Kumoishi, is one of the companies that is quite developed in the city of Edogawa. They are engaged in the snack business, especially potato snacks and lime soda which are currently spearheading sales. With the lowest price and the most quantity, it's not strange that we control 70% of Tokyo area.
The building where I work consists of five floors. The first floor has a reception area and a shipping warehouse. While the production factory is located on the second floor to the third floor. The fourth floor and above is the office and canteen area. Several divisions such as administration, sales, marketting and so on. My place is on that floor, the fourth floor. The top floor is the meeting room and the leader's place.
One of the advantages of working here is that we quite often receive snacks as testers from the production division team. So we worked while snacking on their test snacks. In addition, the atmosphere is quite friendly and comfortable. At first I thought so, the day before knowing my own manager, Mitsue Kashiwagi-san who was unbelievably fierce.
Me and Kinji-san are in the same place, while Aemi-san is located in one of the rooms on the fourth floor. Aemi-san is a legal admin.
Kinji-san told me to go first because suddenly the cell phone in his pocket rang.
(Kinji-san is great! Just about to come in, the client has already called!) I thought to myself as I felt dread returning to my office. Mitsue Kashiwagi-san is in the same room as the sales division. That's because Mitsue Kashiwagi is the manager who manages the direction and development of sales.
Just as the door was about to open a quarter, I started to hear the voices of Kashiwagi-san and a man with a slightly heavy tone. Then, I closed it again while pressing my ear carefully.
“Hm… Kashiwagi-san, almost half of the twenty sales team have not reached the target. If this is left until the fourth quarter, then we need an audit…”
“….,”
(Looks like Kashiwagi-san is in trouble?) I kept eavesdropping. Actually this is not a good deed, but what else can you do? It's my room anyway.
Pragmatic footsteps, slow and calm, began to be heard.
"Mitsue, is something holding you back?"
“I-it's not like that, uncle. Everyone works hard. One of the triggers for the decline in performance is our emerging competitors. After all, some of the team's lack of targets weren't too far apart. I can complete their remaining targets, uncle,"
(Uncle? I didn't know that Kashiwagi-san has an uncle who works here? What's more, that man's voice… why is it a bit familiar?)
“That's the problem, Mitsue! How long do you work until midnight?! Your father, Takemitsu Kimo of Shinzou Corp could be mad at me for working you too hard!”
(E-e-eh? S-S-Shinzou Corp? Such a big company has something to do with it?”
Shinzou Corp, is one of the largest companies in Japan with various fields that have spread widely. From hospitals, delivery services, heavy equipment lending services, and so on.
But they themselves, Shinzou Corp, originally engaged in exclusive wine which has been recognized in all countries for its enjoyment and the only one – the cheapest in the line of exclusive wine products. Sometimes when I'm very stressed, sipping one glass makes my heart warm.
“About that… don't worry, uncle. I've told papa that I do this because of conscience. I have no reason to fire them for trying so hard. Sometimes, what's wrong is the situation and conditions, "
“Huh…. You are just like your father. But still, uncle does not want to know. Right now you are giving the names of sales employees whose performance is declining!”
“B-but, uncle-”
“Mitsue-kun, this uncle does it for the good of everyone. please,”
I had a heart attack when I heard Kashiwagi-san's uncle asking for the names of sales employees whose performance was dropping. To be sure, I certainly have not reached the target either. My name was confirmed to be present on the note.
But hearing Kashiwagi-san's defense, I began to understand why she was trying so hard to discipline all employees including myself. I understand how big the responsibility is. Everything she said could have been annoyance that she expressed with a specific intention to satirize employees who did not meet the company's target expectations.
(I'll be nice and more patient with Kashiwagi-san! Kashiwagi-san's feelings move me! Yosshh! I've made up my mind!)
I started to set the mindset. My soul is burning with emotion for Kashiwagi-san's struggle. After all, Kashiwagi-san had been covering up for her subordinates' mistakes.
Suddenly…
The sound and vibration of footsteps began to approach. Of course I tried to carefully step away from that place a few inches so as not to raise suspicions.
A middle-aged man came out of that place. He had slightly gray hair, a mustache and thick eyebrows. To be sure, this person was an important person.
“Good afternoon, Yamashita-san!” I bowed.
“Oh, Munekata-kun, good afternoon,”
Masutaro Yamashita is the CEO of this company. He is a humble and very calm middle-aged man. I met him once at a soba shop near my apartment. The owner of the soba shop said, Masutaro Yamashita-san was a regular customer there. Well, I was a little surprised to hear his assertive attitude earlier.
Then when I was about to head back to my work room, I almost bumped into Kashiwagi-san who was also about to leave the room.
“E-eh? I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Kashiwagi-san!” I bowed many times while apologizing profusely.
"Hah ... never mind, get back to work," she looked away then was about to leave. Instead of looking irritated, her expression looked tired. This time she let me, it seems….
I was suspicious when I saw the whole room was quiet. Before she left, I asked her directly.
“Um… why is it so quiet, Kashiwagi-san?”
“Oh? You haven't checked the group chat yet? I told them to extend the break by half an hour because the CEO wanted to see me..."
“A-ah… o-of course!”
She walked away with hasty steps. “See you later, Munekata-san,”
Immediately returning to my seat, I started organizing all the important things that I will be working on according to Kashiwagi-san's directions when giving me the training at the beginning of my first day of work.
Some of the clients I had marked phone numbers I started calling. They are typical clients who are difficult to deal with. Kashiwagi-san's suggestion that sorting client data is quite troublesome because it has to work twice. But as a result, I was able to sort out which client took precedence because I was quick to take out the contract.
“Bu-but… don't you want to reconsider, Enomoto-san?” I answered the phone pleadingly.
“It honestly interesting… but the problem is that there are too many considerations. Some of our customers prefer Lemonade from Nagoya. They also have lemonade with a variety of flavors besides lemon lime…”
I started racking my brains on one of our clients, Rika Enomoto. She owns a grocery store which is located in the center of the central Okinawa market. The potential is quite wide because Okinawa is a beautiful tourist spot.
One fact, that Rika Enomoto is the only potential client who has never taken a deal even with other sales. Kashiwagi-san and my senior Kinji-san also gave up on her. Because Enomoto-san is just a pretty selfish person and also the location is very far away.
But I won't give up easily!
“It just so happened that recently we have developed several new variants. They have also been circulating in Tokyo. Some of them are cherry blossom soda, milk strawberry soda, honey pineapple soda, coffee soda, and apple tea soda. As a recommendation, the coffee soda is the best seller around Edogawa.”
“Hmm…, quite unique huh. I'm curious about strawberry milk soda… but…, how about the taste, huh?”
I feel that Enomoto-san is still take consideration.
"After all, wouldn't it be a waste if it doesn't taste good, right? So… I should probably consider it more deeply-”
"You can visit us for a taste tester, Enomoto-san! Later you are free to choose whichever is suitable for you, o-or… maybe you are not satisfied with the results, you can choose the cancel option! Don't hesitate – we always welcome you warmly!”
(I'll keep chasing it until Enomoto-san at least wants to take the time to go all the way from Okinawa to come to Kumoishi! I'll try to keep leading this discussion!)
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