The atmosphere inside the Import Logistics Department hummed with the low buzz of clacking keyboards and the occasional shuffle of paper. Cubicles were neatly arranged in rows, their partitions peppered with sticky notes, shipment schedules, and family snapshots. Sunlight filtered faintly through the frosted windows, casting geometric shadows on the tiled floor.
A small group of workers, including Makoto, gathered momentarily near the water dispenser, whispering in that distinct tone reserved for office gossip.
"Jicho looks scary when he walks in, doesn't he?" one muttered, glancing at the corner office where the smart glass currently showed opaque.
"Yeah, I get the feeling he's not good with people. Always quiet, always frowning," Makoto added, sipping from her cup. "You can't read what he's thinking."
"But didn't you see Hasegawa-san with him the other day?" one of the younger staff leaned in, a playful smirk on her face.
"Uh-huh."
"They walked together out of the building. I swear I saw them heading to that bar near the station," another chimed in.
"For real? Hasegawa-san's just charming like that. Even jicho isn't immune, huh?"
"Lucky him! Hasegawa-san didn't invite us. Rude," another chuckled. "Maybe he was fishing for classified info. Who knows what he learned about jicho over drinks."
A chorus of stifled laughter followed... until silence dropped like a guillotine.
Daichi had stepped out of his office. With his black coat buttoned neatly and a slim file in hand, he scanned the floor calmly, though the cold focus in his hazel eyes made everyone instinctively straighten in their seats.
"Who worked directly under Matsuura-san for the shipment arrangement?" Daichi asked, his voice even and direct.
Makoto, still holding her cup halfway to her lips, quickly set it down and raised her hand. "I did, jicho."
"Come to my office," he said with a nod, already turning on his heel and walking back to his office.
Makoto exchanged a brief glance with her colleagues before hurrying after him, her heels clicking softly against the tile as she followed Daichi to his office.
The automatic door slid shut behind them with a soft hum. Daichi's office was spacious, clean, and minimal, furnished with a black desk, a wall-mounted smart screen, and a single shelf lined with shipping manuals and framed certificates. The view of the skyline beyond the one-way window painted the space in muted grays and soft daylight.
"Take a seat," Daichi said, gesturing briefly before sitting down behind his desk.
Makoto settled into the leather guest chair, adjusting her posture politely, anxiety struck her.
"I've reviewed the shipment records over the past quarter," Daichi began, flipping open the file in front of him. "There are too many detention and demurrage charges. That's not just a cost issue. It suggests a lapse in how we're tracking and following up with our shipment movements."
Makoto nodded slowly. "Yes, jicho. Under Matsuura-san, we monitored shipments primarily through carrier updates and customs broker reports. We checked ETA changes manually and escalated only when a delay passed five days."
Daichi's brow furrowed slightly. "That's reactive, not preventive. From now on, I want a shipment monitoring sheet updated daily, categorized by ETA, port, and release status. Set flags for shipments with updated arrival dates or missing DOs. If a delay is reported... even just one day, follow up with the freight forwarder and shipping line immediately."
Makoto listened attentively, nodding as she took mental notes.
"Also," he added, "assign someone to track port congestion updates and holidays per country. Don't wait until the container's already stuck."
"Understood, jicho."
Daichi leaned back slightly, tapping a pen once on the desk. "How's the documentation flow from the Procurement Department?"
Makoto exhaled lightly. "It's… inconsistent. Sometimes, the documents arrive late. Most of the time, it's because of revisions from the suppliers, or the documents aren't finalized in time. It drags the clearance timeline."
He looked at her, his expression unreadable. "Did Matsuura-san address this with the Procurement team?"
"Uhm... not really," Makoto replied. "As far as I know, he preferred not to. In the end, we just reported the issue internally and blamed Procurement. They, in turn, blamed the suppliers. And… nothing changed. The issue dies down after a while, then it comes back again."
Daichi closed the file, letting out a long, muted sigh. He gazed at the tabletop for a moment before speaking.
"I see." He looked up again, his voice firm yet calm. "I'll look into how to settle this properly. We can't let a cycle of finger-pointing delay operations indefinitely."
Makoto offered a small bow from her seat. "Thank you, jicho."
"You may return to your desk," he added with a short nod.
As she stood and left the room with a polite "excuse me", the door slid shut once more, leaving Daichi exhaled, loosening his tie a bit. He leaned back fully in his chair, eyes fixed on the ceiling as he ran a hand through his black hair.
A slow, tired blink.
Then silence. Until he muttered under his breath, almost to himself.
"Maybe I should start with that nuisance Hasegawa."