The Proximation of Hello and Goodbye

26

Shinobu's eyes remain fixed on the liquid in his cup as it swirls as he sets his spoon to the side. There's something about the circling motions of the liquid, so uniform and powerful that it vortexes in the center, evenly incorporating the additives into the rest of his coffee. If he had nothing better to do, he could watch it all day. As things stand, however, there's no way he could. There's far too much to be done with everything starting to come together as it is. Despite one of his best people missing and another failed attempt at capturing a target of his, he feels confident that things will fall into place soon. Sure, it's deplorable that he'll have to get his hands even dirtier sometime soon, but all of it is only a means to an end. So long as this ends with Izuku at his side and the both of them on top of the world, all will be well.

There's a soft rapping at his door, drawing Shinobu back to the reality that lies before him. He sighs upon seeing Ichika peek her head inside with a gentle smile. "Sir, your ten-thirty is here, should I send him in?" she inquires.

"Give me another minute and then send him in," Shinobu frowns.

"Yes sir," she nods, stepping out.

He pulls a small stack of papers from the forefront of his desk and sets them in the center of his workspace, placing a pen beside them. Pulling out a notepad and a highlighter, he feels ready to make a note of anything he finds to be offputting or worthy of any other form of attention. By the time he's prepared for his meeting, the person is walking in. He stands tall, his posture sure and proud. He quickly closes the door behind him and bows, greeting Shinobu before approaching. "Thank you for meeting with me, sir. It is an honor to have a moment of your time and your consideration," the redhead declares, coming to a stop in between Shinobu's desk and the seats sitting across from it.

Shinobu's eyes scan the man up and down. He takes note of his attire, how seamlessly it seems to be put together--not a wrinkle in sight, the perfect choice of attire for the meeting, and wonderful taste in clothing brands. His eyes flicker up meeting his gaze and he tilts his head as he hums. "I wouldn't be too chipper if I were you. We have a lot to discuss and this meeting can go in several directions. That all depends on you, though. Enmei, was it?"

He nods. "Yes sir. Yamaguchi Enmei. I work at the--"

"I know where you're assigned." He waves his hand dismissively and inhales deeply. "Take a seat and get comfortable. Hopefully, this won't take long." Enmei stops dead in his tracks and gulps as he nods before taking a seat across from where Shinobu sits. The man sure does seem to fidget a lot. He can't help but wonder if it's because he's nervous or just the way he seems to behave in general. No matter the case, he can't help but find it to be somewhat annoying, and worse than that, it seems to be a distraction. He leans forward and makes a sweeping gesture, motioning to Enmei's sitting figure. "What's all this about? Stop it."

Enmei looks down and frowns. "What am I doing wrong, sir?"

"The fidgeting, it's too distracting."

"Oh sorry. I can't help it, I'm just really nervous. This is such a big deal, ya know?" he smiles uneasily.

Shinobu frowns and huffs. "Just dial it back some, got it?"

"Absolutely, sir."

"Great. Now, I do believe you're wanting a promotion, is that correct?" Shinobu inquires. Enmei responds with a curt nod. "Right," he sighs, looking back down at his notes. "Well, as I'm sure you're aware, we take status and promotions very seriously in this organization. You seem to be a loyal and hard-working individual. It appears as though there have been no flags made in regard to your file. It seems as though you would be wonderful for the position you're seeking."