Chapter 2

Newbie editors were usually assigned to just work alongside the others for the first cycle and then given their own author if it looked like they were going to work out, and of course, Kisa had ended up being Yukina's mentor. Kisa wasn't quite sure how he was going to get through the next few weeks having Yukina follow him around for half the day, but he didn't say that to Takano-san. The editor-in-chief of Emerald looked particularly pissed-off when he came back from his meeting, and Kisa had a feeling he'd just had it out with sales regarding the next few tankobon printings. Some things never changed.

"So have you put manga together before?" Kisa asked as he searched around in his bag for those storyboard edits he'd picked up in his apartment that morning. He intended to use them as examples, since he was supposed to be teaching Yukina about how they did things at Emerald. When Yukina shook his head, Kisa rose his eyebrows in surprise. "You didn't intern with a publisher before this?"

"No," Yukina said, looking sheepish as he ducked his head. His eyes followed Kisa's hand when he finally found the storyboards and pulled them out. "My major was actually painting, specifically oil painting. I did do an internship, but it was at a modern art gallery…" He finally got sight of some of the text on the storyboard pages before him, and his eyes started to sparkle. "Are these the storyboards for Purple Strawberry? It's my favorite series in Emerald right now!"

Kisa caught a glance of the volume he'd picked up from Yukina's booth and spirited away in his bag. It was like it was taunting him about the action now that he had time to think about how crazy it had been, but he simply gave it a glare and shut his bag. "So if you were more interested in painting, what made you want to be a manga editor?"

"I love shojo manga," Yukina said, that sparkly smile returning, and Kisa had to turn away. "Before I was hired here at Marukawa, I worked at a small, independent bookstore where I managed the shojo shelves. I did such a good job selling Emerald titles that I was noticed by some of the people over in sales."

"So why aren't you over in sales? I'm sure they could use you," Kisa said, remembering his suspicions about Takano-san's bad mood earlier. Even after a few years in the black, the sales department still didn't seem to trust Emerald to live up to the huge print runs its editor-in-chief was constantly telling them they needed.

Yukina smiled and pulled his chair up close to Kisa's so they could both look at the storyboards. "I told you, I love shojo manga. I wouldn't have thought you'd know my favorite titles though, Kisa-san."

"Huh?" Kisa asked, spreading the pages before them on his desk for easier analysis. "This is one of the series I edit." Yukina didn't say anything, and Kisa started pointing out marks he had made and arrows switching around panels. He thought that Yukina had just been listening attentively, but when he looked up to see if he had any questions about his explanations, he realized that Yukina's eyes were sparkling. "What?"

Before he could say more, a small package, wrapped in bright pink paper, was dropped on his desk. The man that had brought it in ran for it, and Kisa shook his head; people were afraid to associate with the Emerald editors even when they weren't in the midst of Hell Week. Not that he was really complaining, of course; he was perfectly fine just spending his days with the other editors, who at least knew what he was going through when he turned into a zombie the last week of every cycle.

Of course, in the office, he was the cute one, so it wasn't like he could discuss his love life (such as it was) with any of his coworkers, even during those times when they all went out for drinks together. Not that he was ever inclined to inform his boss or fellow editors why he sometimes goes into work late because a wake-up call is not something you think to ask for at a love hotel.

"Kisa-san?"

Yukina's voice broke Kisa out of his musings, and he finally thought to pick up the pink package and look at it. There was an English "S" written on the top of the package in glittery marker, as well as kana spelling out "Happy birthday" on it. Kisa sighed but resisted rolling his eyes. He should've known the manga editors at Sapphire knew when his birthday was by now. Kisa just put the package aside, not particularly caring what the women had chipped in to get him. They found it hilarious to give him flavored lube, and that wasn't something he wanted revealed in front of his new coworker on the man's first day.

"It's your birthday?" Yukina asked as he watched Kisa stash the package away.

Kisa glanced at him and nodded. "Yup, April first. My mother always got a kick out of that."

"I think it's really interesting," Yukina said with his ever-radiant smile. "And it just reminds me that you've managed to accomplish so much at such a young age."

Kisa had been about to move on to the second page of storyboards, but he looked up at that, not quite believing his ears. Even Hatori a couple desks down, who'd been diligently working away on whatever it was he did most of the month, twitched a bit and had to hide a smile at Yukina's remark. Finally, Kisa decided the best thing to do was cough and tap the page closest to his hand with the pen he'd been using as a pointer. "Exactly how old do you think I am?"

Yukina seemed to consider this as the noises of Emerald sounded around them. Since it was the start of the cycle, the office was vibrant and pink, and the non-editing staff wasn't afraid to go anywhere near them. Someone walked from across the office and started conversing with Takano-san about the format of the coming issue and Mino, who'd come in while Yukina and Kisa were in the lounge earlier, was helping Ritsu with something. Only Hatori seemed to have heard their conversation.

"Well," Yukina finally said. "Takano-san said you worked here before him, but you don't look older than twenty. Did you intern before?"

Kisa's eye twitched. Sometimes his looks were a blessing, and sometimes they were a curse. They were mostly only a curse when they made every bar he ever went to look at him suspiciously and card him before letting him drink, but this was rather irritating as well.

"Anyway, did you have something special planned today?"

"…celebrating my birthday kind of lost its wonder to me when I hit thirty," Kisa muttered. When Yukina blinked in confusion, holding the storyboard page Kisa had just explained to him, Kisa dug around in his bag until he produced his ID, which he tossed at Yukina. "Today is my thirty-second birthday."

Yukina just sat there staring down at it, his eyes growing wider and wider as he looked at the information it presented. Finally he opened his mouth, but all he managed to say was, "Are you serious?"

"Yes he is," every single member of Emerald's editing team said at once and Kisa jumped. He hadn't thought anyone was listening to them. They all went back to what they'd been doing, though, like nothing had happened.

Kisa took his ID back from the stunned Yukina. After he had returned it to his bag, he finally thought to ask, "So have you ever seen storyboards before?"

Yukina nodded, and Kisa went back to pointing out editing techniques, only slightly aware of the smile directed at him every time Kisa asked if Yukina understood.

xxx

It was around six o'clock when Kisa left, though he seemed to be the only one in the office other than Hatori. He'd let Yukina go about half an hour ago, saying he had some of his own work to get done and that he didn't need to worry about it. All he really wanted to do was go home and sleep, since he had a feeling the previous night hadn't involved a lot of that. He had a few texts on his phone, and as he glared down at them, his eyes a bit bleary as he tried to read the kana and Kanji, he realized Yukina was standing there in the lobby of Marukawa's first floor.

It looked like Yukina had taken the time between being dismissed and Kisa appearing to change into more casual clothes, and he had a line of earrings in each ear where Kisa hadn't even noticed piercings. Now that he was out of the dress pants and button-up shirt, combined with the earrings, he looked a lot more like the recent college grad he apparently was, and it just made Kisa feel guiltier about any lingering thoughts he'd been having over the day.

"I thought I told you it's okay to go home," Kisa said, hiking his bag back up onto his shoulder. "You didn't have to wait for me."

"I'm sorry if I'm bothering you, Kisa-san," Yukina said, bowing respectfully. "However, I thought it was a shame that you weren't doing anything for your birthday. Would you like to go out? I know a good place to get cake."

"…no thanks," Kisa said, and he continued on his way through the doors. He was completely aware that Yukina was following him, but he decided to ignore him, at least until he got to a crosswalk and had to wait for the light to turn green. "Why are you so determined to be nice to me? We're just coworkers."

"Is there something wrong with that?" Yukina asked. The light finally turned green, and the two crossed along with the good-sized crowd they had joined. "You edit one of my favorite manga, Kisa-san. I thought I should do something for you."

"It's not like I did it for you or anything," Kisa muttered. He suddenly found himself being pulled along, though, and his eyes went wide when he realized that Yukina was leading him somewhere. He tried to pull away at first, but Yukina had such a determined look on his face that he couldn't help but just shake his head and give-in to the man's desires. It wouldn't hurt to be treated to meals every now and then. The men he slept with certainly didn't seem to have the courtesy beyond a drink or two.

He wasn't quite as impressed, however, when Yukina stopped in front of the café Kisa had breakfast at that morning.

"Is something wrong, Kisa-san?" Yukina asked, seeing Kisa's weary expression as he stared at the store sign.

"Oh, nothing. I just… come here sometimes, since it's between my apartment and Marukawa," Kisa said, his voice faint. He could practically feel Yukina's tankobon weighing down his bag, and he knew that if he made it home alive, he'd be tempted to just chuck the thing and be done with it. "It's fine, though."

Yukina smiled before leading the way in and Kisa followed, looking for all the world like he had just been told his cat died.

The café was fairly busy right then with the dinner rush, but since Yukina had mentioned getting him cake, Kisa couldn't help but eye the glass cases that held the ready-made sweets. He was so busy trying to decide which one he wanted that Yukina had to ask him, "What other titles do you edit?" twice before he heard him.

"Huh? Oh, right now?" Kisa thought about that as he considered the ceiling. "Well Girls Master, but that's almost come to an end. That and the one I showed you are the only two regular series I have right now…"

"So if-" Yukina stopped at that, seeming to consider his words. "So if you edit Purple Strawberry, does that mean you edited Pink Strawberry and White Strawberry as well?"

"…yes?" Kisa felt the need to back away, because it seemed that in his excitement, Yukina was starting to lean over the table. "I've been with Marukawa for several years, though, so I've edited a lot of titles…"

By the time the waitress came to take their orders, Yukina had listed off what turned out to be Kisa's entire résumé at Marukawa, right down to the first manga he edited. His eyes positively sparkled as Kisa just ordered tea and a piece of chocolate cake and Yukina said he wasn't hungry.

"I didn't expect to see you back in here so soon, Yukina-san," the waitress said, smiling and holding the serving dish against her chest. "You said you got a new job and I was afraid you'd have to move."

"I work for Marukawa Shoten now," Yukina said and he was, of course, smiling. "This is Kisa-san, one of my coworkers. He's helping me with the department's coming magazine issue."

The waitress glanced at Kisa, ready to move on, but then she stopped. "Ah, I know you. You come in sometimes, though you're usually alone." She glanced between Yukina and Kisa, as if the fact that they were coworkers wasn't enough explanation for why they were having dinner together. Dinner that apparently involved one piece of chocolate cake.

"Kisa-san has also edited all my favorite manga, so I really admire his work," Yukina said.

Kisa's spirit had slowly been raising as Yukina looked at him with such clear adoration, but as Yukina talked to the waitress even as she went to slice a piece of cake for Kisa, Kisa just shook his head. Of course Yukina liked the manga that Kisa edited, but not Kisa himself. He rolled his eyes at himself and slumped back in his chair.

"Here you are, Kisa-san," the waitress said with a smile, placing his tea and cake in front of him. Kisa had to admit that the cake looked delicious, and he was definitely a man who appreciated the sweeter things in life. "If you two need anything else, just let me know."

Kisa nodded at the waitress, and when he turned to look at Yukina, he appeared to be searching through his bag for something. Just as Kisa reached for his fork, Yukina cried out triumphantly and brandished a package of birthday candles and a lighter. Kisa blinked a couple times before saying, "You're serious about this, aren't you?"

"Birthdays shouldn't be taken lightly, Kisa-san," Yukina said, and when Kisa didn't protest, he put a candle on the cake and lit it with a smile. "I know you said you don't like doing anything anymore, but it's kind of sad, isn't it, to spend your birthday at work and then just going home?"

The flame from the small candle danced in Kisa's eyes as he stared at it. Finally, he relented with, "Yeah, I guess. Thanks." He gave Yukina his first genuine smile in days before blowing the candle out.