Episode 93 - MISSION: Make Shota the President!

【Mission 1: Become an Assistant Manager (The Crazy MBO Was Real)】

“...Nngh... Just let me sleep a little longer...”

A drowsy mumble left Shota’s lips — and in that instant, a piece of freshly toasted, crispy bread gently brushed against them.

His mouth instinctively opened into an “aah” shape.

“...Hm? Delicious... wait, what!?”

Shota jolted upright. Floating in front of him was an A4 sheet of paper.

On it was written:

》[Promotion Notice: Shota Sasaki] We hereby inform you that Shota Sasaki
》 is promoted to Assistant Manager. Effective Date: Today.

“...Wait, hold on!? Yesterday I was just ‘the guy who brings Ryoko-senpai tea’ at the office, right!? Assistant Manager of tea service!?”

Sipping tea gracefully at the edge of the bed was, of course, the queen of spies in their household, Manager(formerly Section Chief) Ryoko Takahashi.

She was in an unusually good mood today — still in pajamas, but her fingernails were perfectly manicured.

“Yesterday, you made me tea, remember? The temperature was perfect. And I was in a good mood, so...♡”

“Uh, no, wait, that’s it? That’s the whole reason for the promotion!? What’s your evaluation criteria!?”

When Shota reached for the paper, a breeze swirled, and it landed on top of his head instead.

“Shota-kun’s MBO evaluation is linked to my mood♡ It’s called ‘Management by Obsession’ — which means ‘my whim’♡”

“Ehhhhhhhhh!!!???”

That morning, before he knew what was happening, Shota had been telekinetically dressed in a “promotion suit” while still holding toast. “Assistant Managers come in ten minutes earlier♡” was the bizarre logic Ryoko used as she dragged him out the door.

And so began Shota’s hellish career ladder game.

According to Ryoko’s plan: “I’ll make you president within the week♡.”

____________________________________________________________________________________

Morning commute.

For some reason, Shota was getting a ridiculous amount of attention.

“Hey... isn’t that Assistant Manager Sasaki?”

“I heard the rumor just yesterday... wow, he’s got an aura now~”

“...Aura? What aura!? And why do these people know me!?”

At the office building of Sunrise Global Trading, Shota stepped into the elevator — and his peers and juniors snapped to attention.

“Good morning, Assistant Manager!!”

“Assistant Manager you look so cool today!♡”

“Assistant Manager, love your tie pattern!!”

Shota: (Wh-Why!? These guys were calling me ‘Shota-kun’ yesterday, and now it’s ‘Assistant Manager’!?)

At his desk, now marked with an ‘Assistant Manager’ nameplate, his monitor read: “Welcome, Assistant Manager.”

Shota: “Wait, wait, wait! Yesterday I froze Excel and got chewed out, right!?”

And then — as if on cue — Manager Ryoko walked in, wearing sunglasses and a suit, moving with elegance.

“Good morning♡”

(The entire office froze for a moment before snapping into a taut, formal air.)

Ryoko sat beside Shota, pulled a sheet from her desk drawer, and handed it to him.

“Here, Shota-kun — this morning’s final MBO evaluation♡”

Blushing, Shota looked at the sheet:

[Evaluation Criteria]:
• Keep Manager Ryoko’s mood above 90% positive on a monthly average: S (Greatly achieved)
• Bring sweets or tea at least three times a week to raise “spoiling rate”: A (Achieved)
• Submit one near-miss report per week to prevent incidents that would trigger “punishment/curses”: C (Not achieved — several incidents occurred)

[Special Evaluation]:
• Greet Manager Ryoko each morning with “Good morning♡” while looking into her eyes for five seconds: S (Greatly contributed to her mood)
• Lightly held her hand while doing so: S+ (Incredibly boosted her mood)
• Her energy stayed high until afternoon: SS (Major contribution to company performance)

[Overall Evaluation]:
SS (Though there were a few incidents, his love for Manager Ryoko more than made up for it — promotion decided♡)

Shota (trembling voice): “...This is more like your diary than an MBO...”

Ryoko (smiling): “Of course♡ Your results are linked to my mood♡ In love and work, management is everything♡”

That day, wearing his new “Assistant Manager” badge, Shota was oddly revered by everyone in the office — while desperately trying to deny this mysterious promotion.

____________________________________________________________________________________

【Mission 2: Become a Manager (No More Escape)】

“...I still don’t feel like an Assistant Manager...”

At lunch on the rooftop, staring at his convenience store rice ball, Shota muttered.

His subordinate Miki had been calling him “Assistant Manager!♡” since morning, and for some reason, every meeting auto-recorded his comments into the minutes.

“This... isn’t normal, right...?”

As he slumped, a presence approached from behind without a sound.

“Shota-kun, shall we move on to the next step♡?”

He turned — Ryoko, in a black suit and sunglasses, hair neatly tied, holding a custom Ryoko-branded folder, was in full serious mode.

“N-Next step...!?”

“...Becoming a Manager, of course♡”

____________________________________________________________________________________

From the next day, the atmosphere at Sunrise Global Trading changed...

——◆ Morning

Ryoko stood at the entrance of the office. She silently gazed at each employee arriving for work — and just that alone was enough for the hearts of those who met her eyes to “transform.”

The moment an employee met Ryoko’s gaze, their eyes would briefly glaze over, moist and unfocused. A wave of ecstasy washed over them, as if their spirit were slipping free from their body and dissolving into a sea of light… and then—

“Ahh~♡… Good morni—… huh…? Assistant Manager Sasaki… no… ‘Manager’ somehow… feels more right…”

“Ohh~♡… Why is that… I can feel a Manager’s presence…”

“Mmh~♡… Manager Sasaki… might just be perfect as one of this term’s leadership candidates…”

——◆ At the HR Department

Sato-san, the reliable one everyone depended on, was once again sitting upright at her desk, focused on her computer.

But then — the moment Ryoko’s hormone manipulation began to quietly, yet surely, infiltrate her nerves.

A streak of heat ran up her spine.

“...Huh?” She furrowed her brows. But the next moment, a sweet shiver traced up her back, traveling through her spinal cord to rattle her brain. Her fingertips trembled on their own, and her hands lifted lightly from the keyboard. Yet still, she didn’t realize — her eyelids grew heavy on their own, her pupils dilating.

》Right before her eyes, the computer mouse and keyboard began moving by themselves.
》On the evaluation entry screen, “Shota Sasaki: Next Manager Candidate” was automatically saved.
》(Social hacking via Ryoko’s hormone manipulation & telekinetic typing, activated.)

On the screen, someone was altering employee records. But Sato-san could no longer see anything. The sounds of the world faded out, leaving only one thing—

Ryoko’s red eyes, shining brilliantly inside her mind.

A phantom scent, like Ryoko’s hair, tickled her nose. The corners of her mouth lifted before she knew it, her cheeks faintly flushed. Her heartbeat rose, and pleasure began to seep from her sweat-damp palms.

"Ahh… the ecstasy of surrendering to your will!”

Sato-san’s mind was already in la-la land — a flower field of bliss, where responsibility and pride had all sweetly melted away.

——◆ “Adjusting” the HR Director, Iwasawa

HR Director Iwasawa was infamous for his ironclad confidence.
“This company runs because of me” was his catchphrase, and when it came to personnel matters, he tolerated no compromise.

That day, he received an invitation to lunch from Ryoko of the Sales Department. His scheduled meeting with the Sales GM had, for some reason, been suddenly canceled, and Ryoko wanted to have lunch with him instead. Lunch with one of the most beautiful women in the company wasn’t a bad prospect — or so he thought.

In the lounge of a luxury hotel adjacent to Sunrise Global Trading headquarters, Ryoko smiled across the table and said softly:

“Today, I want to talk about Shota-kun’s promotion. Won’t you approve it for me?♡”

“...He doesn’t have enough achievements yet,” Iwasawa rejected flatly.

(Does this girl really think such nonsense will work on me?)
(…Still, she’s beautiful… that smile is so cute…)
(Well, that’s beside the point…)
(Wait… what is this… my body… feels heavy… I can’t look away from her… were human eyes always this red?)

》Somewhere deep inside, he heard the click of the breaker on his rationality being switched off.

》Ryoko’s gaze seeped into his brain like red tentacles, releasing a strange, sweet, burning wave throughout his body. Her smile was now beyond anything of this world.

“If you approve it, he’ll become the star of Sunrise Global Trading. And… I’ll be the one most grateful to you♡”

She smiled and winked with those red eyes… and in that moment—

Bang! Cupid’s bullet, delivered with Ryoko’s wink.😍

Iwasawa’s heart pounded as if it would leap from his chest, his spine tingling with electric tremors.

—This isn’t love. This is your dominion… and yet… it feels sooo good.

Iwasawa’s will melted and flowed away, sucked into Ryoko’s eyes. In its place, the sweet nectar of domination poured in. His judgment dissolved, and her very being began to seem divine. Ryoko was everything; her words, the law of the universe.

》—What darkness clouded my mind? This sanctuary belongs to Ryoko Takahashi.
》And she… will bless me with her gratitude? With that divine smile, shining with joy?
》I am hers to command, now and forever. Such rapture I have never known! 🤩

“...O-Of course…Y-Your will be done… I shall grant it without delay!”

When lunch ended and Ryoko said, “Ufufu♡ Thank you, Director,” he slumped into his chair, watching her walk away, strange sweat running down his back — a mix of heat and chill.

Returning to the office, he was drawn irresistibly to his PC.

Before he knew it, his hands had opened Shota’s workflow. With trembling fingers, he clicked the approve button.

—At that moment, Ryoko’s sweet voice echoed in his mind: “I’m so happy♪ This is your reward from me♡” And with it came the illusion that all the blood in his body had turned into love, and at the same time, a sense that his soul had been set free, united with the universe — an unfathomable ecstasy 🤯.

“Fwah↑〇→✕↓△←▢!”

The sheer volume of pleasure overwhelmed his brain and body; unable to process it, his spine arched unnaturally, his eyes rolled back, and he trembled uncontrollably.

“...Haaah♡♡♡… Ryoko Takahashi… Your command is my sole purpose, now and forevermore.”

——◆ Shota doesn’t notice. No — he refuses to notice.

Since yesterday, something unseen had been slowly seeping into the company. He had yet to realize that it was Ryoko’s emotion itself: “Shota-kun is amazing, I love Shota-kun!”

“Eh, I’m moving seats again?”
“I just became Assistant Manager yesterday…”

A young employee from General Affairs said this with a cheerful smile.

“But right now they’re setting up a ‘Manager’s desk’ for you, Shota-san. Oh, and… apparently the new interns will be reporting to you!”

“Wait, who!? Me!? I’ve never heard of such a plan—”

At that moment, Ryoko quietly crossed the office. Through her sunglasses, she cast a quick glance at Shota and gave a gentle wink. Then she twirled her finger.

In that instant—Shota’s “Assistant Manager” badge popped off with a shoop, flew straight to Ryoko, and was instantly replaced by a “Manager” badge that came from somewhere and settled neatly on his chest.

Shota (frozen): “…Eh… just now… was that… my badge…?”

Ryoko (wordless) (smiling softly, holding one finger to her lips): “…Shhh♡”

That evening—the company portal announced a personnel change.

》[Personnel Appointment] Shota Sasaki is hereby appointed to the position of Manager.
》Effective immediately.

Shota screamed: “Who!? When did this happen!!?”

The office lights flickered slightly, and in the back, Ryoko’s red eyes glimmered faintly as she removed her sunglasses.

Ryoko (satisfied): “From the day I decided to make you president, everything was already set in motion♡”

____________________________________________________________________________________

【Mission 3: Become a General Manager (No One’s Sane Anymore)】

Shota realized he had become a General Manager when, while waiting in line at the company cafeteria register, every single staff member bowed to him at once.

“General Manager, thank you for your hard work!!”

“…Eh?”

Behind him, office workers murmured.

“…They just said ‘General Manager,’ didn’t they?”

“Wait, wasn’t Sasaki-san a Manager?”

The only one confused was Shota.

That morning when he arrived at work—
• His desk had somehow been moved to the “executive window zone”
• Dual monitors + an espresso machine had been installed
• A silver nameplate with his name (General Manager edition) stood proudly in place

”Well, howdy there, GM Shota♡ Need anythin' from me today??”

Miki asked this as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“No, no, no—General Manager? I just became a Manager two days ago!?”

____________________________________________________________________________________

No one in the company questioned it.

Because the entire Tokyo headquarters was already under Ryoko’s hormone manipulation.

◆ Ryoko’s domination had begun.

In the past few days, all she had to do was walk through the office.

• With a single glance, the neighboring General Manager would murmur, “He has the presence of a General Manager.”
• Just brushing past him, the female employees would spontaneously start “Shota-sama fan talk.”
• Simply passing documents or workflows along, the HR General Manager and even the executives would sign off, “Capability rating: General Manager.”

On the company SNS, tags were already spreading:

》#NextExecutiveCandidateShotaSasaki
》#TakahashiSectionChiefsHusbandIsAmazing
》#MakeShotaPresident

Shota hurried to confront Ryoko.

Through the blinds of a meeting room, Ryoko removed her sunglasses and spoke quietly.

Ryoko (in a calm voice): “Shota-kun… you can’t be ‘ordinary’ anymore. From the day we met… you know♡”

Shota (shaking): “This… this is brainwashing, isn’t it!? Not just me — the entire company!!”

Ryoko (smiling): “Brainwashing? No, not at all♪ I’m just helping everyone at Sunrise Global Trading realize the truth of how amazing you are♡ It’s no different from how politician’s campaign during elections♡”

The next day, an email arrived in Shota’s inbox:

》[Notice: Board of Directors Meeting]
》Agenda: Review of next executive team
》Candidate: Shota Sasaki (current General Manager)

Shota finally understood.

This wasn’t a promotion. This was a hijacking of fate itself.

And sitting quietly beside him, smiling gently, was the goddess of destiny who held every key.

⇒ To be continued