CHAPTER 1: THE HATEFUL WITCH

                In the middle of Tokyo, a gigantic company stood proudly with thousand of building surrounding him. Being known as the most popular company owned by Aoki Hiroshi, the billionaire of Japan, the company had more than 30,000 workers around the world. Even, it was listed as one of Japanese companies in Wall Street in US, making it as one of the well known company around the world. So, it was not easy for anyone to get into the company as well as gained a high position within the company. Except a woman.

                Walking firmly, Horikita Maki did not even look around her as her eyes kept staring at the front. Her usual slick and black coat and skirt, gave enough impression of other persons toward her. People stopped immediately, bowing deep toward her as she passed them. The office filled with uncomfortable silence with everyone bow on her and remained at their own place, stopping their works. Even, the manager of the human resource department remained immobilize at his place. Kojima Tanaka gulped nervously as he noticed that the woman was walking toward him with her usual expressionless. The sound of her heels moved rhythmatically like his heart beat. Unknowingly, pearls of perspiration formed on his forehead despite he was in the air conditioner office.

“Kojima san….” Her firm voice rang immediately in the office once she reached the man. All people never lifted their eyes from them as they exchanged scared looks between each other.

“H…h..hai, Horikita san.”Nervous could be traced from his deep voice.  Maki walked passed him as she added more.

“Follow me!” The firm instruction struck to the man’s mind instantly. His eyes were wide in horror, as his brain imagined something out of mind already. Sloppily, he brushed his clothes instantly, and with his shaking feet, he followed Maki. Suddenly, the woman stopped at once and turned around looking at someone else.

“You too, Saki san.” Her gaze pierced sharply on the long hair woman who clutched a file across her chest. Everyone was looking at her, with quizzical look. Before Maki turned back, the woman shook her head viciously and said softly.

“I….I don’t want to….” Saki said with her round eyes as she stared at the woman who tied her hair in bun. Stopping her feet, Maki ce again. But this time her face accompanied with a very dark look. The spectacles that the witch wore did not even avoid the sharp look that she gave to her.

“Now!” The voice was small, it was loud and hard enough for everyone to hear. At that moment, Saki’s hands trembled badly and her gaze instantly shifted toward Kojima who would looked surprised as well. The two of them followed the woman unwillingly. Once the door of Kojima’s room closed, the workers started to murmur between them. Some of them were trying to peek inside but, none of them were dare enough to be close to the door.

“Excuse me!! Excuse me!!! Please give me a road!!” A woman’s voice came out from the crowd. Struggling her best getting out from the crowd, she was trying her best to hold the files within her arms.

“Ne!! Eri!!! Eri!!!” Shizuka, her housemate called her immediately while moving toward her fast, making Toda Erika stopped her pace immediately. Blinking her eyes, she fixed her gaze at the short woman.

“Why the witch came here?” Listening to the question, made Erika raised her eyebrows immediately. Ahhh….the gossiper…. Smiling sweetly, she lifted her shoulder and moved toward the manager of human resource department office immediately, leaving the short woman in question. Erika knew that they wanted to know what happened from her. Well, she loved gossips!! Totally do!! But not when it came to confidential issues that related to work. Nope!!

Knocking on the door, her long fingers twisted the door knob as she peeked inside. Her boss, Horikita Maki, was looking at the document on Kojima’s table. Her fingers flipped through the documents as her eyes never lifted from those.A habit! Closing the door softly, she walked toward the table and started to put the documents softly on the table.

“Sumimasen…Horikita san! This is the document that you want. And also….these….” Erika passed the confidential documents and some letters.

Glancing at it, Maki just nodded slightly while never lifted her eyes from the documents. Knowing her boss’s habit, Erika instantly stood firmly on the ground three feet from Maki who never spoke anything. Her eyes wandered toward Kojima Tanaka and Kaname Saki who looked nervously than ever. Well, they should. Especially when her boss came to see them directly. Toda Erika whispered within her heart.

“Kojima san….it has been 12 years you have been working here, right?” Maki’s voice said sternly while kept looking at the documents. The man, gulped nervously, as his looked at Maki through his glass.

“Y…yes, Horikita san.” Maki nodded softly and started to look around her. Her forefinger moved on the table as she looked at it and something caught her eyes instantly. Taking the frame on the table, she looked intently at Kojima’s family picture for a long time. It was a happy family seeing from the picture. But, still, it did not affect her decision after all.

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                The murmurs that kept echoing within the human resource department never stopped till the door of the office opened onc