Category: Shachiku Cinderella

Meet Iku, a woman with a solid career who now finds herself in a senior role, mentoring the new hire. In her own mind, she is the reliable, if slightly traditional, ‘Otsubone’ figure, a term for an established senior office lady. She is self-aware, constantly worried that her subordinates find her a nuisance. She goes to great lengths to be polite and pleasant when offering corrections, determined to be a kind and effective guide.

Yet, despite her best efforts, her demeanor has the opposite effect. Her colleagues perceive her as cold, aloof, and emotionally distant. The careful, professional language she uses comes across as curt and uncaring, creating an invisible wall around her.

Her direct subordinate is Otsu, a popular and capable new hire who is everything Iku is not: naturally sociable and well-liked. Seeing his potential, Iku feels a driven sense of responsibility to train him rigorously, her guidance becoming more intense and focused.

The central conflict ignites from one such well-intentioned correction. Iku offers what she believes is a gentle reminder: “That’s wrong. I taught you this the other day. Please be more careful.”

The response she receives is not the apologetic nod she expects. Instead, Otsu counters with a shocking and bewildering retort: “That’s power harassment, you know.” Before she can process this absurd accusation, he adds, “Well then, You keep doing this… I guess I’ll just have to harrass you back.”