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
Late on Friday night, after a week of work, Tsukishima san and I were sharing a quiet moment as usual, each with a book in hand. The low hum of the washing machine sounded like pleasant background music.
Suddenly, Tsukishima san closed the hardcover book she was reading with a snap. She stared intently at the spinning drum in front of her, deep in thought.
“…Hey, Minato san.”
“What?”
“I have something I want to talk to you about…would you mind listening?”
“It’s rare for you to come straight out with a request like that. What’s up?”
When I asked her, she hesitated slightly before choosing her words carefully and began to speak.
“Well, actually, we’re considering expanding our recruitment efforts. Until now, we’ve mainly focused on mid-career hires, but now we’re looking to put more effort into recruiting new graduates.”
“Hmm….”
It was a serious work-related consultation. Since there was no one else in the store, we could have a fairly in-depth conversation.
“There’s this young guy named Sato in the HR department…he’s about my age. The strategy he proposed is…well, it’s a bit…”
“What exactly is it…?”
“He wants to post short videos on social media to increase awareness. Videos of employees dancing and stuff like that.”
“Oh…like corporate TikTok…which usually just flops…”
“Yeah, that’s right. Videos of employees dancing, and also ones that start with ‘President ! President !’ and then ask questions and give shallow answers with a smug expression.”
“Ah…that’s pretty cliché…”
“The original element is that it’s the vice president, not the president, who does it.”
“Is Tsukishima san going to be in it?”
Tsukishima san looked thoroughly fed up and said, “Hmm.”
“Should we try a demonstration first?”
I jokingly took out my smartphone.
“I’m definitely not doing it.”
Tsukishima san puffed out her cheeks and turned away. Then she turned back and asked, “What do you think, Minato san?”
“….Well, when you ask me what I think…it’s a common technique these days. Setting aside whether it’s good or bad, when you say it’s aimed at young people…hmm…I think someone closer in age to students would know more about that.”
“Right? That’s why it’s so troublesome.”
Tsukishima san sighed deeply.
“If I may give my personal opinion, I think that kind of vibe is fatally off. But that’s just my subjective opinion. The problem is that people who watch that video and think, ‘This company looks fun !’ are hopelessly unfit for the company culture. It could lead to a serious mismatch.”
“I thought so…”
“But you see, Sato san, who made the proposal, is a new graduate, but she has extensive experience working as an intern at a human resources company since her student days, and she’s very serious and motivated. She’s a bit too outgoing, but…well, anyway, I can’t just dismiss her sense of style outright. Plus, I don’t want to dampen her motivation…that’s my dilemma.”
“I understand the situation well.”
Then she looked me straight in the eye.
“So, I have a favor to ask of you, Minato san. After the next meeting, or even just a casual chat, I’d like you, as an external expert, to gently explain the inefficiencies of this strategy from an objective and logical perspective, without dampening her enthusiasm.”
It was a challenging request, and I hesitated for a moment.
“While evaluation systems and organizational design are within my expertise, recruitment strategy is strictly speaking outside my area of specialization…”
But seeing her genuinely distressed expression, such words held no meaning anymore. I just wanted to help her. That was all.
“A-alright, I’ll give it a try.”
When I replied, her expression brightened instantly.
“Really !? That’d be a huge help, Minato san.”
“But I’ll need to arm myself with enough theory so she doesn’t think, ‘Some old guy is just talking nonsense.’”
I took out my smartphone and began frantically searching for the latest data on recruitment marketing, analyses of user demographics on various social media platforms, and reports on effective approaches to talent acquisition.
Tsukishima san was looking at my profile with a very gentle gaze.
“S…..seriously, this is a huge help. I know I should be solving this on my own, but…”
“Tsukishima san, you’re not good at this kind of thing, are you? It’s admirable that you’re aware of that and asking for help from those around you. You’re the type who would just say, ‘No way, that’s going to be a disaster,’ right?”
“Yeah, you’re right…I’m glad you’re here, Minato san.”
“But I’d like to see Tsukishima san reluctantly dancing too.”
I smiled slyly and teased Tsukishima san. Tsukishima san said, “Absolutely not.” and stubbornly refused to nod her head.
◆
The following week, after the regular meeting at TechFrontier ended, I managed to catch up with my target, Sato san, in a corner of the office.
She stood before me with a slightly nervous expression, typical of a new graduate.
“Sato san, thank you for your hard work. Tsukishima san asked me to consult with you about the recruitment strategy…do you have a moment?”
“Ah, yes ! Minato san ! Thank you for your hard work !”
“Your proactive attitude toward the new platform is truly admirable. I really respect your enthusiasm.”
When I first affirmed her enthusiasm, Sato san’s expression brightened.
“There’s just one thing that caught my attention while listening to you…if you don’t mind, could you tell me more about this new initiative? Just so I can bounce some ideas around.”
“Sure ! Of course !”
I guided her to the nearby whiteboard and began explaining based on the data I had researched at the coin laundry.
“Sato san’s idea is great because it clearly targets ‘young people.’ But…among those ‘young people,’ which social media platforms are the ones with the potential to become high-spec engineers actually using, and for what purposes?”
I didn’t deny her idea outright but instead posed questions to encourage her to think for herself.
“Hmm…aren’t short videos something everyone watches? Plus, I think the expanded reach is a benefit compared to traditional methods.”
“There’s the saying ‘quantity over quality,’ but if the numbers just keep growing, the interviews and screening process before that become more difficult…ultimately increasing the burden on the hiring team. Plus, do talented engineering students with otaku tendencies really consume company recruitment videos the same way they consume entertainment content? On the contrary, might they instead feel distrust or that their expertise is being trivialized by the company’s overly casual appeal…that’s what I tend to think.”
As the conversation continued, with specific data and candidate psychological analysis models being presented, Sato’s initially confident expression gradually turned serious.
At that moment,
Tanaka san passed by us at a perfectly timed moment, smiling and glancing toward Tsukishima san. She seemed to be misunderstanding something, but she raised her voice slightly to emphasize that he was having a serious conversation.
Our “brainstorming session” continued afterward. Finally, Sato san honestly acknowledged the shallowness of his own thoughts and said with sparkling eyes,
“I see…! I was only able to do a very rough targeting of ‘young people.’ I will set a more specific persona for the people I want to hire and logically rethink the information they really want and the approach that will resonate with them ! Thank you, Minato san !”
Hearing those positive words, I breathed a sigh of relief. Mission complete.
With my business done, I headed toward the elevator hall to leave the office a little later than everyone else.
Then, I heard familiar footsteps approaching from behind. It was Tsukishima san.
“I was watching, Minato san. Perfect work. Thank you.”
She looked at me with genuine joy and a hint of admiration in her eyes. Her words of appreciation made me feel a little embarrassed.
“Thank you. It’s my treat.”
Saying that, she handed me a slightly expensive canned coffee that she had bought from a nearby vending machine.
“Oh…you didn’t have to. Thank you, Tsukishima san.”
“Hmm. Let’s drink it over there. I want to talk to you for a bit.”
At Tsukishima san’s suggestion, the two of us sat side by side by the window in the break room and drank our coffee.
That peaceful, slightly special moment was once again interrupted by that person.
Well, to be precise, they didn’t interrupt us. They just walked past us, smiling broadly. It was Tanaka san.
“…..I guess there’ll be more weird rumors again.”
I shrugged my shoulders in exasperation, and Tsukishima-san took a sip of her coffee and calmly, yet somewhat cheerfully, predicted the future.
“By tomorrow, there might be a new rumor spreading like, ‘Minato san is now getting involved with a junior employee, creating a love triangle with Tsukishima san ! The office is turning into a battlefield !'”
I said that, and Tsukishima san and I exchanged glances and smiled wryly at the same time.
“Really…what’s so good about it? Office gossip and short videos…”
Tsukishima san murmured in a voice low enough not to echo in the hallway, but loud enough for me to hear.
“Yeah…it’s annoying, isn’t it? Sorry.”
“Well, I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s annoying…”
Tsukishima san blushed and stammered, then downed her coffee in one gulp and said, “Well, see you. Thanks for coming.” before heading back to the office.
Maigetsu