Maybe if the whole psychic thing didn't pan out Reigen could open up a salon.

The girls were certainly into it, anyway.

"We should shave a word into the back of his head!" said Tome fishing a pair of clippers out of Reigen's emergency 'fixing your hair at the office box'. Well they had been liberated from the emergency 'dog grooming exorcism' box but they could be used on people, too.

"Wait! Hold on!" said Serizawa. The first day at his first real job and this was how it started? OK, so he hadn't cut his hair in…he didn't remember when, but that was going a little too far. He looked over at the woman, Miss Reigen. She just laughed. Well she did that thing that women did when they laughed behind their hands. He didn't know why, he had already seen her smile.

She had smiled so much when they dug Miss Kageyama out from under that big plant thing. She had been crying while they dug but when they finally found her Miss Reigen smiled so much and so big that she was all that Serizawa could focus on. Which was really good because Miss Kageyama's clothes had been destroyed in the explosion. He didn't see her, which was good, Miss Reigen tore his best robe off so that Miss Kageyama had something to wear. Thank God that it wasn't awkward now between any of them.

"Maybe we could braid his hair." Said Mob. She used her powers to braid one tiny, puffy section. There. That was nice, and she didn't just think that because braids were the only hairstyle that she knew how to do.

"But I'm not a girl!" said Serizawa. Things weren't awkward at all between Miss Kageyama and himself, but he still did not want her to braid his hair. Miss Reigen laughed a little at that. Well she giggled, still from behind her hand. Why? She had such a nice smile.

"Have you ever considered a different color? I was going to do my roots today and I could dye your hair, too. I only know how to do red but I've been meaning to try other colors." Said Rei. She looked into the future. He'd probably say no. It was a pity, she could use the practice and if he had said yes there was a fifty percent chance that he would have liked it, a twenty percent chance that he wouldn't, and a thirty percent chance that she would have messed up and dyed his hair pink.

"N-No, I like brown!" said Serizawa

"Your hair feels nice. I've never seen hair like yours before. Are you Japanese?" asked Mob as she poked his hair a few times. It really was nice. Beside her Tome had pulled a dictionary of obscure kanji off the shelf and was flipping through it. Rei was holding a strand of her hair next to Serizawa's to see if the color would look good on him. Master Reigen was just leaning up against her desk and laughing.

This had been her idea. She said that Serizawa needed to look more presentable. Mob didn't even know that they had a dress code. Besides, she liked Serizawa's hair. It was so puffy and fluffy and soft. Not like her hair. Her hair was thick and heavy, kind of like a curtain. It got knots all the time, too, which was why mom said that she had to keep it in braids.

But playing salon was fun. She used to do this to Ritsu when he was little. Not with Ritsu, because he hated every moment of it, he said later on. Even though brushing his hair and braiding it as best as she could was fun. Why did boys hate having their hair worked on?

Well Master Reigen kind of did, too, and she was a girl. She hardly ever let Mob braid it even though it was so long and braidable. She worked hard to get her hair like that, she said, even though she mostly just tied it back. Sometimes she curled it. Serizawa's hair was already curly but could it be curled even further….?

"Mob, don't ask people that, ok? Take it from someone who's half, we don't like that question." Said Reigen. Story of her life. 'Are you Japanese?' Well half of her was and she was born there. Of course Mob didn't mean anything by it, this was Mob.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to say anything mean." Said Mob looking away.

"No! You're fine, Miss Kageyama. I don't mind. My mother is Japanese but I never knew my father. I don't even have a picture." Said Serizawa. It didn't make him sad, not even when he was a kid. He always accepted that he just didn't have a dad. He had a mom and she loved him and she hadn't left even though his powers were terrifying, even when he was a child, and that was enough.

The girls thought that it was sad, though.

Now he was being comforted and patted on the head and the back and they were telling him that he was going to be ok and that they were sorry about what happened. They were such nice kids. Miss Kurata even offered to fill a pillow case with bricks, find his father, and give him what for.

"Tome, no. I am not bailing you out of jail until you're at least in high school." Said Reigen. She decided to save Serizawa from the sympathy glomp forming around him. Kids. Reigen wondered what would happen if she told them that her parents were divorced and she was waiting for someone to fax her a copy of dad's death certificate. They'd probably all have a big group cry.

Well Mob knew…some of that story. The next day she had come in with a cake from Costco that said 'Sorry for your loss' on it in chocolate frosting. It had been pretty good, actually.

And she hadn't had cake in a while….

"Don't worry! Reigen won't have to bail you out of jail until you're in university." Said Rei as she began to brush a section of Serizawa's hair. She needed a different brush. This kind was for Reigen's hair, very straight. Rei knew that she needed a special brush for curly hair. Oh if only she were at home where her instruments were!

"Really? What do I do? Civil disobedience? Trespassing? Arson?" asked Tome excitedly

"Um…I can't tell, it's too far away. But I know that when you're in university, with one hundred percent certainty, Master Reigen is going to have to bail you out of jail." Said Rei

"Joy of joys." Said Reigen as she took the brush from Rei's hands. Well now the guy just looked like a startled poodle.

"Tome, please don't commit any more crimes." Said Mob. Crimes were not good things to do, that was why society had deemed them to be crimes. Tome committed a lot of them. Sometimes she crossed the street outside of the lines, she never separated her recycling, she stuck gum to the bottom of bus seats, she stole movies from the internet, she said that she was an adult on websites, and sometimes she did…stuff…in the park because her parents didn't want her doing stuff in her room. Also one time she picked up a turtle when they were at the park with the pond. That was also a crime, disturbing the local wildlife.

"You commit crimes, Miss Kurata? But you're only in middle school." Said Serizawa. Committing crimes didn't get you anywhere good. All you got was a cell in a power nullification room and a long wait for them to either sentence you to a life either in prison or being experimented on, if they didn't outright execute you. The nation of Japan didn't just look the other way when you committed high treason. Thank God that the prime minister was such a nice guy and forgave him because he defected to the good guys at the last minute.

"I told you! My name is Tome and that's what I want to be called! Also, yes, I have committed the occasional crime." Said Tome as the book of obscure kanji was taken from her hands and closed.

"Like what?" asked Rei

"Tome won't stop stealing movies off the internet and she won't stop jaywalking or touching the park turtles or-" said Mob as Tome put her hand over her mouth.

"Mob! Shut up about the park! I told you that in confidence!" said Tome. Mob nodded.

"Sorry. I didn't know that all the crimes you committed were secrets." Said Mob

"Oh no, not all of them, just that one. We have a guy around now, remember?" asked Tome motioning to Serizawa

"Right. Serizawa's a boy." Said Mob. Would it be weird having a boy around? They didn't really do anything that they couldn't do with a boy around, aside from the occasional 'art book' or 'literary masterpiece' as Tome put it but they weren't supposed to look at that stuff at work anyway.

"Technically he's a man, but we should hire some boys. Like your brother! What's he doing right now?" asked Rei trying to be subtle. Reigen rolled her eyes as she undid the truly microscopic braid that Mob did. That girl and braids. She was obsessed, Reigen would swear to it. Every time she gave in and let Mob braid her hair it would take forever to get them undone.

"He and Sho are hanging out today. They hang out all the time, and Sho sleeps over at our house a lot. I think that they're best friends now." Said Mob

"Sho talks about your brother a lot, Miss Kageyama. Always the nicest things." Said Serizawa. It was so nice that Sho was making a friend his own age, especially after what had happened.

"You can call me Mob, everyone else does. Or Shigeko." Said Mob

"Oh yeah, I always forget that's your name." said Rei

"That's ok, everyone forgets. Well not my parents, or Ritsu, or my teachers, or Master Reigen, or-" said Mob

"Mob, undo this braid for me. Unlike you I am not telekinetic." Said Reigen as she gave up. Her nails were not long enough for this. She really needed to stop biting them so much. She stepped away from Serizawa and felt a sort of static shock. There was some purple to him, too. Oh, right, auras. She had been kind of in his space, hadn't she? She didn't even have an excuse, she wasn't one of the kids.

Not that she had minded being so near to him. Tall, dark, and handsome was her type after all he and he was all of the above. He was also incredibly vulnerable and technically her subordinate. So that was a strict 'no go' zone. She was not the sort of woman who would take advantage of a man like that. Besides, she was a young and attractive woman in her late twenties, she could have any man she wanted, so she didn't even have to mess up whatever 'this' was.

Not that there even was a 'this' yet.

It was the first time she had actually spent time with the guy in person when she wasn't afraid for her or Mob's or anyone's life.

They had been texting back and forth but it wasn't the same. Actually being around him, seeing how skittish he was, and how desperate he was for approval…so desperate that he would even let the kids play mad stylist with his hair…there couldn't be anything between the two of them. At least not until he rejoined society and found another job because Reigen Arataki was many things but a workplace harasser was not one of them.

So, yeah, this was not the time for any of…that.

God. She had been spending too much time with teenage girls. She was getting obsessed. She was almost thirty, much too old to be staying up all night waiting for a guy to text her back and then kicking her feet and squealing when he did. Much too old. Much, much, much too old. Christmas cake old, as mom would say.

Not THAT old.

But much too old to be acting like the kids.

"Yes Master Reigen." Said Mob as she reluctantly undid her handiwork. She blinked as her aura touched Serizawa's. That was still new, her aura touching other people's auras. Ritsu hardly had an aura unless he was actively using his powers but more powerful espers always showed their auras. Sho did, it had been so surprising when she woke up from a deep sleep to the feel of…someone….pressing against her metaphysical self. But that was just Sho and he was harmless. Teru was, too, but she felt his aura only when they were really close, like when they held hands...

It wasn't a bad feeling, just one that she'd have to get used to.

She'd have to get used to having him around all the time, and not just because his aura would touch hers. They never had a boy working there before, it had always been just her and Master Reigen. Then her and Tome. Later on her and Rei, not that Rei worked there. She took it upon herself to be the decorator, she moved the furniture around and put up a lot more pink things and Chinese lanterns, but she didn't technically work there and didn't come by as often as Mob did.

So it would be weird having him around all the time.

But she'd get used to him, even if he did keep on calling her Miss Kageyama.

Master Reigen would get used to him too. But he was not going to replace her, Master Reigen had been clear. Mob was irreplaceable, as all people were. Master Reigen would always be Mob's friend and nobody could ever come between them. Even if he was a boy and Mob had seen plenty of friendships implode in her class because someone got a boyfriend. But Master Reigen didn't have a boyfriend and might not even have wanted or been able to get one. Mom did call her a Christmas cake because she was older than twenty five and not married, which made Mob sort of anxious because she only had eleven years to find the boy she was going to marry, and also it was sad because Master Reigen deserved to be married. She was great and she deserved to have a husband and a family.

Even if she'd end up forgetting all about Mob, then, when she had her own kids.

Master Reigen had said that nothing could ever come between them but Master Reigen had lied before. She had lied for years, even if at the back of her mind Mob had always known that Master Reigen didn't actually have powers. Master Reigen had said sorry and promised not to lie again but…

But there was always the chance.

"Ok, I'm going to go fix Serizawa's hair in the bathroom. Tome, man the phones, Mob, man your desk, Rei…don't rearrange anything." Said Reigen as she picked up her box of various hair tools and products and led Serizawa to the bathroom. A chorus of 'oohs' followed her. From Rei and Tome, of course. Mob just went to her desk.

She seemed kind of down.

But Reigen had said so many times that she could never replace Mob. Not in a million years. The kid was irreplaceable. All the kids were, even the future jailbird.

"So, do you want me to cut it too or just comb it?" asked Reigen as she let the sink tap run warm.

"Wh-whatever you want, Reigen." Said Serizawa. He felt her hand against his back, she had really small hands, and it took him a moment to realize that she wanted him to dip his head under the water. Oh. It was like when mom would cut his hair.

"It's your hair. I mean I can't have you coming in here looking like a mess or anything but I'm not going to cut it without asking. Actually, hang on, take all this off." Said Reigen as she let him go. Her words hung in the air for a moment. He just stared at her, water dripping down his face.

Did she just say what he thought that she just said?

"You're suit coat and button down, I mean! Not…you know. C'mon, I'm your boss. It's not THAT kind of workplace!" said Reigen laughing. She rubbed the back of her neck and looked anywhere but at him. She could hear some giggles from the other room. Reigen suppressed a groan. Those three were going to have a field day with this.

"Um…right, I knew you didn't mean….right!" said Serizawa. Of course she wouldn't actually ask him to…she was his boss and that was not proper workplace behavior. This was not some bad por-adult film. Besides, he knew full well that no woman would actually want him to….nope. Don't think about that. Stay positive! New job, new friends, new outlook on life!

Also you're undressing in front of a woman.

But she's not even looking.

So it's fine.

"You know, so they don't get ruined. Good choice, by the way…of suit. Blue suits you." Said Reigen. Serizawa laughed, just a little, because she really was funny. She smiled then, and she didn't hide it.

"Thank you. That suits you too, that grey suit I mean." Said Serizawa. It really did. Mostly the skirt, though he did not stare. Her shirt was nice too, not that he was staring. The ruffles in front were just eye catching. So was her lady-tie. Or were they called ribbons? He'd ask later. She was pretty, though, very pretty. Even the lipstick on her front tooth was kind of…cute.

One did not have even the barest hint of feelings towards their boss.

So stop it, Katsuya, and think of something else.

"This old thing? I've got a million others at home. You should see me when I get into character." Said Reigen as he folded his shirt and suit coat.

"Character? You're an actor…actress! You're an actress?" asked Serizawa as he folded his clothes so that they wouldn't wrinkle. These were the first nice clothes he had owned in his life. Before that he had spent the past…fifteen, no, eighteen years….in pajamas.

"Kind of. You'll see. I have this fortune teller costume I wear when I do tarot readings and séances and stuff like that. Don't worry, that part of the business is all me. You don't have to wear a dumb costume or anything, just stick to the suit. It really 'suits' you." Said Reigen as she wet one of her combs. She motioned for him to sit down on the toilet lid.

"It feels like a costume…" said Serizawa quietly as he began to run a comb through his hair. He didn't mean to say that, it just came out.

"So does this. The first time I ever put this on, well not this suit specifically but a suit, I looked in the mirror and thought 'who's she'? But then I got used to it. Well, mostly. Sometimes I still feel like I'm wearing a costume. I usually just hang out in t-shirts and yoga pants, or just a slip." Said Reigen as she began to comb out some of the knots the kids made. He did have a lot of hair, it was longer when wet. Uncurled.

"I…I spend most of my day in pajamas, too. This is actually the first time I've ever worn a suit." Said Serizawa as he felt her fingers in his hair. He just sort of let himself feel, to be present in that moment. The feel of her fingers, the smells of her perfume and the incense that clung to her…kind of like floral jasmine smell. Cigarettes, too, but he didn't mind. She made them smell nice.

Stop it, Katsuya.

She's your boss.

"Well it suits you." Said Reigen again because, well, if it's not broke then don't fix it.

"Do you think…you can cut my hair if you want…if you think that it would suit me." Said Serizawa because he had no idea what would make him look good. That and, well, he liked having her close. Even though he knew that he shouldn't have.

"What do you want? Your life is your own, Serizawa." said Reigen giving him that line that she had been telling Mob for years now….and hadn't that backfired spectacularly? 'My life is my own, Master, and I'm going to stop Suzuki. Don't come with me, you'll only get in my way.'

"….I want you to cut my hair." Said Serizawa after a moment. She took a step away from him and for a moment he thought that she was going to go but she was only getting out what looked like the world's smallest pair of scissors.

"Alright, but I won't do anything too dramatic. I'll only take a little off and then we'll see if you like it. Now hold still, these are the cheapest salon scissors in existence. I mostly just use them for split ends." Said Reigen. She cut his hair as best as she could, guy's hair was different and she was not a stylist, but the finished product seemed pretty good.

He liked it, at least.

And the fact that he liked it should not have made her so giddy.

Thank God that the girls weren't around to see her acting so immaturely.

But she would have to talk to them about all taking their breaks at once…and not telling her that they were going on break in the first place.

"Maybe one of us should have stayed behind. Master Reigen did give us jobs…" said Mob. They were taking a soda break. Well Tome had declared that they were taking a soda break. She had been pressing her ear to the bathroom door for a little bit before she rushed down the little hallway to tell them that they needed to take a break right then and there.

"She's not going to be mad about this, I can see it, but we should bring her and Serizawa some sodas…let me see….canned coffee for her and strawberry soda for him." said Rei

"Yeah, it's thirsty work." Said Tome smiling to herself. Good for Reigen, maybe then she'd loosen up a little.

"What is?" asked Mob. Tome tsked and shook her head.

"Oh my sweet summer children…one day when you're my age you'll understand." Said Tome. There was a pause before the vending machine beside them shook. Mob covered her face with her hands and turned away.

"Tome! They weren't doing…stuff!" said Mob. She may not have been an expert at socializing but she knew what Tome meant. Ever since she had started doing…stuff…it had colonized her brain just like aliens had before. Not that Tome didn't still like aliens…but now it was aliens and stuff.

"They weren't, I can tell. Besides, they aren't even going out…right? I mean, only people who have been going out for a long time can do…stuff….right?" asked Rei

"No, not adults. They just sort of do it." Said Tome

"Really? Wow….I mean gross. I would never just…do that…when I'm an adult….but how do they decide who they're going to do it with? I mean, just so that I know to avoid those situations." Said Rei

"They just feel a spark and then-" said Tome before Mob of all people cut her off.

"Master Reigen would not do anything like that and we shouldn't talk about it. Let's talk about something else. Tome, did you find any aliens yet? Or any UFOs?" asked Mob. Tome, thankfully, went off on a tangent about the time she totally saw a UFO last weekend when she spent the night stuck on her roof because the ladder fell.

Which was good. The tangent, not the stuck on the roof part.

Because Mob did not want to think about Master Reigen doing…anything. Not just because that was Master Reigen but also because….she had promised Mob that she would never be replace but…

But she had lied before.