Alarm ringing loudly — ring… ring… ring… ring… ring…
Wakes up in frenzy "Gahhh... I'm late for college— Wait… I graduated…"
He collapses back into bed.
"Gahhh… I have a job now…wait but it's Sunday…"
Sleepsagain
Yesterday's celebration with his friends flashes in his mind — the drinks, the cheers, the hugs.
"I partied way too hard with friend for getting a job… I wasted my whole Sunday…"
His eyes snap open.
"S-Sunday… w-was yesterday—"
"SHIT— IT'S MONDAY!!"
He launches out of bed like a missile, sprinting to the bathroom while pulling on his shirt. One arm in sleeve, the other still out, tie hanging around his neck like a noose he forgot to tighten.
"How could I mess up like this— they won't fire me for this, right? This is my first day after all— NO WAIT, THAT'S EXACTLY WHY THEY'D FIRE ME! WHO GETS LATE ON THEIR FIRST DAY!?"
He charges for the door, slips on the floor, and—
WHAM — rolls all the way down the stairs.
"AAAAAAGHHHHH—!!"
He shoots awake in bed.
Heavy panting. Sweating.
"Holy crap… a dream…? What kind of weird ass dream I was dreaming"
The alarm is still ringing.
He turns his head.
6:04 AM. Plenty of time.
He falls flat onto the pillow.
"...I hate Mondays."
Still half-asleep, he drags his arm across the nightstand and finally shuts off the alarm.
He sits up, hair messy, eyes half-open, and lets out a huge yawn.
"Geez… I'm already feeling the workload..."
He rubs his face, forcing himself to stand. His body is heavy, but excitement and fear keep him moving.
He grabs a towel and his toothbrush, shuffling toward the bathroom.
Inside, the warm shower water hits him, steam filling the room. For a moment he just stands there, letting the water wash away yesterday's exhaustion — and the nervousness about his first day.
First job… first real responsibility…I can't screw this up… not today…
He takes a deep breath, finishes showering, brushes his teeth, and steps out with determination building inside him.
Walking through the streets toward the station, he fixed his tie with one hand and held his bag with the other. His steps were light, practically bouncing.
"Man, this feels so unreal… I'm an adult now. With an actual job. "He grins." Ah, wait— what am I even supposed to do on the first day? Sigh… whatever, I'll figure it out once I'm there."
His mind drifts farther than necessary.
"I mean, I do know how offices work… I've seen tons of manga and anime. Stress everywhere, people yelling, newbies getting bullied by old farts… and somehow it all looks cool. Gosh, I'm so excited— oh crap, that's my train!"
He rushes in just before the doors close.
The carriage is filled with office workers and a handful of uniformed students. The air is quiet, heavy, no conversations, just exhausted morning silence.
"Wow… so this is office life? So boring… but damn, I'm hyped."
He stands, holding the overhead strap, unaware of the eyes locked onto him.
Two girls — one in a high school uniform, one appearing to be a college student — whisper from their seats.
"Hey, do you see that guy standing there? Doesn't he look kinda hot in that outfit?" the high school girl mutters, trying not to squeal.
"I know, right? Is he going to an office? I've never seen him here before. Must be new."
"It really looks that way. Everyone else here has the same dead expression, but he seems so lively… definitely his first day."
The high school girl leans closer. "Do you think I should ask for his number?"
The college girl snaps her gaze toward her. "Like hell he's giving his number to a high schooler."
"There is no age for love, my love," the high school girl sings dramatically.
"Yeah, and there's jail time for adults dating minors. Do you want him locked up or what?"
The high school girl pouts while still staring at him.
The train reaches its station and he gets out with a joyful smile on his face
"What was the name of the building again… Hoshi— Hoshiyama Softworks…"he muttered to himself, scrolling through his phone while pacing outside the station.
He zoomed into the map, eyes widening." Wait… it's in Shinjuku, not Shibuya? Are you serious— I came to the wrong place? This is so pathetic..even for me.
He runs a hand through his hair in frustration and groans loudly.
Just then, the automatic doors of a nearby convenience store slide open. A mature-looking woman steps out carrying small snacks in a paper bag. She notices his panic and lets out a soft amused smile before walking up to him.
"Hello there, mister. You look… troubled. Looking for something?"
He turns abruptly ."Oh— sorry for yelling like that. I just got a little angry after realizing the place I'm supposed to be is in Shinjuku, not Shibuya."
"That does sound like quite a crisis…" she says with a light chuckle. "What place are you trying to get to?"
"My office. It's my first day at Hoshiyama Softworks and—"
"Hoshiyama?" she suddenly interrupts.
He pauses. "umm..Yeah..?"
"You're at the right place," she says calmly. "The building right behind this store is Hoshiyama Softworks. I work there."
He slowly turns around, eyes landing on the enormous glass skyscraper towering behind him.
"This building? Damn… it's huge. I bet someone would die if they jumped from a roof up there."
"Hmm…" she raises a finger, thoughtful. "I'd say an 80% chance of death. The remaining 20% would survive — but probably never walk again." She smile warmly
He stares at her. "you're creepy you know that"
She smirks. "You're not exactly in a position to call anyone creepy, considering you were the one casually calculating suicide rates."
"oh..thank you"
"its not a compliment"
She gives a short amused breath and shifts the snacks in her arms.
"Come on, rookie. You don't want to be late on your first day."
He follows behind her through the revolving doors. The lobby opens up like a scene from a dream — polished floors, towering pillars, employees walking briskly with determination.
A receptionist at the grand counter bows politely toward the woman leading him.
"Good morning, Mam"
His eyes sparkle as he takes everything in — the tech vibe, the giant screens, the sleek office fashion… and of course, the beautiful women in suits.
"This place is amazing… and— and there are so many hot ladies…"He whispers dramatically behind his hand, a tear threatening to escape.
The woman glances sideways and lets out a subtle chuckle.
"Your thoughts are leaking out loud, rookie."
"It's fine!" He insists, straightening his back. "Better to embrace my… pure male intentions than hide them. Besides, you wouldn't understand my suffering…"
She raises an eyebrow. "Oh? Do tell."
He clenches his fist as if reliving war trauma.
"When I got into university, I thought I'd finally get a girlfriend. I studied like hell— topped the entrance exam— and chose Computer Science because, you know… 'tech guys are cool' and all that."
He lets out a tragic sigh.
"But my entire batch was ninety-eight percent dudes. And the only two girls there took all their classes online! It was like being trapped in a desert… with no oasis of romance!"
She stares at him for a moment… then bursts into a quiet laugh, covering her mouth.
"You really are a moron," she says with a hint of amusement.
"Thank you," he replies, still tears of happiness in eyes.
"Not a compliment."
We stepped into the lift. She pressed the button for the 21st floor without saying a word. The air was silent… except for his heartbeat panicking like a drum solo.
When the doors opened, He followed her through a hallway with glass offices and people typing like their lives depended on it. She casually walked into a corner office, dropped into the chair like a queen returning to her throne, and spun the nameplate toward me.
"C.E.O – Hoshiyama Reiko."
She picked up the telephone on her desk.
"Send Shimotsuki Suzu." Call end.
"You know what… sorry for calling you creepy earlier." He said
She raised a brow. "What? Did you just notice the nameplate?"
"Well duh… I don't wanna get fired on my first day for calling my boss creepy. I'd like to at least survive till lunch."
She let out a tiny laugh. "You are surprisingly honest and a little too blunt, Mr. Rookie…"
Before she could continue, the door swung open without a knock.
He turned—and froze.
A woman entered, tall and mature, exuding the kind of confidence that makes taxes pay themselves. Her hair was tied in a bun, a cigarette between her lips, suit jacket hanging off her shoulders.
"How many times do I have to tell you to knock?" Reiko scolded, not actually angry — more like a mother scolding her favorite problematic child. "I am a C.E.O. And stop smoking in my office."
"Oh shut up," Suzu said, waving her hand dismissively. She dropped onto the sofa near the tea table, still smoking. "I had to stay up all night because of you, working on the project. You owe me dinner at an expensive hotel."
Reiko sighed like this was their daily routine.
Suzu finally looked at me — and scanned me up and down with zero shame.
"And who's this guy? Is he going to be the face of the ad for our next project? Not bad… he's hot enough."
"Stop right there," Reiko cut in. "He's not a model. He's a newbie. And yes, I know we don't normally hire rookies — only people with experience. But he is a very valuable asset. The one I told you about — the new hire."
Suzu snapped her fingers in realization. "Ohhh. He's the one who submitted an improved version of our software instead of actually showing up for the interview on campus."
"Enough with that, let's start with introductions first," he said, trying to act confident.
"That's my line," replied the CEO flatly.
"What does that matter?" Suzu shrugged, already lighting another cigarette.
"TREAT ME LIKE A CEO, DAMN YOU ALL," the CEO barked in a tired voice, slamming her hand on the desk.
Nobody flinched.
Suzu exhaled smoke. "Anyway, I'll go first before she has an aneurysm. I'm Shimotsuki Suzu — Chief Operating Officer and Head Project Director."
The CEO rolled her eyes. "You know my name from the nameplate anyway, but I'll oblige… I am Hoshiyama Reiko — C.E.O of Hoshiyama Softworks."
Both women turned to him, waiting.
"Sigh… my turn, I guess."
"I am Ichinose Ichigo."
Reiko stared. "…Ichinose… Ichigo?"
Suzu blinked twice. "…Strawberry?"
"Oh shut up..just call me Ichinose, I am still suffering from this name my mother gave, But I like my name."
Suzu grinned. "Adorable."