First day of the week, Monday.
When I went to the office, I was called by the director.
「Director, what can I do for you?」
「Sorry for calling you first thing in the morning.
Actually, I’d like you to request for the『requirements definition』of the system development for the Nancy Jewelry Tokyo Store, but is it fine?」
「Yes, it’s fine.」
The『Requirements definition』, huh. It means I’ll inquire about their request for what kind of system they’d like to be developed and put them all together.
「Then, let’s set up a meeting……」
「Well, yeah, actually, now that you mention it, it seems she won’t be able to come, too.」
「What do you mean?」
「Nancy-san seems to be busy with various things so we won’t be able to set up a meeting easily.
I’m sorry, but to proceed from this point, we will have to ask you to talk over there.」
「Understood.」
Busy?
But we were sightseeing in j.a.pan just the other day.
For the time being, I went to the Nancy・Jewelry Tokyo Store where Nancy was.
***
The Nancy Jewelry・Tokyo Store was located at first-cla.s.s district, Ginza.
「Hae~, they opened a shop in a wonderful place, huh~.」
I went through the entry formalities at the back entrance and entered inside.
When I entered inside the office, Nancy was doing the office work by herself.
Hm? What happened to mama-san?
「h.e.l.lo, Nancy.」
「Ah, Seiji, I’m sorry for making you come here expressly.」
「Are you doing the office work alone?
What about mama-san?」
「Mama……
is visiting various Macho・koba to observe.」
「Macho・koba?? What’s that?」
「They seem to be metalworking companies of small to medium enterprises doing business in『s.h.i.tamachi』.」
「Ah, it’s『Machikouba[1]』, huh!
Still, why is mama-san observing machikoubas?」
「She thinks that she will find out the secret of Seiji’s metalworking in the machikoubas and said she will study it.」
「I see.」
She seems to be serious in making that accessory without asking for my help.
「By the way, I’ve come to talk about the matter of the system development,
is it fine?」
「Ah, that matter, huh.
The system that is being used in the U.S have to be translated in j.a.panese in order for the j.a.panese employees to use from now on.
It will be easy if it’s you, right?」
I see, such a recognition, huh.
Then, it’s a job of an SE from here.
「What about its compatibility with the j.a.panese data?」
「What’s that?」
「The English alphabet has 26 letters, even if we separate the upper and lower case letters, there are only 52 letters, right?
On the other hand, the j.a.panese has hiragana・katakana and then, there’s even kanji; there are more than 2, 000 characters that are commonly used with kanji alone.
It’s necessary to re-develop the system to deal with that.」
「Is that so, it’s not so easy, huh.」
After that, we talked about the matter of the system development and I was able to somehow compile the requirements definition.
———-
「It’s necessary to show this to mama-san afterwards to get her authorization, but……
when is she going to return?」
「Well, yes, actually, now that you mention it, she only visits various machikoubas and hasn’t returned home at all……
so I’m in trouble because the office work piled up.」
「Didn’t you hire someone who does the paperwork?」
「Anyhow, it was sudden~.
I haven’t got the means to go around that far yet.
Seiji, will you help me?」
「Wait a moment, I will get a confirmation from the company.」
When I called the director and explained the circ.u.mstances,
the director gladly approved.
Well, she’s an important business partner.
I often heard that it’s troublesome to be asked for help by the business client in the society, but……
Well, I got the director’s permission, so it’s particularly fine, right?
「The director allowed me to help.」
「Thank you, I’m saved.」
———-
I only help with the IT paperwork at the beginning, but I, who is good at both English and j.a.panese, can easily find mistakes on the doc.u.ments using【Information Magic】.
With this and that, I was able to help with the doc.u.ments other than the IT’s with a considerable quant.i.ty, too.
「Seiji, you are really excellent, huh.」
「To some extent.」
「Won’t you resign as an SE and become our office worker?」
「I’ll consider it if I get fired as an SE.」
When we proceeded with the work while talking about such a thing,
I found a doc.u.ment which was written in neither j.a.panese nor English.
「Nancy, what’s this doc.u.ment?」
「I don’t know.」
「You don’t know, you say. Aren’t you the manager here, Nancy?」
「Mama seems to be doing something,
but I can’t read that doc.u.ment.」
Let’s try to use【Language Acquisition】……
somehow or other, it seems to be a language called『Dzongkha』,
I’ll try to acquire it for the time being.
「Let me see, it seems to be a doc.u.ment about the import of the nullpo stones.」
「Eh? Seiji, you can read it?」
「Well, I must admit…」
「Why don’t you resign as an SE and become an interpreter?」
「I’ll consider it if I get fired as an SE.」
Somehow or other, the『Nullpo stones』seems to be something produced in『Bhutan』.
When you say Bhutan, that country of happiness?
Is the『Nullpo stone』mined in that country?
Bhutan, huh……
I’d like to go there once.
Nevertheless, isn’t this doc.u.ment a『company secret』or something like that?
Is their information security alright?
There may be differences in degrees of enthusiasm, commitment, interest, etc on that area between IT companies and companies of other type of industry.
———-
「Thanks to Seiji, the doc.u.ments that piled up were considerably put in order.
Thank you.」
「It’s good that I could help.」
When Nancy and I were shaking hands……
*Batan!*
The room’s door was vigorously opened
and mama-san entered.
「Oh my! Nancy has a secret date with Seiji, huh~.」
「Welcome home, mama.
Because mama wasn’t here, Seiji helped me with the delayed paperwork.」
「Aah, is that so.」
Well, she understands from the beginning and just obviously making fun of us.
「Other than such a thing, listen Nancy!」
「What is it?」
「The j.a.panese『Macho・koba』is amazing!!」
「Mama, it’s『Machikouba』when said, you know?」
Nancy was also wrong a little while ago, though.
「Just you watch, Seiji!
Since I joined hands with『Macho・koba』, I will show you that I will make a jewelry that won’t be defeated by you!」
Somehow, it feels like it became a confrontation with a rival,
is my profession really an SE?
Translator’s notes:
[1]a small factory in town; backstreet (small) workshop.
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