Drawn to You

Just Rumors... Right?

Araya Soichi. 

"As I said I was glad to catch you," she went on cool and cunning clear in her walk. "You understand I gave my youth and practically any other chance of employment to JZ Stars. I trusted them to take care of me and in turn, make my time worth it."

She was older than he was. 

She was more experienced than he was. 

"So please, don't be offended when I ask, out of concern, is..."

And the closest thing to in bed with the boss than a no-nonsense woman like her could imagine getting. 

Gah! No, no, no! Bad thought!

"... hope in gaining...?" 

"Bad!"

"Wow," she chuckled, "wow. You suck. You know Koki? You seriously suck. Can't keep your damn hormones out of the..." She aimed a pointed pointer finger on and around his forehead. The flash of danger acute and glaring. "Good stuff can you? But to the point, I will repeat. What do you expect to happen when, not if, you are reported or otherwise dealt with, for... Fooling around as you've been?"

"Fooling-- around?" He repeated shrill and broiling under both such intent scrutiny and knowing for a fact that-- that the idea...

The idea had been rent free since...

"By the way," Idahaya-sama had commented absently. After that first day. As Koki brought in the renderings and rough sketches and panels for the night's brainstorm grind, and as he'd been expressly threatened not to question, a tea and mochi. 

"Ah anything else sir?"

"Long hair suits you nicely. And I mean, some six, twelve thousand, yen? For you to keep."

That is not how much a haircut costs.

"Koki? Are you-- are you paying any attention?" Soichi-sama snapped brusquely. "Because I do remind you, I am giving you an out if you believe it. Letting you to see that this spark or whatever you believe is there is nothing. And will never be anything since it shouldn't be. You will not take advantage of Idahaya-san that way."

"Take, take advantage?" Koki murmured nevertheless his face exposing shock and then guilt. Unable to meet the elder coworker in the eye, "That's not true. That isn't what it is at all."

Idahaya-san was not giving him some, special, personal attention. Koki was just letting himself get swept up in weird, clearly filthy fantasies. The man was his boss, an adult, and had all the money and luxuries to know better, not to mention having his pick of the whole cow or litter. Whichever.

Whichever.

Soichi-sama huffed out a tiny, tenuous little laugh. "Oh it isn't?"

"It isn't," he tried to affirm only to stammer.

"Don't be dishonest. Face it, it has to feel somewhat good? Being the boss' new rebound?"

"That-- that's not true, not true in the least Soichi-sama!" he said rising in volume and panic.

Receiving a glare in return along with the harsh advice to "quiet down." "Not act like a spoilt idiot."

"Then it is just a coincidence then? The warming presents the first days you started. Those chocolates were quite an expensive brand I'm sure even you would be aware, as well as the fresh lunch, and coupons. Not to mention paying your transit pass?"

"One time! For both," he argued feebly. And he stopped once I'd asked.

Though, he hadn't technically told the truth onto why.

His Father wouldn't care so much as to where it was coming from. His brother would steal it, his Mother would appreciate it without being too lucid as to ask questions either.

Koki just hadn't wanted to risk getting anyone in trouble or stir up something where there was nothing. 

 "Or ah," and she aimed her distasteful, suspicious glare upon his work sketches, "your drafts and concepts have always been the ones accepted not to mention he insists having ideas from a trainee on hand? Always!?"

Koki couldn't help but hold his work tight.

His coworkers would never stoop to sabotage, Soichi-sama even less so. That said, the possibility pricked at him.

"He-- he just cares since I'm the y'know, just younger. That's. It."

And he believed that, despite his tone saying otherwise. He just couldn't help himself, Soichi-sama was shorter than he was, but she was still older, still calculating, and still hated his very being.

"Hmmm, yes. I'm sure it is. Well I tried Koki. Can't blame me for what happens next."

He let her pass, without word or restraint to keep a somewhat blank face.

Spotting his tense look, straining to keep composure she simply sighed, fingers to the bridge of her down sloping nose. 

"Get that ugly look off your face its very unprofessional. Nimura."

_________________

"Well come on now, and get that ugly look off your face its very unprofessional, Nimura." The woman's inflection remained cold yet no less patronizing toward her classmate. With bated breath she watched the train doors close.

Before exhaling and quietly squealing.

Just-- just like that! Gone.

As if it wasn't jarring!

Nimura-san with an older woman! On somewhat familiar terms! 

Then again that was expected. But the two saying all that stuff. "New rebound!" Expensive gifts!?

Jirou Shinoa was one of many girls who liked Second Year Koki Nimura. She was lucky enough to be in the same Art class.

Nimura, in so few words, could pass for a fairly good looking idol. Put the right makeup on and some of the trending looks of the year and one could swear he was at school for some benefit show or event.

He wasn't by far the 'best' at anything. Gym class? Fell on his face more often than not. Lucky, he was quick enough and had a decent arm. He was nothing special in other subjects either, nodding off, and always average work and test scores.

But drawing?

Nimura was second to none. It's where his passion lied and it showed. 

Most would get into trouble for how long he drew in classes and during lecture. Not to mention how loud he ground the graphite onto paper, though Nimura just had this... this face.

Whenever anyone demanded his attention, no matter how harsh or gentle, his face just got the most petrified, cute puppy look to it. Nimura would stammer or just move his lips, no words. And the way how he would fidget with his hands and look so kicked and downtrodden. 

Teachers just gave him a warning or reassurance. 

Classmates were as mad on his behalf as they were jealous.

Because Nimura was pure. He was pure in a way that was endearing even if getting so many unspoken privileges--BY SHEER accident!-- was enough to drive anyone round the bend.

Though, Jirou may have just had to admit, that persona, that front, wasn't so accidental. Couldn't be if he was possibly covering up himself.

He wasn't exactly denying or frightened. That caught her eye too and, dare she say, the new tidbit to his 'experience' brought a crooked, lovesick sort of slant to her mental rendering of Nimura-sensei.