[CH.24] The boss who was teased by her childhood friend (Part 1)
"Good morning... Oh!"
In the morning, I energetically headed to the office and accidentally collided with someone, causing my words to break off.
The collision didn't really hurt much.
The person I bumped into was none other than Manager Mimasaka, who was the smallest in the office.
"Ouch..."
"Manager, are you okay?"
"As expected of a young man... to be sent flying like that."
I'm over 170 centimeters tall and not particularly skinny.
Back in my student days, I was reasonably fit from being in the track and field club, so I had confidence in my physique. As I was thinking about this, the maanger got up.
"We don't have time for this. We need to hurry!"
The manager got up and headed briskly towards the company car. It was unusual for the usually calm manager to be in such a hurry. I wonder if something happened.
"Good morning, Hanamura-san."
"Good morning, Kuhou-san. Is something going on?"
"It seems there's been trouble with the Tesmo data processing over at Company S... They want you to come over right away."
"So early in the morning..."
"That department is currently handling the large-scale project the manager has been pushing for..."
"Ah, that department!"
I haven't been closely involved, but I know that the manager has been actively working on this for the past month. Is this trouble related to the large-scale project that played a part in my decision to come to Hamayama? It's understandable that the manager would be in a hurry.
"Let's hope it's nothing serious."
"Yeah."
However, the situation didn't seem very promising, and the manager returned before noon.
She had been in teleconferences with department heads, design and development teams, and quality control, working without taking a break for meals.
Then, it was past 1:00 PM.
"I'm going to report to Company S, so please take care of things here."
"Wait a moment."
I had a bad feeling about the manager's muttered words as he seemed lost in thought, so I called out to him.
"It's dangerous to drive while you're so deep in thought. I'm free in the afternoon, so please let me accompany you and drive."
"Well, yes, then I'll appreciate that."
With a sudden realization, I got into the company car with Manager Mimasaka.
I had no problem with driving as I also had a personal car. We were going to cover a distance of about 40 minutes one way.
On the way, I asked for more details about this case.
In simple terms, the data collected by our flagship product, Tesmo, which was introduced as a demo unit, seemed to have vanished. The client claimed that the equipment was faulty, but the manager didn't seem to think so.
Was it a software bug, incorrect equipment usage, or some other factor? There were various possibilities.
When it came to cases at the manager's level, even I, despite my skills, couldn't easily make a judgment. We couldn't simply assert that our equipment was not at fault because it was an important client.
As I drove, the manager let out a contemplative "Hmm."
"They're saying that if incidents like this, where data disappears, happen frequently, they'll consider a major project for new equipment."
The demo unit had met the customer's criteria, so the plan was to update existing equipment and install over a dozen new units.
I had come to Hamayama as a member of the development team for this new product in order to handle this major project.
If this project were to fall through at this point, it would be a significant setback, and the manager's position within the company would be in jeopardy.
Considerable sums of money are involved, so it's understandable that both we and the client would be cautious.
"I am on the shorter side, right? I pay attention to my clothing and appearance to avoid being underestimated. Do you think people see me as someone who's too conscious of such things?"
Manager Mimasaka was unusually expressing self-doubt. She usually exuded confidence and always provided cheerful answers to our subordinates' questions, so this was a rare sight. But even my previous boss had moments of vulnerability. Everyone has times when they want to let out their insecurities.
"That's not true at all. Manager, your sincere approach is top-notch in our eyes. It's unthinkable that anyone would perceive you that way."
"Heh, you say that with such confidence."
"It's the truth."
All I could do was empathize and offer encouragement. The manager had significantly better customer interaction skills. I just had to acknowledge that.
"In Hamayama, there are many female customer representatives, but ultimately, most of their superiors are male department heads. If you say 'no' to them, you're bound to encounter difficulties."
"...So the higher-ups are the real challenge."
"I've had some interactions with them, and they're quite capricious. But they never say things that are wrong, so it's also challenging."
Customers also have budget constraints. It's the customer's boss's job to manage within those budgets and ensure the best possible results. We need to find a way to break through that and establish win-win relationships.
As I thought about this, the manager suddenly sighed.
"It's no good... I can't believe it."
Manager Mimasaka was expressing vulnerability.
"Despite always saying such haughty things... I get anxious at times like these."
"Even so, considering the relationships the manager has built up until now, I don't think they'll cut ties abruptly. On their end, there's no real benefit in switching to another company at this point, and there's potential for the manager and the company to gain from this, which is why they assigned me here, right?"
"Yeah... that's true, but..."
The manager was feeling incredibly insecure.
Just last week, he was speaking firmly, even harshly, and the client had a positive impression, saying things like "Manager Mimasaka is impressive" in their interactions. She's incredibly beautiful and skilled in presentations, to the point where she has fans. Even people from different departments come to see her when the manager is around.
At least, I don't think I'm in as dire a situation as the manager. Why is he so worried?
"Manager, why are you so anxious about it?"
"You see, I... I have this deep fear that everything I've built up will crumble suddenly. It goes back to an event from my student days, in a way, you could say it's like a trauma."
"I see."
"You know, back in the day, when I was a student, I was teased by my childhood friend."
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