21-Day Riddle ✯ Gogol x Reader

Day 1

Morning tea in hand as you sit at the back of your driver's car, the smell of the new leather of the seats overwhelming, you briefly go over the files given to you yesterday while you are on your way to the government-owned offices of Tonan, the vice minister of justice. Tapping on the folders habitually and gently with your pencil as you make notes for yourself before the meeting, you find your thoughts involuntarily drifting to yesterday's encounter with Tonan's strange secretary, the memory of his aura still fresh in your mind.

He's a troubled soul.

Eccentric and a liar...

Full of confidence and life...yet...

"Miss [l/n]. We have arrived."

Pulled back to reality, you let out a sigh and quickly step out of the car, files in one hand and tea in the other as you make your way to the entrance of the illustrious building in which the meeting would take place. Dressed in smooth, well-ironed, dark dress-pants grey and white blouse tucked in, hair up, you walk in with confidence once arriving at the front doors, only a little fazed when you are met with a traffic-like commotion inside instead of the professional calm you were expecting. People are walking everywhere and simultaneously on the phone holding multiple conversations, while others simply traveled in masses with a speaker guide leading them.

Why is it so busy today?

Are all these people on special business too?

I should probably find the secretary quickly then-

"Miss [l/n]!" Chichikov's voice — much too hard to forget so soon — suddenly pierces through the bustling crowd as he raises a hand and waves it enthusiastically, embarrassingly drawing attention to the two of you as he walks over with a bit of a nervous rush in his steps.

What is this?

You smile as practiced, politely nodding in respect and acknowledgment of his arrival at your side. "Chichikov, good morning." You say, and offer a hand to greet him, but not without an ulterior motive.

To what others may seem like a rash, quick choice of interest to you is a calculated, well thought out decision. The other day, you had been on the verge of being found out by officials, you had been crumbling under the stress of fighting to be respected and to keep your position, the way a King would stress about keeping his throne. Then Chichikov showed up, and he became the perfect distraction. He was a valuable soul, one that if you claimed would give you unbelievable influenced. He had answers to your problems...or so you were meant to believe.

In the short time between now and last evening, you had searched for every bit of information on Chichikov and found that for some reason there was almost nothing online. The little you did find was too vague and that in itself was strange, as Tonan's secretary and a supposed public figure. So, you had come to the conclusion that he was lying to you.

You need to mark him. Strategically.

"Yes yes, good morning, and ah, no need for such formalities! A touch is only that, unless it carries a deeper meaning.." Chichikov lets out a forced laugh, declining your hand shake and instead checking a watch on his wrist that was partially covered by his black suit-jacket. He pushes up his glasses then smiles at you, and something about it seems more like an amused smirk rather than an apologetic greeting as his voice made it sound.

Glasses? He wasn't wearing those yesterday...

You raise a brow at him, also taking note of how he completely avoided your touch. You look him over, intending to make a small assessment before you are forced to go back to business, when he abruptly clears his throat awkwardly.