Wish ~Yato x Reader AU~

Chapter 5: Seven

"Well, here it is," Hiyori beams, turning to me. "Seven."

My mouth almost drops in astonishment at what I see staring back at me. The boutique, to my surprise, is not how I've come to know boutiques to be. Where most shops are in seemingly plain, traditional buildings, this one is not. The infrastructure staring back at me is a large Victorian house that is -if I'm not mistaken- a stick style design with three stories; most likely a main floor, second level, and attic with a separate tower. But the amazement of this foreign architecture treasure isn't all that distinguishes it from its surroundings. The entire place is brilliantly painted with electric blue, soft pink, vivid violet, and cheerful yellow with the gutters and trim being a basic white. The icing on the cake is the iron fence that lines the boutique's property, which is a large yard with a stone stepping path that leads to the massive wraparound porch and a cherry blossom tree tucked to the side. It stands out like a sore thumb among all the traditional Japanese architecture, but it is absolutely beautiful, nonetheless.

Of course, that's not the only incredible thing about this place. Just across the street from this jewel is a sandy beach with a breathtaking view of the ocean. Though that mesmerizingly stunning view is across the street, I can still hear the roaring of the waves splashing against the shore and rocks. It sounds so soothing and relaxing to me, the breeze driving that fresh scent to my nostrils only adding to the Zen. It's absolutely amazing. All of it. The house, the view, the smell. It almost makes me forget that I'm in a village. Almost.

"Wow," I breathe.

Hiyori walks over to me and giggles, "It's pretty, isn't it?"

"Yeah," I nod, still transfixed on the scene.

"You should see it at sunset," she continues, catching my attention.

My eyes board onto her as she stares at the sea. Just like me, she looks to be at peace. Her soft features are smooth and even, the corner of her lips drawn up into a gentle smile. Though I don't know this girl, one thing is certain. She must find tranquility in the crashing of the waves and the calmness it brings. I know I would. If I was exposed to this scene on a daily basis, then I would practically melt in it. But that's just me.

Still, I'm intrigued, and I want to hear more of what she means, so I press, "At sunset? What's so special about sunset?"

A gentle breeze combs its fingers through any of her loose strands as she shrugs, "At sunset, it's like everything is magical." She laces her fingers together and continues, "The sun looks like it's diving into the ocean and the sky becomes so pretty and colorful. Pink, purple, gold, orange. It's just so beautiful and if there's clouds, then wow. It's even prettier." She turns to me. "But the prettiest part is when all the colors reflect on the surface of the water. It's just breathtaking and amazing."

Her eyes seem to be telling the truth. I have come to that conclusion because of the way her smile meets them. Though, I can't blame her. Just hearing about a scene like that almost gives me goosebumps, but in a good way. I mean, something like that would be enough to keep me in bliss. But I'm not here for sunsets and waves. I'm here for a job. I'm here in hopes of finding that stability I need.

"That does sound magical," I agree, shifting my weight from one leg and to the other. "Well, hopefully, I'll get to see that if all goes smoothly in here."

Hiyori perks up and beams, "Oh, I'm sure it'll go well! Here, I'll go introduce you to Mr. Sui."

I wave my hands dismissively, "Oh, no, no, no. I couldn't ask you to do that. You've already done more than enough for me. Besides, your shift."

"It'll be fine," she assures me, heading up the steps to the boutique's door. "I still have a few minutes to spare. Now, come on."

I hesitate but eventually follow. The old wooden porch creeks and moans beneath our combined weight as Hiyori pushes open the door. I'm not sure what I'm expecting since any previous expectations I had were all knocked out of the water by the boutique's appearance, but this was not it. Instead of the basic layout of a regular house greeting us, we are met with a homey yet chic store floorplan. The walls are all done up with an elegant, vintage gray and white wallpaper that suits the Victorian style of the infrastructure as four small crystal chandeliers hang from the white ceiling. Extravagant crown and floor molding lines the perimeter of doors and windows, all being painted a shimmering porcelain that glistens in the artificial light. The hardwood floor is a beautiful hickory that ties in with the sleek metal of all the racks and hooks which are all displaying vast styles, colors, and sizes of different articles of clothing, reminding me this is a shop.

Hiyori makes her way in through the boutique and I follow her. She leads me to an extremely modern counter that is painted a pristine white with two vintage tills resting on it. The wall behind the registers is painted an eye-popping electric blue with the name of the shop written in neat cursive, surprising me even more. English. It's written in English. Though a Japanese translation can be found beneath its English counterpart. Still, it's surprising, nonetheless. Then again, everything about this place is surprising. Its appearance, its interior, its purpose. Everything.

"Wow. This is a swanky place," I whistle, moving toward the tills. "This is high-end quality stuff, right here."

"Mr. Sui tries to make this place as nice as possible," Hiyori says warmly.

"Mission accomplished," I mutter, scanning the place.

I can't get over it all. I've seen some nice shops in my life, but nothing this nice. Even those expensive places I've seen in movies don't seem to hold a candle to this place. Not only is it a nice setup, but it's also just nice in general. It looks and smells like the perfect place for women to spend some time at. Plus, it's next to a café. Can it really get any better?

"I'm sure he'll appreciate hearing that," she giggles, turning away. "Mr. Sui! Mr. Sui, someone is here in response to your ad! Mr. Sui!"

I stand and grip onto my bag's strap, mentally preparing myself. This Mr. Sui is someone I need to impress. After all, he could potentially become my boss. This man that I've never met could become the person who signs my paychecks, so I need to make a great first impression. Okay, Y/N. I tell myself, taking a deep breath. Remember to smile and be polite. Ask questions to show interest in the position and keep eye contact. I mentally rehearse how I think the situation will play out and take steady breaths.

I can do this. I pep talk to myself. I got this in the bag. At least, that's what I'm choosing to tell myself. After all, I need to stay positive. I need to stay positive and keep my mind clear. That's what I need to do.

My eyes are squeezed shut as I inhale through my nose when I hear Hiyori chirp, "Oh, Mr. Sui. There you are."

At that, my eyes open and I follow her stare to the nearby registers. My gaze is met with the view of an older man who I never heard approach, startling me. Due to my spooked state, I jump and, as a result, lose my footing. Gravity begins to pull me back as I close my eyes shut, bracing myself for impact. I know it's going to hurt, and I have already made peace with that when a pair of hands wrap themselves around my wrists and pull me back to my feet, steadying me.

Stunned, I open my eyes to see who I assume to be Mr. Sui in action. It's his grasp that has gripped onto me and saved me from tumbling down. It's also his panicked expression that causes a wave of dread to wash over me. Mr. Sui...the person I need to impress...my potential boss. Fuck.

So much for making a great first impression.

**Ello, ello my sweet lovelies! Well, now Y/N has found Seven -with some help, of course. I will say, I absolutely love Victorian houses. I think they're just so beautiful and stunning. Don't worry, later chapters will explain why there's a boutique in a Victorian house in Japan. Also, the cover picture in this chapter was taken by me. It's from when I was in Hawaii because, sadly, I've never been to Japan, but at least it's an ocean, right? Anyway, I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! Thank you super, duper much for everything! Stay groovy! Wuv yous!! <3**

-Noel Ross