"Na-na-na-naaa~ woo~!" Adeline was still spinning in her chair when—
Creak~ The office door swung open.
A man stood in the doorway, hand gripping the handle tight, looking just as startled as she was. He wore a clean-cut suit, the kind you'd wear to an interview, and his smile screamed first impression mode.
"Uh—hi! Did I, uh, walk into the wrong office?" the young American man said, half-grinning in embarrassment.
The soft classical tune floating through the room faded as the AI automatically lowered the volume.
"Ahm~~" Adeline spun her chair back toward her desk, still smiling. "Come on in."
He stepped inside, moving with cautious politeness, and sat down across from her.
"Good morning! Beautiful office, by the way," he said warmly.
"Thank you," Adeline replied with a gentle nod.
"Eric Perlman. Nice to meet you," he said, sitting up straight, posture perfect.
"Did you bring your portfolio, Mr. Perlman?" she asked.
"Yes, ma'am, right here." He handed her a holographic disk along with the printed documents for his job application.
Adeline tapped the hologram, flipping through a series of glowing panels displaying his past work. After a moment, she nodded approvingly.
"Hm~ design department too, huh? Not bad, not bad at all," she teased, curling her lips into a faint smile as she looked up at him.
"So tell me, why'd you choose to work here?"
"I'm looking for experience," Eric said confidently. "It'd be amazing to work for one of Phoenix's biggest automotive firms. And—well, I want to make my wife proud. Getting a good job like this… means a lot to us."
Adeline smiled faintly, though her eyes stayed sharp. "I see~ your portfolio looks impressive. How confident are you that this job fits you?"
"I've worked in vehicle structure design for about two years now," he said, sitting forward a little. "My first project was designing a taillight system—really unique. I even engraved my initials into the Benedict Model RS. I think that experience could really help me contribute here—maybe a little, maybe a lot. Hopefully a lot."
Adeline raised an eyebrow. "Interesting~ and where do you see yourself in, say, five years?"
Eric hesitated a beat, then answered, "I'd like to see myself in a higher position. If I keep learning and gaining experience, I believe I'll deserve that promotion."
"Mm-hm." Adeline leaned her elbows on the desk, clasping her hands. "Okay, final question. If you had to go home empty-handed today, would you still go hug your wife?"
"Uh—wow, didn't see that one coming." He chuckled nervously, then smiled. "Yeah… I'd tell her, 'Don't worry, honey. I'll keep trying—for you, and for our kid.'"
Adeline's grin widened. "Mhm! Alright then, we'll…"
She stamped the document with a satisfying click. The red holographic mark glowed across the page: ACCEPTED.
"Congratulations, Mr. Perlman. See you tomorrow."
Eric blinked, then burst into a broad smile. "Thank you—thank you so much! Woo!" He extended his hand enthusiastically. Adeline shook it, her grip light but firm.
As he left, the door closed gently behind him. The office fell silent again for a moment.
"Yokumi, play the music again."
"Right away, Ms.Callaghan~"
"Hi~"
Yokumi brought the classical music back to life, and Adeline spun in her chair like a fourteen-year-old. "Hay~!"