Daiki Tamura, an accountant at Kairosu Group, rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the morning sleepiness. The office, as always, resembled a concrete and glass cage filled with desks, computers, and files that seemed as lifeless as Daiki himself at that early hour. He scrolled through the latest news on his phone. Nothing new: the Japanese economy was growing, the yen was strengthening, the Reichspact was putting pressure on Italy... However, Daiki wasn't really following political news. He was tired of it all. He only dreamt of two things: his paycheck at the end of the month and the day he could finally take his vacation to Okinawa.
Suddenly, his phone rang. "Kairosu Group" – the familiar female voice made Daiki sigh. It was his boss, Kurosawa, who usually started his day with a cup of sake and a cuddle with his secretary. "Daiki-san," Kurosawa shouted into the phone, "the report. Did you finish it?"
"Yes. I finished it last night," Daiki replied, trying to hide his irritation.
"Excellent. Bring it here, immediately!" Kurosawa roared and hung up.
Daiki snorted. "Of course dear boss!," he thought, "How I hate him."
Getting up from his desk, Daiki took the report to Kurosawa's office. The secretary, Ayako, was sitting behind her desk, wiping her lips with a napkin and smiling at him.
"Kurosawa-san is busy, Daiki-san," she said, "He asked you to give the report to me."
Daiki frowned. "Why can't he collect it himself?" he asked.
"He's, uh... a little busy right now," Ayako stammered, and Daiki understood she knew exactly what her boss was "busy" with at that moment.
Daiki sighed, handed her the report, and went back to his desk. "What a jerk," he muttered under his breath.
The day went on as usual. Daiki focused on accounting, barely managing to suppress the longing for Okinawa that had overwhelmed him. He imagined the warm sun, the turquoise water, and the delicious local cuisine... But reality was harsh. He was locked in that office, submerged in the endless drudgery of accounting chores.
By lunchtime, Daiki was utterly desperate. He glanced at his watch. Half a day of work left. "Will I spend my whole life like this?" he thought with despair.
At that moment, the door to Kurosawa's office opened, and Ayako stepped out. She smiled at Daiki and said, "Kurosawa-san wants you to see him."
Daiki didn't want to go, but he had to. "What now?" he grumbled under his breath.
Entering the office, Daiki saw Kurosawa behind his desk. He was wearing a robe, and a thick beard adorned his face. Kurosawa took a sip from his mug and told Daiki, "I have a job for you."
Daiki cautiously asked, "What kind of job?"
"You need to go to Moskovien," Kurosawa replied.
Daiki paled. "Moskovien? Why?"
"I'm telling you, go to Moskovien," Kurosawa yelled. "We're opening a new branch there!"
"But I'm an accountant," Daiki protested. "What will I do there?"
"You'll do accounting," Kurosawa replied. "Easier said than done. We need accountants in Moskovien. And you fit the bill. You're leaving this week."
Daiki wanted to tell Kurosawa that he wasn't going anywhere, but Kurosawa was already gone. Daiki was left alone in the office, imagining what awaited him in Moskovien.
He slumped into his chair, burying his face in his hands. "Okinawa... Okinawa..." he whispered into the void.