Division 3. II

The next morning, we were assigned to Ryunosuke, the one with the freckle.

“We’re heading to a home in District 6. Have you been there before?” he asked in his usual monotone.

“No. Do you think there is something else we should know about?” Asked my future partner, as a good model student.

“The key is proving you’re willing to go further than anyone else for them,” Ryunosuke said as we drove, his tone steady and deliberate.

Going further than anyone else…

“When you visit someone, their first thought is that you are there to sell them the implants of your company…”

“Well, isn’t that what we…?” I tried to participate.

“In some way yes, but the true skill it’s to make them forget that.”

“Like, lying?” Katy interjected.

“No, by showing them you care about their life, not just their wallet. That’s what makes us better humans, not just better salespeople.” We parked under the buildings. “When I had to get my legs replaced, I trusted the investigator who didn’t just talk about implants but made me feel like I mattered—like I wasn’t just another case number.”

...

Hours later, in the afternoon, Katy and I split up, each with a different partner. All part of Shinpei’s ‘TAMCID3ASBGKOA’ plan.

Katy ended up with Hiro Oda, my melodramatic poet of a colleague. It was a relief not to deal with his enthusiasm…

I could perfectly imagine him coming up with elaborate phrases like, “Oh, my dear Katy, what a pleasure to bask in the sunset alongside your beauty.” Or, “The orange hues of dusk blend seamlessly with the pure gold of your eyes, jewels on a pale and perfect canvas, following the science and vision of geniuses like Da Vinci…!”

And I could also imagine Katy’s deadpan expression after hours of working alongside someone who, to put it kindly, spoke in italics…

I had better luck with Carlos.

“Hey, Isayama, how’s the week going?” he asked as we drove through the quiet streets, his tone casual.

Exactly what I needed after a long day. Carlos was polite, measured, and not too talkative—the perfect mentor to learn from at a steady pace.

“Not bad. I was a bit scared after my first case, but it’s been better since then.”

“Don’t worry, you’re doing great. How about taking the lead on negotiations today? You can explain the government subsidies.”

“Really?”

Carlos nodded, his easy smile making it hard to stay nervous.

The case was straightforward, and by the end, even the teenage client’s infected hand didn’t seem so daunting. Once we wrapped up, Carlos glanced at the hologram on his wrist.

“Good job today, Isayama. How about celebrating with some ramen?”

In that exact moment, I had no doubt. While Katy must’ve been suffering with Hiro’s energy, I was with the best colleague in the office!

...

Hours later, I returned to the building that housed both my new apartment and office. It was already ten at night, and as I walked through the residential floor’s hallways, all I dreamed of was collapsing into my bed.

“What a delight of a meal… I think being an infection investigator might not be so bad after all…” I walked happily through the corridor.

Aside from the Joshua Cam case, I’m glad to see the satisfied faces of the people we can help… My goal should be to make sure tragedies like that never happen again…

“If things keep going like this, maybe I have a bright future as an investigator… Huh?” I paused as I saw Katy shuffle past.

“I can’t take it anymore… Does that man even breathe between words?” she muttered, dragging herself past me like a zombie, ignoring my presence. “I’ll record the report tomorrow… That damned Hiro completely drained all my energy…”

Despite the distant glow of city lights beyond the windows, this wasn’t the magical encounter you’d expect from a movie. Katy didn’t even see me; she just dragged herself to her room, bumping into the doorframe before finally stumbling inside, as though she might collapse from exhaustion.

Thank goodness I avoided him… At least for today…

I imagined Hiro’s innocent smile.

That day, I learned an invaluable sales and customer service lesson: it wasn’t always about forming a heartfelt connection or offering something superior to the competition. Sometimes, all it took was talking the client into exhaustion until his only option to escape you was to buy your product…