The case of me, a plain office worker, being approached by my beautiful boss and the company idol for some reason - Chapter 59 - No One Can Afford To

After finishing lunch with Reina-san, I make my way up the stairs.

As I step into the kitchen, the usual members are there, and I greet each one of them.

Then, with resolve, I take my seat.

Well… I’m not sure what’s going to happen, but my job is to facilitate.

“So, have you all given it some thought?”

I check to see that everyone nods in agreement before moving the discussion forward.

“Has anyone’s opinion changed?”

“Yes!” they all answer in unison.

Hmm… this is not a particularly good situation.

There seems to be a stubbornness, an assumption that one’s own view is correct.

Even I can relate. When I focus too much on one thing, I lose sight of the bigger picture.

“Well then… would you mind hearing my opinion before we move forward?”

All eyes in the room turn to me… this is nerve-wracking.

Well, now that it’s come to this, I have no choice but to proceed.

“In my opinion…”

I try to explain in as polite and gentle a manner as possible.

What I think is the main issue.

And the reason why.

I deliberately share a different perspective, in the hopes of shifting their thinking.

“What do you think? Instead of focusing on family meals, what if we concentrated on meals for a single housewife…”

“I see! I hadn’t thought of it like that!”

“That’s definitely a possibility!”

“I see, that’s an eye-opener.”

Phew… I would have been disappointed if they disagreed.

For now, I can relax… but the real work starts now.

“Let me make it clear, I have no intention of forcing this perspective onto you. It’s just a suggestion for you to consider. But if there’s one thing I would like you to do, it’s not to get too fixated on one idea. That can narrow your vision, and you can miss a lot of things. I’m sure, if you had the chance, you would have thought of something like this.”

“Mito-san… Alright! Let’s discuss it again!”

“Yes, let’s!”

“Well, why not? I suppose I was being a little stubborn.”

I wonder, did I manage to get through to them?

Geez, this is stressful.

It’s impressive how the bosses do this every day.

Especially Reina-san, she must face a lot of difficulties.

Next time, I’ll cook her something delicious, so she can take a break.

As I listen to their discussion…

“Hm? … Director Mifune?”

She’s waving at me from the entrance.

The others are absorbed in their conversation, so I quietly head her way.

“What can I do for you?”

“No, it’s nothing. I was just a bit concerned. But you seem to be handling it well, so I’m relieved.”

“Do you think so? I’m not sure if I’m doing this right…”

“Hehe… That’s okay, Mito-kun.”

“Well, I’m twenty-six, actually…”

“To me, you’re still a young boy, a novice. Just to let you know, you’re not that different from them.”

Gulp… Well, that’s true. I don’t have any leeway either.

I understand, but it’s quite a blow…

“I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, okay? It just means you have room to grow. And if you had any leeway, I would’ve punched you.”

“What?”

“Even I don’t have any leeway. When I submit a proposal, my stomach hurts. When the president calls me in, I feel like I’m going to throw up. When I have to scold a subordinate, I question myself. ‘Did I really get mad?’ Even if I think I scolded them, I don’t know how the other person feels.”

“Even you, Director Mifune… Somehow, that makes me feel a bit better.”

“I’m sure everyone feels the same. Especially Reina-chan, she must have it hard, huh. I worked with her about four years ago, and she always seemed troubled.”

“Even Section Chief Matsuura…”

“I guess it’s about the same as Tamura-kun? He’s surprisingly tough, and he shrugs off whatever the bosses say. Plus, he’s the type to stick to his guns.”

“I kind of get what you’re saying. He’s surprisingly pushy.”

“Hehe, indeed. So what I’m trying to say is… you can afford to make mistakes. In fact, you’re supposed to, right?”

“Oh— the project itself is a first attempt, so it’s okay if we fail…”

I’d completely forgotten that…

Even though I was telling them to relax…

The one who’s the least relaxed is me…

“There you go, you were too tense too. Tamura-kun and Reina-chan like you, so you must be a kind and considerate person. But it’s hard to survive in society if you’re like that. People can be crueler than you think—if you’re not careful, there are more bad people than good.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Yes, I think that would be good. Of course, there are good people too. You should work with people who want to work with someone like you. Well… I’ve been rambling on, haven’t I? It’s so annoying how preachy I get when I get older.”

“No, I appreciate hearing your insights. Thank you.”

“Hehe, as long as it helped. Well, I’ll see you around.”

So, it’s okay…

Of course, it’s not good to make mistakes, but I need to be a little more relaxed.

If I’m like this, the younger ones can’t be at ease either.

With renewed determination, I return to them.