Chapter Text
Tsujimura rolled up the sleeves of her cardigan, getting ready to help her boss with lifting all the boxes from the sidewalk to the living room of his new home. He had insisted on simply paying movers to take care of the job, but she felt it would only be right for her to give him a hand after everything he'd done for her in the past years. Besides, the guy wasn't one to really collect things, so there weren't many boxes to move. It was a bit depressing, if you asked her, but she'd never say it out loud. She'd never tell him that his old apartment probably would've looked rather bland and empty if it wasn't furbished beforehand.
"We can probably get this half done before lunch, then we can move the rest out of the truck after," she said, picking up one of the smaller boxes first. 'Study' was the label, and it was rather light. If she had to guess, it was mostly his office materials in there with the papers and files in a separate box.
"Actually, everything else is going to the new office," Ango answered, picking up a box for himself. As he walked toward the front door of the house, he missed the way Tsujimura's jaw dropped in surprise.
The blue-haired woman looked around at the boxes currently blocking part of the walkway on the pavement, probably only about ten in total. Three big boxes: bedroom, living room, and kitchen. Three medium boxes: two for his clothes and one for the bathroom. And, lastly, four small boxes: all his files and office supplies. Tsujimura couldn't believe it, that was all? There was no box for decorations, nothing labeled 'miscellaneous' for those random things people just had in their homes. No box for cleaning supplies, either. Maybe he plans to buy those later, she figured. Or... Tsujimura stared with a frown at the 'bathroom' box. Maybe he put all his cleaning essentials in there...
Pushing her observations aside, she headed inside the house too, letting out a subtle breath of relief when she saw that this place was fully decorated and with furniture too. Okay, so maybe that's why he didn't have a lot to pack. But a part of her still thought it was rather pitiful that her boss only brought with him the most necessary things. It was like he didn't have a life outside of work, which... was somewhat true, based off her knowledge of him─ but she still had hope that he did have one! No, he wasn't married and neither did he have kids, but surely he had friends who weren't coworkers!
Tsujimura put down her box beside his, building the base of what would later become a box pyramid. It was another two or three trips back and forth before a stranger came by their pile of remaining boxes.
"Hello," he said, offering a short bow. His hair was copper red and he had a bit of stubble across his chin and jawline. He was rather tall, too. "My name is Oda Sakunosuke, I live right next door." Oda gestured vaguely to the house behind him, on the other side of the stone wall dividing the properties. "I was wondering if you two would like some help carrying in the rest of these boxes. Might help make the work go by faster," he offered.
If it were up to Tsujimura, she'd have said yes right away. Ango seemed a bit hesitant, though. He wasn't one for relying on others, being the independent guy he is. Fortunately, he also had a brain and could conclude that getting all these boxes out of the way sooner rather than later would be much better for everyone involved. Not to mention it would be less work for him and Tsujimura.
"That would be kind of you, thank you. These can all go in the living room for now. Ah, I'm Sakaguchi Ango. And this is my friend, Tsujimura Mizuki."
Oda nodded, instinctively walking with the man wearing glasses, helping him lift one of the big boxes. "It's nice meeting you both. Welcome to the neighborhood, I hope you'll like it here. Perfect place to be if you're looking for somewhere calm and quiet without being too far away from all the important places." At least, that's the kind of guy that he figured Ango was. The suit he wore compared to Tsujimura's casual attire gave off the vibe of someone very practical, a lover of tranquility and order.
"Thanks. It definitely seems like that kind of place, so I'm relieved. It would be hard to focus on my paperwork if there were busy streets nearby." Which was exactly why he loved his old apartment, given that it was higher up and it made it easier to ignore the chaos of traffic. It also came with complete access to the office area in the lounge, meaning there was always a backup printer if his ever ran out of ink or suddenly jammed. Not to mention the top-notch coffee machine in the private lounge, open only to residents and staff. He missed the place already.
"I'm guessing you work in an office, then? There are quite a few companies nearby. Locals call it 'Suitcase Plaza' because of how many people go there with one in hand." Sometimes two, if it was some poor intern who got bullied into taking on a big project.
Ango gave a quick nod in return. "I'm opening the Yokohama branch for my work, we're going to be occupying a few floors of one of the buildings. That's what the other half of these boxes is for, the ones still in the truck." He didn't mention being a direct employee of the government since people often turned it into a whole... thing. They thought they had connections through him, making all those 'bonds' feel superficial. The only people he felt he could treat like an actual friend were his coworkers, since they all worked in the same field. Therefore, not as many people would ask him for certain favors, if any.
"The one recently being renovated, isn't that right? I heard there was going to be a government office there. The Department for... Public Works, was it?" Oda passed by the building and its 'Under Renovation' banner quite often since it was en route to the train station.
Setting down the last of the boxes, Ango glanced up at the other man and nodded once more. "That's the one." Part of him was thankful that all of his boxes were dealt with now, although it may seem rude of him. He just wasn't one for conversation, not when there was a lot to be done. He still had to unpack and organize everything, then check his phone for any texts or emails from work, then go to the office and unpack there. Of course, it was only what would be going in his private office─ along with a few other essentials ─but it was still work that had a time limit. He planned to return the moving truck some time early on in the evening.
It seemed luck was on Ango's side as Oda checked his plain watch. "Looks like I'll have to step into work soon myself. Sorry to cut the talk short, but it was nice getting to know you a bit." Oda bowed to his new neighbor, then turned to Tsujimura who had just caught up with them, bowing to her as well. "I'd love to chat more another time, but I'll see you around. Have a good day."
Tsujimura waved with a smile. "Thank you again for your help. With you guys taking the heavy stuff in, it was a breeze bringing in the smaller things. It was a pleasure to meet you, Oda-san!"
"Yeah, thanks again," Ango added, the two of them bowing in return, though his was more of a tilt of his body. He didn't mean to be rude, he was just... not feeling the need to be very formal with someone he'd probably only rarely see with how busy he'd be in a couple of days. Maybe even starting today if luck stopped being on his side. He did at least have the decency to walk with the other two, seeing Oda off at the front door. When the man was gone, he spun on his heel and went straight for the pyramid of boxes set by the couch, ready to start unpacking. He managed to get halfway through digging out the contents of one of the small boxes when he heard Tsujimura say the most ridiculous, most random of comments.
"He'd make a good boyfriend." She said it with a subtle and curious grin, opening another box and emptying it out as well. It was unclear what was going on in her mind, but there was a mix of amusement and deviousness on her face.
Ango was suspicious, if only because he knew her and he could smell something fishy going on. "I suppose. I thought you had one, though?"
"Actually, we broke up about two weeks ago, but I'm not looking to rebound. I meant that he'd be a good boyfriend for you, a total package. He's tall, strong, mysterious─ and he's so polite." Not to mention his broad shoulders and the way the sleeves of his button-down hugged his biceps whenever he picked up a box. The stubble worked for him, too. It gave him a sort of rugged charm.
He could've choked on his spit, but he was classier than that. Instead, he simply shook his head and redirected his attention back to the task at hand. Leave it to Tsujimura to fawn over some random guy when he needed to get his to-do list done. "If you're that interested in him, then you're more than welcome to pretend to visit me just to run into him instead. I only ask that you don't make a mess of my house if you decide to spontaneously stay the night. And that you let me know, so I can take the couch." After all, he had no guest room since it had been converted into a study space by the landlord. "I don't need a boyfriend, Tsujimura, there's no time or space in my life for someone like that. It would be easier to take care of a house plant."
"Well, maybe having someone like that in your life would encourage you to actually take time away from work. You know... make time for yourself, have some fun, step out of the office, not consume four cups of coffee in a day."
"You make me sound like I don't already do that. I only work ten hours a day, that still leaves fourteen to myself. I do have fun." What else did one call filling out the sudoku books he had? "I step out of the office all the time. I eat lunch outside and I used to walk to and from work. Sunlight is good for you, I know that much." Alas, he had no excuse for the coffee. It was the only thing keeping him awake and alert enough throughout the day and night as he did his job. He chose to ignore whatever it was his friend had began to mutter under her breath. Standing up, he gathered the unpacked files in his arms and headed for the study. "In any case, I just got promoted. Now's not the time to risk slacking off or getting distracted by outside responsibilities."
Tsujimura could only shake her head with a sigh, following him as she carried another set of folders and binders. "When you die from caffeine overload, I'll be sure to plan you funeral outside of business hours so that everyone will be able to attend."
Maybe Ango really did work more than necessary, because his first thought was that it was rather thoughtful and responsible of her to plan for the shift schedule.
With both his house and his space in the office all settled in and organized, Ango took a seat at the desk in his study and opened his laptop to get started on reading through emails and reviewing anything sent his way for proofreading. It was about four in the afternoon, not too bad. Considering he'd done quite a lot in his day, he was surprised it was only nearing the end of the afternoon. As he switched between typing away at the keyboard and scrolling through lengthy conversations between his coworkers, he was drawn out of his focus when he heard chatter out on the sidewalk.
There was a window in his study that faced the street, and he had opened it earlier to let some fresh air come in. Looking in its direction, that's when Ango noticed a small group of kids passing by. There were five of them, four boys and a girl, all probably just elementary students. It was easy to hear their conversation with how loud they were giggling and talking.
"Power Rangers Samurai is totally lame."
"Is not!"
"Is too! The story's boring when all they do is keep getting new power-ups. I mean, how many can you have? Even the Mario games only have so many power-ups, and that's like their main thing!"
"He's right, y'know. Mighty Morphin' is way better."
"Mystic Force tops! Their capes are super cool─"
"Nuh uh, Megaforce is! Especially Samurai Megaforce!"
"Nuh uh─"
Their laughter soon turned into bickering, as kids' conversations went. Ango didn't feel the need to get up and close the window, assuming that the kids would walk farther down the way and bring their noisy argument with them. Unfortunately, it seemed that their destination was much, much closer. The group of five had turned at the next gate, Oda's gate, one of them having a key for both it and the front door once they had welcomed themselves onto the property.
Ango wondered if one of them were Oda's. If he had to guess, maybe the girl, seeing as her hair was a lot like his. Yet, it was one of the other kids who had a key. Maybe the parents are close friends of his? A split second after the thought crossed his mind, he found himself wondering why he cared. It's not like any of them were his own. And this seemed like a generally safe neighborhood, and they were in a group of five, they were probably fine. If a whole group of kids were visiting Oda's home when he wasn't there, and with a spare key for themselves, it probably meant that Oda was prepared for their presence in his absence. There had to be instant noodles or popcorn or whatever it was kids snacked on, hidden away in the cabinets.
Forcing it out of his mind, Ango went back to work, trying his best to ignore the noise from the house next door. With a stone wall between them and at least a meter of space from said wall on either side, one would think it would be harder to hear what was going on. Maybe they opened a window, he thought, getting up from his seat to close his own window. It did muffle the noise a little bit, but he could still clearly hear the occasional scream of excitement over whatever it was that the kids were up to. Possibly a game, judging by the yelling of 'cheater!' and 'rematch!' that came after.
The next few hours were rather annoying, given how Ango had to do his best to drown out the rowdy children next door. It was now a quarter past eight, and he'd only gotten through half the amount of work he usually did. On the bright side, it seemed that the kids were finally quiet, although the lights in the other house were still on in just about every room. He didn't care what was going on now, so long as it kept the peace that had just settled. Even if he deemed it none of his business, part of him still wondered if none of the kids ever went home or if he simply hadn't noticed. There was a small voice in his head saying it was bad for him to not have noticed anything. What if something happened and he needed to call the police, file a report? What if there was trouble and the kids didn't know to call for help, but no one else noticed? What if there was a gas leak and the children passed out?
He blamed the lack of a responsible adult being with them for his paranoia. Maybe there was one and he just didn't know, but he'd only seen Oda's car parked there when he first arrived and it was gone by the time he went out of his house to get in his own car. In fact, it was still gone. He never heard an adult's voice among all the kids yelling, either. Not once, in the hours they'd been in Oda's home.
A few more hours passed and all the houses on his street had begun to shut off their lights. Including the house next door. Most other houses were dark inside with the blinds or curtains drawn to keep people from peeking. The house next door, however, still had lights on in two of the rooms upstairs and two downstairs. Downstairs, the living room and kitchen. Upstairs, the master bedroom and another bedroom.
It was another two and a half hours before a car pulled into the driveway of the house next door. It was Oda's, Ango recognized it from earlier that morning. He didn't mean to be nosy, and he usually wasn't, he simply wanted to make sure the children were in good hands now that someone hopefully responsible was finally present. Extremely late, but still present. He supposed it was better than nothing. Ango stood by the other window in his study to peek from behind his blinds, trying his best to see what was going on from this new vantage point. This window faced Oda's house rather than the street, but it was much smaller as it was merely a tall, rectangular panel of glass. He couldn't actually open it, either.
Oda had gotten out of his car, bringing a stack of binders with him that he'd retrieved from the passenger seat. It seemed he was an office worker as well, or at least someone who had to deal with his own fair share of files and reports. The man didn't seem to notice his neighbor still awake at this hour, given how the house lights were still on all over the first floor. Or maybe he just didn't care, it wasn't any of his business what his neighbors did. He went straight into his own home, a few minutes passing before the upstairs lights had gone out except for one room.
Ango wondered if that was the master bedroom. The outside of their homes seemed different, but maybe the floor plans weren't all that different?
The first thing Oda had done upon getting inside was to set his stuff aside somewhere, checking on the kids first. All five were tucked in and fast asleep despite the bright ceiling light still shining at this hour. Sometimes─ a lot of times ─he felt guilty making their bedtime routine a little difficult since they weren't allowed to turn their bedroom light off. Oda didn't want to risk what would happen if someone suspicious came to the conclusion that the children were home alone and asleep. There could be a break-in, or worse. So, he instructed them to always leave the lights on until he got home and that he'd turn them off himself. The kids didn't seem to mind. If anything, they only got used to it and fell asleep with minimal struggles.
After he did his nighttime routine and changed into pajamas, Oda made his way through the house to sit down at the desk in his own home office. Much like Ango, he was prepared to spend another hour or so doing work.
By 11:34pm, Ango was ready to call it quits. Some might say that was far too late to be doing paperwork, but he'd consider it a massive improvement from the two years he spent staying up until 2:30 in the morning just to get up three hours later so he could get ready for work. That was brutal.
He got up from his seat, stretching and jolting a bit when his back cracked a little too loud. Concerned, he mentally reminded himself to get up from his chair more often. Ango was shutting his laptop down when he noticed the house on the other side of the stone wall was still lit up. In a neighborhood like this, where most people were adults with busy lives and no teens or kids who stayed up late on calls and in game lobbies, most people were very much asleep by now. Once more, Ango wasn't sure why he cared. It wasn't like him to be so involved. He convinced himself it was only because he was observant and subconsciously trying to get to know his neighbor's routine out of habit. He'd done so with his other neighbors too, it's just... none of them were so odd, nor did any of them have odd visitors.
Ango brushed it off with a shrug and finished shutting off the lights downstairs, heading up to his bathroom to get ready for the night. As he brushed his teeth, he silently hoped that this new change would be good for him. Changes weren't always something nice, tucked away in a neatly-wrapped box like some present. His first job was horrible and his bosses were condescending slobs that didn't know how to efficiently manage anything. When he took charge in their absence and set up a good system in the work place, he was fired rather than promoted. They took advantage of the better ideas he had and got rid of him. Then, his rent had gone up because his landlord's father had a lot of medical bills to pay off.
His second job was only slightly better, if you focus on the fact that his bosses were more responsible. But they weren't any nicer, nor was his work schedule any better. He wouldn't even need to look for such demanding jobs with more chores than the pay was worth, but he was determined to pay his parents back for all the things they'd provided him with throughout his life. It was a debt he didn't think he could ever pay off, so he strived to do better each time. Get a better education for a better job, move where he needed to for better pay─
And so, with this promotion, he gladly took the opportunity. His moving expenses were covered and so were the first three months of rent. That was fantastic in his books. Sure, he may be a bit concerned about his next door neighbor, but everything else seemed to be looking up. The office space was modern and clean, the heads of the different departments that would help him operate the office were all pleasant people who seemed knowledgeable and experienced, and he'd even be working alongside some friends he'd already made in his previous work place. Ango was confident that things would be good for him. All he needed to do was focus on work and stay diligent and it would all be fine.