Bokuto rounds the corner to the second floor offices. He can't tell if he's relieved or disappointed that the coding office is at the end of the hall and his destination is the first office on the left. Although he doubts the second auditor could compare to the fair-skinned, feather-haired beauty he just met on the elevator.
Just as he's about to greet his good friends in the customer service department with what Kuroo calls his 'Triple Hey' greeting he walks into a hand in his face. More specifically, a finger. Don't worry, just an index finger.
It's Yaku's finger, already knowing Bokuto's volume is about to fill the room, "Thank you for calling F.K.N. Enterprises, how can I help you?" Yaku waits until he's sure Bokuto understands that he's on a phone call with a customer to sit back down at his desk. His eyes match the enthusiasm of the pretty auditor, but are no where near as deep, dark, or sexy.
Lev, however, is as happy as ever to see Bokuto. He's waving hysterically, as if Bokuto doesn't see him at his own desk. Just as he's about to give his greeting he stops, hits a button on his headset and speaks, "Good Morning! F.K.N. Enterprises, how are you today?"
"Alright, and do you have an invoice number for the order?" Yaku says into his headset, eyes not leaving Bokuto. When it's apparent the older boy isn't leaving he dramatizes a silent sigh and turns his attention to his work, "thank you ma'am, and you said the pricing is too high?"
Yaku has been in this situation before. One of the two knuckleheads from sales comes into their office. His office. Yaku's office he's tried so hard to keep order in just to fuck it all up. If the first knucklehead doesn't rile Lev enough to stop taking calls, then the second knuckleheads, sure to round the corner any minute, seals the deal. Damn salesmen.
His eyes keep moving from his computer, typing in the complaint he's only half listening to, Bokuto sitting in the spare office chair looking dangerously close to breaking something, and the door, anticipating Kuroo coming in with dart guns or something of the sort.
Lev, on the other hand is full attention on their visitor. Yaku can tell he's put his work on autopilot mode and is watching Bokuto with expectant eyes. He's dying for the slip of said dart gun or rigged sling shot that he's sure his Senpai will hand to him at any minute. Yaku tries not to pay attention to how cute his coworker gets when he's excited. How unprofessional.
With or without weapons, it's going to be a battle regardless. If Yaku finishes his phone call first he can try to keep order in their office. If Lev finishes his phone call-
"Bokuto-san! Do you have another slingshot? Yaku took mine..."
"Well-"
Before Bokuto can get too loud Yaku snaps his fingers at the two. Think of the sharp snap of say... one's ulna being snapped in half. A clean break. Like a dead twig. That's the sound of Yaku's snaps. The threat it brings has the same 'I will snap your ulna in half' meaning.
Lev ends up taking another phone call.
Bokuto breaks one of their small wooden display models sent by one of their vendors.
Yaku finishes his call.
Both boys know better than to interrupt while Yaku is finishing a customer complaint. He takes his job very seriously and knows that his customers want to be taken seriously as well. And if by some chance he get's that one person that wants to talk about the weather or tell him about their cat eating their product and loving it, he'll transfer them to Lev.
He has no time for nonsense.
Which brings him to Bokuto.
"What do you want."
"Yaku, can't I just visit my two favorite customer service representatives?"
"We're the only two customer service reps. Cut the crap. Where's Kuroo?"
"Yeah! Kuroo can always bring out the fun side of Yaku. He can convince him to loosen up a little."
"I bet you could get him to loosen up a little if you tried, Lev."
Yaku turns in his seat, acting like he's just received an important E-mail. He hates that both Bokuto and Kuroo are sly and sharp at the same time. They come off completely idiotic and clueless about everything, but behind that silly act there are comments like the one Bokuto just made that reminds Yaku not to underestimate either boy. Which is totally what they want you to do. Underestimate and then attack to get their way. How... predatory.
Of course, working with both of them for so long, Yaku has picked out the slight (ever so slight) differences between the two. When they want to convince Yaku of a totally outrageous plan Kuroo will be the first one in. He's one to butter you up, silently preparing to throw you into the fire the whole time. You might not know it at first, but Kuroo knows all along that you're going to agree with whatever prank they want to pull. He'll give you a case of reason. Convincing you that it would be outrageous not to agree with his plan. Opposite of that, though, he knows when he's gone to far. Or, if he walks into the office and senses one person having an off day he's going to make things right. It's not a motherly kindness like Sugawara or an obligatory duty like Ennoshita, but it's genuinely Kuroo and his understanding of people and wanting them to feel comfortable.
If they plan on barging into Yaku and Lev's office, announcing their plan, and forcing participation, they'll send Bokuto in first. It's not that Bokuto is necessarily the brawn of the two, but his energy so high that when it comes to something that they know even Yaku can't refuse, it's Bokuto that will cinch the deal. Or, if their plan is to be executed quickly, Bokuto is definitely the one to catch the smaller boy off guard, and before he knows it, he's in the warehouse sneaking around with squirt guns hand cuffed to Lev in a two person four team death match. There's a method to his madness that he pulls out of nowhere to catch you off guard. Those on the denser side (Lev) might think some of his comments come unwarranted, but Yaku knows better. Just like the stupid comment he just said.
"You think so, Bokuto-san? How?"
"Use that baby face of yours. I'm sure Yaku is a softy deep down."
Bastard.
"Please, just tell me what you want. We're busy today. It's the end of the month and people are balancing their check books." Yaku can tell the seed has been planted in Lev's mind. It's dangerous when that boy thinks.
"Ah, right," Bokuto wheels his chair in between the two reps, "tell me about this audit."
"Audit? Aw that's no fun. Not fun at all." Yaku sees Lev physically deflate. He slumps back into his chair and takes the next call.
"That's right, yours isn't until tomorrow, is it?"
"Yeah can you tell me about him- I mean it?"
This is a new side to Bokuto that Yaku hasn't seen in all his years working with him. Bokuto is nervous. But more than nervous, he seems... anxious? No, something else. A little less worried and a little more excited? About an audit?
Before Yaku has a chance to answer he hears a call come through on his headset.
"I'm sorry ma'am could I put you on a brief hold? Thank you! Be right back, now! Good Morning! . Enterprises, could you hold, please? Ma'am? Alright I'm back, so sorry. But yes, we can schedule a delivery for tomorrow afternoon, not a problem at all..."
Yaku thinks Bokuto should feel more like Lev does about audits. He avoids them at all costs. He's even avoiding the subject of audits.
"Your audit isn't going to be the same as ours, Bokuto." Yaku decides to send some e-mails to customers. It's not like he can't do two things at once. Like someone he shares an office with.
"Thank you, have a nice day!"
"Lev, the other line."
"Oh! Right, thanks, Yaku-san."
Yaku turns his attention to his e-mails and for a second almost forgets Bokuto is sitting in the office with them. He's never usually this quiet.
"Why not?"
"Why not what?"
"Why won't it be the same?"
"Well, your regulations are different than ours. They listened to our calls to make sure we were staying within our privacy regulations as well as our security compliance. Made sure our ticket orders were entered correctly and in a timely manner, our pricing was right for each region, things like that. You don't have any of that stuff so it'll probably be things pertaining to your actual position in the company. Do you not know your own regulations to follow?"
Bokuto tries to click his tongue like Kuroo does. It's odd to see one boy out of their office without the other...
"Kuroo is looking them up, now."
Ah, so that's where he is.
"You guys are hopeless."
"Is it really as scary as Yamaguchi made it out to be?"
Yaku hates being audited, but he knows it comes with the job. And if he's doing his job correctly, which he has no doubt in his mind that he is, then there isn't anything to worry about. Of course... he actually knows his regulations and compliance to follow...
Instead of reprimanding Bokuto who seems to already be in a hard place, he decides to let experience speak for itself.
"Yah, Lev," the two older boys turn to see the younger boy's shoulders almost touch his ears.
"Y-yes?"
"How was the audit?"
"It was good. Good. Fine. Everything went good. I mean fine. No I mean well. Yes. Well, I'm well, how are you? Not good. It's well. WELL!"
"Shit."
Yaku nods in agreement, "but if you're doing your job correctly then you won't have anything to worry about. Lev is bad at confrontation anything. He thinks he's being graded."
"I hated tests when I was in school."
"It's not a test, Lev."
"Yeah, but if I don't do good then I could be fired."
"It's 'if I don't do well.' And we did fine."
"We did well."
"Yeah."
Bokuto looks more on edge than before. It's not that Yaku wants Bokuto to be nervous or inflict fear on the usual fearless salesman, but he should know that he needs to be taking this audit seriously. It's his job that could potentially be on the line. Lev has a point. Maybe his scoring system is a little off, but Yaku is sure there are things that could result in immediate termination. It's not about doing things well, it's about doing things correctly. But... in order to do them well, you have to do them correctly...
Regardless, Bokuto needs to worry about this audit. It's good to worry about things like this.
"We'll have the same auditors, right? All week?"
This causes Yaku to turn away from his computer. What an odd question to ask.
"As far as I know, they are the only internal auditors for our company."
"Ah, okay. Great! Thanks, guys! I'll see you at lunch?"
Yaku doesn't realize he's zoned out until he hears Lev place another customer on hold. When did another customer call in to begin with? And why does that piece of information about the audit, of all things, bring a look of relief to the taller boy's face?
"Oh, by the way we're taking bets to see how many cases I can move from-"
"Kuroo already messaged me. I'm guessing at least 5." Lev says in between phone calls.
Yaku considers himself one of the more level headed guys in the office. By the end of their audit he actually didn't mind the company of the auditors. They seemed like they took their jobs very seriously, which Yaku respects.
So instead of questioning the odd behavior of Bokuto, he's learned to choose his battles wisely.
"Put me down for 8."
