Untouchable

Chapter 2

Dean pov

I leap back, startled, as my best friend glares at me. His dark brown eyes are ablaze with fury. He snarls, stepping aside as I ask him, "What's wrong, Yaki?" Yaki, whose real name is Hyakikmaru, lets out a frustrated sigh, reaches out, grabs me, and pulls me close until our faces are inches apart. "I thought you said you'd be here in a few minutes. Do you have any idea what old man Tanaka has put me through?"

A wave of disgust crosses my face is so close to his. I usually don't mind Yaki touching me; he's the only one I allow such liberties with—and not in the way you might think. I mean the kind of touch needed to get someone's attention. But as I look into his face, even though I can tell he's brushed his teeth, it's still unpleasant. I raise my arms and extend my hands to give him a gentle push on the chest. He staggers back, clutching his chest with a playfully wounded expression. plasters his face.

"Damn, does my breath stink? I brushed my teeth this morning," he says, blowing his breath and then sniffing it. I shake my head, pulling down my mask to reveal the tip of my nose. Yaki reaches out, pinching the bridge of my nose. I squirm and move away. "I was only a few minutes away, but that doesn't mean I was going to turn into The Flash," I tell him as I brush off my clothes and straighten my gloves. Yaki lets out a huff and rolls his eyes as he says, "Let's go before Mr. Tanaka has a heart attack." With that, we head inside the building.

The animation studio looks decent on the inside, even though its exterior may be deceiving. There are different sections in each corridor, some for Manhwa and others for Manga, and sometimes even Donghua; however, the boss is still working on securing legal terms from China for Donghua.

I have worked in all the studios, being the most seasoned in drawing and animation, second only to Yaki and Mr. Tanaka. The majority of the team focused on scripts or storylines, while voice actors recorded the lines. As an American studio, we didn't produce Japanese, Chinese, or Korean dubs; we primarily worked in English.

The job, however, could be stressful, particularly regarding compensation; there were instances where we animators were overworked and underpaid. Despite this, I aspire to own an animation studio someday, although I'm uncertain if I'm ready for such a venture.

""Where have you been? Did you forget we had a deadline?" I shift my focus to the source of the voice, Mr. Tanaka, standing before us. "And Yaki, I asked you to fetch him, not to dally!" He rants about the irresponsibility of the younger generation and their inability to complete a simple task.

His words were harsh, but I've always been taught to respect my elders. "It won't happen again, sir. Please don't fault Yaki; the blame is mine for being late and irresponsible. I accept full responsibility for my actions and apologize for any disruption to the schedule."

Would this appease his frustration?

I lower my head, aiming to convey a deeper sense of remorse. Mr. Tanaka clears his throat. "Make sure this doesn't happen again. We rely on animators like you, and it would be regrettable if I had to let you go. Not that I intend to, but the studio's reputation is on the line, and I can't afford to lose my top animators over this." He departs, muttering under his breath. Once he's out of sight, Yaki snickers and nudges my leg as I stand up straight. Placing a hand on my shoulder, Yaki gives it a reassuring squeeze. "That man can be so over the top. One mishap and he behaves as if it's a catastrophe, especially concerning this job. It's hard to picture the difficulty of being a boss who merely oversees hiring and firing," Hyakikmaru vents as we head to our section.

I roll my eyes at his ignorance. "Sure, that may be the appearance from an outsider's perspective if you're thinking narrowly. However, being a boss or a businessman entails much more; it's a significant responsibility. You're not only managing a business but also the lives of your employees. As a boss, you must care for those around you while managing the company and yourself. When there's an issue with the company or the paychecks, everyone turns to the boss for answers, so I understand Mr. Tanaka's point of view."