Dezuel
When Netsu walks back into the break room in order to dispose of the rest of the stale coffee, the drink carrier is now entirely empty and several of his colleagues are walking around with cups in hand. Oops... Netsu looks at each one of them nervously. Should he tell them it was his coffee and apologize for inconveniencing them? Or should he keep quiet and hope, with enough time, they'll forget all about it. But before he can even make a decision, a coworker of his—Kenji Yamamoto of customer service—approaches Netsu and pats him on the back and tells him to avoid the coffee. Netsu only looks more nervous as a result of the throwaway comment.
When asked about what he thought of the meeting call, Netsu replies, "I-It's definitely rare for Hanazawa-sama to make his way down to the 43rd floor. Must be important. A-About that coff-"
Kurosawa walks up to the pair and interrupts the conversation. "Yo, Tana-chin, and- Huh? Oh, hey, Yamamoto, bro! You catch the game last night? Giants shit the bed again! I had a hundred bucks ridin' on them. Talk about a run of bad luck lately." He sighs. "Well, we should get this meeting over with. At least it's nice to get a little break from work, huh?"
Netsu suddenly looks at Kurosawa with the same nervous energy. "Kurosawa-san... You didn't drink any of the coffee on the table, did you...?"
"There was coffee?"
Some time later, everyone has taken their seats in the conference room to await the arrival of their superior. As usual, Netsu is seated in the back of the room next to Kurosawa who was playing on his phone. "I wonder what this could be about?" Just as the thought hit him, in comes two sharply-dressed men: one is Hanazawa—the Demon Middle Manager—as expected and, the other, is someone who has never been seen around here before; characterized by a wicked scar across his temple. As quickly as they entered, things quieted down.
While the presence of the other man is certainly noteworthy, something truly bizarre lies before Netsu's eyes. On either sides of his forehead, Hanazawa has two tiny protruding black horns; they really make him live up to his unofficial nickname. Is this some kind of office prank? Netsu looks around and most of the people here look unaware of the odd additions.
"Alright, thank you all for coming," Hanazawa begins; his grimly serious demeanor is sharply-felt by the room as always. "It's been kept a secret for the past several weeks, but today I'm proud to announce that the Taishi Corporation has been officially bought by the Goe Group: an international conglomerate that owns some of the biggest brands in the world." Whispers are slow to turn into congratulatory applause.
One worker raises his hand to ask a question. "First off: that's wonderful news. I've don't think I ever heard of the Goe Group before, but they must be a powerhouse of a conglomerate if they can afford to purchase Taishi. Just one question. What does this mean for us?"
Hanazawa stares the man down, causing an oppressively ominous presence to fill the room. The man with the scar chuckles in response. "Now, now, Hanazawa. I can answer that question."
"Yes, sir."
The man with the scar steps to the front of the room and adjusts his tie. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of Taishi. My name is Suzuki Beritsu."
"Beritsu? Is that a foreign name?"
"I'm a board member and one of the acting representatives of the Goe Group. I've come here to personally assure you to expect nothing but positive changes over this transitionary period. We believe that with our help, the Taishi Corporation will not only see an unprecedented rise in profits, but also a dramatic improvement to work conditions. At first, you can expect to go about every day as you normally would. Over the coming months, however, this environment will gradually change into one that greatly benefits all. Through diligence and hard work: may we all succeed in this wondrous new era of Taishi." An appropriate applause follows the end of that short but seemingly promising speech. "Unfortunately, that's all the time I have for today, but I look forward to coming back here regularly to speak with all of you hardworking men and women. If you have more questions: feel free to direct them to Hanazawa-san." Beritsu exits the room.
"You can come to me in your free time if you have something to ask. Other than that, you are free to return to your work."
