' ' - Sakuno using sign language

"" - Verbally speaking

Italic - people's thought

Chapter 5: The New CEO

13 years later

It was summer when the sun ray took a glimpse of a young man wielding his racket against the ball.

"Young master, hurry! There are lots of people waiting for you at the meeting!" an old man interrupted his practice.

The young man sighed.

The old man walked up to him with a towel in his hand. The young man grabbed the towel and wiped away his sweat that he had produced while practicing. After drying himself off he drew the towel around the old man's neck.

"You nag more as you get older." The old man smiled at the young man's remark. The old man followed him into the glamorous house.

-somewhere in Tokyo-

Where is he? With calmness, a tall slender girl with long wavy red hair stood by an old car waiting patiently.

As on cue, a tall handsome man walk out of the house but when he noticed the girl was facing back to him, he tried to slowly sneak away from her but got caught when he heard a whistle, calling for him. He turned around.

'Come here, come here.' The girl waved her hand to tell him to come back. He hesitated but still made his way to her. 'We need to go to work.' The girl said with her hand movement.

"I have something to do, I'll see you later!" He hurried ran off before she could stop him, "JA NE!"

She sighed. Few minutes later she drove her uncle to work. The old man sat in the passenger's seat holding tightly to his suitcase with his life. He was too nervous with her driving skill.

The young girl sat there with a happy smile on her face, like she was the most happy and carefree person in the world. The old man looked at her happy face and was content until he suddenly grabbed tightly onto the side of the door when they made a turn at the corner. He shakes his head with a sighed, with her being oblivious to his reaction and how fast she was going.

Inside a tall story high building, there were people whispering about a new CEO who just got back from America.

"He's only 20-something and he is a CEO already." A girl said as she and her co workers walk into a big meeting room.

"Eh? Sukoiii!"

"It's only because his stepfather got money." A guy said rudely.

Outside of the building, a car pulled up to the front. "All right Sakuno, I'm off to work." The old man said, "Remember to ask the doctor why you keep getting fevers after taking that medicine."

'Don't worry, I will.' Sakuno once again used her hand sign she had learn through sign language class.

"And-"

Sakuno interrupted him when she quickly said, 'Uncle Kazuki, you're going be late.' Indicating at his watch.

The man sighed, "All right, bye."

Sakuno waved bye.

He got out of the car and shut the door.

Sakuno drove off.

"Sakuno! Drive slower!" The man yelled after the car. He walked into the building. Standing by the elevator with the rest of the people he tried to search for his ID, he panicked when he couldn't find it in any of his pockets or inside his suitcase.

Sakuno was driving away when she noticed an ID batch laying on the seat where her uncle was sitting. She stopped the car, picked the ID batch up and realized that he forgot it.

Uncle might need this. She turned the car around, parked the car and ran to the main front door.

On her way in she accidentally bumped into a person. The impact made the ID batch slipped from her grip. It landed a few steps down the concrete stairs from her, she quickly bowed her head a few times to apologize to the person.

At the same time, a black Lexus compact car pulled up at the front. The driver got out and went to the other side of the door to open the door for his young master. A black with green highlight hair guy stepped out, revealing a tall handsome man in his late 20s. He straightened his suit and with a great posture he took a step toward the stairs.

Unexpectedly, Sakuno was kneeling down to pick up the ID batch when a foot stepped on it. She raised her head at the same time the young man looked down and their eyes met. Sakuno stared into his eyes, enchanted by his golden orbs.

Embarrassed, she tore her eyes away, she was so lost in her thought that she didn't noticed him waving the ID batch in front of her.

Without a single word spoken, he waved the batch in front of her which got her attention. Sakuno took the batch from him and he stood up. He continued to make his way into the building. Sakuno turned to watch him enter through the sliding doors and vanished.

She turned back around and sighed. It can't be him. Her uncle came out and saw Sakuno.

"Sakuno, I-" Sakuno handed him his ID batch. "Thank goodness you found it, or else uncle wouldn't be able to clock in."

'Remember it next time.' Sakuno smiled.

He nodded his head and went back inside.

Still smiling, Sakuno was about to leave when she had a sudden urged to stop. She looked at the spot where the guy had disappeared to. Shaking off her familiar feelings for those golden eyes she skipped to her car with a happy smile creeping back up to her lips.

It is now 8: 45 am when the young man was sitting on his comfortable chair in a big glamorous office; deep in thoughts. He was interrupted few second later when a girl announced to the new CEO that the meeting is starting.

He stood up and follow the girl to a room where the meeting is going to be held. With emotionless look, he entered the meeting to see some disappointment in his employees behaviors. The room became quiet as the staffs quickly took their seats. The new CEO went to the end of the table, before he could sit down everyone stood up.

"Let's all welcome the new CEO." The head supervisor announced.

Annoyed, Ryoma went to the window behind him, ignoring their greetings and the applauds. He flipped the bind fold up and with one finger he glided it across the window panel. It was very dusty to his dislike.

"When there is a curtain hiding it, you can never see the dirtiness of the window." Ryoma said in a monotone voice.

The employees nervously stood still at their position at the table. Ryoma looked at each of them, "Change the new cleaning company we have now." He said with no hint of regret.

"Hai." The supervisor answered.

"Everyone had lost blood before right?" Ryoma asked them.

Some of them looked away, afraid to meet him in the eyes. "Losing blood is a healthy process. It cycles out the old blood from our body, so that there will be more new and healthier blood cells."

He put his hands in his pant pocket. With calm, confident, and a quiet voice Ryoma said, "My responsibility is to create blood for this company, so my first move will be to get rid of the useless blood."

Everyone looked at each other uncomfortably. They're not liking the sound of this new turn of event.

Still emotionless, Ryoma looked at his watch. "Before 10 o'clock, please send me the report of each department's supervisor." He was about to leave the room when the supervisor spoke up.

"CEO-san, isn't the deadline a little too rush?"

"Before 10! Or else you will be the first useless blood I get rid of." Ryoma simply demanded and left the room, leaving everyone worried.

Atobe quickly ran back to their usual spot. When he arrived, Sakuno was already prepared the ingredients to open for the day. He sighed. He had known Sakuno since childhood and taking care of her was his first priority when she got into an accident, which to this day he still felt remorse for her lost. Ever since then he wanted to take care of her for the rest of his life.

Entering high school he had come to realize that his care for her became much much more than just childhood friends.

Atobe had done so much for her. He was always there for her when she needed him.

After high school Sakuno couldn't continue going to school due to her disability, and using pencil and note to communicate with others who doesn't understand sign language was hard. So Sakuno stopped attending school and just find a job to help her uncle make money. They were low income after all so Sakuno wanted to help out.

Also, living in a big city with such rapid pace economy, Sakuno couldn't get a job that easily. No job will hire her if she is mute and can't communicate with others verbally. When Sakuno realized she couldn't get a well pay job to help out her uncle, she had to come up with a different idea to earn money.

Atobe suggested that she stay home and let them take care of everything but Sakuno didn't want to. She didn't want them to take care of her forever. She wanted to help and not always depend on their care for her. With her stubbornness, Atobe couldn't convinced her.

Sakuno thought of having her own vending food to earn money. At first Atobe didn't like the idea of leaving her to open the vending stall by herself so he decided to do it with her. He quit attending school and every morning he would help her. Stubborn like Sakuno, she couldn't convinced him otherwise.

He wanted to be wherever she go. He wanted to be there to protect her or when he is needed. Sakuno was everything to him.

Sakuno was packing food for the customer when he finally showed up. Quickly to her side he waved a cell phone in front of her.

She looked at it with a sigh. 'You're wasting money again.'

"What wasting? Everyone uses it now," he replied sadly. He knew Sakuno wouldn't like it. "Look, it's so pretty and Dad's and my number are all in here, you just have to press this and also you can take pictures with it." He held the camera in front of them as he stood happily next to her side.

Annoyed and little disappointed Sakuno pushed the camera away. 'We don't have the money.'

"Sakuno-chan, you always say that. Don't be like an old grandma, just take it." Atobe gave her a puppy face which always work. Sakuno took the cellphone.

"Say Thank you." He teased.

She smiled, 'Thank you.'

Atobe smiled with satisfaction.

-In the building-

Kazuki-san opened the glass double door to be greeted by a secretary.

"Kazuki-san, please have a seat, CEO-san will be with you shortly." She said.

He sat near the closing door that lead to the CEO's office. He was nervously waiting when he suddenly heard a loud noise inside the office. He stood up when the door open harshly, revealing an upset person.

"Mizobuchi-san!"

"What a creep!" The guy said coldly and walked off.

"Kazuki-san, you can enter the office now." The secretary said.

Well, here goes nothing. Kazuki-san walked into the office not forgetting to close the door behind him.

"CEO-san."

The young man was sitting at his desk and without looking up he went through the files in front of him.

"Sit."

"Thank you." Kazuki-san sat down.

"Kazuki-san, you are always on time." Ryoma turned his attention away from the files and looked at him.

"Hai."

"I looked at your clock in and clock out times for over these past few years. I admire it!" Ryoma bluntly said. "Every morning you come at 8 o'clock and leave at 5 pm. sharp."

"Hai." Kazuki-san nervously smiled.

"But I noticed something very interesting," Ryoma stood up and started walking aimlessly around the room, "If. . .I clock out at 5 pm sharp everyday, this mean that I have to leave early to get to the card machine on time."

Kazuki-san sat listening intensely and at the same time not liking where this is going.

Ryoma stopped and looked at Kazuki-san with a stern look. "How far is your desk to the clocking machine, Kazuki-san? 10 minutes?"

Kazuki-san finally understood what he meant and quickly stood up from his seat. "CEO-san I-" but got cut off before he could explained himself.

"It's the same for the mornings then. You clock in at 8 and then walk to your desk, that also takes 10 minutes, so. . .everyday you wasted 20 minutes of the company's time."

Kazuki-san was so shocked that he was lost for words. He was too speechless to open his mouth.

"Doesn't that give a big loss to the company?" Ryoma continued to speak.

"But I-"

Ryoma raised his index finger to silence him. "Wasting is one thing. If you could have produced something other than wasting time, I believe the company would've admired you for your effort. I have seen your report for this whole year, it's so-so, and your work capacity is okay."

"CEO-san, I can explain."

Ryoma dropped the folder with the rest of the non qualify folders, the impact made a loud noise. "You don't need to explain," he looked at Kazuki-san, "The numbers have said enough."

Ryoma turned away and went to sit down. "The company will pay you for this month. The retirement funds will also be paid directly into your account. Your job...Ends now."

What?! Kazuki-san couldn't believe what he heard. "CEO-san, I will. . .I will not explain anymore, but no matter what, you must give me another chance. CEO-san, I really need this job. Really!" He begged.

"You're a time keeper, you should know how important time is." Ryoma pointed the pen at him. "Please do not take up anymore of my times."

Kazuki-san was defeated. there wasn't much Kazuki-san could do, he couldn't argued back to a heartless man like him and to the son of the famous man in Tokyo. Nothing else he could do or say, with anger and sadness, he turned around to head for the door. At the door, he stopped midway.

"Young man, I'll give you some advice. The world does not move on just numbers alone."

Ryoma teared his eyes away from the file he was looking at, still facing away from Kazuki-san.

Kazuki-san continued to say.. "Perhaps you have not experienced the pain of having no second chance. But someday, you will experience the pain of not being able to redeem yourself. Until then, you will know how cruel you are!" Kazuki-san emphasized the last sentence strongly. He walked away.

After listening to what Kazuki-san had to say, Ryoma thought about it for a second but then brushed it aside and went back to his files.

Author's note:

So guys, what do you think of the story so far?

I don't mind the criticism or any inputs are fine too, let me know what I need to work on ^_^. Thanks!