On the following day, Akiko set off for the postponed interview, resolved to take the bus this time. The sky was heavy and threatening, and it started raining soon after she got on the bus to the station. Only a handful of people were not wearing masks, and Akiko realised that she had, once again, forgot to buy herself any. She resolved to get one at the chemist’s near the station, before she got on the train.

As the bus ground to a halt in yet another traffic jam, she realised that she would have to give up that idea. They crawled along for a good fifteen minutes, before passing the police cars that marked the site of the accident and picking up to something like a normal pace. At the station, Akiko dashed straight onto the train, already sure that she would be late. She considered calling the company to say that she would be late, but at that point the PA system reminded everyone not to talk on their cell phones, so she abandoned the idea.

At the other end, things seemed to go quite smoothly. There was a bus waiting at the terminal, and it left within five minutes of Akiko getting on. Checking her watch, she thought that she might just make it in time, and settled back in her seat.

A loud sneeze from behind her, followed by coughing, made her jump, and she looked round. The man behind her, covering his face with a handkerchief, was coughing violently, and really didn’t look well, hunched up and shivering inside his coat. Once again Akiko realised that she didn’t have a mask, and she quickly looked forward again, hoping that she could escape infection.

The rain was getting heavier, and Akiko could barely see out of the window. The driver was clearly having a similar problem, as the bus had slowed to a crawl. A car’s horn sounded behind them, then again, more insistent. The driver sped up a bit, but soon slowed down again. Akiko heard an engine rev behind them, and looked out of the window to see a car overtaking them. Another car appeared in front of them, and the overtaking car accelerated and swerved, trying to pull in in front of the bus.

There was a terrible crash as it didn’t quite make it, clipping the front of the bus and spinning out of control. The bus was knocked sideways, lurching as it ploughed into a streetlight, coming to an abrupt stop, throwing Akiko forward so that she banged her head on the back of the seat in front.

“Is anyone hurt?â€ the driver called back, looking round at the all. Akiko raised her hand to her forehead, but there was no blood, and the skin was only a little tender. She shook her head, and around her the other passengers were doing the same. The driver nodded in relief.

“I’m really sorry about that,â€ he continued. “It would be best if everyone got off the bus, though.â€ No-one was particularly enthusiastic at that prospect, not even Akiko. “There’s a convenience store just over there.â€ The driver pointed across the road, and opened the doors, and people started to get up. Akiko remained in her seat for a few moments, looking at the driving rain, and then sighed, pulling her folding rain coat out of her bag. She had learned to be prepared for these sorts of problems.

It took some time to reach the office following the bus route, and by the time she had Akiko’s legs were soaked through. Fortunately, the rain coat had kept the worst of it off her, so she was not as wet as last time by the time she got through the door.

She had called ahead about the bus crash, so the receptionist was ready for her.

“Are you all right? You really are having a run of bad luck, aren’t you. Mr Sugimoto says that you can have a few minutes to dry off before the interview.â€ Akiko smiled wryly.

“Thank you. Fortunately, I still had my jacket this time.â€

A few minutes with a towel actually made a lot of difference, and the pain in her head had largely receded by the time Akiko made her way to the interview room. Mr Sugimoto was there with two other people, a man and a woman, and he smiled as Akiko came in.

“Thank you for coming, Ms Tanahata. Can I just say that I admire your persistence in coming to this interview? It makes you wonder whether someone doesn’t want you to be here.â€ He laughed, and Akiko forced herself to laugh along with him, ignoring her suspicion that someone really didn’t want her to be here.

She took the indicated seat, and the woman got up and went to prepare coffee. Mr Sugimoto started with some general questions, largely, Akiko suspected, to fill time.

“Ow!â€ She looked over to the woman, who was sucking on her hand.

“I’m sorry,â€ the woman said. “The coffee is very, very hot. There must be something wrong with the thermostat. You should let it stand for a little while before you drink it.â€ Wrapping a tea towel round it, she picked it up and put it on the table in front of Akiko. Akiko nodded her thanks, and the woman sat down.

“Well then,â€ said Mr Sugimoto, “I suppose we can start properly now.â€

No sooner had he said that than the ground shook, gently at first, then suddenly more strongly, rattling the windows, knocking books over, making Akiko and the interviewers grab the table or the arms of their chairs.

And tumbling the cup of coffee off the table and into Akiko’s lap.

The heat of the liquid was almost immediately painful, and Akiko sprang to her feet, knocking the cup to the floor. Instinct seemed to take over, and she had pulled her skirt off, and her blouse and jacket away from her body, before she even realised what she was doing. As she started to pull down on her knickers, conscious thought kicked in, and she just pulled the wet patch away from her skin instead.

Still, she could imagine what she looked like, and she went bright red.

Somewhat comfortingly, so did the interviewers. Mr Sugimoto and the other man quickly left the room, muttering incomprehensible things that were probably apologies. Akiko sucked her breath in as the hot liquid made its way to the fabric that was still in contact with her skin, and, now that the men had left, pushed her underwear down and struggled out of the other clothes.

The woman was babbling apologies through her embarrassment, as Akiko sank back down into the chair, her hands firmly in her lap.

<em>At least they aren’t filming me here,</em> she thought. <em>But I can’t work here now! </em>Besides that, her conviction that Tamao did not want her taking the job was far stronger than it had been. He didn’t want her taking this job, or any other job. And he was willing to hurt her to make that point.

The receptionist appeared with towels, and Akiko wrapped them round herself for a bit of modesty while her clothes dried and cooled off.

<em>OK Tamao,</em> she thought to herself. <em>I give up. You don’t want me to work. I get the idea.</em>

<em>What </em><strong><em>do</em></strong><em> you want me to do?</em>