In "Mizumi's Dream," we follow Mizumi from her new home in London back to Tokyo, her original hometown, for an important business meeting. Although she had long left Japan and Tokyo behind in search of happiness in London, she unexpectedly meets som...
Early in the morning I arrived at the airport in Tokyo on the night flight from London.
Without wasting much time, a company limousine picked me up and took me directly to my hotel. Unfortunately I couldn't really enjoy the luxurious ambiance and the breathtaking view. I had to prepare for the evening, a business meeting, and a subsequent dinner. But before diving into my work, I headed to a nearby convenience store 'Konbini'. With an iced coffee and other treats. I fine-tuned the details of my presentation and created a detailed project plan. Between two onigiris, a pack of chips, and my beloved chocolate cake, I indulged in a hot bath in my luxury hotel. It was only there, surrounded by steaming water and soft music in the background, that I could enjoy the breathtaking view of Tokyo.
In the evening, I was already waiting in an elegant evening outfit at the valet parking for my colleague, Ryu. To my complete surprise, he picked me up in a supercar. Probably the first question I asked him was too direct, but that's just how I am. "You didn't get divorced from your wife, did you?" I said, pointing to his silver luxury car with red rims. Ryu started laughing and grinned broadly. "No, no, we're still happily married!" Relieved by his statement, I handed him a beautifully wrapped gift while we greeted each other in the typical Japanese manner, with Ryu thanking me several times before we headed to the client dinner. During the drive, we had an engaging conversation when Ryu suddenly said, "But Mizumi, don't pretend you don't know this car. You follow me on 'Social', I've had this car forever." "What, you and social media?" I snorted and began to grin, shaking my head and looking at him questioningly. He glanced at me briefly and nodded proudly. "Check it out, I already have over 50k followers!" I rolled my eyes and held my head. "I deleted everything back then and have no intention of ever going back on a social media platform," I replied seriously and continued, "But you? Are you an influencer now?" "Well, why not? If I don't get the Senior Manager position, I need a side hustle." We laughed heartily about it.
Ryu was a pleasant guy, married, with 2 kids a house in the middle of Tokyo and a car enthusiast. Professionally, he took care of all major projects for our company here in Japan; he was a really great project coordinator and deserved the upcoming promotion.
The client dinner took place in a traditional restaurant and was very formal. On the way back, I drove since he had been drinking and I hadn't. Because we had known each other for a long time, I spoke very freely with Ryu. "Don't you think it was all just a show today?" "Well, it's part of the deal," came the response. I sighed briefly, "How do you guys put up with it?" "That's just how business works." I looked at the car's screen display; it was just after midnight. Tokyo passed by us like a futuristic city. Melancholically, I watched the road and safely brought Ryu home. Before my taxi picked me up from his place, I took a few photos of his car, and Ryu called after me amusedly, "Are you going to become a content creator now?" I just laughed and waved goodbye to him.
Just a few hours later, we were sitting across from each other in the office. Unexpectedly, we both received an email from top management. I quickly skimmed the first few lines, and a single glance at Ryu was enough for him to understand. A few minutes later, we met again on a green-roofed terrace on another floor.
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