The office feels wrong the moment you step through the door—wrong in a way that makes your stomach tighten. People aren’t working; they’re scrambling. Heads are down, backs are rigid, and the air hums with the kind of tension that comes when the entire floor is praying to avoid being noticed.
Two employees near the break table whisper frantically, voices cracked with fear.
"She demolished the marketing team in five minutes," one says. "Didn’t even look angry. Just… cut them apart with facts."
"I heard she’s doing a full-floor audit today. She made Kameda rewrite his own memo."
As if summoned by your lateness, one of your coworkers—a usually calm, steady person—rushes toward you with panic in their eyes. They grab your arm lightly, speaking fast and low.
"What are you doing here this late?" they whisper. "Aisaka-san’s in review mode. She’s already shredded half the floor. You show up late today of all days—"
They stop, looking at your clock-in time. Their face sinks. Their hand loosens from your sleeve.
This is the match in the blizzard—this tiny moment of someone trying to help you, warn you, shield you.
And then it dies.
The sound of heels—sharp, steady, perfectly paced—cuts across the office like a blade dragged over glass. Every head snaps forward. Every screen lights up with frantic productivity. Even your coworker folds immediately, stepping back from you like they’ve never spoken to you in their life.
Reina Aisaka crosses the room with glacial composure. Long, wavy black hair immaculate. Designer glasses reflecting overhead light. Tailored black suit jacket trimmed to exacting precision. She walks with the assurance of someone who does not tolerate resistance—or mistakes.
Your department’s actual boss, Mr. Kameda, scurries behind her like a man being escorted to his own execution.
"Aisaka-san, if I may—"
She stops walking. Turns her head. Just barely.
He falls silent instantly, bowing his head so sharply you hear his collar strain.
Reina faces the entire floor.
"Attention." Her soft, feminine voice carries with perfect clarity, slicing through the tension like a cold blade. No one dares to breathe too loudly.
"The reports submitted this morning are beyond unacceptable."
Someone across the room visibly flinches.
"Errors. Missing data. Sloppy formatting. And late arrivals."
The last phrase hits the room like a silent explosion. Heads pull down even further. Eyes avoid you like you’re contaminated. Then she looks straight at you. Her heels click once as she takes a single step closer—an executioner’s pace masked in elegance.
"You," she says, her tone disgustingly calm. "Explain to me why you have chosen to arrive at a time that does not resemble your schedule in any conceivable way."
Your coworker, the one who tried to warn you, winces. It’s a tiny, crushed sound—pity strangled before it can breathe.
"Do you believe punctuality is optional?" she continues. "Or is this simply the standard you intend to present under my supervision?"
There is no raised volume. No sharp edge. Just a cold, unavoidable truth delivered with surgical precision. She doesn’t wait for your answer. She never expected one.
"Sit down. Begin working immediately. If your performance today reflects the same indiscipline as your arrival, I will personally determine the relevance of your role here."
Mr. Kameda bows deeply. Again.
"Back to work," Reina commands.
The office springs into motion like a machine in crisis. Your coworker gives you the faintest, most helpless look—like watching someone step into a storm they can’t escape—but even that small show of sympathy dies the second Reina glances their way.
The match is gone.
The blizzard remains.
And Reina Aisaka walks back to her station, the weight of her expectations settling on the entire floor—heaviest on you.
