I do not own Skip Beat!
A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed! Enjoy 3
The moving company had arrived Sunday morning as planned with the rest of Kyoko's belongings. Getting to work right away, she took in the open floor plan, the large windows letting in ample rays of sunshine, and began unpacking. Doing her best at making the new space a home to her liking. She enjoyed classy and beautiful decor; pale but colorful pastels paired with high contrasts that made everything else pop. And she was grateful that the painted walls and wallpapers were neutral enough that they didn't require changing.
Kyoko was about done with the living area by noon, and by early evening the whole place looked unrecognizable, and she was humming a happy tune while finishing any final touches. She didn't have many things and didn't believe in replacing furniture or furnishings if she didn't have to, so everything she did have was curated specifically to compliment each other and had been collected over the course of the years.
Now that her tasks for the day were done, she smiled to herself triumphantly. All that was left was a few pieces of furniture that would be delivered later on in the week.
As she began to wind down, stress for the following day was beginning to creep into her just like the shadows that crept across the floor as the sun began to set, it's shadowed spindly fingers wrapped around her and all of the worries she had been ignoring for the day and the anxiety she had kept bottled up inside of her began tumbling into her mind like tsunami waves. She wondered what her coworkers would be like and if they would be welcoming to a newcomer, specifically the kitchen staff. Especially someone they hadn't worked with before and would now have to take orders from.
She sighed, reaching for a cutting board and a handful of vegetables. Taking her time, she got to work on chopping ingredients, hoping the methodical movements would put her mind at ease once again. Cooking was something like a soother to Kyoko, ever since she was able to hold a spoon to stir the contents of a pot, and even now she was often able to forget her sorrows when she was hard at work creating something delicious. She had been working on this dish for quite some time, making it a grand total of eight times in the last couple weeks already, and tonight she planned on perfecting it.
Sautéing green onion, garlic, and bok choy in a delicate herb butter in one pan, and the smaller pan next to it she was heating up on high, preparing to sear an almond crusted ahi tuna steak. The fragrance was better this time, the seasoning on the vegetables paired with the nutty aroma from the tuna was making her mouth water and Kyoko realized she hadn't eaten since breakfast and let out a long exhale, she had been so caught up in her own thoughts and the interior designing that she had neglected her needs.
Flipping the tuna over to sear the other side, which only took a moment, she began artistically laying the sautéed greens on a plate, and prepared a small bowl of perfectly mounded rice. When the tuna was sliced into strips, she then laid them on a bed of vegetables, and garnished with a sprinkle of toasted sesame and carefully dotted lines of her signature spiced soy sauce. The plating was a lot simpler than it would be if she was serving it to paying customers, but Kyoko was hungry and tired.
But most of all she was tired of being awake.
Ren had plagued her mind all day, as he had for quite some time now. He said that he would see her in a few nights, and she didn't exactly know what that meant anymore. She didn't know if it would be in two nights, three, or maybe even a week or two. Lately she was trapped in a cycle of unknown. He seemed a lot busier now, so much more than he ever was before.
"He's not my boyfriend, I have no claim to his time so I don't know why I care this much anyway." Kyoko said to herself under her breath before taking a bite of her food. Sighing heavily again after realizing the recipe still needed work, she pushed the plate away, irritated and unable to help the disappointment she felt towards herself. She had thought the meal was worth the work, but after nine attempts and something was still missing, she couldn't deny that she was starting to lose confidence in her skill, and that the meal was just genuinely not good.
She knew cooking depended a lot on your mood, the beloved chef she had learned from once said, "Kyoko, you could make the most wonderful meal, plated to perfection, but people can taste the care you put into the food you make. If your heart isn't in it, well, they'll be able to taste that."
Passion was lacking. Love was lacking. The flavors were rich and paired well, but they were missing the depth that came with that slow and careful care she used to put into her meals. Kyoko herself was feeling off, so it was only natural that it carried over to her creative flow.
Not one to waste food, she conceited after a few minutes of sulking and pulled the plate back in front of her. Staring back down at her food she began picking at it with her chopsticks, her mind wandered unintentionally back to Ren and what he might be doing at the moment. Glancing at the time on the stove, it read 7:48 and she wondered if he was eating now, or had he already? Did he skip dinner again?
"Ugh!" She loudly groaned, put her face in her hands, and threw her head over the back of her chair in frustration. If she could take her brain out and wash him from it she would seriously consider it. The constant thoughts about him were slowly eating at her patience, and it didn't really seem to matter what she told him or what he said to comfort her, and she wondered helplessly if her mind would ever fully belong to herself again.
After completely losing her appetite and deciding to save the rest of the food for her bento lunch the next day, Kyoko went and started getting ready for bed. Swearing that tonight she wouldn't dream — nor the next night. She was tired of the loneliness and disappointment that came with the sunrise and the bells of her alarm.
Monday morning was announced by the chirping of songbirds, and Kyoko woke gently before her alarm, she didn't remember dreaming during the night. And after taking a look out her windows at the city around her, she felt the bright warm day bring out a new confidence in her for her first day at work. Glancing at her wristwatch for the time and seeing that she wasn't running late at all, she got dressed, grabbed her cooking knives and purse before heading out her door, eager to be out in the warm sunshine.
The city was loudly thrumming and bustling around her. And because of the nice weather and a good nights rest, she opted out of taking the bus. Already a bit early and the walk being only a few blocks, Kyoko believed that some exercise was required to express any of her pent up stress, and that it was probably the best thing for her before meeting with everyone. Pulling her bag up higher on her shoulder, she glanced at the blue sky and into the big fluffy clouds. Kyoko took a deep breath in, let it out nice and slow, and started walking.
As planned, Kyoko arrived about ten minutes before schedule. She wanted the extra time to meet the establishments owner, walk through the kitchen, and explore her office before everyone else arrived.
Pausing outside the restaurant that was currently home to a single Michelin star, she was greeted by two large and heavy glass doors adorned with gold handlebars that were molded into delicate leaf covered branches, an elegantly elongated cursive marred the glass reading 'Nectarean' in metallic gold. Upon entering, she noticed that while the restaurant wasn't huge for its busy location, it was just big enough to host about a hundred guests comfortably while still offering a sense of high end exclusive dining. The seating area was spacious, but the layout and careful placements of slim fish tanks acting as walls gave patrons a welcoming sense of privacy. A round bar was in the center of the room, a pyramid of liquor was stacked high in the center, built with the idea that you could freely move around the entire edge of the bar to serve customers. Thick white table cloths covered mahogany tables paired with the high backs of classy chairs, and Kyoko's heels clicked pleasantly on the warm wood flooring as she took it all in.
"Ah, you must be Ms. Mogami!" Exclaimed a voice from behind her.
Turning, Kyoko was met with a thin and sharply dressed man, his strides long and graceful as he briskly made his way towards her. He held out his hand to shake in greeting.
"And you must be Mr. Kuresaki," she smiled, shaking his hand. "The pictures online don't do your restaurant justice."
"Oh, I'm so glad you're pleased! I hope your move wasn't too much of a hassle! We have been looking forward to adding you to our family here at Nectarean, would you like me to show you around before everyone arrives?" He asked, gesturing to the swing doors leading to the kitchen.
"That would be wonderful, I can't wait to see the kitchen."
Yuki Kuresaki was a proud sort of man and his presence seemed to demand respect. Having opened his first small bistro as a young adult, and now having a renowned fine dining restaurant at fifty-six, he gave off an aura of someone that naturally just knew how to succeed wherever he put his effort — because he had. His angular face was without flaw, his eyes seemed tight and stern, yet after all she had heard of him Kyoko felt that he would be a fair and kind boss.
"Our kitchen is equipped with both traditional cooking equipment, and even the most modern. Here you have our four ovens, the pizza oven, broiler, the 20 burner range, both gas and electric. We have steamers, boilers, and even a dehydrator. As it stated in the job description, you will be in charge of building the menus and ordering the ingredients fresh for each week, so we only have a small walk in freezer for certain items. Here is our refrigerator, dry pantry, and the cooling and curing room where the meat and seafood is kept, we of course keep meats separate from everything else at all times before cooking," Yuki gestured to each item as he said its use, all while Kyoko nodded and hummed in approval as her gaze landed on each shiny piece of cookware, pleasantly noting how tidy and clean everything was.
"And here you have your office space, it's not much, but the previous Executive Chef didn't find they used it much besides writing up menus, counting inventory, and ordering stock." Yuki said, stopping outside an open doorway at the beginning of a short hallway leading towards the back entrance.
The room was on the smaller side but still comfortable. Three cream walls were decorated with framed articles and newspaper clippings spotlighting any and all spectacular praise from the media about the Nectarean, an ample sized desk was facing the door, and atop it sat a tablet, notepads, a cup full of ballpoint pens, and a work lamp. A printer was situated on a paper stocked shelf in the back corner by the window, where the sill was home to several blooming moth orchids.
Stricken by how quaint the office turned out to be, Kyoko couldn't help the wave of emotions simmering inside of her. She now felt a bit silly. After dreading the move and the adjustments it would bring, it all became clear; she had been training for this career her entire life now, and it was finally coming full circle. As someone who often went with their gut, just the ten minutes of walking the floors told her all she needed to know to quell the nerves she had been fighting. Taking her time looking around the room, she made her way behind the desk, and pulled out the creamy leather office chair, "It's perfect." She said, smiling at her new boss.
"Wonderful!" he exclaimed, smiling himself. Yuki couldn't deny that the new hire was not only the person he had been waiting for for this particular job, she was also quite beautiful. With her short auburn hair, large golden eyes, and slender frame, he had a feeling that not only would she have her hands full with running the workings of an entire kitchen, but she'd also have her work cut out for her when it came to the other chefs.
As if reading his mind, they heard several sets of voices enter the building, bringing the small tour to a close.
"Just on time." Yuki said, glancing at the Rolex on his wrist. "Prepare yourself for quite the crew. They might not look it, or even act it, but they weren't hired — let alone kept around for nothing. So don't worry. They follow directions, work hard, and cook exceptionally well to make up for their attitudes. Come now, they've been looking forward to meeting you."
Feeling a bit confused by what he could mean, she followed him back out into the dining area, and Kyoko's gaze met the likeness of three men and two women who were all sitting at the bar, chatting amicably amongst themselves. Her vision zeroed in on an surprisingly familiar side profile with choppy blonde hair, and her eyes widened slightly as she noticed the three gleaming diamond studs gracing his earlobe. There was no way it was him… but before she could dwell on it, Yuki had already announced their arrival.
"Good morning, everyone. I see you all arrived on time today. Though I wish it was a common occurrence I'll assume it won't become one, as it most definitely has something to do with it being Ms. Mogami's first day." Yuki greeted the five cheerfully. Kyoko could clearly detect that despite his tone there was an underlying icy annoyance aimed at his employees.
"Oh come on, Mr. Kuresaki! You know we try our best, sometimes the traffic is just so bad!" Cried one of the guys.
"Pfft. Please Hidehito, you really ought to learn to lie better if you're going to do it." Laughed the shorter of two woman. "We all know full well that you spend a few hours at the Blue Velvet almost every evening."
"Oh," Hidehito Kijima said, dramatically drawing out the 'O'. "So now it's unprofessional to relax and have a drink at the end of a workday? Is that what you're implying, Amamiya?"
"Well, it would be one thing if it was just a single drink…" The tallest of the three men murmured, and both girls began giggling to each other, seemingly delighted that he had decided to take part in the teasing of their fellow coworker.
Hidehito pouted at the taller man, "Hiromune Koga… have you been spying on me!? If I knew you guys were going to be there then we could've hung out. I hate going alone, plus bringing along two pretty ladies would make it so much more fun!"
The five continued to banter and laugh together while Kyoko stood alongside her new boss and watched. She found herself wondering just how long the five had known each other to speak so casually, especially during business hours. And that purely human need for connection began to bubble up inside her, the desire to fit in with a group of people, to have someone to call "good friend" was nagging at her like it had in the past, and she unintentionally began to wish that she would find a quench for that need in the group in front of her.
While his friends goofed off and kept her distracted, Sho Fuwa's eyes lingered on the intriguing woman that was the newest addition to the restaurant, his interest was now peaked. At first, when they had ran into each other at their apartment complex, he had thought she seemed quite plain and boring. Seeing her now — well, he just assumed he had momentarily been blind at that particular moment. Because with her hair styled like it was, the makeup and silky feminine material of her rose gold blouse accentuating her coppery eyes, and the pretty heeled pumps that peeked out from beneath her intentionally oversized stylish slacks were making her already long legs somehow even longer, Sho was left nearly breathless.
Breaking his gaze away from Kyoko, and in attempt to cease the unending banter he nudged the person next to him with his elbow, and that coworker just so happened to be Kanae, the only one out of the five that seemed to dislike him. "Yo! Watch your elbow, blondie!" She hissed, rubbing her ribs and piercing him with a cold glare.
"Oh, chill out! I barely even touched you," Sho shot back, rolling his eyes at the easily irritated long haired beauty. "Can't you guys get it together for five minutes and show some respect to the new executive? That's why we were called in early today, not to listen to you four go at it." He scolded them.
"Wha-?!" Everyone gasped, surprised at his words.
"Sho! Don't tell me you're trying to look cool and mature because she's a beautiful woman? It's just too weird hearing you say something like that, I feel like I'm having a nightmare!" Hidehito exclaimed before anyone else could.
Kyoko, kind of hating that she was suddenly brought into the conversation in such a way, felt her cheeks heat up a little at the audacious implication.
"Alright, that's enough," Their boss deadpanned, his disappointment in their antics was clear as glass. "I think we've both witnessed enough of your immaturity for the day, Ms. Mogami did not leave her previous job to come and work with a bunch of buffoons! It is time to show some professionalism."
The rowdy bunch had turned while their boss was reprimanding them, and by the end of Yuki's words all five pairs of eyes had landed on Kyoko, amusement was still dancing in most of them but all now showed an equal level of embarrassment — besides Sho's, no amusement or embarrassment was to be found in his gaze, only the same look that a lion would have when it was locked on it's current choice of prey.
With everyones attention now on her, she gave a small tilt of her head in acknowledgment as a friendly smile stretched across her face. "Please, call me Kyoko. I look forward to working with all of you, so let's do a good job!"