Then it was my turn.
After a quick Sign of the Cross, I went up on the podium, clearing my throat several times. I spent a few seconds lettingto let my eyes adjust to the brightness of the limelight trained on me from the ceiling. It almost felt like I was talking to myself, which I liked just fine.
I knew that aside from George and Arian, Charli was there, too, as our supervisor. But I was totally clueless about the identities of the three other managers, and it made me nervous. I wished I had remembered to ask Charli about them before the presentation.
Taking a deep breath, I started on my presentation.
Why Hana Kimi?
Before you ask that question, let me share you a couple of things first. Slam Dunk, Boys over Flowers, and Coffee Prince are just a few Asian TV series that were imported to Europe and became such huge blockbusters with their niche markets. Fans loved the sport angle in Slam Dunk, the harem of beautiful-looking guys found in Boys Over Flowers, and the idea of a girl pretending to be a guy in Coffee Prince.
Hana Kimi has all of those so maybe the question should be, why not Hana Kimi? It was already adapted for a TV series in Taiwan and was an instant hit. With the right formula, I have no doubt that its success could be duplicated for a Western audience.
The series is about a girl who so idolizes a high jumper she once saw performing that she decided to transfer to the same school he’s in – even if it means hiding her true gender to enroll in an all-boys’ school.
In her new school, Mizuki – the heroine in the series – meets an entire cast of good-looking guys, all of them with potential to have their own storylines. As for the requisite twist, Mizuki actually becomes the roommate of her idol and crush Sano. You can just imagine the ba-dump ba-dump moments that it could create!
Another great thing about this series is that it has 23 volumes in total, and with English translation already provided by Viz Media. TV networks can then choose whether they want a short series and focus on their favorite scenes – or they can go long and maximize on the series’ potential. It’s all up to the client, but either way – it’s a win-win situation for Kastein, Inc.
And then it was over.
It was the longest 15 minutes of my life, and my knees were still quaking underneath me. Someone flipped the light switch and suddenly, I heard people getting to their feet and clapping, with Charli even beaming at me. She was so sophisticated I never even thought she knew how to grin, much less beam!
Still a little dizzy at the realization that my presentation was indeed over and that I had survived, I quickly stepped down from the podium and relinquished my space to Charli.
Fanning myself with my presentation script, I let my gaze roam the room absently and froze when I encountered a pair of lazy gray eyes studying me with such intensity I found myself catching my breath.
Constantijin was here.
His unsmiling face made me nervous, but even so I couldn’t help feeling gloriously alive just for seeing him. It was exactly like that ba-dump moment I was talking about earlier.
Unnerved by his impassive expression, I forced myself to listen to Charli, who was just thanking us three for the presentation and saying that all our recommendations were worth considering.
“Arian, your presentation was lovely, but next time I hope you add more statistical data – such as what Yanna shared about Hana Kimi’s performance in Japan and Europe.”
Ha! Take that, Arian!
“George, your presentation was also lovely but for now – please stay away from extremely graphic yaoi series. I don’t think American mainstream audience is ready for it yet.”
I gave George a thumbs-up, who was doing his best not to look disappointed.
“And Yanna, you did a great job. I can see how much passion went into your project, but next time, I do hope you have a better video to share with us.”
Arian, you selfish girl, you!
Charli beamed again. “Since this went so very well, I’m delighted to tell you that you will be presenting the same recommendations to the executive managers next.”
Her announcement, made out of the blue, had me gulping and I could see that even Arian was feeling queasy at the thought.
But Charli didn’t seem to notice our silent panic. She thanked our audience, making a special note of Constantijin’s presence. Apparently, he didn’t have to be here at all.
Afterwards, the two other executives talked to us one by one. There was Martha, the finance department head and Lawrence, who led the production department.
At the end of the line was Constantijin. He took his time talking to George and Arian, never once glancing my way. It hurt and angered me, but I knew I couldn’t flounce off like I wanted to.
When he turned his back on Arian, forcing the other woman to close her mouth and retreat, I gave him my best polite, I’m-not-bothered-smile. “Sir.”
He didn’t smile in return.
“I have a few questions about your recommendation.” The curtness of his tone made me straighten. Oh God, was that why he seemed to be in a bad mood? Did he hate my presentation?
Constantijin was already leaving and I had to half-run so I could walk next to him but making sure I was lagging a few inches behind at the same time as a way of showing respect for his position.
“What questions do you have?” I asked nervously.
“Later,” he answered in a still-brusque tone, which only made me tense even more.
He pulled me into his office, which actually had its own reception area. My eyes widened when I saw a familiar gray-haired woman sitting behind the table next to the door of Constantijin’s private office.
She smiled when she saw me, utterly unruffled. “Hello, Ms. Everleigh.”
“H-hi,” I stammered, wondering if I could die right this very moment now. Oh God! How the hell had I managed to forget what happened between Constantijin and me and…and her?
“Yanna,” Constantijin barked from his inner office.
Giving the older woman another embarrassed smile, I hurriedly went inside. God, what the hell was eating him anyway? Surely my presentation wasn’t that bad?
“Close the door,” he barked.
This time my temper was near to bursting. “You don’t have to shout at me, you know,” I muttered as I closed the door. When I turned around to face him, I didn’t have any time to react.
Constantijin was on me in an instant, his lips taking mine in an open-mouthed kiss that sent my senses reeling. As he sucked on my tongue, I was barely aware of him twisting us around so that I had to walk back as he moved forward and forward. When I hit something from behind, Constantijin lifted me up and brought me down on his desk.