𝙴𝚈𝙴𝚂 𝙾𝙵𝙵 𝚈𝙾𝚄

Chapter 6

"I guess I'll go with this place... It has everything I and the staff may need..."

Ms. Kurokami smiled. "Great. We'll head back to my office then and take care of the necessary paperwork."

They got back into her car and began their drive back to the office. Once there, they saw Hirose waiting in the lobby. He put away his phone and stood up, meeting them halfway. "Mr. Takechi. How lovely to see you."

"Likewise. I assume L/N has picked a place?"

"Of course. Follow me."

All three trailed behind her as she walked to her office, her heels clicking behind her. They all then took their seats, Ms. Kurokami pulling up the information on her computer. She pulled out the folder from earlier and laid it out in front of them.

"I showed you four locations that I compiled that met the criteria given by Mr. Takechi. Out of the four, L/N picked the last location we saw."

She then pulled up some sample images. "These are just a few pictures taken of the place. As I said earlier, it's best to see it with your own eyes. After all, the pictures don't show you everything."

"What are all the details?" Hirose asked.

"It's located inside of a cosplay studio about ten minutes away from L/N's residence, though those studios are fairly spread out, so noise won't be an issue. This particular space I found was made vacant."

"Any specific reason why?"

"The company that owns the cosplay studio had no use for it, so they cleared that space out and handed it over to us to sell or rent out."

"What about rooms?"

"There are three rooms. A large one, presumably where the studio will be, a small one, perhaps for storage or anything else you'd like, and a bedroom, available for overnight stays and all-nighters. It's also got two bathrooms. One includes just a toilet and a sink, and the other includes a toilet, sink, shower, and bathtub. As an extra, there's a balcony attached to the large room, a shoe cubby, and coat hangers."

"Guess we'll take it then."

"Excellent. I've got the paperwork right here."

--

"Looks like this place needs some cleaning up," Hirose said, having looked over the studio, "But it's perfect for it's going to be turned into."

F/N's eyes beamed as they looked everywhere. "This place will look so cool once it's finished up!"

"By the way, Y/N."

"Hmm?"

"I've found a few people that are on board to join the project. We're still waiting for a few more applicants, then get the interviews done before staff for the project is finalized. Once that's done, I'll get you properly introduced. In the meantime, you'll be put in charge of clean up and decorating."

"More work?" Y/N asked, already feeling more fatigued.

"Considering how big of a change it'll be, we'll probably have to put the series on hold."

"But-- Yeah... I guess..."

"Besides, you'll be able to sleep a little more."

F/N came up to Y/N and slung their arm around his shoulders. "It'll be alright. I'll come and help. I also know a lot more people that would be willing to help out too. With more people on top of it, we'll get it done in no time."

"Alright."

"Yay!"

"Well, let's get you back to your place," Hirose said, walking out.

--

"Alright, one more, Y/N. You got it," came a male's voice.

Y/N's muscles ached as he lifted the bar above his chest once again before putting it back. "Great job!"

The h/c-ette sat up, feeling sweat trailing down his face, his bangs damp. The guy pat his back in a supportive manner. "You got a new personal best. You should be proud of yourself."

"Thanks..."

"Take a break and then we'll start on something else."

"Okay."

Y/N watched as the guy walked away, then reached for his water bottle, feeling satisfaction at the sensation of cold water. He sighed and wiped his sweat away with the small towel he had. All around him, people were minding their business as they exercised. There were some trainers walking around, occasionally offering their help. One trainer, in particular, was always there when Y/N stopped by.

He offered to help and sort of acted as his personal trainer, though he wasn't. However, Y/N didn't mind. He knew he had to keep himself in shape and, at first, he didn't know where to start. But with the trainer's advice, he managed to create a routine for himself.

After a while, the trainer came back, an energetic grin on his face. "Ready?"

Y/N set down his stuff and nodded. "Great! Let's go over here."

By the end of it all, Y/N's body felt heavy and tired. Once his body cooled down enough, he took a shower and got changed into a clean change of clothes. He then slung his bag over his shoulder, beginning to make his way back home.

On the way, he stopped by the convenience store to grab some things he needed. He looked around, his gaze landing on one particular thing. He walked over and picked it up. Once he gathered it all, he went over to check out. Just as he was heading over, he accidentally bumped into someone.

"Hey. Watch where you're going," the person said.

Y/N turned to them. Something about them was familiar, but he shrugged it off. "I'm sorry..."

"Tch..."

The person turned and walked away, Y/N's gaze on them for a few seconds.

"Will this be all for you today?"

"Ah...yeah."

With the bag in hand, Y/N left the convenience store, continuing his journey back to his house. His keys jingled as he reached out and unlocked the door, stepping inside. He was met with silence, but it was silence he was used to. He tossed his bag on the floor next to the washer before letting himself fall onto the couch.

"So tired..." he muttered, sinking back against the cushions.

He closed his eyes, just taking a moment to relax. He could feel the ache of his muscles, but he tried to ignore it. Eventually, he opened his eyes again, deciding to retire to bed for the night. As he closed the door to his room behind him, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He slipped off his hoodie, tossing it on his chair before reaching into his pocket.

It seemed that his company he already made the announcement of his series' hiatus. A few people had already posted comments and reactions to it.

'The author probably needed a break'

'I hope everything is alright and that the hiatus isn't because the author's health is in danger or anything'

'We'll be waiting patiently for your return!'

The positivity and care radiated off of the majority of the comments and it made him smile. He was glad his audience wasn't disappointed at the sudden announcement. Relief washed over him. He put his phone down on his nightstand, leaving it to charge, and got into bed, pulling the blanket over himself.

Sleep...