At the Tokyo startup, every coffee break turned into a strategic battle against the endless line at the coffee machine. Hiro and Mika joked about a shadowy 'coffee machine saboteur'—someone secretly delaying the queue to boost their own break time.

But as deadlines piled up, their humor revealed a deeper truth: everyone was exhausted, running on empty. Recognizing the burnout under the surface, their team proposed shorter work hours and more breaks, proving a little laughter can spark real change.