Introductions
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"Ugh." I moan as I reach over to turn my alarm off. The sun beaming brightly through the window above my head. Eyes still closed, my right arm extends out to turn the alarm off by my head. Instead of being able to turn it off, my hand wanders in empty space. I crack open a heavy eye.
I immediately jerk up out of bed. Where am I? I am lying in a twin bed, against a white wall. The whole room was white. This is not my room. I jump out of bed, examining my surroundings. Everything is white. The walls, the curtains, the furniture is all white. Somehow this feel familiar to me.
Beep. Beep. Beep. The second alarm startles me, prompting me to turn it off. As I reach over, a floor mirror catches my attention from the corner of my eye. I jump out of the bed standing in front of it.
"Oh boy." I mutter inwardly.
I mean, I don't look horrible. My facial features have remained fairly the same. I reach up to touch my face. My eyes are still large, but now I don't mind them as much. My eyebrows are nicely shaped. My Polish nose somehow looks rather dainty. My lips are rather cute as well. I giggle as I look over my appearance. For years I've always been self-conscious of my appearance. Well, at least until a few years ago, when I truly stopped caring. At least my hair is still just as long, I thought running my fingers through my long brown hair.
I spent so much time looking at my face, that I ignored that my body has completely changed. Although I was overweight, I always carried my weight well. I was on a mission to lose at least 30 pounds by the new year, and I was successfully exercising. However, it appeared as though overnight I reached my goal. My figure was relatively shaped the same. I had a small waist, a large chest, and wide hips. I suppose my bone structure didn't change, as I glanced at my wrists. For the most part, I wasn't disappointed.
I shrugged, accepting my current situation and walked around the room. Where do I know this room from? Am I in a dream? The room is so small, it's almost claustrophobic. I open the curtains to allow more sunlight to enter the room. Mmmm. The sun feels so good. It's warmth beaming on my skin.
As soon as I was getting comfortable, soaking in the sun on my fair skin, I heard the phone ring. I started to panic, my chest getting tight. Well, at least my reactions are still the same…Good to know I won't be missing any panic attacks. I pick up the iPhone in my trembling hand. The characters on the phone are Japanese. Thankfully, when I was younger, I became obsessed with Manga and learning Japanese and Kanji. Being self-taught, I can recognize most characters, but that was years ago, so I'm still a bit rusty. By the time I rack my brain as to how to answer, the phone stops ringing.
Phew! That was certainly close. As I go to put the phone back on the nightstand, it starts ringing again.
"K-Kon'nichiwa…?" I stutter. My voice still sounds the same.
"Ohayō, Harumi! Mōichido nemutta?" The woman's voice on the other end says gleefully.
"Uhh…H-Hai…" I mutter, not fully understanding the question.
"Mā, oki nasai! Watashitachiha shigoto ni chikoku suru tsumoridesu! Watashi ga soko ni kuru yō ni shinaide kudasai!" She sighs before hanging up on me.
I stare at the phone for a minute, trying to comprehend what I just heard. I open up safari and attempt to google the translation. I speak to the phone vaguely remembering what she had just said. From what I gathered, she's going to come up here and I'm late for work. SHIT!
I run to the closet to grab a few items of clothing. I tug on some jeans, and a lose fitting shirt. I slip on some sandals and grab my purse on the way to the door. It's at that moment that an idea sparks in my mind. I open the purse and find my wallet. Harumi Yutari. I am 28, and live in Tokyo, Japan. I instinctively grab the keys that are laying in the decorative ash tray on the foyer table. As I open the door I am greeted by a familiar face.
"S-Sakiko?" I stutter again.
"Well who else did you think called you?" She says fluently in Japanese. Wait why can I understand her now?
"I-I'm sorry. I-It's been a weird morning!" I apologize in Japanese. I try to hide my shock as I bow my head. Why is this all so easy for me?
"Well, we better get going!" She smiles as she loops her arm in my arm. "Today is the International VIP Convention! The world's elitists will be there!"
International…VIP…Convention…
"Oh my god. The I.V.C.!" I gasp.
"Yes, you goon!" Sakiko laughs at my shocked expression. "I'm surprised you forgot! We've only been talking about it for a month now!"
"Holy shit." I exclaim under my breath.
Everything is piecing together as we walk from the apartments to our workplace. In absolutely no time at all we are in front of the glorious Trés Spades hotel and casino. From the outside, the building look absolutely breath taking. The reflection from the sun gave the appearance that the building was crafted out of gold. I stand in shock taking in the sight before me.
I'm finally here! I exclaim in my head. I'm overwhelmed with joy as I feel a tug on my arm.
I look over to Sakiko, who is eyeing me suspiciously. I smile widely at her, unable to hide my pure joy.
"What has gotten into you today Harumi?" She asks in an almost inaudible tone.
"Just happy to be at work today!" I exclaim, almost too excited for even myself to handle. "Let's go Sakiko!" I say dragging her unexpectedly to the entrance.
We pass several people entering and exiting Trés Spades. Most of them look rather rich. Driving away in expensive limousines or high-class cars. The women are dressed impeccably, most of them toting around parasails and puppies in purses. The men accompanying them are dressed well, most in suits with freshly shined shoes. If I hadn't known better I would have imagined I was in some scene from the Great Gatsby. I wouldn't complain then either.
As we enter the foyer, I'm almost so overwhelmed with joy that I feel the heat of tears swelling in my eyes. The crystal chandelier lights up the entire foyer. The marble floor reflects the light giving the appearance it was made of diamonds. The staircase, also made of marble, flows as elegantly as the train from a wedding gown. The railings are made of the finest wood, probably Brazilian cherry, given its deep burgundy color. Elegant plants line the room in each corner, contributing to more of a homey feeling. It takes all that I have not to jump up and down with joy. I can't believe I'm even this excited. I was uprooted from my life and placed in a fictional dreamland. Dreamland…
"Sakiko, pinch me." I beg her, shocking her as I turn to her with urgency.
"What?" She asks.
"Pinch me, just please pinch me please."
She obliges, but not before laughing at my hysterics.
"Ow!" I exclaim.
"You asked for it!" She laughs, putting her hands in the air as if to say, 'I didn't do anything'. "Come on, you crazy girl. We need to get to work before Erika really hands our asses to us!"
Oh. Erika. I forgot about her. I remember her from the game. She made the main character's life a living hell. Well, I suppose it's a good thing I'm not the main character!
Everything is as I remember it. The tall lockers with each of our names on it. The long benches in the middle of the dressing room. The employee dressing room looks almost as immaculately designed as the foyer. Well, Mr. Ichinomiya certainly didn't want his employees to feel like they were not cared for.
My heart warms as I think about the owner of the hotel. Mr. Ichinomiya. Eisuke. Little does he know about me, but I know almost everything about him! I feel slightly at an advantage, unlike the clueless main character in the game. I feel almost guilty knowing as much as I do about him.
As I'm getting dressed into my maid attire, a laugh escapes my lips, causing every eye in the room to look in my direction.
"Sorry!" I apologized, lowering my head. "I'm just in a really good mood today!"
The rest of the girls in the room disperse, leaving me and Sakiko.
"Are you sure you're okay?" She glances at me cautiously, while closing her locker.
"Of course, Sakiko! I'm fine!" I exclaim, putting my hand on her shoulder. "I've never been better!"
I close my locker and head out with her to the employee office area. From what I remember we always start off the day with an employee meeting. I file in with the other maids into the conference room, after punching in for my shift, and take a seat next to Sakiko.
I take a look around, examining all of the other maids. They're all relatively attractive. Traditional Japanese looking women, with short and long dark brown hair. All of them have petite figures. I suddenly start to feel self-conscious. I know my looks are less than the traditional Japanese. In comparison to them, I definitely have a wider and fuller build. My hair is also more of a caramel brown, with some red. I frown, looking down at my hands, until I see a pair of shoes stop in front of me.
"Good Morning Ladies!" A slightly older woman with short black hair smiles gently down at both me and Sakiko.
"Good Morning Chisato!" Sakiko responds, with a smile, gesturing to the seat next to me.
"G-Good Morning." I mutter. I don't know why I still find myself shocked, after realizing this is my new reality.
"Are you ladies ready for the I.V.C.?" Chisato offers casually striking up conversation and sipping on the coffee in her hand.
"I know I am! I can't wait to see who it brings to the Hotel this year! I hope I catch the eye of one of the wealthier men who attend." Sakiko says joyfully.
Chisato laughs quietly as she shakes her head in disapproval. "It's not all about the money, Sakiko. It's about finding true love and eternal happiness." She offers as motherly advise.
With only a few words, I look at Chisato, and smile. I feel more comfortable with her around. Just like the main character did in the game. Chisato is exactly how I had imagined her to be. She is caring, and offers words of wisdom, comforting the soul. I was about to ask her a question, when the doors to the conference room open and a man walks in dressed in a suit.
"Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen!" He exclaims, standing in the front of the conference room table. He has a coffee in hand, and a clipboard. His hair is dark brown, and tousled. His eyes are soft, yet he has the appearance of a manager of some sorts. Regardless I can tell he is a kind person.
"As you all know, today is the first day of the I.V.C. As we have already seen, the hotel and casino have reached full capacity. I know you are all working really hard to maintain the appearance and provide each customer with exceptional customer service. So, I commend you all. Please continue to strive to uphold the Trés Spades expectation. If you run into any issues, as always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or your direct supervisor."
He's so nice. I feel an affinity to him. As a successful leader, one has to be kind, caring, and understanding. However, leaders also need to be able to control when situations occur and chaos ensues. I was previously a store manager for a beauty supply. It wasn't easy, so I can admire him for the work he's done thus far. Perhaps that was one reason why I admired all the characters from the game.
"That being said, will you all please refer to the new schedules being handed out. These schedules reflect the changes that are imperative to a successful I.V.C."
I review my schedule as they are passed around. As a newer employee, I should have expected that I wouldn't be responsible for participating in the I.V.C., yet my hopes were high, as it would have made my job much easier. After all, I have to get myself into that cage at the auction. I nervously glance around, afraid my thoughts might have escaped aloud, however, no one seemed to notice me.
"What a bummer! I'm not going to be participating as a waitress during the I.V.C. this year!" Sakiko exclaims.
"It'll be alright Sakiko." I offer as condolence. "There's always next year." Then I smirk, "Or perhaps someone else gets sick and you're a replacement!"
Her eyes widen before she bursts out laughing. "Oh Harumi, you sure do know how to make someone's day! See you at lunch?"
"Of course," I reassure, turning to Chisato. "Will you be joining us as well for lunch?"
"That would definitely be nice!" She smiles, getting up from her seat. "I'll see the both of you later!"
With that, we all exit the conference room and head to our assigned areas. I fold up my new schedule for the week in my apron and proceed to the storage closet for supplies. As I'm walking through the halls, I accidentally bump into another maid.
"Hey, watch where you're going next time!" The girl snaps. Her hair is a brown-red color, and pulled back in a ponytail. She has her arms crossed against her chest, glaring at me.
If looks could kill…
"Did you already forget your place?"
"My sincerest apologies…Erika." I bow my head, knowing that if she saw my insincerity in my eyes, I would be in for more trouble.
"Get out of my way." She pushes past me, with her cleaning cart.
"Don't mind her." A voice startles me from behind. "She just thinks that she is the Queen B because she's the VIP maid."
"I'm not bothered." I reply, turning around to see a young man with tousled longer light brown hair. His eyes are extremely kind, as he smiles, offering to hold the supply door open.
I can definitely see why the main character was torn when Eisuke broke up with her. Takahiro is definitely a very kind person and could charm his way into any girls' heart. His genuine kindness is admirable, but also reminds me of William. Initially that's what attracted me to William. Sooner or later, that kindness turns into passive aggressiveness, and is ultimately what made me the least happy in our relationship. With Eisuke, at least you're aware that he's a complete arrogant asshole that won't change, regardless of how much you truly mean to him. He's consistent, which is a hard quality to find.
I hear laughter behind me, drawing me out of my thoughts. "What's got you bothered today then?" Takahiro asks.
"I'm sorry, Takahiro, I've just been very focused on my job." I casually offer as an excuse. I look at him, smiling, before heading through the door with my cart. "Have a great day out there, Takahiro!" I depart with a wave.
He's so nice…I think to myself. Don't be silly, you're here for Eisuke. I let out a sigh as I proceed to the elevator. If it's going to be this conflicting with Takahiro and Eisuke, I can only imagine how difficult it will be resisting Ota and Baba.