Chapter Three: Hiroka:

Atticus had to read the e-mail about five times. Distant memories came back to his head. There was a Hiroka back in junior high. She got along with all of the boys in their class. She had a bright smile. Atticus himself couldn’t but smile.

Wait…

“My branch is coming to work with yours for the summer.” Hiroka worked at the same company he did? Since when? That wasn’t all either.

“We’ll be coming to Tokyo tomorrow.” She was coming here tomorrow? Atticus about fell out of his chair.

“What?!” he asked.

“Are you okay there, Obuchi?” someone asked. Atticus turned his head. A man about his age looked down. Atticus blinked at him for a moment.

“Oh, Murakami?” he asked. “Uh… Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. I was just startled by an e-mail from an old friend.”

“Ah,” Murakami said. “Anyway we have a meeting in five minutes.” Atticus nodded.

“Right,” he said. He got up and straightened himself off. “I’ll be there in five minutes.”

“Alright,” his colleague said. Murakami walked back to his desk. Atticus turned back to computer.

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The meeting took place at noon. The conference room was at the end of the building. It could fit about twelve people. Atticus walked up to the open door. Eleven men already sat in the room waiting.

“Welcome,” one of the men said. “Come, take a seat, Obuchi. The boss had an announcement to make.” Atticus bowed his head and sat down in the empty chair near the door. A large, muscled-man stood up and cleared his throat.

“We will be working on a merger over the summer,” he said. “Our Osakan bran is coming here to Tokyo. They will be coming in tomorrow.” Chatter filled the room as the men looked at each other.

“We have an Osakan branch?”

“Since when?”

“When did this happen?”

“Will some of us have to leave Tokyo?”

Atticus sat there in shock. The Osakan branch really was coming tomorrow. He rubbed his forehead.

“Wow,” was all he could say. Looked like he and Hiroka meet again. Atticus couldn’t remember much about her. Not her face. Not her name. Nothing about her rang a bell. Now, Atticus would have to meet this Hiroka woman again. What was that going to be like?