Where We Left Off?

Ch 1. Mr Kuroo

Hellooo everyone!! This is the first chapter of my new book, it can also be found on my tiktok acc: tsukii.poo
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The elevator ride to the 67th floor felt much longer than 67 floors.

Maybe it was because of the silence, or maybe it was because this interview meant everything.
Y/N glanced down at the leather folder, reading over her résumé for what had to be the tenth time that morning. It had included a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, six years of administrative experience, and tons of strong recommendations. This was the portfolio Y/N had spent hours perfecting.

The elevator chimed. The doors slid open to reveal a sleek lobby dressed in floor-to-ceiling windows, polished marble floors, and employees moving with purpose. It was intimidating in the best way.

A receptionist greeted her with a warm smile.
"Good morning. You must be here for the secretary interview."

"Yes," Y/N answered, offering a polite smile.
"Perfect. If you'll just sign in, Mr. Kuroo will be with you shortly."

They nodded absentmindedly, too focused on calming the flutter in her chest to really process the name.

Kuroo.

It wasn't an exactly uncommon name. There had to be thousands of people with that last name...right?

The receptionist stood, leading her down a quiet hallway lined with glass offices. "Right through these doors." Y/N stopped outside a large conference room.

"Good luck."
"Thank you." Y/N took one slow breath before pushing the door open.

The room was spacious, sunlight pouring through the windows overlooking the city skyline. A long conference table sat in the center, and at the far end, someone was reading through a stack of résumés.

He hadn't looked up yet. Y/N stepped inside, gently closing the door behind them.

"Good morning." The man looked up. Everything stopped.

The folder slipped from Y/Ns fingers. Papers scattered across the polished floor.
He stood almost immediately.

"...Tetsu?" The nickname escaped before she could stop it. His expression mirrored Y/Ns, in complete disbelief.

He looked older, of course. His hair was neatly styled instead of sticking up in every direction as it had in college. A charcoal suit replaced the hoodies and Nekoma jackets she used to steal from him. Thin, rectangular glasses rested on the bridge of his nose, making him look every bit the executive everyone probably expected him to be.

But his eyes...they hadn't changed. They still looked at her the same way.

"...Hi." His voice was quieter than she remembered.

Y/N blinked. "Oh my God...I'm so sorry."

Y/N crouched down, scrambling to gather the papers they had dropped.
"I-I didn't mean to—"

Another hand reached for the same page.

Their fingers brushed, but neither of them moved for a second. Then they both pulled away at the same time.

"Sorry," they said together.
An awkward laugh slipped from her lips before disappearing just as quickly.

He picked up the remaining papers, straightening the stack before handing it back to her.
"Thank you."
"Of course."

Silence settled between them.
Not an uncomfortable silence, but a heavy one.

She cleared her throat. "I didn't know you worked here."
"I didn't know you applied."
Another pause.

"I go by Mr. Kuroo here."

It wasn't cold or meant to push Y/N away in any way, just a reminder of where they were. A workplace, not a memory.

Y/N nodded quickly. "Right...of course. I'm sorry, Mr. Kuroo." The title hit him harder than he expected. They used to call him Tetsu, but now he was Mr. Kuroo.

He gestured toward the chair across from him. "Please, have a seat."

Y/N sat, smoothing invisible wrinkles from her blazer. He sat across from them, résumé in hand.
For a moment, neither spoke. He already knew every line on the pages; he watched her slowly build it. He remembered the nights Y/N stayed awake studying for finals, the internship Y/N almost turned down because Y/N didn't think they were good enough, the dreams Y/N rambled about over cheap convenience store coffee.

Y/N had built the life they always wanted.
He swallowed quietly before forcing himself back into the present.

"Well..." His voice regained its professional tone. "Thank you for coming in today."

Y/N smiled politely. "Thank you for having me."
The interview began, and Kuroo asked about previous positions, leadership experiences, scheduling, and all those typical interview questions. Y/N answered every question with confidence.

Not once did either of them acknowledge the history sitting between them. There were moments when it slipped. Y/N tucks a loose strand of hair behind their ear, the same way they always did when they were concentrating. He absentmindedly clicked his pen whenever he was thinking. Both noticed, but no one said a word.

Near the end of the interview, he closed her file.
"I only have one final question." Y/N looked up.

"Why our company?"

The answer came easily.
"I wanted somewhere I could grow."
"I've spent the last several years learning from every position I've held, but eventually...I realized I wasn't being challenged anymore."
Y/N smiled. "I want to build something here. Somewhere I can stay."

Something about those words settled heavily in his chest. 'Somewhere I can stay.'

He nodded once. "I appreciate your honesty."
She stood after thanking him again.
"I'll...wait to hear back."

He walked Y/N to the door, and for a second, it almost felt like old times. Both of them walking side by side, talking about everything. Except this time, neither of them knew what to say anymore.

Y/N rested her hand on the doorknob. "It was...good seeing you."
His eyes met Y/Ns. "...You too."

Y/N offered one last smile before slipping out into the hallway, and the door clicked shut.

Kuroo remained standing for several moments, staring at the closed door. He let out a slow breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Damn it."

He ran a hand through his hair before looking back down at the résumé resting on the conference table. He wasn't supposed to have favorites and definitely wasn't supposed to hire a candidate because of their past. The problem was that Y/N was the most qualified applicant he'd interviewed all week. Y/N was organized and experienced, checking off everything he was looking for in a secretary.

He sank into his chair, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he muttered, "Of all the companies..."

A soft knock interrupted his thoughts, and one of the department managers peeked inside. "So?"

Kuroo looked back at the résumé. Y/Ns name was printed neatly across the top of the page. The same name he'd spent six years trying not to think about.

He exhaled. "Send HR my recommendation."
The manager raised an eyebrow. "That good?"

Kuroo looked out the window overlooking the city. "She's the best candidate." That was the truth.

The fact that she also happened to be the woman he never stopped loving...was a problem he'd have to learn to live with.

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END OF CHAPTER ONE!! Hopefully you all
enjoyed and I will be posting the future chapters soon. Make sure to follow my tiktok account for more similar content!!

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