Shattering Dividing Glass (Byakuya Togami X Reader)

{3} ~ Chance

The blaring ringing from your alarm yanks you from a peaceful slumber. You sit straight upwards, eyes wide open. Realizing what occurred, you scowl and reach over to turn it off. Another night passed by, thankfully with a decent amount of sleep. Although drowsiness clouds your mind, you feel more refreshed than normal. Perhaps the promise of a well-paying client filled your head with hopeful thoughts. Rubbing your eye with one hand, you scroll through your phone to catch up on any notifications you missed overnight. There is nothing new on social media, nor in your informal email. That is, other than attempted scam messages and different political hot takes on your timeline. You huff in disappointment and decide to go to your text messages. 

An unread notification appears the screen. It seems that Daisuke has reached out to you with a text composed of two words: "call me." Deciding to get it over with now, you find his name in your contact list and heed to his request. A few rings pass, then you hear a click. He answers in an unusually serious tone. 

"Yeah? Oh, right. It's you."

Intrigued by his tone, you ask if anything is wrong. Daisuke releases a loud sigh before replying. 

"I got a call from the Togami head a little after you left yesterday. Apparently, he thinks your work was mediocre and expects 'better quality.'"

You sputter, taken aback by this absurd statement. Daisuke sent his best maid, yet that wasn't enough? What did the family expect when selecting a small, independently owned maid service? If they truly wanted the best quality, why wouldn't they pay for a more expensive one? Besides, you are certain you put in an excellent amount of effort into your cleaning, paying careful attention to missed spots and returning supplies to where they belonged. Even if you were distracted for a moment, you always double check your work. You especially made sure of this while taking care of the wealthiest family in the country. 

Naturally, you voice your concerns to your boss. Although you cannot see him, you know that he is nodding in agreement. 

"I know, I know. I believe you. No really, I do. I sent you out there for a reason. He thinks you're using outdated stuff and wants you to buy new ones. You're not going to believe this, but he sent a list of requirements for what you need. On top of that, he won't pay for it."

You are paralyzed with disbelief. In addition to being picky about your subpar cleaning, the head of the Togami family wants you to replace the supplies you have been using for quite some time. What difference does a change in brand make? The result will be the same, but the cost is much greater. You certainly hope that the paycheck will be worth it, but doubt begins to linger in your mind. Reluctantly, you ask Daisuke to send the list. 

"Yep, you got it. Should get it in a second. You have to buy them before going to the house today. You'll have to work a few hours overtime."

Instinctively, you let out a soft groan. Perfect. Once again, he expresses his empathy. 

"I'm sorry about this, I really am. Trust me when I say it will be fine. Your check is going to be real nice. You'll get paid at the end of the week and laugh about your worrying. Just hang in there, alright? I should probably let you go so you can shop. Let me know if anything goes wrong. Stay safe." 

A click sounds in your ear followed by silence. You lower your phone and stare at the screen dishearteningly until you receive the shopping list. Reluctantly, you tap on the text only to see that it contains at least 20 items. Once again, your breath is snatched from your chest. There is no doubt that all together, they will cost at least fifty thousand yen if not more. As a single person residing in an apartment, you cannot help but worry about the outcome of this job. You exhale sharply through your nose and begin to get ready for the day. 

At the grocery store, you cannot not find half of the items on the list. Thankfully, a bored clerk offers to help you look. With each glance at the price tag, your heart sinks further towards your stomach. Seeing you grimace, the employee escorting you offers a sympathetic grin and explains the current in-store deals related to your needed products. Although it does not lessen the total by a significant amount, you express your gratitude and state that you will be fine from here. He flashes another customer service smile and returns to his task of lurking around the food aisles. 

Not too much longer, you are finished with your search. With your task nearly complete, you get into the closest cashier line and go on your phone while you wait. About an hour has past, leaving you enough time to travel to the Togami mansion and return before too late in the evening. Perhaps this trip was not so bad after all. Granted, that does not include potential lectures from Aloysius about proper cleaning techniques. The thought of that possibility keeps your mood consistently low, but you are motivated to get through the day. 

Your thought process is interrupted when you feel your cart suddenly jerk. After recovering, you flash a glare at the person who caused it. Somehow, a man holding a cart of his own managed to ram into the side of yours. However, he appears to be just as distraught as you are. He stands a few inches taller than yourself and looks like an average businessman. Stringy chocolate hair is plastered to his head and his matching eyes are worn from, presumably, a long day of work. Blinking, he quickly moves closer, cheeks flushed. 

"I'm so terribly sorry! I seem to have blanked out and did not notice where I was going!" He stops to look at you, eyes glazed with concern. "Are you alright?" 

You nod and look to see that the line has moved. Before you can move forward, the man pushes his cart just enough to block your path. 

"Please! Let me make it up to you. I will take care of your items." He sputters, following up with a nervous smile. 

You raise an eyebrow, glancing at the names on the boxes. The man shakes his head dismissively. 

"Do not worry, I am doing very well financially. You see, I am the owner of a company but I came to provide for my family." He gestures towards the cashier. "Please, I insist."

Although you are wary of him, you obey and allow him to pay for your supplies. A large weight lifts itself from your shoulders as you begin to believe that there is hope for a decent day. After checking out, he offers to help you load your items into your car and ensures that you are ready to leave. Your suspicions increase, but you cannot detect any malice in him. Perhaps he is genuinely a nice person, which is quite rare in this area.  Disregarding your thoughts, you take advantage of his hospitality and ask for his name. 

"My name is Benjamin." He responds. "You see, I am an American that always wanted to come to Japan. It was a dream of mine to move here and be successful. I am very fortunate that I was able to. Judging by what you purchased, I'm assuming you are a maid of sorts?"

You nod and he continues, "Wonderful! That type of service is not very common in the States. That is, unless you are staying at a hotel."

Benjamin looks to your supplies once more. "And it seems you are serving a rather wealthy company. Do tell Aloysius I said hello, will you?"

You are taken aback by the sound of the butler's name. Seeing this, he raises his hands in a calming gesture. 

"Oh, do not take that incorrectly! You see, he is very particular with what he prefers. He and I have met a few times for lunch, and he helped me get on my feet. I did not mean to sound like a creep!" 

He laughs, but you do not. Instead, you give a polite bow and insist that you must leave. Benjamin nods and steps back, offering the same. Then, he turns and pushes his cart further into the parking lot. Just before you close your trunk, you notice a piece of paper sticking out of one of the bags. Curious, you reach over and pull it out. Written on it is a phone number followed by the letter B.