Rejection

Akira sat in the waiting room in front of the secretary's desk. While waiting to be called in, he straightened his tie, carefully rehearsing the words he wanted to say to Mr. Hidetaka. It had been six months since he last met the owner.

Yamaka Industries wasn't a big company. Still, meeting its owner directly made Akira nervous.

"You can do this, Akira. He's just an old guy."

Then, the secretary informed Akira that Mr. Hidetaka was ready to see him.

As Akira opened the office door, an elderly man with white hair, wearing a wrinkled blue shirt, stood up from behind the desk as he saw Akira. The man smiled broadly, extending his hand, and Akira quickly walked over to shake it.

"Look at you, Akira. You look sharp in that suit. Much better than the tracksuit you usually wear."

"Haha. Thanks for the compliment, Mr. Hidetaka."

"Take a seat."

Like old colleagues who hadn't seen each other in a while, they made small talk for a bit. Mr. Hidetaka seemed like an old man full of experience. He effortlessly transitioned from one topic to another like it was natural.

First, he talked about his daughter, then about his back pain. He also asked about Akira's injury. The old man kept switching topics.

Meanwhile, Akira responded to each generic question, even though he wanted to get straight to the point. He was the one who needed Mr. Hidetaka, so he patiently waited for the old man to finish his rambling.

Business etiquette. The one in need must make the provider feel comfortable.

After five minutes of small talk, Mr. Hidetaka finally asked the reason for Akira's visit.

"So, what brings you here so early? I'm sure you didn't come just to chat with an old man like me."

As the question escaped Mr. Hidetaka, Akira clenched his hands. His mouth felt dry as he tried to express his thoughts. There was no denying it; Akira wasn't used to doing formal things like this. But he would do it anyway. There was no turning back after coming this far.

Taking a deep breath, Akira suddenly stood up. His sudden movement startled Mr. Hidetaka. But that wasn't the surprising part. Akira then bowed 90 degrees to the owner of Yamaka Industries.

"Mr. Hidetaka, I want you to give me—no, I want you to give Quantum Esports a second chance."

Naturally, Mr. Hidetaka raised an eyebrow. His wrinkled forehead rippled like waves.

Akira continued, "I know Quantum Esports has disappointed you lately. Not only have we been underperforming, but we've also been barely participating in any tournaments, which has kept us out of the spotlight. But still, we hope you'll give us a second chance. Please be our sponsor again!"

Mr. Hidetaka hissed through his teeth. He felt uncomfortable continuing the conversation. "I'm not sure what you're talking about—"

"Please!"

In the end, Mr. Hidetaka couldn't dodge it. The old man let out a long sigh as he looked at Akira.

"Sit down. I can't talk to you if you keep bowing."

Akira swallowed hard. He knew his pitch was terrible, but he managed to convince Mr. Hidetaka to listen to his request. Not bad for an amateur manager. At least that's what he thought.

However, this was where the real tension began. Mr. Hidetaka's demeanor changed drastically. He sat with his hands clasped together on the desk, his once cheerful face now displaying a piercing stare that seemed to cut through anyone who made eye contact with him.

Reading the situation, Akira knew the negotiation was just beginning.

"Let's say I continue sponsoring Quantum Esports. What do you bring to the table?"

"Uh… I'll make sure the team delivers the best performance in every tournament, so Yamaka Industries can keep getting plenty of exposure," Akira replied, sounding uncertain.

Mr. Hidetaka narrowed his eyes. "Best performance? When can you do that? One month? Two months?"

"As soon as possible. We're also planning to enter the Regional Championship, and we're aiming for the semi-finals. That way, we can secure a ticket to the higher league, the Rex Championship Series."

"Is that so? I heard most of your team members, and even the manager, have left the team."

"That's…"

Akira fell silent. The words caught in his throat.

"We've already got some new members," Akira continued. "And… uh… I've been scouting a few players that we can recruit into the team."

"Hmm, are you sure you can recruit them? Even if you manage to recruit them, can you build team chemistry in such a short time and secure a semi-final spot?"

Akira was about to say yes, but once again, the words were hard to get out.

"But we…"

TAP!

Mr. Hidetaka slammed the table with his palm, stopping Akira mid-sentence.

"Enough, Akira. I've heard everything."

"But..."

"You're saying 'but' too much. People who say that all the time are those who aren't confident in their plans. And I see you're one of them."

It was checkmate for Akira. He had lost this negotiation and could only hang his head in disappointment.

On the other hand, Mr. Hidetaka sighed, his face starting to relax.

"Listen, kid. I know the situation you're in is tough, but that's no excuse for me to help you. We're a company, not a crowdfunding platform. We can't sponsor your team if you're not even confident in its future."

No words came out of Akira's mouth. 

"I hate to break it to you. Unfortunately, we've already committed to sponsoring another team. It's not like I was stringing you along. I gave you a chance to convince me because I know Quantum Esports better than the other teams."

Akira clenched his hands, feeling a mix of emotions. Anger, sadness, frustration, disappointment.

He nodded. "Alright. I understand."

"I hope you won't give up on your team."

Then, Akira stood up from his seat. He bowed his head, bidding farewell to Mr. Hidetaka before leaving.

As he about to walk out, he asked Mr. Hidetaka one last question.

"If you don't mind me asking, which team got the sponsorship?"

"Monster Eaters Esports."

As if the frustration wasn't enough, hearing those words from Mr. Hidetaka's mouth felt like salt being rubbed into his wound. Akira snorted with a bitter smile.

He left the office with disappointment weighing heavily on his shoulders.

…

Lunchtime had passed, but the streets were still bustling with people coming and going. Akira bumped into several pedestrians. He looked straight ahead but his mind was elsewhere.

His head was filled with so many thoughts right now. The future of Quantum Esports. Paying Daiki and Haruki's salaries. The bills. And most importantly, what he should do next.

Actually, he had already thought of other plans in case Mr. Hidetaka rejected his proposal. There were a few companies that might be willing to sponsor Quantum Esports. But with his lousy pitching skills, he wasn't sure if he could convince them.

"Damn it. Looks like I'll have to find another way."

As Akira lost in thought, he suddenly heard a car horn. It wasn't just Akira who was startled; several pedestrians around him were too.

Naturally, Akira turned toward the sound.

His eyes widened as he saw a black limousine pulling up to the curb, close to him. It was rare to see a limo around Tokyo, but it felt strangely familiar.

The rear window slowly rolled down, revealing a beautiful woman in the passenger seat.

"Yoo-hoo, you cheeky brat. If you keep sulking like that, your handsome face will melt."

It was Haruki's mom. She waved at Akira with big smile on her face.