Y/n looked down into the darkness below with her lips slightly parted in awe. A cold, eerie feeling crept from the opening in the floor, spilling into the brightly lit office. She dropped to her knees and narrowed her eyes, trying to see past the thick, dark veil. Nothing. She listened as if her senses were heightened, curiously trying to hear for anything. Again, nothing.

She rose to her feet, convinced that the door was nothing special. Yotsubashi had more money than she could ever dream to have; Y/n reminded herself that the wealthy are notorious for spending their cash on frivolous things. A secret passage, suspiciously hidden under a rug, was the very definition of throwing one's money away.

Y/n brushed off her light blue skirt. Her curiosity nagged at her in the back of her mind, swirling around in her head like a storm. Go down there. Just one little peek couldn't hurt. No one will know. Besides, wouldn't it be my job to go down there too? It technically is part of the observatory.

Her eyes lingered on the darkness for much longer than she would have liked. The door felt heavy on her grip as she came to her decision. Carefully, she closed it. Y/n sighed under her breath. "It's covered for a reason, right?"

Various cleaning supplies littered the office floor. Y/n picked up the bucket at the bottom of the mess. Her gaze traveled to the shiny metal latch that started everything. Had she not tripped over it, she wouldn't have uncovered the secret door.

Y/n studied the office in excruciating detail in anxious repetition. For the most part, everything was up to par with the standard set by the senior housekeeper. The only exception was the desk. Papers cluttered all over the wooden surface in what seemed like a hectic mess. Still, Y/n refrained from touching anything, fearing Yostubashi's rumored temper. She took one final walk through of the observatory. Her slow, cautious steps echoed off the walls as she examined her hard work.

The windows that stretched from the floor to ceiling appeared spotless. It was as if she could see Deika City in clear detail from the high vantage point. The warmth from the sun made her exposed arms tingle. A line of trophies and medals adorned a cabinet, the freshly polished metals shined in the sunlight peeking in through the observatory's many windows. The floor creaked below Y/n. She stopped and looked down. The rug sat underneath her feet.

She felt her stomach dip down as soon as she realized that the basement was right under her. Y/n couldn't shake the unnerving feeling that lurked in the darkness of the secret door. She couldn't explain why, but the unknown hiding inside scared her.

Her eyes traveled back up to the observatory. She glanced around from where she stood. "Everything looks fine, I think."

Y/n turned around and approached a set of silver doors with an elaborate diamond-encrusted border. She pushed the only button on the control panel. A mechanical whirr sounded as the doors slowly slid apart, revealing an extravagant elevator box lined with mirrors and a golden trim.

She stepped inside and watched the number on the led panel slowly decrease. Finally, the screen read one, and the doors slowly parted, revealing the tower's lobby.

Several men and women in similar variants of the outfit y/n wore were walking about. Some crowded the employee closet, retrieving their personal belongings. Others left in groups, talking amongst themselves. At the foot of a set of stairs, stood a tall, broad-shouldered man with peppered hair.

Just like everyone else, The man's outfit was similar to hers. He sported light blue slacks and a white, long-sleeved button-up shirt, and a matching blue bowtie neatly decorated his collar. Y/n approached the man and lowered her head in a bow. "I'm finished, Mr. Watanabe."

Watanabe turned around to face her. He looked down at Y/n, his sharp eyes bore into her. "Does everything meet our standards? You can't cut corners jn the observatory, you know. Mr. Yotsubashi is arriving later today and we don't want to upset him."

His words made Y/n's heart nearly stop as it sunk lower into her chest. Watanabe's stern tone made her think of the cluttered desk. She anxiously cleared her throat. She almost felt like a liar as those words slipped outage began to speak. "Yes sir! I think Mr. Yotsubashi will be very happy."

The stern look on Watanabe's face remained for a moment as he folded his arms across his chest. Y/n held her breath and stared back at him. She could feel his dark, worn eyes analyzing her. He reached out and placed a large hand on her shoulder, the weight was almost enough to tip her over. "Good job, I knew I made the right decision recommending you for this job."

Y/n's eyes widened, she had never heard Watanabe unwarrantedly compliment anyone. This small honor felt unbelievably heavy on her chest. A small tinge of guilt sunk in as she thought about the messy desk. She lowered her head in another bow, to hide the frown on her face. "Thank you, Sir."

Watanabe excused himself. Y/n listened to his heavy footsteps echo throughout the lobby's towering rooms. She counted his steps, acutely aware of how far he was up the stairs. Y/n raised her head once she knew Watanabe couldn't possibly see the frown still on her face. With a sigh, she walked to the utility closet and put away her cleaning supplies.

⊱──✿──────────⊰

Y/n returned to an empty home. She dug through the mailbox and retrieved a small collection of envelopes before entering the small, humble house. Although she already knew the answer, Y/n called out. "Tsuna! You home?!"

As expected, she didn't get a reply. However, Y/n knew that didn't necessarily mean that her younger sister wasn't home. She sat down at the table and looked over the envelopes, revealing nothing but bills. It became almost physically painful to open each envelope and look at the ever-growing number of money she owed. Y/n reached for her notepad and pen and she scribbled down a rough estimate of how much she expected to make this month. She leaned forward and compared all the numbers. Y/n rubbed her temples. "We'll be lucky if we have anything left to carry over for next month."

Tears rolled down her cheeks as the pressure of adulthood weighed her down. Utterly overwhelmed, she rested her head against the kitchen table. Her occasional sniffles broke the silence in the room.

Y/n's head shot up as she heard the front door open. As quickly as she could, she wiped her face as clean as possible, replacing it with a half-hearted smile. "Hey, Tsuna. How was school?"

Without doing so much as glancing at Y/n, a young girl with short h/c hair walked past her and headed up the stairs. A door slammed closed, and muffled music began to play. She sighed and slumped back into her seat and mumbled under her breath. "It was good talking to you too."

Y/n looked outside and saw the sun beginning to set behind the mountains off in the distance. She suddenly remembered that her stovetop was still broken. Even among all the stress, there were few things she could always rely on. Unfortunately for the two women in the house, the stove breaking down during the winter was one of those things. She walked into the kitchen and filled a pot with water. The window frame jerked as she tried to pull it open.

Her little sister's music seemed much louder from the open window. Y/n folded her arms across the window sill and leaned forward. A breeze brushed against her face, carrying an earthy scent with it.

The warmth of the sun's rays hit her. Y/n untied her bow tie and unbuttoned her shirt just enough to reveal her collarbone. As if she were a cat bathing in the sun, she stretched out her arms and felt the tingling warmth run along the exposed parts of her skin. She breathed in the crisp winter air. A cloud escaped her lips as she exhaled.

The sun sunk below the mountains and she felt a chill burn her skin. A winter fog settled in her backyard, shrowding the trees and mountains out in the distance. Y/n began to instantly shiver as she buttoned her shirt back up and closed the window.

Now inside, y/n could feel remnants of the sun's warmth running along her skin. She rubbed her hands together, feeling the heat grow until a mass formed between her palms. She rolled the object between her fingers, the rough texture smoothed out into a marble.

She paced around the kitchen, rolling the object between her palms, the heat grew more intense with each passing minute. Y/n stopped in front of her stovetop and placed the tiny orange ball down into the cold water. She watched it sink to the bottom. Little bubbles floated to the top. After a few minutes, the bubbling crescendoed into a rolling boil.

Y/n listened to Tsuna's muffled music while she cooked, using her quirk to compensate for her broken stovetop. Soon enough, an aromantic scent wafted throughout the house. She could pick up the smell of every herb and spice used to make dinner so much so that she could almost taste the meal already.

"Tsuna! Dinner is ready!" As expected, her younger sister didn't rush down the stairs. Y/n used that time to set up the table and decorate a plate with a helping of everything. She set aside a much smaller portion for herself. By the time she had finished setting up dinner, it didn't seem like Tsuna was going to head downstairs any time soon. Y/n retrieved the small orange orb and placed it on her sister's plate.

Y/n had already finished eating and was doing the dishes by the time Tsuna headed down to the kitchen. She heard a chair lightly drag along the wood floor and utensils scrape against ceramic. Y/n dried off her hands and sat down on the kitchen counter. "So, do you have any plans for the weekend?"

Her little sister kept her eyes down at the plate. As expected from her, Y/n didn't get a response. She leaned forward, her arms resting on her knees. "Are you going to spend any time with Yui? I feel like I haven't seen her in forever."

Tsuna quietly ate, ignoring her attempt to talk to her. She paused, an awkward silence filled the kitchen as she thought about what to say next. Y/n's face lit up again.

"My day was a little different today. I got a promotion," she paused; "well... I'm still getting paid the same, so I suppose it's not really a promotion."

She cleared her throat and continued. Y/n talked about how she was most likely going to be in charge of cleaning the Grand Commander's observatory office. Tsuna looked up at her. That was the first bit of eye contact she had given her all day. Something told her that she'd be interested in that.

Tsuna seemed to really look up to the Grand Commander and his four leaders. Y/n quickly lost her sister's attention when she realized her story didn't have much else to it. She had merely cleaned his office and hadn't had a chance to meet him.

Giving up, Y/n got off the counter and turned her back to her sister. She observed the leftovers sitting on the broken stove and mentally decided how she was going to separate it all. Y/n couldn't help but think of the basement. There was no way she would talk about it with her sister, especially since she didn't actually go in. A quiet voice snagged her attention and pulled her out of her thoughts. "Yui wants to go to the movies tomorrow."

Y/n bit her cheek as she thought about it. The worried look on her face disappeared and replaced itself with a smile as she turned to her little sister. She opened up her purse and pulled out her wallet. "Well, I can give you a little something extra. You two have fun, okay?"

She placed a few bills beside the short-haired girl. Tsuna reached out and grabbed the money. She quietly looked down at it in her hands and without saying another word, she got up from the table and returned to her room.

Once again, Y/n was left alone with her thoughts. Whenever she let her guard down, her mind traveled to their money issues. There was no way Y/n could realistically fix the stove. She packed away the set-aside portion of leftovers for Tsuna's lunch. Her eyes wandered to the food she had originally intended for herself. She poked at it with a fork. Her head swirled with ideas of how to use it for Tsuna's dinner tomorrow.

⊱──────────❀──⊰

Tsuna was already out of the house by the time Y/n woke up and got ready for work. She looked herself in the mirror, making sure her uniform will pass Watanabe's unusually high expectations. Her lacey blue bow tie was straightened and tied to perfection, her short-sleeved button-up and blue skirt were ironed. Y/n quickly stepped outside and headed towards the tower. 

A blanket of snow coated the ground. Just like every day, Y/n saw and greeted the same bright, smiling faces. Sometimes it felt as if the whole city played on repeat day after day like a broken record. Some would say the humdrum and predictable life expected when living in Deika City may be boring. However, Y/n, as well as most everyone who lived within the city's limits, disagreed. It's familiar. Comforting. Home. 

The frigid air burned her throat as she trudged through the snow. However, beyond that, the cold winter morning didn't bother Y/n in the slightest—even in a skirt and short-sleeved shirt. Her Meta Ability kept her warm. As long as the sun was shining in the sky, she'd feel it's warming rays on her exposed skin, keeping the cold away.

The tower loomed in the distance. The closer she got, the more she was able to see it in detail. Everything from the many windows that lined the walls to the silver accents decorating the outside. The glass doors slid open as she passed the sensors and stepped inside the lobby.

Several other cleaners were already lined up, their hands holding buckets filled with basic cleaning supplies. Y/n walked over to the supply closet, grabbing her things and sliding herself in line. In the corner of her eye, she caught small glances her way. She faintly heard soft murmurs from a few of the cleaners around her. It didn't take much to figure out what everyone was whispering about. Y/n was on the chopping block and today was her moment of truth.

Yotsubashi seemed to be very particular about his personal spaces. For years, Watanabe had the honor of taking care of the Grand Commander's office. However, due to an increased workload, he had to meet at a middle ground. He had to pass on the proverbial torch and allow someone else to take on the task of maintaining the observatory. So far, six cleaners have failed to meet Yotsubashi's expectations. Six cleaners have been fired so far. Today was Y/n's moment of truth.

She waited in anticipation, the more she began to dread finding out how she did. The last thing Y/n needed right now was to be fired. Negative thought after negative thought berated her head. How would I catch up on our bills? How would I take care of Tsuna?

Y/n's mind wandered to the cluttered desk. Her heart rattled in her chest as she thought about how she didn't even attempt to organize the folders and papers that were messily strewed about. I messed up. I'm going to be homeless. I'm going to lose my little sister.

Heavy footsteps echoed throughout the lobby and the cleaners all immediately stopped and stood still. Y/n pulled back her shoulders, her hands trembled as she counted his steps. Watanabe's stern voice went down the line. He gave each cleaner their task for the day and sent them on their way. He stopped before Y/n, looking down at her with a sharpened glare. The head cleaner skipped over her and continued giving orders to the others.

One by one, they all left for the stairs to go work on their jobs for the day. Soon enough, she and Watanabe were the only ones left in the lobby. Something that had happened now seven times this past week. He stood before Y/n, the man's towering figure loomed over her. "Mr. Yotsubashi had a lot to say about yesterday."

It felt as if all the air in her lungs were squeezed out. She stared at Watanabe with a wide-eyed expression on her face. The man placed his hand on her shoulder. "You did well. I knew you wouldn't disappoint me."

Y/n couldn't string together any words. Her mind was utterly blank. After being given a moment to digest Watanabe's few words, she finally managed to choke out something. "I did?"

He repeated himself, confirming that the Grand Commander himself had complimented the hard work she had put in the day before. Y/n felt starstruck. Wait—me? The Grand Commander, Mr. Yotsubashi, said something good about me?

Watanabe offered Y/n a few more sternly encouraging words and dismissed her. She headed towards the elevator. Her hands were still trembling as she waited for her ride up to the observatory.

Y/n looked over the room. It appeared no different from the day before. The windows were still clean. The trophies and awards were still polished. Much to her dismay, the desk was still a cluttered mess.

Y/n got straight to work. She recleaned the already spotless windows, taking a moment here and there to look over Deika City. Not many got to see the city from such a high vantage point. She glanced over the view, looking for specific landmarks. The first thing to catch her attention was the huge lake hidden in the surrounding forest. Near the center of the city, she saw Tsuna's highschool. She tried to look for her house, but even following the roads, she couldn't quite find it. Realizing she had wasted too much time, y/n turned back to the office.

Y/n was at a loss. If it weren't for her talk with Watanabe, she wouldn't have guessed that Yotsubashi had even seen her hard work. She spent a few hours removing the framed certificates and pictures, cleaning the small wall space behind them. Every so often, she'd look at the cluttered desk and wondered if she should try organizing it for Yotsubashi. Her gaze drifted over the papers. There were a lot of calculations, diagrams, and big words that she didn't quite understand. Y/n adverted her eyes. Ah, no, I can see that blowing up on me.

Rather than focusing on the desk, she looked for something else to do. She glanced over the room, her eyes not settling on one singular thing in particular, her arms folded across her chest. The feeling that she didn't have anything to do returned.

She treated the trophies and medals like precious gems as she repolished them. Ignoring the fear of potentially breaking the expensive-looking awards, she rather liked polishing. It was something she could do as she zoned out for a few minutes.

A sound broke her concentration. Y/n raised a brow as she glanced over the room. What is that?

She stopped and listened. Complete silence. Y/n carefully placed the award in her hands back into the cabinet. She paced back and forth against the wall, looking for any realistic source for the sound. Maybe it was a mouse? It is winter, after all.

She got down low to the ground, practically crawling on her hands and knees as she searched for any signs of a mouse. Nothing. Y/n sat up straight, her arms crossed and her head tilted to the side. She hummed in thought.

Y/n heard the sound again. It was faint and brief. She couldn't decide if the sound was some sort of scratching or scraping. Not knowing was starting to bother her. As if combing every inch of the office, Y/n searched for anything that could explain the sound.

She walked around the office, and she heard a creak under her foot. Y/n looked down. The hidden door. She got down onto her knees, careful not to put any more pressure on the door. Quietly, she patiently waited. It felt like hours, but she heard another noise exactly like the others before. Found it.

⊱──✿──────────⊰

Y/n pulled back the rug and stared at the door. Her entire being felt cold. Just like the day before, her head screamed that opening the door was a bad idea. Nevertheless, she had spent so long trying to find the source of the noise. Y/n knew she couldn't stop here.

She opened the door, it felt heavy as she pushed it open. Y/n tried to peer into the darkness and listen for a sound. She sat up straight, her eyes following the stairs until the shadows overtook them. I have to go down there.

Y/n approached the window. The sunny winter sky was covered by a thick fog. She concentrated on her hands, trying to feel for the sunlight she had collected on her walk to work. It was faint, but she felt an inkling of residual warmth.

Her brows furrowed as she felt a solid mass forming between her palms. She gritted her teeth in frustration as she tried to search for any remaining heat to use. Y/n cupped her hands together as she looked at the pitiful orange marble in her hands. It was tiny, but the best she could muster under such short notice.

The stairs groaned with each step down, the cold darkness wrapped around her. Y/n kept her hands held out in front of her, the faint glow of the orange marble barely lit her way. If anything, it helped her see the wall next to her.

The scraping sound she heard sounded again. From inside the basement, it sounded much louder than she expected. In her initial shock, Y/n jerked her hand towards her and accidentally dropped the marble. Her mouth hung open as she watched it bounce down the stairs into the darkness. It rolled to a stop. That must be where the bottom is.

Y/n looked over her shoulder. Light from the office just barely poured into the pitch-black room. She turned around to face the door and took a step up. I can't do this. I cant—

She paused. Y/n let out a paltry sigh, realizing that she couldn't leave the basement just yet. The marble was still sitting at the bottom of the stairs. She knew that she couldn't simply leave it there.

She fought with her nerves as she turned around to face the marble. Her fingertips touched the cold, hard wall beside her and she held her breath as she took careful steps deeper into the basement.

Her steps grew shaky as the wooden stairs creaked. Her eyes were completely fixed to the marble sitting undisturbed on the floor. In her excitement to finally reach the bottom, Y/n stumbled forward, missing the final step.

Her knees and hands stung as they came in contact with the cold concrete. She cradled the marble in her palms and she felt the comforting warmth of the concentrated sunlight.

She saw a scrape and small traces of blood on her hand. Beyond the uncomfortable stinging sensation, she felt her heart beating against her small wound. It was thumping a thousand times a second. She didn't realize how terribly her hands were shaking until just now. Okay, I can go now.

"You're a new face, I think." Y/n's heart sunk down into her stomach as soon as she heard the unknown voice. She instantly froze in her place and her head went blank. Mustering all the courage she had left, she looked up.

Y/n found herself knelt down before a man, sitting in a chair. His figure was barely lit up by the sunlight. Her mouth hung open as she tried to force out a scream or any kind of noise. She couldn't do anything but stare at the man.

She could barely see him, but she felt his gaze on her. It bore so much weight. The two couldn't have been staring at each other for more than a mere moment; however, to Y/n, it could have easily been hours. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath in.

"I... am...?