The Beautiful Kuudere Woman Who Always Reads Books While Standing Next to Me at the Laundromat Turns Out to Be the Vice President of One of Our Clients
Two weeks had passed since that vivid encounter.
I managed to get through the days of being swamped with work as usual, and finally arrived at the laundromat late on Saturday night. I opened the door, carrying a pile of laundry and a mystery novel I was reading.
Someone….was there.
The familiar pink short hair was quietly staring at the glass window of the large washer-dryer at the far end. She was the woman I had oddly bonded with over criticizing a dating reality show that night.
Since then, every time I came here, I found myself subconsciously searching for her presence. If she was there, I felt a little tense; if she wasn’t, I felt a little disappointed. How simple-minded of me.
When she noticed me, she gave a slight nod. I returned the nod without saying a word.
The lively conversation from the other day seemed like a lie, and once again, the awkward atmosphere from the beginning of our relationship flowed between us.
No, perhaps it was more of an indescribable distance that came from having once become close.
I threw my laundry into the machine and opened the mystery novel I had brought with me. But I couldn’t concentrate.
She was waiting for her laundry to finish, staying behind and spreading out a thick business book.
Occasionally, the dry sound of turning pages echoed through the store along with the low hum of the washing machine. The title of the book was [When Your Subordinates Exceed 100.] It was a classic masterpiece on organizational theory that I had once read.
I glanced at her profile.
She seemed deep in thought, furrowing her brow slightly as she stared intently at a single point on the page.
Then, as if suddenly realizing something, she nodded slightly and took notes with a pen. The change in her expression made me, as a novice HR consultant, curious—it was as though she were analyzing a complex management issue and seeking a solution.
Her reading style was unique. After finishing each chapter, she would close her eyes for a long pause as if deep in thought.
It seemed as though she was comparing the book’s content with her own experiences and knowledge, seeking practical insights.
And occasionally, she would flash a sharp gaze that seemed to pierce through the essence of the current situation. That was definitely something different from simply reading to input information.
How much time had passed? Suddenly, she muttered in a small voice.
“…This KPI setting seems like it would become obsolete in less than six months for an organization in a rapid growth phase like ours…”
It sounded like a monologue, but it also felt like a question directed at me, sitting right next to her. Her gaze remained fixed on the book in her hands. I lifted my face from the novel I was reading.
“What’s wrong?”
I blurted out. Or rather, I seized on it as an excuse to speak up.
“Well…this book recommends a goal management system, but while it might work for a stable company, in a fast-paced IT startup, wouldn’t such a rigid metric make it difficult to maintain motivation on the ground?”
What she pointed out was precisely a topic I often discuss with client companies. I felt my HR consultant instincts kicking in.
I couldn’t help but interject.
“That’s true. In rapidly growing companies, especially in specialized teams like engineering departments, flexible goal-setting like OKRs and frequent one-on-one qualitative feedback tend to work better than standardized, simple KPIs. This book was published a while ago, so it might need some tweaking to apply it directly to modern organizational management.”
At my words, she slowly raised her face. Her eyes, filled with a look of surprise yet curiosity, locked onto mine.
“…OKRs, huh. They do seem to enhance agility. But ensuring fairness in evaluations is a challenge. Ultimately, there’s a risk that evaluations could be swayed by the evaluator’s subjective judgment. Standards also vary from person to person.”
“That’s right. It’s important to have a system that comprehensively assesses performance through thorough evaluator training and multiple evaluation axes, such as 360-degree evaluations. The book emphasizes the importance of leadership. But it lacks a perspective on improving the evaluator’s own evaluation skills.”
From there, a deep discussion began among us about organizational theory and human resources strategy. The wall of 100 subordinates, the balance between flat organizational structure and hierarchy, and fostering a corporate culture that fosters innovation.
Her insights always hit the core of the matter, and her speed of thought and skillful logical structure were truly impressive, even to her peers.
Every time our conversation paused, I thought, “Who is this person?” And it seemed she felt the same way, tilting her head in puzzlement.
“Miss…do you work in that field?”
“No, I don’t work in the entertainment industry.”
“I wasn’t talking about that !”
When I interjected, she smiled happily.
“I’m Tsukishima.”
“Do you work at a monjayaki restaurant?”
“Fufu….no, it’s my name. It’s my name. It’s easier to talk to someone whose name you know, even if you don’t know their occupation, than someone whose occupation you know but whose name you don’t, right?”
“That’s true. I’m Minato. It’s my last name, not my first name.”
Tsukishima san responded with, “That’s cool.” Since she didn’t give me her full name, I hesitated to give her mine. For some reason, I felt like she was the kind of person who would do that.
After we finished our brief introductions, her washing machine played a cheerful melody to signal that it was finished.
“Oh, it’s done.”
She skillfully took out the laundry and smiled at me.
“Well, I’ll be going now. Today’s discussion was very useful, Minato.”
“Likewise.”
I was completely thrown off balance by the fact that she called me by my real name, her quick thinking, and the smile she occasionally showed.
The door slammed shut, and she disappeared into the night.
Left alone in the laundromat, I was still caught up in the heat of the discussion.
The ‘pause’ in her thinking, her sharp gaze.
The woman with the pink hair became more mysterious the more I learned about her. Yet at the same time, I realized I was beginning to feel an indescribable attraction to her intelligence and her ability to see through the essence of things.
I returned my gaze to the mystery novel in my hands. The complex plot twists now seemed somehow simple. Instead, my heart was completely captivated by the far more enigmatic and alluring ‘mystery’ of that woman.
Maigetsu