It had lasted a day .
Just one single day , barely 24 hours.
That's all it had lasted .
Whatever peace , joy , fulfillment, pride, excitement, everything happy that she had felt yesterday after walking out of the Diamond company building had disappeared within a day .
Ichinose Chizuru sat at her table , staring at her laptop screen . It was the dead of the night , maybe 2 am and she was as frustrated as she could be .
After they'd left Diamond , the previous day , Kazuya and Chizuru had wandered around a bit . They'd spent some time at a park , a museum and of course the nearest aquarium before splurging on an expensive meal at a fancy restaurant.
Kazuya's hands had trembled as he read the prices on the menu but Chizuru had waved away his concerns while insisting on paying for the meal .
It had been a fabulous meal and a fabulous date .
But all that had faded now.
Now Chizuru frowned at her screen , her browser displaying multiple open tabs each one with a different job hunting web site and as she scrolled through them , dismissing the options one by one , her frustration grew and grew .
Her tiredness had grown substantially too, the previous week had been taxing in itself and now she was pushing herself to find a new job as soon as possible.
She tried to ignore it but her fatigue threatened to overwhelm her .
Desperately she reached for her cup and held it up to her mouth , eagerly anticipating the descent of the dark bitter coffee, the only anchor keeping her awake in the storm of exhaustion that threatened to pull her in .
But she had depleted her reserve and so only a few tantalizing drops reached her . Determined to keep going, Chizuru stood up ,with the intent of making another cup (or two) but unfortunately stumbled and dropped her cup .
"Damn it ! " , she swore as she held her breath .
The cup had not broken and anyways it was not her concern .
Her concern was the loud thud it'd made when it'd hit the most inopportune of places , the wall she shared with her neighbor .
"Please don't wake up , please don't wake up, please don't wake up ", she began to plead
She didn't have to wait that long , it barely took fifteen seconds for her phone to buzz .
She sighed as she picked it up . The message was short and concise .
"Go to sleep " .
"I will. Soon ", she wrote back .
Kazuya typed back quickly,
"Come on , it's been a day. Give yourself a break.
Let's tackle it tomorrow ".
Chizuru sighed out loud ,
"He's not going to give up ".
Her body agreed with Kazuya's sentiments and so Chizuru reluctantly replied ,
"Allright fine, I'm going to sleep " .
"Okay good night then ", he typed back in a flash, clearly eager to go back to sleep himself.
"Yeah , good night ", she typed back before putting her phone and laptop away , switching off the lights and throwing herself on her bed .
She was fast asleep in two minutes .
Chizuru wasn't the only person who was staving off sleep with sheer willpower that night .
A brooding Kibe lay back on his bed , staring unblinking at the ceiling.
It's not that he didn't want to sleep.
It's just that ... he was trying to understand himself .
He felt ... different. He felt like he'd changed .
He knew exactly when it'd happened, the damned second when whatever was eating at him had started its meal .
It was that moment, when he'd stood outside his closest friend's apartment with Kuri and watched as a girl beautiful beyond words , had opened the door .
At that point he hadn't quite realized it , it'd become apparent later on but he'd sort of automatically switched to autopilot at that point.
The girl had proceeded to invite them in , to make them tea, to talk with them, to joke with them, to laugh with them, to fit in so naturally with them almost like she'd always been there, like she'd known them .
She'd done all that while sitting in his friend's apartment, so comfortable, so natural there and when Kazuya had returned ,it was the same .
The way they talked to each other , they way they stood and sat and walked and smiled , the way they were so so easy with each other , like them being in a relationship was as natural as a sunny day , so simple and so pure ... all of it snowballed into something that had punched his gut .
Repeatedly .
Till the weight weighed him down .
"What am I even feeling now ? ", Kibe asked himself.
"Jealous ? Lonely ? Miserable ?
All of the above ? "
He gritted his teeth in frustration before stating,
"It's not like I'm mad at Kazuya. Or Chizuru-san . I'm glad it's going great for them . Especially because Nagomi-san is so happy about it .
But still... "
Kibe swore out loud before turning to his side and closing his eyes. He was now tired of himself and so decided to succumb to sleep but just before he did , one last line of desire slipped out from him,
"I want a girlfriend " .
The Next Day ,
"OK so tell me how it's going ", Kazuya told Chizuru as they made their way back to their apartments, walking slowly ,enjoying a rare sunny day in what had been a frigid January.
For once , they'd both been lucky enough to have only one class that day and that was why they were headed back early .
Chizuru's hold on her bag instinctively tightened, frustration creeping up on her every single time she even thought about her efforts to find a new job .
She glanced at Kazuya and noting his concern, she sighed out loud before answering,
"Not great , there's just hundreds of the same sort of part time jobs on those sites and I'm just not interested in those . Babysitting , tutoring, tour guide , none of those can be wedged in between Uni and my acting classes. "
"Hmm ", Kazuya seemed to contemplate for a few minutes before replying,
"The thing with those sites isn't that the jobs you're looking for aren't there, they're just hard to find especially for you ,because your criteria are different from the typical college student.
I think I have a couple of ideas to help you narrow down the search , so how about I come over and we get on it together? "
Chizuru glanced at him again. One of the things that she enjoyed most about Kazuya was how open he was . Secretive was not a word that could describe him (in stark contrast to herself ) and whatever he was feeling was almost always apparent on his face .
She saw genuine calm and composure in his eyes , a little excitement even and that was all she needed to see to know that he genuinely had some ways to help and wasn't just trying to cheer her up .
They were climbing up the stairs to their apartments by now , Kazuya was waiting patiently for an answer while she had been thinking and finally she gave it to him ,
"Fine let's tackle this together ", she agreed with a smile , repeating what he'd said last night .
"OK, let's start in half an hour then ", Kazuya suggested and Chizuru agreed .
Half and hour later , they sat next to each other at Chizuru's table . Chizuru's laptop, their phones and a pitcher of coffee (she had been yawning all day ) were laid out on the table .
"Before we start , I want you to agree on something ", Chizuru told Kazuya.
"Okay ",he replied.
"You have a lot on your own plate, what with your job and the wacky shifts, not to mention your own classes , so I want you to only help me narrow down the search , I'll do the actual hunting through them myself .
Is that okay ? "
"Yeah , but if there's a lot , you can count on me to help " , Kazuya offered .
"I'll get it done ", she replied haughtily .
"I'm sure you will ", he agreed with a smile before turning to his laptop .
Chizuru watched him as he worked , she knew that she should probably be focused on the laptop but she didn't care.
They were sitting so close , practically pressed against each other . She was slightly leaning into him, resting her hand on his thigh , half her hair falling on his shoulder.
She smiled warmly at him, he had really made an effort for her since that night when she'd let her frustrations out ,and now it felt so natural and easy , just like she'd hoped .
"Okay , look here ", Kazuya told her , tapping her hand.
"Yeah ", she replied focusing on the screen.
Kazuya had opened a bunch of the job sites in the background but at the front of the screen was a blank document that he proceed to split into two .
"So first we're going to make two lists . The first one will be what all you want from the job and the second will be what you can do , not specific jobs but more like what field you could work in or some talent of yours that could help you in a workplace.
I'm hoping that this will help us filter out a bunch of jobs we don't want and also give us a clearer idea of what we're looking for.
Does that sound alright ? "
Chizuru nodded and as Kazuya hovered over the first half , she dictated and soon the first list, which was rather short , was done .
"Decent pay .
Flexible hours" , Kazuya read out loud.
He then turned to her and asked ,
"Are you sure that's it ? ".
"Yes ", Chizuru nodded.
"I can manage anything else like a tough boss or the job itself being difficult or strenuous but I need flexible hours so that I can manage my classes and I need a decent pay because I'm responsible for my own living expenses ".
"Okay ", Kazuya nodded back understandingly before he turned back to the screen .
He read it again a few more times and seemed to think deeply about if before he spoke again ,
"So the most important thing for me here is your working hours . That's the biggest difference between you and other part-timers . Most people would want shorter hours , basically quick and easy money .
But you don't mind working longer hours and a more difficult job as long as you can control when those hours are , as in, you need leeway in choosing what hours you work ".
"Yeah ..that's right ", Chizuru half-stammered taken aback by Kazuya's concise analysis.
"Okay , the second list then ", Kazuya resumed.
Chizuru nodded and started with the most obvious one , acting .
"Though I'm fairly sure we won't find decent acting jobs , at least for my experience and certainly not on this site ", she stated.
"Doesn't matter , we're just collecting options now, so keep going ", he replied.
Soon the second list was done as well . In addition to acting , Kazuya had noted down Chizuru's basic literary skills and understanding of the industry (thanks to her classes at Uni) , her language and communication skills (she was fairly fluent in English in addition to Japanese) ability to handle difficult situations and infallible temperament .
This had taken a bit longer because most of Kazuya's suggestions were more praise for Chizuru than job skills
However it did please her and so she was in a fairly good mood once they'd finished .
"You really surprised me , Kazuya ", she remarked as she watched him click away on the websites , filtering and sorting the jobs as best as he could .
"I didn't know you were so good at this kind of stuff ".
"Well if I'm being honest ", he admitted with a slightly sheepish laugh ,
"I'm just repeating everything I learned when we were raising money for the movie ".
"Even so , this is seriously impressive , how you're using the site and all ", she told him .
Kazuya smiled before cheekily replying ,
"Well , you still use a flip cover on your phone, so maybe technology isn't your strongest suit ".
"What's wrong with a flip cover ? And besides what does the cover have to do with the actual technology?", she shot back indignantly
"Historically bad decisions ", he answered with a grin before adding,
"Emphasis on the historical phone cover "
"It's not that old ", she defended herself .
"I'll have you know it's both functional and fashionable ".
"Yeah , sure ", Kazuya chuckled, resuming his typing before he stopped and turned back to her.
"Wait ... fashionable ", he told her.
"What ? ", she asked .
"You're totally fashionable right ? You know all about fashion and trends and all that stuff right ? We should put that in too ", he told her eagerly.
"Well I do know a bit about fashion but ... it's not like I'm going to start modeling or something ", she replied , starkly uenthusiastically .
"Come on , we'll keep the fashion industry open for now, I'm sure there's other jobs than modeling, like working at a fashion botique and stuff ".
"Fine ", she relented .
Another twenty minutes later and Kazuya was done , he had set up a profile for her on each of the websites and filtered out several unappealing options , which had lightened the ocean of job offers considerably .
There was still a lot left to go through , though. Kazuya himself told her that the lists they'd made would only help Chizuru make the choice and not give definitive solutions.
But even Chizuru had to admit that they were in a better place than when they'd started .
After thanking Kazuya again and telling him that he could go back to his apartment, Chizuru pulled the laptop towards her, gathered her determination and started to go through the first few.
Instantly she could tell the difference Kazuya had made , before she had gone through hundreds of mundane offers but now she was starting to find at least a few points of appeal even in the ones that she wasn't particularly interested in .
She lost herself in the offers as she scrolled through them , rejecting one after another but every so often there'd be an offer that was worth exploring and she would save for more consideration.
However as she continued to go through them , her pessimism returned and she couldn't help muttering ,
"Two more weeks ".
"Huh , what's that ? ", Kazuya asked.
"You're still here ? ", a startled Chizuru asked .
"I thought you'd gone back " .
"I was about to leave " , Kazuya answered before continuing,
"What did you say about two more weeks ? "
"Damn it ", Chizuru swore under her breath .
"I didn't mean for him to hear that. And now that he has ,I have to tell him ", she realized.
"Look , it's just something that I've decided ,okay?", she began.
"If I don't get a job in two weeks time , I'll start picking up shifts at a nearby convenience store or a Café or something.
To be honest I'd rather not but I need to earn my own living expenses . Don't worry , it's just till I get a permanent job and I'll keep looking for a job in the meantime ".
A frown grew on Kazuya's face as he asked her ,
"But it'd be way too much of a strain on you, won't it ? "
"It won't be easy ", she admitted
"But I don't have a choice. Like I said, I earn my own expenses."
Kazuya was silent for a few minutes as the frown grew into impassiveness before he replied tentatively,
"I know it's a delicate matter but ... you do have a choice.
Till you get a job , let me ... "
"No".
The forcefullness of her reply shocked even herself, let alone Kazuya , but the second she'd understood what Kazuya was offering, Chizuru felt a sudden wave of furious pride.
"It's very nice of you , Kazuya but don't worry ,I'll manage ".
Kazuya still looked worried and so he persisted,
"Are you sure ? Because .. "
"Yes , I'm sure !", she snapped at him , before once again being taken back by herself . Without her even realizing, a little bitterness had crept into her words, called forth by her pride.
"Okay , I get it ", Kazuya relented , holding his hands up in a give-up gesture.
He was clearly not too happy about it though and his dejection dissipated the bitterness in and pulled more than a string of guilt from her.
The tension hung in the air for a few minutes before Chizuru spoke , softly but firmly ,
"I'm sorry for getting upset ", she apologized.
"It's just ... I'm used to getting things done . By myself . My own way .
And ... it's not like I've been looking for a couple of days
I've been trying to find a new job for a month and a half now . I started looking soon after deciding to leave Diamond .
And I still haven't.
It may be hard but I have to find a new job .
By myself .
And if can't, I have to deal with it . I have to find a way to earn the money I need .
By myself ".
"I know all that ", Kazuya replied with a sigh, after silence had hung in the room for a few minutes
" I know how independent and capable you are. And I know how much pride you take in that fact .
But ... I want you to know that you don't have to go it alone anymore ".
"I know ", she replied nodded.
Despite her words , in her heart , her feelings hadn't changed. Her pride hadn't changed.
She appreciated the offer and his kindness. But ... she was determined... insistent , you could say that she would do it herself.
That was just how she was , that was just the person she had learnt to be .
She refused to compromise... on her pride .
She felt the tension in the air disappear slightly but with the certainty that any more discussion on the topic could take a turn for the worse , she hurriedly began to talk , determined to change the topic ,
"So what's been ... ".
She had just begun when Kazuya's phone lit up and began to vibrate
Since Chizuru was closer to it , she picked it up and passed it to Kazuya, noting the caller ID.
"Yoshiaki Kibe " .
Kazuya barely glanced at it before answering,
"Hey man , what's up ? "
Even though she could hear only one side of the conversation, Chizuru quickly understood what it was about .
She watched Kazuya's eyes darting between her and the phone for a while before she gestured at him to mute the call .
"Okay , give me a sec ", he told Kibe before doing just that.
"So , Kibe-kun wants you guys to meet up ? "
"Yeah ", Kazuya nodded .
"He wants us to get together at a bar , tomorrow night.
I'm not going ", Kazuya quickly added .
"He's trying hard to convince me but I'm saying no . I'd rather stay here ".
Chizuru sighed out loud as she brushed her hair back,before telling him,
"Look , just go okay ? I'll feel bad if you keep turning them down . Of course I don't want this to be like a regular thing , but having a night by yourselves once in a while is fine .
And anyway, I'm going to be busy with all this ", she pointed at the laptop before continuing,
"So I'm not going to be particularly good company for the next few days ".
"I'd still rather stay here ", Kazuya repeated grumpily .
Whatever lingering frustration Chizuru had ,drained out of her ,making her wonder why she'd been irritated in the first place .
She smiled , patted his chest lightly and replied,
"I'll be fine . So go have a great time with your friends ".
Kazuya still looked unhappy but seemed to shrug it aside as he picked up the phone again and accepted Kibe's invitation .
After talking a bit more , Kazuya said goodbye and cut the phone .
He was silent for a couple of minutes staring gloomily at the laptop before telling her ,
"Kuri will definitely be there too, so it's probably a good chance to set things straight with him as well ".
Chizuru , now feeling a little guilty about pushing him into going and distracted by his unhappiness , nodded absent-mindedly .
"It's for the best ", she told herself as she turned away .
"Kazuya deserves a night out with his friends .
And ... I need to get this done as well "
She glanced back at him and found her resolve melting , just a little bit .
She breathed out slowly before suggesting ,
"Hey , why don't you stay here for a bit longer ? I'll work till dinner and then we can eat and watch something together. Is that ... "
"Yes", he answered immediately, half-shouting , his enthusiasm preventing her from even finishing her sentence .
Chizuru smiled once again, marveling at how easily Kazuya embraced happiness, before turning back to her laptop , continuing to watch Kazuya through the corner of her eye as she worked .
Kibe stared at his phone screen , feeling uncharacteristically worried . He had just finished inviting his friends but now the thought of discussing the matter at hand filled him with dread .
He knew he needed some advice, that was part of why he had called the gathering, but the thought of telling them about a half baked idea made him extremely nervous.
It was ironic , there was a time when nothing he could tell Kazuya would make Kibe embarrassed but now , telling them , Kazuya especially... Kibe just didn't want to , at least without a clear plan
Kibe needed more than advice , he needed to bounce this idea off of someone. And he just couldn't bring himself to ask his closest friends, not yet, not while the idea was still in its infancy .
"Friendships really do change , huh ? ", he reflected bitterly.
He stewed in his bitterness for a few minutes before he was led to an thought , a person rather whom he could ask for advice before telling Kazuya and Kuri .
He had not been particularly close to that person despite knowing her for a while , but the last few months had changed that and she had become a close confidant .
He opened Line and typed out a message,
"Hey can I ask for your advice on something? "
He didn't expect it, but he received an almost instantaneous reply .
"Of course , Kibe-chan , go ahead ".
A relieved Kibe typed back ,
"It's kinda embarrassing, so I really appreciate your help.
Thank you ,
Mami-chan ".
A/N : And she's back , Kibe turns to Mami for advice while Chizuru stumbles through frustration and lets her pride create the slightest bit of tension with Kazuya before his calm understanding helps them get past it .
I just wanted to say thank you all once again for all the support I've gotten, especially over the last 3-4 weeks, it's really been overwhelming to be honest . I hadn't been writing for most of that period as well and I was really encouraged by some of the most vocal support I've ever gotten during this story.
I hope I can continue bringing you more of this story and that you all enjoy every single chapter.
Next time : Kazuya and Kuri talk it over and then Kibe makes his shocking announcement.