The Interview (Kaede)

"Alright, I'll see what I can do about it." Aeri said her final words before hanging up the wall phone with a small sigh. She just spoke to a teacher about ordering certain materials for their lesson and while it may be a little too expensive, Aeri can actually manage to buy it. It's just that the teacher needed them as soon as she can and Aeri wasn't too sure how long it would take for the stuff to arrive. Honestly, if this issue was reported much earlier, things would have been a little less stressful than it would be right now.

Walking back to her seat, Aeri also remembered she also had to meet someone, someone who was actually applying to work here. It wasn't too long ago she received and read a resume for being a biology teacher, specifically by a man. She wouldn't really mind hiring a few more men into helping the student thrive for success. Now what was his name again? Aeri decided to open up her laptop and log into her email to refresh her memory. Digging through all the emails she had, she managed to find one with regards to a resume with the sender's name, Makoto Kaede and in returned, gave him directions on how exactly to find the academy.

She actually wondered how the man was like. Was he an uptight man who's always serious 24/7, along with being completely strict and doesn't know what fun is like her partner in crime, also known as Leonora the assistant principal or was he someone who can be at ease like the rest of the staff members at school? The only way Aeri would actually know would be meeting the guy. She just hopes nothing would go wrong during this interview.

Hopefully every will run out smoothly. Just hopefully.

Makoto would be lying if he said he wasn’t anxious about this interview. Having failed the prior three due to the negative influences of networking, the pharmacist found himself at his wit’s last end. By this point, any job was worth taking when compared to the alternative of unemployment. This held especially true when considering that the young man had even applied for a teaching position in the next town over. What he hadn’t expected however was the fact that he had actually received an interview. Applying primarily out of thoroughness and desperation, the one email he didn’t expect a reply to was in fact successful!

Without hesitation, he had scheduled an appointment at Fukui Academy and prepared himself for potential interview questions. After all, regardless of the job’s nature, it wasn’t like him to approach it half-assedly. Was it ideal? Not quite, but then again, what exactly was ideal for the lad at this point? Given the chaos he’d experienced in retail pharmacy not too long ago, it was his own prided profession that drove him to the point of exhaustion. Perhaps things were better this way… Only time could tell of course. For now, he’d focus on landing himself a position at this school.

Shaking his head repeatedly as if to harden his resolve, two soft hands gently smacked both his cheeks, snapping him back to reality. Makoto had taken the rail system for quite some distance. His final station was the next stop and he dreaded the prospect of missing it. Realistically however, it wouldn’t be too big a problem. Given his own quirks, the man made it a habit of leaving soon enough to accommodate for delays and mishaps. Worst case scenario, he’d simply arrive early in town, which gave him leeway to explore the local area some.

Luckily enough, no misfortune occurred during his travels. Instead, the young job seeker would find himself an hour early, resulting in mindless meandering about until he caught wind of the academy’s annual spring festival. Without anything better to do, he’d curiously explore the grounds, attempting to glean what the students were like. From what Makoto could discern, the students were in fact as advertised – heavily invested into the arts. Did the school really need a science teacher? Or perhaps it was simply a role that was there for the sake of existing. Burying such a thought into the corner of his mind, he’d satiate himself with a couple snacks along the way before heading into the building. Small plastic bag in hand, the youth had planned on offering some takoyaki to his prospective employer. The stall he had found near the center of the grounds was especially delicious, focusing on consistency rather than quantity. Within the bag lie an assortment of toppings and condiments as well, each separated neatly into cute, small plastic containers for the consumer’s liking. (Wooden skewers and napkins were included of course.) Some habits never change. His meticulousness for detail was one of such things.

Entering timidly through the crowded halls filled with festivities, he’d navigate his way to the principal’s office by memory, depending solely on the instructions attached in the email. Hopefully his correspondent had done so accurately, otherwise he’d find himself a bit tardy. Being late was never good for a first impression. Speaking of his correspondent, the name of the individual he sought to meet was an Aeri Yang. On this notion, he began to imagine what sort of person she’d be. A strict, orderly and well-mannered type was the first thing to come to mind.

Regardless of her personality, one thing was for certain. He’d find out within the next few minutes. Steps quickly approaching the door that was described in the instructions, he’d confirm the name upon the plaque before knocking twice in rapid succession, once gently, a second time more firmly with what resolve he could muster. His voice rang clearly as the young graduate hastily reorganized his thoughts in preparation of the upcoming ordeal. “Ms. Yang? This is Makoto Kaede. I’m here for our scheduled appointment.” As for what would happen next – only time would tell.

aeri yang

GREY!

Aeri began to twirl around in her chair as she waited for the man to arrive. Now what can she do to pass the time? She could always check up on other teachers and see if they need anything, or maybe go check to see how the festival's doing or something. Maybe go bug the assistant principal or just bring her in here to also maybe help Aeri with the interview. But what if the man comes by and Aeri wasn't there? And heaven knows where the hell the assistant principal would be for Aeri to find her. Oh well.

So instead, Aeri decided to grab out a lighter and a cigar. Putting the butt on the cigarette in her mouth, she lit up her cigar to huff and puff some smoke out. Smoking was something she never does while she's on school grounds, mainly because god forbid she might just start a fire. It was something she never really does too much, but once in a while she's not afraid to light up a smoke. Just when she was about to take another huff and puff, she heard knocking behind that door, as a male voice rang muffled in her office stating that he was Makoto Kae-

...

Crap.

Jumping out of her seat, Aeri immediately ran to her window as she opened it up and threw the cigar outside. Now all she had to do was to deal with the scent of smoke lurking around in her office; not only in her office, but also on her. Breath mint could easily solve the smoky breath problem, but it unfortunately couldn't help her office. I may not take care of the office's smell, but I cal at least take care of the breath problem. She thought, running to her bag and digging to see if she had any gum. And she did! Coincidentally mint flavored. Opening up a pack and taking a piece, she scrambled the wrapper off and shoved the gum into her mouth.

Finally, Aeri did a quick check on how her outfit looks: as usual, she had on her white blouse tucked by her open blazer with her black skirt and heels with her hair tied up. It was the perfect attire to look professional, mainly because it was cheap and was simply enough. Now that she felt like she was ready to go, she quickly sat back down in her seat, brushing some of her bangs off of her face. Taking a deep breath, Aeri gave herself a quick nod.

"Come in, the door's open." Aeri called. She just hope the man wouldn't mind a faintly smoke scent occupying the office.

Upon announcing his arrival, a strange turn of events could be heard. Feet shuffling in a hurried manner from within the room, the young man waited patiently while listening all the more diligently to the actions occurring just out of his sight. Had he come early? His deep hazel eyes flickered down towards a metallic wrist watch on his left hand in order to check the time. Ok, so perhaps he was two minutes early. The notion from before faded quickly after confirming this fact. It wasn’t worth dwelling on for too long anyway.

Instead, he’d take a deep breath, exhaling slowly while a hand firmly grasped upon the knob after being called upon to enter. With what resolve he’d been able to muster, the door opened succinctly as he’d calmly take several steps into the room, bowing slightly on his way in. Makoto was dressed in a collared shirt with a deep purple colored hue, jet black dress pants which appeared crisp and well ironed, a silky black tie with neatly organized speckles to match his top, and a pair of black leather shoes and a belt for completion of his ensemble. Sitting comfortably atop the bridge of his nose, rest a pair of dull, gray, metallic looking, rectangular spectacles, giving off a well-studied appearance despite his young age. In one hand was a white plastic bag giving off a hint of steam and the scent of freshly made takoyaki. Beneath that same arm, a brown leather portfolio was tucked away. It most likely held his resume, curriculum vitae and other important documents.

On another note, it can’t be said that Makoto’s first impression of Ms. Yang was very good. Trying his best to hide the displeasure, his nose crinkled ever so slightly upon catching the first waft of smoke in the air. The odor was very faint, hardly noticeable and practically non-existent. Were it not for his mild disliking of the scent, perhaps he wouldn’t have even noticed. After adding in the previous sounds he had heard as well as her current chewing motions, it was fairly easy to piece together the events that had occurred prior to his arrival. That said, he’d still put forth a good effort, smiling at her amicably after closing the door gently behind him.

Taking a few more steps forward till he stood just short of the desk, the pharmacist extended his free hand to offer a hand shake. While doing so, he’d speak a few concise words out of courtesy, his head dipping slightly again. “Makoto Kaede. Pleased to meet you.”

aeri yang

GREY!

Aeri watched the door creak its way on being opened, slowly anticipating on how the man looked. Of course right off the top of her head she would assume he would look like some sort of scholarly type of teachers; teachers that are one hundred percent focus and strive for their students to be the top of the top. And so there she had it as the man walked into her office: an overall look of being ready for success with a respectable and reputable look with just a few items in his hands. With one of them being in a white bag, she didn't really know what was inside of it, since the faint scent of smoke was still around. And by the looks of it, it looks like Aeri was welcoming yet another young staff member into the family.

"A pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Makoto." Aeri replied, giving a nod to the young man while extending her hand out Kaede's own, accepting the handshake. Releasing his hand and pulling hers back, she brushed just a few bangs out away from her eyes to get a better look of the man. "First and foremost, I would like to thank you for applying to become a staff member of Fukui Academy. But before going any further to an official welcome, I'd like to know you a little better and your past experiences. So please, take a seat." Aeri explained, pointing to the seat behind the man.

Once he taken his seat, Aeri would then continue. "To start us off, just give me a brief summary about yourself. Just tell important points from your resume as to why do you think you have what it takes to be a teacher in this academy." She explained more. That should be simple enough, right? No complications there.

The handshake given by Makoto was firm and steady, carefully matching the recipient’s strength. It was a precise art he’d learned while working in the medical field through countless person to person interactions. Given the importance of first impressions, the lad had quickly gauged how to maintain a solid grip without being overbearing. With what he considered to be the first test now out of the way, the calmed youth would take a look at his counterpart more carefully as he sat himself down. She was quite sharply dressed to put it professionally. He’d leave it at that. As for his leather bag and the white plastic bag, they were set to the side of his seat.

Upon hearing her supplemental explanation on how the interview would proceed, he’d nod with an inner sigh of relief sounding off mentally. This was within the realm of his expectations and the lad had prepared himself well for such a question. Reaching swiftly within his leather portfolio, he’d retrieve a copy of his resume and place it atop the desk before him. Chances of it being necessary were typically low; however it was always good to demonstrate preparedness during these kinds of events. While doing so, he’d take the initiative to speak, hitting the highlights he had rehearsed multiple times while aboard the train. It would be a strange approach, however it was the one he thought was the best.

“My apologies if this is too frank, however I’m not quite sure if I have what it takes to be a teacher.” An uneasy laugh sounded as he forged ahead. “As you can tell from my resume, I lack any teaching experience aside from tutoring… I’m a pharmacist first and foremost. That said, I believe my contributions to Fukui could be quite useful.  I'm also a fast learner and more than willing to learn the ropes on being an educator.” He’d again motion towards the resume placed atop the desk if it was left untouched before proceeding. “For starters, I do fulfill the basic requirements you were looking for. Despite majoring in biology, I’m very proficient in chemistry, particularly biochemistry as well as physics – which well encompasses all the sciences the students here would ever partake in. The knowledge and drive are present, only the experience is lacking.” He’d then motion to a lower portion of the resume titled “Education.”

“In addition to fulfilling your basic needs, you’ll notice that I’ve also completed a doctor’s of pharmacy as well as a minor in business. I believe that this versatility will become quite useful given the school’s current infrastructure.” At this point, Makoto was hinting firmly at the lack of any real student support aside from various counselors and the lone nurse tending to the facility. “First and foremost I am a health care provider. If you’d like, I can assist in that department as well.” He’d shift uncomfortably on this note, unsure of whether to continue. Despite his concerns, he’d forge ahead. “Originally I had applied for the position of health department director of this school… however it seems that somewhere down the line it was altered for a teaching position instead.  A minor clerical error by HR.” A hand rose nonchalantly as he’d dismiss the error like a second thought. “I’m also fairly well versed in inventory and account management thanks to my minor, which allows me to be of even greater assistance.  As far as practical experience is concerned in this aspect, I've stably managed my old store's inventory for over a year without any major hiccups, resulting in a thirty percent decrease in overstock without short changing patient needs - all within my first year of being hired.”

His voice trailed off intentionally as if serving as a segue way to his final bullet. “As for my last point, I’m well aware that this is a school for the arts. It’s understandable if science is not a core subject. On that note, if you’ll check the lower portion of my resume, you’ll notice that I’m fully capable in the classical music department, particularly brass instruments, and would be more than happy to offer tutoring to any of those students, regardless of how musically inclined they may or may not be… It’s been a while since I’ve ranked in any competitions due to studying overseas, however I assure you that my skills are still sharp as ever.”

Makoto’s eyes quickly glanced down at his wrist watch before nodding with satisfaction. Two minutes. That was the time it took for him to deliver his prepared argument. When it came to things like this, it was especially important to remain brief lest he lose the employer’s interest. After confirming his timeliness, he’d let out a soft sigh as if to catch his breath. While practicing at home, he finished roughly 30 seconds slower. Was his pacing too fast?

aeri yang

GREY!

Aeri nodded from time to time as she heard the young man respond. And hell did he had a lot to say. Though it was pretty interesting to see a pharmacist aim for a teaching position despite lacking experience. Then again, there were a few teachers that lacks teaching experience and here they are now, so she wouldn't really hold that against Kaede. Not to mention this young man has proficiency in some fields of science which was actually pretty impressive. Maybe this guy might have what it takes to teach despite having little to no experience in the field whatsoever. Though, Aeri couldn't jump straight into conclusions and results just yet.

A director in the health department of this academy? To Aeri it didn't seem so much like a "minor" error. To her, it would be seen more as her applying to be the principal but somehow ends up as a literacy teacher. She wouldn't really take that "minor" error so kindly. She could also have this man help her with the teacher with some of the things they ordered like the phone call she received from an instructor who was in desperate need for materials. There was always room for a third hand in helping with stocks and inventory; second hand was of course the assistant principal.

On the plus note Kaede also mentioned he's willing to help tutor musically, as he had experience with specifically brass instruments. Hell, what were those again? Oh well. At least he mentioned something about classical music and instruments so she wasn't actually lost as she'd expect, not to mention he was apparently ranked in competitions. But of course, she wouldn't say science wouldn't be really a big matter to worry about, since Aeri already had a teacher teaching in the scientific fields, so why go against with adding another one?

As soon as the young man was done talking, Aeri cleared up her throat. "Alright, so from what you said and of course from your resume on how you talked about lacking teaching experience, how would you format your lesson plans along with setting up any... tutoring you'd offer to students as having experience with brass type of instruments?"