One last chance

Did I finally saw him or was I dreaming?

Friday came quickly for Kirishima Zen, new chief editor of Shonen manga department in Shirakawa publishing company. It's been almost one week since he left from Tokyo with his precious only child, Kirishima Hiyori, an elementary student who would start school in exactly two and a half weeks.

Currently, the curly haired man was sitting on his desk in Shirakawa, editing a manuscript from a new mangaka he was going to meet today in a brewery. Even though most of the people preferred to interact in Shichiro's store due to its friendly and comfy atmosphere, Kirishima wanted to talk to the brewery some blocks away from the Cafe because his daughter would be there and he didn't want to see him working while drinking a beer with the mangaka.

The dashing editor sighed and then stood up, telling his subordinates that he is going to take a break and went to the lounge room to buy a coffee from the vending machine.

When he entered the lounge room, he turned his head to the smoke room due to a phone ring that was coming from there and spotted Hakamara Mizuki, chief editor of Shounjo manga department in Shirakawa with a cigarette on one hand while talking on her phone with the other.

Kirishima took his drink and walked towards the smoke room, making the red haired woman turn her head once she heard the door opening and ending her call after a few seconds. She smiled at him and then took the initiative to speak. "Kirishima-san, I didn't know you would come here to smoke"

"Actually, I came to buy a coffee from the vending machine, but then I saw you here", he said and raised his hand as saying 'no' when Hakamara opened her pack and showed it to him, asking him with this gesture if he wanted one. "I'm trying to quit it"

"That means you do smoke, right?"

"I do, but in some occasions. I don't want to return home and smell when my daughter is there."

"You have a daughter?"

"Yes. A 10 year old who goes to elementary school daughter. She is the reason I want to return home early"

"You are very lucky Kirishima-san".

"Why am I lucky Hakamara-sama?"

"You are leaving from work earlier than us. I for the record am leaving after 20.00"

"And why are you leaving so late? You know, it doesn't matter how long you stay, but how you act"

"Easy for you to say", she said and saw slightly narrowed eyes directed at her. She lowered her head while the editor hummed and opened the can, drinking some coffee from it and resting on the wall with closed eyes while a smile was on his lips.

"D-Did I say something -?" she asked but stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it a little. She raised her head and saw almond eyes looking at emerald ones, something that made her breath hitch and her cheeks become rosy.

"Are you alright? Your cheeks are red"

"Oh? O-Oh! I'm sorry! I'm fine!"

"Good. We don't want the chief editor of Shounjo manga department to get sick suddenly, do we?", he said and Hakamara gave him a grin at the comment.

"No one wants it. If it happens, that means hell week came", she said and the dashing editor chuckled. He took his hand and put it inside his pocket while with the other he was drinking the coffee. He took the phone from his pocket and then put it back inside. "I have to go now. I need to meet the mangaka I am working with. See you around Hakamara-sama"

"See you Kirishima", she said and winked at him while the hazelnut haired man nodded at her and left the smoke room for his desk. Once he arrived at his desk, he took his jacket and briefcase and walked towards the exit, informing his subordinates that he was going to meet the mangaka. Kirishima walked the stairs due to the fact that he had time until the meeting and once he arrived the ground floor, he walked towards the exit door, giving a bow to the reseptionists who returned the gesture.

While he was walking, he was thinking what happened a few minutes ago with Hakamara. 'She suddenly became rosy and her breath slightly hitched. Her eyes wide and then, she called my surname without honorifics. I need to be careful with that' , he thought and sighed. Maybe he was overthinking, but then a lot of women back in Marukawa were acting like that when he took off the wedding ring.

Marukawa... He was working there for 12 years and suddenly, an offer was on the table, making him leave from there. But, he didn't lose his job, he just took a break as Isaka-san told him. 5 minutes passed and the editor was now on the brewery, sitting on a table outside the store and waiting for the mangaka to come. He could go inside, but all the costumers were inside and the music was loud,while outside was quiet with some citizens coming from time to time without disturbing others.

It was nice and of course the breeze was wonderful, calming the nerves. The waiter came outside, taking the order from the editor and then going again inside to bring his beer. Some people would think that he acts too friendly, but then we are talking about a new mangaka who is obviously nervous about his work, so the editor wanted a place where the 'noobie' would calm and do his work.

His ordered was placed on the table and after he said his thanks, the waiter went inside one more time. He was ready to take a sip from it when suddenly he heard a vehicle coming towards the brewery, a familiar sound that he heard only one time, but it was memorable. He raised his head to see Yokozawa parking his motorcycle in front of the store with another outfit, but Kirishima didn't forsee that he would finally take off his helmet,something that made him wonder why he would do that if he wants to act incognito. But again, Sharukai-sama said that if he wants to enter inside a store, he takes it off.

His thoughts stopped and his breath hitched while his heart skipped a beat when he saw his face:

his steely grey eyes with his dark blue eyebrows, which they seemed black when he first saw them under the sun, slightly furrowed, his strong jawbone and pale skin, his jet spiky dark blue hair that stopped just above at the end of his nape, with his bangs covering slightly his upper eyelid and nose's bridge, and his black lashes decorating beautifully his eyelids. Yokozawa combed his hair from front to back with the sun hitting his head. While others could think he looks like a grumpy bear due to his furrowed eyebrows, nobody would say that he is an ugly man. Instead, based on Kirishima, he is a stunning man.

Yokozawa turned his head to see the man sitting there and watch him calm, which means the editor quickly composed himself after the sight he saw, and a grin on his lips.

The dark blue haired man gave him a nod and then walked towards the store, with the helmet hanging under his right arm and his heart beating a bit faster than before. 'What is that man doing here? And why does my heart beat quicker?', Yokozawa thought and shook his head, the furrow between his brows deeper. After some minutes, he left the store, put on his helmet and ride his motorcycle, disappearing for one more time away from Kirishima, who was now sitting on the table with the mangaka and talking about the manuscript while he was drifting from time to time, the memory of Yokozawa's face not leaving from his head.