A/N: I'm sorry, there will be real jerks at this part of the narrative, especially the main lead. Please come in with blunted sensitivities. This is a fictional story, overly conservative PC is not applicable at this point. But I promise this is necessary for the story to develop. The storyline is ridiculous, but this is fiction.


Dignity or Ice


The whole group fell silent when the tacky-looking stranger walked into the house.

"Uh…" Sanosuke croaked, totally unprepared to come face-to-face with a character he thought would only appear in zombie movies. "Who's our guest?"

"It's the plumber," Enishi answered dryly, pointing to the respirator-clad… thing. "She's here to fix our sink."

"That thing's a she?" Sanosuke raised a brow, "How'd you even know?"

The annoyed lawyer only scowled, and he turned to the so-called plumber, "Broken sink's in the kitchen," he motioned to a large entrance, and the Fallout survivor nodded once. The abomination brushed past the visibly terrified people with a toolbox on hand and drain snakes coiled around its shoulders.

"In what post-apocalyptic realm did you summon that mutant?" Sanosuke croaked.

"Looks like the survivor of a nuclear fallout," Kenshin added,

"I could hear the heavy breathing from its respirator…." Megumi rubbed her shoulders, taming the goosebumps on her skin.

They could hear the clinking of metal coming from the kitchen, and a most grating cranking sound when the plumber started prying the metal drains open.

"Ugghh," Megumi grimaced, "I think I'll pass on this one." She turned and walked the other way.

"Me too," Tomoe said sheepishly, "The sound hurts my ears."

"There's more beer on the fridge," Sanosuke suggested,

"I'll get it! We'll regroup in the living room." Kenshin proceeded to the kitchen to grab said drinks. "Enishi!" he called out, "You joining us or what?"

"I'll be there in a minute," the white-haired lawyer called out. With one last lingering look at the adjacent kitchen, Enishi followed the crowd.


Kaoru was so engrossed in her job that she didn't realize a full 30 minutes had passed. At the start, she prioritized finishing her job in 40 minutes, so she could have enough time to gather her tools and collect payment. It was stuffy inside the respirator, and she knew these gas masks were not meant to be worn for a straight hour.

She would have wiped the sweat off her forehead, but it was impossible with all her equipment and kitchen grease on her overalls. It was alright, she could endure much… the end of the month was coming, and she had to pay a mountain of bills…

Kaoru groaned, placing a hand on her lower back and arched. She had been hunched under the sink for the entire grueling time, and she thought she heard her bones cracking as she stretched. She was about to crawl out of the sink to take a little break when—

"I'm sorry," someone suddenly said, and the woman jumped like a frightened cat. She then realized a man was standing behind her, rather… had been standing behind her, two men to be exact.

A wave of shame washed over Kaoru, realizing they had probably been staring at her brown overall-clad ass, sticking out of the sink for the entire time.

"What—" she started, but her words died down. What are you sorry for, she had meant to say, when she turned her head slightly in the darkness of the cupboard. She realized the brown-haired man, although smack looking at her, was talking to the white-haired man.

They were leaning casually against the counter, beer bottle on hand, talking leisurely and passing the time. All the while still staring at her.

"I always thought your incessant partying was because you were never satisfied," the brown-haired man continued, "I even thought you played for the same team…"

From behind her respirator, the woman's brow shot up. What in the…

"Don't get me wrong… there's nothing wrong in loving who you love. But I really thought those were the reasons you couldn't settle down. Now I know why."

"What the fuck are you talking about, Sano?" the Yukishiro guy answered, taking a swig from his bottle.

"I mean, you just didn't realize your preference, cousin." A wide grin broke Sano's features, "Judging from how you couldn't tear your gaze off our post-apocalyptic survivor since she walked in the room… you have an unusual fetish— GAAH!"

The white-haired man had collared Sano, his so-called cousin, a vein had popped out of his head. "What did you say?!" Yukishiro said with a sadistic smile.

Kaoru groaned. She realized, based on the men's red faces and slurring speech, they were DRUNK.

"Besides. I'm only watching her closely, she looks familiar."

They disappeared into the living room.

Kaoru froze. She needed to get the hell out of this landmine. The woman crawled out of the sink backward and followed them to the large room where the rest of the group was.

She extended an open palm towards the two men expectantly, "I fixed your sink," she finally said, "It's $190, including tax. We charge by the hour. We prefer Venmo, but cash should be fine."

But they only blinked.

"Uhh, we also accept cards?" Kaoru hesitated.

Then white-haired man dumped an item in her hand:

It was an empty ice bucket.

"If you get paid by the hour, then you have a good twenty-five minutes left." the man named Enishi grinned. "Be a doll and get us some ice."

His cousin in the background guffawed in laughter.

She was about to hurl the metal bucket to their smug faces when she halted.

Kaoru breathed out. She refused to be irked by these drunk losers! "I've done my job," she tried to sound as collected as possible through the respirator, ashamed of her thinking bad of these strangers, "I fixed your sink. Now can I collect my payment?"

"Get us our ice," Enishi lifted a haughty nose.

"And throw out the empty beer bottles when you get to the living room." Sanosuke chimed in. "Oh, the dishes will need washing, too."

They did not notice the woman was already trembling. "You know I'm here just to fix your sink, right?" she repeated, "And you would have a maid to do those things for you—"

"Maid, plumber, driver… I don't see why that should prevent you from getting me some ice."

Kaoru gaped in utter disbelief. She blinked several times, refusing to accept that such a level of self-entitlement existed in this world. But the white-haired man suddenly leaned down and snapped his fingers arrogantly on her face.

"Oi. Ice?"

Steam… steam would have escaped Kaoru's ears. "I'm sorry," she grit out, "But I have to finish up so I can go home to my brother—"

The rest of the group huddled closer, drawn by the commotion. Sano started grinning,

"What's happening?"

"Shush! The maid is talking back to Enishi—"

"Oh my god—"

Giggling and heckles from the background… One of the women took out their phone to record what seemed like a highly entertaining show.

"I can give you recommendations for a maid, Sir, and I suggest you contract them 24/7, seeing that you or your friends can't even do simple household chores. Now, if I can please, kindly get my payment—"

The white-haired man's eyes flashed dangerously. A haughty nose tilted up the air, and he suddenly looked down at her.

He was literally looking down at her!

"Hn," An absolutely intimidating smile crept on his face, "Talking to me like that… perhaps you don't know who I am?"

It finally happened.

The orphaned med graduate who worked three minimum-wage jobs, which recently defaulted their house, who had a mountain of student debt and hospital bills— but was still working her ass off because she clung to the hope that one day, things will be better— finally snapped.

"Oh, I know exactly who you are." Her lips twisted into extreme distaste, "You showed me your dick, and you did a number on my self-esteem." She ripped her respirator off, revealing her face.

The silence that fell was devastating. Everyone's was wide, and jaws had dropped to the floor.

"So you saw my dick, huh," Although he recognized her, the white-haired man merely sneered, still looking down at her. "How cute. Then, why don't I have my ice?"

Kaoru gaped, "I don't know, but I'm not getting it."

"That's it," the tall, absolutely intimidating man stepped towards Kaoru, sizing her down, and his smug grin widened even more. "You're fired."

Kaoru's eyes widened, "W-wha—" she shook her head, still trying to comprehend, "For not getting you ice?" She paused, but she quickly regained her composure. Deep inside, the med graduate regretted her outburst. It was too unprofessional, and she had been in more stressful situations than this.

Besides, she did not know these strangers.

Okay now, she felt like a horrible human being at this point.

"Okay, you know what, that's fine. Just pay me, and I'll be out of your hair."

The Yukishiro guy chuckled. "I'm not paying you, or that 'Ao-Ya' Plumbing company."

Kaoru stepped forward, her eyes wide with restrained anger, "Sir, you have shoes that cost more than I can make in six months. You hired me to fix your sink. I did it. You have to pay me."

The man flicked his white locks nonchalantly, he granted her a dazzling smile. "Nope."

Amidst the amused jeering and whispers that circulated, a red-haired man stepped forward, his smile more apologetic than mocking. "Now, we don't have to be this hostile to each other, don't we?" He held the dumbfounded hands and gently guided her away from the white-haired man. As he walked her to the door, he leaned close,

"I'll pay you for the sink. Besides, this is my fiance's property. Don't worry. My brother-in-law… can get impulsive at times, but he's not an evil person—"

Kaoru's eyes widened in bewilderment. Her eyes flicked to the short man beside her. She realized… unlike the haughty expressions the group wore, he was the only one who held a kind smile—

"Himura," came the icy voice.

Both of them stopped and turned around. In all his beautiful glory, the white-haired man smiled down upon them. "I will pay her. I need to do a little… inspection of her work, before I send her away."

With one last look, he turned away and walked towards the kitchen.

There was something in his smile that made Kaoru's hackles stand.