A Few Days Later.
Wednesday morning arrives far too quickly. Kaede sits stiffly in the meeting room, hands folded on her lap.
Across from her, the division chief smiles proudly. Beside her sits Kotake Shiba, her supervisor, legs neatly crossed, posture relaxed, his smile just a little too soft.
Tomorrow is the flight to Malaysia. She spent the last three nights trying to accept Ryoma's decision, telling herself she should respect it, honor it, move forward like he asked.
But her chest still aches, and Ryoma's words keep circling in her head like a quiet storm she can't escape.
The chief starts reviewing the schedule: arrival, onboarding, accommodations, the company apartment already prepared under her name.
Kaede nods through it, thoughts drifting, trying to stay steady.
But then the chief adds casually, almost cheerfully:
"…and of course, Shiba-kun will join you as the new Marketing Manager. You'll be working closely together once the branch transition begins."
