CHAPTER 883: MUSARAKI NEXUS

April 27th. A sapphire dome stretched over Sakura City, pricked with the diamond dust of a billion distant stars. Even the week-long Bloom Week holiday couldn’t fully silence the city’s hum, a low thrum that vibrated through the soles of your feet. Neon kanji blazed against the inky canvas of the night, painting a vibrant tapestry across skyscrapers that clawed at the heavens.

The Sakura Tree Tower, a towering tree structure visible from most parts of the city, its light piercing the darkness, pulsed with a soft, rhythmic glow. A lone geisha, her kimono a whisper of silk against the night, hurried past, her geta clicking a sharp counterpoint to the distant murmur of a thousand conversations.

"Kirei desu ne?" a young woman whispered, her breath misting in the cool air, her gaze fixed on the illuminated Elvenland theme park, a fantastical swirl of colour against the black. Her companion chuckled, a low rumble. "Beautiful, indeed. But even the fairies seem quieter tonight."

The towering gates of centuries-old temples stood sentinel as each one of them had festivals to celebrate the season of blossoms. One of the temple’s dark wood contrasting sharply with the vibrant neon glow of a ramen shop across the street – one of the few still open as the owner wanted to take advantage of the increase of temple visitors during the temple festival to earn a little extra money. Its windows steamed with the warmth of simmering broth, a beacon in the city’s mostly darkened landscape.

Empty storefronts, their glass reflecting the city’s lights like vacant eyes, lined the avenues. Even the usually vibrant street markets were hushed, their stalls folded up, leaving behind only the faint lingering scent of spices and street food. The Bloom Week holiday had quieted the city’s frenetic pulse, yet a low, persistent heartbeat remained, the steady rhythm of a global metropolis taking a collective breath.

Musaraki Nexus was one of the giant companies with its headquarters in Sakura City. Most people might not be aware of this company, but most readers know the family that owns this company. The Yamada Family! That’s right, Ayia’s family was the owner of this company.

This was the company that managed the business empire that the Yamada Family had. The company was basically a conglomerate of hundreds of other companies, in which several of them were giants in their own sectors. This was the result of a family history of hundreds of years. The Yamada Family has built their business empire over the centuries, and now they are one of the biggest business groups in the world.

Inside the Musaraki Nexus building, however, a different scene unfolded. The skyscraper, a testament to the company’s century-long history, was brightly lit. Tens of employees still worked overtime that Tuesday night. Although the company had given the week of holiday to the majority of employees, some essential areas of the company still needed people to oversee 24/7. After all, a business conglomerate like theirs didn’t stop working on any day of the year. Many showed signs of fatigue: tired eyes, slumped postures suggesting long hours. One programmer, Kenji Tanaka, silently rubbed his temples, his mind racing to solve a complex coding problem. He was internally frustrated by the unexpected bug that had appeared in the system. His frustration, however, was expressed only through subtle body language. In a separate office, high on the 50th floor, Acting CEO Yamada Kaori reviewed financial reports on her large monitor. Ayia and Shizuka’s sister has assumed the post as Acting CEO of the Musaraki Nexus for a while now. This was one of the steps necessary for her to assume the Leadership of the Family. And if she managed to do a good job, in a few years, she would be able to assume the Family Leader position.

Nerves of Steel and abundant talent were the qualities necessary for a mid-20s person to be able to assume the CEO position of a business empire and not screw things up. And that was exactly what Kaori did. She assumed this position as if it were the easiest thing in the world. The pressure of this position didn’t even faze her. That’s why the Yamada Family members were already certain that in a few years, she would assume the Family Leader position.

Kaori was working in her office when she heard her phone ringing. She picked up and it showed a funny picture of her little sister, Ayia.

She smiled before answering the phone, "Hey, chipmunk-chan!"

"Ka-nee-chan, stop calling me that!" Ayia’s annoyed voice came from the phone.

"But it’s your cute little nickname since we were kids!" Kaori giggled.

"Stop that, or I’ll leak that video of you falling from a skate!" Ayia threatened.

"Okay, you win!" Kaori exclaimed, "You didn’t have to bring the big guns."

"Whatever," Ayia said, "What are you doing?"

"I’m at the office working, of course." Kaori replied, "The restaurant is not opening this week?"

"Of course not! Working during the Bloom Week sounds like torture." Ayia said with a teasing voice.

"Ha ha, very funny." Kaori replied, "What are you doing then?^Where’s Shizu-chan?"

"I’m taking a relaxing bubble bath while watching a drama series. Shizu-nee is gaming, I guess. You know how she sometimes spends hours gaming, and it seems she reserved the day to do only that."

"Eww, you pervert! Hentai! You are calling me naked!" Kaori exclaimed with a fake scream.

"Stop overreacting," Ayia said with a roll of her eyes.

"No come back for being a pervert, I see." Kaori giggled, "Anyways, why did you call me?"

"Ah, I remembered now!" Ayia exclaimed, "Ka-nee-chan, let’s go on a trip tomorrow? We decided to go to the Heartwood Mountains to enjoy the rest of the Bloom Week."

"Really? Everyone is going?" Kaori said with interest.

"Yes! The whole gang is going! And Theo and the others told me to convince you to come as well." Ayia said.

"I don’t know, Ayia. I have work to do." Kaori said with an uncertain voice.

"Come on, nee-chan! You work too much! Plus, the company won’t fall to pieces because you are away for a few days." Ayia said as she tried to convince her sister, "Plus, everyone misses you. We haven’t seen you for months already..."

Kaori’s heart was touched at that moment, ’It seems I’ve been spending too much time working.’

"Okay, I’ll go," Kaori said with a smile.

"Yay!! I can’t wait to..."

Just like that, the two sisters chatted for a good half an hour before hanging up the phone.

Elsewhere in the building, security personnel meticulously patrolled the halls. Their movements were systematic and predictable. The building’s security systems monitored access points and internal activity, recording everything for future review. The security team was largely unaware of the underlying tension felt by their fellow employees. Outside, a few cars and taxis still moved through the relatively quiet streets, carrying individuals, likely also working late or just finishing their shift at one of the few essential services still open. The night progressed steadily, with the

Musaraki Nexus employees continued their work. The quiet hum of computers and the occasional click of a keyboard were the only sounds disrupting the nocturnal silence of Sakura City. By sunrise, the city would begin to wake, but for now, the rhythm of the city was dictated by the tireless dedication of the employees of Musaraki Nexus. But their CEO would take the rest of the week to have fun with her sisters and her friends!