Nibiiro no Hana: Chapter 6

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In the president’s office at Rabbit Food headquarters, Tokawa Shun was in a video conference with several people from Eric & Ronald Corp. The two companies had a technology partnership focused on frozen foods, but they were having trouble successfully freezing a new type of fruit. It was eventually agreed that Eric & Ronald would dispatch a technician involved in developing their freezing technology to assist.

The fruit, once thawed, was notably lower in quality compared to Eric & Ronald’s standards. Even repeated complaints from the field staff went unaddressed. When the matter reached Tokawa, he had Dan Carter—the head of the Asia Division—sample the product. Carter had noted that it might be a machinery or water issue and agreed to send a technician. Tokawa was thankful for Carter’s refined palate and his understanding of Japan’s food culture, where texture and subtlety are deeply valued.

Just as they were wrapping up and about to disconnect, Carter said, “There’s something I’d like to discuss privately.”

The call had been scheduled for New York’s business hours, which meant it was already 11:30 p.m. in Tokyo. Tokawa had sent his secretary home—it was just him remaining in the office.

“Of course, I don’t mind.”

“I’ll call again from my office in five minutes.”

They could have continued the call as-is, but perhaps Carter didn’t want the others present, or he expected it to be a long conversation. Either way, since it was personal, Tokawa replied, “Understood.”

Carter stood out for being notably unsociable among the otherwise friendly, outgoing image of Americans. But Tokawa found that the lack of small talk and Carter’s quick decision-making made him easy to work with.

Tokawa stepped into the kitchenette next to the secretary’s office and took a bottle of water from the fridge. He drank about half. Speaking tended to dry out his throat, but he’d forgotten to prep a drink before the meeting. When he opened the tiny window over the sink, warm air trickled in. Inside, the air-conditioning had kept him from noticing, but outside, it was still hot even at night. It was clearly a tropical evening.

Water bottle in hand, Tokawa returned to the president’s office. Exactly five minutes later, Carter called back.

“Sorry to take up your time. This is about Tsurutani…”

A man with gray hair came to mind.

Tsurutani Fumio was a mid-level employee at Rabbit Food, who had caught the eye of two executives from Eric & Ronald during their visit. Though a man, he had been providing sexual services as part of the hospitality arrangement. At times, he traveled abroad as frequently as once a month to entertain certain clients with specific tastes. Dan Carter was one of those men.

At first, Tokawa had served as the intermediary for each rendezvous, but since the invitations became so frequent, they now contacted Tsurutani directly. Afterward, he submitted travel receipts and a brief report.

Tokawa had assumed the clients would tire of him after a few meetings, but two years had passed since the sexual arrangements began, and Tsurutani was still being regularly summoned overseas. There are mature men who radiate a masculine kind of sex appeal, but the slender and frail Tsurutani didn’t fit that mold. Nearing fifty, he was a scrawny, aging man—Tokawa couldn’t understand what made him appealing. Still, as long as the clients were satisfied, it didn’t matter.

“Would you be willing to have him dismissed?”

The sudden proposal startled Tokawa. His mind flashed with worst-case scenarios.

“Did Tsurutani do something to offend you?”

From the other end of the call, Carter let out a rare chuckle.

“Tsurutani is a very charming man. Actually, I’m thinking of making him my partner.”

He was trying to poach him.

Tokawa knew Tsurutani’s job performance and internal evaluations, and frankly, he wasn’t someone a company like Eric & Ronald would normally pursue. So why did they want him? Was the “reception” just a front—had Tsurutani been leaking internal company information?

Rabbit Food had recently begun improving its canned food line for the international market. They were developing new methods to preserve flavor, with patent filings under discussion. This technology was expected to become a core part of Rabbit Food’s future. While they cooperated with Eric & Ronald on freezing tech, in the canned goods sector, they were rivals.

If the offer to take in Tsurutani was in exchange for gaining access to that canned food tech… No, surely that was overthinking it.

Tsurutani’s current position was the president’s personal secretary, but that didn’t give him free access to confidential documents. Still, if he bribed someone and borrowed a password, he could potentially view sensitive files. Once a suspicion arises, it spreads like a wine stain on a napkin—slowly but surely.

But Tokawa couldn’t very well accuse Carter of corporate espionage without proof. If it turned out to be a misunderstanding, Carter could get angry—and might even threaten to cancel the freezing tech agreement. All Tokawa could do was probe gently and read between the lines.

“To welcome him as a business partner… I take it you hold Tsurutani’s abilities in very high regard.”

Since Carter seemed sensitive to such nuances, Tokawa took care not to let the word “ability” sound like a veiled jab equating it with sexual skill.

“Tokawa, it seems you’re misunderstanding something,” Carter said. “I’m thinking of Tsurutani not as a business partner—but as a life partner.”

At first, Tokawa assumed it was an American-style joke. But there was no punchline. And Carter wasn’t the type to mix jokes into conversation.

“I did consider bringing him to Eric & Ronald’s headquarters, but with his limited English skills, I doubt he’d be able to communicate effectively. That’s why I think it’s best to find a setup that won’t cause him stress. Of course, if he says he wants to work, I’ll respect his wishes and arrange an appropriate role for him. Even if I take him in, the partnership with your company will remain unchanged—no, it’ll become even stronger.”

Tokawa sorted through the information in his mind. Carter had grown fond of Tsurutani, the man originally sent to serve him as part of a sexual hospitality arrangement, and now wanted to bring him to New York.

If Tsurutani left the company, they’d save on his salary and travel expenses. The only real concern was information leakage. As long as that risk could be ruled out, dismissing Tsurutani would benefit both Carter and Rabbit Food.

“I understand. I’ll consider it seriously. May I take a little time to respond?”

“How long will that take?”

“I’ll contact you as soon as a decision’s made.”

“Make it as soon as you can, please. Well then, goodbye,” Carter said, his voice unusually cheerful—even over the phone—as he ended the call.

It had been a completely unexpected proposal, but Tokawa didn’t see it as a bad deal for Tsurutani either.

Carter was a high-income, white-collar man. Becoming his partner would likely mean a comfortable life. For someone with no particular talent at that age, wasn’t that actually a good outcome?

And if Carter was going so far as to bring him from Japan, it was unlikely he’d discard him quickly. Even if Carter eventually grew bored and left him, by then, Tsurutani would have already quit. Whatever happened afterward wouldn’t concern Tokawa—or the company.

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