have patience | Kamisato Ayato x Reader

chapter 10 | inquisition, infiltration

Despite the fact that you had already gone on to begin your usual trail back to the Estate, Ayato had not immediately followed behind. Instead, the following moments after the currents of Ayato's attention swiftly fell upon the flurry of teal he was ever so curious about, his focus had drifted away onto a nearby voice, forcing him to pause.

"Sir! What a pleasure to see you here!"

With a sharp turn, Ayato's focus snapped towards whoever had dared to break his inquisitive eyes' endeavor, and as his gaze fell upon the sight of recognizable garb hanging from the shoulders of his interrupter-apparel that looked far too reminiscent of befitting the Kanjou Commission, to be precise-a forced, perfectly poised smile strained the lines of his lips.

"Ah, yes. I suppose any public appearance of mine is so notable, even if it's vital for this event... as I'm sure you're well aware of." Ayato replied thoughtfully, the latter comment spoken more to himself, if anything. "Is there perhaps a reason behind why you acknowledged my presence?"

"Hardly, sir. I only have a simple question that shouldn't take too much of your time."

The official's words alone had nearly caused Ayato to snicker. Such a notion of a 'simple question' being exchanged between two individuals within the commissions without either side gaining anything in return was unheard of-after all, Ayato was not one above orchestrating such maneuvers himself, as it was in the nature of their shared profession. Nonetheless, he effortlessly concealed his speculation.

"Do go on?"

"Well then, I must admit I was curious about who was hanging around you while you were in your meeting with the Guuji, sir." the man asked.

"Oh, you mean Y/N, yes? She is the new assistant I hired to shoulder parts of the festival's intricate planning." Ayato replied courteously, and though he figured he knew the answer to his next question, he asked anyway. "Might I ask why you inquired about her?"

"A new hiree, you say? Had she gone through the proper training necessary for the position?" the official inquired as his eyes narrowed.

"It was a decision made in short notice, so, I'm afraid not." Ayato spoke, all too aware of the other's growing suspicions. "Perhaps that is not the answer you were hoping for, but even you would agree that the benefits of having an inexperienced assistant far outweigh the risks of not having one at all, no?"

"Correct, but..." the man paused to begin rocking the sole of his shoe in a rhythmic pattern against the pavement. It was such a small little detail, but Ayato could figure it was only a clue to a far bigger picture. "It's just that I've never seen her around before..."

Ayato's eyebrows rose as he noted that the man had begun to fidget with his fingers. Slowly, he drew a conclusion regarding the official's stance, and all that was left was to bait out a reaction from the unsuspecting man to confirm it, and, given how the pitiful man was on the verge of trembling, he figured it wouldn't take much longer.

A disappointed sigh crossed the commissioner's lips as he recognized the man's fidgeting had only grown worse during the silence.

"Right... I suppose that very fact alone would prove to be very troublesome for my fellow colleagues, which includes yourself, hm?"

With widened eyes, the man anxiously glanced up at Ayato, no longer able to conceal his bewilderment.

"P-Pardon?"

"Oh, it's quite nothing, really." Ayato dismissed the alarm in the official's eyes with a wave of his hand. "But you did seem rather nervous while clarifying what your question was. Quite the shame, too, really... wouldn't you rather have been upfront about your dissatisfaction with my choice, instead of disguising it behind a series of pointless questions? I'm quite the accommodating man, and I would've been thrilled to have provided even the briefest amount of clarity to any of your objections."