[April Report] To Head Office. This is Nakao.
Business was good again this month. The red ones sell best, as always — right from the front of the shelf, the deep, burning red ones go first. Customers love them: “Looks like it’ll stay lively,” “You can tell just by looking it’s a warm one.” The pale blue ones… well, honestly, they haven’t moved this month either. They just sit quietly glowing in the corner. I’ve added another discount tag.
(Margin note, in Minato’s handwriting) The red ones sell the moment they come in. Only the blue ones are left. Why is that?
[May Report] To Head Office.
Business remains strong. We doubled our order of red ones from last month.
Although there is one thing that concerns me. We’ve started getting a trickle of returns — “It’s slower than when I bought it,” “The glow’s getting weaker.” And it only ever seems to happen with the red ones.
My guess is that the reds, being hotter, are simply more delicate. I’ve told Minato to be choosier about who we sell them to — careful customers only.
(Margin note) Being choosy doesn’t stop them coming back. The old woman who came in yesterday was in tears — she said her red one kept getting colder and colder.
[June Report] To Head Office.
Returns are up again, and still almost all red.
Meanwhile, something strange is happening. Several customers who took home one of those leftover pale blue ones, tempted by the discount, have come back to the shop. I braced for complaints. Instead:
“This one’s too lively, honestly. It won’t stop bouncing around all night — I can’t sleep.”
“I’d like another one, please.”
Everyone walks out laughing. Not a single blue one has come back as a return. I genuinely don’t understand what’s going on.
(Margin note) A kid came in today hugging a blue one and said, “This one’s a baby, right? It’s still blue.” …A baby? Kids say the strangest things.
[July Report] To Head Office.
Just the numbers this time.
Red ones — 30 ordered, 28 returned.
Blue ones — 10 ordered, 0 returned, 7 additional orders placed.
I no longer understand the logic of it. I don’t understand it, but I’ve swapped the price tags anyway. As of today, the pale blue ones are our premium stock, moved to the very front of the shelf. The red ones get an extra discount tag stacked on top and get pushed to the corner. After how much they used to fetch, it’s a bit of a sorry sight.
(Margin note, in Minato’s handwriting) The owner still hasn’t figured it out. Blue ones cool down as they grow, and that’s when they turn red. All those blue ones we sold cheap a while back must be red by now. Give our new “premium” blue stock three months and they’ll turn red too, and come back in tears, probably. …I think I’ll hang on to those discount tags. We’ll need them again.