Hi I dedicate this chap to CagalliRules ;p I hope you like his character here hehe…

Chapter 4: The Intruder

Who said that job hunting in Aprillius City was easy?

Well… It seemed Cagalli just did. But forget about that because after having been practically thrown out three times on three different job interviews in er… a day, Cagalli instantly knew she was wrong- dead wrong.

'Does fate really have to be this cruel…' The thought itself made her miserable. And walking alone back to Miriallia's flat made her state even worse; because as much as she wanted to forget it, her thoughts just kept on drifting back to the interviews she'd been through…

Company no. 1: "You applicants! Why do you always have to be so insistent?! WE told you at least three years experience!! DID YOU HEAR THAT?! I SAID THREE YEARS! And you don't even acquire anything at all! So do you know what that means?! Huh?! Huh?! Simple. We don't need someone like you here!"

Company no. 2: "Hey kiddo! We're no longer living in old times. Don't expect companies these days hire applicants having finished only one course. I hate to be rude but you may now leave."

Company no. 3: "Hmm Cagalliii— I have a better job offer for you. Since you have the curves, those melting golden eyes, lips like sweet little cherries- ooh gracious I wanna… I wanna taste-" PUNCH!

Okay. Those were just the ones that happened to her today because much more horrific job interviews happened yesterday, the day before yesterday and the day before the day before yesterday. Oh don't forget to include the Yzak incident as well.

"What will I do? I badly need a job…" Cagalli mumbled helplessly. She looked upward and noticed that the artificial sky was starting to get dark. Any moment now she was expecting the streetlamps to beam at once.

Quietly, Cagalli continued on her way until suddenly a fancy glow-in-the-dark sign board caught her attention— it read:

WANTED: WAITRESS 18-25 yrs old

Cagalli sighed and thought that it wasn't the kind of job she had traveled all the way this far. She needed a high paying job- a really high paying job that could get her family out of debt and of course could bring her normal life back. In an instant, Cagalli realized how much she already missed her life in Orb- she missed her family, her mother, her little brother and her friends.

Cagalli was only twenty-one years old and yet she was already carrying the burden of being the breadwinner for their family. Actually it wasn't really in her plan to get to work after graduating in her accountancy course. She wanted to continue her studies until she acquired two degrees which would certainly get her a managerial position in corporations alike. But after discovering the staggering debt her family had- her life suddenly had an unexpected turning point.

It was indeed hard but she wanted to do it. She would do everything— anything just to help her family.

"At least I should get a job," Cagalli said after deciding to apply for a waitress' job. So without wasting anytime, she made her way towards the restaurant's steps but stopped when the door opened and a man wearing a colorful apron walked outside to take away the—

—Notice board.

What a luck!

XXX

It must be the most tiring night for Cagalli. She could feel her legs wobble as she made her way up the steep staircase leading to the second floor of the apartment building. The two little bulbs lamely lighting the battered corridor were fluctuating—making it a perfect scene for a horror film. Cagalli hated to admit that it felt a bit scary passing there at night.

So she walked on hastily and as soon as she reached the far end of the corridor; which much to her dismay was where their flat was located, Cagalli quickly grabbed the doorknob and rotated it.

'It opened?' Yes. And it only meant one thing: someone was home.

'It must be Mir,' she anticipated.

But suddenly Miriallia's voice rang in her mind, 'Cagalli, I won't be home early. My boss needs me for his dinner meeting. There's still food in the fridge just settle yourself, k? Bye.'

'So who's--?'

CLASH! Cagalli's thought was interrupted when a loud and harsh metallic noise was heard from the inside.

"An intruder!" This time Cagalli was sure of it— just as sure as what her mind was compelling her to act.

With that, Cagalli entered as quietly as she could. Inside, only the kitchen light was opened and everything else was dark. 'So the mugger's at the kitchen.' Cagalli deduced as soon as she saw a moving shadow at the kitchen. With the broadness of the shoulder and the shortness of the hair that was being reflected Cagalli undoubtedly knew that it was a guy.

'The nerve! He won't gonna make it out alive.'

Once again, Cagalli started to make her ever-so reliable imagination gone wild. Her eyes landed upon a cozy looking vase- with a size enough to put anyone asleep once hit.

'Oh Cagalli, you must see this!' Miriallia said excitedly as she tugged her best friend to see a brightly designed vase, 'I saved money for a year just so I can buy it… what can you say? Isn't it beautiful?'

Would Miriallia love to see the shattered pieces of her precious vase saved their flat from an intruder? Cagalli don't think so…

'There must be another way…' Cagalli thought as shepressed her back against a wall that kept her hidden from the robber. She moved a little bit closer towards the kitchen until she was at the edge of the wall and could clearly see the guy.

He was at the fridge, his back facing her. Cagalli could see his shinny raven hair, 'What's he doing? Stealing food?' And the said guy turned, Cagalli was enthralled at his ruby orbs- they were like flames enveloping her body. The warmth it brought felt so good. But too bad it didn't last long because a twitching lip suddenly caught her attention and Cagalli then realized that he was—

S-T-A-R-I-N-G at her! Or was it she who was staring at him?

So before the intruder could further say a word and take action, Cagalli charged at him and strangled him to the floor.

With Cagalli on top of him she pursued landing punches on his face, "You've sneaked the wrong place, man!"

"Hey! Hey! What the heck is your problem?" And they rolled with the guy struggling to dodge her un-lady punches until they stopped with him on top, trying to calm her down by pinning both her wrists on the floor.

"WAAAAH!! GET OFFF MEE!!" And she kicked his ass, releasing her wrists in the process. Cagalli immediately crawled away from him. But the guy was able to recover quickly and was about to land on her again. Just in time Cagalli turned around and evaded; so instead of pinning her again he fell, face flat on the floor. So without any further thinking, Cagalli sat on his back, grabbed his shirt and jerked his head up.

"WHO ARE YOU?!" Cagalli demanded dangerously.

"GOODNESS! What's happening here?! WHA--?!" At last! Miriallia was able to thread her way through the mob of people that mysteriously popped up in their flat. And now with the scene unfolding right before her eyes she already knew the reason why.

Cagalli stared at the shocked face of her friend and she too was just as shocked when she became aware of the curious crowd gathering at their house. So to feed their curiosity she spoke, "This guy has the audacity to sneak in our flat! But don't worry folks… because I don't think that after what I've done he's going to come back here again. Am I right?" With that Cagalli, who was still holding his shirt, looked at his face and smiled triumphantly.

"Miriallia, would you care telling this Amazon woman who I am?" the guy beneath started annoyingly.

Miriallia ignored the two and started trying to explain the situation going on to the crowd. "Uhmm, guys, I'm really sorry for the commotion here I— you see they, my friend and my cousin have some sort of misunderstanding… Hehe I forgot to inform my friend, Cagalli, about my cousin, Shinn's pending arrival. So now here they are…"

"COUSIN?" Cagalli bellowed, her face turning deep red after discovering what she had just done to the intruder whom Miriallia called as cousin.

"Now you know… would you now allow me to get up?"

"Oh haha sure!" And Cagalli got up and offered him a hand.

XXX

After that incident; Shinn and Cagalli had dinner together with Miriallia since the dinner meeting Miriallia was supposed to attend was postponed. Cagalli also learned that Shinn Asuka had been living along with Mir for so long.

"Shinn, thank God you came back soon! Nobody can really go better than you in cooking!" Miriallia said as she tasted a spoon of Pakbet, Shinn cooked.

"You do sound like you can't live another day eating foods you cook. You should have asked Dearka to cook for you."

"Hush Shinn!" Miriallia glimpsed at Cagalli checking if she heard him.

"Dearka?! Who's he? Mir, are you hiding someone from me?!" Cagalli inquired.

"Oh Cagalli don't mind Shi—"Miriallia said starting to get panic.

"Dearka's her boss." Shinn said flatly. "And soon to be husband if my cousin will stop acting hard-to-get!"

"Hey that's too much! Cagalli don't believe anything he says! He's just fabricating things but yeah really… I'm his secretary. But that's only that— nothing more!" She defended.

"'Nothing more'! Ha! That's why even if you file dozen of notices for resignation you still couldn't get away from him!" Shinn countered.

"You did that? And he's still not letting you go? Oh Miriallia don't you think that's so sweet?!" Cagalli said starting to have a bit understanding about the relationship between her friend and the Dearka-guy.

"SWEET?! You call that sweet?! That's harassment!" And there again Miriallia was loosing her patience.

So the both of them quieted down and Shinn made a hand gesture for Cagalli to come close to him. She did and he began whispering something. After that, the twosome chuckled…

"Shinn, STOP IT! Cagalli, don't listen to him!" Mir pleaded desperately.

But they just ignored her, "By the way, Cagalli what brings you here in PLANTs?" Shinn asked.

"Job… one-million debt to thugs who want me dead. Plus all misfortunes… just name it." Cagalli said as she halved the squash with her spoon.

"But you won't believe this one, Shinn. Cagalli was on her way here when she almost got hit by a car. She fainted and when she woke up her one-million debt was instantly paid! Well yeah… her debt was just passed on a different person but at least she was saved from the thugs." Miriallia butted in.

"Cagalli, is that for real? But how did that happen?" Shinn asked Cagalli, wide-eyed.

"I don't even know, Shinn. My benefactor didn't show his face to me after everything happened. He just let his assistant look after me and said that I can have my debt paid anytime I want. He doesn't sound rational, if you ask."

"Then leave it as it is… he seemed not interested with your payment anyway."

"I don't think my stomach could take that. In any case he helped me and my family. Ah! Let's just not talk about it." Cagalli smiled at Shinn and said, "How about you, Shinn? Come on tell me something."

"Here still leading a boring life, studying, taking up my second course which is business administration, and what else? Hmm…" Shinn thought of something to say.

"And single since birth!" Miriallia proudly announced.

"Miriallia! You don't have to say that!!"

"You should have told that to yourself before you utter those lies about Dearka and me!"

And their exchange of teasing remarks went on. Cagalli amusedly watch the two. But the one Miriallia revealed on Shinn had a lasting impression on her mind. Actually she couldn't believe that 23-year-old Shinn Asuka had still no girlfriend all his life. Somehow at the back of her mind loomed a question:

'Is Shinn a gay?'

XXX

Another morning at Miriallia's flat. And another morning to start hunting for a job…

Cagalli would do anything just start this day right and bright.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Mir! Can't he really wait to see you at the office?! Is he fetching you again?" Shinn complained teasingly. He was at the kitchen counter preparing some breakfast.

"Shut up, Shinn! Why don't you just see who's knocking?" The other shouted from the bedroom.

"I'll get it!" Cagalli volunteered since she was at the living room which happened to be near the door.

And she opened the door as casual as she could. A wide smile was plastered on her face but when she saw the person behind the door, it suddenly turned a complete upside down.

Silver hair. Check.

Blue eyes. Check.

Scowl. Check.

Arrogant Aura. Check.

Positive. It was Yzak Joule.

'OH! Isn't it just the best way to start your day?!'

--To be continued--

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