"Did you contact them?" Sinbad asked you as you were all in the break room of Little Shop of Whores. The break room was well lighted, and there was a table as well as chairs, and other things that a typical break room had. This was Sinbad's shop's break room, though, so in the corner there were lots of gag-gift based sex toys. You remembered him saying one day that 'it's something to do in case you get bored'. It was obviously a joke, but you also remember nearly dying of overheating from the fact that your whole body flushed up. In the break room currently was Sinbad, Alibaba, Koumei, Kouha, and you. Koumei looked extremely tired and only he, Alibaba, and Sinbad were sitting. You chose to stand, and for some reason Kouha chose to stand next to you. You honestly didn't want to even think about your relationship with him at the moment.
"Yes," you sighed, "Sasha text back that they would come." You hoped that they would get a copy of at least one of your contracts. This whole thing was insane.
"So, [Name], while we're waiting for them can you tell me some of the duties you had to perform while working? Anything degrading?" he asked. You had to think about that.
"Well, the uniforms in general are degrading," you mused, trying not to think about the fact that you didn't get to change out of the maid one you were wearing yet, "For the most part, the customers just stare at you a lot and make you do random and weird things at times, or say weird things. The others have had more experience there than me, though. Fatima also verbally says inappropriate things to us."
"Inappropriate how?" Koumei asked as he started to write what you were saying down.
"Well he says and insinuates a lot that we're whores," you pointed out. You could hear Kouha groan as you said that and look rather upset. You decided not to really think about that reaction though.
"Alright," Koumei nodded, "Any bad business practices that Fatima uses?" You put a finger on your chin as if thinking about it.
"Well, he did make me re-clean old disgusting pornographic magazines," you told him. Sinbad looked slightly interested when you said that.
"Disgusting how?" he asked. You rubbed at your chin slightly, trying to recall it.
"Well, they were pretty crusty, and they smelled awful," you thought aloud, "And there was this weird white dry stuff on them." You were looked at in utter disgust by all the men in the room, which was basically everyone besides you. Alibaba's face flushed up, and Sinbad rubbed at his eyes while Koumei cleared his throat. Kouha closed his eyes momentarily before opening them and then rubbing them as if trying to hold back aggravation.
"Ummm, [Name], you know that's-" Sinbad started only to be cut off.
"It's not her fault. I like to finish inside of her," Kouha mused, "And I only gave her a facial like twice." Your face turned red as Kouha spoke about that, and Koumei cleared his throat yet again.
"Kouha!" you whined. Sinbad sighed.
"[Name], those magazines had been used prior to you cleaning them," Sinbad clarified. Your rose an eyebrow at first wondering what he meant before realization finally sunk in. Your eyes slowly went wide.
"Wait you mean that was dried c-"
"Yes," Sinbad nodded. Your hands made their way to your eyes as you just felt so dirty and gross. Kouha went over to you and wrapped an arm around your shoulders, rubbing one slightly. You wanted to get Fatima back even more now. You couldn't hold on to that thought very long as you heard the shop bell ring.
"Helloooo?" you heard what sounded like Leila. It took you awhile before you could compose yourself properly.
"We're in the back!" Sinbad called out to them. Their footsteps got louder and louder until they reached the break room. You let out a sigh of relief when you noticed a small stack of papers in Toto's hands.
"It took a bit of distracting, but we managed to sneak copies of our contracts. I don't know where the originals are, though," Leila shrugged. Toto put the contract copies on the table and Koumei started to read them.
"I bet this is riddled with fine print," he mused, before looking up, "It's good that you've gotten this. Anyway, here's what you're going to do, thanks to some recent information I got I can already assume that Fatima's place is not up to par with the department of health and certain labor laws. However since he has less than twenty employees there are certain laws that he does not have to follow. I'm sure he considered that and kept the number of his employees low on purpose. I think what we need to do is scare him. You need to all threaten to sue." You looked at your fellow employees who all let out groans and sighs.
"We already tried that, multiple times," Kassim pointed out. Koumei stood up, grabbing the papers that he had been reading.
"Yes, I'm sure you have, and I'm sure he's talked you down, but don't worry. This time you won't be at it alone," Koumei said, much to your confusion, "You all stay here and write down every violating thing that happened to you while on this job. Sinbad, Kouha, follow me." You were slightly confused about all of this, but you knew that Koumei was genius tier. Once they left, Leila let out a sigh.
"Okay, now that was a bit confusing," she mused, pouring into a seat, "Anyway, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for talking about Kouha horribly, [Name], I didn't know you were his girlfriend. Or that he even had a girlfriend for that matter."
"Yeah, I'm kinda surprised, too," Kassim mused, "I mean I always thought that if someone like Kouha would hear of our situation he would only laugh. Who'da thought he'd help." You opened your mouth to speak, but was interrupted.
"I bet he's still a sadist, though, no offense [Name]," Leila mused, "Or I can just ask, is he?" You wondered if you should tell them that you were no longer with Kouha, but you really didn't want to stop and think about your relationship with him.
"Let's just get this list done, okay?" you said.
"I agree," Sasha quickly added. You then looked behind yourself to see Alibaba looking a bit unsure of everything and kind of awkward.
"You know, you guys start, I need to do something," you said before motioning to Alibaba to leave the room with you. He got up and followed you out to the main part of the shop, which had been closed early. "First, sorry again for punching you, also you know you don't have to be here. I know it must be strenuous."
"No, it's fine," he assured you, "I feel sort of anxious about this actually, and if I go home I'll just keep thinking about it." You rose an eyebrow at that.
"Home come?" you asked. Alibaba smiled softly.
"I always considered you and me to be good friends, [Name]. You, Sinbad, and me used to have some really fun times together, and even though this is the last place I wanna work at I could never bring myself to finding another job because I really like having you both around. We were like a little family, and I was kind of upset when you left, though I understand. I just don't like the situation you're in right now," he told you, "And I hope it's resolved soon." You couldn't help but to smile. You had walked out on a truly great job. Sinbad and Alibaba had been the perfect family to you when you moved. You couldn't help but to give him a hug.
"Alibaba, I miss you guys so much," you admitted, "I just don't want to stop and think about anything, or I know I'll start crying. You're like a little brother to me, even though we're the same age." Alibaba chuckled slightly.
"I know. You were like an older protective sister when you worked here," he said, "You and me should double date sometime. It would be really fun." You pulled away from the hug and sighed.
"About that..." Alibaba rolled his eyes.
"[Name], don't throw your relationship away because of stress. I know you sounded very stressful when you quit and look at Sinbad, doing all that he can to help you. Just give Kouha another chance. I think you need someone like him in your life, and he needs someone like you. Just think about it, alright?" You hated to admit it, but Alibaba was right. Kouha did deserve another chance.
"I know...it's just he said some truly hurtful things. I mean, I know my boyfriend used to be sort of a man-whore, and he spoke of other girls-"
"[Name], I doubt he meant it. Kouha's a Ren. If he wanted that, he would have it. I mean look at Sinbad. When and if he ever settles down whoever he chooses is probably going to go through what you're going through, and Sinbad's a good guy, you know that. And so is Kouha," he spoke. You sighed and nodded before looking at Alibaba.
"When did you get so insightful, though?" you said, pulling him over to you to rub at his head roughly. Alibaba laughed a bit as he pulled away, "And you know what? We've just had a full conversation here, and you were very calm and not nervously looking around."
"That's because I'm getting more comfortable," he chuckled, seeming proud of himself. You looked at him quizzically before grabbing a nearby dildo and touching him with it. As if on cue, he flinched away, causing you to giggle. This moment of relief was short-lived, however, as your phone rang. You quickly picked it up.
"Hello?" you asked.
"[Name], it's me," Kouha said, "Get everyone down here to The Joy of Books, okay? Take my car. I left the keys on the register counter."
"What's going on?"
"Don't worry, everything's fine. We just need you down here," Kouha let out a sigh, "I'll talk to you soon." You hung up before looking over at the register to see Kouha's keys near it. You thought that was a stupid place to leave them, but then again perhaps he didn't have enough time.
It wasn't long before you made it to the shop. Alibaba rode with you in Kouha's car while the others went in their own transportation. You thought it was weird that you would all have to go there since you figured the shop was closed as it was well passed closing time. You got more suspicious as you noticed a few very nice cars out in front. You recognized Sinbad's and Koumei's car, but there were two more that you didn't know. Looking a bit more, you could see that Fatima's car was there as well. Your eyes went slightly wide at that. The shop looked lit as you could see light coming from inside of it. You parked next to your car since it had still been there, and you and Alibaba got out. You could hear the sound of car doors closing as the others arrived as well.
"What do you think's going on?" Kassim mused, though it seemed as if he were just talking to Alibaba. They got along very well as if they were siblings. That whole thing surprised you beyond belief. You wondered if they knew each other beforehand and just didn't mention it.
"Isn't that Fatima's car?" Toto asked, pointing over to it. Sasha nodded as you all walked over to the shop. The bell rang as you walked inside. Before you could even register what was going on, you felt someone rush into you, giving you a tight hug.
"Hakuren you said you wouldn't do that," you heard Kouha whine.
"I can't help it! It's not every day I get to meet those in my little siblings' life! I'm so happy for you two!" Hakuren exclaimed. He pulled back, and what you were able to see from it, he looked like Hakuryuu. He must be one of Kouha's step siblings that you had heard about. He had way too happy of a vibe for the situation. The real question, though, was why was he here? "I hugged the right one, right? She does look like the girl in the pictures you showed me before we got here."
"Wait, what's going on?" you asked, probably speaking out what the others you went in there with were thinking. Kouha walked over to you and pulled you towards them.
"[Name], I'm sure you already know by now, but this is one of my step-brothers, Hakuren," Kouha introduced. You were about to say that that wasn't what you meant, but you were interrupted by Koumei.
"I'm sure she's talking about the current situation. I didn't want this to drag on, and since our older brothers were in town as well, I asked them to speak to Fatima on your behalf as well as Sinbad. So Hakuyuu, Sinbad, and Kouen are speaking to him. It should be over soon," he sighed. Your eyes went slightly wide.
"W-Woah...," Leila said, "All of them?" Koumei nodded.
"Yes, this whole matter actually can lead to much more serious things. With [Name] being with Kouha, she's basically a member of our family. We can't have her bound by some contract to do degrading things. Our family already gets bad publicity, and with the majority owning their own businesses and some with their own careers, we have to nip this in the bud," Koumei pointed out, "Also, family is important to us." Your didn't know if your eyes could get wider, and you looked at Kouha as if asking for some kind of explanation. He just shook his head as if telling you not to say anything. Hakuren came up behind you and Kouha, putting his arms around your shoulders, taking you by surprise.
"I just don't know why I couldn't be included in their little talk," he whined, childishly.
"Because when Fatima came in you threatened to tie him to his office chair and burn the place down," Koumei mused. Hakuren pouted. His actions slightly reminded you of Kouha when he was being playful.
"I wasn't really going to do it, I was just upseeet. When Ha told us about what was going on, and that he was in a serious relationship I didn't like the fact that who he was with was practically being held hostage which put a damper on the mood." You really didn't know what to say and decided that silence was the best thing at the moment. Alibaba looked at you and gave a nod as if to say 'see?' Sasha smiled softly at everything going on.
"I'm grateful for what you're all doing," she said, "Thank you so much."
"It's no problem," Koumei told her. Leila looked a bit thoughtful as well, but she decided not to say anything.
"So, [Name], tell me about yourself," Hakuren mused, "I mean I knew before that Ha was with someone I just didn't think it was this serious." You glanced at Kouha. You mentally cursed because you would have to speak. He seemed to have caught onto this.
"Now is not the time, Ren," Kouha mused. Hakuren pouted again, but before he could say anything else, the doors to Fatima's office opened. Now, you had thought that Hakuren looked like Hakuryuu, but the real Hakuryuu look alike was now walking out. He was like the older version! And he held this air of importance. Kouen also walked out as well as Sinbad, followed by Fatima.
"It's a nice offer," Fatima said, he was smiling hugely, making your stomach turn. Perhaps they couldn't do anything, "I would be a fool not to take it after all. Well, they're all yours." Fatima walked over to where all of his "workers" were. "It's been fun hanging with you guys, but I've been bought out. I'll miss you all~." His tone of voice was very nice, too nice. It was as if something was veiled under it, "Especially you, [Name]. I mean without you none of this would have happened. I'll see you again, one day~."
"No you won't," Kouha quickly said, "Now leave." The others just watched as Fatima gave a bow before heading out of the store. Immediately you all turned to where Hakuyuu, Sinbad, and Kouen were.
"What happened?" you felt the need to ask. Hakuyuu cleared his throat.
"Well, Kouen and I were able to help Sinbad convince Fatima to sell the shop to him," he merely said. You did wonder about the details, especially since Koumei had made you guys write a list and told you all to threaten to sue. You didn't want to ask anymore, though, since the air that Hakuyuu gave out was unbelievable.
"Seriously?!" Leila said. Toto's eyes widened and Sasha practically fell to her knees in relief. Kouen nodded slightly, and Sasha put a hand to her chest before rubbing away happy tears from her eyes.
"It's finally over," Kassim sighed. Alibaba patted his back. You wondered what they must have endured to feel this relieved, but then again you felt relief as well. Sinbad smiled and walked over to them.
"This shop will become another branch of Little Shop of Whores. You can stay on if you want, but it'll have to be renovated before you can work in it," he told them, "It's up to you, though."
"I'll stay," Leila said. As they were talking everything over, Hakuyuu walked over to you. He extended out his arm and shook your hand.
"I'm Hakuyuu Ren," he introduced, "You must be [First Name] [Last Name]." You nodded slowly. It felt weird meeting more of Kouha's family in such a situation. You were extremely grateful for what they did though.
"I am," you told him.
"I'm so sorry for what you went through. The next time you get into trouble make sure you contact me. I'm sure you know a lot about Kouha, and I'm sure you love him for his flaws and everything. That being said, my step-brother needs to work on his intimidation methods. Until he gets that down, call me when you need help," he sighed. Kouha looked slightly huffy at that, and you couldn't help but to giggle a bit.
"Oh, he's plenty intimidating, but I will keep that in mind. And thank you," you smiled. Hakuyuu smiled as well and patted your back.
"No problem. I think family is important," he said, before turning to Hakuren, "Let's go. We have somewhere else to stop." Hakuren whined a bit, but followed along with his brother. "Oh, and Congratulations you two," Hakuyuu added before heading out the door. You rose an eyebrow before looking at Kouha.
"Oh, yeah, Congrats! We should celebrate soon! It's going to be big, and I know the perfect place to throw the party-"
"Hakuren, come on!" Hearing his older brother calling him, Hakuren quickly said 'bye' before jetting off. You were very confused at this, but before you could ask Kouha, who's face was now turning red, what they meant, Kouen came over.
"I'm leaving as well," he mused, "[Name], you really should have called someone other than Kouha, though. He means well, I know, but you get it." He patted you on the head, "You'll do well in our family, though. It's nice to know you tried to get out of the situation instead of letting that Fatima walk all over you. After all, you helped four other people as well." He then walked out of the store soon followed by Koumei who gave a curt 'bye'. At this point it looked like Kouha was trying to mask himself. He didn't do that good of a job, though. You turned to him and crossed your arms.
"Alright, explain," you told him. He let out a sigh before grabbing your arm and pulling you outside. You could see his brothers all driving off. "What were they talking about Kouha?" Kouha rubbed at the back of his head.
"[Name], I was thinking about it, and you're right. You staying independent was best for you. We were just boyfriend and girlfriend, and I overstepped that at times," he told you. You rose an eyebrow, the conversation that you had with Alibaba floated into your mind.
"Okay, but what does that have to do with what they were talking about?" you asked him. Kouha's face flushed up slightly, and he looked down as if he did something wrong.
"I told them we were engaged," he confessed, making your eyes widen, "Look, I know you technically broke up with me, but I love you [Name], and I-"
"Yes," you told him. Kouha rose up his eyebrows in confusion.
"What?" he asked. You crossed your arms and looked at him.
"If that, as informal as it is, is your way of proposing to me then I say 'yes'," you told him. Kouha stared at you for a few seconds before reaching forward quickly and wrapping his arms around you. He picked you up and spun you around happily, making you giggle. You leaned closer to kiss his lips, wrapping your arms around him as you felt him kissing you back before pulling away. "I love you."