"Kira, this is Japan, not America. That's why the client wants us to rework the plan," Yoshi said flatly. "You're handling a campaign to launch American ice cream into the Japanese market. Yet, supervisor Hayashi just reported that your draft went completely off-brief and failed to resonate with Japanese consumers. Go back over all fifty market analyses I've just sent you. Put together a full report, and then revise the promotional campaign section. From now on, report directly to me, and include me in all email exchanges with Hayashi. End of discussion!"

"But—"

"Get out," Yoshi cut her off. "I have another meeting, and everyone is waiting."

Kira stared directly at her boss, pleading silently, but it clearly made no difference. Kira swallowed her anger and walked out, absolutely seething. A surge of disbelief washed over her as she marched down the hallway. During her presentation, the entire team, including Natsuki Hayashi herself, had nodded in total agreement, showering her with praise. Yet the moment the client pushed back, Hayashi flipped like a weathercock, lying through her teeth to shift the blame. She had chosen this agency believing it was an open, flexible environment, especially since Yoshi, the man who hired her, was directly hands-on with the projects. She never expected him to be such a spineless figurehead, blindly taking Hayashi's word without giving her a single chance to explain. She wished she could scream right in his face. She wished she could fling this ridiculous plan at the client and quit on the spot. Enough was enough. She should never have come back. She should have stayed in America with her parents and listened to their advice.

Don't cry. She ordered herself to hold it together, running straight to the restroom so the office wouldn't see her break down. Pull yourself together, Kira. The ones who should be crying are those people and that useless boss.

"Are you okay, Kira?" What awful luck to let Megumi see her cry. Kira quickly wiped away her tears and sniffled, running the tap at the sink, unsure of how to answer.

"Did you clash with Akino Shacho?" Megumi gently patted her shoulder to comfort her. She was always gentle and kind, except that she was too passive and compliant, always giving in to whatever anyone said. And how on earth did she manage to keep that soft smile on her face all the time?

"I'm fine. I'll be over it in a moment. Just please don't tell anyone."

❀

Right at 5:00 PM, closing time, Kira grabbed her bag and headed out, ignoring her coworkers who were still glued to their desks, though whether they were actually working or just reading manga to kill time before heading home was anyone's guess. It had nothing to do with her. She was sick of this performative culture, the fake diligence, and the sheer exploitation. She would go home early, soak in an onsen, put on a face mask, read a novel, and have a good night's sleep. Everything else could wait until tomorrow.

Tokyo was hell. Commuting by train every day was absolute hell. The train was packed, and everyone smelled of sweat, dust, and the exhaustion of a grueling workday.

What the...? Don't tell me... This piece of trash is dead meat!

Kira grabbed the hand groping her backside and bent the thumb backward with a loud crack, making a bald man behind her shriek in agony.

As soon as the train pulled into the next station, Kira stepped off, dragging the man toward the police kiosk right outside the gates. Her mouth never stopped running as she cursed him out.

"You piece of trash! Look at you, all dressed up in a nice suit and tie. Are you this much of a pervert at your job, too, you old bastard? You messed with the wrong person!"

The police officer stared at her, wide-eyed. It was understandable, really. A beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl dressed in a sharp business suit, having to get her hands dirty with this filthy old man. She should have punched him a few more times before handing him over to the police.

❀

Her plans for the onsen were completely ruined. What a terrible day. Kira sighed as the train doors slid open to a carriage packed with people, even more crowded than before. Maybe she should just quit her job soon and move to another city. That was assuming she could even find another job.

The walk from the station to her apartment was another kilometer. Absolutely wonderful. After just a single month on the job, she felt like her legs had grown as bulky as a bodybuilder's. Her apartment was on the fifth floor, spacious enough and far enough from the center to keep the rent reasonable. Kira dropped all her things onto the floor and dragged herself into the bathroom.

Convenience store meals, milk, and fruit. Kira skipped cooking entirely, though eating the same items day after day felt incredibly tedious. She sprawled out on the couch, her hair still dripping wet before she could even blow-dry it. She was so exhausted. Kira closed her eyes tight. Just a month ago, she had fought tooth and nail with her parents to come to Japan, convinced she loved the culture and wanted to connect with her roots. She let out a bitter laugh. Look at her now. Less than a month in, and she had completely crashed and burned. Her Japanese was a joke. She honestly had no clue why the company had even hired her in the first place. Maybe she should have looked for a job in a smaller town instead, like working on a farm or at an onsen resort. Farming, huh. Kira opened her phone. She needed an escape from Tokyo, even if it was just online. Where did she leave off in that story about the fireflies in the apple orchard? The author's profile listed their location as an apple orchard, too, and it seemed like a true story. Honestly, she kind of wanted to visit an apple orchard herself sometime. Kira scrolled down to the updates. A new chapter had just dropped.

"The Apple Blossom Season." Just reading the title was enough to smell the scent of apples.

I made it back home just as the sun was breaking through. Stepping into the orchard, the sweet, rustic scent of apple blossoms rushed to greet me - the same cool, gentle fragrance that hadn't changed in all these years. The old apple trees, with their gnarled trunks weathered by time, were bursting once again with clusters of pure white petals, tipped with a shy hint of pink in the spring breeze. Sunlight stretched across the green grass, filtering through the leaves and lighting up the familiar dirt paths covered in fallen blossoms. Standing still in the middle of the old orchard, I took a long breath and suddenly felt like I wanted to stay here forever.

How wonderful. Perhaps the author wrote this chapter after an exhausting workday. It perfectly captured her own feelings. Kira scrolled down, softly humming as she read each line. It was hard to imagine that nowadays, in a market dominated by fantasy novels and games, a male author would write about such a peaceful place. Kira pondered for a moment, and then a sudden idea flashed across her mind. After all, her coworkers were her only social circle in Tokyo. If, well, she somehow befriended the author and scored a real invitation to visit the apple orchard, that would be amazing. Kira laughed out loud and began typing eagerly on her phone.

To Hide - From an exhausted soul from Tokyo.

Hi Hide, I just finished reading your new chapter after the absolute worst day of my life. Reading what you wrote about the apple orchard blossoming in the early morning sun, I could almost smell the flowers even in the middle of this dusty city. And it made me want to escape Tokyo and stay there too. Thank you for making my day a little less terrible. By the way, is there any chance I could visit your apple orchard this Golden Week and help out as a hand? Haha, just kidding... unless? I hope you always keep this peace!

Kiraboshi.

After hitting send, Kira tossed her phone aside, feeling much lighter. She pulled the blanket over her head, not at all ready to face that project revision yet. After all, tomorrow was the weekend. Even God had to give people a weekend break. Kira ended up dozing off before she knew it. She woke up in the middle of the night to find the lights still on and her teeth still unbrushed. Fumbling around, she fished her phone out from the corner of the couch, then sat straight up when she spotted a message notification.

To Kiraboshi,

Thanks for reading. Your message really made my day. Life in Tokyo must be tough.

The orchard is over a three-hour train ride from Tokyo. In May, there's absolutely nothing here but blossoms. Do you still want to come?

For real? Was he actually being serious? What should she do? What should she do? Should she text back right away with a big yes? Or was he just teasing? Kira tossed and turned, kicking her legs on the couch in excitement, finding it impossible to stay calm. Should she text back asking to go tomorrow? No, that would be way too much. Calm down, Kira, keep your cool. They didn't even know each other yet, and she didn't want to scare him away by overdoing it. Kira grinned to herself and typed into her phone:

Hi Hide,

Thank you for replying to my sudden message. Honestly, I really was looking for a place to visit this upcoming Golden Week. I don't want to bother you, but if you don't mind, could you please tell me more about it?

The reply came just a minute later:

There's a guesthouse at the orchard. You can stay there, tour the apple trees, and check out the other fruit trees. May is actually the season for strawberries, and the late-blooming sakuranbo cherry blossoms are out too. The blueberries and ume plums are also in bloom right now.

Kira grinned as she read the message. It was midnight, for heaven's sake. Was he still awake? That guesthouse, could it be a business his family ran? Judging by his tone, he seemed genuinely serious and polite. Plus, he was replying to her in English. Was he a foreigner or Japanese? He even wrote his story in English. Kira pondered for a moment before typing her response.

Thank you, Hide. By the way, my Japanese isn't very good. I'm Japanese-American. Are you an expat living in Japan, or are you Japanese? The orchard, strawberries, and ume sound wonderful. Would it be alright for a foreigner like me to travel there alone?

Five minutes passed without a reply from Hide; he had probably gone to sleep. Kira, however, could not fall back asleep, completely unable to stop thinking about her upcoming vacation and the dreamy apple orchard.

❀