The Junior Who Took on the Trade Show with a Business Card Box: Reiwa Newbie's Mysterious Frugality #51

1. Takeshi, the Newbie Taking on His First Trade Show

Senior! With this, I'm finally a full-fledged professional!

Takeshi, a first-year junior (a shiny new graduate and the rising star of Gen Z), finally had the day come to represent the company at his first trade show.
His mission was to research the latest technology related to the company's projects.
With sparkling eyes and a triumphant tone, he was truly a hero of the new generation.

When I pressed him, asking, "Did you prepare your business cards? Exchanging cards is life at a trade show," Takeshi answered with his chest puffed out.

100 cards, brand new and shiny!

Wonderful! Fully prepared! ...Or so I thought, but what he pulled out of his bag was...the box the business cards came initself.
That flimsy box that arrives from the printer.
Wait a second, lol. Isn't that still...with the original label still on itlol?

Takeshi, that label... aren't you going to peel it off?

When I made that remark,
he looked at me with a blank expression.

Huh? Is there a need to peel it off? These cards fit perfectly in this box, and it's kind of stylish!he said with a grin.

Stylish!?
That flimsy box with a label on it!?

At Takeshi's mysterious confidence, my brain was already on the verge of a panic attack.

2. The New Generation's Unexpected 'Box Obsession'

Completely shaken, I asked timidly,
Takeshi, are you...planning to take that box the cards came injust like that?
Takeshi then doubled down with an even more smug look.

Because what's the point of buying a case? I'm from the new generation, so I don't make wasteful expenditures! Besides, the cards fit perfectly in this box, and the label has a cool logo, so it's SDGs!

The new generation... you say?
That flimsy box from the printer, covered in labels, and you're talking about SDGs!?
Alarms from the Showa, Heisei, and Reiwa eras were all ringing in my head at once.

Could it be that I'm just a fossil? The minimalist soul of Gen Z is truly terrifying...

But, if you're using them for work, the company provides a case, right?
I said, trying to offer a casual follow-up (?), when...

Takeshi's eyes sparkled.
Exactly! That's why this box is more than enough! Actually, the box feels more organic and eco-friendly!

Takeshi, where on earth do that mysterious eco-theory and bottomless confidence of yours come from...!

My attempt at a follow-up just ended up pouring gasoline on the runaway train of the new generation.

3. The New Generation Theory Explodes Due to a Colleague's Remark

Just in case, I asked, "What are your peers doing?"
As Takeshi checked the group chat with his peers on his smartphone, his face turned pale in an instant.

"Senior... my peer told me, 'Huh? You just buy a case, right?'..."A business card box, and one with a label on it is even worse..."

Exploded.

I did a fist pump inside.

"See! You talk about the new generation, but you were just being cheap!"

I retorted in my mind.

The peer's follow-up was brutal.

"If you pull a business card out of a flimsy box with a label at a trade show, the people at the booth will 100% laugh at you. Or rather, they might tell you to go home."

Takeshi's "New Generation Theory" was shattered into pieces within five minutes of starting.

4. Conclusion: The 'New Generation Weapon' Called a Case

In the end, I lent Takeshi my spare business card case, and he headed to the trade show.

The box the business cards came in when purchased was sealed at the bottom of his bag (for some reason, he brought it along with the label still on it).

At the venue, Takeshi's hands shook during his first business card exchange, and he panicked, saying, "Whoa, wait a second!"

However, the older man at the booth smiled and said, "Newbie, you've got a nice case!"

Takeshi, blushing, honestly replied, "This... is borrowed," and for some reason, the atmosphere lightened up.

I heard later that every time Takeshi opened the business card case, he muttered like an RPG protagonist.

"Senior, cases are... actually pretty cool..."
See! A flimsy box with a label is 100 times smarter than a case!

"Ah, from now on, I'll make sure to check with people the first time I do something! (Smug)"

Takeshi said, recovering quickly. As expected of the new generation.

5. Lesson: A box is a box, but business requires a case.

What Takeshi learned from this incident was:
"Creative thinking is important, but you have to master the basics of business."

And I, while being pushed around by the eccentric ideas of Gen Z, felt a little jealous.

After all, taking on a trade show with a flimsy box with a business card shop label is an idea I couldn't have come up with even if I stood on my head when I was a rookie.

Everyone, don't forget your business card case when you go to a trade show.
The box the cards came in when you bought them should be... kept safely at home. And if you see a 'newbie carrying a labeled box' at the venue, please quietly certify them as a hero and secretly recommend a case to them.

After all, business in the Reiwa era is fought with cases, not boxes!

This story contains some exaggerations, so it is surely fiction.