Chapter 7 Day Off

Hitomi came to the office and hurriedly went over to her desk. Yukari immediately popped her head and said, "I know you need this job but you shouldn't over do it, Hitomi. It is your day off."

"Yeah I know." Hitomi answered as she quickly moved and prepared her computer. It seemed she was going to print something. "Actually I only came in because I forgot to print a couple of things out and I have some endorsement to do. I'm skipping the next few days because of exams and a few things I need to accomplish." She added, not looking back at Yukari for even a second.

"What? You should have told me last night." Yukari said finally walking over to her side.

Hitomi let out a sigh. "I would have but I was in the middle of duty. I got home at 10. I finished editing the last of Van's files that's why I woke up late. I would have been here earlier to endorse them properly." She then checked her watch and said, hoping to keep it under a calm voice, "I am running late."

"How many files do you have to print?"

"One novel, five essays and three chapters of the last novel. Deadlines are within this week. They are done." Hitomi answered before getting up and heading towards Folken, who was then talking with Allen.

"Excuse me, Folken, Allen." Both men acknowledged her and waited for her to say something. "Folken, is it ok if I endorse Van's work to you? They are all finished and I'm printing them out now. It's just a matter of submitting them."

"Sure. No problem." Folken answered.

"You sound a little agitated and a little in a hurry." Allen commented.

Hitomi smiled at him. "Well, got plans for today and I will be out for the next few days so I'm making sure that I don't forget anything."

"Really? Have you been hiding a boy friend?" Allen teased. Hitomi laughed while Folken smirked.

"No. No boy friends. I simply have other commitments that I wish not to break. And does it matter?" Hitomi challenged.

"No. Not really. Just asking. Making sure that you are normal and not simply a workaholic."

"I'll probably agree with the workaholic part and you'll probably be surprised at how 'not normal' I am." Hitomi answered.

"Not normal? Hmm…seems logical…owing that you are the first editor who has lasted this long aside from Folken right here." Allen commented, making Folken smirk again.

"Come to think of it," Folken started. "Your dedication is something else. Why exactly did you take on this job? Don't take it the wrong way, Hitomi, but you are almost a university graduate and the course you are taking is going to open a lot of doors for you. You don't have to rush things."

Hitomi smiled at him and replied, "Well, let's just say I took on this job to buy myself a new life." She then turned to Folken again and said, "Are you sure it's alright? I hope it's not much of a bother."

"It's fine. You did say that you have already fixed everything, right?" Hitomi nodded in response.

"Please excuse me. I'll finish printing so I can endorse it properly." She said before heading back.

"There you are. The three essays are finished. I'm printing the three chapters while I started the printing of the last three chapters." Yukari said.

Hitomi hugged Yukari and said, "You are a life-saver. Thank you."

"Hey this isn't cheap. This is a free lunch right here."

"Sure. No problem. Actually I was going to ask you if you've been to Café Lauren, you know the newly opened café at the mall."

"Hey I've heard of that. I haven't gone to that."

"Then let's check it out together. My duty mates told me that their cakes are to die for."

"Really? I'll tell you what, you pay and then we'll go shopping for you."

Hitomi looked at Yukari. "Shopping for me?"

"Yeah. It's an early graduation gift."

"But my graduation isn't like for two month more."

"Yeah so? It's never too early to shop for a dress, Hitomi. Besides, your graduation ball is coming up. I can't let you not be the belle of the ball, not to mention be dateless. Now, I'm not going to take no for an answer."

"Hey how did you know about my graduation ball?"

Yukari intertwined her arm with Hitomi's and answered, "I've got my connections, Hitomi. So, how about it?"

Hitomi knew that Yukari wasn't going to let this down. She knew her best friend well enough to know that she would really make it happen even if she had to drag her to the mall so might as well go with the easier option. "Thanks, Yukari. It's a deal then. This Saturday after all my exams and obligations, you cool with that?"

"Yeah. I'm clearing my schedule on Saturday so it's settled."

Suddenly they both felt a hand on their shoulders. "Did I hear right and someone is needing a date for her graduation ball?" Allen whispered in between the two of them.

Hitomi sweat dropped while Yukari looked at Allen a little suspiciously. "Oh come on you guys. We are here for each other. We should support each other during our time of need." Allen said.

"Coming from you, it sounds a little perverted." Folken commented as he walked over and leaned against Hitomi's desk, making the girls laugh.

"Thanks for the offer, Allen, but I wasn't really planning to go to our graduation ball for personal reasons. But Yukari is making me go and is even going to make sure I have a dress for it. I was thinking that I should go alone, you know, the strong woman type who doesn't need to be in the arms of a man to fit in." Hitomi answered.

"Aww…why do you plan on skipping out? A beautiful young lady like you should enjoy events like graduation balls." Allen commented.

Hitomi smiled. She contemplated to giving him the truth, eventually she decided that she would come clean. "Financial constraints. Plain and simple."

"But I thought Yukari is making you go…is she paying-"

"No, no," Hitomi replied, laughing a little bit. "Don't miss understand. I have already set a budget on that but I was hoping that I could use that money for something else…you know…something that…well…is more important." She quickly explained.

"What is more important than enjoying yourself in a ball?"

"Hmm…let's see…it depends on how you value things. Can we drop the subject? I'm going already. Haven't you heard, Yukari is making me go."

"Alright. Alright." Allen replied. "But you know I was going to suggest making Van go with you, you know, sort of his pre-graduation gift for you since you are graduating from university and at the same time, finishing your contract here. After all you've done for him, it's the least he could do."

Everyone looked at him. "What?" He asked.

"I can't believe you just said that." Hitomi stated, not sure if she should be grateful or be disturbed with what Allen said.

"Van's not a bad choice. He's got the looks and the attitude to go with it but putting him and Hitomi together is like mixing oil and water." Yukari commented quite reflectively.

Folken refused to comment.

"Hey I heard that." They all heard Van suddenly say as he walked towards them. All turned to look at him.

"This is going to be interesting," Hitomi sarcastically remarked under her breath, making Yukari suppress her mirth.

"Van, so nice of you to join us." Allen commented as he placed an arm around Hitomi's shoulder and ushered her forward towards Van. "You see Hitomi's graduation ball is coming up and she is dateless. Now she is your editor so why don't you be a gentleman and offer to be her date? Not to mention, it will be good for your image if the public hears a whip of you being nice and cooperative towards your editor." He added. Hitomi's jaw dropped. What in the world was Allen thinking? She couldn't fathom what he was planning.

Van's expression remained cool. "Nice try."

Hitomi then slowly got Allen's arm that was around her shoulder and removed it saying, "Listen, I kinda appreciate you trying to get me a date but I don't want a date. Besides, Van is too cool and important for something a simple and insignificant as my graduation ball."

Van looked at her and his eyes narrowed. Hitomi didn't mean anything by her statement. Ok maybe she did but she honestly didn't want or need a date for her ball. The least thing she wanted was to go with someone whom couldn't even stand being around her.

"Really…I don't want or need a date. Thanks but no thanks. Besides, I don't tell people that I am Van's editor, that I am actually working with him. I don't want to cause some unnecessary gossip." Hitomi added.

"You mean all these months no one aside from us knows that you are Van's editor?" Allen commented.

"Nope. It's not like they have to know that it's me. This is only a part time thing and my contract is going to expire in a few months. I really don't see the point." Hitomi answered as she turned slightly to check her printing. Only a couple more chapters left and she was done. Yukari had already finished the other one.

"Can you just drop it, Allen? It's bad enough that you drag me into it. Don't force her to. It already is a good thing that she doesn't want a date." Van remarked.

He then turned to Hitomi, who had her back slightly against them and was placing markers on the divisions of the files before handing them to Folken.

"What are you doing here in the first place? I thought that it was your day off." Van finally said, addressing Hitomi.

Hitomi finished endorsing first before smiling at Van. She answered, "If you must know, I have finished editing everything you have given me and they are good to go. Since I won't be around for the next couple of days, I've endorsed them to your brother. Why do you care anyway? I wasn't even talking to you. Isn't that what you want? Ignoring your existence as much as professionally possible?"

"Hold on," Folken interceded before Van could reply. "Cool off, will you? Now, while she is here, I want to get this straight. These are files ready for printing, right? Maybe you would want to browse through them first before I send them off to be published?" Folken said pushing the pile of papers over to Van.

Van pushed Folken's hand back and glared at him a little. "I'll take that as a no." Folken said as he headed back to his desk and start working again.

Hitomi started fixing up her desk so that she could leave already. Yukari was helping her a little bit and was conversing with her a little. Van and Allen stood there.

Allen started talking again, "You know, Van, you can cut Hitomi some slack. After everything that you tried to overwhelm her with, she didn't back out like the others have. You can trust her, you know. She isn't like the others. You better start trusting your editor."

"Since when has that been your business? The job gets done. Isn't that what matters?" Van replied.

Allen let out a sigh. "There are times when the end doesn't justify the means, Van. Why are you so pissed off at her in the first place? She has never done anything bad against you, aside from talk back at you, which isn't all that bad because you have done nothing but talk bullshit with her."

Van clenched his fist and wanted to tell Allen off but before he could, Hitomi interrupted. She grabbed Van's clenched fist and said, "I think we should talk right now." She started dragging him out of the office.

He yanked his arm but Hitomi turned back and gave him a look that she wasn't afraid. She said in a calm but firm voice, "We need to talk. I doubt that you want the whole office to hear or are you such a coward that you don't want to hear the things I have to say?"

His eyes narrowed at her and replied, "Fine," before storming out of there, closely followed by Hitomi. The others seemed stunned at the turn of events. That was unexpected. What were they going to talk about?

(to be continued…)

There I'm being nice and uploading this chapter earlier than expected. Hehe. Well I wanted actually to upload this sooner but alas I had a lot of requirements and commitments that I needed to fulfill before I could actually sit down and write this chapter. I'm leaving it as a cliff hanger because if I started placing it and cutting it in the middle, it might well the message might get a little screwed up so I'm cutting it here. I'm not sure if it was eventful but this is my way of paving the way to the beginning of realizations and a lot of possibilities.

Thanks for reading the previous chapters, those who reviewed, added on alert, added on favorites, I appreciate it. I hope that you guys continue supporting this fic. Please do send in what you think of it. Thanks.

Michiko