A/N: Sorry for the delay, everyone! And thank you so much for all your lovely reviews!
I've been really busy traveling due to work and just got back into the country today, so I haven't really had time to write. But still, I didn't want to let Valentine's Day go by without an update, so I whipped this up for you! Hopefully my next update won't be so long behind! Also, some things happen in this chapter that caused me to have to bump the rating up - but don't worry, I'll only be posting really explicit things on my AO3 account (under the same penname, PearHoliday).
Some of you might also notice that this chapter is shorter than others; I think it's easier to digest with shorter chapters, so I've been cutting down a bit, especially with all of the background info already having been established in the first three chapters. From now on, it'll mostly be purely plot instead of world-building!
And as always, thank you so much for all of your lovely reviews and faves! They're the only thing that's keeping me going! 3
CHAPTER 4: IN WHICH PARADIGMS ARE SLOWLY SHIFTED
It was 4:25 a.m., and Kotoko still couldn't fall asleep.
She'd tried texting Chris about the situation, as she was the only one she could turn to thanks to the stipulations of the stupid contract. But judging from the lack of response from the British baker, it was clear that she was probably engrossed in another culinary experiment.
And she could already imagine what Keita's reaction would be, besides his obvious shock and potential anger toward her living situation: "Whatever, that asshole deserved it. Stop worrying and go to bed."
And she tried. She really did. Her bed (now a pile of twisted sheets), and her floor (now littered with pillows) was a testament to that.
She rolled over to her side, toying with the cord of her bedside lamp. "Damn it, how could I hit him? What if he sues me? Or never talks to me again?" She muttered. Then she rolled over again, forcing another pillow off the bed.
"Well, why should I apologize? It's not like I said anything that was untrue. He was being an ass. He doesn't even know me."
She rolled over once more, squeezing her eyes shut. "But still, he's my boss… what do I do?"
With a frustrated sigh, Kotoko got up from the bed and headed for the bathroom. She knew she wouldn't be getting any sleep anyway, so she'd just start her day extra early instead. Maybe a nice bath would help her de-stress and sap some anxiety out of her before work.
The entire apartment was eerily silent when Naoki had finished getting ready for the day, at 7:32 a.m.
Had she run away from directly confronting him, after what happened last night? Well, it didn't matter. After all, being on good terms wasn't important. All he needed was an acceptable abode to stay in until his financial situation was straightened out. And since the contract had been signed by Airhead the day prior, there were no other pressing issues to attend to.
And as far as he was concerned, things were better this way. Everything about Kotoko the Airhead was displeasing to Naoki, from her slovenly state of living to the fact that she harbored feelings for him.
That was another thing that bothered him – she apparently liked him, but struck him with the same hand that had handed him her confession of love. How utterly ironic. Clearly, the girl had issues that she needed to sort out.
Naoki fixed his tie one last time before heading out the door, when a mug at the kitchen counter caught his attention. Upon closer examination, he realized that it was coffee. A doppio, with the milk stirred. Just the way he always asked for it. However, there wasn't any steam rising from the surface of the cup, indicating that it'd been made quite a while ago.
He narrowed his eyes. "Does she think that she can excuse senseless violence with a damn cup of coffee?" He snatched the cup off the counter, poured it into the sink, and then tossed the mug in behind it.
Almost immediately, a sense of guilt gripped him. And it wasn't because he felt bad about what he'd done, really. It's just that there was no good excuse for wasted coffee.
He walked back to the sink, washed the mug, and set it on a rack to dry before leaving for breakfast.
The office was quiet and dark, with the only source of light being the peeks of sunshine from the sunrise – as it should have been, as it was still only 7. Kotoko quite enjoyed the serenity of being alone. The fact that this space—usually so bustling with activity—was silent almost made it feel as if it belonged only to her in that very moment.
Kotoko looked up from her computer screen, and turned to face the window. It did feel rewarding to be awake early enough to see the sunrise. Rising from her seat, she stretched her limbs and made her way toward the windows.
Though she was able to see a similar view from her balcony on the 27th floor, her office was on the 53rd floor and thus offered a better view of Tokyo. She let out a sigh as she watched the city awaken slowly below her. The streets were just beginning to become crowded with students on their way to school, and professionals commuting to work. Shops and stalls were beginning to set up for the crowds of shoppers that would soon be flooding their establishments.
"Oi, Kotoko!"
She turned around as the lights in the office turned on. She saw Keita standing near the entrance of the office, with something in his hands. It smelled like coffee, and… maple syrup?
He smiled, as he walked toward his desk. "Good morning! Why are you sitting in the dark?"
She walked back to her desk, and sat down at her seat. "Well, technically, I was standing."
"Whatever. What are you working on that's so urgent that Bedhead Kotoko would be in so early?" Keita quipped, taking off his bag.
"More importantly, what do you have over there?" Kotoko peeked over to Keita's desk, where he had set down two cups of coffee and two breakfast platters.
He laughed. "I guess nothing escapes your nose… they're two breakfast sets from the cafe."
Kotoko reached over to grab one, but then stopped.
Raising her eyebrows, she gave Keita a look. "What do you need this time?"
Keita leaned down to meet her gaze, and flashed his most charming smile. "It's finals season. And you know what that means!"
She sighed. Unfortunately, she knew very well what that meant. Though Keita was a stellar student, the fact that he worked full-time hours at Pandai meant that he had to cut classes every so often. And oftentimes, the classes he chose to skip were the ones related to history. Of course, the fact that he chose these very classes to skip often had something to do with the fact that Kotoko was an expert in all things related to history, especially art history and fashion history.
Kotoko nodded begrudgingly. "Thank god it's your last semester at school… but you owe me two dinners for every all nighter you put me through."
Keita kissed the top of her head. "Sure, sure." He handed Kotoko her mocha cappuccino and her breakfast platter, and watched her fondly as she devoured the contents of the package with the grace of a rhinoceros.
To Kotoko's pleasure, the day seemed to fly by despite it being a Friday. A new assignment had come in for their team, which meant that she'd been too busy to mull over the awkward situation between herself and Naoki. Even Yuuko had only managed to yell at the team only three times that day, as she'd been as bogged down by the workload as everyone else. And of course, she'd insisted on delivering Naoki's coffee to him as usual, which meant that Kotoko didn't have to see him once the entire day.
The team started trickling out of the office around 6:15 p.m., when they'd finished up their assignments. Kotoko, however, was as slow as ever when it came to working on the computer. When the last change had been made onto the file and it had been sent to Sudou for approval at 7:30 p.m., she leaned back in her chair and let out a sigh. "Freedom!" she yelled—in her head, as Yuuko was still at her desk—stretching her arms.
Keita walked toward his desk, holding two cups of coffee. "Here." he said, handing her a cup. Kotoko smiled gratefully up at him.
"So… about our dinner date..." Keita began, as he held up his "History of British Fashion" textbook.
Kotoko nodded, turning back toward her computer to shut it down. "Where are we going?"
"Well, it's not quite Pandissimo, but it's pretty close..." Keita said, holding up a coupon for a two-for-one deal.
She rolled her eyes. "We're not going to McDonald's again."
He laughed. "Just kidding. How about we get something quick at Yukihira's, and then study at my place? Motoki's on a date tonight so she probably won't be back until really late. She's determined to 'climb that man like a tree' tonight, apparently."
Kotoko laughed. "Sure, but what about dessert—"
Yuuko stood up. "If you two could take your damn flirting elsewhere, that'd be su-freaking-perb." She snapped.
Keita and Kotoko exchanged looks before quickly filing out of the office.
"Still no sign of my mother backing down?" Naoki sighed, as he closed his laptop. He glanced at his watch. 7:30 p.m.
"No, sir." Funatsu said, not looking up from his paperwork. "And I'm sure that she never plans to, so you'll be at an impasse until you figure out another way to appease her."
"Damn." He muttered, filing his paperwork away into his drawers. "Seriously, I can't live like this much longer, Funatsu."
"Roommate problems, sir?" Funatsu replied, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Don't even get me started." Naoki let out another sigh, as he packed his briefcase. "Not only is this chick a total slob, she slapped me last night!"
"Do I need to contact your lawyer, sir?"
Naoki rolled his eyes. "No, Funatsu. I'm sure she only has half-empty instant ramen cups to her name, anyway." He grabbed his suit jacket, and dusted off his pants. "And I have a 8 o' clock dinner meeting with Matsumoto, right?"
"Yes, sir. Please confirm the code word you'll be texting me when you need an 'emergency call' to come in." Funatsu said, getting up and reaching for his own suitcase.
"The same as usual."
"Very good, sir." Funatsu closed the door, as he followed Naoki out of his office, and ensured that it was locked.
When Naoki walked into the cubicled area of the office, he noticed to his relief that the only person left was Yuuko. Not that people like Airhead were influential enough to make him feel any kind of way. Of course not.
"Ready for our date?" Yuuko said, her voice dropping to a sultry octave.
"Can you pretend that you have an ounce of professionalism about you?" Naoki snapped, as he walked past her toward the elevator. "Make sure you have all the documents you need approved before we go."
Yuuko sighed, collecting her things off of her desk before constructing another perfect smile. "Wait for me!"
Yukihira's was a small, no-frills eatery with a traditionally Japanese interior. The walls and floor were made of hardwood, and there was a standing-only counter that only catered to 15 patrons at once. The walls were covered with long strips of paper advertising menu items and their prices in an elegant script, as well as a few faded movie posters. Everything was self-service, including the water and utensils, which was on another counter adjacent to the main counter. The menu also changed a bit with the season, which ensured that diners would have a unique experience almost every single time they visited. And there was a ticket machine dispensing meal stubs near the entrance of the restaurant, so that patrons could choose and pay for their meals before entering.
Despite the low-key feel of the restaurant, the cozy eatery was always buzzing with the sound of the evening patron's conversations, with the kitchen staff occasionally yelling out orders that were ready to be served or carried out. Most importantly, the place had a nostalgic vibe and served the best Japanese comfort food in this part of Tokyo, resulting in a long line outside of the door every night.
Kotoko took a long sip of the udon noodle's broth, lifting the bowl to her face to do so. After finishing, she set the bowl down on the counter and let out a satisfied sigh.
"Delicious." Kotoko chirped happily, reaching for her glass of water.
Keita drained his own bowl of soup, and nodded. "Yukihira-san, this broth is spectacular."
The chef, who was a tall middle-aged man with a fit physique, grinned. "Damn good to hear it. Now hurry and get out of here so I can get some other people seated." He winked at the two of them before collecting their bowls.
Kotoko laughed. "We'll be back tomorrow, Yukihira-san!"
"It's a date, hon!" he called, ushering two guests in from the front of the line.
As the two of them walked out, Kotoko caught sight of two familiar faces near the middle of the queue – and quickly turned her head the other way.
Keita looked at her, puzzled. "What's wrong, Ko…" he began, turning his head in the direction that Kotoko had been looking just a moment ago. Then, he saw Director Irie and Section Chief Matsumoto, the latter who was trying to cling onto the former's arm.
Naoki's terse stare met Keita's for all of two seconds, before Keita turned away to face Kotoko.
"Hah, what an odd couple... " Keita joked, linking arms with Kotoko. "Maybe they finally got together? They say that birds of a feather flock together, after all."
Kotoko only nodded, looking down. Noticing her deflated attitude, Keita held her closer. "Come on, let's get you some dessert."
Kotoko brightened a bit, looking up at him. "A parfait-and-three-pastry-combo counts as one dessert, right?"
He groaned. "How the hell do you manage to squeeze all that food into your tiny body?"
Naoki saw Kotoko and Keita laughing together, frowning. Since when were they so close that they were on linking-arms-in-public terms? Were they dating? Then why the hell had Airhead confessed to him in the first place?
No, she probably didn't have any feelings for Kamogari. She had the hots for him, the Naoki Irie, after all. And he trumped that lousy intern in every single way, from pedigree to skill.
He stopped his train of thought. Why the hell was he getting so bothered about this, anyway? It wasn't as if that woman meant anything to him. Hell, she had been nothing but a nuisance to him during the entire time he'd been aware of her existence!
But still, if she was going to be so wishy-washy, she shouldn't have confessed her ardent feelings for him in the first place.
"Ugh." Yuuko said, rolling her eyes. "As if I didn't see enough of those idiots during work."
Naoki turned to her. "Who?"
"Fucking Aihara and her slave."
"Her… slave?"
Yuuko pointed at Keita with a perfectly manicured nail. "Kamogari, I mean. Everyone knows that he's crazy about her."
Naoki nodded. "So… the two are dating, I presume?"
"No. He hasn't made any moves… yet. What a wuss." Yuuko twisted a strand of hair around her finger. "And Aihara is an idiot for not noticing. Her IQ is in the one-digit range, I swear. And even that's generous."
"It seems that you seem to harbor quite a deep distaste for those two." Naoki said carefully.
"I don't really care about Kamogari. He's productive enough, and it's clear from the fact that he already has a full-time opportunity lined up here that he's valuable. But Aihara…" She let out a derisive noise. "She just got this job purely through her connections. Don't know what exactly she did for those connections, but I'll bet that it wasn't exactly something that she was proud of."
Naoki raised an eyebrow. "How do you know?"
"I mean, look how damn slowly she works. That should be indicative of that enough. But also, I was there when the CEO was talking about her with another director. Said that he knew a girl who he was looking for a spot for, here at the company. Lo and behold, she was here the next day, with not a line on her resume or a reference to her name."
She shook her head. "Seriously. Some people, like me, went through a grueling, intensive interview process to work for this company. And I had to make sure my resume and portfolio were perfect so it wouldn't be tossed into the shredder. Who the hell does she think she is, anyway? She's just caused more trouble for us since she started working here."
Naoki gave Yuuko a stern look. "I respect the fact that you got your job through hard work, but don't think Aihara is completely useless. Our department's productivity has gone up in the past two years, and I've seen Aihara's work myself. It may be true that she works slowly, but she's quite good when it comes to working with traditional mediums. She also has a deep understanding of fashion history, which—"
"With all due respect, Irie-san..." Yuuko cut in, loading sarcasm onto the last bit, "how the hell would you know that?"
He opened his mouth to say that he'd seen many of her sketchbooks himself, and then realized the obvious issue with this. Most people at his rank only got glimpses of their employees' official portfolios at best, so how would he ever have had an opportunity to do a full-on sketchbook review of two of her sketchbooks?
"I was a part of the discussion when she was being hired," he lied. "I've seen some of her sketchbooks."
Yuuko gave him a suspicious look, and then continued. "Well, all right. Anyway, enough about that boring nonsense. So, the other day, Sudou-senpai was totally ogling me..."
Naoki sighed and drowned out Yuuko's voice, as he mentally counted down the minutes until the dinner would finally be over.
It had started as an innocent bet – that Keita wouldn't be able to cram at least half the textbook's contents in a single night. Kotoko had sworn that he couldn't do it, while Keita insisted that he could. So, the two friends decided to settle this dispute in the best way they knew how – with alcohol.
Half-empty liquor bottles were lined up on Keita's coffee table, directly in front of the couch. Keita and Kotoko sat on both ends of the couch, facing each other, each with a shot glass in hand.
"Okay... how… hic! About this one?" Kotoko said, looking down at Keita's history book. "Fuuuurst quarter... of 19th century, England..." she slurred. "Empire-waisted dresses, with low-cut necklines. Bonnets and gloves were in vogue, too."
"Um..." Keita furrowed his brow. "I… uh… Victorian?" he said, squeezing his eyes shut.
Kotoko slammed his book shut gleefully. "Nope! Regency! Take a shot!"
Keita groaned but obliged her, as he leaned over to the coffee table. "Which one?"
"Grey goose!" She said, unsteadily reaching for the bottle herself. She poured the shot but her arm wobbled a bit, causing a bit of the liquor to spill onto the couch.
"Shit… Motoki is going to give me hell for that..." Keita murmured, as he took the shot. "Ugh!"
Kotoko laughed. "You're thinking about Moto-chan at a time like this, when you're supposed to be hard at work and studying?" She put her shot glass down on the coffee table. "Mmkay… no… more. Everything's getting all… spinny." She swayed back and forth.
Keita nodded, putting his own shot glass down. "Yeah… me too. Maybe this isn't the most efficient way to study. But hey..." he said, holding her shoulder and meeting her eye. "I got pretty close."
Kotoko nodded, a silly smile gracing her face. "But you still lost."
He nodded. "But I was close!"
"Not. Close. Enough." Kotoko said, punctuating each word with a poke on his chest.
"Oh yeah?" Keita said, his tone daring her to say that again.
"Yeah."
Keita leaned over, pinning Kotoko down, and began tickling Kotoko's waists, targeting the areas that he knew were the most sensitive.
Immediately, she yelped and began to writhe under his touch as she reached to tickle him back. He fell back a bit, laughing as he tried to avoid her hands.
"Say you're sorry!" Kotoko cried, glee in her eyes.
"Never!" Keita said, trying to curl up into a ball. Then, he saw it – an opening.
He leaned over, grabbed both of Kotoko's wrists, and pinned her down under him on the couch. He fell on top of her, with their noses a mere inch apart.
Neither of them moved.
Keita could only stare at her in drunken awe – her brown eyes, her long lashes, her pretty nose, her face, flushed red from the heavy drinking. And her lips. Her delicious lips that begged him to have a taste.
Kotoko could feel stiffness growing against her thigh, and her breath hitched in her throat. Keita began to lean in closer, his sense of judgment heavily clouded by the night's study session.
"What… are you doing?" Kotoko murmured, staring straight at him, her eyes half-closed.
As if a spell over him had been broken, he let go of her arms almost immediately and jumped off the couch. He turned around quickly to hide the sign of his arousal straining painfully against his pants.
"Uh… I think you should go." Keita said quietly, his face flushed red.
A/N: Second-lead syndrome strikes me again... sorry. I promise it'll stay a Kotoko x Naoki fic, though. But maybe I'll write a lemony spinoff of the last scene? Anyways, let me know what you think, and thanks so much as always for reading!
