Work Text:
“Haah,” she sighed for the umpteenth time today
With a weary expression, she rested her head on the table at the family restaurant. Not without reason did she feel hopeless, drained of energy and strength.
Two weeks.
Two weeks was how long she had spent going from one interview to another. Repeating the same lines like a broken record in front of interviewers, all for the sake of a job and an income—she wasn't even sure if her answers were truthful anymore.
“Haaah, if only money would just fall into my lap–” she muttered, her head spinning at the thought of her future if she didn't find a job soon
How would she pay her bills?
How would she pay her apartment rent?
How would she be able to eat next month?!
In this situation, the woman would not hesitate to accept any job as long as she was paid—
SRAAAGG!
Her eyes widened, staring in disbelief at the hundreds of bills flying and scattered in front of her—as if granting her crazy wish. Her ears caught the whispers of the people around her who were looking with pity.
“Isn’t that the young CEO of Uchiha Corp?”
“What is the young master doing here?”
“Oh my goodness, who is the poor soul who has to face this misfortune?”
But before she could process these whispers, a loud voice snapped her back to reality.
“You think money can solve everything?!”
Up ahead, with a flushed face, a blond-haired man glared angrily at a dark-haired man. The contrast between the two drew everyone's attention to what was happening, ignoring the scattered goods on the ground.
“Hn, is the money I gave you not enough?”
Arrogant, Uchiha Sasuke stood in front of him with his arms folded in front of his chest. Looking bored at the man whose face was turning even redder with anger, the wealthy man signaled to his personal assistant to come closer, asked for a piece of paper—a cheque—and threw it at the blond man.
“Write whatever amount you want—”
The woman could feel the blond man's patience snap, even before the youngest child of Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto finished his arrogant statement.
“Bastard!—”
Drrrt! Drrrttt!
Unfortunately, she couldn't watch the drama unfold until the end, because she had more important things to do—like answering a call from one of her prospective employers.
So the woman quickly answered the call, walking away from the crowd so that her important conversation wouldn't be interrupted by anything.
—
“Good job, new kid.
She smiled at the praise from her new coworker. It felt like her performance wasn’t really that bad compared to the others.
Getting a position as a financial administrator at a big company like this was a stroke of luck; she thought she might have used up all her luck to get this job.
“—so slow.”
“You’re walking too fast!”
The conversation in the pantry suddenly stopped, silenced. Everyone turned their heads to look outside, watching as the CEO of the company walked quickly—leaving the blond man behind, struggling to carry all the items in his hands.
In her mind, how dare he defy Uchiha Sasuke. Wasn't the blond man afraid of losing his job? With the salary offered, he should just keep quiet—
“Poor thing, being treated like a servant,” the woman next to her said sympathetically
“Heh, it's his own fault. If I were him, I would choose to keep quiet and take the money from Uchiha.”
“Didn't he work as a street vendor before?”
One of the men interjected, “I heard the boss's new toy has a lot of pride.”
Laughter filled the room, “Do you think pride can save you from a predator like that bastard Uchiha? Once you're in his sights, there's no way out for you.”
“Shh! Keep your voice down! What if someone hears you?!”
The woman, who had only been working at the company for a week, could only stare awkwardly at her coworkers, not having the heart to laugh at the poor man's fate, but also not wanting to be shunned by her colleagues.
Well, whatever happens, hopefully the man can soon escape his tragic fate.
—
A variety of snacks were neatly arranged in one of the display shelves of a convenience store near her apartment, making it difficult for her to choose just one. Damn, her monthly allowance was running low, and she couldn't just splurge on snacks that could be finished in one sitting.
What should she do? Buy potato chips whose packaging was mostly air, or chocolate biscuits that were ridiculously expensive?
Hm, maybe she should just buy ice cream—
The buzz of her smartphone in her pocket diverted her attention. Grumbling, she unlocked the screen.
Who was bothering her outside of working hours? Didn't they know she was in the middle of an important discussion?
[Hey, can you check this file? I think there's a miscalculation, our lives will be over if the boss finds out tomorrow.]
Damn it.
Stupid job. Stupid senior. Stupid manager!
Annoyed, she put back the snacks she had been holding. Hastily leaving the convenience store, ignoring the bored stare thrown at her by the cashier.
She didn't ride anything here, the distance was too close to make the woman bother taking out her bicycle. Taking long strides, she walked quickly through the parking lot next to the convenience store.
Hold on.
Her steps stopped. Her head turned slowly toward a black car that was familiar to her eyes.
A black car that is always parked in the office parking lot.
A black car that is always driven by their sadistic CEO.
A black car that is currently rocking in the dark of night.
Strange thoughts began to cross her mind. She questioned what was really happening, trying to refrain from making wild assumptions—even though she failed to do so.
Click!
Out of reflex, she hid behind a trash can, crouching down and praying that no one would spot her. Thinking about it, it wasn't her fault, but her fear of facing Uchiha Sasuke led her to choose to hide.
She brought her gaze back into view, and in the dim light, she could see a tall figure getting out of the luxury car. The man was neatly dressed, classy like a conglomerate. But that wasn't what made her body freeze.
No.
It was the Uchiha's movement as he reached into his private vehicle, as if helping someone get up and out of the car.
“Are you sure you don't need a ride?” His tone, which was usually cold and indifferent, was now tinged with a hint of gentleness
And was that concern in his voice?
No, it was impossible for a cold-hearted Uchiha to worry about someone.
“Shut up, Teme.” The man's companion appeared, showing how contrast they were with his wrinkled shirt and messy blond hair, “Go back to the office and make love to your beloved documents.”
The dark-haired man pulled the slightly shorter man closer, locking him in an embrace. “Are you seriously jealous of an object?
“Huh?!” Uzumaki Naruto, the man who had been his boss’ “toy” for the past few weeks, tried to push the man’s shoulder away. “No one here is jealous! Is there something wrong with your brain?"
–However, the woman could see that there was no real hatred in his words.
—
That night was the last time she saw that man who always greeted everyone with a broad smile, regardless of the gossip behind his broad back.
Her lips were sealed tight without needing anything to silence her.
Who would believe the words of a newcomer with no powerful backing? She was the one who would suffer the consequences.
Their CEO remained cold and unapproachable. The absence of the sun around him made him look even more gloomy than usual.
“Have you heard? They say Uzumaki is the long-lost son of Namikaze!”
“You must be joking! The highly successful Namikaze?! The one who is always praised even by world-class professors?!”
Her movements stopped, forgetting that she was busy copying documents for this afternoon's meeting. Her ears twitched, trying to catch the rumors spreading.
Namikaze's son?
Wasn't that child reported missing a long time ago? Even the police couldn't find him, so how could this suddenly happen?
Hm, wouldn't this complicate their relationship? It's impossible for both families to approve of their relationship. Surely they would demand an heir, right? Would they both decide to rebel? Run away to get married? Defy all the orders their families gave them?
Well, it's not really the ordinary people's business. Right now, her job is more important than listening to romantic gossip.
Her life is at stake at the meeting this afternoon.
—
The sound of birds and the buzz of crowds became the music of her morning. The fragrant scent of the beach filled her senses.
Taking vacation and enjoying her holiday in a tropical country was the best decision she had ever made.
She had been working as an employee at Uchiha Corp for over two years. Now her position was no longer an admin, but the manager's trusted assistant. The world of work is crazy; one moment you're at the bottom, the next you're looking down from your position at the top.
No longer did she have to worry about how to pay her apartment rent, no longer did she have to agonize over which snack to choose at the convenience store. She could use a portion of her salary to have fun.
Like now.
No piles of documents to finish, no snide remarks from envious lips, no need to fake a smile when what she really wants to do is punch someone’s face, no need to wake up early on a dreadful Monday morning—
“Teme! Stop it!”
Hm, maybe it was just her imagination. She couldn’t possibly hear that familiar voice she hadn’t heard in ages. A certain blond man's voice.
“Shut up, Dobe.”
Oh, now he hears her CEO's serious voice. Maybe she's still stressed about work—
“Are you crazy, Teme? We're in public!” the voice grows louder, even the noise of the people around them can't completely drown it out, “If our parents find out, we're done for—”
“Naruto, marry me.”
Her head had never turned so quickly as it did now. Her eyes widened, staring in shock as their CEO knelt before the blond man who had disappeared from their company two years ago.
“Let’s run away together, leaving behind our family. I will make you happy.”
Damn it. Why did she have to witness these two lovebirds again? It seemed like her decision to spend her vacation on this island was not the right one.
Was the world playing a joke on her? Could the woman demand compensation in the form of money?
No. Even money wouldn't be enough to cover the cost of her psychologist later.
If she died because of all this, the woman swore she would haunt the couple who were now embracing each other affectionately.