Yuri grinned as she watched the guy named Ren gave Mr. Aoki unlimited bows, his head had been going up and down in almost a minute now and Yuri was starting to get worried about his neck. The guy was surprisingly respectful. She expected him to be a rude, gangster-y teenager from the very moment he stepped foot into the store-- with his wide strunt, raised chin and open gakuran that swayed with him-- but the moment he was presented to an authoritative figure he was quick to bend over and he was still doing it until now.
It was daring and Yuri found herself smiling at the dork. It was a good thing that a spot was open for him. Apparently, Mr. and Mrs. Aoki was in desperate need of someone to handle inventory and keep the storage properly arranged everytime a new product came and how do you know-- the guy was perfect for the job. He'd probably stay in the storage room in most of his shifts though which was a shame because Yuri wanted to get along with the guy more. It's not like she could talk to him over the counter with the door leading up to the storage open. Well... it's an idea... but a bad one.
Speaking of Fuyuki, it's time to chat with her and by chat-- means: to annoy the crap out of her.
Yuri got a sinister grin on her face as she walked towards Fuyuki who was also watching the interaction with crossed arms and a smile on her face. Yuri stood next to her and whispered: "So, you brought home a man. Nice."
"Can it, Yuri." Fuyuki gave her the eye, she thought it would end there but she proceeded on proving her point, which was a little suspiscious for someone like her that never proves her point because she was always confident on her first one but now, Yuri couldn't help herself but to squint an eye.
"It's not like that. Ren was in desperate need for a job. It's either this or some... other things. I don't want him to do the other one and this one is more convinient because he'd always be at arms length now that he's teaching me how to fight."
"Wait-- for real?!" Yuri almost jumped on Fuyuki's face at the sudden reveal. "That's the--" she looked at him, then back at Fuyuki and back at him again, pointing fingers. "That's the graceful guy?"
"Uh huh." Fuyuki nodded, puffing out her chest more. "That's him."
"Well damn, you gotta teach me how to do that."
Fuyuki just avoided her eyes at that.
"How did you do it anyway?" Yuri raised a brow at her and Fuyuki folded.
"Well, you see..." She scratched at the back of her head, not meeting her eyes. "What I did was borderline illegal."
Yuri grabbed Fuyuki's shoulder with both hands, making her yelp at the sudden action. "Tell me everything." Yuri smiled like a maniac and Fuyuki looked like she wanted to disappear into thin air.
Yuri was in for a ride when she asked her how Fuyuki had managed to tame one beast of a guy. Yuri's face went from a grimace with all the graphic description of a fistfight, to a worry frown when she found out that Fuyuki took a hit just to impress him and finally to an impressed and quite proud expression when she was told of the details of how the blackmail had happened.
This was getting interesting.
She'd try harder not to get late for work from now on.
If Fuyuki could hear her thoughts right now, she'd probably be pissed because for the very first time since she worked at the store, Yuri promised to not get late and it wasn't even because her conscience were eating her up; it was for that sweet sweet front row seat for drama.
--
"They're wearing the same uniform!" Yuri squealed right at Fuyuki's ear when Ren and her wore the same outfits. She even pushed them in together and looked them over.
Fuyuki deadpanned at her and took a step to away from Ren to stop them from being smooshed together. "We're not even gonna work at the same space and I don't even think I'm needed here anymore. There's already two of you," she explained.
"Oh, don't be like that." Yuri wrapped an arm aroumd her shoulders. "I'll let you take a shift or two." She winked.
"No thanks," she answered, bored. Seriously, this girl. She's older than her but she's the one who needed to keep her composure. What is she getting at? Fuyuki was starting to think that telling her everything was a bad idea.
"Senpai."
Both of them yelled in surprise when someone spoke from behind them. When they turned their heads, they saw that it was Ren and he got his resting don't-mess-with-me-or-I'll-fight-you face on, all the niceness and formality earlier thrown out the window.
"Yes, dear kouhai?" Yuri asked, her voice small. Probably scared.
"Can I borrow that girl for a moment," he asked and pointed at Fuyuki.
"Me?" Fuyuki pointed at herself.
"Her?" Yuri pointed at her too and was quick to let out a loud laugh. "Sure, sure. You can have her."
Ren just nodded and walked towards the storage room and Yuri pushed her violently on the back to follow after him. Fuyuki gave her the look but she just mouthed the words: "I love you" making Fuyuki remember the times she did the same to Yuri when she couldn't be bothered to listen. Yuri's getting back at her. She knew it.
"So, how may I help you?" Fuyuki started when they were in the storage room and he was already settling down on some boxes, making it his own personal throne.
"You mean: how can I help you?" he corrected, his hand supporting his jaw as he looked at her with those condescending eyes.
"Yeah, that's-- that's the one," Fuyuki laughed nervously.
"What sport do you play?" he asked.
"None. Never played any."
That made his brows creased.
"Any hobbies that requires any physical skills?"
"None," Fuyuki answered but quick to change it because that seemed to piss him right off the bat. "But I do housework and-- and I like walking!"
"A grade schooler could do chores and walking is weak."
What? Weak? What did he want her to do, then? Do a handstand and a flip whenever she had the time?
Fuyuki's brows met, her eyes confused.
Ren seemed to realize her confusion and he sighed. "What I want to say is that it could've been better if you had any athletic attributes on you. Makes my work easier and makes it easier for you." He raised a brow at her. "But it seemed like we're starting from the ground up. Jesus, you're a lot of work," he whined at his seat with his head thrown backwards.
She was, was she? She's nothing but a clean slate and it made her feel sorry for him. Sorry for training someome as clueless as me, sensei. I promise, I'll make it up to you. She wanted to cry at her own disappointment.
"Sorry," she blurted out.
He didn't pay any attention at the words she said and proceeded onto the next topic at hand.
"Here's what we're gonna do: you're gonna wake up early."
"How early?"
"Around 3 in the morning."
Fuyuki's eyes grew at those words.
"You're gonna meet me at the playground-- don't worry I know a clearing near the forest there-- and we'll train there. You go back home at 7 and go to school at 8."
"But how about my little sister?"
"Little sister who?" The pitch of his voice raised and his eyes squinted in confusion.
"My little sister, Sachiko. I drop her off at her kindergarten everyday."
"Nah. You're gonna have to find a time for that." He waved her off. "And after school we'll go back to training again and... what do you say about running on rooftops at night?" A smirk appeared on his face.
Fuyuki smiled back, taking on a challenge with fire in her eyes. "I'd say that's a great idea."
Ren nodded, contented at her answer.
"So," Fuyuki looked around the room, the boxes were removed from the middle and was lined by the walls. "When do we start?"
"I'd say we could start tomorrow, you know with the fixed time and everything." He stood up and stared at a box for a little too long. "But nothing's stopping me from starting now-- think fast!" And he threw a box at her.
