False Reality

First Things First

You wake up without a red feather poking you somewhere on your body. Ever since Keigo's wings had grown back, he was always sure to use them as much as possible, like he was scared they might just disappear again.

You sit up slowly and suspiciously, looking around your room and its new layout for a flash of red that might randomly dart at you.
But nothing. Which was really unlike Keigo. Even without wings he came to wake you up every morning, like he was bored whenever you weren't awake so he had to get you up too.

You slide yourself out of bed, frowning at nothing in particular, taking a mental note of the fact that Keigo's office and bedroom doors were open and he was not in the rooms, but there was the unmistakable sound of faint music and shuffling coming from downstairs that you head towards.

You get halfway down the stairs before realising that Keigo is filming himself dancing. You stop, stare at him and then turn straight around again and begin walking back up the stairs.

"Hakuchō-" He begins and then seems to catch himself. "Sorry, Y/N, come and help?"

"Nope." You reply bluntly, continuing up the stairs.

"Please!" He begs from the bottom of the stairs.

"Pay me." You demand without turning to face him.

"I'll give you one thousand yen." He bribes.

You pause. "Really?"

"Yeah." He replies desperately. "Aoi said that this was a good place to market but I don't understand the app. Help? Please?"

You think about it for a second. "One thousand five hundred."

"Deal." Keigo breathes.

You groan inwardly and turn around to look at him. "You're keeping your clothes on, though."

Keigo's eyes widen, a startled chirp leaves him and he sputters a little over the sound. "Obviously! Why would I take them off?"

"For the marketing, apparently." You reply, rolling your eyes as you pass him. "What is it? Tiktok?"

"Yeah." Keigo replies, following behind you with his wings dragging on the floor.

"Well it would be a start if you were on the right app." You say with a raised eyebrow.

You cancel the recording he'd taken on his phone on the camera app rather than the actual app itself, and open the one that he was meant to be on.
Keigo watches over your shoulder as you do so, watching as you set up the camera again.

"Do it again." You instruct, balancing it on the back of the sofa again and showing him how to start the timer.

You walk off to get breakfast when he appears to be ready. You really did not want to watch your parental figure dance for strangers on the internet first thing in the morning, especially knowing it was likely some kind of thirst trap from his 'reputation' that had been crafted by the Commission.
You hear shuffling and footsteps again as you have your back turned to pour out cereal, cringing even when you can't see him.

"Okay, I'm done." Keigo calls.

You hum, turning around with your mouth full of cereal, and taking his phone off him and watching the looping video reluctantly, and discovering that Keigo was actually a pretty good dancer, and that it wasn't any kind of thirst trap at all.

"What the fu-" You begin to ask, looking up at Keigo who's arching a fluffy eyebrow at you before you can finish your sentence.

You slam your mouth shut immediately. You weren't about to have any of the money you'd agreed on put in the swear jar before you even got it in your hands.
His expression softens the second you do, a fond sparkle in his eyes as his lips quirk upwards.