June felt like a never-ending rollercoaster this year. With Junpei’s wedding and Aki’s over-the-top birthday bash, I was honestly already exhausted, and it wasn’t even over yet.

“24th of June…” I mumbled as I walked toward the staff room. Morning meetings before opening were already bad enough, but something felt off today.

And then I saw her—Manna.

Why was the boss here?

She rarely attended our monthly meetings unless it was something big. I quietly slid into my seat next to Keiko and raised an eyebrow.

“Okay, is everyone here?” Manna asked with her usual booming voice. We all muttered a collective, half-hearted “yes.”

Then came the announcement.

“For this year’s company trip—”

Boom. Brain explosion. My heart sank. Oh right… her birthday was on June 30th. How could I forget? June still wasn’t done torturing me. I mentally prepared for chaos.

The younger staff like Aki, Miko, and Suzuka immediately lit up like Christmas trees. Of course they’d be excited—nothing screams “young and free” like a company-paid vacation.

“This year our company has grown a lot,” Manna continued proudly. “The Hawaii branch is doing pretty well too.”

Wait. Hawaii? That triggered something. A faint memory, like a tropical warning sign.

“And for the first time ever, both branches will join this year’s trip! Together!” Manna beamed.

My soul left my body. I wasn’t ready for international bonding sessions. Do they even speak Japanese? I mean, yeah, we’re technically speaking Japanese in this story, but imagine if I had to suddenly speak English like the writer wrote us that way—my head hurts.

(Note to self: Ryusei, stop breaking the fourth wall in your thoughts.)

“Woah, that’s amazing!” Aki clapped like a seal. Suzuka just nodded like she had a clue what was happening. Clearly, she was just riding Aki’s excitement train.

“Are we going to Hawaii then?” Miko asked, stars in her eyes.

“Nope,” Manna said bluntly.

You could physically hear the disappointment echo around the room like a tragic anime ending.

Aki slumped back. Miko looked betrayed. Even Suzuka’s fake excitement faltered.

“But we’re still going somewhere fun,” Manna teased. “We’ll be going to… T—”

“THAILAND?!” Aki screamed before she even finished.

“TAIWAN?!” Miko chimed in.

“Toy Story Land?” Suzuka said, fully committing to the chaos.

Toy Story Land?! What the heck even is that?! Suzuka’s just blurting out anything at this point! I screamed inside my head.

Manna finally revealed with a grin, “Tokyooooo!! Wohoo!!”

...

Silence.

It was the most awkward group freeze ever recorded.

Keiko, ever the professional, started clapping and smiling like a good employee.

I followed suit with the most unconvincing, “Oh wowww…” of my life. Behind me, I felt Aki, Ruka, Miko, and Suzuka force their facial muscles into polite, tortured smiles.

Manna cackled. “Sorry guys, no Hawaii. Budget is tight. Besides, Ruka is pregnant—we have to be considerate.”

Ah. The baby card. Can’t argue with that.

“I’ll just fly the Hawaii team here instead, they’re smaller in number anyway,” she added.

Wait. So they get flown in, and we get a staycation in Tokyo? How is this fair?

“Wait, Boss!” Aki suddenly raised her hand dramatically like she was auditioning for a drama.

“Yes, Akichi?” Manna grinned.

Akichi? What in the nickname hell was that?

“So if it’s Tokyo, where exactly are we going?” Aki narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Girl was not letting this go easily.

“Good question!” Manna said, “We’ll go near Mount Fuji!”

Gasps of fake excitement rippled through the room.

“Don’t worry, we’re not hiking,” she clarified before Ruka could even panic. “It’ll be a two-night staycation retreat with some activities. We’ll bond with the Hawaii staff and chill. Sound good?”

“Oh that’s great!” Miko smiled. “Two nights is so much better than last year’s one-night trip.”

Aki nodded, “Agreed.”

Suzuka perked up, “It’ll be my first company trip! I’m so excited!”

Manna blinked, “Oh… right. You’re still new, huh?”

Suzuka gave a polite bow. “Yes, I’ll do my best and I’m very grateful.”

Manna grinned, “You’re so positive. I like you already. So fresh and cute!”

Suzuka’s cheeks went red like a freshly boiled shrimp. “T-thank you…”

Then she turned to me with a smirk.

“And Ryuko… don’t be jealous. You’re not the rookie anymore, remember?”

Oof. The pain.

“You’re still cute too. But Suzuka’s just fresher now. Time moves on, honey.”

I wanted to argue, but I just gave her my best customer-service smile. Great. Now I’m the stale cookie in the jar.

“And you better step up your game!” Manna added. “You’re not eligible for ‘Best Rookie’ anymore. This year, it’s Suzuka’s title to steal.”

I glanced at Suzuka who gave me a subtle wink. The nerve.

“Don’t worry, Boss! I’ll snatch Aki’s—ouch!”

A thwack landed on the back of my head. Aki was pouting, arms crossed.

“Oi! Don’t go handing me out like a prize!”

The room burst into laughter. Even Keiko cracked a smile.

The rest of the meeting blurred into minor details—preparation reminders, packing lists, Miko’s excessive questions about snacks—and finally, Manna wrapped it up.

“That’s all for today! Get excited and be ready. See you on the trip!”

Manna waved and left. Must be nice to end the day with a cheerful “bye!” this early while the rest of us still had a full shift ahead.

As the door closed behind her, Aki leaned toward me and whispered, “So... still thinking of snatching an award?”

I pretended to adjust my collar. “Give me a week, I’ll be fluent in English and snatch the Best English-Speaking Employee award.”

Aki snorted. “That’s not even a real award, dumbass.”

I played it cool, waving her off like a seasoned champion. “Don’t need it to be real. I’ll make it real.”

Then Miko chimed in with a smirk, “If that award did exist, the Hawaii staff would win it in a heartbeat.”

We all cracked up, because, damn—she was right.

Keiko stood and stretched. “Alright, let's survive today first. Company trip or not, we still got bills to pay.”

“Agreed,” Miko nodded. “But I’m calling dibs on the best room with the view!”

“In your dreams!” Aki said, already locking arms with Miko.

Suzuka clapped, “I’ll bring my Polaroid! We should take group photos!”

“Just don’t take weird photos,” I muttered.

“Too late. I already snapped your sleepy face during the meeting,” Suzuka smirked.

Oh no.

This trip was going to be either the best bonding experience or complete chaos…

And I had a feeling it would be both.