IKIGAI Series #1: Estranghero

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A/n: Idunno, if magagalit o maiinis kayo sa 'kin on this chap huhu. I can't change the plot kasi masisira ang story eh. Love ya'll guys!!!

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[VOTE, COMMENT, FOLLOW]

“Mr. Inoue, they’re ready in Conference B.”

I looked up from my desk, blinking away the spreadsheet I had been buried in for the past hour. My assistant, Sam, was standing by the doorway with a professional smile. She wore her usual navy-blue power suit and had that reliable clipboard always pressed against her chest.

“Thank you,” I said, straightening my coat and adjusting the collar of my white shirt.

I stood from my chair, the custom leather one by the panoramic window of my New York Headquarters and looked briefly at the skyline beyond. The Empire State Building stood proud in the distance, golden light crawling up its spine as the afternoon sun began to fall.

My office, located on the 32nd floor of Inoue ChemTech, was minimalist in aesthetic but rich in legacy. It carried my name, but it also carried something more.

Everything I had worked for. Every night I cried in silence. Every morning I forced myself out of bed just to keep going.

Seven years.

It took me seven years to become this version of Elio Maze Inoue. And even now, I still had trouble believing it.

As I walked toward Conference Room B, my shoes clicked softly against the marble floor. Employees along the hallway greeted me with nods and smiles—some slightly intimidated, others just respectful. I tried my best to respond to each with a small smile, pero ramdam ko pa rin sa mata nila ‘yung pagkamangha at intimidasyon. And to be honest, I was still getting used to it.

I pushed the door open and was greeted by the sight of five people in tailored suits.

The heads of Veritas Biochem, a billion-dollar company looking to partner with our lab on a sustainable biotech project. Months of planning, calls across three time zones, and non-stop legal reviews had led to this very moment.

“Elio,” said Mr. Schimdt, the CEO, as he stood and extended a hand.

I took it firmly. “Welcome to Inoue ChemTech po, Sir.”

The meeting began. Nagsimula na ang mga powerPoints clicked, and even the charts bagan unfolded. Contracts were passed around.

I spoke with clarity, with purpose, with the kind of confidence I had once begged the mirror to teach me.

“Our formula shows a 78% increase in molecular stability compared to your current compound,” I said, tapping the screen behind me.

One of the executives whistled under his breath. “That’s massive.”

“And we’re still improving,” I said. “Give us six more months and I promise you, we’ll hit 90.”

Mr. Gonzalez leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful look on his face. “You don’t leave room for failure, do you?”

“I leave room for learning,” I replied. “But failure? That’s just another version of delay.”

He nodded. And then, after another thirty minutes of negotiation and clarification, the moment came.

The final signature.

One that would solidify a multi-million-dollar partnership between Veritas Biochem and Inoue ChemTech.