"Your presentation is in a few days, I would expect you to be a lot more enthusiastic than this," Takeo's voice echoed with authority.

 Yui felt drained, and it was only the second day of their trip. She had firmly declined Adam’s invitation to see the beach, instead choosing to retreat to the hotel lobby. She was angry with herself for being so easily riled up and even angrier with Mister Stroe for his nonchalant attitude. He acted as if her lecture about smoking in the car never happened, and it drove her to the brink trying to discern if he was genuinely that calm or simply dismissive of her. To make matters worse, she now had a Skype call with her boss and father, who had an uncanny ability to see right through her, especially when she was this flustered.

Even through the screen of Yui’s business laptop, Takeo Ishida's presence was palpable. She caught a glimpse of a pool bar waitress walking past her from the reception to the inner yard, doing a double-take and almost tripping over her own feet as she stared at the screen. Takeo had been voted the most eligible entrepreneur on their side of the world multiple times. His onyx hair, elegantly combed back, framed a face with noble features, and his dark, penetrating eyes always seemed to be assessing. His impeccable suits only added to his commanding presence. Yui adored her father, who had raised her as a single parent since she turned 14. However, as she grew older and decided to follow in his footsteps, he had to reconcile with the fact that he was not just her father but also her CEO, her direct superior. He was both her biggest challenge, and her greatest supporter.

"I feel like this man is constantly mocking me, father. Why do you permit him so much liberty? He goes and drinks all night and surfs all day."

Takeo tilted his head, his eyes narrowing slightly as they remained fixed on Yui through the screen. "Why are you concerned with how he spends his time? You are there to sell his project, not mother him."

Yui sipped on her tea, using the momentary distraction to hide the embarrassed flush of her cheeks beneath the shade of her bangs. She couldn’t entirely contradict her father. She had been rigid in her approach to building a work relationship with their head engineer. "I feel like he is not taking this seriously," she finally replied, her voice wavering slightly.

“And yet I see in your report that he completed the setup and it's functional even with missing parts.”

"He did..." Yui trailed off, her words disappearing into a mumble. She saw her father's eyebrows knit together in a slight frown, prompting her to muster the courage to voice her true feelings. "I dislike him, okay, and… and I can't help but feel you favor him."

"More than I favor you?" Takeo Ishida asked, leaning back in his office chair, his sharp features accentuated by the room's lighting. He sometimes looked like a character straight out of some manga, a comparison Yui’s best friend often made, and in moments like these, Yui couldn’t help but agree.

"To an extent, yes," she admitted, struggling to keep the irritation from her voice. "How could you befriend this… brute?"

"I believe it was you who insisted I needed friends."

"Do not turn this around and pin it on me. You could have chosen a more... suitable friend, not a man-boy that wants to surf all day long and looks like a game character.”

"I was under the impression you would appreciate his aesthetics," the man countered smoothly, his tone never faltering.

"I do, but aesthetics are not everything," Yui responded.

"Agreed, but he is also the most brilliant engineer I know," Takeo’s tone had a note of finality. "You would do well to be more adaptable, Miss Ishida."

There was a moment of silence on Yui's end. She wanted to protest, to counter her father's argument, but she bit her tongue. "Yes, sir," she finally responded, checking her watch in the process. "I will be… adaptable."

"There is more than one reason for your presence there. You need a vacation as much as you need that contract. Consider both a job assignment."

"Vacation?  I don't need a vacation!" she protested; her tone dry.

"Did I ask you if you need one? This is part of your task."

"Understood, sir," she responded, the excitement clearly absent from her voice.

"Remember that sometimes trying too hard has the opposite effect," Takeo pointed out, leaning back in his chair.

"Yes, sir… I know."

"You are outside office hours, Yui. Local time is 7 PM, I believe?"

"Yes, it is. I need to get on a call with Mina in 15 minutes," Yui confirmed, glancing at the clock.

"Miss Williams… and how is she recovering from her fall? It's a good thing she decided to be this level of clumsy at home and not on company property. I did have my secretary send her flowers," he added as an afterthought.

"Dad, that is a selfish thing to say, the company property thing," Yui lectured, her professional attitude gone with her father’s subtle but effective remark that she was off work. "Well, her cousin is taking care of her. She's slowly recovering but can't do much yet."

"Send my regards and best wishes, then. I also expect a very detailed section about how you enjoyed a day off in your next report."

Takeo Ishida was born to be a leader. And like all people born for such positions, he knew when to make a dramatic exit. He cut off the call before Yui could protest, leaving her to ponder the insurmountable challenge of an unexpected day off.