A/N: I've changed the category of humor to drama, because I realized there will be confrontations with Akito naturally. I mean I'll sort of vaguely feel bad Akito but it's fiction and I unfortunately am becoming a fangirl the more I write this. Don't worry, my stories rarely have a happily ever after anyway.
Chapter Three
And there it was.
Saturday.
The two days in between came and left quicker than usual for Yukari, which she didn't necessarily know if that was good or bad. Grumbling as she carried her backpack filled only with her notebook, packet, and a few pens, in no time she was back at that blasted house. Following the path to the front porch, she started to move slower. After all, the more time she spent outside the house, the less she had to spend inside. In all the grief she put herself through thinking of how miserable the next week would be, there was unfortunately a very annoying voice in the back of her mind that scolded her for this.
You don't even know him, it said for the millionth time.
I know enough, she thought back.
What happened to not judging a book by it's cover?
I didn't judge the book by it's cover. In fact, I read a few pages of it! It's disgusting and I want nothing to do with its author.
You're judging a human being with printed words. Can you say 'hypocrite'?
She stopped in her tracks before she reached the door and squeezed her eyes shut, gritting her teeth. "I am NOT a hypocrite!"
"Yukari-kun, you're here already?"
Her eyes snapped open to see the very reason for this inner argument with herself. Looking very much the same as he did three days before, Shigure held a look of surprise as he stood in the doorway with a newspaper in hand. She cleared her throat and adjusted the strap of her backpack. "Of course. It's Saturday, isn't it?"
"True, I just didn't expect you so early," he admitted, thankful he had gotten up early that morning. "Who were you talking to?"
Yukari's dark eyes widened and her cheeks started to turn a barely noticeable shade of pink. "Erm...no one."
"I see," Shigure replied a bit awkwardly.
Regaining her confidence in the silence between them, she folded her arms over her chest. "Are we going to get started or what?"
"I suppose so," he replied, stepping back in the house and away from the doorway. Yukari walked past him and into the house.
Shigure rubbed the remaining sleep from his eyes and slid the door shut.
This is going to be one long weekend.
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Making his way towards his office, Shigure turned slightly to Yukari. "So how do we begin this...um..."
"Job Shadowing project."
"Yes, how do we begin this Job Shadowing project?" Shigure corrected himself sitting at a desk next to his guest.
Yukari sighed and pulled her packet out of her bag, handing it to him. "This should elaborate on that."
He sighed and cleared his throat as he studied the top of the first page. "Job shadowing is an academically motivating activity designed to give kids the unique opportunity of an up-close look at the world of work and provide the answer to the commonly asked question, 'Why do I have to learn this?'"
"Pfft," she let out involuntarily, propping her elbow on the arm of the chair and putting her head in her hand.
He glanced at her for split second with an amused smile before going back to the page. "Step One: the person in the career must review their shadow's resume."
At that, Yukari lifted up her head and her eyes grew wide. "Wait! What resume?"
"Hmm..." Shigure flipped through the pages of the packet to the very last and turned it around to show to her. "Here it is, this thing."
"But..." she began, words caught in her throat. "I-I...didn't know..."
He shrugged and folded the other pages back, picking up a pen from his desk. "Well, then I guess we'll start with this."
"Okay..." She simply blinked.
"Student name...that one's easy." He scribbled something down. "...Grade level?"
"Twelve."
"Sex?"
She sent him a death glare.
Grinning at this, he circled 'female' and continued. "Age?"
"Eighteen."
"...Are you currently in a career path? If so state your career path."
"Screenwriting."
"...Interesting..."
She glared at him again. "Focus, senpai."
He rolled his eyes dramatically. "Alright, alright...Job Experience?"
"...cashier...uh...babysitting...I think that's it."
"Interests and hobbies?"
Yukari raised an eyebrow suspiciously at the novelist. "Is that really on there?"
Shigure nodded, flipped around the paper again and pointed to the question. "So...?"
She exhaled loudly. "Listening to music, writing, and...reading?"
"Is that all?" he asked, not because of the packet but of his own interest.
"I believe so."
He frowned slightly at her answer but went on. "And last question...What do you hope to gain from this experience?"
She gave him a flat look. "A passing grade."
"Really? Is that all...?"
With a 'hmph', she added, "Do you honestly think I want to be here?"
"Then why did you choose to shadow me?" he asked, throwing her a questioning stare.
Studying the desk in front of her very closely, she sighed. "It was a recommendation from my teacher, not even a good one at that."
"Shouldn't you make your own opinion first?" he questioned her in that same annoyingly –to her at least- calm manner.
"I have-"
"Before jumping to conclusions because of someone else's opinion or a less than flattering book...?" he added, cutting her off. Her stare made its way up to Shigure, but instead of seeing a calmer version of the girl, her eyes still seemed to be shooting daggers at him. She said not a word, but her irritating and overall stubborn opinion spoke for her. He sighed deeply and gave her a pleading look. "All I'm asking is to give me a chance so we could perhaps get through this project of yours peacefully."
Hypocrite, hypocrite, hypocrite...her mind kept taunting.
"Fine," she answered through gritted teeth, her stare now blank.
That seemed very convincing, he thought sarcastically. Looking at the packet again, he smiled all the same. "Let's continue, shall we?"
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A hour passed by, maybe two; Shigure couldn't tell anymore than his 'shadow' could. Two hours of random phone calls, arguing boys, and little to no actual writing. In fact, an hour before, he suggested Yukari read something in case she was bored. She simply shrugged and in stead took out her notebook. She had been scribbling things down ever since. At the sound of the phone clicking onto the receiver, her head snapped up. Furrowing her eyebrows, she spoke for the first time in hours. "Was that a business call?"
He sat back in his chair and plastered on a tight smile. "Fortunately, no...Just a friend."
"Oh," she replied shortly and went back to her notebook. ... this is so pointless! Being here today was a waste of my time! I don't even know what to write now...BLAH. I wonder if I'll pass this. Or survive it. So yeah okay I'll play nice.
Maybe I deserved this.
I don't know...At some point I suppose I just...
"What are you writing?"
"Huh?" was the first thing that came out of her mouth. Shigure gave her a curious look as she kept her dumfounded one. Processing what he had said, she looked at her paper then back at her temporary mentor. "Oh! ...Nothing important."
"Well, it must be if you've been working on for so long."
She turned towards the clock and her eyes widened in horror. "Is that really the time?! I need to go!"
Confused at her hurried actions as she snatched the packet from his hands and stuffed it in her bag along with several other items, Shigure opened his mouth to speak. "Wait, what's your hurry?"
By the time he spoke, she already was heading towards the door, had one shoe on, and was working on putting on the other. "Work! But I'll be back tomorrow for the interview part! Bye!"
"Alright, bye," he answered in a rush but was unsure if she even heard him since she was nearly sliding the door shut behind her and walking quickly in a panic.
What a strange girl.
To Be Continued.
