A Back Under the Cherry Blossoms: Was My Demon Boss Really a Demon?

In spring, when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, there is someone I remember.
My first boss—someone who was as strict as a demon, yet left a lasting impression on my heart.

"Oh no, I might not last long here."

When I was a new hire, the boss assigned to me was incredibly strict. She was a notorious 'demon boss' in the industry, known for having the toughest training methods and causing several new recruits to quit in tears. However, it was also said that any rookie who managed to survive her training would become a highly capable professional. She was truly a legendary demon boss. That was the kind of person my boss was.

The workplace on April 1st was a battlefield. Work rained down mercilessly onto my desk as a newcomer. Not knowing how to process it, I tried to ask my boss for help. She responded in a fierce, harsh tone, telling me, "Now is not the time to ask," "Think for yourself," and "That's not how you ask questions." As a timid rookie, I was completely intimidated and too scared to speak. However, since I couldn't move forward without asking, I tried to summon the courage to speak to her when the moment seemed right. She was silently plowing through her work, radiating an aura that kept everyone at bay. She seemed genuinely busy, and her expression clearly said, "I don't have the luxury of dealing with a rookie right now." She looked just like a Hannya mask.

An unusual number of phone calls rang out, and no matter how many I answered, more kept coming. I couldn't ask for help with my work, so it never progressed. Before I knew it, it was past noon, then 3:00 PM. I was so busy I didn't even know when to take a lunch break. In the end, I only finished simple tasks that day, and my entire day was spent just answering the phone.

When I went to get my coat from my locker on my way home, I heard the senior staff whispering to each other.

"I wonder how many days that girl will last."
"Who knows? Ms. [Boss's Name] is so tough, she probably won't even last a month."
"Ms. [Boss's Name] is crushing another rookie, huh."
"It's hard for us too when rookies keep rotating out every year, so I wish she'd just train them properly."

The "girl" they were gossiping about was undoubtedly me. I headed home feeling completely dejected, having been assigned to a boss who was feared even by my colleagues for being harsh.

With a heavy heart, dreading the future in a workplace that was mercilessly strict from day one, yet holding onto a tiny glimmer of hope that "it's only the first day, so I don't know yet," I went to work the next day. However, nothing had changed from the first day. If anything, the strictness had increased. As soon as she arrived, my boss fired a preemptive strike, saying, "Your fashion sense is tacky." Then, she criticized my slightly hunched posture. Her words and actions, which seemed to target my mental state directly, left me completely flustered, and I ended the day having barely been able to ask about my work again.

When I was about to leave at the end of the day, she called out to me.

"Do you have time after this?"
"Oh, I don't have any particular plans."

Thinking it would be bad to refuse, I answered immediately.

"Then, there's a place with beautiful cherry blossoms, so let's go see them."
"Huh? Cherry blossoms?"
"It's close to here. We're going."

With that, she took me and left the office.

She brought me to a park about a five-minute walk from the office. It seemed to be famous locally, as there were food stalls lined up and it was quite lively. Even though it was a weekday, there was a significant crowd. We passed through the throng of people and reached a spot where there were fewer people.

It was a prime spot where you could look out over the surrounding cherry blossoms.
The cherry blossoms, illuminated by the setting sun, were blooming as if competing with one another.

"Beautiful..."

As I was captivated by the cherry blossoms, my boss opened her mouth.

"The cherry blossoms here are my favorite spot. You looked so nervous, so I thought I'd show them to you."

She continued without pause.

"I'm not cut out for training subordinates. I end up saying unnecessary things every day, and when I'm busy, I lose my composure. I just can't be gentle in how I speak."
"This current department doesn't suit me, and even if I ask for a transfer, they won't listen. I'm sorry to put this on you, but this is the only way I know how to do things..."

She took a breath and continued.

"If you intend to make a living in this profession, remember me as a cautionary tale."

I looked at her in surprise. She continued.

"I know there are many people who resent me because I'm strict with others, too. Even so, I am supported by those who value that strictness. I don't know what you think, but that's the stance I'm going to take."

I didn't know how to respond. However, I understood that unlike the face she showed at work, she was trying to interact with me honestly. The version of her I saw at the office wasn't there. She was just a kind woman, acting as a senior colleague taking care of a junior.

After that, she walked me to the nearest station.

"I'm counting on you again tomorrow."

With those words, I parted ways with her.

I felt a little happy, thinking I had managed to connect with my boss on a deeper level. I hoped that from tomorrow on, it would be easier to ask her about work.

However, she remained strict from the next day onward.

"Don't dawdle. Get it done!"
"How much time are you spending on this task?"
"Serve the tea more smartly."

Criticism like this was an everyday occurrence. It was so harsh that I sometimes cried in secret. Among the colleagues on the sidelines, some tried to stir things up as if to pit me against her, saying things like, "She's so strict, it's terrible, isn't it?" or "You should talk back to her sometimes." But I could never bring myself to turn against her. Remembering that day under the cherry blossoms, I couldn't bring myself to truly hate her.

That wasn't all. There were many times when I had to admit she was right about her work-related comments. It's true that I'm slow at my work. And her ideals are set at a high level. She doesn't show mercy, whether the person is a newcomer or not, demanding both speed and accuracy. So, in some ways, it was inevitable that I would be corrected. Through her "warnings," which included even the smallest details, she taught me many things. If I had been under someone else, there would have been many things I never would have learned. When I realized that she, a perfectionist, was trying to teach me not just from 1 to 10, but from 1 to 100, she was no longer my boss.

In the end, my relationship with her didn't change dramatically, but she, clumsy and perfectionist as she was, had been facing me with all her might. Thanks to seeing her, someone who was strict not only with others but also with herself and never compromised on her work, I became able to handle myself well in front of others. And now that I am in a position to have juniors of my own, I have come to understand a little of the thoughts and conflicts she carried. She was saying things that might have seemed like nagging or sarcasm so that I would be okay once I was on my own. She was playing the villain.

It is true that much of her behavior would likely be considered power harassment or moral harassment in this day and age. But more than that, I could also feel her affection for me as her subordinate. Perhaps that is why I was able to hang in there.

To those around her, she might still be a demon. But to me, she is an important mentor who hammered the work into me.

I have transferred, so I don't see those cherry blossoms anymore.
Even so, every time spring comes and the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, I remember.
Those cherry blossoms and her back.