Shachiku Cinderella Episode 2
Shachiku Cinderella: Episode 2 - The 60-Second Deadline The Ultimate Teaser: A Corporate Sabotage The clock is ticking, not just on the multi-billion yen Project Phoenix launch, but on Riko's desperate double life.
She has just ninety minutes until the executive board presentation the make-or-break moment for a project she has bled for.
But when the critical data files she meticulously prepared turn out to be corrupted, the conflict explodes.
Was it incompetence, or something far more sinister? The only way to save her career, her dignity, and the future of GigaCorp is for the exhausted, invisible office worker Riko to transform into her dazzling, untouchable alter-ego, Eri.
She steps into the boardroom spotlight, ready to face down the shadowy figure who sabotaged her.
But as she delivers the presentation of her life and the company heir, Tsubasa Hiiragi, closes in, she realizes the worst enemy isn't the saboteur it’s the unforgiving countdown to midnight, threatening to expose her secret in the most humiliating way possible.
This episode is a high-stakes, magical corporate thriller that asks: how do you save your soulmate project when the clock is actively trying to turn your glass slippers into cheap, worn sneakers? Key Players, Roles, and Motivations The central drama of Episode 2 revolves around four primary figures whose ambitions and anxieties intersect at the highest levels of GigaCorp.
1.
Riko Tachibana / Eri (The Overworked Protagonist) Role: An invisible, perpetually exhausted low-level Project Planner at GigaCorp.
As Eri, she is a manifestation of Riko's suppressed confidence, charm, and true strategic genius.
Motivation: Riko is driven by a deep, almost unhealthy dedication to her work and a desperate fear of failure.
She doesn't want recognition; she wants her project to succeed.
Her motivation for transforming into Eri is purely pragmatic: only Eri has the authority and presence to bypass security, fix the deep-seated data corruption, and command the attention of the executive board in time.
She is fighting for the professional recognition she earned, even if the face presenting it isn't her own.
2.
Aki Kajiwara (The Corporate Rival) Role: Riko's direct supervisor, a mid-level manager known for impeccable office fashion and zero practical skill.
She is the classic corporate climber, quick to take credit and even quicker to assign blame.
Motivation: Kajiwara is motivated by ruthless self-advancement and professional jealousy.
She recognized that Riko, despite her meek demeanor, possesses a superior intellect and mastery of the data.
To secure her own promotion and eliminate the possibility of Riko ever rising, Kajiwara deliberately introduced a complex, time-delayed corruption virus into the Project Phoenix launch data, effectively framing Riko for incompetence.
She wants Riko utterly crushed and exiled to the most undesirable division.
3.
Tsubasa Hiiragi (The Enigmatic Heir) Role: The charismatic, young, and extremely powerful heir apparent to GigaCorp.
He is intelligent and perceptive, but jaded by the superficiality of the corporate world.
Motivation: Tsubasa is motivated by an internal search for genuine competence and authenticity.
He is constantly surrounded by people seeking favors, but he was struck by the mystery of the woman who appeared and then vanished in Episode 1.
He views Eri not just as a beautiful woman, but as a genuine mystery and a potential source of real, transformative talent GigaCorp desperately needs.
His interest is not just romantic; it's professionally strategic.
4.
Mii (The Magical Guide) Role: A small, iridescent, desk-bound figurine (the source of Riko's transformation magic).
Mii serves as Riko’s magical timer and often delivers cynical, yet vital, exposition regarding the rules of the magic.
Motivation: Mii’s motivation is simply to maintain the balance of the contract Riko gets the glamour and power, but only until midnight, the time when all good salarymen/women should be resting.
Mii frequently warns Riko that pushing the limits will have severe, unpredictable consequences.
The Critical Scene Sequence The episode unfolds with a rapid escalation of tension, moving from drab cubicles to the high-pressure environment of the executive suite.
1.
The Corrupted Upload (The Setting of the Trap) The episode opens in the pre-dawn hours.
Riko, exhausted but triumphant, finalizes the Project Phoenix code.
She performs the final upload of the presentation data to the shared executive server.
Just as the progress bar hits 99%, a brief, cryptic error flashes a message Riko is too weary to notice.
Moments later, as she's trying to get coffee, Kajiwara intercepts her, casually inquiring about the files, giving Riko an unnerving look of false concern.
Kajiwara then uses a small moment of Riko's panic to gently inform their superior that Riko seemed unsure of the final integrity check.
2.
The Server Room Sanctuary (The Transformation) A frantic emergency announcement blares over the intercom: the executive preview of Project Phoenix is starting an hour early, and the uploaded data is showing catastrophic integrity errors.
Riko’s blood runs cold.
She checks the file path and sees the data is indeed garbled a complex, low-level virus.
Realizing she has zero time to re-download the massive files and fix the bug as her low-ranking self, she makes a split-second, desperate decision.
Guided by a frantic whisper from Mii on her keychain, she races to the sub-level 7 server room, a forgotten, dusty chamber nobody ever visits.
Amidst the humming mainframes, she pulls out the magical compact, a whirlwind of light and silk replacing the static hum.
Eri emerges, dressed in a sharp, blood-red power suit, her glasses replaced by an intensely focused gaze.
3.
The Boardroom Grand Entrance (The Confrontation) The executive meeting is in chaos.
Kajiwara is attempting to spin the error as an unavoidable technical flaw, deflecting blame from herself and subtly redirecting attention to Riko’s alleged incompetence.
Suddenly, the double doors swing open.
Eri appears, commanding immediate silence.
She bypasses Kajiwara entirely and walks straight to the main terminal, asserting authority that should be impossible for her rank, simply because she looks and acts like she belongs there.
Tsubasa Hiiragi, observing from the head of the table, drops his pen, intrigued and momentarily stunned by her reappearance and audacity.
4.
The Live Fix (The Technical Climax) Eri’s confidence is merely Riko's desperate, suppressed genius unleashed.
She doesn’t rely on the broken presentation.
Instead, she connects a custom drive and begins manipulating the raw server console live on the giant display.
She doesn't just fix the data; she surgically isolates and highlights the lines of corrupted code, revealing the complexity and deliberate nature of the sabotage, all while maintaining eye contact with a visibly sweating Kajiwara.
She then delivers a concise, powerful, and passionately authentic summary of the project, using the crisis itself as proof of her superior security knowledge.
The executives are silenced, realizing they just witnessed a display of brilliance.
Kajiwara is cornered but manages to maintain a façade of innocence.
5.
The Clock Strikes Danger (The Unstoppable Countdown) The presentation is a resounding success.
The executives erupt in applause, praising Eri for her decisive action.
Tsubasa stands up, eyes burning with curiosity and admiration, and requests a private meeting to discuss her future role in the company.
He steps toward her, extending his hand.
It's the moment Riko, deep down, might secretly crave true validation and connection.
But just as their hands are about to meet, the subtle, magical sheen on Eri’s expensive wristwatch flickers.
The watch’s face, which normally displays the GigaCorp logo, now shows a flashing red digital display: 00:00:58.
Mii's rule is absolute: the magic expires at midnight, and GigaCorp's executive meetings often bleed past that time.
Riko hadn't checked the time when she transformed; she was too focused on the crisis.
Now, the clock is racing, and Tsubasa is only steps away.
