"Can I help you, young man?"
The lady behind the desk smiles. She does not mean her brisk manner to be intimidating (kowagaraseru tsumori wa nai, 怖がらせるつもりはない), but the "young man," uncertain and anxious (fuan, 不安), instinctively (honnōteki ni, 本能的に) takes a step back.
"Am I really so frightening?" she asks. "You see, if people knew what a soft heart（kokoro ga yasashii, 心が優しい) I have, they'd take advantage of me (watashi ni tsukekomu, 私に付け込む). That's why I come on so strong (kyōretsu na inshō wo ataeru, 強烈な印象を与える). Sit down and tell me your name."