The morning rise was the same as the previous day. Kael woke up from his sleep, dressed up and went to prepare breakfast for the siblings. Just like yesterday, he made sure to stop Yoko from jumping over the balcony. Yoko arrived and tried to snag around the kitchen pretending to help but soon waited at the dinner table. As breakfast is served, both of them dine in without waiting for Yuki, who apparently last night was watching a late movie. Then as Kael finishes, he heads straight off to work while Yoko sends him out like a lovely wife. Kael walked off with a hand held briefcase, attire with full suit. His mind was on the point of normalcy. Believing himself that his life would once again be normal. No more odd situation, no more playing the protagonist of the story. He is just a regular old normal citizen who lives in a normal society.
Later…
From afar Kael could see Matsumoto opening the rolling shutter of the building. Matsumato turned her head and saw him coming. She awaited him to be closer before she gave him a welcome– "Ohayou Fujita-san." She bow slightly as for respecting Kael. She continued– "early as ever aren't you." With a slight smile. It seems this has become a daily routine for both of them, especially when Kael always comes in early. Kael replied– "Oha Matsumoto. Isn't it the same as you, who always request work time in the early morning?" Matsumoto seems to be specifically requesting an early shift every time before the schedule has been made. She grinned before utter– "Haha, it can't be helped. I would rather have extra time to spend with my children after they finish school." Kael replies with a smile acknowledging her as a mother before entering inside to unlock the office door.
As he entered, inside, knowing he was the first worker who arrived, he went to prepare the office like opening the switch light, AC or even sweep the dust on the desk. Sometimes he cleans the toilet depending on the type of day. Since the office itself was not that kind of exclusive high rent building, the furniture is simple and modest. So mostly cleaning would be handled by workers but Kael got the feeling he was cleaning alone for quite some time.
Then suddenly there is an urgent footstep coming downstairs slowly reaching the office. "Ah-ah, ahh–ah.." A heavy breath painstakingly seeped through the stairway, coming to the office door and he appeared out of breath. Arm leaning on the wall, looking straight inside searching for something. Swiftly Kael walks by, hand with a duster roaming around to clean some furniture. He stopped to look at the person who was drenched in sweat.
The serious man looked at Kael in a serious facade… But quickly throws it off as he speaks– "shachou! Thank goddess you are here first!" He finally calmed himself and walked inside. Kael continued his manner to dust some desks. But Yamazaki swooned over to speak to him– "Argh, if you are not here, then everyone couldn't enter the office without the key." He seems to be worried about arriving late.
Kael, who is minding himself, mutters– "If you worry that much, why not just give someone the key to the office?" He seemingly doesn't mind the Yamazaki problem. But Yamazaki uttered– "Iya-iya. Giving someone such power holds a bigger responsibility. I can't do that!" He said it in an unconventional way, similar to that kind of quote. Kael notices it, but minds it off as Yamazaki gets away with it.
"Then what's the problem with arriving 10 minutes late? The office starts at 8-9." Kael muttered while pointing at the wall clock that was 8.10 AM. Yamazaki proceeds to explain further the dilemma– "Of course it is a problem! If people see that the boss is still not present and the door is locked, they're gonna think low of me!" Kael only responded with– "souka" while organizing the table stuff. Yamazaki continued– "So no matter what, I need to be here first." Given his credibility toward the image of a boss.
Kael in return asks for his late arriving reason– "why are you late then." And Yamazaki quickly answered– "The thing is.." He has a bit of a pause, but his demeanor changes into serious. He mutters– "Last night I binged the whole season of magical girl." His tone and face were serious, undeterred to full otaku mode. "Sou–" Kael murmurs as he acknowledges Yamazaki's reason while being deadpan unbothered. At the end Yamazaki left to settle on his desk while Kael continued on cleaning the office.
A couple of minutes later, one after another, the office worker arrived.
#
Typing-typing Typing-typing
Typing-typing Typing-typing
Typing-typing Typing-typing
Among the clatter typing and clicking mouse, the room fills with the smell of roasted coffee beans that flow from the floor below. Yamazaki sat at the end of the road of table focusing on the PC. Kobayashi is in front of Kael and on the right side of Yamazaki. Next to her was Watanabe. Everyone does their daily routine on the first morning.
After a while, Yamazaki looks at Kael for confirmation. He nodded while Kael bluntness didn't utter anything. Yamazaki nodded again… But Kael becomes more and more annoyed by his reluctant seeking validation. Pent up with Yamazaki nonsense, Kael mutters– "what is it bossu?" Hearing it, Kobayashi and Watanabe look over to both of them. Yamazaki got into the spot– "Cough." He faked his cough to gain his professionalism and continue– "I was thinking we should start the morning briefing."
But an eerie disappointment seeped on the side "Ehh…" Watanabe murmurs at her desk. It seems someone would rather not be here at this moment. Yamazaki questions Watanabe demeanor– "What's wrong Watanabe-san?" He tries to take it professionally. But Watanabe quickly answered– "Don't you think it's a bit of a waste of time?" She questioned this stigma for the current era. Then she directed it to Kael for validation– "Right Fujita-san? Don't you think it is a bit unnecessary for a small company like us."
Kael, who looks at Watanabe seeking validation, turns straight to Yamazaki– "Pfft~" Kael smirks and a slight laugh leaves his lips while looking at Yamazaki's face. It seems he enjoys making fun of Yamazaki old fashion style. But Kael quickly turned back to his PC and muttered– "No, I don't know what you are talking about Watanabe-san." Watanabe quickly left disappointed– "Ehh…" she murmured.
But in return Kobayashi entered the conversation– "It's true that it may be unnecessary Watanabe-san." She pushed back her chair as she leaned behind– "but what if our boss had important info that needed to be updated as soon as possible? Unlike you, who is a bit younger than me, I did prefer face to face rather than email. Straight forward is what I like." She gave her comment regarding the briefing routine. Kobayashi is the kind of person who also wants to keep things formal and straight.
Kobayashi's comment made Yamazaki feel sentimental and happy in the weather. He cleared his throat– "cough!" After faking his cough, he stood up and brought the whiteboard closer to them. He marched on the marker and wrote necessary info and today's goal. He mutters– "Ah.. Let's start with yesterday left off shall we? It's there any issues or delays?" He asked the office worker. Kobayashi on the side quickly gets into it– "It's been a couple of days already, and the cafe ingredients need to be restocked." The query made Kael shake in sudden confusion. He asks forward while gesturing his hand– "what do you mean it's been a couple of days? How long?" It seems he preplex by the sudden issue. Kobayashi answered– "It's around a week already." Kael quickly had his inner thought– 'A week? Does that not mean the order should arrive this week?'
Yamazaki also jumps in to answer Yamazaki inner confusion– "Well the restocking should have been done last week, but right on that day you were absent." It has been circled back to the day Yoko kidnaps Kael. This makes him more confused– "Then no one can handle it?" He mutters in seeking an answer. Yamazaki tried to give him an explanation– "Yeah, I did the work. I already gave the info to Kobayashi!" Everybody turns to Kobayashi. She hesitates a bit, pushing her glass on her nose to quickly find the paper– "You did give me the inventory restock sheet but it was scrambled with a note that was not helping me out!"
Kael then leaned over the desk and took the sheet. He inspected the sheet carefully and figured out what the problem was. He read and muttered what was written on the sheet– "sweet red bean can.. Probably need to be purchased..?? Arabica coffee beans seem to be low???" Kael turns toward Yamazaki with a confused face. And yell in abrupt confusion– "Do you even have a slight idea what you were doing!? You were supposed to write how many stock ingredients we have, not probability!" Watanabe on her desk started to play with the pen on her lips.
Yamazaki in turn backslash with his serious face but awkward personality. He responded– "Well I know that! But.. You know.. Perhaps you want to know math.." He nodded in disgrace seriousness. Kael facepalm himself in defeat, Kobayashi didn't utter or even have the guts to look at Yamazaki's face. While Watanabe already gave up on the morning briefing and fidget herself. Finally Kael put down the paper on the desk, looking upset and depressed.
Yamazaki, who was still committed to his role, spoke– "Should I continue?"
*!?!?*
But before Yamazaki could get his answer, someone downstairs yelled loudly!! "Taihen! Taihen da!!" The yelling continued with the sudden loud footsteps from the stairway approaching the office. Then a hand glimpse holding the edge of the door, before the real figure appears! As the hand pulled itself, the voice of a woman yelled in a desperate manner– "Taihen da!!" It was Matsumoto the older! Everyone got their eyes on her, as she was about to spew out the upcoming trouble. She shouted– "We ran out of milk!" Her tone was desperate worry, her face looked just like a highschool who confessed her deep love. Kael begins to stand up and goes to settle the stuff while Yamazaki watches him go by. Watanabe and Kobayashi suddenly got into a conversation with each other. Watanabe looked slightly in the midst of clouds to mutter– "It's been a while since I had 'that' milk." Kobayashi looked over at her and asked– "What milk?" Watanabe murmurs– "Mm?" Both of them stare at each other at that moment.
After Kael talks to Matsumoto, he turns to Yamazaki– "Yamazaki! Look at what you have done!" Kael seems to be upset with his boss and not even calling him boss title anymore. Yamazaki on the other hand looks stoic like in Ultraman captain with the situation. While in the background Kobayashi and Watanabe have some running gigs. Kobayashi uttered her serious glass face to Yamazaki– "Bossu, pull down your pants." Yamazaki flints and murmurs in confusion– "Eh?" Watanabe on the other hand began to gap her fingers wide and yell– "IT'S MILKING TIME!" Her eyes shone with aspiration.
"Ja nai yo!" Kael spurt after hearing the two ladies joke. Kael continued to handle the situation and shouted back to Yamazaki– "Just continue what you want to do and handle the rest of today's matter. I will settle the stock situation." Just like that, he went down to the cafe with Matsumoto. But Yamazaki, who still appears to be unskilled with his job, is still looking useless. The two ladies began to start typing on the keyboard after being given direct orders by Kael. Though Yamazaki still on the running joke mutters stuttery– "You guys… Still milking this guy?" He pointed his finger to himself proudly. But Watanabe and Kobayashi didn't give him any glare… Only for Kobayashi to mutter deep under her breath– "shine."
Yamazaki started to feel depressed as his body hinged lower. He pushed the whiteboard aside but somehow it stuck on the floor. He kept pushing until the whole whiteboard fell to the ground. He wanted to look at them but somehow he didn't have the guts too. So he manages by himself in a clumsy manner. He is Yamazaki. The incompetent boss.
⁂
[Reina: Hai-hai! Reina desu! Hehe welcome to the late night show. Seems today I think we could give a proper joke section comedy relief! Humu-humu… Let me think about what joke would be funny… Ouh! I know! Recently there has been quite an uproar about a certain rapper diddy something… But phew~! Guys, child pornographic is no joke! I still remember that doujinshi shota who got molested by a grumpy old black dude! Welp, I guess we are changing genres!]
[Reina: Anyway! Hope you guys enjoy the latest chapter!! Byenara~!!!]
[Twitch: "https://www.twitch.tv/norza_kun"]