this side of paradise ; korrasami

one

It was an early fall morning, the middle of October. The winds were brisk, but calm. A shiver fell over a certain Sato, who was sound asleep in her NYC apartment bedroom. The young woman was tired from the previous day, as she was working with her dad on a new vehicle idea.

The Sato's owned a corporation that was widely known for their Sato-Mobiles, a car so popular that there wasn't a single person who didn't know the name.

Asami's eyes fluttered open as she got chills from an autumn breeze. She slowly crawled out from under her duvet and waltzed over to the window to shut it.

This was the first weekend the young Sato was spending in her new apartment. Previously, she had lived with her father in his mansion, but seeing as she was now a CEO, had her own building, and was ready to grow up on her own, she moved out. As she closed the window, she spotted a small coffee shop just across the way. Cute, she thought.

Asami pulled herself away from the glass and headed into her small bathroom. As she brushed her teeth, she got lost in thought.

Maybe now that I'm away from my dad, I can have somewhat of a love life, she said, followed shortly after with a laugh. Asami had never been the type to get involved with people romantically. It was a 'waste of time' to her father, so she never bothered.

She had lived alone with her dad ever since she was a little girl. Mrs. Sato, her mother, passed away when Asami was very young. Hiroshi didn't mention her much, but Asami still wonders what it would've been like if she was still alive.

After the Sato was done with her teeth, she got undressed, tossing her clothes to the side, and proceeded to get in the shower.

A little while later, and after Asami was changed, there was a knock on her door.

"Coming!" she squeaked out as she ran over to answer it.

"Good Morning Ms. Sato, the car is parked downstairs," a tall gentleman announced.

"Morning Mako! And I told you to stop being so formal with me," she responded to the man. As he laughed to himself she grabbed her purse and keys.

"Straight to work Ms. Sa- I mean Asami, or shall we get some coffee?" Mako asked, walking over to the lift.

"Oh uh, I have a meeting fairly soon, so I can grab some after that. Straight to work is fine," she said as the elevator doors closed. Maybe I can come grab some from that place across the way, she thought.

"Ah, I have heard great things about that place," Mako spoke.

"Did I say that out loud?" Asami questioned, a little embarrassed. The man gave her a nod and she laughed. "I have really got to learn how to keep my thoughts in my head."

"Don't sweat it Ms. Sato, it happens to the best of us," he said with a reassuring smile. A little less embarrassed, she pulled out her cell and checked her calendar. A meeting with Varrick at 8:30, then another with his assistant Zhu-Li at 3, should be manageable, Asami thought.

The elevator beeped, signifying they had reached the lobby floor. Mako followed Asami out, and they both headed out to the street.

"After you," he said, ushering the young woman into the vehicle.

"Thank you good sir," Asami said in a mocking tone. The tall fellow rolled his eyes with a laugh,  then followed Asami into the car.

The car ride was peaceful, leaving Asami to her thoughts. Normally these consisted of ideas for Future Industries, but today the topic was a little different. I kind of want a girlfriend.

The young woman has always been confident in her sexuality, as she didn't see a reason to not be. Although she'd never been with a woman, it's what she preferred. Men never seemed to live up to her expectations.

After about a ten minute car ride, Mako opened the door for Asami and she exited the car. She thanked him and waved as she hurriedly walked into the lobby of her building. Her building.

She gave hello's to the receptionist and doorman, along with some random employees who were walking around as well, and she went into the elevator.

The second the doors opened, she basically ran to her office, seeing as it was 8:27 and she was expected in a conference room in three minutes. Setting down her bag and phone, she caught a glimpse of a woman across the floor. Short, tanned, bright blue eyes, and a cute smile. Who is that? Asami pondered the thought while walking over to her meeting.

"Asami! My favorite CEO!" Varrick exclaimed as the Sato entered the office. She smiled at the fact that he called her a CEO, everything was finally falling into place.

"So about this new design," Varrick began as she sat down.

-

After their meeting, which ran way too long in Asami's opinion, she had about five hours before she needed to meet with Zhu-li. That meeting shouldn't take as long, it's only reviewing things from her previous meeting with Varrick and then some other boring paperwork. The CEO's hands drifted to her keyboard as she began to type.

Cafes near me. A variety of places appeared on her screen, none being the one she wanted. She kept looking until she found the coffee shop.

"Ocean Cafe, cool," she said aloud, looking at the cafe she saw this morning. Closing the tab, she got up from her chair and decided to get some fresh air.

She found herself on the balcony of her floor, admiring the view. Until a voice chirped next to her.

"Asami! Hi!" Asami turned her head to be met with green eyes, ones that could only belong to a certain Opal Beifong.

"Hi Opal," Asami said, giving her a hug. Opal and Asami have been friends for about five years. They met through their dads and were basically raised together. Undoing herself from the embrace, Opal's smile wore off Asami's mildly bad mood.

They talked for a bit about the Sato's meeting, Opal's new work crush, and the shit work coffee that neither of them enjoyed. Asami suggested for her friend to join her for coffee, but Opal was intent on admiring the boy in the office across from hers.

"He's so handsome, and his eyes! His eyes Asami," she rambled. Asami giggled at the girl.

They exchanged goodbye's and Asami went into her office to grab her phone and some cash. Normally she would call an Uber, but the place wasn't that far and she could use a walk. Letting Opal know she was leaving, she walked out of the lobby and onto the New York streets.