Garbage Boy with a God Complex

The sound of the shower running hummed through the apartment. I sat on the couch, one leg lazily hooked over the side, a phone pressed to my ear.

The soft chime of the line connecting made my eyebrow twitch. It rang once. Twice. Then clicked.

"CEO Takanashi speaking. Who is this?" The voice on the other end was clipped. Professional. Slightly annoyed.

I stretched a bit. "Wow, you really don't save numbers, do you?"

There was a pause.

"I'm sorry—who is this?" His tone shifted to defensive irritation. "If this is about a product return or some intern trying to pitch a new design, contact our customer service—"

"I'm calling about your return policy, actually," I cut in, deadpan. "Specifically, the part where I return you if you forget who signs your paychecks."

There was silence.

Then, "...Sir?"

I smirked. "There it is. Your voice went up half a pitch. You realized."

"Sir—I didn't know it was you. I wasn't aware you were back in the country."

"Back?" I laughed. "Takanashi, I never left. I've just been... quiet."

The CEO audibly gulped. "Apologies, truly. I—I didn't recognize the number. You never call directly—"

"Mmhm," I hummed. "And yet I know exactly how many late-stage prototypes are being sat on without my approval. I know the Tokyo lab is underperforming. And I know you've been declining the charity collaborations I greenlit last year."

"I—well—Sir, those were operational decisions, I thought—"

"You thought," I repeated slowly, letting the weight of my voice drop. "How brave."

Another beat of silence.

"I'll fix it. Right away. Everything."

I leaned back. "You'll do better, Takanashi. Not just fix what I already noticed. Consider this your one direct warning. You don't want me showing up in person."

"Yes, sir. Of course, sir. I'll have the reports reviewed and everything aligned by end of day."

"Good boy."

I hung up before he could respond.

The sound of the shower stopped.

Footsteps.

Inko stepped out of the bathroom moments later, towel in her hair and a hopeful look on her face. "How do I look if I go with the navy blouse?"

I looked her over once.

"You'll be hired before you get to the second floor."

Inko stood by the front door, fidgeting with her bag and smoothing out invisible wrinkles in her skirt.

"Good luck," I said, casually sipping tea at the kitchen table.

She turned to me with a small, determined smile. "Thanks. I hope this one goes well."

"It will." I didn't blink. "Text me when you're done."

She nodded, grabbed her shoes, and slipped out the door with one last "See you later!"

The moment the lock clicked shut, I picked up my phone and redialed the same number from earlier.

"Sir?" Takanashi's voice answered faster than before—he was learning. Good.

"New instruction," I said, not wasting time. "抖阴社区 up a new position in middle management. Flexible department. Community liaison or public interface direction—whatever sounds like it matters but doesn't scare people off."

"Understood. What kind of requirements?"

"I'll send the details." I paused for a moment, then added, "If someone applies under the name Inko Midoriya, she's to be prioritized. Immediately. But it should look natural."

There was a hesitation on the line. "Is... she important to the company?"

"To me," I corrected flatly. "That's all you need to know."

Another silence. Then, "Understood, sir. We'll make it look competitive, routine. She won't know she was handpicked."

I smirked. "Make it a good interview. No easy pass. I want her to feel like she earned it."

"Yes, sir. The listing will be up within the hour. Should I forward her résumé to the internal board once she applies?"

I narrowed my eyes at the wall, as if staring through it. "If she applies, she'll get in. But don't fast-track her too hard. I want her to want it."

"Got it."

"Good. I'll be watching."

Click.

I leaned back in my chair again, letting out a breath. No one in the world would hand her anything. Not unless I made sure they did—and made it feel like they didn't.