New Guy, Familiar Face

Chapter 10: Ton's Big Mistake

Haida woke up first groggily, when he felt his arms wrapping around a big, yet familiar orange/white furred animal; after wrenching his eyes to focus, he realised that he's holding a sleeping Retsuko in his arms. He smiled in deep infatuation when he's holding his girlfriend in his arms; he then looked down again and forgot that she wore pure black cotton underwear, notably a strapless bra.

His eyes whitened in limitless attraction and his head turned cherry red in blush, when Retsuko yawned cutely and tilted her head up; she then smiled dreamily at Haida and said softly "Morning, Haida… Did you sleep well?" Haida then calmed down and replied with a warm smile "Honestly, whenever I see you in the office, it gives me the strength to go on, even in the crappiest of days." Retsuko looked at Haida initially with an astonished look, before it gradually glistened and welled with tears; she then said, crying happily "H… H… Haida… Oh, Haida!"

Retsuko then flung her arms around Haida's neck and kissed him in the lips; Haida was briefly shocked, before he took in the kiss and made out with Retsuko. Haida then moved his right paw to Retsuko's cheek and caressed it, as Retsuko followed suit; they then broke off the kiss to nuzzle each other on the nose affectionately, before they gently butted heads as they looked at each over in compassion. Retsuko then said, albeit reluctantly "We'd better get ready for work…" Haida shared the same level of reluctance with Retsuko, but they both knew they needed the money to pay their rent.

15 minutes to 9am, Ryo parked his white BMW M3 E92 in the multi-storey carpark a block from work; in the passenger's seat was Haida and Retsuko, with the latter sitting on the former's lap. Although Ryo had the notion they slept together last night, he kept it to himself; they then left the BMW and rushed to work, barely making it to the elevator just as the doors closed. The three panted to catch their breath, before Ryo asked in between breaths "So… You guys… Had… a good… night?" Retsuko and Haida nodded in perfect sync, which Ryo gave them both a thumbs up with a brief smile.

Just as they regained their breaths, the elevator doors opened and they went to the changing rooms. In the women's change room, Retsuko saw Fenneko burying herself in her phone again, though she looked healthier than the last attempt. As she sidled behind her, she said cheerily "Morning Fenneko, how you've been?" Fenneko replied, her voice in a flat tone "Not too bad… though I'm still not having any luck…" Retsuko inquired as she opened her locker "What're you trying to find, this time?" Fenneko replied in a matter-of-factly tone "What Ryo did after getting his driver's license…" Retsuko shook her head in slight irritation and noted "Okay then…" Retsuko then thought to herself "Give it a break, Fenneko… If Ryo doesn't want to talk about his past, then don't bother digging it up."

Meanwhile, in the men's change room, Ryo had gotten a call from his grandmother as he just gotten into his work uniform. He then answered the call and said "Hey Grandma, how are you?" He listened to his grandmother for a few moments, before he replied to her "Oh, work's not too bad… it has its flaws, sure, but it's the job I'm most useful in." Ryo listened to his grandmother, as the other male co-workers noted that there is no denying that claim.

Ryo then said through his phone "Funnily enough, there's one co-worker here I've known from High School. You know the female Red Panda in the school photos?" There was a moment before Ryo continued "Yeah, she worked here for 5 years before I applied for the job. She had some difficulties, especially with her boss, but she managed to pull through." There was a couple of moments, before Ryo asked "Oh grandma, by the way, how's mom and dad doing?" Ryo smiled with his teeth bared, before it slowly shifted into a flat look as he said "Oh… Um… I'd better get to work, now. Later, grandma…" He then ended the call and puts his phone in his pocket, before he left the men's change room without uttering a single word.

Minutes later, Retsuko rushed like a bat out of hell to make Mr Ton's desk look clean and presentable, as well as refilling his humidifier. As she was carrying a tray with a cup of tea and a Danish roll to Ton's desk, she noticed Ryo slumped in his chair in a devastated look. Retsuko looked at him in concern, not paying attention to where she's walking; Ton then exclaimed "Calendar, watch where you're headed!" but it was too late, because Retsuko tripped over and spilt the tea on Ton's desk and shirt that he had just dry cleaned.

Everyone, save for Ryo, watched in horror as Ton's anger built up inside him when he saw the mess Retsuko has made; Retsuko scrambled to her feet and cleaned up her mess as she screamed in panic "I'm sorry, Mr Ton! It was an accident, I swear it! It won't happen again, honestly!" Ton gripped his fists firmly with a vein throbbing on his forehead, before he craned his head slowly to look at Retsuko in a venomous stare. He then began in a calm tone "5 years… 5 years, you've worked here in accounting… 5 years, I've been enduring your incompetence… 5 YEARS!" Ton spat at Retsuko, before he finished "How in the hell are you supposed to make a living with this job with messes like THIS?!"

Retsuko looked at Ton in tears and trembling mouth, which Ryo turned his head around and sees Retsuko in the worst situation yet. Retsuko then tried to explain "I… I'm sorry, M-M-Mr Ton… I swear… I swear I didn't intend to—" Retsuko then suddenly saw stars for a moment, before she found herself on the floor; tears flowed more quicker from her eyes, when she felt immense pain from her right cheek. She then began to sob, realising that Ton had slapped her across the face; Ton then said in suppressed rage "You're pathetic… No wonder you're not going ahead in life." Retsuko then closed her eyes, crying a little harder as she rubbed her cheek, when she heard Ton exclaim "What the hell?!"

A second later, she felt the ground shook briefly before she heard Ton being hurt and a familiar voice say in anger after each hit "How… dare… you… hurt… RETSUKO!" Retsuko then took it upon herself, despite her pain, to look at what's happening: she saw, much to her mixture of astonishment and gratitude, Haida repeatedly pummelling Ton on the ground. Haida only relented when both Ookami and Komiya pulled him off Ton, who looked at Haida in fear. Haida flailed around, before he calmed down enough to say to Ton, albeit in an angry snarl "Say sorry to Retsuko…"

Ton looked at Retsuko in fear, before he turned back to Haida, who bellowed "SAY SORRY!" Ton then exclaimed, not wanting another pummelling "Okay, okay! I'm sorry!" Haida pointed to Retsuko while leering at Ton venomously, before the latter turned his head and said to Retsuko "I'm sorry…" Ton then got up painfully and went to the Men's Restroom, with everyone gazing at him, before they gazed at Haida in pure astonishment. Haida then wrenched from Ookami's and Komiya's grip and said "Alright, show's over…" Haida then strode out of the office, when Retsuko, after getting helped up by Kabae and Tsunoda, ran out of the office too.

In the Men's Change Room, Haida washed his face in the sink, before he looked at his reflection; he then thought of Ton's 5 years' worth of abuse towards Retsuko and punched the window in anger, before he looked down to ponder. He then thought to himself "5 years… 5 years he has abused Retsuko… 5 years he forced her to make him tea… 5 years, he's been a total, thick-headed bastard towards Retsuko… He'll never change… Not… one… bit."

Meanwhile, in the Girl's Change Room, Retsuko washed her face in the sink and looked at her reflection. She began to tremble in sadness, before she eyed at her purse in the locker and x-rayed it to see her mic. She then looked at her reflection and nodded firmly, before she grabbed her mic and strode off to the Archives Room; when she entered, she was surprised to see Ryo in there too, sitting with his back against the wall. Ryo looked at Retsuko miserably, before he looked down at his phone; Retsuko realised that he had a call or message recently that made him like this state.

Retsuko then felt bad for Ryo, before she said to him "Ryo, I know you're in a sad state, so please don't take what I'm about to do next personally." Ryo looked at Retsuko and raised his brow in question, before Retsuko took a deep breath… she then screamed in a demonic tone in her mic before singing:

5 long years of mental torture!

5 long years of misery!

I let out my rage,

Not in a cage,

So I cannot fail,

To express my tale!

I just want this to be OOOVVVEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Retsuko panted hard for a few moment, before letting out a sigh of relief, before she looked at Ryo. She expected him to be frightened or maybe left the room already, but she was surprised to see him still sitting there; she was even more surprise to see him clap in appraisal with a warm smile. Ryo then let out a slight amused laugh, before he said "No wonder you go to Karaoke every night; honestly, I thought you'd be a crap singer, but you clearly are the opposite." Retsuko blinked twice as she looked at Ryo in astonishment, before she smiled in pure pleasure from his appraise for her secret.

They then both turned their heads when the Archives Room door knocked and Haida's voice rang "Retsuko? Are you in there?" Retsuko gulped, before she replied "Yeah… yeah, I'm in here. Just needed to calm down a bit…" There was some silence for a few moments, before Haida admits "Honestly, I can't believe Ton reacted like that…" Retsuko then replied, with an amused smile "I still can't believe you kicked his ass! Of all the things that happened in accounting, everyone's certainly not going to forget that for years!"

Retsuko and Ryo heard Haida let out a snicker, before Haida said "Yeah… Anyway, on the way here, I heard the CEO scolding Ton for his behaviour. He might be a small guy, but he carries a hell of a voice!" Retsuko looked at Ryo, who shrugged at her, before she said "Okay… I'm coming out now…" Retsuko unlocked the Archives door and opened it to see Haida in his casual clothes. Retsuko then asked him after a brief moment of surprise "Haida, why did you change into your casual clothing?" Haida made a sigh, before he replied "Because I'm not in the mood to do my paper work in front of that, thick headed, abusive swine we call a boss. I just wanted to take an early leave…"

Retsuko then let out a sigh and replied "Well, you aren't alone with that idea… Maybe we should take the rest of the day around the city?" Haida then puts his paws in his pockets and smiled at her, before he replied "I couldn't think of a better idea… *sighs* if only I have a car, though…" A familiar voice then asked "Any Make in particular?"

Haida then noticed Ryo coming into view, before he gave it a thought and sidled past Retsuko before he whispered in Ryo's ear on what vehicle he wanted. Ryo made an amused smile and replied with a pat on Haida's back "Today's your lucky day, man." Haida looked astonished from Ryo's sincere reply, before he nodded at him with a warm smile; they then left the Archives Room and left the building, unaware that the other co-workers chanted Haida's name in appraisal, even Komiya and Tsubone.