Top pic credit; tell me if you know
Lani POV:
Job Listing:
Party Clown
Job Listing:
Adult Film Star
Job Listing:
Present Mic's-
"Present Mic's what?" I raised my brows, swiping my reading glasses on to ensure I saw that correctly.
Yep. I did.
...damn, the job listing just closed anyways. Not that I totally clicked on it. Shut up.
"Man. That is bleak." I leaned back in my computer chair, taking another hit of my cigarette before blowing it out the crack of my apartment window.
Sure, it's not the best habit I picked up from my time at UA University. But, there are definitely worse ways to release stress.
Plus, there's just something about smoking that makes a person look tougher. Not so shy and pathetic.
And, after the day I've had today, I definitely look like the world's biggest moron. Pathetically.
I mean, look at me? I've resorted to looking for odd jobs in my underwear at midnight.
All thanks to Shouto, or whatever his name was...
I was thankful to Kai for letting me leave work early after that pathetic encounter with the Candy Cane jerk. But, it proved to be useless because I didn't encounter a single young hero in need of a publicist on my way home. Not even when I yelled for help in walking over a damn puddle.
Tomorrow, I'll have lost my internship with the hero commission, and that is a career ending move before I've even started my career.
A deflated sigh escaped me as I sadly spun around in my swivel chair, unable to have a single moment of peace when I heard my phone ding with a text message.
Coming back around to my desk, I grabbed my phone, feeling my face pale at the familiar, private number...
Text Message From: Private
Missed our pickup time...
12:30am.
Oh, fuck.
I forgot a pickup time? That's never happened to me. The day must have had me really distracted...
That's what I get for trying to juggle three jobs. Yeah, that's right. Three.
The first, and most important one is my paid internship with the hero commission. The second is the cafe. And the third...
Is this...
"Oh no..." I murmured under my breath, typing up the best reply I could under pressure.
Text Message To: Private
Something important came up. I'll be there on Friday. Promise.
12:31am-
DING!
I grimaced slightly at how fast the number responded, knowing I'd definitely upset some people tonight.
Text Message From: Private
We'll see about that. I expect you to show up regardless.
12:31am.
My lips pressed into a thin anxious line as I quickly typed back an agreement, tossing my phone on the bed before face planting into my desk.
It's been a long day. I think it's time for bed.
Or so I thought, until life gave me other plans.
Ring! Ring!
The repeated scream of my phone caused me to jump, realizing it wasn't just a text message this time, but a call.
Crap. I hope it's not the private number again...
Hopping off my chair, I raced to my phone, swiping it off the bed to see a new number calling me this time.
That's weird. I don't recognize this number. Who would be calling this late at night?
"Hello?" I answered warily, already thinking it to be another scammer.
But, I was further surprised when a real person replied, sounding casual and young male-like...
"Hello."
I raised my brow expectantly as I waited for the guy to introduce himself. He's the one who called me after all...
But, silence followed.
Great. Now I think he's a scammer again...
I leaned back against my desk, taking another puff of my cigarette before speaking again. "Usually a person announces who they are upon calling a stranger...?"
The guy on the line went silent again for a few more seconds, seeming as if he was swallowing his pride with the small sigh that sounded.
"It's Shouto."
My tired eyes practically bulged out of my head at the words, slapping a hand over my mouth to stop the instinctive screech of shock that wanted to escape me.
What the actual fuck...
Is this real life?
Blinking rapidly, I recalled the last encounter Shouto and I had. He said my face wasn't memorable and then I stormed off in a tizzy. Forgive me if I thought that was the nail in our business partnership coffin.
Dabbing my cigarette in the ashtray, I asked again in disbelief.
"I'm sorry—who is this?"
"The hero from earlier today."
Yep. There's no mistaking that's him. While he might have a problem recognizing my face, I have no problem recognizing the sound of his voice on the phone.
Blunt. Dull. Disinterested. Impossible to miss it, really. Charming...
He's really calling, huh? Did the universe finally give me one last chance? After all, based on our two meeting encounters today, I definitely haven't won over his favor to make him call me in the middle of the night for a casual chat.
Clearly, he wants something—or, judging from the constant deflated sighs from him...he needs something.
Heh. And that bodes very well for my situation, because I am desperate as hell.
My lips curled into a slight smirk as I decided to fuck with him for a little bit of fun karma. He just loves to make shitty jokes about not recognizing me, why not throw it back in his face?
"Hmmm. I dunno, I saw a lot of heroes earlier today." I paced my apartment smugly, keeping the phone glued to my ear. "Which one might you be?"
I saw absolutely no other heroes earlier and I just applied to be Present Mic's kitten out of desperation. Funny how life works, isn't it?
He didn't pick up on my clear teasing tone the way anyone else would have, sounding completely serious when he explained himself.
"The one with the red and white hair."
I didn't respond, laughing silently to myself at the way I made him sweat it and try again.
"Uh. The one who said you had a forgettable face?" He followed up bluntly.
So, he does remember saying that today? Good to see he doesn't have full short term memory loss.
"Ah, now it rings a bell." I grinned slyly, crouching in front of my fish tank. "I see you kept my business card, Mr. Shouto."
He scoffed upon hearing me call him 'mister,' causing my smirk to grow.
Looks like I'm annoying him now.
"I didn't keep it intentionally. I forgot the card was in my bag and I meant to throw it away." He reasoned plainly.
Honestly, he sounded like he was just trying to explain the truth and not be stubborn about the whole thing. But, any regular person wouldn't bother to say that to someone they're obviously looking for help from.
So, I have no choice but to assume he did mean it stubbornly.
I don't understand his personality. For now, I'm just going to treat him like any average hero.
"Whatever. You say tomato. I say tomahto." My voice came out dismissively, hearing his questioning response from the other line.
"....I never said tomato?"
A genuine chuckle snuck past my lips at how damn serious he sounded. Even if he was feigning this oblivious foolery, he definitely commits to the role.
"Just an expression. Anyways, I assume you're calling me at midnight for a specific reason." I murmured lazily, watching my fish Ziggy swirl around in his bowl.
He went silent once more, seeming as if he was quickly weighing his options one last time, before accepting his fate...
"Let's do it."
"Hm?"
"Work together." He followed up with more certainty. "Let's do it."
While I already knew in my mind this was the reason for Shouto's call, hearing him solidify it—and my job—caused me to almost cry tears of joy.
I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed my lips tight in a silent scream of celebration, trying not to get too overly excited.
'Hah! You get excited over the dumbest things, Lani. You're so stupid. You should be embarrassed.'
Quickly clearing the joy from my system, I rubbed the back of my neck and looked at the ground blankly.
....hey, it looks like I can retract my embarrassing, desperate message to Present Mic!
A few seconds later, I quickly composed myself, trying to hold in the heavy breaths I just worked up from my mute freak out. "What changed your mind?"
"I didn't have a choice." He said too bluntly, causing me to smirk.
"Well, at least you're honest about it. You're also my last resort so at least we're even there..."
While he was my last resort in the way this offer came about, if I'd had more time and prep for this year's Hero Season, he'd still be my first choice based on his looks.
He's incredibly handsome. Makes my job a lot easier.
I was on cloud nine right now. He could call me ugly in seven different languages and throw me off a building right now, and I wouldn't care. He was the one I wanted and I got him, even if things were touchy for a bit.
I'll make him into a great hero. Socially, anyways.
And get that promotion.
"Come by my office tomorrow after your classes, and we'll talk, Shouto. 5pm sharp."
****
A/N: Next chapter is where things get...interesting to say the least 👁️
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