Zodiac Sigh!
Author's note: I just love this anime couple! By the way, the Yu Yu Hakusho characters mention here is rightfully own by its anime creator and I only own this story and few original ones. Thanks!
Chapter 1 – Classy suit; trashy tale
"Oh, hell! I just don't know what to do!" Shizuru screamed as she tossed her hair off her shoulder in an appalling and unfeminine way.
If there can be only one factor that gives her the blast in the head, it would be the deadlines. She has been so over worked that at one point she does not recognize herself in the mirror. Her office suit she bought only last week turns out that it already aged out of fashion. An exciting job that she thought it would work out perfectly rear its ugly head as being the secretary of Database Corporation called Goliath is taking over its own labor woes and simultaneous bankruptcies. Mr. Butajiri, the CEO of this mammoth company feels it's like stepping into its peak of the iceberg ready for a freefall.
Shizuru was so worried that her boss might resign leaving the company in shambles. Her desk is full of piled unfinished paper works that by the sight of it, anybody can faint in no time. She forces herself to type and finish the letter of extended credit line from the bank until stress took over her body.
"Ms. Kuwabara! What are you doing? I had no time dealing your laziness over and over again." He shouted as if speakers were inches away from her ears.
Ever since Shizuru got this job by online application, she thought to herself that it was going to be a breeze. A decent income enough to pay for her rent and other bills, a perfect bird's eye view of urban Tokyo and wearing a classic office feminine suit means you are a stabled adult. Nevertheless, a big no snaps in her mind! Whoever told her that this kind of a job is something that everybody dreams of…think again!
Everyday of the week, all the stress slams in your face by the time you step right into the office. A yelling boss reminding everyone's deadline and worst, his unpleasant attitude towards his subordinates, and hell is here if you're highly priced and well-typed documents will suddenly meets it's demise in a blink of an eye. For the highly cerebral individual, this means he is going to trash your papers without even bothering to read.
Three months of work is like ten years in hell if you are involved in this kind of situation. She feels like a prison inmate counting the days he needs in order to let himself taste the true freedom.
Speaking of freedom, is this all I ever wanted? Shizuru asked herself as she redone her paperwork for the second time.
By the time she graduated from college, she spent two months living in her parents' house in order for her to prepare the transition. Leaving home permanently is something all teens wanted and since she became independent and adult, she doesn't need their help anymore. She was so extremely happy until that final day came. She said good-bye to her parents and her brother as she left them in search of greener pastures in the urban Tokyo. She remembers clearly on that day humming her favorite tunes. She dreams of a big or even a three-bedroom apartment and being financially independent.
However, expectations have its own fate as if it has a soul of its own.
Tokyo is great but only in pictures as she bravely fought the waves of people. She was so shock that she even calls it "transitional urban horror." She did not expect that this city was so large, dizzying and worst, robotic. People would run selfishly into the streets trying to catch the early subway train. They don't talk like the casual prefecture-scene of rural people who happily talk about their agricultural products. Here, time is your enemy. If time would fly so fast, people would start to curse their watches and themselves.
Is this all I wanted?
Yes and No.
Yes, in terms of stability and freedom.
No, in terms of pressure and stress.
No wonder nightclubs and karaoke bars are a big business hit as employees started to swarm these kinds of places. Dislodging stress is a must for every employee as their hard earn money will go all of these "pleasure banks". The next day meets an ugly reality of working again for the 'end-of-the-day-treat-yourself' routine.
Shizuru finally stood up as she carefully handed her finished and edited document to Mr. Butajiri. He is no laughing matter when she faces up with him not minding what she looks like right now.
He carefully glazes the lines of her paper as she started to pray that this would make him smile. She force her brain to excrete all with it's juice into this letter. Unfortunately, facial lines means a hint of disaster is coming.
"This is rubbish! Do you really want this company to extinct?" Butajiri-san said with a rage in his voice.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Telling the bank about how much I owe is an absolute sin! Surely, it will be denied by this."
"I am just honest to…"
"Honest, my foot! In the business world, there is no such thing as honesty. We are living in a world of shrewd, manipulation and deceit. It was every corporation of itself. With this kind of attitude, I don't think you are going to survive in a day…or even an hour.
He turns his back as he crumpled the paper. All she could hear is a thup-pup sound of a discarded paper; thrown in the metal mesh trashcan.
She can feel she can cry any minute but force her eyes to shut.
She sat down at her computer seat flatly and began to reflect.
--
She came home to her one-bedroom apartment with the same appearance she first came here.
Empty.
Well, not much of empty but a few second-hand furniture's that is obviously bought from a warehouse. A decent couch, small almost obsolete TV and a reliable table set for multi-purpose task…eating, writing and short sleeping.
She feels as damn tired as her body plopped into the couch. These three hellish months, her body takes to its toll as her healthy habits vanished without a trace. She couldn't get an eight hour sleep, start skipping meals and dark eye circles began appearing.
"I feel so fed up that standing and walking to my bedroom is quite a chore." She said to herself making her mind as sane as possible.
Her cell phone rang to its monotonous tone. Picking it up requires maximum shoulder and elbow muscles…and not to mention hand, too. She feels that doing that makes her energy levels lowered to it's negative state.
"Hello, Shizuru speaking." She said faintly.
"Shizuru, I just can't take it any longer!!!!! I want to resign from that dog pound!!!!" she said almost crying hysterically as if she has just absorb her tidal stress.
"Way to go! You are not alone." She said happily as she sat straight not minding the tardiness overcoming her.
"I just wanted to go back to Tochigi prefecture and start all over again. I hate urban life."
"Really, starting all over again is like…"
"I don't care if it would take me forever to do it. I have no choice and mentally I just can't take work pressure."
Shizuru mind cleared up as her officemate, Tomomi Otsuji, has a decision that would pivot her life. Sure, starting all over again is like returning to the home base defeated in urban war. She is lucky to have understanding parents but to her, it is not.
Returning home means, she is not yet ready to become independent. Since she and her parents have some issues about being so 'I-can-handle-myself' attitude, she started to feel the retribution of lashing her tongue out. She can say what she has in mind as long as critical idea satisfies her.
Nevertheless, not everybody seems to be please.
Every word that comes out from her mouth means it all. If understanding and empathy would gave way, its like punching a small hole where water burst out uncontrollably until the wall gives in to destruction.
She couldn't help herself in any other way.
"I guess escaping from your past is difficult to ignore. Once you cut it, never can mend it." Shizuru murmured.
"Escape from the death chamber is survival, Shizuru." Tomomi insist her stand. "If I stay another minute perhaps insanity would totally take me over."
Shizuru sighed as if she was right all along but for her, an option of returning home is her last card to draw.
I can't give up now.
Decision must be made in times like this!
Shizuru listen intensively to Tomomi's plans as she might get an idea for Monday morning showdown.
--
Saturday is the day when Shizuru needs sometime to exercise turns out to be typing her resignation letter. Writing it is like composing a death note for the employer but a million dollar contract for the employee. She made three attempts to perfect her winning words of "praise and joy".
Mr. Butajiri
Chief Exeutive Officer
Goliath Database Corporation
Dear Sir
I wish to tender my resignation effective May 11, 2007. I feel I had reached the point of my professional career that I have to move on and seek other challenges.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincerest thanks and appreciation for giving me the opportunity to work for Goliath Database Corporation. I would to say thank you to all the staff that had made my stay a very pleasant and wonderful one.
Cordially,
Shizuru Kuwabara
Office Secretary
She couldn't believe she wrote the words pleasant and wonderful one since it made her puke for more. Oh well, that is the game of gaining and losing since life itself is full of gains and loses. Passing this letter is the hardest thing to do since this would surely blow his head to the sky.
She stared at the classified ads placed beside her computer in case he was going to fire her unexpectedly. An ad read this way:
Wanted: Office Secretary
Willing to work in small but promising
Corporation. High pay with excellent
Health benefits.
Contact immediately
The ad looks so simple yet tempting. She suddenly remembers Mr. Butajiri's words of unscrupulous world of business as if they are wolves disguised in sheepskin. It looks tame but ready to attack when the prey is near.
Somehow, the risk of falling into a booby trap is worst than being fired.
However, a motto of "Fortune favors the bold." is at her side.
She needs to get away.
-To be continued-