"Like I said, Kaito, this is a work-related thing. So could you just… please… quit your 'yapping'? I will tell you all the details about it soon so can you just… chill? Please…?", Shizuru pleaded to Kaito in her usual calm and collected way, although increasingly showing signs of exasperation every second now.
"Alright, okay. I'll 'chill', Ms. Kuwabara. But I just couldn't get why, if this truly IS a work-related thing, there is a need for us to talk about whatever it is over lunch outside...", responded Kaito in his usual uninterested and sort of emotionless manner on the other hand.
"Why? What's so difficult to understand? You mean you haven't gone out on a working lunch with, say, your team to discuss work…? Not even once…?"
"Well I regard 'lunch' and 'food', for that matter, as, one, an opportunity to unwind, whether by myself or with others, and, two, to fill my stomach. Lunch has never occurred to me to be a 'working lunch'. Because, don't we all have 8 solid hours in a day, sometimes even more, to work… in the office?"
*..Long sigh..*
"Okay… okay… here we go again. You didn't answer my question but I get your point, alright? If you don't want to call it a 'working lunch' and just plain 'lunch' then fine! All that I'm asking of you anyhow is to listen to me yap about 'work' and then for some advice. That isn't very 'confusing', is it? …I'm actually even thinking of buying you lunch since I was the one who had invited you out anyway.", Shizuru quite gently responded to Kaito as she forced herself to smile despite feeling quite indignant now.
"Yes, I know you're buying me lunch; I hadn't actually expected anything less. Now, since you said that I should quit my yapping, I don't think that I have to answer your question just yet. You did say we had been going on and on and on around in circles… and I agree."
"Really… you 'know' that I am going to buy you lunch…", Shizuru replied. Then she thought, "If I hadn't really needed this pathetic, insolent bastard of a nerd just about now, I would have long been more physical and violent with this stupid piece of sh–"
"Of course. You pull me out of my routine while saying that you needed my help… with work. So either that or I ask you for payment because, well, it IS work. But, I'm a gentleman and you're my friend so I decided to forego payment - whether upfront, or after our consultation meeting, or in installments. That being said, if you hadn't actually told me that you would be buying me lunch, I still would have demanded for it.", Kaito responded as he pushed his big, square glasses up his nose with his index finger.
Now if Shizuru had been rather calm earlier despite his remarks slowly but surely peeving her, with Kaito's last response however, she had seemed to turn red with pent-up irritation; a vein largely bulging on the side of her head and dangerously close to popping any time now. She didn't even know if she could restrain herself any longer from attacking and inflicting physical injuries to him. But then, she thought that she had badly needed his help (and his skills) and if this was what she had to go through to elicit his help (if he would, that is, seeing as he had been nothing but an asshole), then she will endure it to the end. Lunch break was only one hour anyway. So then, she just responded this time, but not without heavily and audibly sighing before she did, with:
"Geee… thanks. You really ARE a gentleman. That's so… thoughtful of you… for foregoing payment, that is."
It was then Tuesday and the time was 15 minutes to twelve. As Shizuru and Kaito had bumped into each other by the lift at the basement parking the day before, she had told him, briefly, that she had needed to talk to him about something urgent but nevertheless sort of work-related. She had not divulged what it was that she needed urgent help with at that time as it appeared that Kaito was heading home. Moreover, she had thought then that it wouldn't actually be a bad idea if she approached Kaito over lunch, and invited him outside too, the following day so that she could escape the clutches of the older, single women's club.
It's not that she had still not declined the club's 'thoughtful' offer as she did send them a refusal email about five minutes ago (after arguing with herself all night and all morning long if she should just blatantly disregard it or if she would somehow justify it by responding to it). But then she knew, and strongly felt, that there was the highly likely possibility that these old bitches would still bug her, and perhaps even visit her in her work area to 'fetch' her, whatever path she decided to choose. And that was exactly why she had wanted to step out of the office for lunch. Thus, with her seemingly hitting two birds with one stone, she thought that it was the perfect plan. The only issue with it now was that she had not expected for Kaito to be this difficult to deal with.
After all, she had indeed earlier persuaded Kaito, who had went with her calmly and peacefully too, to head out for lunch early. Reasoning as she did that if they went out at exactly 12, the shops/restaurants inside their office building (and even the lift) would then be too crowded with other people which would consequently mean that they wouldn't be able to get good seats. Now though, she was quite puzzled herself as to why Kaito suddenly had a change in demeanor (from being diplomatic to being a pain in the ass) and had transformed into like that of an irritable, old lady who was having menopause. Perhaps his attitude earlier back at his workstation was all for show (on his part), so as not to appear snobbish and stingy to his other colleagues in his department? Anyway, whatever it was, Shizuru had decided, for now and in order to avoid losing even the slightest chance at redeeming herself, to just extend her patience even more.
As she had now resigned to being calm once again, she then put one of her hands on her waist, as she had carried her laptop with her other hand, and silently leaned against the rail at the back of the lift. Kaito, who had thankfully decided to shut his mouth now, was a few spaces away from her as he stood by the elevator controls.
The lift finally reached the lobby as the doors opened. Shizuru then proceeded to walk out first. However, she stopped dead on her tracks as, several meters away and coming towards the lift to supposedly ride on it too, was the club's President, Ms. Otose. It would even appear that she, as well as what seemed like her minions (other club officers), had went on an early shopping of sorts as they held in their hands what looked like banners, decorations, party hats, etc… At the horrific sight of these ladies, and what absolutely looked like her impending doom if they saw her and had managed to drag her to their club meeting after all, Shizuru couldn't help but gulp loudly as droplets of sweat suddenly flowed down from her head. Immediately, she then went back inside thereby pushing Kaito back inside too. She then suddenly grabbed Kaito's collar and said hastily, as she shook out of terror and panic:
"I… I forgot… something… now… push…"
"… Push…?"
"The button, Kaito, for the goddamned floor..!"
"O… Okay…? Which 'goddamned' floor…?"
"Uhhh… the 4th! NO, I mean the 5th..!"
"5th? As in the floor of the Finance Department? Aren't you on the 4th?"
"Oh really?! If you're that smart then why did you even ask!?", Shizuru cried out as she couldn't help but let out a tiny fit of her anger. She now saw nothing but red… Just red… Or black. Oh, fuck this shit!
Meanwhile Kaito, who was all too shocked at how she had turned from a rather calm lady with moderately suppressed anger to a frantic lunatic with manic rage, in what only seemed like a brief matter of seconds after she let her foot outside of the lift and back, couldn't say or do anything at the moment. For the most part because she had not yet really released her powerful and tight grasp of his collar and because he had gotten terrified of her too. Admittedly.
"Would you just SHUT THE HELL UP and do it…?! NOW!?", Shizuru then exclaimed as it seemed that her eyes had all turned white.
"But I haven't even said anything…", Kaito thought to himself as a large drop of sweat appeared on the back of his head.
Nevertheless, for fear of having to get murdered right then and there if he didn't act or if he so much as opened his mouth and talked, he just found himself yielding to her demand instead. As soon as the lift doors closed, Shizuru then sort of flopped dramatically beside him as she tightly grabbed the rail over at his side to help herself stand (thus releasing her grasp from Kaito). On the other hand, Kaito, whose blood had all seemed to have drained out from his body, just stood petrified by the corner. He couldn't even begin to turn his head to look at her or to ask if she was okay because apparently and quite obviously, she wasn't. And he figured that if he had now started to ask some stupid question, then he might find his body flying out of the lift and crashing down on the lobby below.
The trip back up to the 5th floor took only about 2 or 3 minutes. Yet at that time, it certainly felt like an eternity… for him. Thankfully though, before someone between them had started to hyperventilate (and it definitely was not Shizuru) they reached the 5th floor. The lift doors then opened but as it did, Kaito remained frozen as he resolved to jus press the "open" button to silently and peacefully usher Shizuru out. Without a word, Shizuru then started to slowly wobble out of the lift as she placed her free hand on her face while Kaito had managed to follow behind her silently. As they had now both exited the lift, Shizuru was then finally able to breathe a deep sigh of relief as she stood upright once again, cleared her throat, and lifted her head up. As soon as she did though, her eyes met Kurama's, who had stopped short in front of the lift to supposedly head down to the cafeteria for lunch himself.
"Oh, Shizuru… and, Kaito…?", Kurama tentatively said as he motioned his head from her to him then back.
"I would say that it's quite a surprise to see the both of you here… are you here for some lunch meeting or something…?", Kurama asked.
Now Kurama had checked his calendar before he got up from his chair and, because of that, he knew that if there were any meeting involving either one of them, it was not until for another two days. However, out of consideration for the usual and more plausible reason as to why they were there at that time, and seeing as the both of them were really not the kind of people to horse around, he thought to ask that question anyway. But then, as he looked at Shizuru, he observed that she had still somewhat looked stressed, if not more… a lot more, as she had been yesterday afternoon.
"He,he,he… uuuhh… Kaito and I were headed out for lunch, actually… to discuss some work-related thing… but I uhhh… I forgot something…", Shizuru responded.
At this time, Kaito, who felt a sudden surge of confidence and reassurance that if he did die that day at the hands of Shizuru, there would be a reliable witness in Kurama (because he was a kind and responsible friend, not to mention that his step-father owned the Company they worked in) then spoke,
"Yeah… you did forget something… but it would seem that that would be where your workstation is… among others…"
With what he had said, Shizuru then promptly shot him a [death] glare. She then responded, through clenched teeth, with:
"Ha,ha,ha… you really are funny, aren't you? But I will have you know, that I actually forgot…
Kurama here…!", Shizuru finished as, at her mention of Kurama's name, she beamed forcefully and held out her hand open to his direction.
"Eh? Me?", Kurama thought.
"I just suddenly remembered that I had invited you for lunch too, hadn't I? Ohohohoho…! How stupid of me?! And I was in fact just a little panicked because if we had really left earlier, then you would be stuck here waiting for us… am I right? He,he,he…", Shizuru reasoned out. It had gotten absurd and more difficult than it had ever did yet she fervently hoped that somehow, Kurama would catch on to her little ruse. In fairness to Shizuru, she couldn't understand herself why there was a need for this but something about this stupid bespectacled nerd had provoked her, ever since earlier, to go this far and this much.
"What, you're saying that you don't have his phone number now…? Or, did you forget that part too?", replied Kaito as his eyes got smaller than they could possibly get as he looked at Shizuru intently.
At Kaito's response, Shizuru now found her blood boiling out of suppressed anger. Without a word, she handed out her laptop to Kurama, who just took it silently in turn, as she began to push the sleeves of her blouse slowly up… surely, someone was bound to get a violent beating any second now…
Fortunately, Kurama, who thought at that moment that there was an immediate need for him to intervene to stop some gory crime from happening, while actually sensing that right about now too, Shizuru had somehow needed help more than ever (never mind if everything had seemed sketchy from the get go) then turned to her, as he held on to her shoulder to calm her supposedly, and responded with:
"AHAHAHAHA… right, right! You did invite me for lunch! …I guess it slipped out of my mind since I had not really expected for Kaito to join us too… I'm sorry! Because of that too, I thought earlier that perhaps the both of you had some other purpose for coming here. But now I truly understand. He,he,he,… Now you probably must have thought that it would be easier for the both of you to come get me here instead of giving me a call seeing as you were already on the lift …and that is completely okay… really. So… where are we going?"
At Kurama's response, Shizuru snapped out of her anger as she couldn't help but feel a huge sensation of gratefulness swarm her instead. She then thought that she could have probably avoided all this trouble if she had just been honest to Kurama about her problem in the first place (which also meant that she could have done away with having to endure Kaito). However, she did actually think too that she didn't want Kurama to perhaps blame himself, or feel guilty, for the problem that she was now faced with when he had come to her for help himself.
Now that everything *sort of* made sense, so Kaito dismissed, he then proceeded to quietly and without any more protests press the "down" button so that all of them could ride the lift once again and head back down. However, Kurama, as he had also discreetly concluded with the way Shizuru looked as she stepped out of the lift and at how she had just acted, thought that perhaps riding it wasn't the best option for now (particularly for Shizuru). So he suddenly proposed:
"Uhhh… you know Kaito, the 5th floor isn't that far away from the lobby especially since we're going down. And, as Shizuru had told me just recently that she had more often been using the stairs, I want to walk down the stairs myself this time as I have really been just sitting down at my chair the whole morning. So, shall we?" Kurama finished as he then turned and motioned for the fire exit.
"Y… Yes… right…! I did say that I had been exercising by using the stairs more often nowadays… hehehehe", Shizuru just echoed his white lie in return. "Whew, Kurama is really quite perceptive too, after all…thank god", she thought.
Kaito just looked blankly at the both of them in response. He couldn't quite put what is was but something about all of this had turned more ridiculous and unreasonable by the moment. Then he remembered that Shizuru had told him earlier to quit yapping and, he thought, that maybe that was the best thing to do now after all.
So then they went for the stairs to finally head down. After that small detour from Shizuru's initial plan, the time was now 12:10. As the three of them passed by the cafes/restaurants at the two lower floors of their building, they had seen for themselves that it had now indeed been crowded by people and by their other colleagues. Although Shizuru had not really planned on having lunch at the cafes/restaurants inside their building, for fear that the club might spot her there with Kaito (and with Kurama now yet again) it relieved her to think that she did not have to make excuses any further by saying that there really was no choice now for them but to head out of their building. Meanwhile, Kurama, as he saw for himself too that there really was no other place left to go (even with the nearby cafes/restaurants outside of their building), and deducting as well that the cafeteria was to be avoided at all costs for now, then thought to bring them over to his favorite coffee shop.
As they arrived at the coffee shop, and as they had all just initially sat down to drink water, Kaito then quickly proceeded to check the shop's menu to see if there was something that he fancied (actually, he was looking for something really expensive to somehow make Shizuru 'pay'). However, at this time also, Shizuru, thinking that with the detour that they had taken there was significantly less time now than she had wanted, decided to finally come clean and explain everything. She even thought that there really was no point in hiding her problem from Kurama now as he had obviously went with them all the way to the shop anyway. And also because, like Kaito, she thought that he deserved a proper explanation for all this mess too.
So, she finally divulged to them about the fact that after some terrible gossip went around and blew up about Kurama supposedly preferring older women (like her), she had received an email from a club of older, single women inviting her to share an inspirational speech in one of their club meetings right about now over at the cafeteria. She then went on to tell them that she had actually seen this club President just outside the lift, as she and Kaito went down, which prompted her to immediately head back up. It went without saying then that she purposefully skipped her floor as she had thought that perhaps an advance party of the other club members had already infiltrated it and had positioned themselves by the lift doors to stand guard over it. She then admitted, and sincerely apologized as she did, that perhaps her very vivid and colorful imagination had consequently made her act all unreasonable and stupid. But then she said that the things that these women would do were also not what someone, or anyone, would call normal or ordinary at all.
Now Kaito, as he had been Kurama's classmate and fierce competitor for the top student back in high school, had actually unsurprisingly understood that part as he himself had witnessed back then how these 'fanatics' would do just about anything outrageously absurd and unthinkable for their lord Kurama. So then, Shizuru, seeing as they had all now somehow stood on a level ground, proceeded to get to the point where she had thought that Kaito's help would come in.
"So, you want me to issue a Company-wide advisory to remind employees that the office email should be used for professional and work-related stuff… and that they should refrain from sending out emails just like the one you received…?"
"Well, first of all, I didn't exactly mean you, I meant your department as a whole. And, yes. I did think about that. But I'm also thinking of another thing…"
"Wait… wait… sorry to cut you off but let me just get this out before you move on to your second point. You know, an advisory or a reminder is just that. I don't even think that people still open an email from the 'CorpComm' nowadays and, instead, proceed to just delete it. Plus, you know smoking is bad for your health… right?"
"Wait, what? Smoking…? What has that got to do with anything?"
"Because, Shizuru, the Government, including our own office as most other establishments nowadays, put up conspicuous "No Smoking" signs, or advisories, or reminders, whatever you call it…here and there. But people, like you, don't really take heed of these signs, am I right? It's, therefore, just like the email that you want me, or my department, to send…"
"Aahhhhehe… nicely put… Alright, you got a point. Which is why I am heading on to the second thing that I was thinking about before you needlessly cut me off… I was thinking if we can somehow filter or set rules in our emails for those kinds of things so that they can be prohibited outright..?"
"Okay… now when it comes to rules or some other technical stuff concerning emails or any other technology-related matter, that is really more of an IT-thing. So, sad to say, I can't help you with that…"
"You're sure you can't?"
"Hmmm…? What do you mean?"
"I think she means your 'territory', Kaito…", Kurama, who had been silent all this time and was just observing the both of them from the opposite end of the table, finally spoke.
"Exactly! 'The Power of Taboo', Kaito… your power of taboo… can't you use your power to, say, tap into the Company's email servers to somehow filter an email? You know, so that when it contains "Shizuru" or "Kurama" or the both of our names, it will automatically disappear… or it won't get sent no matter how hard they try…?" Shizuru proposed. She then opened her laptop to show Kaito the email that she received.
"Mmmm… that's quite an interesting suggestion. I haven't really thought of that or tried that one yet… so I don't really know. But then, your names, as much as mine, are bound to appear in an email as you are, after all, a Manager… and Kurama here is… popular…", Kaito replied as he adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose once again. He then moved Shizuru's laptop closer to him so that he can get a good look at it. As he did though, his eyes grew wide. It would seem that something about the email that Shizuru received had utterly shocked him.
"Yes, that is a brilliant point, Kaito. Suffice to say that there truly is a lot that remains to be discussed. But… Uhhh…not to be rude or anything but it's now 12:30 and I can't seem to help but observe that we haven't really orde-"
"Ohhh? Am I really seeing Shizuru and Kaito together, right about now?!"
Kurama had not yet finished what he was going to say but then he was cut short as the lovely voice inside his head had decided to materialize out of nowhere.
Is she really here?
Well, it would seem that Kurama will have to thank the sweet heavens and Enma, wherever he was, as she really was there! And it seemed that, as she entered the shop and spoke her thoughts out loud from afar as soon as she saw Shizuru and Kaito, she had inadvertently and unconsciously interrupted him. Now the table that the three of them had occupied was beside one of the shop's posts. But since Kurama was seated nearest to the post, with his back towards the door, Botan had not seen him… yet.
"Botan?! What are you doing here?", Shizuru exclaimed as she was rather startled to see her friend.
"Talk about good karma when you decide to help a friend out…", Kurama thought to himself as he now smiled.
"Ahehehehe… Hello to you as well, Shizuru... and Hi, Kaito! It's been a long time.", Botan said as she responded to Shizuru's startled question then proceeded to greet Kaito. She was now walking slowly towards their table too.
"Oh, Botan! I completely forgot about you but now I remember. Hi.", Kaito responded, in his usual uninterested and emotionless manner once again, as he looked up from Shizuru's laptop.
"He 'completely' forgot about me, eh…? Why am I even slightly surprised when he did mercilessly take my soul a long time ago…", Botan thought as she flashed him a weak, crooked smile in return.
Just then,
"Hi, Botan. It's lovely to see you here today…", Kurama said as he finally spoke to give her the sweetest of greetings. He then raised his hand at the level of his shoulder to give her a little wave.
"Ku… Kurama…? Oh, Hi…! I didn't see you there when I came in... It's great to see you too...", Botan responded as she turned her head to the direction of his voice. She was startled at first but then she smiled pleasantly at him too as her face lit up with a slight blush. Kurama then quickly stood up and moved the chair beside him aside to usher her to sit on it.
"Wow… meeting you here yet again for the third time in four days... it would seem that either I am super lucky or really fortunate...", Kurama said as he locked eyes with her as she proceeded to sit beside him.
"Hmmm… you could be… or, it could also be… I don't know… something like fate, perhaps…?", Botan responded in jest.
"Hehehehe… I'd actually very much like the sound of that instead… or, you know, you could be one of those girls…", Kurama responded playfully in return as he suggested, quite boldly, that she could be one of his avid pursuers.
"Ahahahaha…! Oh, Kurama… you wish I were one of those girls…", Botan retorted while slightly sticking out her tongue.
As the both of them exchanged flirtatious remarks, the air around the small table (only over at their side actually) had suddenly turned 'gooey' and tense – like somewhere around them, there was a heavy friction that had caused sparks to fly. Needless to say, everything about them now had definitely screamed romance. And, if somehow rose petals came cascading down now out of nowhere, it wouldn't actually be too out of place.
"Hmmmm…?" Shizuru and Kaito hummed as they looked on the both of them. Now Shizuru was never the sentimental, showy type when it came to expressing her affections, or even her emotions for that matter. Nevertheless, seeing as these two were openly flirting with each other, she just smiled and thought that for the trouble that she had to go through because of exactly this – these two – it was somehow worth it. Oh, young love…
"Say, Shizuru… Are they… some kind of a… thing now?", Kaito decided to ask. He now found himself drawn by the two, as he simultaneously closed down Shizuru's laptop. But as he finally spoke, he didn't even bother to tone down his voice. Yet, why was it that these two had somehow blocked him… and Shizuru… out?
"Perhaps… perhaps not quite yet. I still have to see for myself too, actually…", Shizuru responded. She then rested her chin on the palm of her hand as she looked on tenderly to the both of them from the opposite side of the table.
But then, Shizuru got a glimpse of the time from Kurama's wrist watch as he had placed his arm on top of the table while the other one was rested on the back of Botan's chair.
"Oh shoot, the plan! Ugghh… much as I don't really wanna burst their bubble here and just let them be, I also don't want my efforts to go to waste… not when I was extremely stressed by this all…", she thought.
*Ahem*, Shizuru cleared her throat as she decided to interrupt.
"So, Botan, what brings you here today…?", Shizuru asked. Despite the necessity and the urgency, she still didn't want to sound deliberately rude or to make her friend feel that she was sort of barging in when she was, in fact, in utter hurry. If anything, she had a feeling… a funny lingering gut feeling… that somewhere… somehow… something at the tip of her tongue… beneath this all, and at the sight of Botan now, would somehow prove useful to her. What it was, she couldn't quite grasp it yet.
"Oh..! Right… actually…", Botan began.
She then went on to explain that she just came from the school of her three new prospective recruits which was why she was dressed in a smart casual business attire (supposedly to look like one of the faculty staffs as she found that wearing a school uniform to somehow fit in with her student recruits didn't quite suit her now unlike how it did way back before). It had gotten quite good, except for that one snobbish little boy who was very reluctant and hard headed whom she said had reminded her so much of Hiei back in the day. They were all going to meet again at Genkai's on Friday, if they had taken up her offer to become the new Spirit Detectives of the earth, and, on her way back to Reikai, she happened to drop by the coffee shop to get some bread or something for lunch.
"Lunch…?", Shizuru thought. There it was! Now this was what she had exactly felt earlier.
At the mention of the word, Shizuru's eyes grew wide and her chin left her hand as she slowly sat upright. It would seem that another great idea popped into her head. On the other hand, Kaito, as he was now reminded of 'lunch', felt his stomach let out a growl of hunger. As he had then decided to stand in order to head for the cashier to order his food on his own, never mind if he would have to pay for it himself now, he was however suddenly stopped by Shizuru, as she suddenly held on to his wrist, as she continued:
"Botan, you said last weekend that you wanted to visit our office some time, right? You even said something like you wanted to see what Kurama's workstation looked like so you could see for yourself if there were indeed a lot of girls that surrounded him, right?", Shizuru asked while looking quite in trance.
"What?! Would you shut it, Shizuru?!", Botan, who was unaware of what Shizuru was thinking, hastily cried out as her face had gotten bright red. If it was because of utter embarrassment or because of anger, well, beats Shizuru.
But then Shizuru continued, still without so much as a flinch to Botan's reaction,
"Well, since it's lunch time and we happen to have a cafeteria over at our office, wouldn't you agree that now would be the perfect time to pay our office a visit…? Hihihi… we also happen to have great lunch selections over there, actually…", Shizuru said as she now placed her index finger under her nose while she smirked; it would appear that she had now finished with devising a new plan altogether.
"What do you think, Kurama?", she continued as she then averted her eyes towards him.
Meanwhile, Kaito, as he suddenly felt weak at the mention and idea of having lunch back at their office, fell back on his chair and said,
"Say what now…? Are we really getting back to the office NOW…?". As he processed the idea though, something suspicious was brewing yet again, he thought. But if his hunch now was correct, he knew that Shizuru was surely getting at something concrete and promising.
"Hmmm… It would appear that we are, Kaito. And yes, I think that's a great idea, Shizuru…", Kurama responded calmly as he smiled knowingly back at Shizuru. It would appear that he was quicker than Kaito in completely discerning what Shizuru had now planned.
"What in freaking hell…..", Kaito muttered softly. With Kurama's response, he had felt that his hunch was correct after all. Still, all he could need and care about was food, more than anything.
"Well, that settles it then. Back to the office we go!", Shizuru exclaimed. Then, turning on to Kaito she added, "We did say something about exercising, right Kurama?",
"Yes, that's right.", Kurama just responded in return.
"…Huh?", Botan thought as she blinked and looked confusingly at the three of them.
Without further ado, or more protests from Kaito (as he realized that he really couldn't do anything to change their minds but to follow them instead as he, admittedly, also wanted to see how things would go), they then proceeded to return to the office, with Botan in tow. As they had now arrived at the cafeteria and proceeded to enter it, the dreaded club, who had then finished eating their lunch and had moved on to the conduct of their club meeting, noticed Shizuru, who had walked ahead of their little group of four, in stark confidence and without worry.
"Well, well… if that isn't Ms. Kuwabara. Told you all that she would somehow come around…", Ms. Otose said out aloud for her other club members to hear as they all now directed their eyes to the direction of Shizuru. But wait, who was that following her?
"Huh…? But who is that 'nerd'? Did she think to bring a male recruit along with her…?", Ms. Otose asked no one in particular as she saw Kaito come along with Shizuru.
Catherine, one of her minions, then responded that that 'nerd' was in fact 'Kaito Yu'.
"But Ms. Otose, isn't he one of your staffs? I actually even believe that he is your Assistant Manager…", Catherine added.
With that question, Ms. Otose just responded with "he is?" as she was not interested with him (and perhaps her work, in general) at all, obviously.
But then lo and behold, Kurama now entered the cafeteria too.
With Botan at his side.
At the sight of the deity beside his 'lord', Ms. Otose then couldn't help but exclaim,
"Now who the hell is that?" as she had now completely forgotten about Shizuru… and [poor] Kaito, all over again.
Now as much as Ms. Otose and her minions did not want to admit it, they were completely dumbfounded at the sight of a stunning and beautiful lady (not to mention that Kurama appeared to be truly smitten with her). In fact, all the other remaining employees who were there at that time, especially the males, were just as struck.
Shizuru then averted her eyes over to the club, which she had discreetly scoured and spotted as soon as Kurama and Botan had entered, and was quite satisfied at their aghast reactions. For the second time that day, she then thought that that small detour that she was forced to take earlier, had really been a great thing after all. And that, even if Botan was in fact a shinigami, to her, she had truly seemed like an angel that had fallen down from heaven as the perfect answer to her desperate pleas for help. Because unknown to the ferry girl, Botan had now definitely saved her life… and even her career.
On the other hand, Kaito, who couldn't really care about anything at all, quickly headed for the counter instead to order food… lots of it. All this 'exercising' thing, and at his earlier shock as he found out that his boss was in fact the President of the club that Shizuru had so much dreaded and abhorred, had made him truly hungry after all.
Meanwhile Botan, with Kurama's hand now placed gently behind the small of her back, made her way to the counter to buy some food as well. Through all this, Shizuru didn't know if it was just her imagination but it sure seemed like the whole cafeteria had become quiet for brief moment. On the other hand, Kurama couldn't care at all as he was just happy to be beside Botan. Botan was likewise just as oblivious as she was as happy to be with him too (and also because nobody really knew her aside from the three of them so to hell with them).
As they had all bought their respective food, they now all sat at one of the cafeteria tables to finally eat together. Botan sat beside Shizuru while Kurama sat in front of Botan. Kaito, who was seated beside Kurama and in front of Shizuru, hadn't really uttered a single word ever since they sat down except for the occasional glances he threw at Botan and Kurama. Shizuru, on the other hand, just ate silently too, and quite smiling as she did, as she was just really overcame with immense happiness – one, because it would appear that two of her closest friends had finally somehow gotten together, and two, because it would seem that her plan to bring Botan along for all the others to see had remarkable results, as she envisioned it, even at the onset.
Not long after, they finished their lunch and the time was now 12:55. Shizuru, as she stood up and dragged Kaito along, then said to them that they will be heading out now first; leaving Botan and Kurama at the table together. As soon as they had left, Botan then told Kurama shortly after that she would have to go now as well as heaps of paper will definitely greet her as soon as she arrives in Reikai.
Kurama said that he understands but not without having offered to walk with her towards one of the gardens outside first. Botan gushed at the idea but then she refused as she said that there really was no need for that. She knew that he got five minutes before 1 anyhow and if he did accompany her, he would then run late for the start of his work in the afternoon.
Notwithstanding, Kurama insisted so then Botan relented to him and said that if he truly wanted to, then he can walk her up to the building's entrance instead.
As the both of them had come to an agreement and had now stood up to head down for the lobby once again, Ms. Otose and her club, who had been intently watching them from afar, despite the insurmountable pain they felt, followed suit discreetly. Some other employees did too as well out of curiosity and intrigue. Now since their office building had an open, high-ceilinged center which reached up to the 3rd level where the cafeteria was also located, the mob of onlookers who followed them could then just look down below, from the 3rd floor railings, to observe Botan and Kurama who had now walked up by the building's entrance.
"Thanks for lunch, Kurama. Shizuru was right, the food was really good. And your Company's cafeteria looks wonderful too."
"No problem at all, Botan. You know, if you worked here then I would buy you breakfast and dinner too, everyday… hehehehe… But uuhh… on a more serious note, I really wanted to take you out to a fancier place with more sumptuous food, you know... So… I sincerely hope that you don't count this one as our first date… he,he,he,…", Kurama said as he placed one of his hands behind his head. He then looked at the floor shyly as he couldn't fight the blush that was coming on his face.
"Ahehehe… of course, not. I mean, not with Shizuru and Kaito tagging along… hehehe..", Botan responded gently as she tilted her head aside to look at his shy, cute face.
"Anyhow, I truly owe you one, Kurama. That Uchiha Sasuke has really made me hungry after all. To repay you for this 'not-a-date' lunch, I promise that I am buying you coffee the next time we meet at our favorite coffee shop...", she added.
"Oh no, ma'am… you will not. There is no way that I would allow you to…ever… hehehe", Kurama replied as he looked up to her now.
"Hmmm? I don't remember asking for your permission…?", Botan responded playfully as she placed her finger on her lips.
"Well then…. Can I ask for yours?"
"Huh?"
"You said earlier that you will be at Genkai's this Friday…
…Do you want to go out with me to get dinner?", Kurama replied as he looked into her eyes intently.
"Oh…
…Sure, Kurama… I'd love to", Botan responded as she gazed back into him.
"Great! I'll pick you up at around 6:00 then."
"Okay…!"
"Alright… see you then.
But uhhh… I'm only going inside after you've left first… so…"
"Yes, I know. Bye, Kurama…", Botan began. Then, just like the night before by the tree outside of his apartment complex, she walked up to him and planted a soft, brief kiss on his cheek once again.
"See you…", Botan then added as she pulled away and proceeded to finally walk outside. As she exited the main glass door, she then quickly turned to face Kurama then gave him a wink.
Kurama's heart pounded loudly and incessantly once again. As he could only smile in return to Botan who was now walking outside, it would seem that the ferry girl had truly driven him crazy in just a matter of days. He even thought that he never imagined that Botan could get any more irresistible than she had ever been. As he had calmed himself down yet again, he then placed his hands in his pockets as he now turned around to quietly head back up himself.
Now back at the 3rd floor, Shizuru, who was in fact one of those who stood by to watch them, couldn't quite contain herself as she gave out one little jump out of overwhelming joy. Kaito, who decided to stay as well, was dumbfounded but wasn't really all that surprised. Going back to the time when they had roamed around Mushiyori City to check out the area where the door to the Demon World would be, he did feel at that time that something between them will inevitably lead to this. If anything, it was rather slow given that it has been, what, around 10 years since?
On the other hand, Ms. Otose seemed to have fainted. Catherine, who had thankfully caught their President in time, just cried silently as she sniffled and wiped her snot; the other club members couldn't help but cry too making them look pathetic (if they hadn't already did) as they now appeared gloomy and depressed despite their celebratory and supposedly rave outfits (party hats anyone..?).
Meanwhile, the other female employees, who had witnessed it for themselves too, were either frozen with extreme shock, teary-eyed, or, like Ms. Otose had briefly fainted. The male employees, who had foolishly thought that they had any chance at Botan at the sight of her earlier, just shook their heads. Needless to say, just like that, Shizuru was entirely off the hook – now and for the foreseeable future.
And as she had effectively escaped her career's demise, with the help of none other than a shinigami, she had also savagely obliterated the older, single women's club and all the other "clubs", as well as the delusional hopes and dreams of all the other admirers of 'the' Shuiichi Minamino, in the process.
=== END ===