Smokes

You felt the warm summer breeze caress your arm as you sat outside a café downtown. You were reading a new book, enjoying a rare day off of work. Your gaze shifted upwards until your eyes landed on Akiyoshi, seated across from you. He was leaning back in his chair, a cigarette hanging out of the corner of his mouth. He was watching people walk by as he absentmindedly fished a lighter out of his pocket.

"You've been smoking more lately" you say, turning a page in your novel. You smirked at the dash of surprise crossing your boyfriend's face.

"Have I?" he questioned with a furrowed brow. "Guess that new proposal at work has me stressed".

His reply made you frown. "You work too hard sometimes, I'm glad I got you out of the house for once". Akiyoshi merely smiled as he brought the lighter to his mouth, lighting up his cigarette.

You watched him take a few puffs as you thought about work. You had noticed that Akiyoshi always seemed to be in a bad mood the past few weeks. Every time he was in his office, you could see him scowling and rubbing his temples. Empty cigarette cartons seemed to fill the trash can by his desk, and he frequently took breaks to smoke on the roof. You knew he had an upcoming proposal with another department, but you couldn't shake the feeling that something else was bothering him. Deciding to let it go for now, you sighed and returned to your reading.

"Hey _____, I think I got a good lead on this story. My interview went well and I think I might know who's behind the scandal!" Minato reported, beaming. The two of you were working on an assignment together on a potential local government spending scandal, and Minato may have gotten your big break.

You spun around in your chair and broke out into a smile. "That's great, Minato!" you replied.

Minato sauntered over to your desk with a self-righteous smile on his face. "We may even have enough information here to post an update in next week's issue" he said, leaning down to show you his interview note. The two of you were so immersed in reading the new findings, you didn't notice Akiyoshi exit his office and march over to your desk. The drumming of fingers on your desk snapped you back to reality, and you looked up and met the eyes of your irritated boyfriend.

"Shouldn't the two of you be working on a draft instead of huddling over notes?" he snapped, narrowing his eyes.

"Sorry, boss. I'll get right on it" Minato replied, clearing his throat. Turning towards you, he added "let's meet over lunch today and work out a draft, yeah?". You paled, thinking of Akiyoshi's irritation. Would he think we were slacking off if we put off a draft until then? you wondered. Knowing you had to give Minato an answer, you glanced at him and nodded weakly. He flashed another smile and returned to your desk. You turned to face Akiyoshi, ready for a lecture on your leisurely working style, when you realized he wasn't standing next to you anymore. Looking around, you managed to catch a glimpse of his back, patting his pockets for his cigarettes with one hand as he opened the door to the roof stairwell. You stood up to follow him, but Minato called you over to his desk. Hesitantly, you made your way towards him. The two of you began to look at the notes again, as you tried to ignore the cold metal slam of the roof stairwell door.

You were finally done with your government scandal special, and the team decided to celebrate your success. Rather, Shusei announced that he was dragging everyone out to Jinbuono for drinks. Eager to put work stress behind you, you decided to join and take your mind off of work. You made your way over to the bar after submitting the final draft to Akiyoshi's desk. Being the last one in the office, you hurried to shut your laptop and grab your coat. You made your way out of the building, and down several blocks before the welcome sight of Jinbuono's lights beckoned you into its doors.