I Was Abandoned by My Fiancé and Betrayed by My Best Friend—A Story from Rock Bottom - Chapter 14

Summoned by the Development Department, I stepped into the conference room.

There, the Development Department manager and over a dozen employees were waiting for me.

“Excuse me. I’m Miharu Udo, here as requested.”

I bowed to the Development Department staff.

“Udo, your survey contained many interesting opinions about the new product. Could you elaborate?”

Piercing gazes converged on me.

It seemed I was in hostile territory.

I felt tense under everyone’s pressure.

Yet, separate from that instinctive fear, words I needed to speak strangely surfaced in my mind.

“Yes. Understood.”

I took the prepared seat, looked at each person’s face, and began speaking.

“First, regarding the lipstick… the oil ratio is too high, causing the colorants and moisturizing components to clash. While it’s glamorous, I believe it would appear ‘patchy’ on dry lips.”

One of the younger employees snorted.

“Who does this new secretary think she is? Quality Control’s data shows no issues.”

Just as my voice was about to be drowned out, the manager raised his hand.

“Wait. She’s only stating the opinions we requested. Let’s hear her out.”

But another employee persisted.

“…Still, these are ultimately just amateur impressions.”

The air grew heavy and stagnant.

—Just as my chest tightened in that moment.

“Whether she’s an amateur or not is irrelevant. Otherwise, there’d be no point in inviting her here.”

The door opened, and a low, calm voice echoed through the room.

Kiryū-san had entered.

He walked in composedly and instantly dominated the room’s atmosphere.

“How the ‘users’ feel. Products that ignore that won’t sell. …Continue, Udo.”

Encouraged by those words extended from behind me, I regained my courage.

I gave Kiryū-san a firm nod and turned back to face everyone.

“Then I’ll continue… Previously, at the trading company I worked for, I handled cosmetics. Back then, the brand I used for a long time was—Mirage Cosmetics.”

The conference room buzzed with murmurs.

The top brand in the industry. Everyone knew that name—an absolute presence.

“Mirage’s lip products feel natural both in application and color, and you can use them daily with confidence. Compared to that, this prototype feels strongly ‘unnatural,’ even if it meets standard values. Consumers are sensitive. That difference directly impacts sales.”

The employees gasped.

The manager crossed his arms, remained silent for a moment, then responded.

“I see… Your point about the ‘unnatural feeling’ does make sense. With liquid lipsticks, we achieve natural color that blends with the skin, but when we switch to lipstick form, it suddenly appears cakey. …Actually, that’s been a challenge in our development too.”

“Eh, really?”

“Yes. But to improve it requires special blending components. However, that’s confidential company information, and even we don’t have complete knowledge in our domain. Moreover, if we use the same technology as Mirage Cosmetics, that would create its own problems.”

The manager’s voice was low and heavy.

“That’s right! There are patent issues.”

One employee said while looking at documents.

Silence spread, and a somewhat heavy atmosphere flowed through the room.

I unconsciously clenched my hands.

But, in the corner of my mind, one particular component insistently surfaced.

It wasn’t from Hiroyasu’s company—Mirage Cosmetics.

—Likely, an “alien possibility” that only “the current me” could offer.

“…Excuse me. Could I borrow some paper and a pen?”

The words left my mouth before I could think.

The manager frowned, but another employee immediately offered them.

Without hesitation, I wrote down the necessary information and component names, then handed it directly to the manager.

“Here… I’ve summarized my thoughts. If it could be of any reference.”

The manager took the paper and scanned it.

The employees also gathered behind him to check the contents.

The next moment, the manager’s eyes widened slightly.

“…I see. This could indeed work. But this kind of idea falls under confidential company territory. Quality Control should have this information, but how do you…?”

“Um… I can’t go into details, but I identified it as a possibility. A component different from Mirage Cosmetics’.”

The room fell silent for a moment.

Just as the employees were about to start murmuring, the manager raised his hand to stop them.

“Fine. Let’s have Quality Control review this material. …It’s worth trying.”

Just as I began to feel relief at those words, another employee interjected.

“But, Manager! To take a newcomer’s opinion so—”

“And you’re seriously considering something with such little basis?”

“What about the development costs…”

The atmosphere grew tense again.

Then, Kiryū-san, who had remained silent until now, spoke.

“If there’s potential, it’s worth considering. Regarding funding, I’ll bring it up as an agenda item at the board meeting. …Don’t take Udo’s opinion lightly.”

His voice, unusually composed yet persuasive, carried definite weight, and the room’s atmosphere immediately converged.

“Understood. I’ll take responsibility and have Quality Control handle this matter.”

The manager smiled at Kiryū-san as he spoke.

At his words, the employees reluctantly agreed.

Though their murmuring continued, I felt a definite sense of accomplishment.

“…Ah.”

Right then, sudden drowsiness assaulted my entire body.

Unable to resist, I slumped forward onto the table.

◆◆◆

When I came to, I was on a bed in the infirmary.

—Seems I did it again…

“You’re awake.”

Kiryū-san was waiting by my bedside.

“…”

“Have you been pushing yourself too hard lately? You should see a doctor.”

“…B-but.”

“Your health is your capital for work. Get properly examined.”

Though his tone was calm, I felt an unusual forcefulness.

“Y-yes.”

As I lay back down, Kiryū-san continued calmly beside me.

“But… you’re impressive.”

“Eh…?”

“You didn’t just notice things. You pushed through with logic. You’re the one who settled the situation earlier, Udo.”

Slightly overwhelmed by Kiryū-san’s serious, somewhat passionate words, I responded.

“Thank you. But that was only possible with your support. I couldn’t have done it alone.”

“Yeah, that’s my job. Don’t worry about it.”

Kiryū-san left the infirmary without changing his expression.

As I watched his retreating back, I felt a new warmth kindling deep in my chest.