A lesson in Japanese misdirection

Helen’s sensible black pumps clicked rhythmically against the polished floor as she led the three Japanese executives down the hall. Initially, her plan had been perfectly innocent, or at least, as innocent as a woman possessing her boyfriend's manager could be. She had fully intended to guide them to the washroom right by the elevator banks, wait patiently, and then march them back to the conference room to finish the meeting.

But then Adam just had to open his mouth.

'Don't pull any funny business.'

Helen smirked internally, expertly keeping Rena’s features locked in a mask of polite professionalism. Telling her not to pull any funny business while she was literally wearing another woman’s body was like telling a pyromaniac not to look at a match. It was practically an invitation.

As they approached the intersection that led to the main elevators, Helen seamlessly pivoted, guiding the group past the corridor.

"My apologies, ladies," Helen said, her voice dripping with Rena's polished courtesy. "I just recalled that the facilities by the elevators are undergoing some minor plumbing maintenance this afternoon. There is another restroom just a bit further down, in the east wing."

"Ah, I see. Thank you for letting us know, Rena-san," Ayane replied graciously, not missing a step.

Helen led them down a much quieter, carpeted hallway that diverted away from the bustling open-plan desks. It ended at a single-occupancy, unisex restroom tucked away in a secluded corner of the floor.

"Here we are," Helen announced, gesturing toward the wooden door. "It is only a single stall, I'm afraid, but it offers a bit more privacy."

"That is perfectly fine," Sayuri said with a soft smile. She turned to the other two women, and immediately, the three of them began conversing in rapid, hushed Japanese.

Helen stood by politely, her hands clasped in front of her pencil skirt. She didn't understand a single syllable of what they were saying. Poking around in Rena’s memories confirmed that the strict project manager hadn't bothered to learn the language either, relying entirely on the delegation's flawless English. But Helen didn't mind being out of the loop. In fact, it was perfect.

By redirecting them to a single-occupancy restroom, Helen had just guaranteed a logistical bottleneck. Ayane, Sayuri, and Yui would have to take turns going in one by one. That meant a fair duration of standing around in a quiet, isolated hallway.

Back in the conference room, Adam was undoubtedly staring at the clock, his imagination running wild with every passing minute, sweating through his dress shirt as he wondered what kind of disaster his girlfriend was cooking up.

And out here, Helen had a captive audience. While one woman was inside the restroom, two would be waiting outside with her. It was the perfect, secluded environment to prolong the small talk, flex her managerial muscles, and line up her next magical target. Now, she just had to decide exactly what kind of 'funny business' would keep Adam guessing for the rest of the day.

The three women finished their hushed exchange in Japanese, turning back to Helen with polite smiles.

"We apologize for the wait, Rena-san," Ayane said, smoothing the front of her white skirt. "We will go one at a time. I will go first."

"Please, do not apologize," Helen replied effortlessly, channeling Rena's most accommodating tone. "The fault is entirely ours for the maintenance oversight. Take all the time you need."

Ayane offered a slight bow and stepped into the single-occupancy restroom, the lock clicking firmly behind her.

Helen turned her attention to Sayuri and Yui, who stood patiently in the quiet, carpeted hallway. She had a few minutes to kill, and she fully intended to use them to play the perfect host.

"I hope the flight over wasn't too exhausting," Helen said, clasping her hands loosely in front of her. "Thirteen hours in the air can be quite draining, even in business class."

Sayuri smiled warmly, her blue lanyard swaying slightly as she shifted her weight. "It was manageable, thank you. We actually spent a good portion of the flight reviewing the phase two bottlenecks. Adam's foresight in reallocating the Q2 surplus gave us quite a lot to consider."

Helen felt a surge of internal amusement. Adam is going to get a big head if they keep praising him like this, she thought. Outwardly, she maintained Rena's measured expression. "Adam has a very... unique perspective. We rely heavily on his stamina and dedication to get things over the finish line."

Yui, the junior associate, nodded eagerly. "His flowcharts are very meticulous! It made the integration data very easy to understand for my report."

"I'm glad to hear it," Helen mused, her brown eyes gleaming.

A moment later, the toilet flushed, the sink ran, and the door opened. Ayane stepped out, dabbing her hands with a delicate handkerchief before slipping it back into her tan handbag.

"Director Ayane," Helen said smoothly, gesturing down the hall. "There is an executive breakroom just around the corner to your right. Please, help yourself to some green tea or espresso while we wait. I will join you shortly with the others."

"That sounds wonderful. Thank you, Rena-san," Ayane said, offering a graceful nod before walking off toward the breakroom, the click of her stilettos fading down the corridor.

Sayuri stepped forward. "Excuse me," she murmured politely, slipping into the restroom and locking the door.

Now it was just Helen and Yui. The young associate stood a little straighter, clearly wanting to maintain a good impression in front of the stern project manager.

"So, Yui," Helen said, her voice dropping to a slightly more conversational volume. "Is this your first time visiting the UK branch?"

"Ah, yes, Rena-san," Yui replied, her ponytail bouncing slightly as she nodded. "It is my first international assignment. It is a beautiful city, though I admit I have mostly only seen the inside of conference rooms so far."

Helen offered a sympathetic smile. "We will have to make sure you get a proper tour before you leave. Tell me, how are you finding the dynamic with our team? Adam can be a bit... intense, sometimes."

Yui blushed slightly, waving her hands in a modest, dismissive gesture. "Oh, no, not at all! He is very professional and patient. He explained the data integration perfectly when I asked him to clarify the engineering delays."

"I'm sure he did," Helen purred softly, suppressing a smirk. "He loves being hands-on with the junior staff. Making sure everyone is fully satisfied."

Yui blinked, perhaps missing the double entendre entirely, but nodded politely anyway.

The lock clicked, and Sayuri emerged, looking refreshed.

"Sayuri," Helen prompted, pointing down the hall. "Please go ahead and join Ayane in the breakroom. It's just around the corner. I will wait here for Yui."

"Of course. Thank you," Sayuri said, giving Yui a brief, encouraging smile before disappearing down the hall.

Yui bowed her head slightly toward Helen. "Excuse me," she said softly, stepping into the restroom and shutting the door.

The lock clicked into place, and Helen was finally left completely alone in the quiet hallway.

She leaned her back against the wall, a wicked grin spreading across Rena's face. Fate had made its choice. The quiet, cute, eager-to-please junior associate was the last one left. Behind that wooden door, Yui was completely isolated, unaware that a magical predator was standing right outside.