Caged Slave (MewGulf AU)

🌻Chapter 27

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Things grew even more exciting as the Christmas season approached. Although Dai Tech focused on imports, it was not a foreign-owned company and so the employees didn't receive any time off for Christmas. Even Mew, the Executive Director of Sales, had no respite from his work.

As the year drew to a close, the official contract with the Jefferson Company was finalized, and each Sales Division was chomping at the bit to take the ever-popular Mew out to year-end parties and visits with clients. And Gulf, who had to single-handedly manage Mew's schedule, was so busy that he believed he might just collapse from the exhaustion.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kitashimap, that won't work," he explained. "The night of the 20th was already booked by Sales Division Two. Director Mew won't return from his business trip to Sendai until after 7:00p.m., and then he goes straight to a New Year's party with some of Sales Division Two's clients."

"Can't you make one hour free before the party starts? The president of one of our best client companies is coming to greet Director Mew, so we at least have to let him stop by and leave his business card on Mew's desk..."

"I see. Let me see what I can do. I'll check whether or not I can change his bullet train reservation to an earlier departure."

"That would be a huge help! And after the New Year, don't forget to give Sales Division One the same amount of time with Mew that Sales Division Two had."

"In return, you need to make sure that to turn your sales reports on time. I'm the one in charge of collecting them."

"No problem," Kitashima said, taking mischievous pleasure from putting down his co-workers. "We're not deadbeats like Sales Division Three."

"I don't know about that," Gulf replied, shrugging.

At first, no one had thought much of Gulf, but since Mew had become such a hot property, Gulf's status had risen too. People began to appreciate Gulf's willingness to work hard, his perseverance and his fair dealings with all the different divisions. Many of the young employees, like Kitashima, began to stop by just to chat.

Although his private and professional lives were once again both fulfilling. Gulf gazed at Mew's jam-packed schedule with quiet dissatisfaction laced with a dose of melancholy.

"The rest of the year is stuffed with dinner meetings and trips," he said out loud. Gulf sighed as he stared at the computer screen. Even though it was in the middle of winter, Mew had golf appointment every single weekend.

'Why aren't the golf courses closed?' he wondered, annoyed by the leagues of old men who didn't seem affected by the cold weather.

But beyond that, the current season did bring Gulf some joy. This year, Christmas Eve fell on Sunday.

'We'll definitely be together that day,' he thought to himself, smiling as he looked at the blank space in Mew's schedule.

He had hoped to keep Christmas Day free as well, but it was the last Monday of the year so everyone had to work. The day before Christmas Eve, however, was the Emperor's Birthday, so he could monopolize Mew for two whole days.

'What present should I get him?'

Gulf's happiness was boundless. A year ago, when the former president had just died, he never would have dreamed that so much joy waited for him the following year. If the whole situation with the president hadn't happened, he would still be with AA and Christmas would have been just another unpleasant day.

But this year, everything was different. Perhaps two men couldn't go out and join the tide of happy couples celebrating the holy night on town, but merely spending two weekend days with Mew was paradise to Gulf.

'I hope Christmas comes soon.'

Like an eager child, Gulf counted the days until Christmas while staring happily at the calendar.

TBC