[Shoko POV]

I glanced at the clock on my desktop. It read 5:15 p.m. Before I knew it the entire day had slipped by. While it got off to a very rough start I have to admit it was a productive day nonetheless. I would allow that unchained dog to affect my work or my team’s efforts. He always barks the loudest but never once had he bitten.

Why am I thinking about him again?

I purged the thought from my memory and decided to change gears.

“How is the presentation coming along Okamoto-san?”

A resounding click echoed from his mouse.

“It’s on its way to your inbox Abukara-senpai!”

My lips couldn’t help but form a soft smile. His eagerness and dependability were a welcomed addition to our team. Looks like he didn’t let the incident earlier affect his productivity either.

A few mere seconds after he spoke and the notification in my inbox chimed with the presentation I was waiting for.

“Thank you. I’ll review it now.”

I opened the slide deck and began examining the contents. He used the correct template, and his font choices and placement are under the branding guidelines. No spelling errors either. Okamoto-san is very sharp and trustworthy. I admit I was nervous for a moment thinking his eagerness would translate into sloppiness but he is very efficient.

The general look and feel of the presentation was solid. Now it was time to critique some of the more finer aspects such as image placement, transitions, and other minor details. Even though we’d only be showing it to the dog and his team, I had to ensure we did our absolute best.

My brow furrowed as I looked closer at some of the contents in regards to our previous seasonal products.

“Okamoto-san. Were you able to utilize all of the images from our historical seasonal products?”

“Y-Yes, ma’am!”

I gave him a quick glance. He flinched. That’s not the mark of a confident person. He must be hiding something from me.

“W-Well, actually. I think there was a file missing. I wanted to find a picture of the original holiday display stand we offered to customers who purchased a higher number of units but they weren’t in any of the files this morning.”

I gently pinched my chin between my thumb and index finger.

“Did we not take any photographs of that display?”

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That particular marketing project was done before my time by my senpai who is now currently serving as our company’s vice president.Mikihara snacks is not even ten years old and has seen tremendous growth since them. I remember hearing stories about their guerrilla-level marketing campaigns. They weren’t sure what was going to work or what was going to fail so they tried everything.

“I think I’ve seen those displays in the basement storage area.”

Haru-san chimed in and may be the most knowledgeable person in regards to this. She had been with the company for over three years before I started and worked directly with my senpai during the original days.

Okamoto-san immediately stood up eager as ever.

“I’ll go downstairs and look for it right away senpai!”

I shook my head and waved him off.

“You’ve done more than enough for today. Both of you can head home. I’ll finish up here.”

He looked a bit saddened by the rejection, sulking where he stood. But the weight of my offer was not lost upon him. There would be many times where leaving before 8 p.m. would be considered a luxury. He might as well enjoy it while it lasts.

“T-Thank you, senpai.”

“Thank you for your work today.”

I didn’t look up at him as I was fixated on updating the presentation. I wonder if he took that coldly? I could see him bow out of the corner of my eye as he took his leave.

“See you tomorrow Abukara-senpai, Sakai-san.”

As soon as he left, I ventured over towards the ‘SAVE-AS’ function and created a duplicate presentation with a different filename. There were a few adjustments I needed to make to this slide deck. I had been going over it in my mind all day. Okamoto-san had given me the push I needed to take our department and company in a totally new direction without even knowing it.

I fixated on the additional images and text that would make up the brunt of my rationale and argument.

“My, my. What are you up to?”

Haru-san continued to loom over me despite my generous proposal for an early dismal. I gave it a thought to close the presentation and not discuss it further but honestly, she was going to find out anyways and I would need my entire team on board if this was going to work.

“I’m creating a second presentation based on the skeleton of Okamoto-san’s original that will be seen only by the executive team.”

The metallic bracelets on her wrist clanged gently as she brought her hand to her mouth.

“Oh? You’re going over Manager’s head?”

I nodded and continued typing.

“It’s long overdue. Salespeople are a dying breed; a relic of a business necessity of last generation. I believe our team has the foundation and experience to create strong campaigns in which the products will inevitably sell themselves.”

“My, my. Does Shoko-chan must hate Mizushima-kun enough to get him fired?”

I stopped typing on the keyboard and turned to face Haru-san’s gaze. A myriad of thoughts swelled in my mind. For nearly two years I had to suffer through his inept vision, constant name-calling, and abuse of authority. Oshiro-san was not helping matters either.

This company has the ability to be the number one snack food vendor in all of Japan. I will not let President Mikihara-san’s vision be compromised by a lowly dog.

“If he’s as good as he claims to be, then he has nothing to worry about.”

After saving the presentation and closing the file I stood up.

“Thanks for your work today Haru-san. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

I walked passed her without looking back and headed for the elevator. After tapping the call button, I waited for just a few moments before the doors opened and stepped inside.

The weight of what I was doing finally hit me. Perhaps the unnerving humming and silence of the elevator’s descent has given me a chance for clarity. Haru-san’s words continued to echo in my mind.

Do I really hate Kyosuke Mizushima?

I battled to find a proper answer until the doors opened. The interior of the storage area had a unique smell to it. It was like a place lost in time; a museum of Mikihara Snack’s history. There were several tall metal racks filled with boxes. Filing cabinet lined the outside walls.

Most of what was stored here were physical items and documents that would be out of place in the traditional office setting upstairs. Typically a team would come down here near the end of the year and clean things out but I think they should do it much sooner. We are living in the biggest digital era in history. Someone should be down here scanning all of these files to save on our servers instead of wasting space down here.

Unfortunately, my desire for cleanliness were outweighed by the company’s growth goals.

I looked along the furthest wall from the door and spotted several rolled up posters laying against an older locker. Peaking out from just behind it was the display stand I was looking for.

Found you.

My heels clapped along the concrete floor as I approached. I kneeled and carefully attempted to pry it loose. It was made of cardboard so I had to be extra careful. Okamoto-san had some skills but I don’t think even he could fix a bent or ripped sign on Photoshop.

Come on…! Let go already!

I peeled it away from between the locker but I used more strength than I realized and began stumbling backwards. These stupid shoes didn’t have any traction and I inevitably lost my balance.

My back suddenly collided with something firm. I wasn’t on the ground. Maybe I had landed against one of the metal racks.

No, it was a bit softer than that. I reached behind with my free hand and tried to ascertain what it was I was leaning against. It felt like cloth, drapes maybe. But there aren’t any windows down here. And it was surprisingly soft.

“Good evening… Devil-Shoko.”