Yoichi dragged his suitcase—stuffed with souvenirs and exhaustion—into Futaba Trading Company.
He had barely stepped inside—
When Manager Sato immediately intercepted him and led him straight to Kawaguchi's office.
For once—
Kawaguchi's usually stern face actually showed a faint smile.
It looked almost unnatural.
"Nohara Yoichi," he said, pushing a document forward, "your performance in Nepal was exceptional."
Yoichi glanced down.
An appointment letter.
"The company has decided to promote you ahead of schedule. From today onward, you will serve as Section Chief of the New Product Development Section."
"…Section Chief?"
Yoichi's mind went blank.
This—
Was a massive jump.
In a Japanese company, a section chief wasn't a high-ranking executive, but it was still a management position.
And he had only been here for three months.
This wasn't a promotion—
It was a rocket launch.
Even more shocking—
The New Product Development Section was on the same level as Sales Section Two.
Which meant—
He and Hiroshi were now equals.
The news spread instantly.
Sales Section Two exploded.
Hiroshi's emotions were… complicated.
On one hand, he proudly told everyone:
"That's my cousin! I told you he was talented!"
On the other—
He felt slightly bitter.
I worked for years to get here…
And now he's already at my level…
How am I supposed to act like the senior anymore?!
But Yoichi didn't have time to think about that.
Because his new department—
Was a disaster.
The New Product Development Section had:
The worst performance in the company Low morale And one major problem
Tanaka.
An eight-year veteran.
A "boss-level troublemaker."
On his very first day—
Yoichi held a meeting.
Tanaka walked in on time, sat down slowly, crossed his legs, and spoke without hesitation:
"The new section chief is this young?"
He smirked.
"We've already developed seven or eight products that all failed. You think you can lead someone like me to success?"
Silence filled the room.
Yoichi remembered Sato's warning:
"Tanaka is talented—but stubborn. Several section chiefs before you failed because of him."
Yoichi took a breath.
Then smiled.
He placed a small package on the table.
"Tanaka-san, I brought this back from Nepal. Black tea. Please try it."
He continued calmly:
"I'll be relying on your experience moving forward."
Tanaka didn't even look at it.
"I only drink local tea," he said flatly. "Let's not waste time."
First round—
Defeat.
That day, Yoichi finally understood:
Being a section chief meant—
Maximum responsibility.
Minimum authority.
And things got worse.
Now that he and Hiroshi were both section chiefs—
Their relationship became… awkward.
When Yoichi approached Hiroshi for cooperation—
Hiroshi instinctively puffed up.
"Yoichi-kun, this needs to follow proper procedure. I'm very busy—let's talk next week—"
He paused.
Met Yoichi's half-smiling gaze.
"…But since it's you, I'll handle it tonight!"
The surrounding coworkers snickered.
Hiroshi turned red instantly.
A few days later—
Crisis struck.
The department's proposal for "Seasonal Limited Yakiniku Sauce"—
Was rejected.
Kawaguchi demanded a full revision—
Within three days.
Tanaka exploded.
"I told you this wouldn't work! Now look at this mess! Who's going to fix it?!"
The team began complaining.
Morale plummeted.
The department was on the verge of collapse.
Yoichi didn't get angry.
Instead—
He called everyone into the meeting room.
Spread the proposal on the table.
"Let's fix it together."
Silence.
No one spoke.
So Yoichi started:
"I think the issue is flavor—it's too one-dimensional. It doesn't consider family customers."
Then—
He turned to Tanaka.
"Tanaka-san, you've worked on children's products before. You have the most experience here. What do you think?"
That—
Hit the mark.
Tanaka paused.
Then spoke.
"…Add fruit. Apple puree. It balances the saltiness. Makes it suitable for kids."
Yoichi immediately nodded.
"That's a great idea."
Then—
He assigned roles.
"Tanaka-san, you lead flavor development. Ogawa handles cost analysis. I'll coordinate with Sales for market data."
He smiled.
"We'll solve this together."
Something shifted.
The team's resistance faded.
Tanaka didn't argue.
For the first time—
He got to work.
Yoichi went to find Hiroshi.
Hiroshi was buried in reports.
After hearing the situation—
He slapped his chest confidently.
"Leave it to me! You get priority access to our customer data!"
Then he leaned closer.
"And listen—Kawaguchi loves 'down-to-earth' ideas. Focus on families in Kasukabe. That's your winning angle."
Three days later—
The revised proposal was submitted.
"Apple-Flavored Children's Yakiniku Sauce"
Market data from Sales Section Two
Kawaguchi approved it—
On the spot.
For the first time—
The New Product Development Section saw success.
At the celebration—
Tanaka poured Yoichi a drink.
"Section Chief Nohara," he said, scratching his head, "I was rude before. Sorry. From now on—just assign me the work."
Yoichi raised his glass.
Smiling.
Across the room—
Hiroshi gave him a thumbs-up.
Later that night—
Hiroshi slung an arm around Yoichi's shoulders.
"Not bad, Yoichi-kun," he said, half proud, half jealous. "Now there are two section chiefs in the Nohara family!"
Yoichi smirked.
"That's thanks to your guidance, Cousin. I'll be counting on you—Section Chief Nohara."
Hiroshi snorted.
"Cheeky brat."
They walked out together.
Under the moonlight—
Two shadows stretched long across the pavement.
Two "Section Chief Noharas."
A new chapter—
Of work, family, and chaos—
Had just begun.