1. The white-collared warrior rises early
2. to don her full plate.
4. Next comes the suit. The style is somewhat masculine
5. though the overall silhouette is anything but.
6. followed by taming any stray cowlicks.
7. It begins with light makeup she picked up from a K-drama
8. "Maybe I should cut it."
9. And with that, she is ready for her commute.
10. "Yep,"
11. "now that's the look of someone who has a boyfriend!"
12. In her mind.
लोड हो रहा है…लोड हो रहा है…
1. "Glad to hear it."
2. "I just sent them the files for today's meeting!"
3. "I'll send you a template if you want to use it yourself."
4. "With you in charge, they were a breeze to understand, Hiroko-san!"
5. "That'd be a huge help! I'll have our newcomers reference it too!"
6. "Hiroko-senpai!"
7. "Oh!"
8. "Good morning!"
9. "Good morning, Hiroko-senpai!"
10. "Let's give it our all today!"
11. "Morn-ing!"
लोड हो रहा है…लोड हो रहा है…
1. "!"
2. "Hiroko-senpai!"
3. "Thanks for the help yesterday!"
4. "Oh, those are some cute earrings."
5. "Not at all."
6. She was always a people person, but for female colleagues in particular,
7. "You noticed? I got them custom made by one of our clients!"
8. she is quick to pick up on changes.
9. A talent she uses to its fullest.
10. "I see."
11. "That color was definitely the right call!"
12. "She who wins a woman's heart wins the workplace!"
14. "Excuse me!"
15. However, all her higher-ups are male.
16. "Come in."
17. "Oh, I have to report"
18. "Okay."
19. "Got it."
20. "to the director first. See you later."
1. "..."
2. "..."
3. "That's about everything."
4. "The project with A Inc. is on track,"
5. "and our newcomers just rounded out their training with final presentations."
6. "..."
7. "Just grin and bear it, Hiroko."
8. Of course, she can hardly turn down such opportunities either.
9. "Yes, they're an important client."
10. "And a job well done, that's for sure!"
11. "Will you be joining today's dinner meeting?"
12. "Excellent! A beauty in attendance"
13. "will always liven things up!"
1. "Whoa, whoa..."
2. "I wanted to come."
3. "Oh no,"
4. "Thanks for coming, Hiroko-chan. Hope it wasn't too much trouble?"
5. "What, are you saying it's terrible when I pour it!?"
6. "But hey, the beer tastes much better when a woman's doing it!"
7. "Sorry to make you pour for me."
8. "Come sit over here, Hiroko-san!"
9. "You two! No flirting!"
10. It may be a time-worn tactic,
11. currying favor is critical to climbing the ranks.
12. but no matter the age,
13. "Ahaha..."
1. "Hm?"
2. I'm sick of just beer.
3. I'll swing by the bar after this.
4. "Oh,"
5. "I wanted to apologize for our director's behavior."
6. "Ah!"
7. He's from the client side.
8. "S-Sorry, saying all this"
9. "when it's our first meeting..."
10. "but being the lone woman at these meetups is bound to turn heads."
11. "It's fine, he made things lively. I may not be young,"
12. "Not at all. I'm flattered even."
13. Ack, don't tell me...
14. "...Ah."
15. "Th-That's not all!"
16. "I think you're amazing, Hiroko-san!"
1. "Knew it."
2. Now, it goes without saying
3. "Can we continue staying in contact after this?"
4. "I, er,"
5. "want to know more about you, Hiroko-san."
6. that the look of someone who has a boyfriend
7. is bound to be attractive to other men as well.
8. "My apologies, but I'd like to keep"
9. "our relationship strictly business."
10. "I mean, I was wondering if you had a boyfriend,"
11. "but if you don't..."
12. can only be straight herself. If that's what they think, then it was worth donning this armor.
13. "Oh, okay..."
14. "Sorry."
15. And a woman who draws straight men in droves
1. But it doesn't end there. After talking for some time...
2. "Er,"
3. "well,"
4. That answer would satisfy most, but-
5. "C'mon, the sooner, the better, right?"
6. "by the time you hit thirty, you don't really feel that urgency anymore."
7. "Here it comes."
8. "Surely you've thought about marriage too, Hiroko-chan?"
9. "Haven't you been with your company for ten years?"
10. "Surely someone's caught your eye in that time!"
11. "Really, really! It's every woman's dream, isn't it?"
12. "Huh?"
13. "Really?"
14. "I wanna focus on my career for now-"
15. "And I'm in full favor of that!"
16. Ugh, that guy from earlier is totally staring.
17. "Haha, well,"
18. Multiple someones, in fact. And quite a few
19. she's slept with.
20. "Um..."
1. "Oh, right."
2. "Guess she'd have her hands full with kids and all."
3. "That'd be such a waste when she's come this far!"
4. "The minute she marries, she'll have to quit, won't she?"
5. "Huh?"
6. "Relax, it's not happening anytime soon!"
7. Though now is hardly the time to admit it.
8. Kids? Marriage? She's an honest to God lesbian.
9. "..."
10. "Sigh..."
11. "A pleasure to be here!"
12. "Glad to have you along!"
13. "Haha, that's some spirit!"
14. "I'm tired."
15. "Good night!"
1. "Enough of the dad-worthy remarks."
2. "Nothing soothes the soul quite like potato juice!"
3. "Yep!"
4. "You're old enough as is."
5. "Why is it only the business jargon she's not slurring?"
6. "She's dating herself even further."
7. "All about breakin' down gender stereotypes and what-not these days!"
8. "Hey!"
9. "Say that at my place, 'n' HR'd be on you in an instant!"
10. "Hey."
11. Hm!? Cutie alert!
12. "Oh, welcome!"
13. "Evening."
1. "You're beautiful."
2. "Likewise."
3. "Hey."
4. "Woah there."
5. "You've been coming quite often lately."
6. "Well, the atmosphere is nice, and your cooking is to die for!"
7. "Oh, it's nice to meet you."
8. Oh God, here it comes.
9. "If I sit here?"
10. "Is it okay"
11. That womanizer...
12. "Can I buy you a drink? What would you like? On your way back from work?"
13. She's pulling out all stops...
14. "So,"
15. "you from around here?"
16. Down, girl.
17. "For real? How about we go out?"
18. "You can count on me to treat you right!"
19. That was fast.
20. "You single?"
21. "Yeah."
1. "The very picture of one of those bosses."
2. "She skipped past dad and became a geezer."
3. "...Thanks,"
4. "Kid-ding, kid-ding!"
5. "Don't worry, I'll earn enough for the both of us,"
6. "so you can even kick back and relax at home!"
7. "And"
8. "how you're coming on to me is a huge turn-off."
9. "but I already make more than enough running my own company."
10. "Oh, but I'll gladly take the drink! One salty dog please!"
11. After the 100 relationships she's had,
12. "she's like this from one failure?"
13. "It's because it's the 101st that she's like this, isn't it?"