Izuna

I was colourless. At least in New York, I was.

I was quite short, and was cursed with a teenage thinness that had never worn off me. The only significant thing with me, I guessed, was my hair, which was long and thick and black. For work, I kept it in a high ponytail, but at home, it was always loose. But that was it. I was common. I was dull.

When I had lived with my family in North Carolina, I hadn't been that bothered about my appearance. But that had changed when I had moved to New York, where everyone were so stylish, and especially since I started working.

Especially since the first time I met him.

The one and only time I had met the CEO was three years ago, for my job interview. I was surprised, to say the least, that the CEO would be part of my job interview, but as his secretary had picked me up, she explained that he did so for a few samples of job interviews per year, and that I was just unlucky it happened to be mine.

Or lucky...

I hadn't thought much of it, confident as I was in my competence even if it would be a very, very difficult job for a rookie like me to get. But I was positive it would be their loss and not mine if they rejected me; all I had to do was to convince them of the same.

But I had been taken aback as I came into the office on the very top of the skyscraper, and seen him stand there, ready for me.

Later, I would read that he was Icelandic, which explained his Nordic colours. But whereas I had believed most Nordics were blond and blue-eyes, this man was so pale, his skin was like milk and his hair was like spun silk. He was also incredibly tall and well-built. He wore a very expensive-looking and obviously tailored black suit with a creme shirt, making me feel incredibly scruffy even if I had just trimmed my hair and wore my best black trousers and grey silk shirt. This man oozed masculinity, whereas I was a timid little mouse.

The most eye-catching part about him, though, was his eyes. They were translucent, a shimmery greyish green, and lifted to the skies by a pair of round glasses with thin silver rims. But in his complete lack of colour, he was incredibly colourful.

In just a second, I shifted from calm and competent to a nervous wreck. I fiddled with my fingers, looked down and squirmed in my seat as I robotically answered the questions the interview lady asked, the CEO standing in the back of the room keeping an eye and ear on the whole procedure. He hardly even seemed to be bothered. In fact, I don't think he even looked at me, but kept his gaze down at a paper in front of him, where he made notes after each of my answered with a midnight-blue pen that I suspected cost more than what I paid to rent my New York apartment in a year. The whole experience was indescribably nerve-wrecking. 

Somehow, I got the job, which surprised me. But I hadn't seen him since.

Until now... 

I stood outside his secretary's door, breathless as if I had taken the stairs to the top floor and not the elevator. I pulled my fingers through my ponytail nervously, cursed myself for not dressing up in my best trousers and a shirt this morning; I was wearing flared black pants and a grey melange sweater with a white shirt underneath. What did he want from me? I was so far down in ranking, a nobody, useless and insignificant. If I were to lose my job, they could replace me with a heartbeat.

I felt my heart freeze to ice. What if I was to be replaced? What if he had found someone better and I would lose my job? But then, why did the CEO need to be involved? Another stick test just as my job interview, but this time for sacking instead of hiring? 

I took a deep breath, and knocked.

I couldn't tell whether his office had changed or not in the three years since I had last been there because I had had my eyes glued on him, so I hadn't taken any part of his office in. And to be honest, I didn't take any part of his office in particularly well now, either.

He stood looking out over the city skyline, his back to the door, as his secretary opened it and lead me in. He turned.

"Thank you. Just me and Mr..."

"Uchiha", his secretary filled in.

"Mr Uchiha", he repeated.

I blushed. He had taken his suit jacket off, I noticed, and hung it on his chair so he was down in a blue shirt. He had the same glasses as last time. On his fingers were several rings in black and steel, but no wedding band. That made me very surprised, of course, because I had absolutely not, under any circumstances, googled his marital status so I had absolutely no way of knowing he wasn't married. Absolutely not. I would never.

"Have a seat", he asked when his secretary had left and gestured towards a seat at his desk. I walked to it, repeating a mantra in my head: Don't trip don't trip don't trip don't trip.

"Good of you to come, Mr Uchiha, and I apologise about the late hour."

He did not sit down, I noticed, and once more he hardly looked at me.

"Thank you, Mr Senju", I said, but I wasn't sure what I was thanking him for. For letting me bask in his presence, probably. I was very grateful for that. 

"We have a potential new client", Mr Senju said, turning so he could lean back against the glass window. He crossed his arms, still didn't look at me. "A very important one. Hotel owner. They want to make a coal mine at the site of his hotel, and he needs help from us to stop it. That's where you come in."

I frowned.

"But I mostly do paperwork", I exclaimed, not making a very good job at promoting myself.

The, he raised his gaze and looked at me. Actually looked at me. His eyes shot lightning bolts through my heart.

"You speak Japanese. Right?"

I was confused. I did, which I had written in my CV and also told him during my interview. Did he not remember? I chastised myself; why would he? I was but a simple job interview three years ago, a drop in the ocean for someone like him.

"Yes..." I said tentatively.

"You're the best one for the job", Mr Senju said. "Since the job is to be carried out on site, in the outskirts of Tokyo."

My head started spinning.

"You mean..."

"I want you in Tokyo. You will stay in a hotel in the city, but our client's hotel is in the outskirts."

I felt my mouth go dry. Me? I had never been out of the states! I had moved from North Carolina to New York, but other than that, I hadn't seen much of the world. Yet alone taken a transpacific flight! Or was it transatlantic? Transarctic? 

"Why?" I asked.

"We need a local there. Our client desires to get the people living on his grounds on his side", Mr Senju explained. "They're angry with the building of the hotel, and would much rather have that coal mine, seeing it would create better working opportunities."

"But I'm not local!"

For fuck's sake, Izuna, get a grip! At this rate, you'll get yourself sacked even if it wasn't the primary purpose of this meeting. 

"You're our best shot."

I felt exasperated as I looked at Mr Senju and saw he was looking at me without the hint of a smile or warmth, and I understood then how little I mattered for him. I was only a pawn in his game. I also understood that I didn't really have a choice, even if I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to be away from home for several months. 

I took a deep breath.

"Okay", I said. "I'll go."

What I didn't know then was that I wouldn't be going to Tokyo alone.