Chapter 4: Personal feelings, Professional ethics.

For the next few weeks, things passed by peacefully for Fuko. After finally making things clear to Tokiya, she rarely saw him, except for the occasional staff meetings, which she had to attend due to her job obligations. Other than that, things went back to normal, though Miwa called up her up now and then, but Fuko always politely declined her invitations.

Personally, she admitted to herself, that she still had feelings for Tokiya whether she liked it or not. However, she and Tokiya had tried it once and things didn't work out between them, so it was probably fated for them not to be together. Furthermore, it was hard to find fault with Miwa. She really looked like the perfect woman, no flaws whatsoever. It was not as if Tokiya had made a worst choice, in fact, in Fuko's opinion, he had made the best.

" Fuko?"

" Yeah, Miyuki what's up?" Fuko stared at the file had placed on her table. " What's this?"

" The director just called a meeting. He wants you there now."

" What? Do you know what is going on?" Fuko asked

Miyuki looked around for the moment, then she bent down to whisper into Fuko's ear, "They said that it's about the retrenchment list."

" You aren't serious." Fuko gasped as she heard it.

" Shhh, we can't let the others hear that. It may just be a rumor. I don't know, but that's what I heard."

" One way to find out." Fuko said as she stood up.

" Fuko, do you really think that we'll be…"

" Not if I can help it." Fuko replied, " I can't afford to lose anyone here."

*********************

" I think that most of you now, would have some idea of what I called you all for. What you'll find in your files provided is a list of people that I've compiled for retrenchment. I want you to shortlist it, to those who are still capable of providing service to the company, keeping in mind the object of cutting costs."

Tokiya looked at everyone in the room, which was looking into their files. " Of course, we will compensate them according to the terms that I've stated down in the file. Any questions?"

Fuko looked at the list names in front of her. There were three names. Two of them were cameramen and the third one was Yutaro's name.

" Miss Kirisawa, you have a question?"

Fuko looked up to find Tokiya staring at her.

" Yes. You want me to retrench my host. How am I supposed to continue with my show then? I can't just depend on one."

" Yes. I understand. However, I have a reason for this. I'll see you in my office later to explain it to you."

You better have a good explanation Fuko thought. There's no way I'm going to retrench any of my crew even if you're the director.

******************

" Take a seat." Tokiya offered as he and Fuko entered his office.

Fuko eyed him steadily as he sat down and took a file out of his drawer and handed it over to Fuko.

" What is this?"

" Your new host. Kimura Takeshi."

Fuko folded her arms and stared at Tokiya " How much did you pay for him?"

" I beg your pardon?"

" He's the top host in Japan, and currently working for our rival station. It would take at least a substantial sum of money to tempt him away from his current job."

" How much I pay him is of course, none of your business, but from next month onwards, he will be working here, and I expect to give him your guidance."

" I refuse."

" What?"

" You want me to retrench three people so that you can hire one person? I don't think I call that a cost cutting measure, Mr. Mikagami."

" Please do not let your personal feelings interfere with your job Miss Kirisawa, and I would watch what I was saying if I were you." Tokiya replied in an icy voice.

" This is not about personal feelings. I see no reason to retrench people who have been doing their work perfectly. You know very well, that there is a recession going on now, and it would be hard for them to find alternative jobs. The people whom you want me to retrench have families who depend on them. It would be irresponsible to ask them to leave during a period like this."

" Miss Kirisawa, you are not responsible for their well being."

" You at least have to give me a good reason, as to why they have to leave and not the others."

" Even if your talk show is popular, improvement can still be made. And through my observations over the past few weeks, Yutaro has trouble putting up with the demands of the job, and I am inclined to think that maybe this is not the right career for him. This decision is for the interest of the company. After all, we are paying you, and it is my job to make sure that we make enough money to pay you."

" But I still don't see the point in retrenching three people just for one. And not everyone is perfect. Despite his flaws, Yutaro still has some special characteristics that draw the audiences to the show."

" I suggest you save your breath. My decision is final." Tokiya reached over to press the intercom and spoke through it, " Gladys, Miss Kirisawa is leaving now."

" I will not retrench those people, no matter what you say. My decision is final." Fuko replied, seething with anger as she stood up.

" If you do that, I'll have to fire you Fuko." Tokiya spoke.

Fuko turned her head towards him. " Mr. Mikagami, you and I are not on personal terms, do not address me by my name. And, fire me if you want to. I'll won't change my mind, and I won't regret it."

*******************

" … So that's what happened. And I don't care if I get fired. That bloody asshole." Fuko punched the wall beside her as she told her story to Recca.

Right after her work had ended, she had made her way straight to Recca's place and told him everything. Now, they were in his balcony, sitting on the railing.

" Did you tell your colleagues?" Recca asked.

" No. I don't plan to tell them. I refuse to let them be retrenched. That guy thinks that just because he's the director, he can just fire people, as he likes. He doesn't understand how those people would suffer if they lose their job. Hello! He's only been here like what, two three months? They've been here for years!"

" Well, it's his decision, and I'm sure that it was pretty tough to make too. I mean it's hard to fire people. Besides, the recession not only applies to you, but to him too."

"Yeah, but he has go and hire the most expensive host on the planet in return!"

" Well, if I could, I would hire Glay to do an advertisement for me. It would really perk up my business." Recca replied.

Fuko huffed. " Why are you on his side? You're supposed to be on mine."

" Hey! I'm on nobody's here. I'm just saying that there are two sides to a coin. No one's totally right or wrong."

" Whatever. I'm just totally pissed now. And anyway, I expect to find a letter on my desk tomorrow, so you better make a job for me at your factory."

Recca snorted at her, " You at my fireworks factory! You've got to be kidding me."

Fuko punched him playfully in the shoulder. " Never mind, I'll just take a long vacation overseas."

Suddenly, they heard the doorbell ring, and Yanagi running to the door.

" You expecting someone?" Fuko asked

" No. Could be Kaoru. He likes coming over for dinner. God knows why." Fuko laughed as Recca made a face.

" Come on, let's go back in, maybe I'll stay for dinner too." Fuko said.

However, as she poked her head into the living room, she heard Yanagi exclaim, " Oh really? I cooked curry tonight. You'll try it right?"

" All right." Tokiya said as he stepped into the living room and stared at Fuko.

" Oh Hi Tokiya." Recca called out as he stepped into the living room.

" Um, Recca, I have to go now. See you around." Fuko mumbled as she tried to make her way quickly past Tokiya.

" I thought you wanted to stay for dinner?" Recca asked innocently and Fuko glared at him.

" I changed my mind. I've got to look for a job you know. I just lost mine." She answered sweetly.

" A girl like you who can't separate personal feelings from work won't be able to get a job. They're into professionals nowadays." Tokiya commented as Fuko walked past him.

Fuko stopped beside him and looked up at him, eyes slanted, lips pursed. " Well then, is this a tit for tat now? A man like you who doesn't realize that there is a quote ' no man is an island' will not get far in this world."

" Quantity does not equal quality."

" Neither does quality equal quantity."

" You never change do you, always thinking of others first, sacrificing yourself, when no one is going to thank you for it afterwards."

" Speak for yourself, Always thinking of yourself. Selfish in whatever you do."

" Err… look here guys. Could we put aside our differences? After all, we're all friends."

" Friends? You got to be kidding me." Fuko retorted. " Anyhow, enjoy the curry. I have to be leaving."

Before anyone could say a word, Fuko made her way quickly to the door. Outside, she pressed continuously for the lift, but it wouldn't come. Worst still, she saw Tokiya heading towards her.

Quickly, to avoid him, she went to the stairs, and quickly made her way down. Damn. Why did Recca's apartment have to be on the fifteenth floor! However, she soon found Tokiya right on her heels, following her step by step.

" Stop following me. Go back." Fuko said as she quickened her pace, but Tokiya just followed suit.

" No. We've got to clear this up now. I don't wish to hand you a resignation letter Fuko." Tokiya replied

" You don't have to. I'll hand you mine. Leave me alone. You and I have nothing to say to each other."

Tokiya caught hold of her arm, bringing her to a stop. Fuko shook Tokiya's hand away. " Let go!"

" Can you stop being so emotional? You're 25 years old. Grow up."

" Well I can't ok. I've always been emotional. Happy now!" Fuko shouted back.

" Well, you certainly weren't emotional when you broke up with me."

That got Fuko. She took one step away from Tokiya, and stared at him.

" That was different." She spoke in a soft voice. " And we shouldn't even be talking about it anymore. Didn't we promise each other that then, at the recital?"

Damn it, tears were starting to form. Furiously, she tried to blink them back.

" Why did we even break up in the first place Fuko?"

" That's a stupid question. You wanted to go abroad and I didn't want to follow you. I wanted you to stay, but you insisted on going, even refusing to…"

Fuko was cut off as Tokiya pulled her towards him and kissed her. The kiss took her by surprise, and there was nothing to do except to

Kiss him back.

When the kiss ended, Tokiya still held her tightly against him while he stared deeply into her eyes and spoke, " I thought that I had forgotten about you. But that night, when I saw you at the dinner, I couldn't stop myself from going up to you and asking you to dance. I remembered so easily, that it was as if I didn't forget them at all."

It was then Fuko knew that she couldn't hold back her feelings any longer.

" I couldn't forget too. Tokiya."