It was fortunate that Adam was a mama’s boy through and through, and Ecaterina Stroe was a very convincing woman. Otherwise, all of Yui’s hard work might have been for naught.

Yui had been ecstatic when Mina first proposed the idea of the team building trip. It was the perfect opportunity to not only strengthen the bonds within the team, but also to mend the strained relationship between her and Adam. Moreover, the allure of experiencing the enchanting Romanian countryside, which she'd only glimpsed in travelogs, was irresistible.

In the weeks leading up to the trip, Yui was engulfed in a whirlwind of preparations. The accommodations had to be perfect, a cozy yet spacious cabin in Busteni, nestled in the heart of Romania’s touristic Carpathian slopes. She ensured the place boasted all the necessary amenities to impress and pamper her team. Every activity was meticulously planned to guarantee an unforgettable experience.

Now, as she stood on the threshold of the log cabin, with snow-blanketed trees rustling in the wind and the majestic Carpathian Mountains looming in the distance, Yui felt a flutter of excitement.

The crisp mountain air filled her lungs, each breath an invigorating reminder of the adventure that awaited. The snow beneath her feet crunched, and the distant laughter of her team echoed, blending with the serene ambiance.

"Alright, everyone!" she called out, her voice echoing in the cool air. The team, having just disembarked from the bus, was soaking in their surroundings, their eyes wide with wonder.

At her call, all eyes turned to her. Adam, ever the rebel in his casual attire, stood a little apart from the group. He tried to appear aloof, but Yui could sense a hint of curiosity in his demeanor.

Yui took a deep breath, her gaze sweeping over the faces of her team. "I’ll be the first to admit our branch didn’t have the smoothest inauguration. Our team is growing, we are learning, adapting and growing stronger with every challenge we face. I don’t want you to ever forget our end goal, what we are building here – our ROACH production line can make the difference between life and death one day,” her eyes fell on Adam for just a moment before she continued.

"But that is office talk. Now, I want each of you to forget about work and enjoy this weekend to the fullest. Let's make memories we can talk about on our branch’s tenth anniversary"

With that, she clapped her hands together, her smile broad and genuine, "Let the fun begin!"

Later that afternoon, the entire team was on the slopes. Some were clumsily learning to navigate in their ski boots, while others reveled in the glistening snow. However, it quickly became evident that Yui and Adam were quite evenly matched.

While Yui skied with the grace of someone born for the sport, Adam was a daredevil on his Zelda-themed snowboard, his every move a testament to his confidence.

An unspoken competition emerged between the two, much to the amusement of those watching from the base of the slope. "What's the score? Have you been counting?" Mina inquired, turning to Titi, who was warming his hands and grumbling about the cold.

"Three to two for Miss Manager," he reported, his breath forming little clouds in the cold air. "Our Adam keeps showing off, and he's losing time," he added with a hint of annoyance.

"Do you think they're even aware they're racing?" Mina mused, her gaze fixed on the two leaders.

"Miss Manager seems to be. The boss? He just wants to show his tricks,” Titi shrugged.

Suddenly, Adam caught some air, attempting an audacious mid-air turn. However, he didn't complete the full rotation and landed face-first in the snow.

"Oh no, his face!" Titi exclaimed, sprinting up the slope.

By the time he reached the head engineer was already on his feet, looking dazed but wearing a sheepish grin.

Yui skidded to a stop beside him, a plume of powdery snow billowing around her. "Are you alright?" Her voice was laced with genuine concern.

Adam, now sitting in the snow, shook his head, dislodging a few icy particles. "What?" His voice was dazed, his expression slightly bewildered.

"Oh god, oh god, are you alright?" Yui promptly unclipped her boots from the skis, rushing over to him. "Are you confused? Do you know where you are?"

"Yeah, I'm on the slope," he answered, rubbing the back of his head with a gloved hand and looking up from where they came, like he didn’t exactly remember the entire trip down to where he was. He turned his attention back to Yui, "Why do you look so panicked?"

Titi arrived, out of breath, and began patting Adam's snow-covered hair in search of an injury until he was subtly, yet firmly, pushed away. "Chill mate, stop mothering me," Adam retorted in Romanian.

He seemed fine though completely unaware he'd face-planted into the snow. Standing up, he towered over Yui, who now seemed even more petite than before, her eyes still darkened by worry. Adam frowned. "I didn't stick the landing, did I?"

"No, not at all. It was very graceful, minus the failed landing though,” she forced a smile, realizing all eyes were on them now. It was probably the longest civil conversation they’d had since the branch inauguration. “Maybe we should go back to the cabin and get dinner started. Tonight, Mina and I would like to introduce you to a bit of Japanese cuisine," Yui suggested, trying to steer the conversation in a lighter direction.

"Is that a suggestion or an order, Miss Manager?" Adam replied, balancing on his snowboard to keep it from sliding downhill. He looked like he had never face-planted, except for a blooming bruise on his cheek and the snow-tousled hair.

Yui frowned at him for a moment before clipping her skis back on. "Take it as you please, Mister Stroe."

With that, she turned around and started her elegant descent down the slope.

The cold mountain air nipped at Mina's cheeks, turning them a rosy hue. She watched the last of the team members make their way down the slope, their laughter and chatter fading into the distance.

"For a second there, it almost looked like they might have a moment," Ioana remarked, her breath forming small clouds in the crisp air. She had descended a minute after Adam, catching the entire scene from a distance. By the time she reached the base, the crowd had already begun to disperse.

Mina chose to have hot cocoa at the base of the slope, not ready for adrenaline that soon after her accident that summer. The mechanic had dropped on her ass to stop her descent, and she offered her a gloved hand to stand up. "This feels like a Christmas disaster, not a Christmas miracle," Mina lamented, her gaze drifting back to where Adam had taken his fall.

Ioana unclasped her snowboard and leaned it against a nearby tree. She shook her head, strands of hair escaping from beneath her beanie. "I've known Adam since high school. He's always been sociable. This gloom of doom isn’t like him at all."

Mina's brow furrowed in thought. "Do you think there's anything we can do to make Mister Stroe more... flexible?"

Ioana's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Yeah... get him piss drunk. I think at this point, it's just his pride and stubbornness. I don't think the guy was ever rejected. Heck, probably not even in kindergarten."

Mina wasn’t convinced. “Get him drunk? After that fall? I don’t think it’s wise.”

The mechanic laughed, waving her hand. "His head is as thick as a bull. Trust me, he's fine.” She took a step closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "It will take all hands on deck. And also, Miss Manager should be drunk too, or she might back out."

Mina's eyes widened in mock horror. "Wait, you mean we should get Yui drunk as well? No, no, that's so disrespectful!"

Ioana clicked her tongue, a playful smirk dancing on her lips. "So, getting my boss wasted is 'strategy,' but getting yours tipsy is disrespectful? Come on, Minami. Do we want this marriage to work or not?"

She glanced over her shoulder. The base of the slope was deserted; the rest of the Ishida Tech staff had already retreated to the warmth of the cabin, leaving them wrapped in the quiet of the mountain.

Seizing the moment, Ioana turned back, stepping deliberately into Mina’s personal space. The confident glint in her eyes made Mina’s breath hitch in the cold air.

"Well..." Mina started, trying to hold her ground despite her racing heart. "We’ll go with your plan. But I get to decide on the details."

"Details. I like details," Ioana purred, her voice dropping an octave. She reached out, her hand finding the curve of Mina's waist, pulling her just an inch closer, inviting, not demanding.

Mina didn't pull back. Instead, her gaze dropped to Ioana’s lips, her previous protest melting away like snowflakes on warm skin.

"Deal?" Ioana whispered, tilting her head.

"Deal," Mina breathed out.

Ioana didn't need to be told twice. She leaned in, closing the small gap between them. It wasn't a sudden swoop, but a deliberate, magnetic pull. When their lips finally met, the cold mountain air seemed to vanish, replaced by a spark that had been smoldering between them for weeks.

Their shared moment didn't just seal their fate, it sealed Adam and Yui's as well.

“I think today went well, all things considered," Mina remarked, her eyes scanning the kitchen as she prepared to help with the dinner preparations.

"All things considered?" Yui echoed, donning an apron. Her brow furrowed in curiosity, her eyes searching Mina's. "Did you hear something? Do you know something?"

Mina gave a knowing smile, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Well... Adam was with you all day, don't tell me you didn't notice. The more you looked, the more tricks he pulled off."

"Yes, on the slopes... But there were others there as well. Half the girls from our department were constantly around him too,” Yui pointed out softly, gathering her hair into a neat bun.

“Well, I did hear something. Claudia is planning to confess to him at the party tonight," Mina shared, her tone light but her eyes watching Yui closely.

Yui's hand tightened on the knife she was holding, but she quickly composed herself. "Oh?"

The Assistant Manager continued in an intentionally conversational tone, making the subject breezy not to scare her friend. “I don’t think she stands a chance though. Ioana told me he doesn’t want to date, he’s focusing on the problems he has trying to get custody of his kid.”

Yui paused from her chopping, her eyes reflecting surprise. "What… problems?"

"His ex is married to a local politician who got an offer to join the European Parliament in Brussels. They want to take the kid and leave,” Mina whispered, leaning closer. “I don’t know a lot, Ioana isn’t saying much, and she made me promise not to talk about it.”

Lost in thought, Yui murmured, “I’m sure aunt Aoi could do something to help him. You know she studied in Europe, I’m sure she knows a few lawyer offices that could take this on in Brussels. Maybe I should give her a call and ask them to look into it, discreetly of course. Do you think that’s a good idea?”

"Calling your aunt is always a good idea," Mina giggled, her eyes dancing with amusement. "Oh, I'm a terrible person. I shouldn't even be thinking about this... your aunt is married and I... well, Ioana and I kissed on the slope."

"Whaaat?" Yui's poker face dropped, her eyes widening in genuine surprise. "You kissed?" she repeated, her voice filled with astonishment.

Just then, Claudia, a curvy brunette in charge of the press and social media, sauntered into the kitchen, her eyes scanning the two women. “Hooking up already?” she teased with a playful smirk.

"Nope, we were just talking about a K-drama we’re both watching," Mina deflected quickly, throwing Yui a sidelong glance. "What about you, Claudia? I heard you were planning to confess to our head engineer."

"Oh, no, not yet. That’s the kind of thing you do with alcohol as an excuse," she seemed oblivious to the way the Manager’s knuckles turned white on the kitchen knife and the possible impending danger she was subject to.

Instead, Claudia did the opposite of what survival instincts would have dictated, leaning over the bar to watch her bosses prepare the meal. “So what’s the plan for tonight?”

“Cooking up a feast to celebrate our first quarter together,” Mina offered pleasantly to cover her friend’s murderous aura.

"Wait, seriously? Isn't it easier to order something, drink, and dance?" Claudia complained, scratching her tattooed arm lazily.

Yui, taking a deep breath and regaining her composure, responded, "Oh, we’re setting an example here. Easier is not always most impactful. Also, I heard Adam is off the dating market right now."

"Bullshit, a guy like him is never off the market!" the tanned brunette disagreed with an unconcerned, wide smile.

Adam chose the moment to make his appearance through the main doors, covered in a blanket of snow. The weather outside had soured, they could spot a blizzard behind him before he closed the door. By contrast, the big cabin kitchen was warmed by flames crackling in the fireplace.

"Hahaha! Look, a snowman!" Claudia chirped, rushing over to him to help take off his jacket.

Yui switched from the modest knife she had been using to the biggest she could find.

"Snowman? Please, I’m a certified yeti at least!" Adam countered with a wink, making the brunette giggle like she was a school girl. He dropped the firewood he brought in and straightened to look at the screen in the kitchen. "You're going to let your managers cook all alone?"

"Oh, they’re making a Japanese dish, I wouldn't be of much help. But how about you get your boys and we play some cards while they do it?"

"I think you guys missed the point of team building,” Adam observed, crossing his arms. “Upstairs cooks today, I'll grill tomorrow with my crew. And we’ll play some cards when we’re all fed."

"If you're eating, all the girls will cook," Claudia promptly replied, hurrying to join him up the stairs.

Adam’s eyes met Yui’s for a moment, but without another word, he started climbing, accompanied by Claudia’s excited chatter.

Left alone in the kitchen, Yui and Mina worked their magic with practiced ease. Their friendship shined through in moments like those, when they communicated in a glance to put together an Instagram worthy feast in just a bit over an hour.

The scent of freshly grilled, perfectly seasoned yakitori skewers and tempura brought the whole staff of the still growing Bucharest Ishida Branch around the immense living room dining table.

With good food in front of them, and a gently crackling fire in the log fireplace, it was hard to hold onto old grudges. With his face still red from his earlier snow tumble, Adam was the first to dig in and praise the food.

Everyone followed suit. There was finally peace in the Bucharest Branch. If only for the moment.