I Was Abandoned by My Fiancé and Betrayed by My Best Friend—A Story from Rock Bottom - Chapter 19

The sales department was enveloped in a heavy atmosphere this morning.

“Another complaint from Ms. Shinoda of Yasaka Trading…”

The sales manager explained the situation to Kiryū.

“She won’t accept our apologies. It seems like they might cut ties with us at any moment…”

Kiryū, who was present, said in a low voice, “I’ll go. And Udo, you come with me.”

“Eh? M-me!?”

“Learning about field situations is also part of a secretary’s job.”

“Yes. I’ll accompany you.”

My throat tightened with nervousness.

But I had no choice but to steel myself…

◆◆◆

In the reception room of Yasaka Trading.

Ms. Shinoda, lounging arrogantly on the luxurious sofa, shouted the moment we entered.

“You finally came!? What do you mean making a customer wait!”

Kiryū and the sales manager desperately bowed their heads.

“We deeply apologize…!”

“If you had any sincerity, you’d at least get on your knees!”

But she slammed the table and raised her voice even louder.

“My face turned bright red from this toner! How do you plan to take responsibility!?”

Our company’s cosmetic products were lined up on the table.

She pointed at one of them – the basic skincare product.

“We’re very sorry. About turning bright red…”

The sales manager tried to ask Ms. Shinoda for more details.

“Do you think an apology is enough!? You lack sincerity!”

But Ms. Shinoda interrupted and poured out her anger.

The sales manager desperately bowed, but the lady slammed the table and raised her voice even more.

The atmosphere in the room grew increasingly tense.

Amidst this, Kiryū remained silent.

Unable to bear watching any longer, while suppressing the pounding in my chest, I stepped forward.

“Ms. Shinoda, if I may interrupt…”

“Huh? And who are you?”

She wore a dress predominantly in a flashy red color.

A pearl necklace with perfectly sized pearls, and a sapphire ring on her right middle finger.

Of average build and height, but with perfect posture, she opened her heavily made-up eyes wide and glared at me.

“My apologies. I’m Kiryū Naoya, managing director. This is my secretary, Udo Miharu.”

Kiryū threw me a lifeline from the side.

“Hmph, so what!?”

“…Excuse me, but could you tell us how you came to choose that particular product?”

“How? Well, initially the advisor recommended the more expensive one! But I said ‘the cheaper one is enough’ and bought the cheaper one. And then this happens!”

I nodded slightly and responded in a calm tone.

“It’s natural that you thought that way. However, the advisor should have carefully explained why they recommended the more expensive option.”

“What do you mean? They did say something, but I didn’t really listen.”

“I see. The advisor likely recommended the more expensive one after examining your skin. This product contains ingredients that are gentler on the skin. That’s why the price is higher.”

“Really… I was the one who insisted on the cheaper one because of the price.”

Responding to Ms. Shinoda’s lowered tone, I explained.

“No, the advisor should have properly explained and recommended the right product. That would have been in your best interest.”

The sales manager added further.

“You’ve pointed out where we should have been more thorough. We thank you as well as apologize.”

“Such… thanks?”

“What your skin needs isn’t the price but the ingredients. A formulation gentler on your skin would have been more suitable. The lack of explanation is our responsibility.”

As I spoke quietly and politely, the lady’s expression gradually softened.

The stagnant atmosphere in the room began to clear.

—But then, something about her claim of turning “bright red” suddenly bothered me.

I spoke up to prompt the sales manager for confirmation.

“Um… earlier, weren’t you about to say something to Ms. Shinoda?”

The sales manager opened his mouth.

“Ah, yes. I thought there was something odd about the customer saying her skin turned bright red… I was about to ask for more details.”

“I thought so.”

At these words, Ms. Shinoda’s slightly relaxed expression turned severe again.

“What!? What do you mean?”

She glared at us once more.

I addressed Ms. Shinoda directly.

“Yes. While redness can occur in those with sensitive skin, turning bright red is a different matter. He assumed there might be some defect.”

“Defect?”

“For example, something related to the ingredients. A dangerous case that could harm human skin.”

“……”

“Yes, precisely what you pointed out this time could be considered as such.”

“W-what!?”

I faced Ms. Shinoda properly.

“We deeply apologize for this incident. —Could we ask for some of your time?”

Together with the sales manager, I bowed deeply.

“…Wha-!”

Just as Ms. Shinoda started to speak, Kiryū intervened.

“Ms. Shinoda, regarding this matter, our company will conduct a thorough investigation. Could we ask you to entrust this to us?”

“Su-such…”

“Please send us the medical expenses and diagnosis documents. Also, at your convenience, we will handle compensation and other matters through our legal department with full support. Furthermore, we promise that once the cause is identified, we will immediately announce it to the public, apologize, and expedite product recalls.”

“Can you decide something this important right here?”

“Yes. We consider this incident as a customer issue and treat it as a serious matter. As you’ve insisted, we intend to take prompt action from the customer’s perspective as a company.”

After saying this, Kiryū bowed deeply to Ms. Shinoda.

The sales manager and I also bowed and apologized.

“…Alright. If that’s the case, make sure you handle it properly.”

At Ms. Shinoda’s words, we raised our heads and met her gaze.

Her anger had vanished, and there was a light in her eyes.

“Thank you very much.”

“I’ll cooperate with whatever I can. I’ll be watching your future actions closely.”

“Understood.”

After bowing once, I followed Kiryū and the others out of the room.

It happened right after.

“…Ah.”

All strength left my body, and my consciousness faded.

My balance wavered, and I fell forward.

Kiryū and the sales manager noticed my unusual state.

—My vision turned completely black, and there my consciousness cut out.