10DWH: M

Four

Sachiko's PoV

(Nine Days)

"Hey, what're you doing here blocking the entrance?" As I was fumbling in my purse to find my worker ID so I can pass the scanning. But apparently to this rude guy, I was blocking the entrance. Whereas I was just standing in front of one of the eight scanning machines.

"Minato...will it kill to just ask nicely?" Hmm...I seem that I forgot my ID card....

"Yes, dopey." He replied without second thought as he walked past me, purposely making a swag swing as he past the scanning. Grrr...I swear.... And this guy keeps calling me 'dopey'! There was no need to do that!

"There was no need for him to talk like that." As soon as I hear Shusei's understanding voice behind me, my fire died down half. It's hard to believe Shusei and Minato were best friends back in school.

"Did you forget to bring your card?" he asked as he took out his.

"Uh...yeah...."

He chuckled lightly. "Go on ahead." We both step into the same set of machines, he swiped his card, he followed close behind me so we can both get across in one swing. I can smell his fresh morning shave scent, it's like mint with a dash of vanilla.

"I'll see ya in the office, Saki." He gave me one last of those shining smile of his before heading another way. I nod and smile back at him.

As the elevator double doors open, I see it's as cramped as a bunch of tuna squeezing around in a fishing net. There's a chance I'd be late if I hang here too long to wait for it to empty, so I cram in.

"...Ow." A calm but deep voice sounded above me, I look up to Kaoru, whom I just bumped into.

"Ah. Sorry, Kaoru. It's really a squeeze right now, isn't it." I stand to the elevator metal wall beside him and try not to be pushed into him since people are pushing me.

"Yeah." His replies were always simple. He can be as cool as ice. And mind I add, super tall?

There was a small ping signaling that Kaoru and I are at our floor. I can breathe at last! But as I try to move, something pulled at my hair, I step back.

"Your hair."

I look down and see my hair caught on Kaoru's cuff link.

"There." He untangled it in a second, his slender fingers gently tease my strand of hair off.

"Thanks." He went out first as I try to follow. But after I got out, he was already disappearing down the corridor. Jeez, he really isn't going to wait for me, is he?

Before I walk down after him, I heard a voice at a near hallway. I peep around a corner and see no other than Chiaki chatting with one of the female employees of the building.

"This is thanks for the other day. I made them myself." The employee smiled as she handed him a gorgeously gift wrapped transparent holder with delicious-looking chocolate chips inside.

"Wow, thanks! I love cookies." Chiaki smiled at her as he took them over.

Huh, all the Seasonelle guys are so popular with women. First it's Minato whom basically every girl in the building thinks is cute; then it's the popular nice guy, Shusei; and now Chiaki, who always shows a sweet face and is very gentlemanly...

As soon as the female employee left, not a moment later, Chiaki toss the gift into the trash.

Did I mention I said 'shows'?

"Tsk, tsk." I shake my head in pity as Chiaki turned my way. He's lucky I was the one who spot him, or he'll be in trouble.

"You could've just let me eat them." I put on a sad face. And it was so beautifully wrapped, too!

"Heh." His sadistic smile always seems come across to me as-

He slapped a hand against the wall just beside my head. It startled me a little, he was half-trapping me inside his reach.

"Spying on others really isn't very nice...is it, Saki?" He leaned in just a tad closer before returning completely back to his smiling perona: "I really must get along now, you should too."

I nod, then I walk down the corridor while chatting with him, making it just in time into the office. Reasonably, every other member were already there.

"Mornin' Saki." Shusei greeted briefly.

"It was such a long way here, I'm still in a daze!" I exclaimed. Just as someone was about to ask about it-

"That seems to be an affliction you suffer from a lot, Sachiko!"

Yikes. Here comes the Growler.

"Akiyoshi...." I turn slowly to face him. Although we are friends, when in work, he shows no mercy.

Donk. He hit me on the head with a few pieces of scrolled up paper, "this issue you edited is too short, it needs to take up four pages, not three pages and three quarters. Make it longer by lunch. And bring it straight to me. You hear?"

"Yes. I'm sorry about it."

Sheesh. I know he's serious about his work. But he could've been a bit less harsh, there. I swear the ground was shaking when he growled my name. But as some of the employees say, it's just that badass growl that makes him so cool. Like his trademark. Well, he is the youngest chief editor in the company history. That's true.

Later in the Seasonelle team morning meeting...

"Kaoru, Shusei. You'll have to fill the holes left by this disaster of an article." Akiyoshi commanded one by one, making sure every one of us is busy.

"No problem."

"Chiaki, the article you are working on is..." he continues.

I can't help but think how cool Kaoru is always being. I mean, have I ever even seen him laugh before?

"Sachiko and Minato, you two will be doing an interview first. When you finish, Sachiko'll start on the article and Minato you'll edit it, meanwhile..."

I was pulled back from my daze on Kaoru when chief mentioned my name. I do have all my notes prepared, thankfully.

"Staring at Kaoru, are we?" I heard Chiaki's whisper by my right ear and I turn my attention to him. "Why don't you try staring at me instead?" Chiaki gives me a devious smile. But somehow it seems to say 'You don't want to mess with me!'.

"Does everyone understand their work for today?" Akiyoshi finally concluded.

I trailed behind while tidying up my stuff purposely, when everyone else left the meeting room first. I turn to the large touch-floor window at the opposite side of the board. And sure to his words, Satoru was floating behind it, a smirk playing at his lips. I narrow my eyes at him for a brief second before turning on him and out the meeting room.

"Hey, dopey, move it!"

"Will it seriously kill to ask nicely?!" I talk back at him as I flung my purse over my shoulder and follow him out. His words are always triple frustrating. But we all know he's just a twisted nice guy. He's been bullied during school. I guess he had to toughen his character. It's probably part of my automatic mind, but I know all the guys' back stories. More or less.

All of them all know that I sometimes can hear their thoughts as well, that's why they're used to keeping their guards up around me already.

Satoru's PoV

As I waited in front of her office window. It took her quite some time to finally enter with a man who had almost white hair.

I'd like to look into each of these men's future to see if they're useful to me, but I know that that requires physical contact on my hands.

At what I would assume was their meeting room, she kept on staring at the tall, cool man sitting diagonally across from her. I thought she said she didn't believe in love? Looks like to the end, all women are exactly the same.

She was tidying up really slowly when the meeting came to an end. As soon as all the others left, she turned to me, then narrowed her eyes at me before turning and left the room.

This is peculiar. Humans can't see us when we have our barriers up. How come she can? We made eye contact, she definitely saw me.

As she head out-probably for an interview-with a man with tannish blonde brown hair. He's probably Minato Okouchi. One of the senior editors of Seasonelle.

He took his seat on the driver's seat first, Sachiko pretended to be putting her bag in the backseats, but she opened the door wide enough for me to slip in secretly. And I'm sure she can see me since she closed it right after me.

"Why'd you..?" he seems to want to question but didn't know how to ask.

"You should know better than to question me, don't you?" she said quietly but I still heard. I'm definitely missing something here. Sympathetic flashed through his eyes before he focused on the road and started the engine.

Oh well. It's better that she let me in the car, since it's harder to maintain the barrier if I'm flying all the time.

It's kind of nerve wracking back here, enough though I know he won't be able to see me. Still. Sometimes if we're too close to one, humans can feel our presences.

I can see him constantly glancing at all three rearview mirrors, sometimes even narrowing his eyes. I don't think this is normal behavior for people who're careful about traffic. We need to arrive to the destination, soon. Barriers don't last forever, they could wear off. I'll need a break eventually.

Sachiko and I locked eyes in the left rearview mirror, since she was in the front passenger seat. She seemed to get my concern. She asked: "How long till we're there, Minato?"

"There still about half an hour, his place's pretty far." At least she was distracting him a little.

I shook my head. I can't last that long anymore. Barriers drain energy.

"I need to go to the wash room."

Whew, she just totally saved me.

She opened the back door, getting her purse. And purposely put her purse over her shoulders before closing the door, giving me just enough time to get out.

In an alley, I let down my guard for an instant, just enough to put it down.

My attention turned to Minato, and he was just leaning against the car, smoking a cigarette.

"Hey." When was she behind me? She had a concerned look in her eyes, "are you okay? Can you still bare the car ride?"

"I don't think so. You go on ahead, I have my own ways to catch up that's less tiring."

She just nodded, then went on.

Minato's PoV

I had felt funny during the first part of our drive. It was like another person was in the backseat. It freaked me out a little. I thought about it as I lit the cigarette. Though nothing should freak me out more, honestly, since I know about Saki, nothing should be too freaky for me to handle.

I mean-she has automatic information in her head, sometimes she can read minds...who knows what else? Next thing she's gonna introduce us to a demon or angel!

"I heard that, y'know." Her voice made me jump a little since my guard was down.

"Whatever, it's the truth." I dropped the cigar bud as I held the door open for her, trying to seem as I didn't care.

*ding dong*

The doorbell rang as Sachiko and I stood in front of a gigantic mansion.

[just wondering here if anyone wants to be a cast member?? I can make u into a celebrity lol]
btw i found a devil emoji:
(⃔ *'꒳' * )⃕↝
cute isnt it!

Just a bit of a writer's block here. And it's already two thousand something words.

Next update: TBBD [I'll be doing this from now on to let you know which one's updating next]

Thnx for reading! Vote, comment...even follow!

-Lillie