Chapter 1

"Good day, ma'am. How did your company grow from a small distillery to what it is now?"

"My parents started this venture thirty years ago. They slowly modernized our traditional methods to meet rising demands. My role is to continue that legacy and keep up with the market without sacrificing quality."

A hand raised near the front.

"What qualities or skills are most important to succeed in this industry?"

The speaker smiled.

"Humility. You need to recognize rising challenges, especially as consumers become more sophisticated. You also need speed. Meet demands quickly without compromising value, or your market share will weaken. And finally, innovation. New markets are your company's lifeline."

The guest noticed her secretary at the side, pointing at her wristwatch with a slight grin.

"Okay, students! One last question." The emcee announced.

Shielding her eyes from the spotlight's glare, she pointed at a student near the lights. The emcee quickly called on her.

A girl strutted toward the mic. With bobbed bangs, an oversized jacket, and an oddly cute hairband, she looked like an otaku who had taken a wrong turn and ended up in a boring symposium.

"Uhm... H-hello." She fumbled, flipping frantically through the pages of her notebook. The room chuckled at her clumsiness, and the guest's lips curled up in amusement.

The student stopped on a page, cleared her throat, and spoke.

"From your previous TV shows, we’ve seen you do content about different alcohols and spirits. However, for some reason, you never did anything about beer."

The guest’s eyebrows raised.

"As a big fan of your work, I found that odd. Why is that?"

The hall fell silent.

"I appreciate your support, Miss. It’s just a matter of production. I only work on approved pitches. Unfortunately, no beers."

"I see. Then, other than your parents, is there anyone else who inspired you to pursue a career in the alcohol industry?"

From the podium, the speaker saw the student's gaze sharpen. At least, in her mind.

"Just my parents. Not that they forced me to drink booze when I was a kid, but, yeah, you get the point." She chuckled, and the audience laughed along. The tension evaporated, and the young student thanked the speaker with a bow.

As the emcee ended the session with a few announcements, the guest walked down the podium to meet her secretary.

"Maya, do you have a copy? And a pen?"

Maya perked up. "Oh, right, yes."

The speaker scribbled something down and walked towards someone in the crowd.

"Hey there."

The girl jolted at the tap on her shoulder. She turned around, trembling slightly.

"Calm down, we're good." The guest assured the girl, handing her a signed copy of a book.

"T-thank you." The student beamed, holding the gift firmly with both hands.

As the guest left, she sighed with relief, lifted the book's cover, and found a note inside.

You're sharp. Keep that up. Cute hairband BTW.

HARU SHIOZAKI

---

A FEW HOURS EARLIER.

"Sir, I know you are fully aware of how much these delays cost us."

Haru scanned the quarterly report, tapping her pen on the sheets prepared by Mr. Tabata, the head of Logistics and Procurement. The elder fixed his glasses with an exhale, while his male assistant—an intern—tugged at the knot of his necktie, gulping hard.

"Yes, I am fully aware, Ms. Shiozaki." Mr. Tabata replied, his voice frail, his head low.

TAP... TAP...

TAP.

Haru's pen stopped. The ticking of the clock filled the silence as she placed the sheets and the pen on the table.

"Sir, do you know that the Board wants to terminate you?"

"No, but that will be reasonable."

"It WILL cost you this job, unfortunately," Haru said in a low voice.

Mr. Tabata's other assistant rose from her seat, feet firmly braced on the floor.

"With all due respect, Ma'am. The whole team pushed really hard so the shipment could arrive on time. But the heatwaves in France did a lot of damage to the raw materials—"

"We've already established Spain as a secondary supplier, yes?" Haru’s lashes flicked in a sharp glare. "We all knew about the heatwaves. Why didn't anyone contact our Spanish supplier?"

Haru's gaze drifted darted to the assistant's ID.

"Ms. Makoto, can you tell me what really happened?"

The assistant shuddered. Beads of sweat formed on her temples. Tears welled in her eyes, daring not to blink.

"Actually... I..." she stammered, biting her lip. Her clenched fists loosened. But before she could utter another word, Mr. Tabata discreetly shook his head at her.

"I told Ms. Makoto that I would contact the Spanish suppliers myself." He explained with a chuckle. "Then, I totally forgot about it. Silly old me."

Haru paused a little too long.

"Is this true, Ms. Makoto?"

The assistant's throat bobbed.

All she needed to say was YES. But she didn't.

"I'll take it as it is," Haru concluded. "Mr. Tabata, kindly submit your resignation letter to HR before the end of the day. Furnish me a copy. You'll get your separation pay, and your contributions to the company will be acknowledged."

She looked Mr. Tabata in the eye. 

Please say something. Anything. Just once.

Mr. Tabata nodded and smiled. The Procurement team rose from their seats and walked toward the exit. Haru kept sitting as Makoto sobbed, while the elderly Tabata comforted her. The door clicked shut, leaving behind a somber silence.
"Hey Maya,"

The secretary perked up. "Yes, Ma'am?"

With a huff, she pushed herself from her seat and exited the conference room, heels clacking wearily against the tiled floor.

"What's next?"

Maya promptly flipped through her planner.

"You have an appointment at Takai University around 3 P.M."

"The freshman symposium?"

"Yes."

Haru and her secretary reached the end of the hallway. Her hand wrapped around the cold handle of her office door, lingering for a moment before stepping inside.

"Please call NetMax. It's broken again. I need it back when I get home."