Feather Bound

Chapter 31

"Alright, are you ready to go?" Haruki asked as you stepped out of the dressing room, grabbing the garment bag from you.

"Yeah," you replied before pausing, tilting your head as you looked at her. Haruki had been helping you a lot in the last two weeks, especially after the Commission brought all your things from your apartment. She had assisted you in unpacking, made dinners, and helped you sell and sort through things. In fact, you couldn't remember the last time she had been in the office with Keigo. "Hey, Haruki? Is it okay that you're missing work for this? He won't be upset or anything, right?"

"Nah," she replied, grabbing her bag before giving you a wide smile. "I was officially assigned to Y/N duty until after the gala. The boss has the sidekicks doing their own reports, and he's picking up the slack everywhere else. He wanted to make sure you had help getting settled and prepared." She chuckled slightly as you both made your way out of the store, "Besides, I would much rather do this than be filing arrest reports. Don't get me wrong, it's not horrible, but this break has been nice."

"More than happy to help," you chuckled as you followed her into the salon, sucking in a breath as you were led to a chair, settling in. You weren't totally sure why, but the Vice President had insisted you have your hair and makeup professionally done. Keigo had said that tonight was going to be a huge deal, and once they made the official announcement, they were fairly certain people were going to flip out. After all, Japan's most eligible bachelor was no longer on the market after today.

It took literal hours for them to complete your hair and makeup, nearly lulling you into sleep during the process. Blinking in the mirror, your eyes widened as you observed the transformation. Your makeup looked impeccable, a look you doubted you could replicate on your own. They opted for a stunning golden eyeshadow, complemented by a vibrant sparkling red cateye eyeliner that extended into the corners of your eyes, subtly mirroring Keigo's natural markings. Your hair was elegantly styled into an updo, with a few loose and curled strands framing your face.

"Girl, you look stunning!" Haruki said, smiling at you through the mirror's reflection before checking her watch and sucking in a breath. "Shit, we need to get going. We've only got an hour and a half to get back to your apartment and get you changed and ready to go." You were quickly pulled from the chair, calling out a hurried thank you as Haruki tugged you out of the salon and into the waiting Commission car. You sighed, settling into the seat, shuffling nervously before looking over at Haruki.

"Can you give me a rundown on some of the other heroes again?" you asked nervously, and she chuckled slightly in response.

"Sure," she replied softly, crossing her legs as she began her speech. "Endeavor is a literal hothead. He can be rather abrasive, rude, and honestly unpleasant. Hawks seems to take it all in stride, though—go figure the fucking fanboy that he is."

"Fanboy?" you asked, interrupting her, and she started to laugh in response.

"Oh yeah, Endeavor is his favorite hero. Don't tell him I told you, but he's got a signed trading card in his desk. He talked about that thing nonstop for months after he got it. I've got zero idea why he's his favorite though," she said, rolling her eyes as you sucked in a breath, your heart twisting slightly. Endeavor had always been Himari's favorite too, that's why you'd used him as your answer that day in the book cafe. She used to beg you every night to let her watch 'Fire Guy' on TV. When you had asked her why, she just shrugged, saying something about how he looked so sad, like he needed a hug. You'd never really put much thought behind it before; Himari had always been overly empathetic towards people.

"Now, Best Jeanist will probably make some comment about your dress. Don't take it personally if it's negative. That man has a thing for fabric, and if it's not perfect, he'll say something. Edgeshot is pretty shy, quiet, and not your boy's biggest fan. He's always said Hawks is far too high-strung, which is understandable. He can be a lot when he's in hero mode." She said with a shrug before letting out a small giggle.