\\ He slapped her right across the face, leaving throbbing pain where his hand struck her. The taste of blood coated Chino's mouth, and the ringing in her ears barely prevented her from hearing his muttered words, "Lie to me again... I'll come find you." // A sharp adrenaline rush woke Chino Tsukkiko up- as did the shuffling of the sheets next to her. Fear seized her heart for a second the moment she realized Eros was glaring at her. His apparent generosity in letting her sleep in the bed for once was over- which she figured out seconds before he shoved her out of the bed, to which she hit the floor with a groan, landing on her side. At first, Chino considered just... leaving- then she remembered her mother. Her poor sick mother, Arina. She couldn't leave her- just the thought of it made her heart clench unpleasantly. "Make me breakfast or something..." Eros grumbled, rolling over. Naturally, he wouldn't get up until the food was cold- but Chino didn't mention that, instead getting up, wincing at the bruises peppering her body. She should be used to it, at this point. Hoping he was asleep, Chino entered her mother's room, where the woman laid where she always did- wide awake. "It's not too late to kick him out." The older woman clipped, raising her eyebrows. Of course she thought that. Chino shook her head silently, the pills shifting in the prescription bottles as she emptied the amount needed for Arina. She couldn't try to leave him... he had friends in town, and she didn't want to be confronted. She trembled slightly as she handed her mother some water and the pills. "Mom, I filled out an application for a job- for some fancy law firm," Her voice shook, wide brown eyes studying Arina, "I'll be back in a few hours, because I have an interview, okay? I'll lock your door. Don't let him in. I love you." She dashed across the itty-bitty apartment, getting together her clothes that she managed to buy from a bargaining store- which was almost a steal, considering it all matched. Still, she managed to pull on the slightly tight clothes, thankfully the skirt was knee-length, with enough time to run outside to take the 20 minute walk to the interview building. It ended up being larger than she expected. She had to crane her neck up- it seemed to be just around 12 floors, each floor being unusually large. "Saizen & Associates..." She murmured, before entering the building through the revolving doors, nearly running into a woman with flaming hair, who glared back. Chino tucked her own chestnut hair behind her ears, face flushing in embarrassment. Everyone at this fancy law firm probably knew that Chino wasn't rich- and that she wasn't a lawyer. She checked the instructions again: Floor 12, the first office on the right. Chino sighed, her heels clicking against the marble floor as she made her way to the gold elevator- except she was beat there by a young woman with sky-blue hair and bright green eyes. "Oh! What floor are you going to?" The woman gave her a beautiful, charming smile that has likely stolen the hearts of many men. Chino's face flushed, as she softly replied with, "12- Floor 12." The woman cringed, "Oh, poor you. Interview with Saizen? God. Good luck." Chino felt the blood drain from her face, "...What?" She went into the elevator. "Well, see, Saizen- he used to be a... really nice guy. But, last month... he started acting different. He's not- he's different. We don't know what's wrong- but he's completely opposite." More people came into the elevator- and a male piped up, "Saizen? Oh, yeah. I was drowning in student debt... he stepped in and paid every penny..." The male looked misty-eyed for a moment, then shook it off. "It's a shame he's different from before..." A female sighed, shaking her head. The elevator was now filled with the rumbling of stories on how Saizen helped them- how he made their lives better. The elevator made it to the 12th floor, prompting Chino to step off- except the girl followed her to the intersection. "Uh, again- good luck. I really hope you get what you're looking for," The woman paused, "I'm Hakiko. I work for him." She pointed over her shoulder at a slightly older man, who had his eyebrows raised at the women, "He's really nice if you need anything. See you later!" Without another word, she walked off. Chino looked back at the instructions. First office on the right. She inhaled, heart racing wildly- her stomach threatening to give out. She tried not to think about being sick on the floor. Chino forced her legs forward, surprised by her steadiness- quickly making her way to the first office. She was briefly met with a set of ice blue eyes, which quickly flickered back at his computer screen. "Please have a seat, Miss Tsukkiko." He clipped politely, opening the filing cabinet next to his dark desk. She obeyed while he pulled out a nice-sized file and flipped through it.
She took a moment to study him while he did this. Thick medium-blonde hair, very light gold skin, and his eyes were still startlingly blue. He seemed younger, perhaps just turning 30, though looks are often deceiving. Chino was too nervous to speak, not trusting her voice. She stared at the desk, taking note of the dark swirls and the red hue, noticing a photo frame was turned upside-down. It was the longest five-minutes of her life- she looked up to catch him studying her intently, heart jumping when his eyes narrowed slightly. "Miss Tsukkiko. I trust you will handle your situation?" Chino was confused until he pointed at her face, then took out a hand-held mirror, turning it directly at her. Apparently when Eros shoved her off the bed, she smacked her face on the floor, leaving a light bruise behind. "It's a matter of liability. If you show up with bruises on your face, or anywhere else that's visible, I could take unnecessary repercussions- something about abusing my employees." His eyes remained narrowed. After a long pause, Chino mumbled a 'yes sir', staring at her hands. "Good," He shut the file, "I expect you to remain professional at all times, though I doubt that will be a problem. Your office is next to mine, and your pay is determined by the effort you put in. If you need any situational aid, I expect you to ask- only if it'll affect your performance. If you need a day off, tell me three days in advance- unless there is an emergency. Do you understand?" Chino could only nod, staring at the desk. "Words, Miss Tsukkiko." "Yes, sir." "There we go. Any questions?" She bit her lip, shoulders drooping slightly, "When do I start?" He chuckled quietly, "Tomorrow at 5:30 AM. Try to get some better clothes that fit. And sleep." Chino dismissed herself. // Want more? Hit that ⛤! \\ #stories#art
