Kira groggily turned off her alarm for the fifth time before jumping up in shock. It was already ten in the morning. She was totally screwed; she had a major meeting on Monday. Kira lunged out of bed and rushed into the bathroom, only to catch a glimpse of the wall calendar. What a joke. It was Saturday morning. She had stayed up until dawn reading web novels, and while she was at it, revising the marketing plan how her boss wanted it. Hopefully, he didn't freak out getting a message from his employee at three in the morning. Whose fault was it that she ended up in this mess anyway?

So boring. What did people even do on weekends in Tokyo? She had zero interest in shopping. She didn't want to go out either. Tokyo was nothing but people. Just the thought of those massive, suffocating crowds made her want to throw up. But staying cooped up in this tiny apartment wasn't a great idea either.

Kira spent another thirty minutes looking for uncrowded spots around Tokyo. Showa Kinen Park, a thirty-minute train ride away. The park was quite spacious and filled with flowers. Not too bad. Kira changed into a pastel pink, ultra-girly dress to turn her mood around. Who knew, maybe she would run into a handsome Japanese guy in the park.

Hide had replied to her message at three in the morning. While waiting for her train, she read his text over and over again. “Unfortunately, I am Japanese. You will need to transfer trains three times and take a taxi to get to the apple orchard. Since the people here do not speak English, it seems you will have to try a bit harder with your Japanese, Kira.” It almost sounded like he wasn't particularly proud of being Japanese, or did he think she didn't like Japanese people? As long as he wasn't a total creep like her boss, it was fine.

Kira cheerfully typed back a reply. “Ah, yeah, of course. I think I really need a Japanese tutor... By the way, will you be at the orchard then, Hide? If you could act as my translator, I’m sure it would be fine, right?”

Did that sound too obvious? Would he think she was desperate? Kira giggled to herself. Whatever. She genuinely did need a tutor, and a translator too. Making friends with a writer who lived on an apple farm, now that sounded amazing.

Kira was gazing blankly at the buildings blurring past the train window when her phone vibrated violently in her hand, startling her. The screen lit up with the caller ID "Annoying Pufferfish", her boss, Yoshihide. Seriously, did he really need to call her on a Saturday like he was her boyfriend? No way in hell was she picking up. Kira muted the ringer and shoved the phone straight into her bag.

The phone rang non-stop for thirty minutes until Kira couldn't take it anymore and finally gave in. She picked up, throwing on her best exhausted voice.

“Yes, Kira speaking.”

“Kira, have you done the project update I asked for?”

“What? I sent it to you at three this morning, Yoshi-san.”

Yoshi’s voice on the other end sounded strained, like he was doing everything in his power not to blow a fuse. What on earth was his problem?

“Do you... even know what you sent to me and the client?”

The question made Kira’s stomach drop. “I don’t understand what you mean, Yoshi-san.”

She heard him let out a heavy, weary sigh. “Are you in Tokyo right now?”

What did her being in Tokyo have to do with anything? She dropped her voice to a breathless whisper. “My stomach hurts so bad, I actually just got admitted to the hospital. Just tell me what it is, Yoshi-san, I’m about to pass out.”

“Check the email you sent and call me back.” With that, Yoshi hung up.

Kira’s heart hammered against her ribs, panic setting in. She hurriedly opened her mail app. The subject line read “Market Entry Booklet - Icecream.” That looked completely normal. She opened the attachment and read through it from the top. Everything was fine, until...

Oh, she was dead. Maybe she really did need to be hospitalized. Kira nearly fainted, her phone slipping from her hands and clattering onto the empty seat next to her, the screen still glowing brightly in the train car.

SWOT Analysis: Boss and Company Evaluation (Resignation Rationale)

Strengths: Hair as silky-smooth as a girl’s; possesses the uncanny, bladder-of-steel ability to sit through a four-hour meeting without a single bathroom break.

Weaknesses: Completely spineless in front of clients; design aesthetic stuck in the 1990s; as petty and micro-managing as Cinderella’s wicked stepmother, literally loves making employees sort black beans from white beans just to give them a hard time.

Opportunities: Leaving this place will extend my life expectancy by a solid ten years. More time to pick apples and watch fireflies with a handsome guy.

Threats: Staying here any longer will drive me insane, posing a high risk of me physically assaulting my boss.

Kira picked up her phone with trembling hands, swallowing hard as pure panic set in. Maybe she just shouldn't call back? Maybe she should just hit send on an actual resignation letter right now and vanish? Oh my god. She was going crazy. This was so humiliating. She didn't just send it to her boss; she sent it to the client too. A client! Kira slammed her head against the train window, not even giving a damn about the other passengers staring at her like she was nuts.

“Hello, Yoshi-san...” Kira finally squeezed out enough courage to call back. “Uh, so... I am so incredibly sorry.”

“Get over here right now.”

Kira sighed, running through hundreds of worst-case scenarios in her head about what would happen when she faced Yoshi. He was definitely going to rip her a new one. If he wanted to fire her, he should just get it over with, why make her come all this way? On the bright side, talk about a massive coincidence. His place happened to be right near Showa Kinen Park. Well, at least she could save herself a train transfer. There was no way in hell she was going to his apartment on a Saturday just to report on work. Even if it was her fault, the whole thing just sounded creepy no matter how she looked at it. But then again, getting chewed out in the middle of a crowded cafe wasn't an option either.

In the end... Kira bit her lip, standing there and looking around the vast park entrance. To anyone passing by, she looked like she was dressed to the nines for a romantic date. Life was so unfair. April in Tokyo was still biting cold. Out in the suburbs like Tachikawa, the wind howled so fiercely that it sent Kira shrinking back, seeking refuge behind a bus shelter. She really should have worn a thicker coat; she hadn't expected it to be this freezing out here.

From a distance, she spotted Yoshi hurriedly crossing the street in a long gray overcoat and a plain black sweater. His short black hair was still damp, with his bangs falling messily across his forehead like he'd just stepped out of the shower.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting,” Yoshi said, stopping and staring blankly at her for a few seconds.

Just as Kira was about to start explaining herself about the email, Yoshi cut in. “It’s chilly out here. Let’s find somewhere sheltered before we talk.”

As he spoke, he slipped off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.

“Oh, no. This is—”

“I’d rather not have you suing me for workplace harassment and making my staff brave the elements on the weekend.” Yoshi gave her a side-eye, then gestured for her to follow him.

It was the end of March, and the park’s spring flower festival was in full swing, though the festive cheer felt completely wasted on her. Kira hurried to keep pace behind Yoshi, her eyes darting from the back of his dark sweater to the overwhelming explosion of colors around them. They walked past tightly packed beds of multicolored tulips, their petals perfectly sculpted and bright against the spring earth. Above them, a sudden gust of wind shook the nearby branches, sending a flurry of pale pink cherry blossom petals dancing through the air, only to drift down and settle over a dense field of bright yellow canola flowers. The scenery looked straight out of a classic romance webtoon. It was frustratingly picturesque. Every beautiful petal felt like a cruel joke contrasted with the looming disaster of her career.

Finally, Yoshi led her toward the park's lakeside restaurant. They took a seat at a secluded table by the window, the wide glass pane offering a clear view of the sprawling riverbank outside. Kira swallowed hard, staring at the empty table between them, waiting for the executioner to speak.