[CH.19] Expelled colleague (Part 3)
"What...?"
It was a shocking revelation. In my mind, Kazuha Nishina had been in a department within the General Affairs Division, responsible for building the company's systems.
"When I was first assigned there, it was really enjoyable. I think the highlight was when I was commended for achieving results within about three months."
"Yeah, it was even featured prominently in the company newsletter."
I fondly remembered her proudly telling everyone in the department that she was a part of our same cohort. And, being the most beautiful girl among us, she had been pestered to introduce her friends. We weren't close enough for me to introduce her to anyone...
That's why I thought Nishina-san would be one of the top performers among our peers.
"What irritated me was the Elder (trainer) in the department."
"..."
"The trigger was something trivial. Our personalities clashed from the start, and... it seemed to bother them that someone they admired within the company had confessed to me."
"That sounds like simple jealousy."
"Yeah. But, they were skilled at rallying people around them, so I ended up isolated within the team. They wouldn't share information with me, and important documents would mysteriously disappear. The small harassments never stopped. Even the department head, who was complacent about everything, turned a blind eye. Before I knew it, it was as if all the female colleagues were hostile to me. There were only male colleagues left to talk to, and when I sought advice, they'd tell me to get along, get into a romantic relationship..."
"That's terrible... it's a dead end."
While male employees might have been delighted to be relied upon by the exceptionally beautiful Nishina-san even within the company... it was still quite awful.
"I'm sorry, I didn't notice even when we were in the headquarters."
"I'm not blaming you, Hanamura-chan! I knew you were working hard in the Design and Development Group... Taking that into consideration... then, the big incident happened next."
"The trigger?"
"Don't you know about the company's internal business system 'beet'?"
"Yeah, it's the software for employee management. It's working really well, isn't it?"
I acknowledged the system's efficiency.
"I actually created about 70% of the core system for 'beet'... but all the credit went to the seniors."
"What, really!?"
"Maybe that was their goal from the beginning. My performance was nonexistent. I was also criticized for not being able to communicate with team members... and that's when they informed me about the department transfer."
"It's too big for team-wide harassment. The boss who doesn't even formally evaluate is cruel.
I thought we were getting along well at the head office, but... maybe I just couldn't see it clearly.
"I think I could have fought back if I had complained... but honestly, my mental state was in tatters. I even considered resigning. But... there was a talk about transferring to Hamayama Sales Office. I wanted to get away from the head office, and if things didn't work out here, I really thought about resigning. But Hamayama Sales Office was really comfortable. The manager is strict, but he never says the wrong things, and if you do well, she praises you... and Hinata-chan is a good girl, and there's healthy competition."
"..."
"But even if I transfer, the harassment will continue."
"Is that what that email was about?"
"The unpleasant thing about that email was that the sent address was different. I thought one person might be using multiple addresses... but maybe the organization is trying to make Nishina-san quit."
"Did it reach the manager and Kuhou-san?"
"Yeah... both of them were surprised."
"What about the other Sales Offices?"
"The manager said that the nearby ones in Nagoya and Yokohama haven't received it. It's a pretty big Sales Office, after all."
So they don't intend to go that far. They seem to be targeting only Nishina-san and harassing those close to her.
"I think the manager has reported it to the department head, but I think it's probably being stopped there."
"The department head also seems to be taking a hands-off approach. But if it spreads to nearby Sales Offices, I think they'll take action."
At this stage, it's probably a delicate situation. The higher-ups' intentions are not clear, and...
"In reality, the manager and Kuhou-san didn't seem to care, right?"
"Yeah, the manager said she didn't have time to worry about such a stupid email and laughed it off. Hinata-chan also said she trusts me more than emails from people she doesn't know."
"Yeah, that makes sense. The three of you have formed a strong team since I joined."
"But it still got to me."
"Huh?"
"Being found out by Hanamucchan had more of an impact than I thought. I'm still weak."
"It's because you're of the opposite sex. That can't be helped."
"It's not like that... but... ah, I'm frustrated. I'm still being controlled by that."
Nishina-san shakes her head while holding chopsticks.
She must have a lot on her mind...
Originally, Nishina-san is a strong-willed girl. She's not shy. That's probably why she has things on her mind...
"You want to give your old workplace a taste of their own medicine, right? That's also reflected in your novel."
"Yeah!? That's right. Because I have that feeling, I write 'Exiled for Revenge.'"
I think Nishina-san really kept it to herself when she transferred.
But over the past year... as she worked in sales and started to move as a salesperson this year, she began to take new steps.
It's probably because she's been engrossed in her hobbies... that she's starting to recover.
"In that case, let's give your old workplace a taste of their own medicine."
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