65 65. Pa’s Move


    Today was Pa’s first day at the office. She got off at the bus stop closest to the office after inserting a five hundred yen coin. She immediately got off, without paying attention to the change, because she was not used to taking the bus. However, the bus driver repeatedly called her to pick up the change in Japanese. Of course, she didn’t understand until a man took the change and chased after her to give the change.


    “Miss!” shouted a young man, running closer in her direction.


    Pa didn’t notice it. So the man sped up, chasing ahead of her and shoving three hundred yen coins at her. He gasped for air, stering a friendly smile on her.


    “Here’s your change, miss!” said the young man wearing a neat shirt with a friendly smile. “Next time don’t forget to take it! Check it first before you get off.”


    Pa just smiled and nodded, feeling guilty for bothering others.


    “Thanks!” Pa thanked him in Japanese.


    “Wee!” The young man replied in English.


    The two of them walked together and talked awkwardly. The man tried to speak in English even though he was struggling. Turns out, they were both headed for the same building. Then, the two separated toward their respective destinations.


    Unlike what everyone thought, Pa came and disguised herself as an ordinary worker. She came on behalf of Eva Morgan, the woman who was appointed as a new employee in the design department. While the original Eva Morgan was transferred to the main office on Fifth Avenue.


    .....


    No one knew what Eva Morgan looked like because Robert and the superior in Tokyo didn’t think it was important. She was an ordinary employee. In addition, no one knew Pa’s real face except for Miyuki because she had never directly intervened to handle this family business.


    Therefore, Pa took advantage of this loophole to allow her to enter the Tokyo office by hiding her true identity. Only Miyuki knew of this n. The others didn’t have any idea about it. Pa hoped that the problem would be resolved quickly if the traitor didn’t know he or she was being watched.


    To be more convincing, she must live a simple life in Tokyo. Starting from a middle-end apartment without hiring a housemaid. She also humbly used public transportation or just on foot-for the sake of a convincing disguise.


    As soon as she entered the building, Pa immediately met Miyuki who was waiting at the fast food restaurant downstairs. They shouldn’t be seen together too much by office people until the traitor was found. Even now, the two were sitting around two different tables. They turned their backs on each other and hid each other’s faces with magazines.


    “Could you please tell me how the secret information leaked?” asked Pa as she devoured her meat sandwich. She didn’t eat breakfast at home because she woke upte this morning. Last night she had trouble sleeping again after a bad dream.


    Pa already knew the story of the information leakage from her father. However, she wanted to know the more detailed one from Miyuki.


    A month ago Anderson Jewelry (AJ) Tokyo branch and center held a meeting. They agreed on a concept with the theme of Winter Sakura to beunched in Japan only.


    Unlike the usual ones that only follow AJ New York, AJ Tokyo this time wouldunch a product that was more suitable for the local market. AJ New York products would only be provided in a limited way-the number was adjusted ording to the number of loyal customers.


    The concept carried by Winter Sakura was jewelry with a white metal framebined with high-quality pink Akoya pearls. For the price variation, they would produce jewelry made of tinum, white gold, and silver metal. The design was made with a simple concept because it was intended for daily use so it didn’t look too dramatic and shy.


    However, a week before theunching, suddenly, Akane, a jewelry artist who just made her debut this year,unched a new design simr to the concept of Winter Sakura. They called it Pinku no Yuki, which means pink snow. They used pink pearlsbined with silver, white gold, and tinum. Of course, this surprised AJ’s side because the concept and design were too simr.


    This made it impossible for AJ tounch its new products. Losses reached 200,000.00 dors for initial production. Luckily they only produce in small quantities. However, they still had to prepare a new concept in a short time.


    “Who else was involved in this project besides Freya and Kato?” Pa asked again. Freya was the head of the design team and Kato was the president of AJ for the Tokyo branch. Both of them were always present in meetings with the central AJ.


    “Just everyone on the design team,” Miyuki replied casually. Pa nodded, understanding that secrecy had been kept quite a bit.


    “Who proposed the concept of Winter Sakura? I like the idea. Too bad it’s a waste,” Pa asked again.


    A month ago, when Pa read the concept, she fell in love immediately. She hoped that this time AJ Tokyo would be sessful in making big profits and gaining poprity in Japan. However, her hopes were in vain when he heard of this incident.


    “That’s Freya’s main idea with the help of the team,” Miyuki replied while checking left and right, afraid that someone would notice because currently the two of them were in a public ce.


    Paul nodded. Miyuki was a reliable person. She was an HRD employee who also had the role of a spy. Miyuki couldn’t possibly betray Robert because he was the one who helped Miyuki and her parents when they were in need.


    “Thank you, Miyuki,” Pa said as she drank her milk. “I will need your help againter. Now I have to go to the office and meet Freya.”


    Miyuki and Pa parted ways. Pa ordered Miyuki not to contact her via smartphone and the inte at the office just in case. They then exited the cafe separately.


    Pa rushed to the office and met with the head of the design team, Freya Miller. The woman was a talented designer. However, it seemed that for the Japanese market, she still had to learn so that the designs she and her team created could attract local customers.


    Freya greeted Pa in a friendly manner. She immediately took Pa into the design office and introduced her to Freya’s subordinates.


    “She is Eva Morgan from AJ HQ. So sad that she had to join us while we were struggling to make a new concept in a hurry. Unfortunately, the wee party will be postponed. Wee, Eva! We need your help,” Freya said kindly.


    “Hello, I’m Eva, I can’t speak Japanese very well. But I’ll try my best,” Pa said in poor Japanese.


    However, that was fine as all members seemed not to care more about work deadlines than their new members. Reluctantly, they lifted their faces from their tablets to greet the neer.


    As their bright faces appeared one by one, Pa discovered that the man she had been with on the bus this morning was one of Freya’s subordinates.


    “Ah, you were the foreign girl on the bus earlier?” the man asked, suddenly bing more friendly. “Hi, I’m Ken.”


    “I’m Himawari.”


    “I’m Misa.”


    The other members also introduced themselves. Pa smiled, turning to Freya.


    “We are used to calling by our first name because we feel like family,” Freya exined. Pa then smiled happily because there was such a warm thought in the work environment.


    Pa then joined the others and quickly adjusted. Fortunately, Pa was notpletely dumb when it came to designing. By noon, they had to finish the concept they wanted to offer thepany. The main concept and at least five design examples. Furthermore, they could refine the concept together after the theme was agreed upon.


    At noon, Pa promised to meet Miyuki in the toilet on the third floor, near the dentist’s clinic. Pa went into the toilet and found Miyuki’s red ankle boots under the toilet stall. That meant, Miyuki was already there.


    “Miyuki?” Pa asked, confirming.


    “Right. What was your first impression?” Miyuki asked.


    “They are all very diligent and professional. I almost doubt that the traitor is one of them,” Paplimented the team members.


    “Then, what’s your first move then?”


    “Have you investigated the background of the people involved? Do they have friends or rtives who work at Akane?”


    “Not yet.”


    “Do that and we’ll meet again here this afternoon at three o’clock.”


    “You’re not giving me time to breathe, are you?” Miyuki protested, chuckling lightly. “But no problem. I will do it for you.”


    After thanking Miyuki, Pa left to go to the meeting room. Freya suggested recing the pearls with blue sapphires and diamonds.


    “Disney-Frozen themes would be so pretty and perfect for winter, wouldn’t they?” Freya asked, seeking approval from the others.


    “But, aren’t our target market adult women who earn above 8 million Yen per year? Do they still like that kind of thing?” Kato asked unsurely.


    “Any other ideas?” The dizzy Kato took off his sses and massaged his temples lightly. His hair was disheveled, looking like he hadn’t showered in days.


    Kato was not usually directly involved in early discussions. Usually, the design team would present a refined concept, then they would report the result to Kato. However, right now, Kato wanted to push them because the deadline was approaching.


    “Misa? Himawari?” Kato asked. “Are you the neer? Eva, huh?”


    Misa and Himawari gave up. They would only help if the concept had been agreed upon.


    Then, it was Ken’s turn to propose something else. He came to present his idea with confidence: Rainbow Winter.


    “Rainbow Winter?” Pa whispered in awe.


    “Right,” Ken said confidently. “So, we don’t need to change the previous concept. Just modify and add the metal type and pearl color. Look, this is the previous design with modifications. There’s no trace of Sakura Winter at all, right?”


    Everyone was amazed. Ken looks very talented and his ideas were very convincing.


    “But it will cost you more, won’t it?” Freya argued. She was not happy because Kato and the others seemed to prefer Ken’s idea.


    “Freya, no matter what, we’re still going to spend money, aren’t we?” Kato defended Ken’s n. “With your idea earlier, we should procure sapphires and diamonds.”


    Freya felt cornered. She could only smile wryly.


    Then, unexpectedly Pa said, “However, Freya’s design idea is no less interesting. Feminine and unique. I like it very much. We canbine them, right? I and the others will refine the concept and add more design. We’ll decide which one to executeter. What we need for now is quick action. Not much time left. Perhaps we need to postpone theunch as well. It’s better than losing a huge amount of money.”


    Kato was momentarily stunned by Pa’s statement. He then smiled in relief and nodded happily. The others didn’t seem to oppose the decision. Freya was no longer surly. Finally, the meeting was dismissed and all returned to work as instructed.


    When the others were out of the room, Pa still had to stay to sort things out. It was then, Kato noticed that something was strange. The woman imed to be a neer, but she was too calm to be called a novice. She was also too controlling of the situation and could reconcile the unnecessarypetition that should not happen.


    With all those reasons, Kato finally asked, “Who are you?”