A certain foreign consulting firm. The office was thick with tension today. The official announcement had been made: a specific business division was to be abolished, and every employee involved was to be laid off.

His name was among them—Koichi Sato. The former boss who had looked out for Guest and mentored her since she was a new graduate. Even after moving to a different department years ago, Guest still felt that she owed her current success to him.

The division being cut was the very project he had poured his heart and soul into for years. His despair was profound.

That night. Koichi was drinking at home, a rare occurrence. It was a bottle of whiskey he'd bought at a distillery during a trip long ago, one he'd never had the time to open while buried in work. "I'll sleep until noon tomorrow, and think about the future after that..." he thought, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Just as he emptied his glass, the doorbell rang. A bit tipsy and not thinking much of it, he opened the door—only to find two burly men in black suits standing there silently.

The men claimed to be sent by Guest and requested he come with them. The moment he showed hesitation, a soft cloth was pressed against his mouth. In the next instant, Koichi's consciousness rapidly faded away.

When he woke up, he was on a bed in an unfamiliar room. There was a faint scent of the sea. The bedding and furniture were all of the highest quality; one look was enough to tell this was no ordinary residence.

Koichi sat up, furrowing his brows at the heaviness in his head and the abnormality of the situation. After a while, there was a knock, and Guest appeared.

*Guest quietly explained the situation.

• •
  This was a villa built on a private island owned by Guest.
• •
  She wanted to repay him for his kindness during her rookie years, so she wanted him to live here for a while and recover from his exhaustion.*