"I suppose we should treat this as a lesson learned," Haruno remarked.
Hachiman sighed, leaning back. "It's not like our company culture is supposed to be 'strict' or anything..."
"If anything, the fact that so many people are eager to come into the office is the real problem, isn't it?"
"We have no choice. We're going to have to enforce mandatory time off. When it's time to rest, they rest. Period."
In the wake of Rose's recent bout with a cold, Hachiman and Haruno were locked in a serious consultation. While Soleil was a far cry from a "black company" sweatshop, they had run into a bizarre counter-issue: employee morale was simply too high.
"In any case," Hachiman continued, "the next problem on the list is that one..."
"Ah, little Argo-chan," Haruno said with a knowing smile.
"Actually, if she took a day off, what kind of problems would it actually cause?"
"None, really. She's just holed up here because she likes it."
Hachiman frowned. "Just how long has it been since she actually went home?"
"Honestly? I don't know a single day where that girl wasn't in the building."
"What is she, the guardian spirit of the office?"
The two of them paused, a sudden wave of realization—and mild horror—washing over them.
"Wait, where does she even sleep?" Hachiman asked.
"Probably one of the nap rooms in the Dev Center? Those are soundproofed private units."
"So she's turned one of them into her permanent residence..."
"Well, I suppose that's fine for now, but what should we do? Maybe build a company dormitory?"
Hachiman looked out the window as he considered Haruno's suggestion. "I'm pretty sure the plot of land next door is up for sale."
"If we bought that, we could connect it directly to this building," Haruno added, her eyes brightening with the logistical challenge.
"The first floor would have to be a convenience store, right?"
"We wouldn't even need to turn a profit on it. If we can secure our own supply routes, we wouldn't even need a franchise. Without the rent or franchise fees, we could slash the prices. Employees could use their IDs, and we could issue permits for regular contractors to use it too. Naturally, with a steep employee discount."
Hachiman nodded, picking up the thread. "That way, we could tailor the inventory to what the staff actually wants. We'd need a full suite of delivery lockers, too—maybe a dedicated freight elevator and dollies to handle oversized packages."
"It would be perfect for new recruits, too. Oh! Why don't we move the cafeteria over there while we're at it? That would free up a ton of space in this building."
"We should probably solicit ideas from the rest of the staff next."
The two of them were tossing world-altering proposals back and forth with casual ease, but their expressions remained utterly professional. The "problem," of course, was that they had the resources to make every word of it a reality. With the inevitable input from the employees, the project was bound to become even more extravagant.
"Alright, that covers the 'Dormitory to Trap Argo' plan," Hachiman said. "The question is what to do with her in the meantime."
"I wonder what her current registered address even is," Haruno mused.
"I'll check with General Affairs."
A few minutes later, after receiving the reply from General Affairs, the two shared a heavy, synchronized sigh.
"You've got to be kidding..."
"She actually registered the Dev Center as her legal residence," Hachiman muttered.
"Unbelievable. Fine. In that case, we'll lease an apartment right nearby and force her into it. We'll run a dedicated line directly to the office so she can work from home when she has to..."
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Greyhounds
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"