honestly surprised that he had even made it this far; now she knew where his confidence was coming from.
It was just bad luck that failed to hit the right amount.
Sakura fell to her knees, her eyes glazed over with tears. Akiko looked away, trying to stop herself from crying as well.
They all knew what this meant…
The cafe, their jobs… they had lost everything.
Meanwhile, Haru breathed out sharply and smiled. "Finally, the truth reveals itself."