My name is Masato Kazama and I am 26 years old.

I’m a slave working for an Internet advertising company, but how is it that I can label myself that way…? Well, it’s simple.

I had started working as a salesman, but for some time now I have also been entrusted with the responsibility of managing the advertising operations, writing them and even preparing the reports. In other words, I’m a cross-functional employee… Or a Doraemon.

And it’s not like I’m given all these jobs because I’m the most qualified person for them, but because all my co-workers have jumped ship one after another, and I’ve been left with no choice but to take on these tasks myself.

I can still remember the words of my senpai before he quit. He basically advised me to keep a letter of resignation tucked away on my desk, and to be very clear about the perfect time to quit this job.

I really hate this company. I am not happy working at this place, let alone under these kinds of conditions. But… I keep hanging in there because I have a lot more patience than the rest of my colleagues. Or maybe it’s because I have thick skin.

But it’s getting harder and harder. I am no longer the same warrior I was when I started here. Now my eyes are dead and I live overworked day and night.

It was around 6 pm, and a bell rings throughout the office indicating that the workday is over. But to me it was nothing more than a hellish sound reminding me that today I had to stay in this place and work overtime again.

I stood dead-eyed staring at the laptop screen while in my head came many ideas on how to destroy this machine.

—I’m back!

A shuddering scream echoes through the place. That voice… It certainly sounded familiar to me, it was that of a specific girl who herself is able to express herself so energetically even though the sun is starting to set after such an exhausting day.

—Welcome, Inami-chan!

—It was so hot out there, would you like to have some tea?

—Nagisa-chan is back, someone turn down the air conditioning.

Inami is that kind of person who, without even trying hard, manages to be the center of attention, and not in a bad intentioned way, her attitude and personality makes everyone like her. The proof of this is that everyone can’t help but greet her happily when they see her passing by.

That’s her, Nagisa Inami, a girl loved by everyone in the company. She is like an oasis in the middle of this desert.

She is certainly a very nice girl, and very capable. Despite being new to the company, she manages to quickly absorb the information she has to do, and very successfully manages to apply it. Among all the Kohai I have trained, she certainly is the best.

—Senpai, I’m back!

—Hello.

—Hehe.

—What’s wrong? Why are you smiling like that?

—Your answer was very curt, like a husband’s answer to his wife when he comes home tired from work. I love it.

Why do you say that so cheerfully? Although in a way, your smile is very tender, and it has great healing powers for the soul. But if I were to say that to her, I would lose all my authority as her Senpai, and I would just look like a fool who takes a frivolous attitude when she is by his side.

—Idiot. Stop saying things like that. Why don’t you just leave?

—…Poor Senpai…

—Eh? What do you mean by that?

—How you’d love to get out of this office, right? You’ll have to stay late at work again.

—Gh… I’m so angry, I won’t deny that.

—Buhu! It’s getting late again! We won’t make it in time for happy hour.

—Shut up! There’s no such thing as happy hour.

—Yes there is! Happy hour does exist!

To some extent, there is such a thing as ‘happy hour’. It’s from 5:00 am until 7:00 pm. A glass of beer can cost up to 200 yen. But, that’s a privilege reserved for those who get off work early. Z-warriors like us have to pay 580 yen for a glass of beer.

Aaah… What a pain, is there no way we can get a discount at any bar for those who have a shitty salary?

—Hahaha! It’s really funny to see when they act like a couple.

—Huh?

I focused my vision on the desk in front of me. It was a woman who was laughing out loud as if she didn’t care what people thought of her.

Her short hair and the silver earrings adorning her ears revealed her cheerful and insightful personality. And the way she was dressed highlighted her other attributes.

Her breasts are quite moderate in size, not to say they were magnificent. Every time I saw her it was inevitable not to direct my gaze towards those two weapons of destruction.

—Oh, come on, look at them as much as you want, I can rub them together if you want… — she said when she realized that my gaze was focused on them.

Her name was Fukahiro Inaba, she and I started working at the same time in this company. Needless to say, my other coworkers have quit this job because of how demanding it is.

—Fukahiro-senpai, I’m a little embarrassed when she says that Masato-senpai and I are a couple~.

—Oh~? So Nagisa-chan gets nervous about being seen as Kazama’s girlfriend? Are you willing to marry him off, huh~?

—No!

Inami should ask Inaba to train her instead of me. You can tell they’re different sides of the same coin.

—Kazama, this pretty girl is eager to go out for a drink, why don’t you go with her? — Inaba said as she leaned forward.

The distance between us was getting shorter and shorter, and just by making that simple movement,her breasts stand out even more.

—If you leave now, you can make it to happy hour, and if you go too many drinks, well… You could continue the happy hour at a hotel~.

—Fuck off, sex stalker!

Fukahiro Inaba is a very beautiful woman… But she talks just like a perverted old man. The fact that she has a strong mentality is the reason why she has survived all this time in this black corporation.

(black company, ブ ラ ッ ク 企業, burakku kigyō and other terms are used to refer to companies that tend to have exploitative tactics among their workers. They are very common in Japan, and many young people can not stand the pressure, and those who stay, live sleeping on trains, streets, or even in the same office, spend days without going home).

However, I wouldn’t want Inami to inherit the same character as her.

—Come have a drink with us, Fukahiro-senpai.

—No no no no, I’m not stupid enough to interfere in my Kohai’s love life.

—Fukahiro-senpai…! I’ll do my best to win Masato-senpai’s love~!

—I like that! Don’t give up! If necessary, use your body to attract him, no man can resist that!

—I understand! Okay, Masato-senpai, let’s go get some drinks!

—Stop saying things that can be misunderstood!

The ethics of these girls are conspicuous by their absence. I dread to think what would happen if Inaba were Inami’s tutor instead of me. It would be an exaggeration to say that this work environment would be twice as dangerous as it already is. On one hand, I’d be drowning in work, and on the other, Inami and Inaba would do all sorts of things to annoy me.

—Hey, Inami.

—Yes?

—I didn’t promise to go out for a drink. Don’t insist on such matters.

—Jeez, Kazama. I can tell you don’t understand women’s hearts. — Inaba said as she shrugged her shoulders. — Women are creatures who can’t stop their impulses. You can’t stop what a woman desires. Imagine that your girlfriend sends you messages saying she wants to see you very much after a long day. It’s something that can’t be helped.

—That situation is only seen in dramas and movies, it’s not real.

—Men like that kind of thing too, right?

—It’s not my case. If you send me those kinds of messages and say you want to see me, I won’t be able to keep my working hours.

—You have no finesse at all, Kazama.

—Believe me, I could have said worse.

Do you expect me to be submissive and accept everything Inami asks me to do? You’re very wrong, you idiot. You must learn that sometimes a man wants to be alone for no apparent reason.

Drinking alcohol after a long day can be very dangerous for someone like me who likes to play video games. What if I can’t aim at the enemy after being under the influence of that miraculous drink? I refuse to do it.

—Besides, why so much desire to go out drinking every day? Is Inami doing it because she really wants to forget about all the work done during the workday? Or is it because she tends to be a monster who devours alcohol uncontrollably?

In which case if it’s the second option, it’s not normal at all. She should go to a hospital, not a bar.

—So… If there’s a specific reason or something to celebrate… Would Masato-senpai go out drinking with me?

—Hmm… Well, yeah, I wouldn’t mind doing that and making up something for you as a reward.

—Fufu…

Oh no… That look, why am I starting to get the feeling that something bad is about to happen?

—In that case, get ready, Masato-senpai. I got three companies interested in our advertising service! That’s more than enough reason to go out and celebrate! Right?

—Ugh…

I think I’ve completely fallen into her trap. Inami was in a very good mood and made a peace sign with both hands having a big smile on her face.

—I must admit that you have a great talent for sales…

—Hehehe, and will I get anything else besides a compliment? A kiss, maybe?

—Rejected.

—Come on, don’t be shy. — she replied as she approached me with pursed lips.

I’m worried about this girl, she was probably a middle-aged sexual harasser in her previous life… However, I really think she has a great hidden talent.

It wasn’t too long ago that I joined the company and she was put under my charge. Since then, she has been able to handle a number of activities on her own. This ranges from explaining products to preparing a written quotation.

In my case, when I started in this company, I didn’t bother to do anything at all. I preferred to kill time in the cafeteria.

—I owe it all to you, Masato-senpai, you have trained me very well.

—!

—Not only did you take the trouble to accompany me to the training seminars, but you also taught me about my shortcomings and in areas I didn’t understand. In spite of everything, you never gave me disapproving looks, you always cared about me… I could go on pointing out examples, but it’s an endless list.

—Inami…

I feel like my tear glands are about to burst. Unconsciously, memories about Inami’s arrival at this company invaded my mind. She must also be thinking the same thing, as I can find no other explanation as to why she closed her eyes and hugged her own body.

—You are very kind to me, although sometimes you treat me roughly and violently. But deep down, I don’t mind, because—…

—That’s already bordering on perversion!

—Really~?

Give me back my sense of pride, you idiot.

—Senpai, I hope you’ll continue to guide and encourage me all this long way. — She said with a charming smile on her face.

—…Yeah, sure….

That’s so unfair. Her smile has the magic to make any mischief disappear and only leave as a reflection a sweet and innocent girl. And it’s not like there’s a trick behind it all. It really feels sincere.

—Kazama. That’s all you’re going to say? Isn’t there something else that’s missing…?

—I’d like to tell you something else, but it would be inappropriate.

Inaba’s annoying remarks aside, she’s right. I must keep my word.

—All right, Inami… You’ve done a good job today, so let’s go out for a drink.

—Yay! Thank you, senpai!

After all, I’m probably the most forgiving person with this girl. I guess it’s inevitable, I try to do my best in everything. If my kohai is happy, then so am I, but if she’s sad, I have no choice but to give her love and try to lift her spirits.

—Let’s finish our work quickly and go out for a drink! — Inami expressed with great enthusiasm as she raised her hands in the air.

After all, she’s a Z-warrior just like us.

—Inami-chaaaan~~! How about we go out for a drink~?

As if the atmosphere of extreme tension wasn’t enough, an old bal—…. Sorry, a middle-aged man with sparse hair approaches us with a shrill voice. If I implied to you earlier that Inaba and Inami were potential sexual harassers. Both of them are but a mere joke before the man who appeared in front of us.

And unfortunately, this old man was our CEO. If there were a ranking of people in the company I would like to beat up, he would be in first place.

It’s a natural thing for the boss to be the one who appoints jobs to his employees. But this old man doesn’t just sexually harass female employees. He also abuses his power. He is a creature devoid of common sense, delicacy and above all respect.

The king of harassment is in full swing, he places his hand on Inami’s shoulder while he has a nasty smile on his face. It’s like watching a snake strangling its prey.

—Inami-chan~. You’re too skinny. If you had a little more flesh, you’d be the ideal woman for this old man. Ah! I know! How about we go out for a bite to eat?!

And as if harassing Inami wasn’t enough, he also throws his claws at Ibana.

—Inaba-chan! You’ll join us too, won’t you? They say eating turtle is good for the breasts, so let’s go eat and make those breasts grow even bigger!

—…..

—Huh? Inaba-chan?

—……

—Hey, can you hear me?

—……..

There was no reaction from Inaba as he waved his hand in front of her. She was completely focused looking at her laptop with an upright posture.

She clearly wanted to make him understand that she was focused on her work and not to be disturbed, especially with the ridiculously large headphones she placed in her ears… Inaba, I know you want to ignore the boss, but… At least bother to connect the headphone cable to your laptop.

Suddenly my phone vibrated, I had received a message from Inaba. It basically said to take care of this mess and save Inami from the boss’s clutches.

Easy to say, when she being a woman could look for fairer ways for that task, and at the same time expose the stalker in our office who roams the halls looking for his victims.

—I’m sorry~. But I don’t like that kind of food~ — expressed Inami with a big smile on her face.

There’s no need to tell a lie like that. You just have to have the courage to refuse such an invitation, Inami. If there’s something you don’t like, say so, be honest as you always have.

—You’re still young, you’ll soon appreciate the delicious taste of that delicacy! Why don’t you give it another chance~? I’m sure your boyfriend will appreciate it~?

—For now I don’t have a boyfriend… So nothing will happen if I don’t eat that dish.

—Huh?! Inami-chan doesn’t have a boyfriend? Wow, I wish I was 20 years younger!

—I’m the kind of person who doesn’t mind the age difference. So, I don’t think that’s a problem.

—Ooh~ Inami-chan recognized me as someone of the opposite sex~…. I’m… I’m sorry, I said something stupid!

—Oh come on, boss~. I’m sure it was a joke, right? Otherwise I’m going to have to make a small complaint to the ministry of health, labor and welfare~.

—Hehehehe, yes yes, it was a joke!

What the heck is this all about? I’m amazed at Inami’s abilities to get out of such awkward situations, but, the persistence on the part of the boss is also amazing. Even though Inami continued to lash out with harsh words, they didn’t manage to work at all. It’s as if he doesn’t know how to read the mood.

But finally the turning point came, and Inami’s smile starts to fade more and more.

—I’m sorry, but I still have a lot of work to do.

—No! You don’t have to get used to working overtime when you’re a new employee.

—I guess…

—Listen to me. If you’re working overtime, it’s because you’re not doing your job efficiently. The only people who work overtime are working overtime because they’re not doing their job the right way.

—Huh?!

Inami’s big eyes widen even more at the indelicate comments.

—…Does that mean Masato-senpai and Inaba-senpai are working overtime because they’re not doing their best?

All indications were that the boss’s comments didn’t please the kind and innocent Inami one bit. Her expression of discontent surpassed my own, I might hazard a guess that she was more offended than I was.

And as if to no surprise, the boss continued not to read between the lines, and the words of discontent had no effect on him. He continued to make comments that lacked any sense or respect for the company’s workers.

—That’s right! In my opinion, they don’t try hard enough!

—Take back what you just said! I don’t think people who work overtime don’t work hard.

—Kukuku. Inami-chan, you are so innocent~. You’re still new to this company, you’ll soon understand.

—No, I’m never going to change my mind, and no matter how many years I’m here!

—Okay, calm down, let’s better have this heated discussion over dinner.

—But…

The boss didn’t even bother to listen to Inami’s comments. The level is such that I wouldn’t recommend that he should have neurosurgery, instead, I would recommend otolaryngology.

On the other hand, Inami’s determination was certainly formidable, putting up with the constant sexual harassment was one thing. But to not shut up that the boss was making fun of all of us was something that in my mind I couldn’t understand.

For starters, we Z-warriors are not so weak as to allow a kohai to defend us. We do this job because we are the ones who are more determined and strong-minded than the rest. And it was my time to prove it.

—Hey, Inami. You don’t intend to go eat at a restaurant instead of finishing the job I assign you, do you?

—Senpai…

—Kazama! Are you seriously planning to make your Kohai work late? Forcing Inami-chan like that is…

—Work hard while you’re young.

—Huh?

—Those were the golden words you told me when I came here… Remember?

—…Uuugh….

Surely you must not remember that moment, as he was so desperate to get home that time that he forced me to finish his work. I’m not looking forward to having to deal with this old man, but I have no choice, I don’t plan to abandon Inami.

—Or do you intend to deny those words now?

—No, no, no, no! I really said it!

—Okay, it would be a pity if that happened, because for all these years, I’ve based my work on those words, boss!

—Really?

—I’m very serious, you guys do the same thing too, right guys?

I looked around as I waved my hand so that the rest of my colleagues could show their support.

—You’re right, Kazama-san! Thanks to the boss’s words, I’ve been able to work overtime, even on vacations…

—Me too! Every time the boss gives me jobs that even he can do, he does it just so we can gain experience, right? The boss’s job is to make his employees give their lives to the company.

—That’s right! I have given my life to this job that even my wife cheated on me with the neighbor. But you know what? It doesn’t matter, just to make the boss’s life easy…!

The words of the Z-warriors were full of thorns.

—Ha ha, we really work hard, it’s hard to pretend to be a jerk, even in front of the boss….

Inaba, don’t laugh hysterically with your headphones on. The lie will come out.

In the face of the pressure generated from the employees and myself. The boss was nervous and drenched in sweat. I don’t blame him if the feeling of being pressed against the wall having a sharp sword pointed at his neck came over him.

—Um, well, it’s my way of encouraging them, you know…

As you can tell, he couldn’t take the pressure, and ended up falling to our trap. I made eye contact with Inami, as if to say; “see, that’s how you deal with the boss”.

—I’ll work overtime too! I want to have the same drive as my classmates! I want to follow in Masato-senpai’s footsteps for the rest of my life!

—Personally, I don’t like the idea that you want to follow me for the rest of your life. But… I’m very proud of you, little Kohai. I’m glad to see that you’re not angry anymore and your usual smile is back on your face.

—Uhh… Well, lots of cheers to everyone… I’m off….

The boss’s annoyed attitude disappeared completely, and only what prevailed was a shy little old man who didn’t know what to do. So, he just shrugged his shoulders and left the office. Without a doubt, this was a victory for all of us.

—What a good duo you make, Kazama and Inami-chan!

—Suck it, boss! Aaah, how I’ve been looking forward to saying that~….

Everyone in the office was celebrating with much excitement. If there’s one thing that unites us all, it’s hatred for our boss.

—Masato-senpai! Come here!

Inami approached me, and excitedly holds out her two hands for me to high-five… Well, I guess I’ll accept it, it would be very inconsiderate of me to deny such a celebration.

End of Chapter 2…