Ruki's Guide to Love and Fear (A JO1/Shiroiwa Ruki Fanfic)

Chapter 17

Ruki was speechless.

It's over. It's all over.

"I told you I was going to tell your company about you and Momoko if you contacted her. I'm just keeping my promises here," Toyama said.

I didn't figure it out in time.

Panic surged through Ruki's body.

It can't be over like this. There must be something I can still do to resolve this.

An idea hit like a flash of light. Hanging up the call, he immediately ran down the hall to the elevator and pushed the up button.

I can still talk to Lapone's director. Surely they will believe me over Toyama. I can do this.

As soon as the elevator opened to reveal the fourth floor, Ruki made a beeline for the front desk.

"I need to speak to the director!" he gasped out at the receptionist, trying to catch his breath.

The receptionist looked up at him with a startled look on her face. She straightened her necktie and said, "I'm sorry, but the director is finishing up his work day at the moment."

Well, at least he hasn't left yet, he thought, as he took off toward the director's office, ignoring the receptionist yelling at him to stop. He skidded to a halt outside of the director's door, took a deep breath, then plunged into whatever future the director's office held for him.

The director looked up at him, his eyes wide. The director had been in the middle of packing his suitcase with different papers. "Shiroiwa? What're you doing here?"

"It's not true! What Hideki Toyama told you isn't true!" Ruki blurted out, still breathless from his mad dash to the director's office.

"Hideki?" the director echoed, a frown forming on his face, "What about Hideki? We relieved him of his duties earlier this week."

Wait, what?

"Hideki didn't tell you something about me or Ito Momoko?" Ruki asked.

The director shook his head. "No, we don't tend to continue to communicate with employees after they have been fired. Nor have I heard anything about Ito Momoko since she terminated her contract with us."

For the second time that day, the world around Ruki seemed to stop in its tracks.

Momoko quit? Was it because of me? Was it because I confessed and made her uncomfortable?

He had so many questions, but he couldn't summon up any words to ask them.

"Look, if you've come to apologize about what happened at the company party the other day, you could have just made an appointment to see me. I'm really busy," the director said, hinting at the fact that Ruki needed to leave.

"So, I'm not in trouble?" Ruki said, finally able to talk again.

"Not to my knowledge, no," the director affirmed, "But you will be if you don't leave right now and go do whatever it is you're supposed to be doing at the moment."

"Right, I'm so sorry," Ruki said, already backing out of the director's office. "I'll come back another day to apologize properly."

After bowing apologetically, he shut the office door after him. He wanted to feel relieved at the news that he wouldn't have to be kicked out of JO1, but he was overwhelmed with worry for Momoko. What had happened to her in the days since he saw her last? Had she really gotten his message?

He bowed politely to the receptionist even though she was glaring at him, and then escaped to the bathroom to call Momoko. He needed to know that she was okay.