Been awhile since my last update. This is AUish, no phantom thieves and Akira never attended school with the gang. Idk what I was thinking when i wrote this but I hope you enjoy it.
"We're cutting down your shoots for the month," The man said, running a hand through his finely gelled hair. His remained stoic even when the woman sitting across the desk folded in on herself, looking thoroughly dejected at the news.
"So I'll only be doing two jobs this month?" She asked in a small voice.
He sighed. "Yes. We'll schedule more when your popularity goes up. But for now, you'd have to make do with what we give," He riffled through a file and took out a small slip of paper. "Here's the check for the last few you did." He said, holding it out to her. He set it down in front of her when she didn't reach out to take it.
As much as he wanted to leave the woman with some words of comfort, he didn't have the time. There were six other models waiting to see him. This office was far too tiny to house that number of people and with the raging heat outside, the air was becoming increasingly humid.
The man gestured at her to leave. "Tell Reika-san to come in on your way out." He said, tapping his pen on the desk.
Ann rubbed her eyes as she stepped through the door and into her one room apartment. It was bare of furnishings save for an old armchair salvaged from her neighbour, and decent mattress shoved in the corner.
She settled in the chair with a weary expression. Taking out the check from her coat pocket, she stared at it, trying to will another zero into existence.
What she had now was barely enough for the mortgage, and there was still the matter of food and electricity bills. She was stretched thin as it was. Ramen was the only thing she could afford. Surviving on just that would be doable, but it'd be tough to maintain her figure with that kind of nutrition. Not to mention the energy she'd need for her other two part time jobs as well.
Ann felt the feeling of helplessness growing thick, her chest tight despite her efforts to remain calm. Where had she gone wrong? She let her head fall back, hands reaching up to grasp at her face. Her parents had been right to argue her decision. What in the world had she been thinking, striking out by herself just because she was overconfident in her looks? Kamoshida had been right when he said she'd never amount to more than just a two bit poser eking out a living as an amateur model.
Her phone vibrated against her leg. Ann wiped her eyes and pulled the offending device from her pocket, answering the call after recollecting herself.
"Hey, Ann. It's Makoto."
"Oh, hey. What's up? You're never one to call, since you're busy at the university." Ann said, smiling at the sound of her friend's voice.
Makoto groaned, "I know, I know. I've been meaning to make up for my absences. How does a dinner tonight sound? I'll treat you something nice."
"Ah crap, tonight's no good. I have to start my shift at Le Blanc at six." Ann checked the time on her phone. Yep, there wouldn't be much time for dinner if Makoto had to come all the way down from her apartment. Especially during the evening rush. The trains were pure chaos at those times.
"You'll have a break, though?"
"Yeah. About thirty minutes, or so. Depending on whether the café's busy."
"Perfect. I'll drop by when you're ready." Makoto said, crisply. "I just texted Akira asking if I could borrow you for about an hour."
"Makoto!" Ann shrieked, "Sojiro-san would kill me if I took an extra half hour."
"Sojiro-san won't be back till tomorrow." Makoto's voice carried a hint of a smug smile. "He's on vacation with his daughter, and we all know he wouldn't be in a rush to get back. Akira's pretty much his adopted son at this point." For her stance on justice and rigid demeanour, Ann often forgot her friend had a well-hidden mischievous streak. Knowing Makoto, she'd probably buy extra cups of coffee to make up for the extra break time, too. She was nice like that. "I'll be seeing you. Say hi to Akira for me." Her voice turned teasing.
Ann flushed. "Tell him that yourself!" she hung up, muttering curses under her breath. It'd been a mistake telling Makoto about her crush on Leblanc's other part timer, if only because she had to suffer under relentless teasing and smug glances. Mood improved, Ann gathered enough energy to push herself off the chair, heading to the bathroom to get ready.
Her job at Le Blanc was a godsend. She was never alone during shifts and the work was relatively easy. It paid less than say, her last job at the Okamura Food chain, but was infinitely less taxing. Waitressing didn't suit her, but she couldn't complain. Sojiro was doing her huge favour by hiring when it was obvious he didn't need the help.
The man was also touchy about letting anyone other than Akira brew the drinks, citing he had a reputation to uphold, so she hadn't needed to take on the unenviable job of the barista. She'd seen how much Akira practiced under Sojiro's watchful eye and wasn't confident she could pull it off. Memorizing the names alone made her head spin.
Customers trickled in during the dinner hour and only one or two were left as they neared eight pm. True to her word, Makoto had dropped by and forced Ann to sit down for some real food –not the processed rubbish she usually ate. Makoto leaned over the bar after ordering two plates of curry, whispering to Akira to add an extra portion of rice to Ann's plate. She smiled gratefully when he acquiesced with a nod and returned to their table.
The two girls chatted as they waited for their food, Ann occasionally throwing worried glances at the door, much to Makoto's amusement.
"You don't have to look so worried," Makoto laughed when Ann jerked guiltily in her seat, "You're merely taking a longer break, not vandalizing the shop."
"I still feel like a criminal," she grumbled. "If I get caught, I'm saying it was your idea."
"I'd like to see Sojiro-san win an argument against a prosecutor's sister."
"Confident, are we?" Ann laughed, slapping her friend on the wrist.
"Of course." Makoto replied primly, "Not to mention I'm a budding defense attorney. The deck is practically stacked in your favour."
Several more minutes passed as the two traded banter. The scent of curry grew thick, and their chatter ceased as Akira approached their table holding two large plates of trademark Le Blanc curry. Ann squinted at her plate and looked over to Makoto's.
"Mine looks so much bigger." She said, looking between the two innocent faces. "I wonder why?"
Akira merely smiled. "Must be the trick of the light." He gestured at the lamp hanging above their table. "I haven't gotten around to changing them." Makoto choked down a laugh.
"Right." Ann huffed, but nevertheless picked up the utensils. "I'm on to you two."
"Oh be quiet and enjoy your food." Makoto said, already starting with her own meal.
The curry was delicious. Much to her embarrassment, Ann inhaled everything on her plate within fifteen minutes. She debated on whether to get another plate, watching as Makoto steadily continued eating, and was surprised when someone placed a slice of cheesecake in front of her.
Akira remained cool faced at her slack jawed expression, though it steadily melted into anxiousness as she continued gaping. "They were having a sale. You've talked about eating at this shop once and, well…" Makoto put down her fork and watched the events unfolding with a glimmer of mischief. There was slight flush in the barista's face and Ann had caught on before long, turning into a brilliant shade of red as she tried to meet his gaze. It didn't work. She opted to stare at the admittedly delicious looking cake, mumbling a grateful 'thank you' to the boy.
Makoto nearly laughed. The two were so shy it was almost adorable.
"This curry is delicious, Akira-kun." She interrupted, before the atmosphere could dip into the realm of painful awkwardness. "Is this the usual recipe?"
"Ah, yes." He turned to face her, looking relieved. "The only thing different is the rice. We're trying a new brand, I hope it suits the curry better than the last one."
"No problems here." Makoto said, smiling. "How did you like it, Ann?"
The blonde cleared her throat, finally recovered from her temporary brain fart earlier. "It was amazing," she assured, gesturing at her empty plate, "I've never eaten something that good."
"Thank you." Akira rubbed the back of his head. The sound of the bell caught their attention. A middle aged man had just walked in, sighing heavily as he dropped his brief case on the tall stool near the bar. "I'll leave you two be. Enjoy the cheesecake, Ann." He said before leaving to attend to the customer.
"Stop that," Ann sighed at the shit eating grin Makoto was giving her, "You're not the only one allowed to feed me."
"Says the girl with the dopey smile," Makoto giggled, finishing off the last of her curry before pushing the plate away. "Ann, it's hardly obvious that he likes you. I know you feel the same – don't kid yourself, I've seen how you look at him – so you might as well take the first step and ask him out."
"I don't know…" Ann chewed anxiously on her fork. "You know what my situation is like. I'm not sure if I'll be able to handle it."
"I'm not asking you to marry him. Just ask him out on one date. You can see where it goes from there and if you don't like it, you can continue being friends." Makoto advised, "I understand your dedication to furthering your career, but stopping to smell the roses can be a good thing."
Ann sighed. As usual, Makoto blunt words rang true. "I'll think of something." She promised, nervously twirling a loose thread around her finger. Her friend reached over and gave her hand an affectionate squeeze.
"Don't worry so much. Let me know if you need anything, alright?"
That conversation had been several weeks ago. One date turned into two, and two turned into three. Ann stopped counting after the number climbed into double digits.
She couldn't remember the last time she felt so relaxed. Her life had spiralled out of control after graduation and her subsequent plunge into full-time modelling; it'd been period where everything seemed bleak and getting out of bed was a near impossible task. But now… Ann couldn't keep still as she bustled around her apartment in search of clothes, raiding her tiny closet for the perfect outfit.
She'd finally convinced him to spend their day at the park instead of roaming the city. Akira was tooth achingly sweet. Once he knew about her obsession with snacks, he began planning dates where they would explore nearby areas and sample any interesting foods that caught their eye. Ever the gentleman, Akira usually footed the bill despite Ann's protests, though she successfully wrangled the bill from him on rare occasions.
Ann stole a look at her phone and groaned. She grabbed a decent looking top and a pair of adorable shorts before racing towards the bathroom. She had an hour left to get ready and wasn't going to waste a single second.
"Thanks for taking me out again, Akira." Ann smiled, watching him toss pieces of bread into the pond. Ducks swarmed, quaking loudly. "I really enjoy spending time with you."
"Likewise." Their shoulders melded together as she leaned into him. "I'm honoured you choose to spend time with me." He grinned when she slapped his arm. "How's your modelling going?"
"I don't think I'm cut out for it," Ann said, voice unusually despondent. "I was naïve to think I'd be able to make a career out of it just because I have good looks. It takes so much more than that."
"I didn't exactly hit the ground running, either," Akira pointed out, "Just give it some time. Things might seem bad now, but if you're doing all you can, something's bound to change."
She brightened at his words. The conviction behind them might be fleeting, but they helped lift her spirits, if only a little. She turned to look at him, taking in his determined expression. "I wish I could be as positive," She admitted.
There was a faraway look in his eyes. "It might be a small thing, but it keeps you going. I actually…" he trailed off. There was a tightness in his jaw that wasn't present earlier, and the sudden bitterness in his gaze surprised her. Ann felt her stomach clench as she waited for him to continue, somehow sensing his internal dilemma.
Finally, he spoke again. "I'm on probation. It's one of the reasons why I can't get work. Sojiro-san was the only person willing to give me a job." Ann felt his body tense. He'd probably expected her to slap him, or dart away from him like he were a leper. But given that Ann didn't give a single shit about status – Kamoshida had been a teacher, but it didn't stop him from doing the things he did – she merely threaded her hand with his, giving it a small squeeze.
The relief in his face was heart-breaking.
"You can tell me about it when you're ready." Ann said, giving him a soft smile. At least she knew why Akira looked strangely nervous whenever Sojiro struck up a conversation with her. "Now gimme me some bread, it's my turn to feed the ducks!"
He held the object of her desire out of her reach. "No way, get your own."
A surprised gasp escaped him when she lunged for his hand, blocking his eyes with sweaty hands. She squealed when lean, but powerful arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her off the ground, Akira's cackling sending the ducks scattering.
"Noooo!" Ann called after the animals with a look of utter dismay. "Akira! Put me down this instant!"
What a pair they made.