Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A New Face 

There was a new face in the office.

--

Komiya was a model employee. Or so, at least that was his personal reflection. Dedicated, disciplined, and might he add, well dressed, it was no wonder he’d secured his enviable position as Chief Clerk of Accounting.

It was the first week back to work since the New Year, the streets and shops still blanketed with snow and drawn up with the echoes of the festive season, and Komiya was more than eager to get back into the swing of things at the office.

It hadn't been a particularly restful holiday for him; New Year’s dinner with the family had been more miserable than merry, and the remainder of his holiday he had chosen to spend at home, alone, as he preferred it- busying himself and obsessing over a new project.

 It had all started with a few words at the office Christmas party.

“Komiya...we deserve a vacation.” Director Ton had mumbled, downing another glass of sake and belching.

“We sure do keep busy, sir!” Komiya had assented, pressing his face obnoxiously close and nodding, seated in the barstool right beside his boss.

His head was buzzing from liquor, but unlike his superior, he was still sober enough to maintain some semblance of balance in his seat.

In the far back of the izayaka, he could faintly hear the sound of his coworkers stumbling over drunken melodies.

Ton turned to him, face and eyes red from inebriation. “You’re the only one who gets me,” he grunted, slumping onto the table. “Remind me...to give you a raise come the New Year.”

A smile broke across Komiya's face. "You flatter me, sir! Of course, I would be more than pleased to accept-!"

But the raucous sound of snoring cut him off mid-sentence, and he tapered off. The boss was out cold.

Now, one might have just dismissed this entire conversation as the ramblings of a drunk.

But not Komiya. 

---

He’d been anticipating this morning all week.

The air was bitterly cold, but the morning was bright and sunny- prospects looked good.

Briefcase and laptop in hand, the accountant arrived at the trading firm's parking lot a full hour early. Most employees- Komiya would just call them slackers- didn't arrive until fifteen minutes before nine, and so he didn’t feel a bit awkward about giving himself a little pep talk as he entered the building's main lobby.

Komiya passed the receptionist at her desk and pinged the button for the elevators, reciting the opening lines of his presentation to himself.

“Good morning, director...I’d like to discuss with you my performance in these last months...”

Needless to say, he was proud of his presentation. A well-illustrated detail of his work performance, complete with graphs, animations, and clip art, it looked damn near professional. 

And for added measure, he'd slipped in the photograph of him with the Director together at last year’s company picnic. Couldn’t hurt. 

Komiya smiled. He knew this would be just the right little nudge to incline Ton towards that raise.

And if that didn't work...

The elevator doors slid open onto the third floor- accounting.

Accounting was divided into three teams: sales, marketing, and, most importantly in Komiya's opinion, finance.

The office hadn't been occupied since before the holiday break, and Komiya wanted to be the first there to tidy things up. Dust the computers, fill the humidifier, and brew some strong morning tea, just as the boss liked it. That would definitely win him some bonus points.

If he played his cards right, he might even be able to clinch Yagyu's job.

The only person standing between Komiya and Ton, Yagyu, the section manager, was a lazy, incompetent buffalo with an addiction to the stock market.

There was a surplus of reasons Komiya hated his supervisor, but most of all, he envied his position. With all the work he did, he deserved that spot. And he would prove it.

Komiya reached the main office at the end of the hallway and started to withdraw his key from his pocket. But he stopped short, confusion drawing on his face.

Through the blinds of the office window, it looked like the lights in the room were already on.

Was the Director already in? That's weird...

Uncertainly, he knocked once and turned the doorknob, taking a step inside.

“Director, is that you-?" he asked softly.

But his words were drowned out by the sound of another voice, the bubbly peals of girlish laughter.

"Hehe! Ooh, that is so cool, Mr. Ton!"

Komiya blinked, stopping dead in his tracks.

Sitting laxly at his desk, there was the Director, smiling, and by his side was a person Komiya had never seen before. An effervescent gazelle with orange fur, she was small, petite even; but her vibrant couture and handbag, not to mention her manner of speaking, were enough to make her eye-catching. And she was in deep conversation with the boss himself.

"And you won the championship right then and there?" The gazelle gasped, eyes wide and pressing her hands together in what must have been awe.

"Just like that!" Ton chuckled, a grin stretched so far across his face it didn't seem to end. "I'm not the head of the country club for nothing!"

Komiya hesitantly approached the desk, hands tucked in front of his chest and anxious sweat budding on his brow. "Excuse me, Director?"

The two of them whipped around, noticing him for the first time, and the meerkat cringed a little at the momentary flash of anger in the boss' eyes.

"Oh, Komiya," he said, resuming his smile. "Meet our newest associate. This is Tsunoda. She'll be joining our marketing team as of today."

Tsunoda looked at him and beamed. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Kimoya."

"What a nice girl!" Ton continued, looking pleased. "She came in bright and early to bring me an espresso and even filled up the humidifier!" He motioned at the appliance and an enormous cup of coffee sitting on his desk.

"It was my pleasure," Tsunoda said, smiling brightly.

Komiya nodded, uncomfortable. Well, there went that plan out the window.

"Yes. Charmed." He turned his attention back to Ton. "Director, I was hoping we could discuss..."

"That'll have to wait, I'm busy," Ton grunted, taking out his favorite golf club from under his desk and polishing it. "Why don't you show the new girl around before the crowd comes in? I'd ask Retsuko to do it, but," he chuckled. "She doesn't know her head from her ass. Ahahaha!"

And that was the end of that matter.

After a moment’s pause standing in place, Tsunoda turned to him expectantly, eyes bright. "Kimoya, right?"

"Komiya," he corrected, wiping this forehead. This task almost seemed demeaning…maybe he had done something wrong?

He cleared his throat.

"I expect you've seen enough of the boss's desk," Komiya said, a little bitterly, and he prompted her to look at the other many rows of computer workstations.

"This one is mine," he said, gesturing to an immaculate desktop, organized most particularly with papers alphabetized and all staples lined up at perfect 45 degree angles. Little color-coded notes were placed neatly on the shelf, and at the very front, his desk was adorned with a little silver plate: Chief Clerk.

Sure, it wasn't as big and shiny as Ton's DIRECTOR plaque, but it was a source of pride for him.

Tsunoda studied it for a moment, then looked up at Komiya with a grin. "Wow, Mr. Perfect. So what does a Chief Clerk do?"

He was stopped abruptly by the question.

It wasn't that he didn't have an answer; it was his job, for one thing, to handle all the records the office processed.

But he'd never been asked before. She was probably making fun of him.

"Nevermind," he said, annoyed. "And don’t call me that. Your desk-" he motioned to the far corner- "is probably way in the back."

Next he ushered her over to the photocopier- perhaps the most important tool in the office.

"We have one rule," he said, tapping it. "Business only. The machine is not a toy." He said these words seriously as he looked at her. "I wouldn't want a repeat of what happened last year. I expect you know how to use it?"

She had the look of a girl who had never done a day of work in her life, but all the same, she nodded.

"Here is the tea room," Komiya said, leading her to the rear of the office.

"Tea is an integral part of life here at The Working Company; not just for you, the employees, but as part of the work culture, too."

He flicked on the light, illuminating a room prepared with a small kitchen.

"Ohhh!" Tsunoda gasped, clapping her hands in excitement. "This is so posh! My last job didn't have anything like this!" She bounced inside, browsing the number of different tea bags laid out on the counter.

Komiya couldn't help smiling in spite of himself. "I assume you like tea."

Tsunoda looked up at him. "No, I prefer coffee." Her eyes lit up. "Especially lattes. Vanilla, Hazelnut, Caramel. And oh, the Gingerbread that is only out at Christmastime. The one they sell at the Sanrio Cafe!" She made a little gasp, snagging her cellphone out of her purse. "I love latte art! I post a ton of it, let me show you, it's so cute-"

Komiya took a step back awkwardly as she shoved a social media screen into his face. He sure as hell didn't want to look at any latte art, and uncomfortably cleared his throat. "Well, last is the locker rooms down the hall," he said, changing the subject. "Where you change into your uniform for the working day. Work begins in just a few minutes, so..."

He was just glad to finally be done with the tour.

"Ohh, I got one of those," Tsunoda nodded, putting her phone away. "But I don't think I'll wear it. It's not really my color."

Komiya stopped abruptly, staring. "What? It's required." All the men and women in the department had a uniform to wear.

Tsunoda smiled. "I know, but the Director said I should do whatever makes me comfortable, and I'm most comfortable in my own clothes. Isn't that super nice of him?"

A fuse in Komiya's head went off.

Narrowing his eyes, he laid his arm against the wall assertively. "Listen up, I can see what you're doing, but since you're new here, I'll let you off with a warning."

Tsunoda closed her mouth.

"I'm second-in-command here, and I'm Ton's favorite," Komiya continued, mouth twisting into a boastful smirk as he looked down on her. This was a little of an exaggeration, considering Yagyu was rightly Ton's right-hand man, but Komiya refused to honor him with the title.

"I don't need someone like you nosing in trying to butter him up. So stop your little suck-up act."

Tsunoda looked up at him for a moment, blinking with hesitation. Then she giggled.

"For a second there, I thought you were serious," she said, registering the smirk on his face. "You're funny!"

The meerkat's face fell.

At that moment, there was the chime of the clock: fifteen minutes 'til nine. Slowly, employees started to drift into the building.

Tsunoda put her hand on Komiya's arm, and he felt a sudden prickling sensation at her touch. Their gazes met.

"I look forward to working with you, Mr. Komiya!" she said, smiling and taking him in with her big, bright, doe eyes.

And then suddenly she was gone, disappearing back into the office and joining others as they made their way to their desks.

Komiya could feel his face and ears burning and swiped a hand over his heated face. Anger...it had to be anger.

He paused a moment, arm dropping down to his side, realizing that the heavy, dreadful sound echoing in his ears was his own heartbeat. "She is so annoying!" And how dare she turn the tables on him!

But as collected himself, he couldn't help lingering over one traitorous thought: she was kind of cute...

--

Some thirty minutes later as things got settled in, Komiya was feeling more and more anxious.

He was naturally fidgety- it's just how he was.

He was a nervous person. Constantly fidgeting and bursting with energy, he tried his best to maintain a facade of calm resolution for the sake of his job. But when he had something weighing on his mind, his movements became all the more fickle and restless.

Tapping impatiently at his keyboard, the meerkat glanced up at the boss's desk for what might have been the hundredth time. Was he mad at him?

Sitting across from him, Komiya saw the section manager was just settling into his workplace, late as usual, probably preparing to spend the whole day playing virtual scratch cards, as usual. A complete embarrassment to the company!

He swept his gaze towards the other side of the room, where he could faintly make out Tsunoda at her new desk and computer. She caught his gaze and smiled and he quickly turned away, starting to feel more and more irritated. Best to ignore her. Ignore them all...

Too anxious to keep still, Komiya stood up and began to pace around the office, doing his usual rounds of watching his coworkers at work. Man, was he busy! As Chief Clerk, he felt it was his duty to make sure people were keeping to task... and he was Ton's self-appointed eyes and ears.

As he looked over their shoulders, he was not surprised to find the typical vulgar and boorish behavior of his subordinates.

There was Kabae, once again going off about her nephew to anyone who would listen. He spotted that old hag Tsubone sticking chewing gum underneath her desk, revolting. And surprise, Ookami wasn't even present, probably taking another day off for extended vacation.

Komiya clucked his tongue, being sure to report this all to the boss when he had the chance.

And then, it was time for lunch.

Despite it's size, the company did not have a real cafeteria. It only offered a collection of vending machines in the break room, and so the wise decision, as any employee would conclude, was to bring lunch from home.

At the lunch bell, Komiya brought out his little brown bag and headed to the break room. He'd packed the same as he packed every day: a bento box with white rice and a rolled egg, and some canned black tea. And he had his same favorite spot overlooking the window, a great view of the city skyline.

The room bustled, and Komiya took a long sip from his tea. He was finally starting to feel a bit better, beginning to think the day might not turn out so bad after all.

He always ate alone. The Director always attended luncheons with supervisors at this time, and Komiya didn't really have any friends at the office.

But Komiya didn't really think he needed anyone- and, as he preferred to think, they were all just intimidated or beneath him. They were, after all, his subordinates.

He focused his attention back out the window, and ate contentedly in silence until the lunch period was over. 

The thirty minute period was just ending and everyone was heading back to their workstations in the office when Komiya came across Tsunoda again.

She was leaning back against the photocopier taking a selfie, cellphone raised high and making a peace sign with her fingers, completely oblivious to the traffic trying to get past her.

"Tsunoda!" Komiya snapped, coming up in front of her.

With surprise, the gazelle sprang up and nearly bumped into him. "Oh, oops!"

"Tsunoda, put the phone away," Komiya said as calmly as he could, expecting another one of her arguments coming. "If Ton catches you with it on the clock, he might confiscate it."

This wasn't necessarily true, as nobody had ever been dumb enough to be caught before, but it was something the Director had threatened many times, and if the threat might make her listen to reason...

Unexpectedly, she obliged and slipped her phone back into her purse.

"Sorry, I was just taking some pics for my blog. First day at the new job!" She said excitedly, that smile of hers unwavering. "I really like everyone so far! I think I'm fitting in real well, don't you?"

Komiya looked her up and down awkwardly, not sure how to respond. She seemed to be completely sincere, completely unaware that she was as vexing as she was.

Could someone really be that naive?

Her face became worried for the first time. "You won't tell Ton, will you?" she asked.

Komiya felt a twinge of sympathy and looked away, shaking his head. "Just forget about it. Don't let me catch you doing it again."

 Ton then entered the room with the last of the stragglers, and Komiya shuffled back to his desk for the rest of the work day. Anxiety was bubbling up again.

By the time he got home, his head was splitting with a violent headache.

Chapter Text

Learning the Ropes

A week passed, and for the most part things continued as normal.

With the start of February, the excitement of the new year had finally worn off, and it seemed like everyone was back to their winter blues.

Everyone but Tsunoda, that was.

Tsunoda would always come into work perky, handbag clutched in her arm and a steaming cup of coffee in one hand. She wore a bright smile that contrasted like black on white to the gloomy, lethargic faces around her.

She was a morning person- although, she was very much a night owl too, so this wasn't a really accurate choice of words.

Every morning, she would leave her small apartment, dressed best for the occasion (and her closet wasn't wanting), and stopped by her favorite little coffee shop on the corner, The Sanrio Cafe.

There, she would always order a large latte in a paper cup- the flavor, she liked changing up- and then she'd board the train to take her into the heart of the city, merely a block from work.

She caught on to the rhythm of office life fast, and soon was on speaking terms with everyone in accounting; Tsunoda had never struggled when making friends, and as a plus, it seemed like the Director had taken a liking to her, too.

"Ahh, Tsunoda, lovely to see you," Ton said that morning, gracing her with a rare smile.

"The same to you, Mr. Ton!" She replied vibrantly, giving him a respectful bow.

"Aha," Ton grunted, his smile widening, looking her over. "It sure is nice to have a woman that ain't a sore on the eyes."

Not sure how to interpret that remark, Tsunoda headed to her seat.

From the corner of her eye, she could see Komiya watching with his arms crossed.

He was a strange one, that Komiya. Something about him seemed off to her...like his smile was just painted on. And it didn't seem normal for someone to want to be alone so much.

She certainly wouldn't be able to stand it.

At her desk, Tsunoda looked at the spreadsheet in front of her. The numbers were complicated and almost seemed to shift and move the more she stared at it.

Should've paid more attention in college.

She looked around the room and her eyes settled on someone.

"Retsuko, can you please help me with this?" Tsunoda asked.

The well-mannered red panda turned around in her chair, exchanging looks with her friend, Fenneko.

"Sure, Tsunoda." She got up and sat beside the gazelle, leaving Fenneko alone to shoot Tsunoda some nasty death glares.

"If you use this option, you can fill the tables with the summations automatically," Retsuko explained, touching her finger to one of the buttons on the screen.

"Ohhh," Tsunoda said, still aware of the fennec fox glowering at her in the back.

"Do you get it?" Retsuko asked, looking satisfied.

"I do! Thank you!' Tsunoda said, smiling and putting her hands together in thanks. "But do you think you could do the rest? I wouldn't want to make a mess of what you just fixed."

Retsuko paused awkwardly. "Well, ok..."

Within her first few days, Tsunoda found that asking for help was indeed, quite helpful.

--

"Komiya, you look like crap," Ton said that next Monday morning.

Tsunoda looked up from their conversation to see the meerkat approaching the boss's desk, and it was no understatement.

Usually meticulously groomed, Komiya now had the look and pallor of one who hadn't slept in days. There were dark bags under his eyes- well, darker than normal- and he was noticeably thinner.

A weary smirk crossed his face and he laughed. "Yes, well...I've been keeping busy, sir," he said, bowing. "I finished up those forms last night. All one thousand of them."

"Good, good," Ton grumbled, waving his hand as if trying to wipe away a pestering insect. "Well, I'll look at that when I'm good and ready, alright? Busy right now."

Komiya gave a little sigh, eyes going cloudy again. "Yes, sir."

As she watched him depart, Tsunoda popped off a dozen guesses in her mind. Was he sick? Plain old lack of sleep? It was Monday, the day notoriously hated by most people, perhaps that was it?

But none of those seemed to be the right answer.

Nevertheless, the hours pressed on, and lunch break came and went. Tsunoda had counted down the minutes, and had her very favorite- a strawberry danish paired with an iced macchiato. She'd chatted with her Marketing buddies, Adachi the ostrich and Kara-Ane the caracal, and showed off her fresh shiny manicure she'd gotten over at the Ax-O-Lot over the weekend (at Yokosawa the axolotl's suggestion).

It seemed like it was going to be a lovely, peaceful day.

But she spoke too soon.

---

"I've told you time and time again!"

A sharp, raised voice startled the gazelle and she looked up from her work.

"You can't bring food like that in here! You'll damage the hardware!" Komiya was yelling, standing over Kabae's desk. Sweat was running down his face, and he looked surprisingly more worried than angry.

The hippo finished chewing and gulped something down, withdrawing a sloppy plastic spoon from her mouth. In her other hand, a dripping bowl of chowder was spilling all over her desk.

"Ohh. I'm sorry, Komiya," she said simply. "I forgot."

"Oh, lay off," Tsubone, seated right beside her, said grumpily. "A little rulebreaking never hurt nobody."

Komiya turned on her.

"You're even worse! Every day, bringing in those jars, pulling everyone off task, causing fracture after fracture that the company has to pay for!" His eyes narrowed and his mouth flapped animatedly. 

Across from Tsubone, Ookami spoke up, wincing as he held his twisted wrist. "Well, to be fair, I wanted to open the jar."

"Of course you did Ookami, anything to get out of work," Komiya snarked.

Tsubone exploded, venom frothing from her mouth. “It's none of your business, you little weasel!"

Yagyu, who had been watching, stepped in. "Komiya, know your place," he interjected in his obnoxious, slow, cud-chewing voice. "You aren't the boss here."

"First of all, I'm a meerkat," Komiya said hotly, stomping his foot on the floor. Then he turned on Yagyu, rage building. "And second, at least I do my job, unlike someone I can speak for! And I report directly to the boss-!"

"Enough!" The Director's voice suddenly boomed from up front, making everyone jump in surprise.

"But sir, they-" Komiya tried to explain.

Ton glared at the group, mopping up the sweat on his face. "I said, enough!" He barked. "What am I running, a nursery school? Everyone return to your seats and get back to work!"

Tsunoda tried to turn her attention back to her monitor, but just stared blankly at the screen. What had just happened?

She'd thought everything was going so peachy, but...

"I always knew he was nuts," whispered a voice.

"He finally cracked," said another.

Tsunoda tried her best to ignore these words, keeping her head down so she wouldn't see who spoke.

"It's because of that new girl," one voice said. "He's mad she's Ton's shiny new toy. He can't stand not being the center of attention. Heh."

Her heart caught in her throat.

And then:

"I hate him."

Laughter.

"Well, who doesn't?"

Komiya hardly said a word the rest of the week.

Chapter Text

Bitter Chocolate

Komiya would have been just fine letting Valentine's Day pass him by.

But it seemed the harder he tried to ignore it, the harder it was to escape. Chocolate advertisements were plastered everywhere you looked, promising the gift of true love to anyone sappy enough to believe in it.

Even Ton got chocolates.

But Komiya couldn't name a single time one of his coworkers had given him the gift of Valentine's chocolate.

It had nothing to do with his looks; on the contrary, Komiya was rather popular with the women in other departments. That was, until they heard the rumors about him. Unbeknownst to Komiya, that had been enough to ward every admirer off, time and time again. He just didn't understand it.

Before he'd taken his job at the trading firm, Komiya had considered himself something of a lady's man. At one point, he'd dated five gorgeous women at once. When one hadn't been enough for him, he'd moved up to two; when two still left him pining for more, he took five. One had even been a supermodel, no lie.

But at the end of it all, all he'd ended up with were broken dreams and a gaping hole in his bank account.

Whatever. Relationships were a chore.

And he didn't need any damn chocolate.

Tck, tck, tck. Komiya rhythmically tapped his pen against his desk, staring out the window into the bleak, morning sky.

The office hummed with activity as the female employees flitted around, delivering sweets.

"These are for you, Haida," Retsuko said, handing the hyena a small white box.

"Retsuko..." Haida's eyes sparkled.

Komiya rolled his eyes and went back to tapping all the harder, brows furrowed in annoyance.

He would never join in on something so stupid...

"Mr. Komiya?"

The meerkat started at the sudden voice and he turned around.

There was Tsunoda standing right behind him, a big smile on her face. And in her hands...

"Happy Valentine's Day!" She said cheerfully, holding up a small shimmering cellophane bag tied up with a pink ribbon.

Komiya stared at her, confusion falling across his face.

"Chocolate?" He asked stupidly after a moment.

"Well, yeah," Tsunoda said in an oh-so-obvious tone, "That's generally what girls are supposed to give guys today."

While Komiya said nothing, he could feel his cheeks bloom with heat.

"Well, go on, take it!" Tsunoda pressed, shoving the bag into his stiff arms.

Komiya blinked and looked down at his new gift, then back at Tsunoda. Clearing his throat, he pulled himself together quickly.

"Ahem...thank you, Tsunoda," he spoke, trying to keep his tone as unreadable as possible. "That's most kind of you. I- I already ate all the others I was given, you see."

He forced a crooked smile, but in spite of himself, Komiya's face flushed and he could feel a little pinprick of nervous sweat trickling down his temple.

Tsunoda beamed up at him, completely aware of his little fib. But she said nothing.

She just smiled her big, bright smile.

"I hope you enjoy it, Mr. Komiya!"

It almost felt like a little sunlight was finally filtering through the clouds. Funny what a little chocolate could do, Komiya thought. But true enough, he felt his spirits lifted, if only by a fraction, felt some of the weight taken off his shoulders.

By the end of the working day, he was feeling more like himself than he had in weeks.

--- 

It was five minutes until quitting time.

"Everyone, pack it up! I'm having dinner with the company president and I ain't gonna be late!" Ton bellowed, pushing in his seat and winter coat over his shoulder, ready to leave. "Komiya! Where are those receipt journals? They were supposed to be on my desk last week!"

Komiya glanced up. He had, in fact, tried to deliver the mountain of paperwork to Ton days ago, but he'd only been brushed off for all his troubles.

But now here he was calling on him, needing him, again!

"Coming sir!" Komiya said, hastily taking the thick pile of sheets from a folder on his desk.

He wobbled for a moment, the weight of all the paperwork putting him a little off balance. Then he scurried forward, a grin on his face.

"I think you'll be pleased with my work, Direc-"

With his hands full, Komiya never saw the electronic wire poking out of the floor.

"-TOR!"

Komiya tripped and fell forward onto his hands and knees with a shout. Every one of the thousand papers went flying from his arms, scattering onto the carpet like economic snow.

There was a collective gasp, and then silence fell.

Horror washed over the meerkat and he slowly looked up, afraid of what he would see.

"Komiya..." Ton's voice was quiet. "You idiot."

"I'm sorry, sir!" Komiya shouted, sweat pouring down his face and bowing his head frantically.

All around him, the faces of his coworkers were watching.

Ton shook his head, looking down at Komiya with something like revulsion.

"I expect this whole mess to be cleaned up by tomorrow morning," he said coldly.

"Y-yes, sir," Komiya submitted meekly, almost wishing the director would just outright yell at him. Anything was better than this, this tone of disgust that he reserved only for the absolute worst layabouts. 

"...Or it'll be your head."

Komiya looked back down at the floor, quivering, as the office began to empty out, footsteps receding into nothingness. He had to keep it together.

On his knees, Komiya reached for the closest papers with shaky hands, gathering them up into a small little pile.

"Oh, what have I done..." he whispered, a feverish chill coursing through him; he would never get that raise now. He probably wouldn't even last the rest of the week. "Now he'll never trust me again..."

Komiya's heart accelerated and his breathing became faster, harder, more erratic.

He hadn't noticed that Tsunoda had stayed behind, watching him from the corner.

She’d observed the scene in silence, and while normally she wouldn’t bother to get involved in someone else’s problems, her curiosity, her need to know, overwhelmed her.

Carefully, she approached and put her hand on his shaking shoulder. "Mr. Komiya?"

Komiya winced a little at her sudden touch, as if expecting to be struck, and then he looked up at her, hands pulled up close to his chest and trembling.

"I really fucked up," he said weakly, turning away and unable to meet her eyes. "I've really done it now..."

With a soft whump! Komiya fell back from his hands and knees and into a sitting position.

"What if- and what if-!"

He began to panic harder, voice rising and mouth flapping open wide.

"Komiya, calm down, it will be ok," Tsunoda said gently, kneeling down beside him. "It's not the end of-"

"It's the end of the world!" Komiya sobbed, his chest heaving in shuddering gasps. 

"Komiya, relax! Breathe!" Tsunoda shouted this time, grabbing the meerkat by the collar and forcing him up to his feet unsteadily.

He stumbled a little, panting, then slowly he made eye contact with her.

"Breathe with me," Tsunoda instructed, inhaling deeply.

Swallowing hard, Komiya struggled to take in a heavy, convulsive breath of air.

"Hahhh..." After some seconds they both exhaled, and in sync, took another breath in. They repeated the process a few times, and finally Komiya seemed to pull himself together.

He looked gratefully into her eyes for moment, before awkwardly becoming aware of their close proximity and shying away.

The automatic lights then shut off, leaving the room dark and almost eerie.

"Thanks," he said quietly, becoming embarrassed. He'd just had a break down...and someone had seen it. He nervously started to gather all the sheets of paper, trying not to meet her gaze. "Um...won't you miss your train?"

"Oh, don't worry about it," Tsunoda said, helping him gather the last of the papers and piling them in a huge heap on Ton's desk. "There's another one every forty-five minutes. I guess it gives me a chance to look around the square and get a bite to eat. I've never really explored this part of town, outside of work."

Komiya straightened his tie, still shaking a little bit. But he managed a smile. "I know a good place. Let me take you."

Tsunoda blinked. "What? Really? Right now?"

"Well...I mean, I have nothing better to do...." Komiya replied, looking flustered. "If you don't want..."

"Oh, I'd love it!" Tsunoda exclaimed, beaming and pulling her purse over her shoulder.

Komiya smiled a little, something that might have been relief washing over him.

He swiftly returned to his desk and grabbed his briefcase and the unopened bag of chocolates Tsunoda had given him this morning.

"Shall we?"

He opened the office door and let her pass before turning and locking it up tight.

They walked down the hall in awkward silence and stepped into the elevator.

"I guess it's fate that you're meant to show me around," Tsunoda said suddenly, pressing the button for the ground floor.

Komiya was confused for a second, then his lips curled into a smile. 

"I guess it is," he chuckled, feeling a little more comfortable. "Well, count yourself lucky that you've got yourself a five star tour guide. I know this town like the back of my hand."

The doors slid open and they passed through the lobby, exiting the building and stepping down the stairs into the cloudy winter twilight.

---

The trading firm was close to the heart of downtown, on a regal looking promenade right across from the shopping plaza.

Decorated with a beautiful display of lights in the wintertime and a scenic place for fireworks in the summer, it was a busy little hub that offered a variety of shops for browsing. And in the very center was the large stone fountain, Komiya's favorite place to take lunch in the warmer months.

"Mr. Komiya, do you live around here?" Tsunoda asked as they crossed into the commons.

"It's about a fifteen minute drive," Komiya replied. He pointed out some of the buildings. "That's my favorite bookstore. Never too noisy or crowded- oh, and there's a little gift shop, they make their own candles..."

His eyes settled on a cozy looking cafe directly ahead.

"You hungry?" he asked as they approached. "This is the place." He gestured to the sign.

Best Coffee In The City!

"Didn't you say you were something of a coffee aficionado?" Komiya asked, a playful glint in his eye.

Tsunoda grinned. "I think I'm going to have to test that claim."

The interior was furnished in soft and delicate patterns, and the duo were seated at a comfy little booth in the back, tucked away and warm, across from one another. 

Tsunoda snatched up the menu. "Look at these pastries!" she squealed, pointing at a photo showing dozens of vibrant confections. "Aren't they so cute?"

"What can I get you two?" A haggard looking older waitress came over, notepad in hand. She smiled. "You two lovebirds doing something special for the day? We have the Red Velvet Cupcake-"

"Ah, ah, ah, that won't be necessary!" Komiya blustered, waving his hand and going a deep red. "We- we're just friends. And I'd just like the miso soup and some tea...please."

"I'd love the Red Velvet Cupcake!" Tsunoda ordered excitedly. "And a vanilla latte, please!"

The waitress nodded and left for the kitchen, leaving them alone. 

"This late in the day? You really like sweets," Komiya observed.

"Better than liking things all dark and bitter," Tsunoda said teasingly. "Speaking of which, how did you like that chocolate?"

Komiya didn't understand the correlation, but smiled all the same. "Oh, I haven't had any. I'm saving it for later."

"I figured you'd like dark chocolate," Tsunoda said nonchalantly, stretching her arms across the table and watching him. "Since you're always drinking that black tea. It was a bit more expensive than everybody else's, but it's supposed to be a good brand..."

Komiya blinked, confused, then he sat back in his seat with realization, a brilliant crimson flushing over his face.

"You went out of your way to get me special chocolates?" he asked, unbelieving.

He snapped open his briefcase where he's put the bag and took it out for closer inspection. Sure enough, through the sheer fabric, he could make out the words on the bars: Little Paris Chocolaterie.

"Why?" he asked, dumbstruck.

"Well, I thought-"

But before Tsunoda could finish, the waitress returned to the table with a trolley laden with two piping hot drinks, a bowl of soup, and an irresistible looking cupcake.

"Wow!" Tsunoda squealed, instantly bringing out her phone and snapping a few pictures of the little pastry.

"Oh, it's almost as cute as the Cinamaroll Cinnamon Bun they've got at the Sanrio Cafe! Or the Pompompurin Pudding!" Click, click, click.

"What about the coffee?" Komiya smiled.

Tsunoda blew gently as she lifted the cup to her lips, some of the whipped cream fluttering into the air. She took a sip and closed her eyes, sighing pleasantly.

"Creamy, with a hint of bitterness," she said, almost like an artisan over wine. "But...no cute foam art, that docks some points. I don't know." She snapped a picture of the cup. "It's good, but far from the best."

 Komiya nodded, watching her. Then he spoke. "How are you enjoying work?"

She giggled. "Well, it's work," she said. "How enjoyable can it really be?" She took another sip of her drink, then her smile wavered. She looked uncertain. "I'm not so sure I'm fitting in that well."

"I- I know I wasn't all that welcoming-" Komiya stammered, recalling how aggressive he'd been to her on her first day.

"Most of the girls in the office don't like me much," Tsunoda continued, as if she hadn't heard him. "Like Fenneko. She really hates me. Always whispering when she thinks my back is turned. But I don't care," she added, seeing Komiya's surprised face.

"Really, it doesn't bother me. Adachi pretends to be my friend but I see her roll her eyes. Kara-Ane thinks I'm just a pest. Most of the department probably hates me, honestly.” 

Komiya was stunned for a moment. So she was aware. He wasn't exactly sure how accurate her statements were, but he felt some familiarity and sympathy with her as she shared this information.

"Well, Ton has certainly taken a liking to you," he said, trying to lift her spirits. "He never shows so much interest in a new employee."

Tsunoda went quiet, stirring her latte with her spoon.

Komiya hesitated. "Did I say something?"

"I hate him," Tsunoda said plainly, looking up and connecting her gaze with his.

Komiya blinked with surprise at the bluntness of her statement. "You-?"

Tsunoda smiled again, raising the sugarcoated confection to her mouth.

"But if all that asskissing is what it takes to keep him satisfied, if it stops him from taking out his anger on everyone, just a little bit…then don’t you think it’s worth it?” She paused, taking a bite. "Everyone says you've been Ton's closest confidante since you started working here a couple years ago. You deal with him more than just about anyone. How do you do it? Are you really that loyal to him?"

The meerkat stared at her, trying to make sense of her words. He'd never thought of it that way before. He'd never even thought of hating Ton as an option before. He hesitated.

"He's my boss.. I may not like everything he does..." Komiya replied slowly, thinking of Ton's blatant sexism in the office and the times he'd had to go along with it. "He showed me the ropes. He taught me the joys of golf... And I respect his authority..."

He was trying to be fair, knowing full well that he had grown to reflect many of Ton's other bad habits himself.

Tsunoda stared at him, frowning. "Seriously?"

Komiya shrugged, beginning to feel a bit flustered again. "I mean, it's worth it if it gets me that promotion," he floundered. "That's all that matters."

"Promotion? You're not satisfied as 'Chief Clerk'?" Tsunoda asked, her mouth curling into a grin.

"Well...Ton's not going to be around forever," Komiya explained, smiling a little. "And when that day comes, I want the job to fall to me." He laughed. "Certainly not to that idiot, Yagyu."

"Didn't know you were so ambitious," Tsunoda giggled, taking another bite of her cupcake. "Just sounds like more work to me."

Komiya chuckled uneasily. "Well…I have my reasons, I guess.”

"Well, I think you'd make a great boss. Better than Ton, at least." Tsunoda smiled. 

Komiya softened under her warm gaze, and smiled a little himself. "Heh. He is...kind of a pig, isn't he?" He chuckled, struggling a little with the words. Thinking badly of Ton seemed such a foreign concept to him. And yet...

"Enough about work," Komiya changed the subject. "How was your cupcake?"

Tsunoda licked her lips, wiping the last of the cream off the tray. "Delicious!

She picked up her phone and her face lit up. "And my followers think so, too!"

She turned her phone so he could see the screen, displaying the infamous website Instagram, and a close-up photo post of the cupcake.

Fallin' in love with this Red Velvet! posted by Tsun-Tsun, the description said. Underneath, a wall of emoji-filled comments ran down the page.

"Heh," Komiya murmured. "Are you one of those...instatweet celebrities?"

"Oh, no, no, no," Tsunoda laughed, as if he'd said something terribly funny. "Well, not yet, at least. I only have like 20k right now. What about you? Show me your profile!"

Tsunoda stood up and came around the table to sit right next to Komiya.

"Uh, I don't really...have one," Komiya stammered a little as she scooted closer to him. She was wearing a light, sweet fragrance, something like blossoms and rose. 

"Really? Do you live under a rock?" Tsunoda asked, genuinely awed.

"W-well, I'm more of a blogger," Komiya said, looking even more embarrassed.

"Oh?" she asked, curious. "What do you blog about-?"

"The stock market," Komiya said quickly, sweating a little bit more.

Tsunoda rolled her eyes. "Well, at least let's take a picture together!" She extended her arm and held her cellphone up above them. "Ready?"

"Y-yes!" Komiya said, straightening up and forcing a smile. Tsunoda pulled him closer and with a flash, the picture was shot.

Tsunoda looked at the photo on her phone for a moment and laughed. "You should really loosen up, Mr. Komiya." She handed him her phone.

It was terrible. While Tsunoda looked fantastic, clearly a master of the art form, Komiya looked positively petrified.

"Um...Komiya," he said quietly, returning the phone back to her. "Just call me Komiya."

Tsunoda beamed at him, her big eyes shining. "Ok. Komiya." For a few timeless seconds, they just sat there.

Then Komiya broke the spell. "It's been a half hour!" he said with alarm, glancing at his watch. "If you want to catch your train this time..."

"Oh, yeah!" Tsunoda jumped up, gathering her purse and jacket from the other side of the booth. "I really ought to go! It was nice to spend some time with you, Komiya!" She started off towards the door. "Thanks for treating me!"

"I didn't say I-" Komiya started, but he stopped midsentence, smiling and shaking his head. "Sure."

When he got to his car, Komiya opened the little bag and unwrapped one of the chocolates, putting it into his mouth.

It was delicious.

Chapter Text

A Painful Truth

Over that night the city was frosted in a fresh snow, and Tsunoda awoke to a sparkling blanket of white.

She'd set her phone to go off early to prepare for work, and stretching and rolling out of bed, the gazelle searched around her penthouse for the perfect outfit. After choosing her favorite blouse and skirt, she turned to the bathroom with some fresh smelling shower creme and her tote of makeup tools, brushed her teeth, and clicked on the shower.

After a twenty minute refresher in the hot water, lathering up the fragrant strawberry foam on her fur and humming to herself, Tsunoda rinsed herself squeaky clean and dried off in her fluffy towels.

"Mmm...." she groaned, fighting off the last lingering bits of sleep, fastening her bra and dressing into her ensemble.

She rubbed on the mirror to clear up the fog and snapped open her tote. Mascara, blush, lip gloss! Tsunoda was a natural beauty and didn't really need the makeup, and so she wore only the slightest traces of most of them, just gently glossing her lips with some shimmery cherry gloss, rouging her cheeks, and applying some of her favorite perfume. Her morning ritual.

Smacking her sweetened lips and making a last check in the mirror, Tsunoda smiled and headed for the door, grabbing her couture handbag and winter coat on the way out.

Tsunoda lived in a Japanese mansion- a grand looking complex with a security gate and small community garden, perfectly placed in the center of uptown. She'd only recently moved there from Tokyo, where her family resided, and the costs were completely paid for by her doting father.

It was Tsunoda's first time being completely independent. Even in college, she'd roomed with her closest friends from high school. But now, she was for the most part, alone.

And while it gave her a little bit of satisfaction-maturity, she supposed, she couldn't help hating the feeling of coming home to an empty home night after night.

And so she avoided it as much as she could...whether it be partying late, or dating every night.

Conveniently, the train station was only about a block away from the mansion, and directly across, was Tsunoda's favorite cafe.

It made walking to work quite convenient, and she would stop every morning to nab a drink and catch up on the latest gossip.

Today, it looked like this part of town had already had the snow cleared off its sidewalks, and so she had an easy time on her walk to the station.

Tsunoda peeked her head into the cafe, and saw it already bustling with the early morning crowd.

"Good morning!" She chirped, smiling and walking in, her handbag slung over her shoulder. The smell of sweet pastries emanated from the display, mingling with the distinct aroma of coffee.

"Oh, there she is, my favorite customer!" chuckled a portly white cat, matron of the cafe, that was behind the counter.. "Your usual, dear?"

"Yes please!" Tsunoda nodded, looking at the array of delicious foods behind the glass. "Oh, and one of those Chococat Crullers, please!"

Within a few minutes, Tsunoda had her warm pastry fresh out of the oven, and her little cup of coffee- creamy vanilla with a layer of foam, artfully drawn into the familiar face of a popular anime cat with a red bow on her ear.

Tsunoda hurried to the station and made it just as the train for downtown was arriving.

She didn't particularly like this method of transportation; overcrowded, uncomfortable, and awkward, but she was starting to get used to it.

Holding onto her goods, she grabbed the first seat she could get- standing was out of the question. She crossed her legs, making a clear signal she didn't want anyone in her personal space.

It was only a twenty minute ride, which she supposed wasn't that bad.

It gave her time to look at her phone, check her social media. She zoned out and busied herself browsing through Instagram and her other sites.

1,000+ messages...

It was the same every day. She'd get around to reading them all later than sooner.

Still, she got a thrill from each and every one of them- every comment and like was a flattering compliment, every follow was someone out there confessing their utmost devotion to her and her lifestyle.

She could almost say social media was her life. She got so much pleasure just posting dessert and latte pics, and seeing how it influenced thousands of followers every day. She reveled in the attention.

But out of all the things she posted, by far her most popular were her selfies and the occasional thigh pics.

Only natural, she thought with a smile, looking at her latest post. The internet would go crazy for a girl showing a little skin, and it was no skin off her back.

At one point, she might have had some doubts, even shame, doing such things....but she was now addicted, locked into this lifestyle.

Her followers needed her. Looked up to her.

And she needed them back.

Tsunoda's thoughts suddenly passed on Komiya, and she caught herself smiling. He'd admitted he was totally lost when it came to the online world, or as he'd dubbed it, "Instatweet". But the image of him desperately trying to make sense of it was just too funny.

He was interesting, alright...

---

Rays of early winter sunlight faintly peeked through the curtains, hovering over Komiya's eyes.

After a moment the meerkat grumbled in his sleep, clasping his blanket and holding it tight, shivering in the cold.

His eyes opened slowly.

Then they shot open.

"Damn!" he shouted, tripping over the tangle of blankets and tumbling out of bed into a heap. "I'm going to be late for work!" Komiya rarely swore, but he was in full panic mode now.

He looked at his night table and sure enough, the clock was almost an hour past his scheduled alarm time. How had he slept through that?!

Komiya had a tiny apartment with only the most necessary amenities, but it had what it needed, and so he dashed for the bathroom with his pressed white dress shirt and pants and leapt into the cramped little shower.

"Freezing!" He winced as the chilly water ran over his body, but he sucked it up until he was fresh and clean. He was extremely invested in good hygiene and grooming, and most mornings, he would take a good thirty or forty minutes fixing himself up for the work day; combing his hair just right, tying his tie just so perfectly, dabbing some cologne on his neck and wrists.

But today, he'd have to rush.

Komiya strode into the kitchen, messing with his collar.

"Guess breakfast will have to wait..." he muttered, glancing at the refrigerator. His habit of writing little notes to himself was reflected in his home as well as the office, and a colorful wall of color-coded post-its covered the face of the fridge.

Some of them were reminders, some of them were checklists. But most of them were encouraging little words he'd written to himself to read in times of stress, all in his distinct, cursive-like style.

You can do it!

The early bird gets the worm!

Remember- never give up!

Komiya let these words sink in and sighed, collecting himself. Briefcase in hand, he reached for the doorknob.

"Komiya!" A harsh voice barked from the other side of the door, and a series of booming knocks made it start to shake on its frame.

Oh, shit. He knew that voice. It was his landlord.

"Sir?" Komiya dejectedly opened the door, knowing he was caught. He'd been hoping to avoid this moment at least until the end of the week...

"Where's mah money, Komiya?" the hulking bear asked in dangerous tones, practically crouching just to see through the door.

Komiya opened his mouth and shut it again. "I- I'll have it!" he said, smiling as best he could. "I'm just having a rough patch right now. I just need a couple of days-"

"Ya busting my balls again?" The bear asked, withdrawing the cigar from his sagging lips and puffing a cloud of smoke in the meerkat's face. "Can't trust ya. Wouldn't be the first time you tried to squirm outta what you owe." He surveyed Komiya with a look of disgust.

Komiya was tempted to strike back and demand why the heat hadn't been working for the last three days, but he held his tongue.

"I promise, sir. I'll have the money. Just a few days."

"I'll cut you one more break. You miss a payment, though..." The landlord made a sickening sound and a swiping motion across his throat. "You're out."

Komiya's fake smile fell as he trudged away, and he felt himself shivering.

Always a pleasure...

But now he was running even more behind, and Komiya had to hurry down the icy ramp- slipping a few times- to reach the parking lot.

Getting closer, he noticed with irritation that several inches of snow were hardened over his car's windows and wheels.

"Hey, you have a shovel?" Komiya looked towards the person a few cars down, who was busy brushing off all the ice.

"Protein."

"What?" Komiya blinked. The kangaroo gave him a long silent stare, then continued.

"Protein."

"Oh for fuck's sake!"

---

Finally, Tsunoda's train pulled into the downtown station.

Tsunoda hurried out and made the rest of the short walk to the trading firm, taking the occasional sip from her latte.

It was about fifteen until nine when she took the elevator and crossed the hall into the accounting office.

As she entered, she saw Director Ton sitting at his desk grumpily, looking over the stack of papers from yesterday. A few others were already in, busying themselves with their own work.

Ton pounded his fist on the table, looking around, and grunted angrily. "Where is Komiya?! He's supposed to be here early and help fix the place up. It's a pigsty in here!"

Tsunoda removed her coat and purse and laid them out on her chair, taking a look around herself. He was right, the assistant was nowhere to be seen.

"Bumbling idiot," Ton grumbled, "Don't tell me yesterday was too much for him. Some people..."

"I'll brew your tea, Mr. Ton," offered Tsunoda, coming forward with a perky smile, hoping to bring the boss's mood around. "I know how you looooove some hot tea in the mornings!"

His expression relaxed. "Thank you, Tsunoda, that'd be nice. Since it seems like someone-" he cast a scathing glance in Retsuko's direction- "seems to have forgotten it's her turn."

Tsunoda had only been in the tea room a few times, so when she entered, it took her a moment to get her bearings. Tray, hot water, tea bag...

She blanked.

She had no real idea what she was doing.

She wasn't a tea person. And even if she had been, she never prepared it herself.

Carefully, she read the directions on the back of the box labeled jasmine green tea.

With the teabag at the bottom of the cup, she let it steep in hot water for a few minutes, watching with big bright eyes, as if expecting something incredible to happen.

A color change? A beeping notification?

But there was nothing.

"Um...." Tsunoda delicately removed the bag and threw it into the sink, cringing a little as it dripped over her. The smell was pungent; how anyone could prefer this over a creamy, sweet latte was beyond her.

Taking a tray, she placed the cup on it and headed back out towards the Director's desk.

By now, it seemed everyone else had arrived and filed into the office, and there was a low chatter in the background.

"Here you are, Mr. Ton!" Tsunoda beamed, giving him her brightest smile and presenting him with the tray.

The clock struck nine.

"That's it! He's officially late!" Ton bellowed. "I swear I'm this close to-"

At that precise moment the door was flung wide open, and a panicked looking Komiya rushed through.

"Director! Sorry for my tardiness!" He apologized frantically, bowing his head. "The snow last night gave me some car trouble...first I had to borrow a scraper, and then my engine just wouldn't start....cold weather, you know..."

He tapered off when he saw Ton continuing to glower at him.

"Okay..." he gulped, looking downward and ashamed. "Oh, let me fill the humidifier, sir..."

"And Tsunoda!" Ton barked, making her jump in place. "Where's the stalk? There's supposed to be a lucky stalk in the middle of cup."

Tsunoda blinked, confused for a second.

"Amateur mistake," Komiya interjected, his eyebrows shifting a little. "I'll make sure she doesn't mess up again, Director."

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Ton!" Tsunoda squealed. "I didn't realize!"

"Aw, it's ok Tsunoda," the Director's face softened. "You're new here. Your transgressions are forgivable." He squinted once more at Komiya, shaking his head, before picking up the cup and taking a loud sip. 

His face twisted with revulsion, and he pulled back the cup, staring at it, as he sputtered.

"What in the name of-??"

But Tsunoda turned on her heel before he could say anything else, and headed back to her desk, a smug little smile on her face.

"Did you see his face?" she whispered with a giggle, brushing up against Komiya. She didn't hear him respond, but she thought she saw a flicker of a smile cross his lips.

---

"Had another spat with the husband last night," Kara-Ane murmured darkly at Tsunoda's left.

The shapely caracal kept her eyes on the computer screen, but she crushed each letter of the keyboard with excessive force.

"The same thing again?" Adachi asked, sitting at Tsunoda's right. "What is it with men?"

"That's not all," Kara-Ane continued, her long tufted ears twitching in irritation, "He goes out and leaves, and then later, sometime past midnight, he comes back home, begging for forgiveness and a bouquet in his hands. Are you kidding?"

Being deadset in the middle of the conversation, Tsunoda couldn't help overhearing her neighbor's discussion.

She'd hardly got an ounce of work done herself, and this was proving to be much more entertaining than making spreadsheets.

"Can you spell desperate?!" Adachi snorted.

"Exactly, you think I'd fall for the same sad line again?" Kara-Ane was fuming now, her whiskers pulling back from her cheeks.

"But at least you have a rich husband who buys you things and gets you flowers after a fight!" Tsunoda piped up, smiling and imagining the scene playing out in her head.

Kara-Ane sighed with exasperation.

"You are so immature," Adachi snapped, rolling her eyes, making Tsunoda's mouth fall open in surprise. Ears flattened against her head, she turned back to her work. 

What had she said?

She'd just been speaking her mind. Why did everyone have to go and take it so personally?

And it wasn't like Adachi had any room to talk, she was dating a 30 year old with no job still living in his parent's garage!

Well, so be it!

When lunchtime arrived, Tsunoda walked right past her usual table with Kara-Ane and Adachi without giving them so much as a look.

The cold shoulder would teach them to snub her, and she knew they'd be missing her. Perhaps it was over the top, but she didn't care.

Tsunoda saw Komiya sitting at his usual table, alone, staring out the window.

Without hesitation she walked up to him, smiling, with her bagged lunch in her hands.

"Ahem."

The meerkat started, his peaceful gaze becoming nervous as he spun around in his seat.

"Oh, it's you. I thought you were Ton. Or the CEO." He relaxed with a deep breath, straightening his tie. He looked up at her, a calculating expression and sly smile crossing his face. "What brings you here? Have a fight with your friends?"

Tsunoda blinked. He was more perceptive than she expected.

"Noooo," she insisted, pulling out a chair, "I would just rather eat with you." It wasn't exactly untrue.

He scoffed lightly. "You know, have you ever thought I like to be alone?"

"Oh, don't be like that," Tsunoda said, plopping into the chair right next to him.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see some people look up and stare, whispering things. Komiya's tail began to lash slightly, and he took a big sip of his tea. He was trying to act like he didn't care, but Tsunoda could see the negative attention was bothering him.

"You cut it really close this morning," Tsunoda spoke, trying to take his attention. "You should have seen the boss ready to explode! He was practically crying, 'Where's Komiya?! I can't start the day without him!'' Hahaha!"

"Really?" Komiya asked, ears forward and interest piqued. "Well...of course he'd never say anything like that to my face." He frowned, bitter.

"So? Your car just wouldn't start?" Tsunoda prodded, nibbling on her cruller.

"Well, that, and..." He looked a little embarrassed. "I was up for a while last night. I overslept my alarm."

Her eyes widened. "Ohhh, up late chatting with a girl?"

"A-absolutely not!" Komiya said with some shock, blushing. "I was just....messing around on that...Instagram thing. I figured I'd follow the crowd and...make an account."

Tsunoda's eyes went wide and she beamed, clapping her little hooves together. "You did!"

"I mean...it's the 21st century. Strictly for business reasons," Komiya continued, looking more and more awkward and turning away from her, unable to meet her sparkling eyes.

"Let me see!" Tsunoda flipped out her phone, scanning the screen. She had a bunch of new alerts from the previous night she hadn't yet sifted through, but one in particular stood out.

"Are you komiyagram?" She asked playfully, tapping the name.

Komiya covered his face in real embarrassment. "Not so loud, please."

"What a picture," Tsunoda remarked with a grin, looking at his profile picture. It was definitely Komiya, dressed formally and looking quite handsome, she had to say. "Aren't you Mr. Perfect."

"I told you not to call me that," Komiya groaned, wishing he could just fade away on the spot.

Tsunoda scrolled down his page and saw his page was completely empty, void of posts and activity, and what stuck out to her most was the count of followers: 0.

"Looks like I'll be your first follower!" Tsunoda said, smiling, and she pressed the Follow Back button. "Can't wait to see what kind of stuff you'll be posting!"

"I really won't..." he mumbled.

"You should!" Tsunoda insisted. "You're a handsome guy! You'd be a smash hit online!"

Komiya's cheeks went a deep red at these words, struck by how openly she'd said it.

"R-really?" He chuckled, puffing out his chest a little. He was flattered, and for some moments, he almost forgot about his miserable morning.

"And you know," Tsunoda continued, "This could really get the ball rolling on that promotion you want!"

Komiya tilted his head. "I don't follow."

"Well, think about it. These days, companies love employees with an active and respectable social media. It makes you look trustworthy and it's a bonus way to rub shoulders with the higher-ups!"

Komiya looked like he might be considering her words. 

"Yagyu added me too," Tsunoda continued casually, going back to her front page and running down the list again.

"He what?!" Komiya asked sharply, looking uncomfortable.

Tsunoda looked up. "Well, I thought it over for several minutes before I accepted," she said, giving him a smile, "But in the end, I didn't really have much choice. I mean, I couldn't very well just decline his friend request...I wouldn't want to make things awkward at work. Best thing to do is smile and pretend we're friends."

She thought back to one of Yagyu's first comment on one of her older photos: sitting on a pool float in her new bikini.

Nice legs....so sexy!

"Speaking of which," she said, putting her hand to her chin thoughtfully. "You ought to try it too. Make some friends with the other workers, here, I mean." She looked around the room. "Because you aren't very well liked, are you?" She finished, matter-of-factly.

Komiya looked shocked for a second, then his fur shivered and his eyes narrowed. "Yagyu might be liked, but he isn't respected!" he said tersely, "And I'll have you know, I have a great deal of many friends!"

"Here? At the office?" Tsunoda asked, looking genuinely surprised.

Komiya's eyes widened when she said this, and something told her he wasn't used to being back-talked. 

"That's right! I happen to be quite popular!" Komiya was now going slightly red in the face, a bead of sweat prickling on his forehead. "It just so happens that with all my responsibilities, I just prefer not to mingle too much when it gets in the way of work-!" His mouth flapped animatedly with every word. 

"I'm not trying to be mean," Tsunoda insisted, staring at him. "I'm just saying there's more to life than work...and you could use some people skills. You're afraid of getting hurt, so you put up walls..."

Komiya looked like he was shaking a little. "I don't have to sit here and listen to this," he grumbled, standing up abruptly and trying to keep his voice even. "I have important work I should be doing."

He picked up his things and briskly walked away.

"I only meant it as-" Tsunoda started, but her words fell on deaf ears as Komiya left the room.

Some people stared, and Tsunoda sighed heavily, shifting position to look out the window.

What was it with everyone today?

Still, she had to admit as she stared down at the cityscape, it really was a nice view.

---

The hands of the clock laid still at 4:50, mere moments before the working day was done. Komiya eyes were fixed on them as they ticked by, but with the a cruel humor, the last few minutes went by so dreadfully slowly. 

Both he and Tsunoda had spent the remainder of the day avoiding each other, neither one ready to glimpse the other in the eye. He saw the sallow expression on Tsunoda's face, and he felt some guilt; he'd put it there, but he couldn't muster up the strength or humility to apologize.

She'd gone and shattered his pride, the only thing he had; the mask of calm, confidence, and beloved reputation that hid his weak, pathetic, true identity.

Something he worked so hard to cover up.

When at long last the clock struck five, Komiya punched out right on the dot and didn't linger as he usually did to ensure everything was in order.

His body and mind were restless and he felt too muddled to drive, so the meerkat instead crossed the afternoon streets into the familiar shopping plaza. 

Usually after work, he liked to go out and play some rounds of golf, or dedicate some time to his the blog that he kept as a well guarded secret from his coworkers. Listening to and reviewing the music of the latest local and rising talent, it wasn't exactly something he wanted on his repertoire, but it was a hobby he'd come far with since his college days, and online, much like Tsunoda, he'd even gathered his own sort of following. The "Idol Chief". It wasn't dedicated to only idol groups, of course- it was really a site about all kinds of celebrities. 

But as of late, he'd been neglecting it. Maybe because it was no music or movies were really grabbing his attention. Maybe he's just lost interest.

Or maybe...he was too preoccupied with other things on his mind.

Maybe I'll just have a short walk...grab some tea...

He stopped in his tracks. No, he wasn't going back to the cafe. Not after his spat with Tsunoda.

Komiya scoffed to himself, thinking back to the conversation from lunch.

Aren't very well-liked, huh....I put up walls?! Ridiculous! We just met, she doesn't know anything about me! Komiya tried to dismiss the words echoing in his head, but they clung like thorns. For some reason, her words had really stung, more than he'd ever would have anticipated.

Maybe because it was her who said it... The crazy thought entered his head. And you're afraid because it's true.

Komiya walked faster, gripping his briefcase like a vice as a shadow passed over his face. That's bullshit.

But-

He slowed to a stop, and hesitantly, Komiya took his phone out of his pocket, opening it back up to his media page. It was exactly the same as he'd left it last night, except for one new notification highlighted at the top:

You have 1 new follower.

Tsunoda.

Komiya stared at the screen, and he felt something like a tug on his heartstrings.

"I overdid it," he mumbled, guilt setting in and pocketing his phone.

And as much as her words had hurt, it had hurt more to see her face, crushed, devoid of its usual cheer and peppiness, every time he passed her in the hall.

Komiya broke out of his trancelike state, looking up, and realized he'd stopped in front of his favorite quaint little bookshop.

Up front, there were a few tables with people reading and enjoying coffee, and near the door was a small rack of magazines.

Komiya took a few steps forward, looking, and spotted a magazine with a cover featuring a sandy white beach and crystal blue waters.

He smiled.

Now that was lovely- one of these days, he'd get that vacation, but for now, it was always nice just to browse and dream about these destinations. It gave him a sense of calm that only a few other things could do: hot baths, running laps, tea with chamomile and honey.

"Excuse me, pass me one of those, would you?" Komiya asked, walking up to a young man at a computer, who's table was situated right in front of the array of magazines.

The young man, a white furred badger, stopped the rapid scrolling of his mouse, and lifted his big, heavy eyebrows.

"Oh, of course, sir!" He exclaimed, practically jumping out of his seat. He looked towards the display. "Which one? This one? This one? Or did you mean this one?" He showed them off one by one.

"No, no, I meant the Vacationers Weekly, please," Komiya said, perplexed.

The young man nodded and then ran his fingers down the row of travel magazines. "Ok, roger! Do you want the one in the front? In the very back? How about the middle, the one in the middle or right next to the middle might be good!-"

"Just give me one, any one!" Komiya growled with growing annoyance. This kid was even more high-strung than he was.

The badger handed it to him and then promptly asked, "Are you planning on travelling, sir?!"

Komiya closed his eyes for a moment trying his best not to snap.

"Not in the near future, no," he responded.

"I'm going to university next year!" The young man continued, completely oblivious. "So I'm going to be traveling all the way out to Kyoto! Have you ever been to Kyoto? Ever been to the college there!? I'm interested in English! I'm really nervous! "

"Wow. Great. No. That's life." Komiya didn't see where he fit into any of this.

"-But," his new friend wasn't done. "I'm having trouble with my computer. My high school is converting everything to be like the big campus colleges, so everything's gone digital, and I'm totally lost! LOST!" His voice cracked and he crashed back down into his seat, looking defeated.

Komiya hesitated. He could have very easily just walked away, but then he thought of Tsunoda.

You could try to make friends....

Easy for her to say, she's charming. I'm just  me...

"Let me take a look at it," Komiya sighed, putting his magazine down and sitting next to the badger. The computer model was familiar- in fact, it looked almost identical to the model used at the office. Komiya saw the screen was stuck trying to close a program and had just about froze everything entirely.

Adeptly, the meerkat clicked a few keys and a menu popped up.

"You can force everything to shut down with this."

The young man looked on in amazement. "Wow! You fixed it!" His eyes were wide, and he bowed his head in thanks. "Senpai! Could you teach me? I can pay you! There's so much I need to learn!"

"Senpai?" Komiya almost laughed in his face. All it'd taken was a couple of keystrokes. But this kid was acting like he'd gone and created life.

"PLEASE?"

He considered for a moment.

Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea...if it was easy tasks like this, it'd be a breeze.

And he had to consider his funds. He needed rent money and he needed it soon.

"Mmm....I'll do what I can," Komiya assented.

"I'm Anai!" his new pupil introduced himself excitedly.

"You can call me Komiya."

---

After an hour passed, Komiya's head was pounding and he had still only managed to instill the very basics into his student.

Save...open...close. How to find and open what you saved after you closed it. That was the hardest part.

"Tch!" Komiya hissed, pulling up his paws in frustration.

"Tch!" Anai echoed, pulling up his paws in the same way.

Komiya sighed with annoyance. "Well, we've covered all the important things. I think you've got a... an okay idea of what you're doing."

Really, some people just couldn't be taught.

"Yes! Thank you, Senpai! I don't know what I'd do without you!" Anai cried, snapping shut his laptop and looking triumphant.

"And here's the compensation, as I promised! I always keep my promises!"

Anai fished into his pocket and opened a little pouch of money, searched through it, and then handed Komiya a banknote and smiled.

"Wha-" Komiya couldn't believe it. 5,000 yen? "You're paying me that much?"

Anai looked confused. "Did you want it in coins? Or a check? Do you want it in a check?! I could-"

"N-no, this is fine!" Komiya yelped, not wanting to start the kid off again.

"I'll remember this!" Anai said, beaming and brushing his bangs out of his face. "Thanks again Senpai! You truly inspire me!"

"Good luck."

Komiya watched him leave, shaking his head. If he'd been tired before, he was exhausted now...but there was something else, as he carefully put the money into his wallet, that he felt; satisfaction?

He hadn't considered it before, but it'd actually felt kind of good to help the kid out. And the praise sure felt good.

Maybe Tsunoda had been right?

The sky was now dark, with the earliest stars rising into the sky. The streetlamps and shop lights went on across the promenade, casting an orange glow on the night.

As bad as the day had been at the beginning, Komiya now felt a sense of calm, and he headed towards the company parking lot where his car was waiting.

He had just reached his apartment complex and was climbing the stairs when he realized.

He'd forgotten to tell Tsunoda he'd enjoyed the chocolates. 

That was his last thought before he nodded off to sleep.

Chapter Text

The Work Party

The next morning Komiya's alarm woke him on the dot at its usual time:

5:45.

The dawn still hadn't broken, but he liked this morning stillness.

The first thing he did after taking a quick hot shower was collect his money with the extra he'd made last night, sealed it in an envelope, and headed out to drop it off at the rent drop box.

After that he took a brief, but invigorating, workout at the complex's gym- stretching with 30 minutes of cardio on the bike, he figured he did enough heavy lifting at work.

A little invigoration in the morning was something Komiya needed in his schedule; it helped him ease into the busy world of consciousness and kept his unchecked energy in stride.

Generally, he'd prefer to go for a mile run around the track at the park, but with the inclement weather, he'd just have to settle.

Good and energized, Komiya then headed back up and picked out his work clothes and took another shower- this time cold. Finally thinking straight, he even had some spare time to brew some coffee and have hardy egg roll for breakfast.

7:30.

Time to get going.

Beating the morning commute was one of the best things about heading out early; it saved him a headache and a half.

He was almost always the first one in the office. Originally this had just been to look good for the bosses, but he quickly found out that the solitude of the empty office was quite relaxing.

Komiya pulled into the abandoned lot as the faintest rays of sunlight started to shine.

Usually, he'd go inside, tidy up, go over emails.

But he had something else on his mind.

He had never been one for apologizing. He didn't even know where to begin.

What if she didn't want to talk to him?

Komiya began to feel a bit anxious.

He'd figured following his routine to a t would help prepare him, help him keep his cool through the day, but now, that the time was approaching...

Komiya sat silently in his car for a few moments, and then abruptly he snatched his phone out of his pocket.

He opened the app, entering the messaging system and typing quickly.

Could you meet me in the tea room before work starts? Important.

He wasn't sure how casual to be with this- in work emails, a certain tone was necessary. But this wasn't a work email.

He hesitated. Then he pressed send.

There was a pause, and then the words were being typed on the other end. Komiya held his breath.

K.

It was blunt, but it was better than he'd hoped. Gathering his briefcase and sighing deeply, Komiya headed up to the office.

For a little while, Komiya just stood at the back of the foyer by the elevators, observing the employees from various departments filter in. A good half hour til nine, he started up and made a beeline directly for the tea room.

It was getting dangerously close.

He paced back and forth, glancing at his phone screen every few seconds to check the time. A wave of worry coursed through him.

What if she'd decided to just not show up?

Had he really gone that far? She could just be avoiding him to the point she'd cut work altogether.

...Then technically it would be on his head if she got written up!

Sweating and wrenching his tie around his throat, Komiya bolted for the doorway...and ran smack into Tsunoda turning the corner.

"Komiya!" She exclaimed, stepping back in surprise.

Komiya jerked back, a nervous grin twitching on his face. "Oh...ah. Tsunoda. You're here."

She stepped into the room, looking bemused with her purse balanced on one shoulder and a cup of coffee in her other hand.

"What's so important it couldn't wait til break?" She asked. "I don't think you'd want to test Ton two days in a row."

Komiya looked uncomfortable, but pulled himself together as he so efficiently knew how to do.

"I...I wanted to apologize for blowing up at you yesterday."

Tsunoda blinked, cocking her head. Then she smiled brightly.

"Is that all?" She giggled.

"Is...that all?" Komiya echoed, dumbstruck. "Wh- you mean you're not upset?"

Yesterday, she'd seemed to be genuinely hurt by his words.

"Well, no!" She grinned, clearly finding some humor in all this. "I was worried I'd offended you, but since you're apologizing, I guess that means you figured out where I'm really coming from."

Komiya looked pained, his voice low. "If you mean that I'm an ass, I figured that out a long time ago."

There. He said it.

"No, no, shut up a minute," Tsunoda shook her head and lightly put her hoof over his mouth.

Komiya went quiet with surprise.

"Think about it. You said you wanted to be a great boss, didn't you?" Tsunoda continued. "The kind of boss Ton could never hope to be? What's a better way of doing that than connecting, making friends? You know how important connections are in a job, right?" She looked deep into his eyes, and lowered her arm to let him speak again.

Komiya weighed her words, letting them sink in. So...she'd remembered. She hadn't been being critical. She'd been thinking about him, the whole time.

He lowered his eyes, feeling ashamed and his cheeks growing hot. "But you already pointed out that I'm not particularly liked." It hurt like hell to say the words aloud.

"You could just try being nicer," Tsunoda put simply, her eyes bright and leaning forward.

What?

"But I..."

"What have you got to lose? Your reputation is already shot," Tsunoda said, still smiling. "Please? I'll help you. Every step of the way."

Her eyes sparkled.

This time, Komiya had to smirk a little at the backhanded comment.

"Fine...but just to keep things professional," he stated, narrowing his eyes challengingly.

"Keeping it professional!" Tsunoda chirped in agreement. She held out her hand, and gently shook it.

They stood smiling at each other for a few seconds.

Komiya could hardly believe it was this simple. The way she bounced back, her optimsm...it was incredible. He knew nobody else like it.

"By the way...your tie's crooked." Tsunoda commented suddenly, and she took it between her fingers, delicately flattening it, and patting it back onto Komiya's chest.

"There. Professional."

Komiya felt that prickling sensation once again, and his face burned hotter.

"Heh...thanks."

---

Oh, it was a bad idea. No way it would work. Why was he going along with it?

But Tsunoda's plea had just been so convincing, there was no way he could say no. The least he could do was humor her.

Komiya heaved a sigh.

“How about Retsuko?"

Tsunoda whispered as she made a pass by Komiya's desk, "Why don't you start with her?"

"Retsuko, huh?" Komiya looked over his shoulder to watch Retsuko sitting at her desk with a blank stare.

Well, she was soft-spoken and non-threatening enough.

"Go for it," Tsunoda urged, and she affixed a small yellow sticky note to the side of Komiya's computer before prancing back to her desk.

Komiya cleared his throat and looked up towards the row of desks where the red panda was working. "Ahem. Retsuko!"

She looked up, startled, and quickly grabbed a small stack of papers in her arms before hurrying over.

"I've put together the papers for the meeting!" she said with a nervous smile, holding them out.

Oh, the meeting. Komiya had almost forgotten about that.

"Got it," Komiya said, taking the pamphlet and giving it a quick look-see.

A shadow fell over his face. "Uh...."

"D-did I miss something?" Retsuko asked, noticing his annoyed look.

"Well...it's not really a problem or anything," Komiya said, putting on his best smile. He glanced back down at the pamphlet. "But shouldn't the staple...be over there?" He pointed.

She'd gone and stapled the stack right in the center of the papers, rather than at the left hand side.

What in the world? He'd never seen anything so ridiculous.

But still he smiled. "It's no big deal..." He said with a chuckle.

"I'll fix it," Retsuko said, taking it back. "Don't worry. It'll only take a sec." Komiya nodded, and watched her go back to her desk.

That'd...been good.

He felt a little proud- maybe he could do this. It just took a little patience. He glanced at the note Tsunoda had left him-

Don’t forget- smile!

"Here you go!" Retsuko was back and handed over the papers.

"Thanks," Komiya said, glancing over them again.

A shadow fell over his face again. He sighed in annoyance.

"I-it's fine, really," he laughed tensely. "But shouldn't the staple...be at a forty-five degree angle?"

Good God, if this was the kind of jumping through hoops it took to be friendly, he wanted no part of it!

Retsuko stared at him coolly for a moment, then reached back for it. "I'll fix it."

"It's no biggie..." Komiya waved his hand, but she was already gone.

Komiya spun around in his seat to give Tsunoda, standing by the water cooler, a frustrated look, but she just signaled him to continue.

THUMP.

Retsuko didn't even speak this time, just slamming the pamphlet onto the desk.

It looked perfectly fine at first glance, but having such an eye for detail, Komiya noticed the little rips where she'd torn the staples out.

Such sloppy work would get him fired!

Shaking his head, Komiya took a deep breath. "Alright. Thanks. Later."

He turned on his heel and headed over to Tsunoda.

"Went well, huh?" Tsunoda burst out laughing at Komiya's face.

"Experiment is over," Komiya said flatly. "Total failure."

"Oh, nononono," Tsunoda tittered, prodding him gently on the shoulder. "You've got to give it time. Stop splitting hairs, for starters. Be more flexible. People will warm up to you."

"I'm...I don't know how," Komiya floundered. "Listen, all my life I've been told things have to be done one way. I see mistakes, I..." He glanced again at the pamphlet with irritation. Komiya rubbed his shoulder, still thoroughly humiliated. "This had better all be worth it."

Tsunoda placed her hand on his shoulder. "Don’t worry. You've got me, haven't you?"

With a giggle, the gazelle skipped back to her desk.

Komiya was about to do the very same when he heard a voice behind him.

"Komiya."

The meerkat turned to see Haida towering over him, his brow furrowed and his crooked jaw set.

It'd be quite intimidating, really, if it weren't for the fact Komiya knew that Haida was one of the rule-abiding workers in the office.

"What can I do for you?" Komiya asked dismissively. He really wasn't in the mood for another runaround.

"Er, you..." Haida struggled for words. "You were having a chat with Retsuko."

"It wasn't much of a chat. Just typical work talk. Was pleasant, though. I think we're becoming friends."

What a lie.

Haida grit his teeth. "Look, are you trying to start something here?"

Komiya blinked with surprise at Haida's sudden aggression. Then the pieces came together. He snickered.

"I have absolutely no interest in Retsuko, if that's what you're so concerned about."

"That's not what I-!" Haida flushed and stammered, all the dominance he had had over the situation falling flat. "Y-you mean it?"

Komiya chuckled. "The very notion makes me shudder."

"Well...alright then," Haida backed off, looking relieved.

A little later while later on the way to the break room, Komiya thought he could hear some hideous screaming coming from the women's bathroom.

--

Days turned into weeks, and each day Komiya and Tsunoda would meet at work, spending more and more time together- first only at lunch, but then catching each other between breaks, and then making excuses to pass the other and slip them a few words during working time, beginning to really appreciate each other's company.

Tsunoda was true to her word: She encouraged Komiya to be on his best behavior and to change his attitude around the office.

"Arihiko! You're letting termites loose!" Komiya would begin to reprimand his anteater coworker, but a shake of Tsunoda's head across the room altered his tone.

"I mean...please keep your lunch secured in its bag. And uh...bring enough for everyone next time," he added with an awkward smile.

Fenneko and Retsuko watched the meerkat from behind their computers.

"He just wouldn't stop yammering!" Fenneko growled with annoyance, speaking to Haida. "Retsuko was even there. We were minding our own business, talking about Chris Heavens and his new movie deal, and Komiya butts in with...'but y'know, he failed his permits test!' And then goes on and on about how much he knows about all these celebrities!"

"I think he was trying to make small talk..." Retsuko smiled uncertainly. "He just...doesn't know how."

---

In the meantime, Tsunoda was learning about the more methodical parts of office life directly from Komiya.

"And then we have the quarterly reports," Komiya explained. "Four a year, every three months. It's chaos around the office at that time."

"Hehe," Tsunoda giggled, sipping her iced macchiato. "Maybe I'll just conveniently be sick those days."

Komiya smirked. "Good strategy. You should know, we only get 10 days of paid vacation a year. Ten. Can you believe that? How can a person possibly unwind and enjoy themselves with such little time?"

Tsunoda's smiled widened, her eyes bright. "What would you do with a good vacation, then?"

"That sounds Komiya didn't speak for a minute, a little embarrassed.

"I'd...probably go to a golf resort," He replied with a slight blush on his cheeks. Everyone around the office knew that he occasionally went golfing with Ton, but nobody really knew how into the sport Komiya really was.

"Golf?" Tsunoda asked, tilting her head. "Oh, fun!"

"It's so nice playing on sunny days," Komiya continued, a real smile spreading across his face. "There's just nothing like it, the club in your hands...taking a swing..." He tapered off, blushing deeper. "Um...I could show you how sometime."

"That's be amazing!" Tsunoda agreed perkily, putting her little hooves together. "I've always wanted to learn!"

"Really?!" he exclaimed, real joy filling him.

He then paused, cocking his head and looking at her with a dawning look of realization on his face.

"I'm sorry," he said abruptly, shaking his head. "I've been talking about myself this whole time. What about you. What would you do?" He looked a little pressed to ask this and stumbled a little, as if it was something he wasn't used to doing.

"Hmm...I'd pamper myself on a cruise on the ocean, complete with spa, buffet, and sparkling beaches!" Tsunoda chirped after a second of thought. "And I'd of course keep all my followers updated with my travels!" As she said this, she took out her phone and started swiping the screen. "People love seeing pictures from around the world!"

"Heh. Figured it'd be something exotic," Komiya smiled playfully.

"You know...." Tsunoda considered, "You're really cute when you smile. Y'know, smile for real."

Komiya was surprised by the random comment. "...Huh?" He could feel warmth rising in his cheeks.

"Hey, Tsunoda."

A cool voice spoke from behind him, and Komiya turned around with a little jump.

"Are you coming to the mixer tonight?" Ookami asked. The maned wolf looked right past Komiya, directly at the gazelle like he wasn't there. "It's at that place, Animal House. Everyone'll be there."

Tsunoda eyes sparkled, looking excited. "You mean it's this Friday night? I totally forgot! I would, but I don't have a ride!"

"I can give you a lift," Ookami said, his golden eyes lowering. If he had had a mouth, they'd see him grinning like the hungry wolf he was.

Komiya felt a surge of rage. He tail lashed and he grit his teeth.

"No, no need for that, thank you!" He butt in. "I'll be happy to take you, Tsunoda! We'll go together."

"Oh, ok!" Tsunoda didn't seem to care one way or another, just beaming at him completely oblivious. "I can't wait!"

Ookami gave him a dark look before stalking away.

Tsunoda put a thoughtful finger to her chin as he left. "Ookami is handsome, isn't he? Do you think he's single?"

Komiya made a harsh swallowing sound. The question bothered him more than he thought it would.

"Pretty sure he has more than a couple of girlfriends," The meerkat said as detached as he could muster.

And that was an understatement.

Ookami was seen with a different woman every week.

"I've even seen him flirting with the dragon lady," Komiya motioned his head towards where Tsubone was sitting. "I think he likes older women."

Tsunoda opened her mouth to comment, then she laughed. "Hold on. Are you jealous?"

Komiya tensed. "W-why would I be? I'm just telling it like it is!"

He was getting more and more flustered as Tsunoda stared at him with her big, sweet eyes. "I'm...just looking out for you."

"Aw, Komiya," Tsunoda rolled her eyes.

---

At the end of work, everyone was abuzz talking about the mixer.

Even Director Ton seemed excited, and didn't bother giving his usual end-of-the-week lecture.

As the hands hit five, Tsunoda joined Komiya at his desk.

"This will be my first real work party!" Tsunoda squealed, bouncing on her feet. "I mean, I go to all kinds of social gatherings, but this will be my first time spending time with my coworkers!"

Komiya collected his things, giving her an admiring smile. He couldn't say he was particularly looking forward to the event...it'd never been a particularly pleasant experience.

But still, her enthusiasm was refreshing.

"Shall we?" He asked.

Together they headed out, going with the flow of the crowd, taking the elevator down to the first floor and crossing outside to the parking lot, Tsunoda chattering away the whole time.

"So which is your car?" Tsunoda asked, prancing ahead.

"Really excited for this, aren't you?" he chortled, clicking the button on his keys. A few yards off, his car chirped and flashed its lights, and Tsunoda immediately hastened in its direction.

"Wow!"

She glanced over it, looking into the sleek, shiny black surface. "This car is so you," She snickered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Komiya asked with a smug look, opening the side door for her. She

settled into the leather seat, giving him back a mischievous snicker.

"Mr. Perfect, with his perfect car."

"You keep that up and we're not going to any mixer," Komiya scolded, but the grin on his face betrayed his words. Coming in onto the other side, he sat beside her and the engine roared to life.

With a pout and a puff, Tsunoda turned up the radio and Komiya pulled out onto the street.

The car was filled with the beat of a mesh of jazz and hip hop, and Komiya smiled as he saw Tsunoda bobbing her head to the beat.

"According to the directions, this place is a little hole in the wall, so I'll have to park around the corner," Komiya said, examining the map on his phone. As well as he knew the city, there were a lot of places he'd never had the pleasure of visiting. Frankly, he preferred things a little more upscale.

"I don't mind," Tsunoda said, still nodding in time with the music.

Plink, plink. Suddenly the sound of raindrops splattered against the windshield.

"Oh no," Tsunoda gasped, looking out the window as more drops collected on the window. "They said it wasn't going to rain until past midnight!"

"It doesn't look too bad," Komiya said, pulling up to the curb of a crowded block bustling with shops. "And lucky for you, I brought my umbrella."

Tsunoda gently opened up her door and put one foot onto the sidewalk, her lips curling into a smile. "Guess you’re my hero."

"Well, at least one of us remembered," Komiya replied, taking the comment sarcastically. He shook it, popped it open, and rushed to the other side of the car to shelter Tsunoda.

Together, they quickly strode down the block side by side, listening to the rain come down on top of them.

After a minute, they reached a small pub sandwiched in a row of other shops. Red lanterns and a glowing sign decorated the doorway.

"Well, this is it!" Komiya said, and they stepped beneath the canopy so he could shake off and shut his umbrella.

Then he opened up the door for her, and she took her first step into the bustling izayaka.

"Wow!"

The establishment was dimly lit, loud with conversation, and thick with the smell of alcohol, grilled meat, and noodles.

From her reaction, Komiya surmised she had didn't spend much time in places like this either, and he smiled in amusement.

Komiya spotted some of the group from accounting off to the side already, drinking and sharing plates of edamame and karaage.

"Evening, everyone," he greeted, leading Tsunoda over to a table where Director Ton, Yagyu, and some higher-ups they rubbed shoulders with were seated.

The rest of the group was spread out around the tables of the west wall, all in their own small groups and enjoying the party at their own pace.

"Komiya." Ton nodded in inattentive acknowledgement, then he noticed Tsunoda and his lips curled into a smile. "And Tsunoda. How nice of you to join us."

"Hi, Mr. Ton!" Tsunoda said, sitting beside Komiya. She scanned around the restaurant, eyes resting momentarily on the far side where Retsuko and the other groups were seated, smiling a bit proudly.

She noticed Retsuko and Fenneko looking particularly annoyed when they saw her, and Adachi started frantically whispering into Carrie's ear. But she didn't care...they were just jealous.

She got to sit with the director and other executives, she was the favorite. It felt good, and she couldn't pass up flashing them all some smug looks when they looked over.

"Surprised you had the balls to show your face here, Komiya," one of Ton's associates spoke, downing a gulp of a sake and burping quietly.

"What with that humiliating speech you gave at the CEO's party last year."

Ookami, who was seated at the very end of the long table, laughed loudly and covered his mouth, snickering.

Tsunoda looked towards Komiya curiously and saw him stiffen, clearly prickled by the comment.

"Ahh, but who was anyone sober enough to care?" Ton bellowed, sucking on some deep fried skewers, glasses and glasses of drinks littered along the tabletop. "Then again, they say an elephant never forgets!"

He turned to Tsunoda, grinning.

"First time in a long time since we've had a fine woman in the department. You've gone and done the unthinkable."

Tsunoda nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Mr. Ton, I-"

"Gone and broke up the sausage fest!" Ton roared, pounding his fist on the table and shoving Yagyu roughly into Komiya.

Tsunoda went quiet, baffled, and saw Komiya looked extremely uneasy, the corner of his mouth twitching like he wasn't sure he wanted to keep up this charade or not.

"Ahem, let's order," Komiya mumbled, propping up a menu and handing another to Tsunoda. "Um...if you're hungry, I recommend the noodles."

"What do you like to drink?" He asked, flipping it over to the page where all the drinks and alcohol were listed.

Tsunoda didn't drink hard liquor frequently, but she had a passion for sweet and sugary cocktails: strawberry daiquiris, piña coladas, mudslides.

But as she glanced through, it looked like this place didn't offer any of those. But they did have plenty of...

"Sake."

Komiya's eyebrows raised. "You like sake?"

"What's weird about that?" Tsunoda asked, closing the menu and smirking. "I can handle it. And...miso soup with yakisoba."

"Alright," Komiya obliged, giving her a quizzical look. "I'll be back in a second." The meerkat scooted past her and stood up, walking towards the bar to make sure the order was taken meticulously over the raucous din. He would keep looking back over his shoulder at Tsunoda and the table nervously, tail twitching.

Suddenly Yagyu nudged Tsunoda.

"So I was wonderin'," he grumbled, voice thick with drunkenness, "You post all those pictures. I seen 'em...the swimsuit. The legs. The chest." He chuckled, squirming a bit closer. "And always dressin' up in those cute little outfits for me. Now, you been playin' the tease long enough haven't ya?"

Tsunoda was shocked for a second, moving an inch back. But she forced a smile and laughed it off. "Mr. Yagyu, I really don't know what you're talking about. I just love art, culture-"

"Women!" Ton barked, his small squinty eyes squeezed even tighter as he laughed, spittle flying. "Always runnin' their mouth!"

"Don't get me started on my wife," Yagyu turned to Ton, completely forgetting Tsunoda. "All I wanna do is watch some baseball, and..."

"Hey."

Tsunoda looked up and saw Komiya was back, a large tray in his hands and a big black bottle. He blinked.

"Are you ok?"

"Huh?" Tsunoda hadn't realized that her smile had completely dropped off her face, and quickly forced it back on. "I'm good."

Komiya looked uncomfortable as he slid past her, putting the tray on the table and pouring out the sake.

He could tell something had happened in the few minutes he'd been gone.

Tsunoda's spark wasn't shining as brightly.

He shouldn't have left her alone. Dammit.

"Now who's ready for karaoke?" Ookami had gotten up and was standing up front at a microphone, and everyone started to cheer.

"Karaoke?" Tsunoda whispered, gulping down her first glass. "He doesn't mean-"

Komiya laughed quietly. "He means."

Tsunoda gasped out a laugh between sips, eyes widening. "You need to go up there."

"I'd rather not embarass myself," Komiya responded anxiously, but he was happy to see her coming around again.

If she really wanted...

Up on the makeshift stage, Ookami started crooning a ballad that could hardly be hard over the crowd, and then following up right after Kabae stomped on up to give her butchered version of the latest pop hit. The restaurant was wild with cheers and applause as Haida took the stage, stumbling on his way up, face bright red.

"T-this one goes out to..." He started, then he swayed, pausing with the mic clasped tight in his hand. "Uh..." His eyes darted towards Retsuko's table. "A. A...." Clearly too flustered, he turned and looked down on everyone else, lifting his arm emphatically. "It goes out to all of accounting! Y'all are the best!"

A grunge beat started up.

"Now, stop me if you've heard this one, Director!" Komiya prattled over the music, waving his hand dramatically. "A chameleon walks into a bar-"

"Oh!" The sounds of people shouting encouragement to Haida drowned him out, and the director didn't give him a second look. As the hyena finished his song, the pig stood up with a jerk, full belly nudging the table a few inches and scattering bottles everywhere.

"I'm up next!" He shouted, wiping away beads of sweat.

Vexed, Komiya looked back towards Tsunoda, and saw her gulping down what must have been her second glass, taking up her chopsticks, and starting on the yakisoba noddles.

To see her serious, hardworking coworkers acting so casually, it almost felt unreal to Tsunoda. For the longest time, she'd never even considered the possibility they had lives outside of work.

"Yeah, that would be embarassing," She giggled, making a little slurp. A light rosy flush had appeared on her face, and her eyelids fluttered.

"But I'm guessing it wouldn't be the biggest goof you've made at these parties, Komiya. Hehe."

Komiya rolled his eyes and she doubled over laughing.

"Ton! Ton! Ton!" Everyone yelled.

"Now who's ready for some REAL music!?"

Ton had started rapping to an old-school hip hop track and was swaggering up and down the stage when Komiya felt a weight on his shoulder.

"Tsunoda?"

The gazelle had nodded off to sleep, leaning onto him for support, eyes closed and ears drooped.

Komiya froze completely, breath drawing short as he watched the rise and fall of her body. He started to feel warm, an awkward tension in his stomach, but he didn't move an inch.

Around the table, people began to stare.

"Looks like we got us a snoozer!" Yagyu snorted, and some people laughed. "Hey, wake her up, Komiya. We're going another round."

Komiya tensed, looking at Tsunoda and then back at the group. He hesitated, mouth dry. "I think I ought to take her home."

"We're just getting started!" Ton's friend shouted. "C'mon, get her up!"

Komiya's smile faltered and he gave a nervous look towards Tsunoda. Then his eyes narrowed, tail lashing. He felt annoyance, anger, towards his associates. They didn't care about him. And they sure as hell didn't care about her.

And if he had to stand between them and her...

"I'm taking her home," Komiya repeated, voice firm this time. He turned, gently nudging the dozing gazelle awake.

"Hey."

"Mmm?" Tsunoda mumbled groggily, trying to sit back up, but she found it hard to balance. Her head was spinning- she hadn't counted on the sake hitting her so hard so fast, and now everything was in a haze. Distorted voices and a buzz floated on the air, her vision blurry, like watercolors. But she recognized Komiya.

His hand was on her shoulder, looking into her eyes with concern. All around her, he was the only thing crisply clear in this unfamiliar murky world.

"Do you want to go?" He asked.

"Mmm...hmm."

Komiya got up, managing to sidle past her, and took her by the shoulder, helping her up to her feet.

"Careful."

She wobbled a little, and he steadied her, clasping her around the wrist. "We'll take it one step at a time."

Tsunoda let Komiya lead her across the restaurant, keeping her eyes glued to her boots as they took every little step.

Finally, they reached the doorway, and Komiya grabbed his umbrella from the rack before helping her through the door.

The difference between the interior and outside was like black and white.

While the bar had been stuffy and warm, the evening had become cold and bitter, and the rain was coming down in sheets.

Tsunoda grasped the railing of the canopy, breathing hard, feeling a bit of relief at the cool night air, Komiya keeping his hand on her back in case she toppled.

"I'll get my car," Komiya said, shaking the umbrella open. "Can you wait here for a minute? Think you can?"

"I...I wanna walk." Tsunoda said, giggling a little. She looked back at him, her face flushed. "I'm not drunk."

Komiya knew better than to argue with her, so he lifted his umbrella over them and took her by the arm. "Of course you're not. Let's go."

He steered her down the sidewalk, doing his best to avoid the potholes and puddles that could splash her, and when he reached his car he quickly unlocked it automatically and ushered her into the passenger seat, settling her in as gently as he could.

"Komiya..." Tsunoda murmured, flopping in the chair. She wanted nothing more to just drop down and lie on the floor.

"Just give me the directions to your place," Komiya said quietly.

"Ohh...Kyoto Estates...in uptown."

Komiya nodded in affirmation and started up the car.

It was about a forty minute drive, and they drove in silence. Within a short time, Tsunoda seemed to fall back asleep, and Komiya would periodically look over to make sure she was ok.

The rain continued pouring down, cascading across the windshield, and his wipers swung back and forth, back and forth.

Komiya was terrified.

He'd...never done anything like this before.

He was sure she was fine, she'd only had two glasses- but all the same, his concern mounted by the minute.

It'd been a bad idea to go to this party.

Damn.

These parties were always a bad idea.

Every time, he was humiliated, spat on by the executives. Nine times out of ten he ended up footing the bill.

The only reason he went was so he'd look good in front of his subordinates, but really, none of them gave a shit about him.

And he'd gotten Tsunoda mixed up in in too.

Stupid.

He should have known, after all the times with Ton and Yagyu and the others, going off on their drunken rants. Spilling their vitriol, sexism, disdain...

He felt shame and self-revulsion, knowing well that he'd often participated in these conversations, never considering the full meaning of his actions.

He glanced again at Tsunoda, the breathing of her small body.

His pulse quickened, and he gulped quietly. What the hell was he doing...?

At this point they reached the estates, and he drove up as close to the gate as possible. The rain had finally died down a little, enough to be called a drizzle at best.

Komiya looked back at Tsunoda, hating to wake her from her peaceful sleep.

He tapped her gently. "Hey. You're home."

The gazelle blinked blearily, sitting upright, but with more balance and lucidity than before. "Oh."

"Listen, do you need me to walk you to your apartment?" Komiya asked, feeling unsure.

"Heh," she chuckled. "I think I'll be fine. I just...needed a nap."

"I can stay with you-" Komiya started, feeling more anxious. "Just in case-"

"You're so cute when you're all worked up," Tsunoda interjected, eyes low but focused on him. She was smiling.

Komiya blinked in surprise, blushing a little at the intense stare. "Can you be serious for a minute?"

"This is me being serious." Tsunoda said. Then she tentatively leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

Komiya's eyes widened as he looked at her with disbelief, breath catching and his heart fit to burst in chest.

"T-Tsunoda..." Komiya's mouth and eyes were open wide, a deep crimson blush sweeping across his face. He delicately put his hand to his face where she'd kissed him, a little quaver in his voice when he spoke.

She pulled away, still smiling, the usual sparkle back in her eye.

"I'll see you." She grabbed the door handle and opened it up, stepping out into the dampness.

"W-wait!" Komiya shouted, louder than he intended. "Take my umbrella!" He grabbed it from behind his chair and handed it off to her, his heart hammering.

Tsunoda took it and shook it open. "Thank you. Good night, Komiya."

She then climbed out of the car, slamming the door and starting off, briefly looking back and smiling.

"...Good night." Komiya echoed softly, watching her disappear into the shadows.

Chapter Text

The lights of the city sped past as he started his journey home.

Komiya took a deep shaky breath.

What had just happened?

He gripped the steering wheel harder, his body trembling slightly, but it wasn't from the cold. His heart seemed to have found its way into his throat.

Nothing...it was nothing!

Tsunoda had just been playing with him again, probably even finding it all the more hilarious in her intoxicated state 

So why did he feel like he'd just been struck by lightning? Like little jolts of electricity were still prickling on his fur, coursing through him? There was a hot, churning pit in his stomach, like he was up front about to make a speech in front of the entire department.

It felt terrible.

And it felt wonderful.

He would gladly have sang on stage if she’d only asked.

His cheeks were still hot, tingling where her soft lips had kissed him.

"Ohhh, no." Komiya scolded himself. "No way. No. Not gonna happen."

But the more one side of him tried to deny it, the harder the other side pushed back.

Tsunoda...

Tsunoda.

And with a heavy, surrendering sigh, Komiya knew that he could no longer fight his feelings.

--

Komiya had wanted to message her the very next morning to check up on her and ask how she was.

Did you have a hangover? Did you sleep well? Wait, you didn't die during the night, right?! 

But with firm determination he resisted, doing this best by keeping his phone out of arm's reach and busying himself with chores and time at the gym.

He ran a good five miles on the treadmill, but when his mind wandered to the night before, his heart went haywire and he had to cut it short.

After that, he went down to the coin laundry with a basket and magazine in hand.

Depositing in the correct change, Komiya leaned against the washer and flipped through idly, before his eyes fell on an advertisement for a sweet matcha tea.

Tsunoda would probably love something like this.

He blushed a little, shaking the thought away, and focused back on the spinning tumble of the machines.

Later that evening, Komiya was sifting through the flood of emails and helping himself to some frozen fried rice.

Spam. Spam. One of Yokosawa's stupid chain mails for miracle skin she always forwarded to everyone in the office. Ton bitching about his work performance. More spam.

He'd just managed to sort through and was about to pack it all up when a thought occurred to him.

Heh....I wonder if Tsunoda's ever even looks at these. It didn't seem likely, not when she was so preoccupied with...

Promptly, he puffed his cheeks in annoyance and snapped the laptop shut. This was just getting ridiculous.

For once, the meerkat was looking forward to Monday.

Maybe once he saw her, saw everything back to normal, this bizarre fever of his would disappear.

Most of all, he just needed to see her face. 

It was the start of a new month, and that meant what everyone had been dreading: the monthly morning meeting.

Komiya watched and checked off his list as everyone milled into the conference room. When Tsunoda walked in she gave him a happy little wave before taking her seat between Yokosawa and Arihiko.

Komiya swallowed hard, his pulse quickening. Well, there went that theory out the window.

As usual, Director Ton was the last to arrive, wobbling into the room huffing and puffing like he'd run up ten flights of stairs.

"Everyone here, Komiya?" He grunted, shoving past the meerkat and hanging his coat on the corner rack.

"Yes, sir!"

"Let's get started."

The carefree, nonchalant attitude from Friday night was completely absent; now everyone was back to business mode.

"Now, our last quarter did not end the year on a high note. According to sales, we're at an all-time low, and communications have been our customer service has been hitting the crapper."

Everyone exchanged looks around the conference table.

"Now, I've been over the books again and again," Ton went on, "And I have to say, while I'm disappointed with the numbers, I've got my hunches this whole damn mess started out because one of the other departments dropped the ball hard." His fingers drummed on the table. "So. Here's the deal. Til the end of the quarter, we're gonna be working twice as hard to make up for those idiots' foul."

There was a collective groan around the table.

"Did I ask for your opinions?!" Ton roared, shutting them all up.

"Komiya, load up the report."

"Sir!" Komiya jumped to attention, fumbling with the laptop. A line graph was prepared on the screen, and he spun it around to display to the crowd. "As the Director said, you're all going to have show some initiative!"

He chuckled, but he knew there was nothing remotely funny about his quip.

"Suck-up!" someone coughed loudly.

"Make it look good, and that looks good for accounting. If it looks good for accounting, we're talking bonuses." Ton grinned.

And that changed everyone's tune.

The meeting lasted another extensive, drawn-out hour, covering a variety of subjects, but at long last, it came to its close.

Yawning and grumbling, the crowd dispersed.

Komiya was one of the last to leave, pushing in his chair and sighing deeply. As mundane as they looked, these meetings took a lot out of him, and he knew brown-nosing the director in front of everyone wasn't going to be winning him any friends. Honestly, at this point, it was almost a knee-jerk reaction, something that just automatically spilled out of his mouth when Ton prompted him.

Thinking back to it, the words left a bitter taste on his tongue.

"Hey, Komiya!" Tsunoda walked over, beaming. "So that was my first real big meeting!"

"Oh...yeah," Komiya turned to her, forcing an awkward smile, feeling the fluttering in his stomach starting up again. It hadn't put a damper on her spirits at all. "What'd you think?"

"Well..." Tsunoda thought for a second. "I definitely didn't count on it being so boring."

Komiya blinked, then burst into laughter. "Really puts the job into perspective, huh.”

"But still! After this and the party on Friday, I feel like I'm really becoming one of the office!" Tsunoda giggled.

Komiya paused, his face getting warm again. "Heh. Yeah, that was some party, huh?" he said vaguely.

He felt like her eyes were staring right through him.

Tsunoda gasped. "Yeah! I remember...singing. Really bad singing! Haha!"

"Oh." Komiya felt a drop of sweat form on his brow, now feeling even more exposed. "...Just that, then?"

"I was drinking, Komiya, I really don't remember anything!" Tsunoda giggled, her eyes darting away in what must have been embarrassment. "I'm just glad I got home safe and sound. When I woke up Saturday morning, I was just curled on the edge of my couch still all dressed up, like I didn't even have the strength to make it to bed. Isn't that weird?"

"That is weird." Komiya consented, scratching his chin nervously. He decided to drop the subject.

If she didn't remember it, well...it clearly hadn't meant anything.

"Hey, Komiya?" Tsunoda asked suddenly.

"Huh?"

"Wanna go out for lunch?" She smiled, opening her purse and rooting through it. "We could stop by that cafe. I've got a coupon from last time that expires soon, and this is the only time I'm in the area..."

"Yeah!" Komiya exclaimed, his lips curling into a smile and nodding. "Yeah, that'd be great!"

"Hehe." Tsunoda's eyes sparkled. "Alright. I'll meet up with you at lunchtime."

For Komiya, the wait was like an eternity.

At noon the lunch hour began, and Komiya quickly went to wait for Tsunoda by the elevators.

While it was allowed for employees to leave the premises during this period, it was rather uncommon for people to do so in the winter months.

Komiya, of course, was well prepared, donning his coat and gloves for the walk outside, and when he saw Tsunoda hurrying over in nothing more than a light jacket he looked at her uncertainly.

"You're not really dressed for this weather," he said, looking her up and down. "You don't have anything a little warmer?"

Tsunoda gave him a look, rolling her eyes, before stuffing her hand into her purse and pulling out a thick, wool scarf. "Happy?" She asked, with a bemused smirk, coiling it around her neck.

"Better." Komiya conceded, his expression lighthearted. "We can't have you catching a cold, can we? You heard the boss. We gotta be in top shape."

"You know... you remind me of my ex," Tsunoda snickered, pressing the button for the elevator and walking inside.

The words hit Komiya hard. He hesitated, before following her in, his mouth twitching uneasily. "What do you mean?" He finally spoke, his cheeks turning warm.

"Oh, nothing," Tsunoda said simply, oblivious to the meerkat's strained reaction. "Just he was always telling me how to take care of myself. Making sure I was alright." She looked back at Komiya as the doors opened back up, her eyes shining. "You're a lot like that, Komiya. It's nice to have someone looking out for me."

"Uhh.." Komiya stammered, staring down at her. His face burned hotter.

"It's...it's no problem." He mumbled, averting his eyes, turning, and striding out into the lobby. "Uhm, as your senior, it's my responsibility, isn't it?"

"I guess so!" Tsunoda giggled, skipping behind in his footsteps.

The two passed into the square busy with shoppers, and soon reached the corner cafe.

The door opened with a little chime, and they were welcomed back into the familiar warm and cozy abode.

"Oh, hello," the elderly waitress greeted. "It's nice to see you two again."

"You remember us?" Komiya asked, surprised.

"Oh, I never forget a cute couple," the woman said brightly. "Take a seat, what can I get for you?"

Komiya ears and face burned in embarrassment as he sat across from Tsunoda. Hadn't he told her they were just friends?

"Ooh!" Tsunoda pointed the little stand in the middle of the table. "I want a creme brulee latte with extra whipped cream, and some macarons!"

"I'll just have...the miso and black tea," Komiya said, handing off the menu.

Writing it off on a notepad, the waitress disappeared into the kitchen again.

"Really going the extra mile with the sugar, today," Komiya commented with a chuckle.

"I'm starting to think this might be a problem."

"How could something that tastes so good be bad for you?" Tsunoda said back with a grin.

"You know what, Komiya? You just don't know how to have fun."

"Wha- I'm fun!" Komiya protested.

"Oh yeah?" Tsunoda raised an eyebrow. "When's the last time you just dropped everything, said, 'screw the rules, I'm gonna do what I want today? Make some mistakes, follow my heart?'"

"Screw the rules?" Komiya echoed, laughing. “That’s a surefire way to just get yourself canned.”

"I have a question." Tsunoda looked at him seriously. "Do you believe in destiny?"

The question caught Komiya off-guard.

"Um..." He considered, looking into Tsunoda's expectant face. "Not really. I think a person has to work to make their fate."

"Mm." Tsunoda nodded. "Ok, that's fair. But I mean like love. Do you think two people can be the perfect match for each other? Written in the stars?"

Komiya's stomach knotted up. What was she getting at?

"I...I don't know. I doubt it." He smiled uneasily. "Nothing can be that easy, right? Horoscopes and fortunes. I've been around the block long enough to not trust that stuff."

This probably wasn't the answer she wanted to hear- but he had to be honest. In fact, he thought the entire thing was absolute malarkey.

Not like destiny had ever done him any favors.

The waitress came over and placed the drinks and food on the table, and Tsunoda snatched up her drink.

"Look, Komiya. Just think about it. Maybe all it takes to change your life is an attitude adjustment."

She held up the cup to her lips and took a hearty sip. Her eyes widened.

"Oh my gosh! This is so good!"

Abruptly, she reached across the table. "You have to taste it Komiya!"

Komiya's heart started to hammer in his ears. Komiya let the rim press against his lips and a warm, foamy drink filled his mouth.

His face went bright red as the blood rushed to his cheeks.

"Well, what'd you think?" Tsunoda asked, taking it back and smiling expectantly.

"T-too sweet..." Komiya murmured, feeling his face on fire and looking down at the ground. But as sugary as it'd been, his words hadn't been describing the drink.

They ate their food, idly chattering, and it wasn't long before it was time to head back.

"Are we really going to have to double our workload?" Tsunoda asked as they made their way back, pulling her scarf tighter around her neck.

"Well..." Komiya knew it would be futile to question Ton's orders. "I wouldn't say that. Maybe more like... a 70% increase." He chortled, but Tsunoda didn't seem to find the joke particularly funny.

"Look, don't worry," Komiya consoled her. "You've got Chief Komiya helping you out!" He grinned.

--

While Tsunoda spent a majority of her time working in the accounting office, as a marketing associate, she also reported directly to Ms. Gori.

Ms. Gori was the manager of the Marketing department, but more than that, she was Tsunoda's mentor and inspiration.

Once or twice a week, Tsunoda would take the time to check in with her, detailing the accounting team's performance and it's coordination with the other departments.

It was a very important job, and one that Tsunoda held with the highest of pride.

That afternoon, Tsunoda left the accounting office a half hour before five, collecting her purse and taking the elevator up to the 12th floor where the marketing department was focused.

It was quite similar, in terms of looks, to her usual spread, although peeking around, Tsunoda was quick to notice the main office looked much more relaxed and welcoming. She chalked this up to the simple fact that Ton wasn't in charge- and Ms. Gori had a unique way of decorating. Tropical plants and paintings

Most of the floors in the building were nearly identical, although it was clear that this department had added a few of it's own personal touches to its office; oil paintings and tropical plants that added a touch of color to the otherwise bleak atmosphere.

"Ms. Gori?" Tsunoda asked, knocking on the door to the manager's private office.

"Come in," Gori's voice rang out, and the gazelle entered the room.

"Nice to see you again, Ms. Tsunoda," Gori said, turning from her computer and beaming at her.

"Oh! The pleasure's all mine!" Tsunoda gushed.

Ms. Gori was everything Tsunoda aspired to be- fashionable, confident, respected. She always wore the trendiest clothes, said the coolest things, commanded everyone's attention. She was, as she had called herself, the "baddest bitch in the room".

"So how are things down there?" The gorilla asked, crossing one leg over the other. She winced a little, taking her high heel shoe in her hand and wiggling it on her foot. 

"Well, the director is real upset about the drop in sales for the company," Tsunoda outlined. "So work's about to get a lot harder."

"Mmmhmm," Gori grumbled.

"Oh! And he mentioned that it was the other departments' fault everything was going wrong. Does that make sense to you, Ms. Gori?"

Gori's brow darkened. "Oh, give me a break. I've been dealing with this man's bullshit for years. I tell you, it's getting old."

Gori started wrestling the shoe off her foot, giving a sigh of relief when she got it off. She looked quite irate, something Tsunoda rarely saw happen in the composed gorilla.

"Oh?" Tsunoda asked, not quite sure how to follow up.

Gori looked up at her, shaking her head in frustration. "I'll tell you, Ms. Tsunoda. Sometimes this job really gets to me. I know me and Secretary Washimi talk the talk and walk the walk, but at the end of the day, we can only put up with so much."

"Oh..."

Gori slipped the shoe back onto her foot. "Listen. It's the same with everything. Work, love, life. With a guy, you're first instinct is just to impress him. But in the end, what we really want is someone we can be ourselves with. Let our guard down. You dig?"

She flashed Tsunoda a grin, sitting back in her seat.

Tsunoda sat struck silent for once, completely baffled.

"Oh, listen to me rambling," Gori said, shaking her head and turning back to her computer. "I've kept you long enough. Listen, you have a good night, Ms. Tsunoda."

At that point, it was time to leave, and so Tsunoda headed out to the train station, mind bubbling with thoughts.

--

Another week passed as usual, and Komiya struggled harder and harder to keep his growing feelings for Tsunoda to himself.

White Day was coming up- the annual day boys were expected to give gifts to girls- and not much else had been on his mind.

Tsunoda had taken the time to get him special, rare chocolates for Valentine's Day.

The least he could do was the return the favor.

But what would she like?

Komiya sat at his desk, blushing lightly at the thought. Marshmallows? White fudge?

No, no, that was all so boring.

She deserved something better. Something heartfelt.

He skated around the topic when they spoke at lunch, not wanting to give himself away.

"What's your favorite brand of candy?" He asked offhand, taking a sip of his tea and watching her closely.

"A favorite?" Tsunoda asked, looking thoughtful. "I dunno! Something really sweet, but with substance, like creme filled chocolate!"

She smiled at Komiya. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh- no reason!" Komiya cried, focusing back on his box lunch with his face a deep red. "J-just a poll I've been asking around the office."

--

"Hey, Tsunoda," Ton said the next morning, waving her over to his desk. "So I have a friend who'd love to meet you. Great guy. Works in IT."

"Ooh, that's so cool Mr. Ton!" Tsunoda squealed, bobbing over.

Komiya's ears fell back as he watched the discussion from his desk.

He felt uncomfortable, furious, even. Who did Ton think he was? He didn't know one thing about Tsunoda. He didn't have her best interests at heart, not with the company he kept.

He watched them speak for a moment, tail lashing in anger, and then watched Tsunoda hurried away into the tea room.

After a few moments, Komiya got up and crept after her into the adjoining room.

"Hey." He put his hand on the doorframe and looked inside with concern.

"You know that's not part of your job-"

Tsunoda jumped in alarm, dropping the tray in her hands and the cup of tea shattering with a splatter on the floor.

"Ohh, Komiya. Y-you scared me," Tsunoda giggled nervously, kneeling down to pick up the mess. She hadn’t been particularly antsy- just…

Komiya swept inside and knelt down, brushing the sharp pieces of the china into his cupped hand. "Stop. You're going to hurt yourself."

Tsunoda looked up at him, bright doe eyes shining.

They were inches apart, eyes meeting, nearly close enough to feel the heat off each other and smell the distinct scents of the other; her sweet, fruity perfume meshing with his the scent of his crisp, sandalwood cologne.

"Komiya?" She giggled.

The meerkat's heart was going a mile a minute, body trembling ever so slightly.

"We...really need to stop meeting like this." He managed, mouth turning dry. He couldn't take his eyes off her and his stomach was in knots.

There was a pause. The two stared at each other in silence, practically tortured by the tension. And then...

"Hey!" shouted Tsubone from the doorway, leering down at them. "What's the hold-up? Hurry up with that tea!" Without another look, she stalked off, muttering dark curses about the younger generation under her breath.

"Oh...I..." Komiya jerked back, becoming fully aware of just how close they were.

"I-I'm sorry!" He cried, snatching the pieces of china into his hand and standing up swiftly, his face burning bright crimson. "I'll handle this mess! You just...you..."

Tsunoda slowly got to her feet. "No, it's fine." She brightened. "Thanks for helping me out, Mr. Komiya."

Tsunoda turned to fix up the second cup of tea.

Speechless, Komiya could do nothing more than return to his desk.

---

Tsunoda met him on Instagram.

Handsome, classy, and popular to boot, he was top of the line.

When he asked her out, it sure felt like destiny. She imagined how wonderful it would be- meeting him the first time, knowing right away he was the one. Love at first sight.

And she couldn't wait for the day.

--

It was White Day.

Komiya had spent his entire weekend shopping, searching high and low for the perfect gift. At last, he'd stumbled across a vintage candy store at a mall some towns over, and after scouring the shop, he'd found just the thing: gourmet coffee-flavored chocolate truffles.

He had it specially wrapped and put in a light blue giftbox, tied up nice with a bow.

Countless times in the hours leading up to that morning Komiya would nervously take a look at his handiwork- make sure the wrapping was immaculate, his bow meticulously centered.

Then, brushing himself up in the mirror, he practiced his line over and over.

Komiya couldn't remember the last time he'd thought of someone else over himself- but that's all he wanted, her satisfaction.

He wasn't going to mess this up.

He'd put his whole heart and soul into it.

When finally he reached the office, he put the package on his desk and waited for Tsunoda.

Around him, he saw other males in the office handing out some sweets to the women. Off to the side, Haida was handing off a bags of marshmallows to Fenneko and Retsuko, blushing brightly, not seeming to take much notice that the bag for Retsuko was about twice as big as the other.

Yagyu was creeping around the office, dropping off little bars of chocolate on the desks of particular women and giving them suggestive winks.

Komiya sat patiently.

And finally, she arrived.

He noticed the moment she entered the room- instantly the world seemed lighter, brighter.

His heart set off like a bullet train, and he got to his feet, taking the parcel in his hands. It was now or never...

"Ah, Tsunoda," Yagyu bellowed, shoving his way past Komiya. "How's our lovely little lady? This is for you." The buffalo handed her another one of those chocolate bars, and she accepted it with a smile.

"Thank you, Mr. Yagyu!"

"Oh, please," he chortled. "All I ask is you think of me while you eat it."

Tsunoda then headed for her desk, taking her purse off and lying it on her chair.

Put off by the interruption, Komiya bounced back and walked over nervously.

"Tsuno-" he started, before catching himself. He breathed deeply. He adjusted his posture, grinned apprehensively. He had to be calm and cool.

"Tsuna-chan!"

Tsunoda looked up, eyes big.

Cupid's arrow shot through Komiya's heart.

"Got you something!" He said loudly, jerking his arm down stiffly towards her.

Oh, God.

"You did?" Tsunoda gasped, the sparkle in her eyes shining bright as she looked down at the parcel. She clapped her little hooves together and beamed. "How sweet! Thank you so much!" She gently reached out and placed her hands on it, eyes connecting with Komiya's.

For a moment, both their hands rested on the package, fingers almost brushing each other.

Then Tsunoda took it in her hands, untying the ribbon and lifting the top open.

She made a soft sound, picking the wrapping off and staring at the large bag of coffee-flavored truffles.

"And-" Komiya continued with an awkward chuckle, "I know you like your coffee a special way- there's some mocha, some espresso, some latte- but I got the kind with creme filling to make it extra sweet..." He laughed.

"Oh...Komiya," Tsunoda said softly. She looked up at him, the most beautiful smile on her face.

It was perfect.

And Komiya gathered all his courage.

"So...I was wondering..." he stammered, "There's this mini golf place I really like- really nice, only one in the city. I-I was thinking...we could go together after work. I'd show you the ropes...Get dinner..." The butterflies in his stomach were now more like buzzing wasps, his face hot and feverish. His heart was fit to burst right out of his chest.

The pause was like forever.

"Oh- I can't," Tsunoda said, her smile turning into a frown. "I have a date."

Komiya opened his mouth and shut it, the corner of his mouth twitching. Slowly, his shining hopeful eyes dimmed.

"Oh. That's great. That's cool. Heh." A drop of sweat slid down his face and he rubbed the back of his neck, feeling like a total fool. "Uh, anyone I know?" He asked casually.

"I don't think so," Tsunoda said, tucking the parcel under her arm. "But I'm really excited for it. We've been talking online for a couple weeks."

Komiya tried to regain his composure, grinning as cheerily as he had ever done in all his life. Putting on this happy face, it was something he'd mastered.

"I'm so glad to hear that. I know you two will have a wonderful time. And besides..." He chuckled. "I've got loads of work to finish. Probably for the best!"

Tsunoda said nothing, watching him, a twinge in her heart.

"Let me know about the good time you have, ok?" He asked before turning back to his desk.

"Sure." But the words were hollow.

--

"This will be perfect."

Tsunoda did a twirl in front of her framed, full-length mirror, admiring the way her sheer, pink gown billowed around her body. She tapped her matching pink heels on the hardwood floor, examining herself and lifting her dress from different angles.

She looked amazing, and she knew it.

Carefully, she curled and frosted her lashes, rouged her cheeks a sweet baby rose, and then applying some gloss and lacquer to his lips.

Last but not least, she spritzed on her rose perfume.

An hour passed.

Then the buzzer rang.

Tsunoda hurried excitedly to the door, her heels clacking, and opened it right up.

"Hi!" She squealed. "I'm so glad to finally meet you!"

"Same here. Sorry I'm late. Wow, you're gorgeous."

Tsunoda giggled.

Arm wrapped around her date, Tsunoda walked into the unfamiliar bar.

It was dimly lit, muffled club music playing, the floor swarming with people.

It seemed like just her scene.

"Hey! Bartender!" he barked, the two of them sitting down at the bar.

Tsunoda took the chance to take a quick photo to mark the occasion, before tucking her phone back into her purse.

"What you want, babe?" He asked, nudging Tsunoda, but before she could reply he spoke up to the approaching bartender. "Two beers! Dry."

He turned back to Tsunoda. "My personal favorite. It'll be your favorite too, trust me. I'm never wrong with this kind of thing."

Tsunoda just smiled. "Ok. Well, I like to try new things."

"That's why I like you," he said with a laugh. "You're adventurous! First moment I set eyes on your profile, I knew it. Not just a pretty face, but exciting, too." He pulled out his phone in a way that was eerily familiar to Tsunoda, eyes glued to the screen.

"I admit, most girls I've met up with have been bores. I should have seen it coming. Always posting the most vanilla of stuff. Never amounting more than 200 likes on a photo. If the world can't love them, how can I?"

"Oh?" Tsunoda asked, not completely understanding.

"We're different. You know, social media stars. People that matter." He snorted laughter, and the bartender set down two glasses of beer in front of them.

He took a sip and scowled.

"Hey!" He snapped, and the man behind the counter jumped. "I asked for Asahi!"

The bartender stammered. "Sir, you weren't specific-"

"Take it back. I can't drink this schlock." He said with disgust.

Tsunoda stared.

Her date went back to his phone, shaking his head. "You know what I hate? People who don't listen. Like my supervisor. Old man stuck in his old ways. I tell him, we can transfer everything online. It'll be simpler. He puts his foot down, says people want things done manually. Bull. Shit."

"Sure." Tsunoda said. She was starting to feel like she wasn't really a part of this date.

The bartender returned with their new drinks, and her date was quick to guzzle it down and ask for another.

"I don't need this job. Sorry you're a nobody, but I've got something to fall back on, you know?" He continued, with a smarmy look. "I've had celebrities comment on tourist photos, gotten private messages from airline companies to offer me deals...If I wanted, I could drop everything, just travel the world!"

Tsunoda's eyelids lowered, and she took a sip of the beer, coughing.

She was getting bored.

And he kept going on.

"- When I went to Hong Kong and met the movie cast for Tigress in Heat, I got full access to the set, interviews, why, we even went out for dinner a couple times, they loved my work-"

"Chris Heavens and I go way back, in fact, you could say I was the one who inspired him to write his bestseller-"

"My old girlfriend was just so jealous, always crawling back to me, wanting to get back together, now that I was something she couldn't have..."

Tsunoda glanced around the bar disinterested. His voice was now like an annoying insect, flitting in her face, a bug she couldn't slap.

Discreetly, she checked her own phone.

Two hours had passed.

It felt like two months.

Far off in the corner, her eyes passed over a television flickering through the sports channels, where a group of drunken men were cheering. They seemed to be having fun.

The channels flipped. Baseball, soccer, golf.

Tsunoda suddenly thought of Komiya.

She thought back to that morning, his heartfelt gift and asking her to the golf course.

She thought back to all those other times.

Gori's words reverbated in her head.

With a guy, you're first instinct is just to impress him. But in the end, what we really want is someone we can be ourselves with. Let our guard down.

Why had she never noticed that this was exactly how she felt around Komiya?

He'd shown her kindness. He'd accepted her as she was.

Even when they first met, friction between them, he'd been the one to give her a second chance.

The two of them...they were friends.

Tsunoda's heart beat faster in her chest, and she stared blankly out the window, not hearing a word her date was saying.

She'd never considered it before.

They were friends.

But...

he was also so much more than that.

Tsunoda abruptly hopped off the barstool, snatching her phone in her hand and swinging her purse over her shoulder.

"Sorry, gotta go!" She chirped, cutting the date off mid-sentence. She slammed down some cash and without waiting for his response, she dashed out of the bar.

--

Komiya swung, sending the ball sailing across the course. It rolled and spiraled around the hole, before dropping cleanly inside.

Hole in one.

Komiya sighed. 

Why was he here? What was the fun in playing by himself?

Here he was at the golf course, hoping it would lift his spirits. And usually it did- the place was pretty extravagant, being just on the outskirts of the Tokyo city limits; set on green acres of ponds and fountains and themed as a zen garden in its design and obstructions.

But it was doing nothing for him now.

Pathetic.

Tsunoda's post from earlier kept appearing in his mind.

"Hanging at the swag bar tonite!"

She'd posted a selfie of herself sitting with a tall, confident looking man with long horns, a great big smile on her face.

Well. She looked happy. It was what she deserved. The very best- something that he could never give her.

Komiya fished the ball out and started for the next course.

He felt so stupid.

What'd made him think that she'd ever want to be with him?

What'd made him think she could possibly feel the same way? Why his feelings would matter, anyway? She could have anything she wanted.

She knew him, what an absolute fuckup he was.

Komiya grit his teeth and struck the ball so hard it overshot the hole and sailed into the nearby pond.

A drop of sweat ran down his temple. Then he groaned.

Whatever, then. Night was closing in, and the golf course would be shutting down in the hour. Might as well pack up.

Komiya flipped his club over his shoulder and was about to head back when he heard her.

"Komiya! Wait!"

Tsunoda was sprinting across the grass, tripping and stumbling in her high heels, her arms pinwheeling out in excitement.

"Tsu...noda?" Komiya couldn't believe what he was seeing.

She hurtled towards him, wobbly on her feet, and he spread his arms as she skid into him, the two falling back a few paces before he steadied them both and gently helped her regain her balance.

"I- I knew I'd find you here!" Tsunoda huffed, breathing fast and looking up at him with a smile.

"What are you doing here?" Komiya asked with shock, his hands around her waist and going up to her shoulders. "Where's your date?" He couldn't believe what was happening.

Tsunoda looked a little embarrassed. "It didn't work out." She said simply.

Komiya looked upset. "Did he do anything to you?!"

"No, no," Tsunoda tittered, her rosy cheeks going a shade deeper. "I... just figured out...there was someone else I'd rather spend my evening with." She lowered her lids, smiling.

Komiya blinked, feeling his own cheeks starting to burn.

The beat of his heart was getting faster, the hot pit in his stomach knotting up.

Tsunoda put her hands on the club and looked up at him.

"So, you gonna show me how this game works?" She asked softly.

"Oh! O-of course!" Komiya said, blushing brightly. Delicately, he helped nudge her into the position, holding her arms on the club and helping her slide them down to the right spots.

"Like this?" She whispered, looking over her shoulder.

"Just...like this." He said murmured, his hands still on hers. Their faces were inches apart. She smelled so sweet, the sweet delicate rose and vanilla of her perfume overpowering him.

Their pulses raced, breaths faster and pupils dilating as their gazes connected. They quivered to feel the other's breath on their face, fur prickling.

Slowly, Tsunoda leaned in, her lashes fluttering closed.

Komiya's heart stopped in his chest. Then he leaned in too.

Their lips met, soft and fleeting, tentative, like a gently spoken whisper.

Tsunoda made a shuddering moan, and in one movement dropped the club to the ground, taking him by the tie and jerking him down to her height, pressing her lips against his.

Komiya was startled, but he didn't hesitate. He closed his eyes tighter, earnestly pulled her closer, feeling her small, warm body against his, deepening the kiss. Her lips were so soft, like petals, and smooth and sweet, the faint flavor of cherry gloss still glazing them with its tint.

It was more than just a kiss, but a question, an answer.

Tsunoda's eyelids fluttered, propping up on her tiptoes to take him in completely, arms going around his neck.

"Komiya..." she breathed.

"Tsunoda..." He looked at her, her sweet taste in his mouth. "I've been meaning to tell you...."

Tsunoda gave a soft, flirty giggle, looking at him and shaking her head from beneath her thick lashes.

"Shut up, Komiya," she purred, and she snatched him by the tie again, crashing her lips onto his.

And in that moment, they were in a world of their own.

Chapter Text

The world was theirs, and the moment was timeless.

Komiya and Tsunoda held onto each other with trembling excitement, lips locked like the softest pillows caressing, eagerly exploring and gently feeling the curve of each other's bodies, but with careful, cautious restraint.

Apart from the soft sound of kissing and little gasps of breath, the evening was peaceful and still.

And then, abruptly, the sound of a muffled pop music ringtone hummed out from somewhere in Tsunoda's purse.

Komiya's ears twitched anxiously, kissing her once more before his lips broke away from Tsunoda's gently, a bit embarrassed.

"M-maybe you should get that..." he laughed nervously.

But his countenance was practically glowing.

"It's nothing," Tsunoda replied with a giggle, reaching into her purse and silencing the phone without even a look. She leaned her forehead on his, taking notice of his self-consciousness toward the situation.

Komiya cleared his throat, standing upright and collecting himself.

"So...this is the place, huh?" Tsunoda spoke first, gazing around to really look at the idyllic modeled area for the first time. Though the sun was set, the courses were romantically lit with the lanterns of trees lining the pathways.

She took a few steps forward, strolling slowly over the course and across a small wooden bride to the other side, smiling.

It really was nice...just as he'd said.

Komiya chuckled, right behind her and a little bashful. "Yeah. I come here sometimes to just clear my mind after work. But..." he paused a second, coming up to Tsunoda as she leaned against a tree.

"How exactly did you know where to find me?"

"Well, you did say this was the only spot in the city," Tsunoda said, a sparkle in her eye. "So...I just hopped a cab and came straight here. I guess it was just luck that you hadn't left yet. The guy upfront just let me by when I mentioned your name. He laughed, but I didn't stick around to ask."

Komiya normally would have been irritated to hear the busybody teller was getting a laugh out of him getting a date, but he hardly cared at this moment.

Tsunoda had gone out of her way, done all of this, for him?

He couldn't believe it.

Nobody had ever done anything for him before.

He'd never in his life felt anything like this before, this wonderful, floaty, fuzzy feeling of warmth and such happiness. He could still feel her lips on his- his heart was still going at a mile a minute.

"Can I...take you to dinner? Or drinks?" he asked hopefully, wanting so eagerly to make it up to her, hoping he could show his gratitude, his full appreciation if he put his gentlemanly foot forward.

"I have a better idea," Tsunoda offered, eyes shining. "How about you show me how good you are with that golf stick of yours?"

"Y-you want me to show you how I play?" Komiya asked, surprised by the request.

Tsunoda smiled, hands behind her back and brushing her boot back and forth in the gravel. "Unless you're not as good as you say you are." She teased.

"Oh!" Komiya laughed, a smirk curling on his own lips. "A challenge, is it, Ms. Tsunoda? Well, I'll rise to that!" The meerkat grabbed the ball from his pocket and gave her a wave before stepping back to the beginning of the course to begin looking it over with scrutiny.

Tsunoda burst into laughter as she watched Komiya make exaggerated movements as he looked over every edge and angle of the course, standing up on his tiptoes like meerkats are so famed to do and then hunkering down on his haunches.

"Golf is really an extreme sport, isn't it?" She asked, giggling fit to burst.

"This is only miniature golf!" Komiya said back, finally taking a standing position. "You don't even want to know the crazy skill competitive golf takes."

He tipped his head and winked at Tsunoda and then with a very smooth, lightning strike, the ball sailed out, swerving over the curves, hopping over the bumps, looping round the blockades and then finally spiraling, spiraling, falling into the marked hole.

"Whoohoo!" A cheer erupted from the gazelle, filling her with a sincere joy and a sense of pride she hadn't expected at all.

Komiya did a little bow, smiling, and she bounced forward, grabbing his hands.

"You're incredible!"

"Ahh, this is beginner stuff," Komiya said, blushing, but he was touched by her compliment.

"And I bet you could take Mr. Ton to the cleaners," Tsunoda giggled, squeezing his hands.

"Not if I want to keep my job, I won't," Komiya replied jokingly, starting to walk down the next path, holding her hand. "Come on, I want to show you the best view this place has got."

Tsunoda took his hand, Komiya supporting her steps and leading her down the lantern lit trail. Idly they chattered, laughing, coming upon a blossoming cherry tree lined with rock garden and a waterfall. Passing another course, they rounded a corner and then came upon a clearing with a lily pond reflecting the sky and nothing but stars.

"You don't really get a view like this in the city, huh?" Komiya said, showing Tsunoda to the edge of the hill where the sky met the land. It was the perfect scene of the suburbs below, the faded view of the city lights far back, and the starlight just above. There was a little stone bench, just perfect for taking a break.

"Wow," Tsunoda breathed, taking it all in.

It was incredible.

It beat every travel photo she'd seen on Instagram by a infinity.

This was real.

"It really is beautiful."

"It is." Komiya confirmed, smiling and eyes gentle. But his gaze wasn't on the horizon.

"Oh!" Tsunoda grabbed her phone from her purse. This was too perfect an opportunity.

"I need to remember this moment." She took a few snapshots from different angles, then changed it up by taking a few shots with her in front, with different poses.

"Komiya, come in the picture with me!" She said unexpectedly after perhaps the 12th picture.

"Huh? Are you sure?" Komiya asked, offguard, but Tsunoda grabbed his arm and pulled him in close. "Get ready, ok? And smile!"

In most pictures, Komiya hated forcing a smile, but right now he was so over the moon with Tsunoda, his smile couldn't have been brighter or more natural.

It really was picture perfect.

"Oh my God," Komiya shook with laughter as Tsunoda showed him the photo of them together. "I always look so bad in pictures."

"You look cute," Tsunoda chided. "We both look cute! Ohhh, this is totally going in the Favorites Folder!"

Tsunoda made a babyish cooing noise, booping Komiya's nose and tucked her phone back into her purse.

Then she sighed wistfully, looking over the endless view before them, and then easing down to sit on the stone bench.

"Tsunoda?" Komiya asked. He could tell something was on her mind, and sat down beside her.

"You know, I really want to know more about you." She said suddenly, her hands squeezing his.

As she said the words, she could sense him getting a little nervous- she was starting to pick up on his tells- the jittery laugh, the twitch of his tail, how his eyes would dilated or dart to the corners.

"You really don't." Komiya faltered, now unable to meet her eye. "There's absolutely nothing interesting about me."

Tsunoda placed her other hand on his in a soothing gesture.

"Well, how about you tell me how you got into accounting?" She suggested.

"O-Oh!" Komiya chuckled, looking relieved. "Well, it's not really much of a story...just out of all my studies, math was my best, so..."

Tsunoda giggled. "Ooh, a math nerd."

"N-no!" Komiya objected, blushing harder and grinning. "It's just...I had this game plan..." His voice rose a trifle. "...I had my whole life worked out in freshman year, and then..." His words fell apart. "...well, plans just didn't work out."

And now here he was, going on thirty in a shithole job and renting a shithole apartment.

"Hey." Tsunoda said gently, sensing his unease, and brushing her hand down his arm. "Wanna know how I ended up at Chararyman? I left college without any idea where I was going. Like...I don't even think I took a real class."

"How'd you manage that?" Komiya asked, eyebrow raised and genuinely interested.

She laughed softly. "I mean, sure, I signed up for a couple advertising and blogging courses, but all I really remember are the parties. My daddy wasted soooo much money on my education."

"But you did know how to have fun," Komiya stated with a smirk.

Tsunoda smiled back at him, amused.

"Yeah, but I just never cared too much about the long term. Anyhow, I saw an opening in marketing at Chararyman and just jumped when I saw it. Better than working in the service industry, right? I guess Ms. Gori took a liking to me despite my lack of credentials."

"You must have made a good impression." Komiya said. "When I first started for Ton, he wouldn't even call me by my name for the first 6 months. It was just 'Temp' or on bad days, 'Asshole'."

"Oh my God, poor you!" Tsunoda giggled, leaning back and clapping her little hooves.

"But at least you climbed up to Mr. Chief Clerk! I'm just not really good at anything." She gave a shrug.

"Hold on- now that's not true!" Komiya exclaimed, sitting upright and looking at her with wider eyes.

Tsunoda blinked, giving him a curious look.

"Y-you have a natural talent for seeing the...the beauty in things!" Komiya flailed stupidly, the heat rising in his cheeks.

She was looking right at him. He was making this moment into a complete mess.

"...I don't know what you mean." She said softly. Her eyes, the richest deep blue, were like the night sky, sparkling just like the stars above.

"Art!" Komiya said abruptly. His mouth had gone dry, and was his fur standing on end?

"You...you're good at art. Artistic." He pointed out the phone in her purse. "It's one of the reasons so many people follow you!" He laughed awkwardly. It sounded so stupid in his own words, but he knew how important social media was to her.

Tsunoda was silent for a second, and then she fell into a fit of tinkling laughter. "Oh Komiya! You're funny!"

The meerkat shut his mouth, feeling all the more stupid.

"Funny, but sweet!" Tsunoda continued to laugh, and Komiya's heart jumped in his chest at these reassuring words.

She'd never thought of it that way...latte art was latte art and dessert pics were dessert pics, right?

True, when taking a selfie or photo of her thighs-or any other body parts, for that matter, there was the extra plus of beauty and fashion expertise.

Choosing the right makeup, accessories, or clothing for the shot- making sure to match your outfits with the right palette, getting the right tone for the time of the day.

A fashion faux-pas could make or break a girl.

But Tsunoda had never considered this as something of a talent.

Obviously, Komiya was just trying to make her feel better...

Tsunoda finished her giggles, giving a little gasp of air. "But I guess it doesn't matter, as long as I get the likes, right?"

Komiya just nodded, knowing he'd missed his moment: to tell her how he appreciated her seeing the beauty in him.

Whatever that may be.

"Thank you, Komiya," Tsunoda giggled, leaning in and pressing a sweet, gentle kiss against his cheek.

Komiya's eyes closed, nuzzling his face into her kiss and smiling the brightest he'd smiled all night.

---

They sat quietly for a short time, Tsunoda leaning against him, their fingers interlaced, the two of them just overlooking the world.

But the lanterns began to dim, and the park was closing.

"I think they're shutting down for the night," Komiya finally murmured, regretfully breaking the spell of silence and patting her shoulder gently. "We should get going since we have work in the morning."

Tsunoda laid her head on his lap, looking up at him and making a soft groan at the mention. "Ohhh, don't even talk about work right now. I'm exhausted." But her cheeks were flushed, eyes bright, smiling in good spirits.

Not even the thought of work could bring them down from their high right now.

"I can drive you home," Komiya said gently, looking back down at her. "Do you want me to carry you back to the car?"

"No, no! I can walk, I'm fine," Tsunoda said with a blush, rising back up, "It's just these stupid shoes." She rubbed at her ankles where the back of her heels were chafing her skin, and the tips pinched at her toes.

Komiya carefully took her arm and helped her steady herself on her feet.

"Then just lean on me," Komiya said, smiling.

Tsunoda wobbled a little in her heels, the grass nicking at her ankles, and Komiya quickly grabbed her by the arm to steady her again, taking the lead and slowly walking her back to the main entrance where his car was parked.

She giggled and he laughed, letting her lean her body weight onto his arm. Neither could keep the smile off their face, and kept sneaking glances at the other, wanting to speak.

"Here we are..." Komiya finally spoke after a short walk, coming up to the now nearly abandoned lot.

He approached his car and unlocked it, opening the door for her with a chuckle. "I'm sorry for the mess. Golf and work stuff, y'know..."

"Oh, no, it's fine." Tsunoda said lightly, stepping down from the curbside and into the vehicle's passenger seat with one last subtle twitch of their clasped fingers before they parted.

"Kyoto Estates," Komiya recalled, getting into the other side and starting the car. "I ought to remember how to get there." He looked over at Tsunoda. "Fancy place like that...hard to miss."

Tsunoda gave him a funny look and Komiya realized quickly that she wouldn't have remembered him driving her home if she had been flat out drunk that night...oh, shit.

"You told me about your place that one time," Komiya floundered, trying to cover up his blunder. He could feel nervous sweat on his brow.

"And you were saying just how ridiculous the rent was..."

This seemed good enough for Tsunoda, and she smiled and giggled. "Yeah, that's my place all right."

She turned away, her cheeks getting pinker, and looked out the window for a moment, before speaking again.

"Hey. Are you hungry?"

Komiya almost felt his hands on the wheel slip.

"D-did you change your mind and want to stop anywhere?!" he asked.

Tsunoda was the kind to spontaneously change her mind about things on the spot, but if she wanted a wine and steak dinner, she was going to get it!

"Oh, no need!" Tsunoda tittered, opening up her purse. "I just can't wait anymore, let's share these!" There was some soft rustling, and from her purse she pulled out the parcel of coffee-flavored truffles.

Komiya made a soft grunt of surprise.

He had almost forgotten...

"Please!" Tsunoda turned to him, her eyes shining. "Just a couple, it's just such a sweet present!"

The meerkat's heart thumped fast in his chest, flattered by her words and overwhelmed by her sweet, pleading face.

"If...if you're sure that's what you want..." he murmured weakly, turning back to the wheel and trying to hide his burning, crimson face.

"It is." Tsunoda said smugly, taking out a truffle and placing it in her mouth. Komiya blushed even deeper.

There was a few seconds of silence, Tsunoda rolling the chocolate in her mouth and over her tongue, her eyes growing wide.

"Amazing!" she exclaimed.

She reached into the bag, grabbed another, unwrapping it with gusto.

"Oh, Komiya, you have to try one!"

Before he could protest, her delicate hands were holding the truffle to his lips, the taste of chocolate on his tongue, and she pushed the candy into his mouth.

He swallowed.

"It's...not bad," he said, with actual surprise. He wasn't a sweets person, but it was good. Then again, maybe it was because of who he was sharing it with...

"Let's have another!" Tsunoda grinned.

--

When they arrived near Tsunoda's residence, the bag was almost empty.

Komiya pulled up slowly to the gate.

He had so many things he wanted to say.

But as he turned to look at Tsunoda, he couldn't utter a single thing.

He just looked at her.

"Thank you, Mr. Komiya," Tsunoda said, looking back at him, smiling. She gathered her purse. "Tonight was... really special."

She was getting ready to leave. He was going to lose his chance.

And then Komiya found his voice.

"Tsunoda! I had a great time with you this evening," Komiya said excitedly, face bright red. "I never met someone like you- had spent time with someone- I think there's a real spark between us." His eyes were shining, tail quivering in excitement.

The gazelle's face lit up. "Oh, Mr. Komiya, I had such a good time too!" She put her hand on his again, her own tail starting to shake a little.

"Look! There's that cute smile again!" She hopped forward, her hands reaching playfully to graze his cheek.

Komiya's breathing had stopped.

He had to kiss her.

"Tsunoda..."

He made a movement to lean in but then quickly jerked back, cheeks red and heart pumping.

They had kissed before, but what if that had just been a heat of the moment thing?

If she wanted to again, she would have shown a sign, right?

Tsunoda kept smiling, her eyes on his, blue on green. "If you take too long to kiss me," she finally said, "I'm just going to have to kiss you."

And she pounced. There was a squeak, a muffled shout, and arms and legs tangled in a flurry as the two wrestled on the seats.

The air got hot with the exchanged exhales of warm breaths, hungry lips on lips, the stifled giggles and little moans that managed to escape.

Their lips glided like soft velvet over each other, the taste of chocolate truffle still on their tongues, twining with their breath. Pulses raced, bodies quivered, it was a flurry of excitement.

Then breathing heavily, they slowly parted.

Tsunoda had Komiya pinned against his seat, arms round his neck. Both their faces were flushed, eyes hazy and dark, just inches apart, and their hearts pounded in time, hard and fast. The windows of the car had even fogged up a little, leaving a misty screen around them.

They both were smiling.

"...Wow."

Tsunoda arched an eyebrow. "Wow?" She repeated, sliding back to give Komiya some space to sit up. She had to stifle a laugh- to go with his flushed appearance, she'd gone and given him a mess of bright pink kiss marks all over his mouth and face, and he looked to be reeling in a daze from the whole thing.

Adorable.

Komiya unsteadily sat up, his eyes momentarily flying in opposite directions. "I mean...wow!" He shouted ubruptly, his voice raising and mouth flapping wide. He couldn't take his eyes off Tsunoda. "THAT WAS...THAT WAS....YOU..."

"Mr. Komiya, inside voices!" Tsunoda hushed him, hardly containing her laughter and putting a hand over his mouth.

But she knew exactly what he was saying.

That had been...something else.

Something amazing.

"Most of my neighbors are probably asleep by now," Tsunoda noted, lowering her voice. "We don't want to wake them up."

"O-oh." Komiya said, nodding emphatically. His whole body was in overload now- like he'd stepped on a live wire. But he thought he understood what these words implied.

"I'll let you go," he said, pulling himself together as best he could, straightening his tie. Looking like a real gentleman. "I know how busy you are. But...I'd love to spend more time with you."

He gulped a little.

"I know we see each other at work almost every day. But that doesn't really count. Unless...that's enough for you. I wanted to...take you out..."

He was burning bright red now.

"Mr. Komiya." Tsunoda's big eyes sparkled. "If you're asking me out on another date, then of course, yes."

He breathed out sharply, joy flooding him.

"You mean it?"

"What kind of girl do you take me for?" Tsunoda asked cheekily, her finger tracing her lower lip in a flirty motion. "Besides...you owe me a dinner." She winked.

"Ye-yeah!" Komiya affirmed loudly, then lowering his voice. "I mean, yeah!"

"How is Saturday? I'll text you."

Saturday...that was the day after tomorrow.

"Perfect!"

More than perfect.

Tsunoda giggled, her purse over her arm and opening the side door.

"You have a good night, Mr. Komiya."

"Komiya...just Komiya." He repeated, for what was maybe the hundredth time.

She just laughed, and she leaned in on tiptoe to lay a kiss gently on his nose. He shivered, crinkling up his nose and blushing brightly.

"Komiya, then." She agreed.

She'd never seen him look so happy when she said these words.

"Good night...Tsunoda." His hand cupped her chin, gently just caressing her cheek. He chuckled. "I'll see you soon."