"Well, funny you're the broken one, but I'm the only one who needed saving.

'Cause when you never see the light, it's hard to know which one of us is caving."

Shio Kanae can be claimed as the unluckiest person on Earth (or based on what people around her tell her.) It's not like she was born ugly or deformed in any way; it's just that she always had bad luck. From her parents divorcing when she was ten, to getting rejected when she confessed during middle school, a friend betraying her by stealing her boyfriend back in high school, her money getting stolen along with her bag back in college, dating this one guy on her first job only to find out he was married, always messing up with work-the list could go on and on and it will still be the same.

Kanae is an unlucky woman.

And today was not an exception.

She was being scolded, yet again, by her boss, her eardrums suffering at his loud voice and her shame getting torn up as he slammed all the wrong documents she printed. She's been working as a shoujo mangaka coordinator for three months now, and she thinks she's been nothing but a burden in the company.

"Haven't I told you many times yesterday that we're going to publish the latest chapter today?" her boss yelled, not caring if the others were looking or whispering about the scene. "And now, you're going to present me an unfinished draft? Are you an idiot?!"

"I-I'm sorry, b-but that's what Sensei gave me-"

"And you didn't even bother to check?" he countered, agitated at her stupidity. "God, why are you so incompetent?"

Kanae could only bow deeply, conveying her regret. "I-I'm sorry."

"Just go back to Sensei again and make sure you're gonna get the chapter this time."

Kanae immediately straightened up, willing herself to look tough even if she heard a few of her co-workers make snide remarks about her.

"She should just quit her job."

"Why is she still here anyway?"

"She's only adding extra work here."

No, Kanae. Don't cry. You can do this. You messed up once. You can do better next time.

"Shio-san," she heard a masculine voice call her.

Kanae looked to her side and saw Akaashi Keiji, one of the editors from the Shounen manga department, holding out a compiled document with a note 'Final Chapter.'

To be honest, Kanae had already met Akaashi back in middle school. And yes, he was the guy she confessed to before she moved to the countryside. She didn't know why, but for her, he seemed like the nicest person so she took her shot, only for him to say:

"I'm sorry, but do I know you?"

And that was the end of it. Kanae was young back then, so she moved on quickly. But gosh, it was the most embarrassing thing that happened to her.

"Y-Yes?"

"I passed by Matsumoto-sensei earlier at the cafeteria, and she told me to give this to you."

Kanae's took the file from Akaashi and her dark eyes lit up at what she saw.

It's a copy of the final chapter!

"T-Thank—"

"Akaashi, you didn't have to bother," her boss cut in. "I'm sorry for this. I'll be handling this issue with Shio later on."

Akaashi only stared between the two for a good few minutes, noticing her ashamed reaction as she held the file tightly to her chest. Well, it was a given, considering how her boss had been humiliating her nonstop.

"Okay," he replied coolly, not without turning his attention to Kanae and saying, "And you're welcome, Shio-san."

Her heart swelled at that.

As I thought, Akaashi-san is really a nice person.

The company had a drinking party after work, prompting Kanae to secretly drown her misery away through alcohol. This was a bad idea, considering she was surrounded by people at work and the last thing she wanted was to embarrass herself. Well, good thing, her friends are there for her.

"Kanae-chan, hold back on the alcohol," Mugi said. "We're not responsible for you later."

"Eh? Why is that?" she complained.

"Mugi and I will be fetched by our boyfriends later," Hanako informed her, getting a selfish pout from Kanae.

"You said we're going to enjoy this party," Kanae whined.

"I understand, Kanae-chan," Mugi replied, then she glanced briefly at their co-workers. Some of them were old geezers, and the three of them had bad experiences with them whenever there was a company drinking party. She whispered the next part. "We just don't want to be left with these people."

Kanae immediately understood, remembering how this one guy from the Josei manga department tried to get in her pants the other night. "But what about me, though?" she cried.

"Well..." Mugi and Hanako stared at each other, not knowing how to answer that.

"I understand." Kanae held a bottle of beer and drank everything in one go. "I'll just make a plan for me, okay?"

The two girls were slightly worried about Kanae, aware that she was always in the dumps because of her "unlucky being" persona. To cheer her up, Mugi proposed:

"How about you go to a mixer this week?"

Kanae squinted her eyes at that. "W-Wha—"

"Mixer!" Mugi repeated. "You want to have fun once in a while, right? Besides, you've been single for three years now. It's time you go out there and meet new people."

Kanae thought about what she said, finding herself mostly agreeing with the mixer. She was about to retort when they heard a burst of laughter from their boss, pointing his finger funnily at Kanae.

"S-Shio-chan? And a mixer?" Then he snorted, even the others followed suit. "Don't make me laugh! No one's gonna take a girl like her who can't do anything!"

The laughter increased in the room, making Kanae feel smaller than she should be. Hanako was beyond mad, ready to say her piece when Kanae held her shoulder and said:

"Y-You're right." She tried to laugh it off. "A mixer would be impossible for me."

After that, they all minded their own business, but her friends seemed saddened at her reaction. Not to make them worry, she just gave a big smile and drank again.

"Kanae-chan, don't listen to them, okay?" Mugi suggested, to which Hanako agreed.

"I'm fine, guys," she assured, taking a piece of the sashimi and eating it. "Let's just have a good time, okay?"

"Shio-san," someone called her name, shaking her shoulders gently to awaken her. "Shio-san."

Kanae awakened, noticing that the room was almost empty with beer bottles lying down. She blinked the sleep out of her, looking up to see Akaashi trying to get hold of her.

"Shio-san, can you walk?" he asked worriedly, taking out his phone and typing something.

Kanae only hummed in response, but he couldn't decipher what she meant by that, observing her movements as she tried to sit up properly, only to almost knock a glass over. Good thing, Akaashi was fast with his reflexes, catching her before she fell, and she secretly liked that despite her surprise.

"Shio-san," his voice was smooth and gentle in her ears, and she couldn't help hugging him to herself, grinning from ear to ear.

"W-Wait, Shio-san—"

"Akaashi-san!" Kanae beamed. "I am so glad you are here. You're my savior today, you know."

Akaashi was in an awkward position, hesitant not to hug her back but he also wanted to be out of this situation fast. Before he could think, Kanae already pulled away, but she was holding his hand tenderly, and she still wore her flashy smile.

"Can we go somewhere?"

Akaashi was only silent. He had never talked to Kanae outside of work, so he had no idea which place he should take her. Then again, she's already drunk. Yes, home. That's where she should go for her own safety.

"Shio-san, you've drunk plenty," he pointed out, opening the cab hiring app on his phone. "I need to take you home."

But she only tightened her hold, pouting cutely at him to plead no, then laughing at how ridiculous she must have looked.

"I'm not drunk, Akaashi-san. Just tipsy."

She only giggled further, making Akaashi sigh in frustration.

Oh, dear...

He brought her to the nearby convenience store, and much to his confusion, she kept holding onto him, playing with his arm or fingers and being amazed by how big they were. She even commented, "Wow, Akaashi-san, you have toned biceps. I didn't know you worked out."

That's it.

Akaashi showed his fingers to Kanae. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three!" She was even smiling joyfully at that.

"This?"

"Five!"

So she's not entirely drunk; just tipsy, he thought as he grabbed two cans of clam soup, a bottle of water, and a yogurt creamsicle and went to the counter with her walking hand-in-hand with him. Once he had paid for the goods, they went to a nearby park where Kanae ran to the swings and played like a carefree child.

Akaashi knew this whole scenario was troublesome, opting to just rest at home and probably read some of the books he bought for the weekend. But in this case, he can't leave a woman alone, especially one that exudes a feeling of loneliness and helplessness of some sort.

Well, to be fair, he quite pitied Kanae. He was already a regular employee in the company when he encountered a manager reprimanding Kanae in the hallway, almost slapping her with a file that contained incomplete pages of a weekly manga. And her mistakes didn't happen once; they were usual mistakes, and the only thing keeping her in the company was her perseverance to amend them. He observed her for quite a while, even thinking along the lines of: "Maybe she should just quit. It's for her own good."

He was so engrossed in the next movements that he mentioned her to Bokuto once, and all he said was, "Don't ruin her pride like that, Akaashi! Maybe who knows, the next day or week, she'll be a lot better."

Bokuto-san... the only thing she got better at is faking her smile.

After all, Kanae's anxiety had been evident every time she convinced herself not to fail.

"Here." Akaashi handed her canned soup along with her yogurt creamsicle. "It's for relief."

Kanae flashed him, yet again, the same beaming smile. Now that he noticed it, this was probably the first he had seen her smile so sincerely, and just to him. It felt... special for some unknown reasons... well, at least according to him (but he could be mistaken since she might do the same with her family and friends.) Nonetheless, this sight was rare, and he had this thought that he'd be extremely jealous of people who see her like this.

But why?

Once Kanae drank the soup, she hummed in satisfaction. "Thanks for this Akaashi-san," she said. "My vision's much clearer than before."

"Oh, really?"

She nodded vigorously. "Earlier, it was spinning around I thought I was going in circles."

They sat silently on the swings, with Akaashi quietly peering over her to check for her wellbeing. After all, it's already late at night and she should be home instead of being with him here.

"Akaashi-san."

"Hm?"

"Please don't tell anyone, okay?"

He raised a brow at that but nodded.

"I am quitting my job."

Defeat, Akaashi told himself. It was the same feeling he had whenever his team did everything they could only to lose one or two sets against the opposing team. It had been a while since he last played volleyball, but seeing someone remind him of the bittersweet emotion makes him remember all the plays he had back then.

But didn't he also think of the same line as them about her?

"Maybe she should just quit. It's for her own good."

"The truth is... I have no good merits whatsoever," she started to explain, finishing her soup and then peeling open her yogurt creamsicle. "I'm just glad I am surviving despite everything but, I can't do anything right, you know?"

Is it about what the others said earlier? he wanted to pry into her thoughts, but he knew it wouldn't do anything good to tell her that they were wrong, especially when he had no idea about Kanae or any good points she had that she wasn't aware of.

"The only thing I know I am good at is working hard." Then she laughed to lighten up the mood. "But as if it can take me anywhere."

There was silence again, with Akaashi contemplating the right words to say to her. He wasn't particularly close to Kanae, so he needed to thread with caution, fidgeting with his fingers like his usual habit whenever he was anxious about the situation.

"Shio-san, I..."

She turned to him sweetly. "What is it?"

Kanae anticipated his reply, noticing how he was uncomfortable on the swing. He looked like he wanted to speak, but then he would hold back, and he did the same thing again until he sighed in frustration.

"I wanted to ask if it's really true..." he trailed off, looking away from her. "I heard earlier that they said you can't do anything right. I just wanna know because... I don't believe in it."

Kanae was taken aback by what he said, thinking of the appropriate answer to his question. After all, she'd been told her whole life was a misery so she had no idea about her good points. No one even complimented her for a job well done or praised her perseverance. So, for Kanae, who heard Akaashi say that he doesn't believe she can't do a single thing right, it must be something.

"To be honest, I have no idea either," she answered truthfully. "Well, there's no helping it. I have a name that means 'to give blessing' and yet here I am."

There was an awkward silence, and Akaashi wished he didn't ask that question. He had dealt with Bokuto enough about how to overcome his emo episodes, but now, the situation is different. This was Kanae, and based on his observation, she's the type to cry on her own about the hurtful things she received.

"But, I am glad today," she said, oblivious to his thoughts. "For the first time, I was saved from scolding, and then... someone was with me after I drank so much."

Akaashi was surprised at her statement, turning to see her smiling softly to herself as she finished her creamsicle. It was a sight to behold, the way she tucked her strawberry blonde hair behind her ear and sighed in contentment. Her brown eyes were almost on the brink of tears, containing all her overwhelming emotions as her hands gripped the rods of the swing carefully.

"Thank you so much, Akaashi-san," she mused. "You really are a nice person. No wonder I liked you back in middle school."

He was confused. "Middle school?"

She nodded, reminding him, "You probably don't remember but I confessed to you before but you said you don't know me."

Akaashi maintained a straight face, his mind trying to recollect a certain memory because he was sure no one-oh. He remembered now. Back in Mori Junior High School, someone placed a letter in his locker and told him she'd be waiting at the school garden.

Oh, so that was her, he realized. She used to have black hair and wore glasses back then.

"You rejected me," Kanae added, "but indirectly, of course. That's why I didn't bother."

Akaashi considered for a moment. "I didn't reject you though."

"You did," she insisted, which made him slightly huff.

"I didn't. I just wanna know your name that time so I know how to address you properly."

Kanae was stunned. "So... at that time..."

"Please don't get your hopes up," he explained immediately, not wanting her to get the wrong idea. "I still plan on rejecting you at the time, and I didn't want to be rude. I just wanted to do it properly."

She took in his words, and he could feel the awkward tension. It's like saying I hated her, he deduced, thinking of three possible ways he could drive this conversation into something that would cheer her up. After all, Akaashi was an eternal overthinker, and planning multiple scenarios in his mind gave him an advantage.

Before he could speak, Kanae was already giggling and it was so sincere he was learning a lot about her today.

She knew how to be honest with her smile and laughs, after all.

"What's with that?" Kanae asked, still giggling. "So you made me avoid a rejection, after all. You seem to be a lucky charm, huh?"

Akaashi stopped momentarily, noting her genuine expression. And then, suddenly she stood up from the swing and went in front of him.

"Can I do something selfish?" Kanae asked. "I know this is wrong, taking advantage of you just because you're nice. But I want to be selfish for once. C-Can I?"

Akaashi saw no harm in that, letting her do what she wanted to do. After a few minutes, he felt her hand in his hair, ruffling the short locks as gently as possible. She was careful with her touch yet her curiosity was piqued. How can he have this smooth hair? I'm jealous.

Once done, her hands moved down to his face, placing it on his cheeks before leaning down and placing a soft kiss on it. One might think it was just a simple kiss of gratitude from someone who needed it the most, but for Akaashi, it was an eye-opener; an enlightenment that he kept inside for so long.

Smitten, he concluded for the first time, that's the word.

Kanae was still new to the company when he first met her at the pantry, making her cup of coffee by mixing various ingredients. On the other hand, he was just sitting there with his usual deadpanned expression, but he would play around with his fingers every now and then, almost scraping off his nails in anxiety. He was presenting one of the finished mangas of Tenma Udai, hoping it would be published in the future.

As he sighed to calm himself, there was a glass of matcha latte placed in front of him. When he looked up, there was Kanae, sipping her own Americano. That stopped his thoughts for a while.

"Umm..." Akaashi pointed at the drink. "This is not mine."

Kanae only smiled, with the same beaming smile that surprised him. "It's yours now. You're quite nervous in your seat, huh?"

Was I too obvious?

"Good luck to whatever it is," she commended. "I know you can do it!"

Once she left, he took a sip.

It's bitter... yet sweet.

Akaashi was stunned, bringing his hand up to his cheek, and, ever slowly, he blushed so hard in realization. This action only made Kanae sputter nonsense, trying to make up excuses about the kiss she made. "I-It's a congratulatory kiss. L-Like a g-good luck kiss, okay?" she repeated like a mantra to him, even though she brought nothing but disaster as of late. "There's nothing romantic there, A-Akaashi-san. P-Please don't misunderstand. I... I just wanted to give a kiss b-because I... I just wanted to bring good luck..." and then she started talking to herself, "Eh? But I'm an unlucky girl..."

Oh my gosh, I am only making everything worse!

She deeply bowed for forgiveness. "I'm sorry, Akaashi-san. I won't ever do it again."

He was only silent, standing up from the swing and holding her shoulders so she would look up to him. Not gonna lie, he was tall and intimidating in this kind of position, making her regret the kiss even more.

"Shio-san, please stand tall," he told her, to which she immediately complied.

Her heart was beating fast, nervous as he walked closer to her. Is he angry? Is he gonna yell at me for being so reckless? Am I going to die? Oh now, what do I do?

Akaashi held her hand gently, placing his forehead against hers, "You're giving me good luck, am I correct?"

Kanae only blushed at the way the contact felt warm on her skin, closing her eyes since she was scared of seeing his face for now. "I-It's not as good luck as I hoped it would be. After all..." she didn't want to admit it, but here goes nothing. "I only bring bad luck."

"If that's the case..." He only smiled earnestly, leaning down to her ear as he whispered, "Why don't you give me some of that bad luck then?"

The next thing, they went to his apartment, with Kanae only growing quiet the more they were getting near his place. He unlocked the door and went in, taking off his jacket and placing it on the rack nearby while she just stepped on the floor of his space anxiously, looking around and finding some uninteresting spot that would take her mind off the reality.

I'm going to have sex with Akaashi-san—and in his apartment of all places!

Thoughts were swirling in her head, making her cry internally. To be honest, she has no slightest idea as to why sex was the thing they both had in mind. All she knew was that he asked about her giving him some of her bad luck, and she found herself giving in to him.

However...

It's been a while since I last had sex, and my ex told me I'm frigid. Are we really doing it right now? What if I don't live up to his expectations? Can I even kiss him well? I don't know if I'm a good kisser, after all!

As if on cue, Akaashi was in front of her, suddenly grabbing her by the waist, making her gasp in surprise as she instinctively held onto his arms. Upon hearing the door closed followed by a clicking sound, Kanae immediately wanted to slap herself.

I even forgot to close the door. Gosh, Shio Kanae! You're getting Akaashi-san in trouble with burglars!

"Shio-san," he called her name, making her look up to him. "are you ready?"

He was giving her a rare expression, predatory yet kind and patient. He was boyishly charming right now, and it made her remember all the reasons he was the first boy she liked romantically all her life. But they were kids back then, and he was prettier than any of the boys she met. Right now, he was the perfect definition of gorgeous.

I can't breathe whenever he looks at me like that.

Her stare moved from his blue eyes to his lips, swallowing deeply to calm her racing heart. Akaashi took this as his cue to claim her lips, his hand on her cheek as he moved gently, not wanting to pressure her even though all he wanted was to get everything done with. It was a fleeting moment when he pulled away, but then he moved closer again, and this time, the kiss was a bit more intense than the first one. The more he gets a taste, the more she gets the confidence to place her hands around his neck and his fingers on the nape of his hair.

They would pull away to breathe, but Akaashi would be greedy, not wanting it to end by quickly kissing her again. This time, he was kissing her open-mouthed, wanting to savor every last inch of her as he stepped forward with her back against the door as she tried to keep up with him. There was something intense about the way he was making her feel, and it was making her burn like a moth to a flame.

Akaashi felt himself losing control, which was so unlike him, considering how he always made sure his emotions were intact. He liked her, that he was sure, and he was willing to explore this connection further. It's just that he didn't expect this to move fast.

"Why would you want some of my bad luck?"

"You told me I'm a lucky charm. If that's what you're saying, then having a bit of your bad luck won't faze me."

"... A-Are you sure about me?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

We're moving fast, and yet, I don't mind.

He finally ended their kiss, and Kanae thought maybe he finally realized he really didn't want to spend this night with her or they might be making a mistake. But he didn't. He just pulled her close again, lifting her by the waist and wrapping her legs around him, which made her hold on his shoulders in surprise to prevent herself from falling. Akaashi brought Kanae to his bedroom, laying her down on his bed as he took off his shirt and her jacket, leaving him topless while she was still fully clothed.

Kanae had to admit it for the first time. Akaashi Keiji was smoking hot, revealing a chiseled body, fine lines tracing the contours of his abs and muscles.

Oh my gosh, this is really happening.

In a matter of seconds, his fingers were on her skin, dragging from her neck down to the space between her collarbones, and then they twirled around the collar of her blouse. He was waiting for her answer, blue eyes hungry as she swallowed hard. Akaashi wanted to unbutton her blouse and taste her skin; that is if she wanted him to. After all, her consent is key here, and if she wants to stop, he will.

(But he'll come back for her again. Don't ask him why. He just will.)

Kanae sighed in anticipation.

"You can take it off."

The long night started.

"Knowing that I love you, and running my fingers through your hair; It's so sweet.

And I will gladly break it. I will gladly break my heart for you."