Eat or Be Eaten (MewGulf AU)

🌞Chapter 14🌻

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After leaving the two men, he went to Misukoshi and Matsuya.

It was the middle of the week, so Ginza's streets were empty and Gulf could shop without stress. He picked up a necktie and a tie pin, then headed to his favorite designer to order a spring suit and jacket.

"I hardly recognized you, Mister Gulf!"

One of the salespeople he knew looked at him in surprise when he came into the store.

"This is for a job I'm working on."

After he finished working at Individu, whether or Mew accepted his offer, Gulf would return to his old life. He would dress in designer suits and conduct business with a laptop, cell phone, and fax machine, monitoring restaurants' economic data.

But why did this life that he had taken for granted seem so shallow now?

Gulf had always had a fierce pride in his work. He thought the work of a consultant suited him and he liked watching his results improve.

But he got a different sort of enjoyment out of working at Individu.

When he was there, he had direct interaction with the customers. It's wonderful, I'm so happy, this is so much fun, they would say. And he also knew immediately when they weren't satisfied.

It was hand work keeping track of the customers moods, but he couldn't deny that it was rewarding.

But Gulf would only be going to Individu for one more week. Really, only five more days.

He had closed the distance between himself and Mew. It had taken time, but he believed he'd built a certain trust between them. Maybe that was just wishful thinking.

But something had changed. It was a little late now, but he was struck by fundamental doubts.

When they'd discussed business, Mew hadn't trusted him. Gulf had started working at his restaurant so that he would trust him and listen to his offer.

Even if they didn't end up working together, Gulf thought he would be satisfied with developing a relationship of trust between them. He wanted Mew to trust him very much.

But he could see their last day together looming before him and part of him wondered if that would really be enough.

To trust and earn trust, and end their partnership with only that. Is that enough? he wondered, and in that instant he felt a hole rip open in his heart.

"Ow---"

"Is something the matter, Mister Gulf?"

His heart had cried out with his voice

"No. I'm fine. When the clothes are ready, have them sent to my apartment, please."

He filled out the delivery form, then dragged his heavy limbs out of the store.

What was this void he felt squeezing his heart into pulp? He didn't know where it had come from. The only thing he did know was that his connection to Mew was about to disappear.

Of course, even if the business talks did go well, he could always go to Individu and continue experiencing the taste of Mew's food. If he was very lucky, Mew might even come out to talk to him.

But if he left with the promise to come again to eat that wonderful food and chat about meaningless things with the chef, the relationship would be stagnant---he would have made no progress. Even if they work together as client and consultant, most of their meetings would be like that, too.