"Oh no!"
Kintaro hurriedly turned around, pressed his palms together, and dropped to his knees to beg for mercy. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty!"
"Who's your queen?" Kyoko looked disgusted.
"Well? How does it feel?" Tetsuhiro stepped out from behind her and asked with a wicked grin.
"Disgusting!"
She looked down at Kintaro from above. "I'm sorry to have to say this, but could you please..."
"Ah!" Sensing disaster, Kintaro suddenly cried out, cutting Kyoko off.
"This really is a heartbreaking turn of events..."
"Hmm?"
"I should be happy to have gotten this job, but now I can't feel happy at all."
"I even stayed up all night studying computers, only to be assigned to clean toilets."
"I stood in front of the toilet, overwhelmed with sorrow. The computers I love so dearly-LSI, CPUs, the intricate circuits and exquisite craftsmanship of that microscopic world-they fascinate me."
Kyoko knitted her delicate brows slightly. "What exactly are you trying to say?"
"I want to work. I want to write programs. You should test someone's abilities before judging them."
"Interesting. It's rare to find a young person with this much enthusiasm these days. Why not give him a chance?" Tetsuhiro chimed in on his behalf.
Hearing this, Kyoko reassessed Kintaro. "Since you've put it that way, let's see what you can do. Just so we're clear, my standards are very strict."
"Thank you very much!" Ignoring the middle-aged man, Kintaro bowed in thanks, then hurried off...
"Honestly, how rude." Kyoko was a little bothered that Kintaro hadn't thanked Tetsuhiro.
Tetsuhiro didn't mind. Instead, he generously offered an explanation. "Maybe he instinctively feels averse to me. With his experience dealing with people, I think he might have vaguely picked up on our relationship."
Kyoko's eyes widened. "No way! He's that perceptive?"
Tetsuhiro walked over, tilted