Kikuchi Saori, Megumi's mom, just finished printing out a couple of presentations before she headed to the conference room to discuss everything with her team. She was getting rather bored, and the thought of the coffee shop nearby tempted her to skip work and just lounge the day away. 'A matcha latte would be nice,' She said to herself before knocking on the conference room and heading in.
Just as she did so, though, she caught something in the corner of her eyes, making her double back. The door to the conference room was already partly open and she already had one foot inside. Before she completely entered the room, however, she wore a relaxed smile and waved her free hand toward everyone in the room.
'Please excuse me,' She whispered before turning around and closing the door behind her.
With the same calm and collected expression she had on her face, she approached the person who just walked out of the elevator. Even if the person was a distance away from him, Saori knew that there was no way she wouldn't notice him. 'Hajime?' She asked, the steady click of her heels resounding in the hallway.
"Ah, hello mo— ma'am? ma'am," Hajime's head was jumbled for a moment back there. He was supposed to call her ma'am, but then he realized that she was Megumi's mom... then he realized that he doesn't actually know her name so she cut himself short before he could even say anything. And because of all that confusion, he almost called her mom instead of ma'am. Fortunately, he was able to get his bearings back before he made the irreversible mistake. The embarrassment that would've followed was something Hajime dreaded thinking about.
"Ah, I see... so you're here for the interview? Best of luck," She said, her tranquil smile shifting into a warm and gentle one.
Hajime could have sworn that he sensed pity in her gaze but he didn't think too hard about it. Instead, he nodded and muttered his thanks.
"Once your interview is over, meet me over at the coffee shop nearby. Moonlight Cafe. You won't miss it, it's just beside this building." She continued.
"Ah-" Before Hajime could answer, Megumi's mom was already in front of the door to the conference room.
'Well, I guess there's no room for negotiation to begin with... is she going to instruct me on my bodyguarding duties? And what did she mean by an interview? Are there other applicants? There's no way, right?'
There was no time to think about such things. Shaking his head, Hajime headed towards the CEO's office. By the entrance stood a guard who simply nodded at him before muttering something on his walkie-talkie of some sort. He figured that Megumi's dad was already informed of his arrival the moment he stepped foot on the building.
With a gulp, Hajime stood in front of the wooden mahogany door with golden handles engraved with some sort of vine plant as its design. He couldn't tell what sort of plant it was and by the time he was going through every weed he encountered in the park, a soft voice beckoned him to come inside the office.
Another gulp.
The door to the office slowly opened, and behind it was a lady who had dark hair and black-rimmed eyeglasses. She was clutching a stack of paper in hand and the expression she wore was serious. Still, there was a certain serenity in her appearance that allowed Hajime to regain his composure even if it was just a little bit.
Without saying a word, she bowed toward Hajime, and then repeated her words since Hajime seemed to have stopped moving. "Please come in," She continued.
A modicum of nervousness hit Hajime right on the gut, and his feet turned into jelly. To be fair, this was his first time inside an actual office and it gave him the heebie-jeebies before he reassured himself that it was just any other interview.
Creak.
Hajime's heart skipped as the secretary closed the wooden door behind him. The first thought that occurred in Hajime's mind was that his line of escape was cut off... as if there was some life-threatening danger inside the office.
"Please sit down," Mr. Kikuchi gestured toward one of the chairs opposite his desk. "I'm guessing you're here for the job?"
"I- uh, yes sir,"
Gulp.
"So... do you accept the job?"
Hajime nodded.
"When can you start?"
"Um, right away?" Hajime only knew one answer to the question so that's the answer he automatically gave to Mr. Kikuchi.
"All right then," Mr. Kikuchi bobbed his head once before he stood up. "Secretary," He uttered, summoning his secretary.
"Yes, sir?"
"Inform Franz to turn back. Hajime is going to ride with them going to school. And here you go, your allowance. Downstairs you can change into your new school uniform." Mr. Kikuchi instructed, handing Hajime fifteen thousand yen. "My secretary will be assisting you."
With a nod, the secretary stood up from her seat, adjusting her glasses before slightly bowing towards Hajime a second time. "Right this way, sir."
"What is this for, sir?" Hajime asked to confirm since he was just handed five days' worth of construction work and what's more, that's not even part of his wage... it was his allowance.
"Your allowance." Mr. Kikuchi repeated, slightly confused as to why Hajime asked when he clearly told him what it was.
"For the month?" Hajime asked. He knew that it was a ridiculous question but he just had to ask.
"No, for the day." Mr. Kikuchi responded.
'Ah, so that's what he meant.' A light chuckle escaped Mr. Kikuchi's mouth as he thought to himself.
"..."
'FOR THE DAY?!' Hajime inwardly exclaimed, his eyes almost popping off their sockets. There was no way he was just handed fifteen thousand for the day.
"Sir, right this way," The secretary repeated. 'Well, I can sort of understand his reaction. I was born from a poor family too, kid.' The secretary said in her mind as she grabbed Hajime by the shoulders, leading him outside the CEO's office since Mr. Kikuchi was a busy man.
Once you're dismissed, you're dismissed, don't stay longer than you should— or so that's one of the unwritten rules that the secretary lived by.
'For the day? No way! No frickin' way!'
.....
A few minutes later,
"Yes, sir. Yes, sir... I'll be on my way then." Franz muttered upon answering the call. With a nod, he hung up on the phone and briefly glanced towards Megumi who seemed to almost doze off in the back seat.