AN: I apologize in advance for any Japanese that I butcher over the course of this story. I try my best, but every so often the almighty Google Translate fails me.
As a note on the timing, this chapter takes place before the "Couffaines" chapter of "Christmas," but the rest of this story takes place in the days/weeks following that chapter. And this is pretty significant to "Tokyo," so I didn't want to publish it as a "Life and Times" one-shot before "Christmas."
Also, yesterday's "Life and Times" one-shot only got one review, so did people just miss it? I really do enjoy receiving reviews, even if you don't have too much to say!
Kagami schooled her expression and tried to calm her racing heartbeat, standing in the reception area just outside her mother's company office. It had been months since her mother last scheduled an appointment to talk to her about company business – the day she informed Kagami that her summer internship would be at the Agreste Fashion House, rather than directly working for the Tsurugi Marketing Group. Since then, every single one of their company-related interactions had been at Kagami's instigation – when Kagami took on Kitty Section as a client, when she requested permission to give Mylène's father a free consultation in the fall, when Kitty Section's fall album needed an extra marketing push to counterbalance XY's aborted "Xtreme tonalitY" stunt. In all of that time, Kagami had fulfilled every requirement her mother had set before her, exceeding every stated expectation. After the end of her summer internship, Kagami had returned to her internship for Tsurugi on top of beginning her last year of lycée, and had only heard positive feedback from her supervisors – despite working closely with her mother's management team. All of her clients had given her glowing reviews – and not just her friends like Kitty Section and the Tom and Sabine Boulangerie. So today's meeting couldn't be anything bad…
… but that didn't mean it had to be anything good, either.
Her heart pounding in her chest, Kagami patted her purse, feeling for Longg's comforting presence. There were days when she didn't think she could get through everything without the Kwami by her side, giving her the confidence to stand up under the mountainous pressure that her mother placed on her. Even on the rare days when she was too busy to see Luka or Marinette or her other friends, she still had Longg. Her strength and resolve returned, Kagami nodded to herself and pushed open the office door. Her mother sat behind the desk, her hands folded in front of her, two folders open on the desk facing the chair in which Kagami was obviously supposed to sit. Kagami quietly crossed the room, all too aware of her mother's sunglasses following her every step – blind though she might be, her hearing was still as sharp as ever. Kagami dropped stiffly onto the edge of the chair and sat, back ramrod-straight, waiting for her mother to make the first move.
After a moment, her mother cleared her throat. "I have a belated birthday gift for you."
"Thank you, Mother," Kagami replied evenly, "but you didn't have to; the new epee was more than enough."
Her mother smiled thinly. "I hope you put it to good use in the tournament this weekend. But no, this is a gift of a different sort." She pushed one of the folders closer to Kagami, and Kagami began to read, her brows furrowing in confusion. Even before she had finished the first paragraph, her mother spoke up to explain, "Now that you are legally of age, you will begin to work for Tsurugi as a normal part-time employee. No more of this internship; you will be an official member of this company. Your new position will begin the moment we sign your contract. One of your first official responsibilities will be to represent the company – to represent me – in the end-of-year consultations with our Asian clients, including meetings with your uncle's firm. I have arranged them to take place during the Winter Break, the week between Christmas and New Year's. Consequently, you will operate out of the Tokyo office." Her smile widened the tiniest fraction. "Your Ojisan has invited you to stay at the family estate for the duration of this trip, and I am sure you will enjoy seeing your Obasan and Ojisan again after so long away. As well as seeing your cousins, of course."
Kagami blinked twice, struggling to keep her face neutral. On some level, Kagami had known and expected this for her entire life: every move her mother had made in the last eighteen years had been precisely calculated toward the objective of Kagami joining and eventually managing the family business. In that time there had only been a single deviation from the plan of which her mother was aware. And until last year, Kagami had simply accepted this fate as being a fact of life. But in that year she had learned better. She was now a Hero of Paris – she was a Dragon! She didn't have to follow her mother's plan; she could make her own decisions. Even if she'd only truly exercised that ability once so far.
So was this what she really wanted?
Her mother's sunglasses were still burning a hole into Kagami's face, the lines around her mouth set firmly, waiting for Kagami's answer.
At last Kagami nodded her acceptance. "Very well, Mother," she agreed. Her mother relaxed her mouth slightly. "However, I have certain conditions to negotiate before signing this contract."
Her mother frowned, her brows knit together in consternation. "You would negotiate your entry into the company that bears your surname?"
"I am accepting a job offer," Kagami responded calmly, raising an eyebrow. She slipped her hand into her purse to find Longg, drawing strength from him. She could do this. When next she spoke, her voice was stronger. "You have always given me the impression that such events are accompanied by negotiation."
Her mother smiled thinly. "I see you have picked some things up," she conceded. "Very well; we can… 'negotiate.' What are your conditions?"
Kagami paused, staring down at the paperwork in front of her, and thought for a moment. What did she want out of this? And how best could she accomplish her desires? The first condition was obvious – it was no more than what the law required, especially since she was now legally an adult. "My paycheck is my own spending money. It will go into my own bank account and not into my trust. And you have no say over how I spend it."
"Provided you do not spend it on a drug addiction, that is acceptable."
Kagami frowned, but noticed her mother's nostrils turned up in one of her few signs of amusement. Letting that go for now, she continued, "I will not work more than twenty hours per week when school is in session, and less during finals." She smiled thinly. "After all, 'school is our greatest priority,' and you wish for me to pass lycée with high marks, correct?"
Her mother paused, her head tilting slightly at hearing her own words parroted back at her. Eventually she inclined her head in a nod. "That is indeed my intent," she allowed. "Your schoolwork certainly comes first. However, during school breaks your hours will be more flexible."
"Within reason," Kagami agreed cautiously. "Which is my next condition: absolutely no interference with my social life. In addition to time for homework, I will also require at least two evenings during the week entirely free, so I can spend time with my friends." She held her breath. This might be a deal breaker for her mother, but in the end Kagami still held some cards. After all, if her mother was going to insist on continuing to interfere in her social life so long as Kagami lived under her roof… Kagami didn't actually have to live under her roof any longer. Her birthday present from Adrien and Marinette, in addition to the Marinette-original fencing uniform she was going to wear for the tournament, had been the offer of a room at the Mansion indefinitely – until she found an apartment of her own. And Anarka had actually looked disappointed when Kagami told her that she was planning to continue living at home, rather than moving into the Liberty's spare room – even if she did spend almost all of her (admittedly limited) free time on the Liberty.
Her mother thought for a moment before nodding. "I can give you two evenings off per week under ordinary circumstances, with the specific nights to be flexible. However," she added quickly, "if a client needs your assistance, you may have to adjust your schedule."
Kagami furrowed her brows in thought. Could this give her mother something else to hold over her? But at the same time, it was more leniency than she had reasonably expected. And it was actually less than the level of control her mother usually exerted over her schedule. "Agreed."
"Very well. I will accept all your conditions. If there is nothing else–"
Kagami cleared her throat. "I do have one final condition: if he wishes, Luka can join me on this trip to Japan." She smiled triumphantly as her mother sat back to contemplate this last request, steepling her fingers in surprise. It was both the most difficult request and the easiest one. On the one hand, this would be a public acknowledgement by her mother that she approved of both Luka and their relationship – something she had yet to do despite giving them her blessing over the summer. Even when Luka had escorted her to company functions in the fall, her mother had only called him a "client." And yet, it was also entirely irrelevant for her mother to approve of him traveling with her. Kitty Section's latest album had sold so well, and their concert in Le Havre had been so well received – both overseen by Kagami herself on behalf of the Tsurugi Group – that Luka could easily afford to fly to Japan separately, book a hotel, and see her every day with or without her mother's blessing. And from the way her mother's forehead creased, Kagami could tell she realized exactly that.
Though it would not change anything in practical terms, her mother's response would be the barometer for their relationship moving forward.
With a heavy sigh, her mother slowly nodded. "Provided that he comports himself properly, does not shame us before my brother and his family, and does not bring the company name into disrepute, yes. Luka may accompany you on this business trip."
"Then under these conditions, I will accept your job offer," Kagami replied, sitting back in her chair and smiling in relief.
[break]
"So how did it go?" Luka slowly plucked a melody on his guitar. The two of them were sitting together on his bed, Kagami leaning against the side of the boat while he faced her at the foot. Sass and Longg sat on the edge of the dresser, watching them curiously.
Kagami frowned, hugging her knees. "Better than I expected it to go. She hired me, so now I'm an 'official' employee."
He hummed, shifting to a slower and more thoughtful tune. "I suppose that's what she's been wanting all along," he observed. She nodded. "But is it what you want?"
"That's the question, isn't it?"
"That's always going to be the question, babe," he replied, strumming a couple of sad chords. "It's your choice. So is this your choice?"
"Yes?" She shrugged helplessly. "I made the choice, at least. It's what Mother has been raising me for since I was born. This company is important – we help a lot of people, and not just the big names like Agreste. I've also helped Tom and Sabine get their name out more. M. Haprèle's enrollment this fall was double last year, probably because of my social media campaign."
"I'm pretty sure you're the reason our Le Havre concert was such a success," Luka observed, nodding. He leaned his guitar against the dresser and slid down the bed to sit next to her.
"You're the reason the concert went so well," Kagami objected, leaning into his side. She sighed. "For as important as those big names are to the company's bottom line, this is what I want to do more of: helping the smaller businesses. And that's something I can do best as part of Tsurugi. Plus, after so long, I think it's something I'm good at."
"It's definitely something you're good at," he agreed. He draped his arm over her shoulders and kissed the side of her head. "You could do pretty much anything you set your mind to." She turned to find his lips with her own, basking in the feeling of closeness. He paused, humming in concern. "What does this mean for your current clients?"
She furrowed her brows. "I–huh. I don't know," she admitted, looking down. "I guess any new clients will have to be at the regular rate; I'll have to check with Mother about existing clients. That might make it harder for M. Haprèle or the Dupain-Chengs to afford it… But the fees we charge aren't exactly arbitrary; Tsurugi has employees to pay, overhead expenses…" She let out a frustrated groan. "But there's no way I'm letting anything change with Kitty Section," she added earnestly.
"I wasn't worried," he assured her, smiling.
She squeezed him tighter, resting her head against his chest. "And I'm not letting anything change with us."