A/N: Just like "Maruyama" is actually a real share-house, located about 15 mins from the Nakano Station, "The Hangover" is an American style pub located in Nakano. The owner learned about American style cuisine when he came here, and took that cooking style back to Japan with him. As such, you can expect amazing craft beer there, and wings like you'd find here in the USA (say, like a Buffalo Wild Wings, or a Twin Peaks). They say his fish and chips are to die for. The only thing is, it's pretty small. Only about 20 seats available…but, as I've been told by many, that's just how the community is in Nakano.

Closely knit, and very much family…anyway, just an interesting little tidbit.

Stress Me Out
Chapter 5
Week 1: A Thursday
(A high-rise in the middle of the Nakano Midway)

The clock blared one in the morning, and Natsuki continued sweeping the floor, not paying any mind to the ramblings on of her co-worker. As always, he seemed more than happy to drive her crazy. She liked him as a friend, had a close relationship with him since high school, and she respected his opinion, usually.

There was still something about him though…something that drove her completely nuts. She turned to him as he grimaced over picking up a really rotten trash bag, liquid, what looked to be coffee dripping from the clear bag. "Would you stop acting like such a chick?"

"Would you stop acting like such a dude?" He shot back before he chucked the mess into the mobile dumpster on wheels that he had with him. "Really, when you said you found us better jobs than flipping burgers, I thought I'd be rid of dealing with that kind of trash can."

"The pay is more than double, wimp." Natsuki said with a laugh. "Deal with it."

"Ice queen."

"Jackass."

Takeda gave the beautiful woman at his side a glance…merely a soft one, admiring her once more. The blue jumpsuit wasn't flattering on her form, and neither were the rubber and steel work-boots, but there was just something about her. "So, what's your plans after this?"

"Go home." Natsuki shrugged. "Sleep. That's about it."

They had five more hours to work, but he knew of a little twenty-four hour dive. "Oh…well, want to get some breakfast after the shift ends?"

"You know I don't eat right after work." Natsuki visibly shivered at the thought. "It's not sanitary, it's just gross."

"Well, after you take a shower then, or something." He'd blurted it so fast, his hark skin heated around his cheeks. A deep blush, he hid from her. "We don't hang out enough, you know? I kind of miss it, the way we used to be."

"Uh, me beating the absolute crap out of you?" Natsuki asked with an upraised eyebrow. "It's not like we were that close back then…in fact, I kind of hated you."

"I liked you…" He said quietly. "I still do, maybe I didn't express that well, but, I thought you were pretty cool."

"It's the past." Natsuki said, feeling a little strange. "Can we leave it there? It's weird to hear you say that kind of thing out of the blue…"

"That's just how I feel, that's all." Takeda sighed as he gathered the last of the trash. That completed that floor, and they went to the elevator, pushing the call button. "Natsuki, you're very pretty you know…even when you are mad."

"What's up with you tonight?" Natsuki just shook her head, he would have to get over her eventually.

He fought with himself. He didn't want to say it, but emerald eyes, so crystal clear…they looked at him, saw through him, and he knew he had to. "Tate and I, we talk…compare notes and things…you know that, right?"

"Uh, yeah, not really a huge surprise. Nao and I do all the time." She said it too softly, a tiny husk there…gentleness behind the clear annoyance. "I think it's like a normal thing that people do. Mai talks to be about a lot of things, too."

"He told me…about you and Nao."

Even though the door opened, they were face to face now. Natsuki was shocked to hear it coming from Takeda. She knew Nao talked, and didn't doubt that everyone had an idea of what was going on, but it still bothered her.

"...What?"

"Tate told me...about you and Nao."

"Jesus..." Natsuki sighed.

"You know …I remember how it all started between them, about a year ago…we were up on the roof, smoking." Takeda shrugged. "Nao was upset, so Tate invited her along. We spent all night talking about random things…she got high of her ass…drunk too…said some stuff about him and passed out…so he took her to his room. Looked after her the entire next day while she puked her guts out."

"That's water under the bridge, why bring that up?" Natsuki tried to force a laugh, but it died before it even reached the air.

"Because…I…I just…I guess Nao's the one that started it between them, and then…" Takeda shook his head. "Hey, you know, I was happy he found someone, he's a good guy…but, Nao talks…and she kind of treats him like shit…"

"If you haven't noticed, she treats everyone like shit..." Natsuki trailed off.

He leaned on the wall, gave Natsuki a sideways glance, and nodded. "I know. Anyway, Nao told him about the night you two got really trashed recently…how she woke up naked in your bed…said she was going to do it more often. Told him flat out, she was going to start sleeping with you… I thought to myself that maybe you just needed someone around, and I thought…you know…maybe…I could be that person."

He began walking out of the elevator, brushing aside he feelings like they were nothing, but, Natsuki knew better than that. He'd always had a crush on her, but, she'd always assumed that it ended at strictly that. A crush…a thing a young guy has that eventually goes away.

"What did Tate say about that?" Natsuki almost blurted. "Doesn't he care?"

"With the way he's been drinking himself stupid recently? Yeah, Natsuki…" Takeda sighed as he shook his head. "I think he cares, and frankly, so do I. She's fucking around with my best friend's feelings, and I'm not okay with that."

"I'm not either…" Natsuki for once in her life in Takeda's presence, let just a little bit of weakness show through. She closed her eyes, pulled off one of the white sanitary gloves and smoothed out the hair along her head, even though it was pulled back into a tight ponytail already. A ragged breath fell from her lips, she shook it off right then and there. "But…I did sleep with her, that's on me too. You can't blame all of that shit on Nao. She was sober this morning, and, that still...didn't stop us…so…I don't know what the hell to tell you."

She had to go back to work, get her mind off of Nao, off of the things she wanted to say. It was too personal for her, too raw, for anything else to come out of her mouth…but she was sure of something. Takeda he was genuinely concerned. He didn't speak again for the entire shift outside of work related phrases, and some part of her was undeniably grateful for that.

…
(Mai, Natsuki, Nao's house.)

Another day, another hangover...

It was better that way, in Nao's often humbled opinion. Hangovers meant sleeping in most of the morning, and being too tired to care about thinking too deeply. It was, in its own way, a form of escape that was intrinsically unpleasant. It wasn't as if it felt good to have a splitting headache, or an upset gut. It made her feel alive, reminding her that even at her most numb, pain could, and would, still be around her when she least wanted it.

Not that it rightly mattered one way or the other. She never really analyzed the reasons why. That was fine.

A small nock on the door frame, and Nao lifted her head off of the pillow. "Better be good."

Mai rolled her eyes, handing Nao a bottle of water and two pills from the kitchen. "Do you work today?"

She rubbed her eyes, took the pills in hand and slung them back, drinking deeply from the bottle as she did so. "Don't think so…" She pulled up her phone. "No, not today." She said tiredly, it was already almost the middle of the afternoon. "I deal with the full shift on Saturday. Work a double since we've got to reface whole fucking store…god-damned policy changes. Midori will probably call your ass in too."

"Can't, I work on Saturday."

"Call in sick then."

"No. I know that we're missing one of our staff member already at the diner." Then, as an afterthought, Mai shrugged. "I told Midori, only on my days off anyway, so, she knows not to call."

"Fuck that, Mai, we need you hauling ass." Nao complained. "The scrub isn't going to be enough."

"Shizuru isn't that bad…"

"The hell she isn't!"

"It's her first week." Mai finally said, raising her voice only slightly. "Nao, your first week on the job, you backed the Hi-Low through the dry-wall, and you were late all five days you were there. I had to beg Midori to keep you on, and I had to pull extra shifts just to get you acclimated to the back room since you wouldn't listen to anyone."

"Well that was years ago, I'm a manager now." The redhead shot back. "I'm saying that this chick belongs out of the way, not schlepping inventory."

"My point is, she's proven herself to be more of an asset on her first week than you ever were. She works hard, and even you know that." Mai knew that Nao would be hard to convince, but, Nao was also one of the best managers for that store that she had ever known, lackluster vocabulary aside. "You've just got to get that stick out of your butt, and give Shizuru a fighting chance."

"Aw, god-damn it…" Nao said as she fought back what had to be the worst case of nausea she'd ever had. "Look, we both know the only stick up my ass, is that this was not the week for her to start."

"That's on Midori," Mai interjected, "not Shizuru."

"Hey, I like the scrub," Nao said flippantly. "Else I would have sabotaged her tight little ass the moment that she walked in. I just didn't need to deal with her this week, of all weeks. This is more than the usual Fi-Fo and GOT flip."

"That's true, but it's good for Shizuru to learn that being in that back inventory room is going to be hectic…" Mai admitted softly. "Just be calm about it."

"Yeah, yeah, you're a ray of sunshine, I know…but get this; even the things that don't go bad are being re-faced…and there's a sale going on soon in housewares besides!" She sighed, as she stretched. Her head was bothering her a bit more acutely than normal, she rubbed at her eyes again. "Shit, and Saturday is the worst delivery day of the week. We're going to have our heads so far up our ass come Monday that we'll see daylight."

"Won't be the first time we've been behind." Mai shrugged. "Welcome to retail."

Nao glared murderous daggers. "We need you there, hands down."

"Nao, I can't." Mai said, not budging on the matter. "Anyway, you should get up. Lunch is in the fridge, Natsuki's out somewhere, and I'm not going to be home to make dinner. You two are on your own. Don't murder each other." She held up a white paper envelope addressed from the water company. "By the way, in case you didn't know, this hit the mailbox today. It totally needs to be paid, or they're going to shut off the water again."

"I just paid the damn thing!" Nao, now angry, ripped the bill out of Mai's hand. "The fuck? I paid this last week over the phone. Confirmation number and all that shit. I'm going to call those assholes. They shut off this water, and they'll have a foot in their ass. That simple."

"I'm just the messenger…" Mai said in mock surrender. "Anyway, that's about all that I know is going on for today."

"Can you at least re-tag the stuff from houseware today? I'm not going to get electronics done if I have to deal with pricing all of those stupid towels and gadgets." Nao asked as she lit up a smoke. "You'd think we'd be able to hire in another person for day staff, but Midori's too damn lazy for that."

"We have Shizuru to train." Mai shot back. "That's enough, once she learns the store, she'll be fine on day shift."

"That bitch better not be there on Saturday…"

"She's not." Mai said with absolute certainty. "She works today and tomorrow. Saturday and Sunday she's got off, so you won't have her to shadow you and slow you down. Unless she get's called in, but if that's the case, put her on something easy."

"Then who the hell do I have on Saturday?!"

"I think some guy from the night staff…call Midori, Nao…find out." Mai looked to her watch. "Anyway, I've got to go, or I'll be late."

Nao just sighed. "…what in the bloody hell is wrong with people…"

Mai had wanted to be able to help on Saturday, truly she did, but her main priority was the diner. That tiny eatery was a place where her childhood hours were spent drinking milkshakes and gossiping long until the evening, when they'd be kicked out. Working there reminded her of her past. It gave her a little warm feeling of something that she just didn't get when it came to the stocking shelves, and managing inventory.

It was the image of close families and friends, young loves and heartbreak…and…there was something to all of that…something that Mai, as she got older, didn't want to just forget and ignore.

Mai was a hard worker though, and she still felt tied to her first job that she'd ever gotten…felt attached to the dusty back room, where cardboard seemed to breed, and bubble wrap came in long, one hundred foot sheets.

Shizuru was already dressing in the locker room by the time that Mai got there. Unlike Nao, who dressed in work appropriate attire on a daily basis out of sure laziness alone. Shizuru opted for skirts or properly fitting pants that weren't conducive for grunt-work. Still though, that unflattering polo shirt aside, Shizuru was still beautiful. Mai had a pair of her work jeans on, but had to switch out her shirt upon arrival.

"Hey." Mai greeted as she fiddled with the combination on her locker. "Are you clocked in for the day?"

"No, not yet." Shizuru said, glancing at her watch. "I ended up getting here a little early. "I'll go do that, and then I'll go through the returns that costumer service just sent back here."

"Actually, change of plans…" Mai said, giving Shizuru her keys. "Go to housewares, re-tag everything according to what the GOT says on the price listing. We're doing a markdown on everything in that department. It should be fifteen to forty percent off, depending on what it is. If the GOT gives you trouble, or you get lost in one of the menus, then just radio me. I'm on frequency six…and remember, Midori's on frequency 7, you can get a hold of her too."

"Alright then…" Their fingers brush. She wasn't on the clock yet, so she let her eyes meet Mai's in a suggestive way. "Dinner tonight, after our shift? My treat."

"Yeah..." Mai nodded. "Sounds good." Doing the back room on her own was going to be hell, there was no two ways about it. She just dived in head first, hoping she could at least maintain the workload. Nao had been right, they needed another day-shift worker.

…
(A small pub; The Hangover)

Shizuru was not exactly a beer drinker, she found the taste unpalatable. She ordered whiskey on the rocks instead, in front of them, two orders of fish and chips waited to be savored. It was a far cry from the night-club they'd met in, with the blaring music and the loud and questionably dressed patrons. This was quant, but all the seats were full. There was banter among the crowd, but it was kept to a lone drone.

"They have some of the best fish and chips I've ever tasted, and that says something." Mai said with a smirk as she dipped one of the fried potatoes in some ketchup that had been placed on the side for her convenience. "I've tasted a lot of food over the years."

"Mm. It is good, isn't it?" It was good, Shizuru decided then, partaking a bit of the fried fish and dipping it in a little bit of tartar sauce. "You must come here often."

"Not as often as I'd like." Mai said with a shrug. "I come here with friends or on dates, but, it doesn't have much of a scene around here. If I'm looking for a good time, I go to that little nightclub inside of the Nakano Midway."

"That is a point." Shizuru laughed, though in truth, that place had felt just a little bit overwhelming. "I'm not the sort of person who goes out much, at least, I wasn't such a person."

"With as much as you traveled?" Mai gave Shizuru a lopsided little smile. "That's hard to believe."

Shizuru cleared her throat just the latest bit. "I traveled with my husband at the time, but it was primarily work related." Picking up her glass, the amber liquid was an easy decoy. What could she say? How much detail could she go into? She suspected liquid courage would not be quite enough this time to make her loose lipped. "Mai, I honestly lived a very sheltered life compared to what you might suspect. I'm sure…being with you, I've been a little more free-spirited."

"I've been told I have that effect on people." Mai said, brushing the comment off as she toyed with another piece of fried potato. "I wouldn't know, really…I just sort of do things my own way. People either follow, or they don't. I suppose that's why Nao and I are such good friends. It just so happened that we were headed in the same direction in our lives more often than not."

"You two must be close…" Shizuru agreed, but, just how far that closeness went, Shizuru wasn't entirely sure. "Do you mind if I ask; how many people have you been with?"

"People like Nao, you mean? People who've stuck around? Only three. Natsuki, Nao, and a man named Reito." Mai laughed, seeing the hesitation there. "Nao and I, well, let's just say that we work together better as just really, really close friends. There's no barriers between us, and, she hasn't really broken any of the rules…well, probably number one..but she's so abrasive you'd never really know even if she did."

"Oh, yes I could see that." Shizuru agreed. "She does strike me as being quite protective of you."

Mai only nodded. "Even so, everyone seems to break rule number one."

"With a woman as pretty as you, it would be hard not to be." Shizuru admitted, not even remotely teasing.

"Imagine the trouble I'll have when it comes to you." Mai was also just being honest, Shizuru could to tell, because there was no humor in violet eyes. "But, I do believe in the rules...and that we stick to them. It's the best really, so that no one gets hurt in this."

"I have no other suitors, Mai." Shizuru told her. "You don't have to worry."

"Not yet." Mai amended as she went back to eating her food. She thought about the people she lived with, trying to think of a good example. "I like Nao as a friend, and as housemates, we're compatible, so I wouldn't turn her down." A smile, and that violet eyed gaze met Shizuru fully. "It's just that Nao looks for other things than what I can offer her, so, I'm not usually her first choice, and that's okay."

"The other friend of yours, Natsuki…you two are very close as well?" There was something about that name, the way it rolled off Mai's tongue that made Shizuru take another heavy sip of her drink. "You speak her name very differently, so I'm just curious."

Main noted the playful gaze, and licked her lips. She considered not saying a word, but when Shizuru's lips twitched upwards good-naturedly, Mai decided it would be okay. Her voice gentled, grew softer and she leaned just a little. "Natsuki's a different breed, she's broken four of the five rules. She was the first woman I'd ever been with, an experimental phase, I guess. She's one of the reasons I came up with the rules in the first place."

"She was the jealous type?" Shizuru asked conspiratorially.

"Well yes…but, it was more than that." Mai admitted this with her eyes downcast, lifting her beer to her lips. "I was young, Shizuru…and, I made a lot of mistakes...that's why she's the exception to the rules...the only one I've ever made, and the only one I ever will."