Work Text:
'Oh, I'm screwed,' Gigi thought to herself.
Upon clocking into her office work and opening her emails, Gigi found a message marked as important, urging her team to finish a detailed market research report that was due by this afternoon. Usually, she would never miss any urgent work like this. She'd even committed to working overtime in the past to make sure she met any unreasonable deadlines the upper management gave. However, this specific message was sent half an hour after Gigi clocked out, preventing her from even finding out about it until the next day.
'Which dumbass sent an urgent task like this that late? This kind of report would take half a day to finish... Do I really have to do some crunch work first thing in the morning? Ahhh, should I just quit today? No, let me look up who's responsible for sending this email, beat them up, then quit. Yeah, if I'm gonna quit, I might as well do it with a bang.'
Gigi's tail smacked the floor in annoyance as she took out her resignation letter from her bag. She had written it in a feverish fervor after going through an entire week of unpaid overtime in the past, but found herself unable to submit it. Finding a new place to work wasn't as easy as she expected, so she had no choice but to endure.
Since then, the letter has remained in her bag. The envelope had wrinkled from the number of times she held it and ruminated on submitting it. Each crease contained the frustration that she had endured in this office. Every overtime, unreasonable target, and berating she took would end with her reaching for this resignation letter, as if to pour out her resentment over this piece of paper.
'Treating us like this just because they know we can't find anywhere else to go... Shit, should I really quit today?'
Her grip tightened, adding another crease on the worn-out envelope. A sigh escaped her mouth, releasing the pent-up pressure inside her. The empty office in the morning felt even more stifling than usual, but it was better than having anyone see her messy self right now.
"Good morning, Gigi."
"Woah!?"
The sudden greetings from behind her caused Gigi to jump in her seat. She reflexively shoved the envelope in her hand inside her suit's pocket as she turned to the person who called her. A girl with pale white-green neck-length hair and black horn-rimmed glasses stood in front of her. Her V-neck white blouse and black blazer looked neat and sharp, as if they were just ironed. The brass ribbon and clockwork key on the automaton's head remained as eye-catching as usual.
"Oh, it was just you, Cece. I got really scared for a second there. I thought you were a ghost or something!" Gigi sheepishly tugged on the crooked collar of her shirt and fanned herself. An awkward grin lingered on her lips.
Cecilia remained silent for a moment before asking, "Your eyes look kind of red. Are you alright?"
Gigi quickly wiped her eyes. "Huh?! Oh, must be because I'm not getting enough sleep, haha. You know how it's like working in this place; you gotta take the first train of the day and go back home on the last train. Thanks for worrying about me, though!" Gigi joked around as she flashed a smile.
Cecilia's green eyes briefly scanned over Gigi before she nodded. "Well, if you say so. Just make sure to take care of your health. If you get sick, I'm the one who has to pick up the slack."
"Wow, thanks. I can really feel your concern for my well-being," Gigi sarcastically commented. But despite her snide reply, she didn't really hate Cecilia's brutally honest words. At least it was much better to hear than some empty concern that they didn't really mean.
A small smirk curled onto Cecilia's lips as she asked, "Anyway, did you check the email about that market research report?"
Gigi's brows immediately furrowed as she scratched her head in frustration. "Oh, I just saw it! They really sent the email that late and still had the nerve to tell us to finish it by this afternoon?! Once I get my hands on whoever's responsible for this, I'm gonna—"
"I just want to let you know that I already finished it."
"...Huh?"
Cecilia's curt reply cut Gigi's rant short, leaving her with a blank look of surprise. She quickly asked, "Seriously?! You got it all done already? How?"
Cecilia slightly tilted her head and replied, "Well, I was already doing that market research in the first place. Putting it into a report didn't take too long. I'll send you the link, so can you review it before I submit it?"
"Oh, I'll get it done in no time! Thanks for the save, Cece!" Gigi said as she shook Cecilia's hands up and down with a big smile.
Seemingly used to her antics, Cecilia allowed it to continue until Gigi finally released her hands. After adjusting her glasses that had shifted out of place, Cecilia said, "It wasn't that big of a deal. Just make sure I didn't miss anything in that report, okay? See you later, then."
"Sure thing, ma'am! Thank you for your service!" Gigi answered while giving an exaggerated military salute at her.
Cecilia stifled a chuckle before finally returning to her desk on the other side of the office. With her gone, Gigi slumped back down on her chair. "Whew, she's a real lifesaver, seriously," she sighed out.
Whenever tasks that seemed insurmountable arrived to their team, Cecilia had always managed to finish them without any problems. With that kind of track record, everyone had started to depend on Cecilia whenever they needed any help with their work. Naturally, Gigi had received help from her as well.
Although she wanted to repay her by treating her to a meal after work, Cecilia had always declined it to finish her work. Sometimes Gigi couldn't help but wonder what would happen if Cecilia decided to quit. Just imagining the stress she would be under caused her to shiver in fear.
'...Now I feel kinda pathetic for thinking about quitting when Cecilia's out here cleaning up my mess. I can't just mope around by myself!'
With her mind made up, Gigi took in a deep breath before exclaiming loudly, "ALRIGHT! Let's get it done!"
Her hands immediately moved to do her work for the day, with Cecilia's report as her priority. As Gigi focused her eyes on her monitor, she didn't notice Cecilia eyeing her silently from across the office. A faint smile adorned her face before she turned away and continued her work.
*******************
The day came and went by, and the sun had long set before Gigi realized it. She managed to finish her work faster than usual, allowing her to clock out only an hour after the sun had set. After eating a hearty, early dinner, Gigi decided to stop by a nearby convenience store and bought some snacks to eat while lazing around at home. While she was packing it into her bag, she noticed something missing from it.
"Ah, I left my phone charger back at the office..."
Thankfully, she decided to eat not too far away from the office. Although she could just pick her charger back up when she clocks in tomorrow, she felt like relaxing while trying to ration her phone battery wouldn't exactly be relaxing. After letting out a sigh, Gigi made her way back to the office building.
Thanks to the upper management's cost-cutting measures, the lights inside the building had been turned off except for the main entrance. Dusk enveloped the interior as Gigi made her way with her phone lighting the way.
"I guess everyone went home already, huh? I was lucky the security still let me in," Gigi muttered while walking past the empty rooms. The dark hallway seemed even more unsettling than usual, even though she had walked through it during her overtime. She could only blame herself for eavesdropping on that story from her co-workers this afternoon.
'Hey, Raora. Have you ever heard of this ghost story going around the office?'
'No, and I don't wanna hear it, Liz. It's definitely going to be scary.'
'I heard that when someone walks past the office way past closing time, they can still see a light from one of the windows.'
'Nooooo, I told you I don't wanna hear it!'
'Some say that it was the ghost of someone who died of exhaustion after working overtime. Even now, their spirit kept working overtime, not even aware that they died! Maybe... they're actually still roaming around us right now!'
'HYAAAAAH! W-Was that you who pinched my shoulder, Liz?! Stop it! I won't be able to work overtime by myself now!'
'It's fine. I'll just have to stay next to you, then.'
'Y-You better be!'
Gigi shook her head as the story began to turn into a rom-com genre. Right now, what mattered was the fact that she had to venture into that ghost's territory all by herself. Cursing herself for forgetting her phone charger, she marched on forward. But just as she approached the doorway to her team's office room, she noticed a glow shining past the doorway. Her heart immediately dropped in fear.
'T-T-That's the ghost! It's real!'
Gigi's hands shook as she watched over the glow with caution. She quickly tried to reason with herself. Even though it was unlikely, maybe someone just forgot to turn off their monitor before leaving. Her heartbeat slowly eased after she successfully convinced herself with that scenario. She took a few steps forward before her ears caught a noise coming from the office.
Clackclackclackclackclackclackclackclackclackclackclackclackclackclackclackclackclackclack.
A rapid tapping of a keyboard, one that sounded humanly impossible.
'I-I-It's definitely the ghost! They're still working after their death!'
Her legs immediately froze in place. The clacking of the keyboard crawled around her skin like insects, causing goosebumps to pop out. Her mind was already screaming at her to take off straight toward the exit. Surely her phone charger wasn't worth this much trouble.
'Ugh... But my phone battery's draining... What if the battery dies when I'm asleep and the alarm doesn't ring tomorrow?'
Gigi could tell she wouldn't wake up on time without her alarm. Faced with the threat of reprimand and nagging from her workplace, ghosts didn't seem that scary anymore. Perhaps she could sneak in and grab her charger without it noticing her. She gathered her courage and stepped into the office.
The office space that she'd seen more often than her own parents in the past year looked unfamiliar in near darkness to her. The only source of light in the room came from a monitor on the other side of the office. A pale figure sat behind it, furiously typing on the keyboard in the darkness. Seeing the ghost with her own eyes immediately drained all color from Gigi's face.
'Yeah, fuck this.'
After one look at the unknown figure, Gigi immediately thought that this was a bad idea after all. She stepped backwards to silently leave the room.
Clatter.
Unfortunately, stepping backwards caused her to bump into the door. The noise rang across the room, causing Gigi to freeze on the spot. As she expected, the figure instantly stopped typing and looked her in the eyes.
"Kyah!"
However, what she didn't expect was for the figure to yelp and jump out of its seat. Feeling that something wasn't right, she turned her phone's light toward the figure. Green eyes, pale white-green hair, and that unmistakable brass ribbon and clockwork key could only belong to one person.
"...Cece?" Gigi said in disbelief.
Cecilia's eyes widened after hearing the familiar voice. "Gigi? Oh my god, I thought that glowing light from your phone was the ghost from Liz's story!"
"Me?! I thought the glow from your monitor was the ghost!" Gigi responded loudly.
"Why am I the ghost?! I'm literally just working here!" Cecilia snapped back.
"How was I supposed to know that?! Agh, whatever! At least there's no ghost here!" Gigi huffed and puffed. After taking her phone charger, she sat down on the chair next to Cecilia. The entire experience had left her exhausted.
"So you came back here for your charger? Damn, that sucks. Especially when you get to leave early for once," Cecilia commented.
Gigi let out a scoff. "Heh, our common sense must've gotten really messed up now that we're saying leaving at 7 P.M. is early. Still, isn't it pretty late already? Do you have some overtime work again?" she said while checking the time on her phone. The screen displayed 8:30 P.M.
Cecilia pursed her lips for a moment before answering, "...No. It's just not my time to clock out yet."
A drop of sweat rolled down the back of Gigi's neck. "Huh...? What do you mean by that?" she asked.
Her question was met with silence as Cecilia gazed outside for a moment. The bustling cityscape outside was slowly calming down. Shop owners closing up for the night, office workers rushing to the train station, and students leaving cram schools. Everyone was already on their way home to rest and prepare to face tomorrow, leaving her behind in the present.
After a few moments to ruminate, Cecilia began speaking, "Automatons are pretty tough, you know? They can operate for 24 hours without rest, then only need 4 hours of rest before returning to full capacity."
Gigi's expression started to sink as she processed Cecilia's words. "H-Hey, Cece... Don't tell me..."
Now that the thought crossed her mind, every time she worked overtime, Cecilia would always be there. For the entire time she worked here, she had never seen Cecilia go home before her. Gigi's thoughts gathered into an unlikely conclusion, one that she hoped wasn't true.
"Don't worry, I don't work that long anymore," Cecilia denied Gigi's assumption before she could say it. "Nowadays, I just work 16 hours a day. Clock in at 6, clock out at 10. I have enough time to go back home and rest for a full charge, then start all over the next day. Efficient, right?" she said with a derisive smile.
Gigi was left flabbergasted. "Then, that report from this morning..." she mumbled.
"I worked on it the moment I got it late at night, then finished it in the morning. Sorry, I didn't want anyone to find out about my work hours, so I ended up lying to you," Cecilia said with an apologetic tone, but her apology went right through Gigi.
The puzzle pieces floating around in her head finally clicked into place. How Cecilia was able to finish the urgent work posted late at night, how Cecilia was already at the office before her, and how a story of a ghost working late at night had spread throughout the office. The pieces formed a cruel and ugly image, laid bare before her.
Cecilia had always been working throughout the night, and no one else knew. The first to come and the last to leave, every single day.
The moment Gigi realized this, she stammered in disbelief, "W-Why would you put up with those insane work hours?! There has to be some better place you can work at! You're the smartest person I know! Someone will definitely hire you!"
However, Gigi's high praise was met with the same derisive smile. "Nobody's hiring a relic like me, Gigi. Why hire an antique automaton from the stone age when they can hire a freshly built one with better specs? Only a black company like this is willing to hire me."
"That's... not fair..." Gigi muttered quietly.
She could feel her heart sinking and eyes heating up as she remembered how she joked about their work hours this morning. Why did she have to say those thoughtless jests? Why does the dependable and hardworking girl in front of her have to endure this kind of life? What did she mean that she 'doesn't work that long anymore'? But worst of all...
Her exhausted face, barely lit in the dark by the monitor's dim glow. The resigned smile plastered on her lips. The voice that dripped with reluctant acceptance. Weary eyes that no longer shed tears.
Despite how awful it must've been for her...
"How did you endure it all?"
...the girl still persisted in this hell.
Gigi's hand clutched her chest. The sensation of a worn-out envelope inside her pocket felt clearer than ever, overlaid across her beating heart. Is there a way for her to finally let go of this lingering frustration? She waited expectantly for Cecilia to answer.
After hearing Gigi's question, Cecilia gazed upon the empty office. The darkness enveloping the office tinted her eyes into a murky shade as she ruminated on her answer.
"Truth is, I hate a lot of things in this place," Cecilia answered. "I hate the smell of instant coffee permeating through the room when someone's making a cup. I hate the last-minute work I have to deal with every day. I hate the upper management that only wants things to go their way. I hate how lonely it gets at night. There are so many things that I hate, to the point where if this hellhole were to burn into flames in front of my eyes, I wouldn't spare it a second glance."
Cecilia's expression remained unchanged while she poured her mind out. Those thoughts must've lingered in her mind every single day, burning and festering until she grew accustomed to them.
"It doesn't matter which company I moved to. It's all hell. Everywhere is hell."
Escaping one hell only sent her to another. The lonely nights grew darker without an end in sight. The venom she bore against this reality continued to pool, inching ever closer to drown her.
"...But as much as I hate this hellhole, there are things that I love just as much."
However, something still kept the automaton afloat.
A glint briefly flashed in her eyes as Cecilia continued, "I love Elizabeth, who showed me the ropes around this place when I was starting out. Even though as an automaton I'm older than her, I can't help but rely on her a lot. Without her, I wouldn't even make it to today."
A warm smile rose onto her lips as she continued, "I love Raora, who always checks up on me and asks if I'm doing fine. She cares about us so much that sometimes I'm worried if she'll flip out once she finds out about my work hours. But the thought of her getting mad for me makes her even more endearing."
Then, she turned toward Gigi. "And I love a certain gremlin who wears her heart on her sleeve. The girl would always say whatever nonsense she had in her mind to cheer us up. If she wasn't there, I'm not sure if I could ever crack a smile in this hell."
Cecilia took a sheet of tissue from her desk and moved her chair closer to Gigi. "Most importantly, she was someone who could be happy and sad for me," she said while wiping away the tears rolling down Gigi's cheek.
"When I weighed the reasons to leave and the reasons to stay, the scales just tipped to where I am today. As long as the people who I love are with me, I can endure every single thing that I hate in this place. So whatever decision you were worrying about this morning... I really hope you won't go through with it. I really, really hope you'll stay with me for a bit longer," Cecilia requested, a hint of worry audible in her voice.
No matter how one saw it, her request was absolutely selfish. A one-sided request to suffer in this hell without anything to offer in return.
But for Gigi, that request was all she needed—a reason to persevere through this hell.
As long as someone still needed her, as long as there was someone waiting for her, and as long as that someone was willing to stay with her...
"Okay."
...then she could keep going.
"Since you asked so nicely, let's suffer in this dump together, then." Gigi said with a sigh.
"If you sigh like that, you sound like you really don't want to do it," Cecilia commented with a pout.
"No, no, it's not like that. I'm just relieved, I guess." Gigi explained while she leaned back on her chair. Her eyes stared off into the ceiling as she muttered, "You're seriously amazing, Cece."
"Yeah, yeah. Amazing for being a dumbass that has to work day and night by myself," Cecilia responded sarcastically.
"No, really. I couldn't have figured out if I should stay or not if I didn't talk to you today, Cece. Thanks for that," Gigi said.
"I see..." Cecilia mumbled. Her mouth paused for a moment before she continued, "So the time I wasted away here wasn't pointless?"
Despite how lightly she asked that question, Gigi could tell the weight behind those words was anything but light.
The countless hells she had endured in this unreasonable world.
The countless nights she had remained by herself in this dusk-veiled office.
The countless venom she bore every single day.
If she could still face the world despite everything she went through, meet her on this night, and still proclaim to love something in this hellish life, then there was only one answer she could give.
"Not for a single moment," Gigi answered immediately.
A brief silence hung in the air. Countless nights compressed into a few seconds of silence as Cecilia took in Gigi's words.
"...Heh. That's good to hear."
Even though Gigi could hear Cecilia's voice crack for a moment, she pretended to not notice it. She also kept quiet about how Cecilia discreetly wiped something from her eyes or about how the sleeves that she used to wipe her eyes seemed a bit damp. As a stifled sniffle went by her, Gigi hoped that Cecilia could shed the venom that took root inside her, just like how she felt the weight inside her pocket lighten.
After some time, Cecilia finally collected herself. "Um, sorry... I was just..." she muttered, her words trailing off.
"Not getting enough sleep, right?" Gigi made up an excuse for her.
Cecilia froze for a moment before realizing Gigi's intention. A soft smile curled onto her lips as she played along, "Yeah, that's all."
"Well, it couldn't be helped. You're put through this absurd work hour, after all," Gigi said while spinning on her chair in place.
"Speaking of that... Aren't you going to go home? You're not even on overtime right now," Cecilia asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Aww, you're shooing me away? After you asked me to stay with you a bit longer? Are you just taking advantage of my feelings? Ooooh, I can't believe you would do such a thing, Cece!" Gigi spoke in exaggeration, playfully faking a heartbroken expression.
"You know that's not what I was trying to say! Isn't it rare for you to go back home on time? It's already getting pretty late right now," Cecilia asked. Her gaze trailed to the window. The lights of the buildings around them had turned off, deepening the dusk enveloping them. The world had moved toward tomorrow. Right now, only the two of them existed in the present.
"That's fine. I can just catch the last train back home. It's not like I got anyone waiting back home anyway," Gigi answered while placing her bag on the desk. "Right now, I want to be here. That's all."
"Hm, okay," Cecilia nodded before turning her head to the monitor. The smile lingering on her lips contradicted her curt reply. Gigi didn't miss that small detail, but she felt like keeping it to herself would allow her to look at that smile for just a bit longer.
Satisfied with stealing a glance, Gigi rummaged through her bag and fished out the snacks that she bought earlier. The heavy conversation had left her feeling peckish. Gigi pondered on what she should have for now. The bag of chips was immediately set aside, since she felt like eating something sweet. She pondered over the bag of gummy bears, but she would rather have something a bit more filling. With those two out of the way, she picked the only thing left.
Hearing the rustle of something being opened, Cecilia glanced at Gigi. "What's that?"
"Strawberry daifuku. It's a new item at the store, so I wanted to try it," Gigi answered before taking a bite.
The tender and chewy texture of the mochi met the red bean paste's sweet and creamy taste that clung to her tongue. The strawberry inside it tasted a bit sour, but she didn't mind it. She wasn't expecting a gourmet dish from a store-bought snack in the first place.
"Is it good?" Cecilia asked.
"It's not bad. Here, try it," Gigi answered as she offered Cecilia the strawberry daifuku in her hand.
Cecilia eyed the bite on the strawberry daifuku for a moment before turning it down. "...No, it's fine. Automatons don't really need to eat."
"Just because you don't need to doesn't mean you can't, right? Eating isn't just for filling yourself up, you know. Just take a bite already," Gigi urged as she pushed her hand closer.
Seeing that Gigi had no intention of giving up, Cecilia grumbled in resignation. Her mouth repeatedly opened and closed before she finally took a bite of the strawberry daifuku.
Gigi asked with a smirk, "So? How is it?"
In the midst of chewing, Cecilia paused to answer, "...It's sweet."
"Is it?" Gigi tilted her head before taking another bite. That hint of sourness from the strawberry was still noticeable for her.
"It's the sweetest thing I've ever had, at least," Cecilia replied. She could only hope the dusk could cover up her burning cheeks.
"Really? Then I should bring sweeter things next time we meet like this, then!" Gigi decided excitedly, but Cecilia paused for a moment.
"Next time?"
The thought of a "next time" never occurred to her until now. Tonight felt like something that could only happen once in a lifetime. The lonely, hellish nights never felt this warm to her before. Is it really possible for this warmth to happen once more?
Gigi pushed her chair closer to Cecilia, a grin blossoming on her face. "Yeah, next time! Let's meet up like this again sometime. I can stay until you clock out whenever I have overtime."
A hint of greed peeked out of her heart. "Just when you have overtime?" Cecilia asked.
Gigi let out a chuckle before teasing Cecilia, "Oooo, I never knew you were so needy, Cece."
"I never knew either," Cecilia replied, a trace of self-pity visible on her complexion.
After all these years of enduring life, Cecilia thought she had given up on what she wanted. Living day by day, gathering up only what she needed. Even if she loved the people she worked with, she couldn't possibly keep them for herself. As long as she could be around them, she thought she would be satisfied.
But this new feeling... If she kept this ugly desire, wouldn't Gigi be disappointed in her? Anxiety gripped her heart as she decided to take back what she said.
"I don't hate it, though." Gigi suddenly said.
Left with her denial midway through her throat, Cecilia swallowed it and let out her confusion, "...What?"
Gigi added excitedly, "Exactly what I said. Is it so bad to be needy? Why do you have to be reasonable when the world is being unreasonable to you? Show the world that you mean business!"
Before Cecilia could say anything, Gigi brought her right hand up in front of herself. "Just follow my lead! Whenever someone's being unreasonable to you, first, you clench your hand into a fist and point it at 'em!"
"Um, I don't think getting physical is a good idea..."
"Hey, when did I tell you to start punching? Just follow what I'm doing right now!" Gigi demanded.
"Alright, alright..." Cecilia finally relented and outstretched her fist ahead. "Now what?"
"Then, rotate your fist so your palm's facing up," Gigi demonstrated.
With her eyebrow raised, Cecilia followed along. "Okay, then?"
"Then, you flick your middle finger up and tell them to fuck off!"
"Pfffft!!! Ahahahaha!"
Cecilia immediately went into a laughing fit. The presentation of Gigi proudly puffing her chest while giving a middle finger caught her off guard. Any attempt to cease her laughter only resumed after taking another look at Gigi.
Satisfied with Cecilia's reaction, Gigi rested her hand on the armchair and said, "Rather than that glum look you had before, laughing your guts out like this suits you a lot better."
Barely calming herself down, Cecilia wiped a tear from her eyes and responded, "Cough... You're insane, seriously...!"
"Can't help it, it's part of the job description," Gigi shrugged without a care. "Look, don't worry. I'll stay with you whenever I can. Even if I leave early by myself, I bet I'll be tossing and turning in bed when I remember you're stuck here by yourself anyway. Since that's the case, I might as well laze around while keeping you company. Sounds good, right?"
Her reassurance melted away any doubts left within Cecilia. From the start, they were just two people looking for a reason to stay. Since that was the case, then she didn't need to hold herself back. She would simply give back as much as she received.
"Yeah, sounds great. I'll look forward to it!"
A bright smile bloomed in the midst of the dusk-veiled office, reflecting the dim light from the monitor. It curled into a crescent moon, breaking through the dark clouds blanketing the night. Even though the light it bore wasn't her own, its warmth was, without a doubt, hers.
At this moment, Gigi felt like she could understand how Cecilia persevered all this time. How this uncaring, unreasonable world could be so beautiful when it's reflected in someone's smile.
If the world was filled with countless hells, then she would rather stay in this one. Since she was powerless to change this hell, she wanted to create a small heaven. A brief respite for two in this never-ending hell.
"Hey, Cece?"
"Mhm?"
"I think I love you."
Half a scoff and half a smirk came from Cecilia—a reaction that stemmed from half disbelief and half joy.
"I love you too."
In the end, what someone needed to keep living was just a single human being. As long as that one person could exist, the weight of everyday life became bearable. Carrying yesterday's pain, today's fatigue, and tomorrow's worries, they persevered for the sake of the small moments of happiness in their lives.
For the two of them, today's happiness came in the form of a crescent moon in the night sky and the taste of strawberry daifuku lingering between their lips.