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...
Fuecoco nearly fell off Hana's lap from the shock, but managed to recover in time.
"W-What did you just say, sir? I think I misheard you…" Hana said in disbelief.
"I said that from now on, you are the new head of the central post office of the Paldea region," her boss repeated.
"But I don't understand. Why? How is this possible? Who…?" Hana asked.
Some of those questions didn't even make sense, but she was so shocked that her brain still couldn't process what she had just heard.
"I don't know who or how, but yesterday one of the higher-ups called and personally appointed you as the new head," her boss said.
"But… that doesn't make sense… I don't know anyone who could've done something like that…" Hana said.
If she did, this could've happened long ago. She wasn't lying.
"Have you met anyone recently who might have that kind of influence?" her boss asked.
"Met someone recently…?" Hana repeated.
Suddenly, Ash's face popped into her mind.
It had to be him! He was the one she had delivered the letter to!
"Ash…" Hana said without thinking.
"Ash? Then it's possible that this Ash person is the one behind it," her boss said.
"But Ash is just a Pokémon Trainer…" Hana said.
"Appearances can be deceiving, Hana. He may be a Pokémon Trainer, but he probably has connections. When did you meet him?" her boss asked.
"The other day. He's the one I delivered that letter to," Hana replied.
"The one you delivered the letter to? Incredible… he must've really liked you to do you such a big favor," her boss said.
"W-What?! L-Like me?! We only met once, and only for a few minutes! I mean—it's not like he's not handsome or anything, it's just…!" Hana stammered.
Her face turned bright red, and she grew flustered. Her hands began to sweat, and she suddenly felt very hot.
"Ah, youth… isn't it wonderful? In any case, I'm not wrong. He must've taken quite a liking to you, otherwise he wouldn't have done something like this," her boss said.
Like her?!
It's not that she didn't like Ash—he was handsome, even her type—but they had only met once, and for just a few minutes!
"I… um…" Hana said, unable to respond.
She was so embarrassed she wanted to run away, jump into an ice bath, and then bury herself somewhere forever.
"In any case, if it really was him, then this is a favor you should thank him for in person. Once you've settled into your new position, go and thank him properly," her boss said.
"O-Okay… I will…" Hana said, still blushing.
But her mind kept replaying her boss's words.
Did Ash really like her?
It didn't seem possible… but if that wasn't the case, then why would he go so far to help her after knowing her for just a few minutes?
It didn't make sense.
But she would find out. She had to.
Then, suddenly, something occurred to her.
"Wait… what's going to happen to you, sir?" Hana asked.
The position she was about to take was the very one her boss had occupied until just moments ago, and despite everything, he had never made things too difficult for her.
"Are you worried about me after everything I put you through?" her boss asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well… you were never too harsh on me, and it's true I was pretty clumsy at first, but you were patient enough to put up with me and teach me. I don't want this position if it means you'll be fired," Hana said.
Now that she thought about it… what would happen to him if he lost his job? He was already quite old, and it would be difficult for him to find another one. She wouldn't feel right taking his place while he ended up out on the street.
"Thank you for your concern, but your friend thought of everything," her boss said.
"What do you mean?" Hana asked.
"Your friend didn't just help you get this position. He was kind enough not to leave me stranded either," her boss explained.
"What do you mean?" Hana asked again.
"I've been granted early retirement. Starting today at 10 PM, I will officially be retired. And on top of that, my retirement salary will actually be slightly higher than what I'm earning now, so I won't be left out on the street or anything like that," her boss said.
"That's amazing!" Hana exclaimed.
It seemed Ash hadn't just helped her—he had helped her boss as well.
But that raised another problem.
Ash had done so much for her, even though he had only known her for a few minutes.
How was she supposed to repay something like that?
And more importantly… how was she supposed to handle being the boss when she had been so clumsy at her previous job?
"What's wrong? Aren't you happy? This is what you wanted. You'll be the head of this place now. And that doesn't just mean supervising your employees—you'll also be able to deliver letters yourself if that's what you want. Unfortunately, I couldn't do that because of my age, but you're still young," her boss said.
"But… how am I supposed to be as good a boss as you when I can barely do my current job without making mistakes?" Hana asked.
"I see… so that's what's bothering you," her boss said.
"Yes. Being the head of this place comes with a lot of responsibility… and I don't know if I'm ready for that," Hana nodded.
This had always been her dream—ever since that winter morning when she saw Dragonite for the first time. Back then, she had stepped outside in her pink pajamas to pick up the mail, and that moment had changed everything.
But now that she was finally about to achieve that dream… she couldn't help but wonder:
Am I really qualified for this?
"Hana, let me tell you something," her boss said.
"Yes?" she replied.
Her boss picked up a framed photo from his desk and turned it toward her.
"What do you see here?" he asked.
Hana looked at the picture.
"It's a young man… he looks about my age. Is he your son?" she asked.
The young man had dark hair, a short-sleeved blue shirt, and white shorts. He looked extremely nervous—standing stiff and rigid, with an expression far from relaxed. Next to him was a small Quaxly who, unlike the boy, was smiling confidently with a pose that could only be described as "cool."
"No. That's me when I was young," her boss said.
"W-What?! But this photo is in color, and back when you were that age, cameras—!" Hana started.
But she quickly covered her mouth before making things worse.
"Ahem. It was one of the first color cameras. But that's not important. What matters is my expression. How do I look? Happy? Sad? What do you see?" her boss asked.
Hana looked carefully.
"You look… extremely nervous. You're stiff, like you can't even move," she said.
"That's right. Do you know when that photo was taken?" her boss asked.
"No… when?" Hana asked.
"My first day as the head of this place. It was also my eighteenth birthday," he explained.
Hana was stunned.
"You were only eighteen? That's just one year older than I am now," she said.
"That's right. I took on this position at almost the same age as you. And as you can see in the photo… I was incredibly nervous. So nervous I even wanted to cry. I felt lost. I didn't know how I was supposed to handle such an important responsibility. I didn't think I was ready," her boss said.
"And… how did you do it? How did you overcome those fears?" Hana asked.
She could relate completely—this was exactly how she felt.
"I didn't. In fact, my first few days were a disaster. But little by little, I gained experience, and those fears started to fade. What I'm trying to say is… don't worry. Just be yourself, and everything will work out. And besides… even if I've never said it before, I truly believe you can go even further than I ever did, Hana," her boss said.