Stephen Loud perched on a chair, meticulously working on his next project: an antique ship in a bottle made by European conquistadors on their way to the New World. It would go for thousands at auction. He smiled at the thought. Stephen had made many fake designer products in the past and sold them online, but this was one of his more ambitious endeavors. He had just started creating fake antiques. He didn't find it hard to reproduce tea sets or even basic furniture, but a ship in a bottle? That was way harder. From the miniature sails to the carved hull, Stephen frowned at the difficulty of the work.
Gritting his teeth with effort, Stephen tried once more in vain to carve a perfect hull. He tossed the wooden block in a pile with all the other rejects. He sighed and went to go refill his coffee. He needed a break. Stephen took a seat and opened Skype to call his cousin Suguru Shimura, who had recently moved to Japan because on his job. Though Suguru was 14 years Stephen's senior, they had a mutual respect for each other and were each other's confidante and friend.
"Hey Suguru. How's it going?"
"It's going well, thank you," Suguru replied.
"It's been pretty lonely without you. I don't get out much, you know. How's work?"
"W-w-w-work? Work's fine. N-n-n-nothing weird whatsoever!" Suguru grinned sheepishly and Stephen could tell that he was clenching his fists next to his face, a clear sign of nervousness.
"You're at that Yotsuba place, right? What exactly do you do there?" Stephen asked, trying to see how much he could get out of his cousin. Stephen could tell that Suguru was nervous, but knowing his cousin, Suguru would tell him what was going on. With Suguru acting so nervous: more nervous than usual, Stephen couldn't help but pry.
"Um, I'm uh VP of P-p-personnel. Um I um help with the um personnel and I um help them to do their jobs?" Suguru ended his answer like it was a question.
"Hm," was Stephen's only reply.
Suguru suddenly looked very intent on fixing his hair. "So um how are you?" he finally asked sheepishly.
"I'm good, thank you."
"Oh um good! Good for you, Stephen! I um have to go so um bye Stephen!"
"Bye Suguru."
Stephen sighed. So much for a relaxing evening chatting with his cousin. He went back to carving the ship. Another botched carving. Stephen angrily threw the wooden block into the pile with the rest of the rejects and walked off to bed for the night.
