Suspicion clouded Yuina’s face.
“If my boss finds out, he’s going to kill me. He’s a total monster. Can you please help me and reissue the documents discreetly? I beg you.”
Shuta pleaded until Yuina reluctantly gave in.
“I’ll check to see if there are any records of these receipts being issued. Maybe there’s an internal policy or rule I’m unaware of.”
“Right,” said Shuta, relieved. “After all, this sweatshop of a firm doesn’t even pay for overtime.”
Yuina threw him a sarcastic eye roll. “All corporations are sweatshops,” she said before heading back to her desk.
The problem was far from being resolved, but Shuta saw a glimmer of hope. He had a good feeling about Yuina. She was reliable and was sure to be helpful. Even if things didn’t work out, he was going to find a way to thank her.
Shuta headed directly to his client appointment in the morning and returned to the sales department in the afternoon. Emoto was sitting at his desk, taciturn and displeased. His silence was concerning, but no one dared to approach him. Shuta, too, pretended not to notice anything.
In the evening, just as he was heading to the accounting department to see how things were progressing, he felt someone yank his shirt from behind and drag him toward the landing of the emergency staircase. Shuta gulped. It was Emoto.
“O-oh, hey.”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Emoto’s face had turned ashen; spittle spewed from the corner of his mouth. There was a nastiness to his tone, different from his usual bluster.
“You asked the accounting department to reissue the documents? You’ve got to be KIDDING ME!”
In Emoto’s hand was the crumpled list.
He knows everything. Shuta felt his knees buckle.
“I’m really sorry. I was careless and damaged some important client documents,” said Shuta.
“I don’t care about that! Why do you even have this? What happened to Kijima?” Emoto’s mouth was at Shuta’s ear. It felt like his eardrum was going to burst.
“He’s…” Shuta had no idea that Emoto would be so livid. He didn’t even know where to begin his explanation. All he felt was fear. “Kijima left these documents with me and…quit. He’s not coming back.”
Emoto stood open-mouthed. His gaze roved around his feet as if searching for something. Then he jerked his head up. “You should quit.”
“What?”
“Quit. Right now. Like Kijima. See, useless salespeople like you are a liability for the company. I’ll take care of the paperwork. Normally, you’d be dismissed on disciplinary grounds for losing important documents, but I’ll let you go on your own terms. Okay?”
Emoto was smiling, but his eyes were bloodshot.
Shuta tried to explain. “I didn’t lose the documents. Actually, my cat was being mischievous and—”
“I don’t care!” Emoto’s voice echoed through the stairwell. He grabbed Shuta by the collar of his shirt, making him choke. “You’re fired! Someone like you who forges documents deserves to be fired!”
“Wh-what?”
“We have proof that you requested fraudulent documents from the accounting department. You and Kijima were in on it; you tried to cheat our clients. We have all the evidence we need.”
The word “fired” hit him like a ton of bricks. What is he talking about?
“Don’t underestimate what I’ll do. I’ll make sure you’re fired, no matter what. We’ll be better off without people like you around. You’re fired! Fired! Fired!”
Shuta turned his back and scampered down the stairs, until he could no longer hear the yelling and cursing. I have to get out of here right now. That was his sole thought.
There was a soft meow from the pet carrier perched on the desk in the examination room.
Shuta just couldn’t be in that place a moment longer. After Emoto’s violent harangue, he ran out of the office, went straight to his apartment, and forced the cat into the carrier. The cat had no clue what had hit her. He was also clueless. Instead of seeking answers, he prioritized protecting his vulnerable heart.
“Hmm.” The doctor folded his arms and sat back. “I see.”
“I don’t get it. Out of nowhere, he started screaming, ‘Fired! Fired!’ Yes, I messed up and ruined important company documents, but I didn’t expect him to explode like that.”
Shuta was regaining his composure. Perhaps it had been inappropriate for him to have rushed over to the clinic. He felt a little embarrassed.
“Hmm,” the doctor murmured again. “I don’t know much about the corporate world, but I don’t think it’s that simple to fire someone, do you? Ah, Chitose, please take this cat with you.”
The doctor was addressing the nurse, who had just come in. With a stony expression, she took hold of the carrier and disappeared into the back. Shuta felt a sudden pang of loss, but he quickly brushed it aside.
“At a normal company, it probably isn’t,” he said. “But at my firm they’re more likely to push employees to resign rather than take extended leaves of absence, even for mental health reasons. Given Emoto’s position, I could potentially face dismissal based on disciplinary grounds. If that happens, it could ruin my chances of finding another job.”
“I see. Well, don’t worry too much about it. Now, if you have nothing else to discuss, I have a client coming soon.” The doctor smiled and gestured at the door.
