Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 114
114. Mari-nee and Behind the Scenes of a Summer Night
After escorting Mari-sama and her family to the rooftop, I was on my way back to the research and development floor when numerous arms emerged from the darkness, grabbing me before I could even resist, and I was abducted.
At first, I panicked, thinking I was caught up in some crime, but the perpetrators boldly showed their faces—and they were all colleagues.
Letting my guard down then was probably my biggest mistake.
I was taken to the central control room of the Caduceus headquarters—a highly secure area within the building. I remembered Yuuki-san mentioning that only a few employees had access to this room, which managed the building’s internal infrastructure and physical security.
I wondered why I, someone without the necessary permissions, was allowed in, but I quickly realized that was the least of my worries.
The room was packed with people.
There were dozens of employees, possibly even a hundred, far exceeding the number Yuuki-san described. This was definitely something the company wouldn’t approve of.
The desks and chairs originally in the room were pushed aside, and the only thing indicating this was the central control room was the 3D display showing various sensor data from within the building.
A space just big enough for an adult was left empty in the center of the display.
With a sinking feeling, I realized I was to sit there… in seiza.
Feeling like a criminal, I forced a self-deprecating smile, but the looks from those around me were harsh.
The only thing I could think of was my past outburst at Mari-sama, but today’s apology should have settled that within the company.
As I was puzzling over this,
“…Guilty.”
Someone murmured.
“Guilty.”
“Guilty!”
The calls of “Guilty” kept rising, sending a shiver of fear through me.
Looking around for a way to escape, I saw a well-built senior colleague step forward and quiet the crowd.
Despite his strict, athletic teaching style, this senior was someone I usually relied on.
“Hold on, everyone. It’s important to make him aware of his guilt before judging him. Don’t you think so?”
I was mistaken—what guilt?
“You look clueless, Sawa. That is precisely your sin.”
“What do you mean? I sincerely apologized to Mari-sama and you all said if she accepted it—”
My words were cut off as my senior wagged his finger, making a “tsk tsk” sound.
It was incredibly irritating, but I held my temper. I wasn’t the same person I was before meeting Mari-sama.
“You may have been forgiven for what you did to Mari-san. However, you met her in person and didn’t seem to appreciate the significance of that. Do you know why Yuuki-san was chosen to guide Mari-san? It’s because there was almost a dispute within the company over who would get the honor, and the CEO had to intervene and appoint someone.”
“What?”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing… actually, what all of them were saying.
“Meeting Mari-san is such an honor for us. Yet, you didn’t understand that honor and merely felt relieved to be forgiven. Such behavior is absolutely unacceptable!”
The senior spoke with such intensity that he seemed ready to slam his fist on the table if there had been one.
While what he was saying made sense, it also felt a bit off… which is it?
“Let me illustrate the honor of meeting her. The promotional video featuring Mari-san is projected to be in the top three most viewed videos on a major video platform this year. Not just domestically, but worldwide. This has boosted our company’s image, doubling our stock price since the video’s release.”
“Doubling… Wait, doubled!?”
“Some employees sold part of their shares to pay off their mortgages or to ease their children’s education costs. Although, truthfully, they didn’t want to sell at all… This alone shows the significant benefits Mari-san has brought. Additionally, there are numerous tie-in offers. The demand for our second batch of products has far exceeded company expectations.”
“….”
From the point where the stock price doubling was mentioned, I was left speechless by the sheer scale of the situation.
“But this is just a minor aspect of Mari-san’s intrinsic value. That value is—”
“Hey, she’s coming out of the building!”
“What!?”
A commotion erupted, and all eyes turned to the display.
I was momentarily relieved from the piercing stares, but that relief was short-lived.
“”””Oooh!”””””
A collective gasp of awe echoed.
The display now showed the rooftop scene, and in the center of the screen, Mari-sama appeared in a yukata.
The yukata had a single iris flower depicted on it, subtle yet elegant.
To me, it looked like a ceremonial white robe, giving her an almost sacred aura due to her youthful appearance.
If I felt this way, I wondered how my seniors were reacting. I glanced at them…
“How holy…”
“God exists…”
“Revered leader…”
“Mari-oneechan…”
Tears were streaming down their faces, and they didn’t even blink. While I understood that they were moved, the nature of their words, especially towards the end, made me uneasy. No one else seemed to be concerned, though… Seriously, is this company okay with this?
Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I voiced my concern.
“Isn’t this basically spying?”
“This is not spying.”
The senior answered without hesitation.
“This is not spying. For safety reasons, we’ve installed a new surveillance camera on the rooftop and are simply checking the footage. It just so happens that the rooftop is currently being displayed. Hence, it is not spying.”
Repeating “not spying” three times only made it more suspicious, but seeing everyone around me nodding vehemently in agreement, I decided not to press the issue further.
“Still, the interaction within the Akizuki family is so heartwarming… This is what family is. I never realized how wonderful a family could be…”
I couldn’t tell who said it, but their words were filled with deep emotion.
Indeed, I felt the same way.
In this era of overflowing information and online communities, family bonds have become increasingly tenuous.
The scene before me was something rarely seen even in dramas or movies.
“Just seeing Mari-san and this heartwarming scene made it worth coming to work on my day off… When I get a break, I’m going to visit my parents.”
“Me too!!!”
The seniors chimed in enthusiastically.
Suddenly, a sharp voice interrupted the enthusiasm.
“What are you all doing?”
Everyone froze.
Turning towards the voice, we saw Yuuki-san standing there, eyes cold.
“I was told that many employees hadn’t left even after their work was done. Care to explain why?”
The well-built senior, who had previously detailed my ‘sins’, stepped forward and bowed deeply.
“”””We’re sorry!””””
The immediate space created by everyone around him to accommodate his bow was almost like a performance.
Despite their earlier insistence that it wasn’t spying, their demeanor completely changed once the person addressing them changed.
As I watched in disbelief, everyone present bowed their heads.
So they did know they were doing something wrong…
“Mari-san’s influence has significantly advanced the project. How could you jeopardize that with such behavior?”
Yuuki-san showed no sympathy for the dejected seniors and ordered them to disperse. However, as she walked away, she added,
“You all have a lot of unused paid leave. Take some time off, preferably long enough for a proper getaway. I’ll handle the scheduling, but make sure it’s a meaningful break. Otherwise, I won’t forgive you.”
From the earlier conversation, it seemed like she was encouraging them to visit their families or loved ones.
Yuuki-san, just how much did you overhear?
While everyone praised Yuuki-san, I noticed her discreetly collecting the surveillance footage.
Was that her real reason for coming here?
Realizing she was looking at me, I decided to pretend I hadn’t seen anything.
Yes, I saw nothing… but I’ll remember this: Yuuki-san is not someone to be made an enemy.