𝓐 𝓖𝓵𝓲𝓶𝓶𝓮𝓻 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓴 [𝓚. 𝓞𝓴𝓾𝓽𝓪]

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒯𝒽𝓇𝑒𝑒

The corner of y/n’s lips twitched into a smile. She placed the cleaning supply-filled bucket onto the floor and approached the massive oak desk. The previously messy stack of papers had been left in a neat pile, and a note rested on top of the wooden surface. 

When she mentioned the clutter to Yotsubashi, she didn't think he’d go out of his way to organize his desk for her. Her smile grew as she picked up the note and read it. Sorry for the mess, I will try to keep it clean for you from here on out.

Y/n wasn’t sure if she’d see Yotsubashi today; she took the pen laying idle on his desk and wrote out a simple thank you. She placed her reply exactly where he had left it, beside the neat stack of papers and folders.

Between this and her previous interaction, Yotsubashi appeared to be very kind-hearted and sweet. She reminded herself that her Grand Commander was rumored to have a terrible temper, but she couldn’t quite imagine it. Y/n took a step. The secret door under her creaked, sending a jolt of guilt through her body. She suddenly had a grim reminder of what he was capable of.

She stood frozen in place as she gathered her thoughts. In a soft whisper, she spoke to herself. “Out of sight, out of mind. Don’t you forget that.”

Her hold on her bucket of supplies tightened until her knuckles whitened, and she felt her heartbeats pulsate through her fingertips. Her grip loosened and she stepped further into the observatory. She knelt on the ground and unpacked her supplies. “You can’t go on feeling bad for an outsider.”

It was time to buckle down and get to work.

For the most part, y/n thought the Grand Commander’s office was the easiest work she ever had. Unlike the lower levels, this room seemed to go mostly unused. It left her feeling unsure of herself. Such easy work made her feel like she wasn’t working hard enough. Y/n wondered if she should visit the floor below the observatory and offer some assistance.

As she headed toward the elevator, a painfully familiar creak sounded, stopping her in her tracks. Not too long ago, Watanabe was in charge of the observatory before he recommended her for the job. She wondered if he had seen the door. Surely, he had to, she thought. Y/n discovered it on her first day, there was no way he had no idea.

Y/n entered the elevator. Rather than going down one level down, she headed towards Mr. Watanabe. As soon as the elevator doors parted, she instantly saw his broad figure. His back faced her, standing as still as a statue as he overlooked the two cleaners working on the floor.

Y/n weaved through rows of office desks and wet floor signs as she walked toward Watanabe. Her hand lightly tapped his arm. He turned to her, and a sense of smallness overcame her. “Y/n? Shouldn’t you be working?”

Y/n lowered her head, making the already towering cleaning supervisor feel even more monumental. “Yes, sir. I had a question and I was wondering if we could talk in private.”

Without asking for details, he followed y/n out of the room and out of earshot of the other two employees hard at work. She fumbled with her already trembling fingers, unsure how exactly to ask about the door. Her head was spinning with questions, making her feel dizzy. Should she mention the man? Should she be honest and admit to going into the secret room?

In her uncertainty, y/n spoke upfront about it. “Have you noticed the door hiding underneath the rug in the Grand Commander’s office?”

Watanabe didn’t immediately respond. The air grew thick and heavy, breathing became more difficult like someone had placed a bag over her head. Y/n glanced up at him. His expression carried its usual sternness, but she couldn’t quite read his face. He spoke, taking pauses between his words. “Do not open that door.”