FIC: Making Ends Meet, Chapter 3
Title: Making Ends Meet
Chapter 3: Job Hunting Isn’t Always Easy
Fandom: Hana Yori Dango/Boys Over Flowers
Author: GirlAnime
Summary: AU. Makino Tsukushi is freshly out of college, still spunky and...out of a job? Between losing her apartment, seeing her family off to a new town and hunting for a new job is there even a moment of peace?
Rating: PG/PG-13, depends what your standard is.
Pairing: Tsukasa/Tsukushi (mainly)
Warnings: A little bit of language in this one.
Author's Notes: Thanks to Aikawa and Romancedinthepast, my lovely betas! Also, italics are for thoughts and sometimes sound effects (hopefully you can tell which). Story stat layout totally yoinked from
luciademedici. ^^
Disclaimer: I don’t own Hana Yori Dango, Yoko Kamio does and I love her for creating it.
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Making Ends Meet
Chapter 3: Job Hunting Isn’t Always Easy…
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A week passed since Tsukushi’s induction into Yuki’s home. A week and still no sign of a good job. She thought as she pulled up one of her tan thigh-highs over her knee. There’s no way I can keep staying here at Yuuki’s like this but I just don’t understand why I haven’t been able to find a job yet. I know the economy is bad right now but really, there has to be a job somewhere. Slicking the hem of her business skirt down Tsukushi’s hands nimbly twisted her hair into a simple up-do that she fastened with a pair of decorative hair-sticks. I’m going to get that job at that club today if it kills me. I don’t care if it’s scrubbing floors. I need a steady paying job. Tsukushi placed on her business jacket that she just barely managed to afford dry cleaning on.
“Although maybe I am a little over dressed…” She sighed. Even though she had arranged an interview with Hanazawa Commodities’ head secretary, she still wasn’t sure exactly what position she was going into an interview for. The newspaper had simply said: ‘Assistant wanted for Hanazawa Commodities’ upper management. Please make an appointment as interviews will be held for each candidate. Resume required.’
“Well I suppose it’s better to be over dressed than under dressed.” She finally decided as she brushed her eyelashes lightly with some mascara and smeared a subtle gloss on her lips. Even using light make-up such as this was bound to help her out in some way. Tsukushi knew she might not be a beauty queen but she didn’t have repulsive features by any means. Still, I’d better get something to eat so my stomach doesn’t speak up for me during this interview. Grabbing a can of milk tea, she quickly rushed out the door in hopes of finding a new job.
Taking busses to and from prospective job opportunities had kept Tsukushi away from taking the metro ever since the night she had started staying at Yuuki’s. Often times she would catch herself remembering the handsome young man who had been so bemused at her punching that one drunken pervert as she rode the busses to and from each district. I’ll probably never see him again. She had to keep telling herself this so that she wouldn’t slip too far into her own fantasies. Still, it doesn’t hurt to think about him as long as I know it’s not reality... A girlish grin crossed her face as she lightly treaded down the bus steps and onto the sidewalk.
Looking around, Tsukushi took in the urban scenery of the Shibuya district. “Let’s see, Hanazawa Commodities should be here somewhere…” Glancing at the nearest street sign, Tsukushi began to mentally navigate her way to the interview that would be taking place in roughly thirty minutes. Lost in her own thought, she stood on the edge of the curb closest to the street of traveling vehicles. Realizing that some water had leaked onto the street from perhaps a nearby fire hydrant Tsukushi was able to skillfully dodge a small bit of splashing made by passing traffic. Ha! Maybe today is especially lucky for me! Tsukushi couldn’t help but smile to herself as she started rummaging through her presentation notebook to recount her resumes for the fourteenth time.
As a second car passed by, Tsukushi was too enthralled in her thoughts to realize it too would hit the same puddle as the previous car. However, unlike the first car, the splash this car had made was by far much larger and more damaging than what the other car could’ve made. Instead of the possibility of just her shoes being soaked, the entire front of Tsukushi’s business jacket, skirt and shirt were covered in a mix of water and road slime, not to mention her freshly printed resumes and leather presentation notebook which had been a Christmas gift from her brother.
Perhaps it was Tsukushi’s bad luck or maybe her completely defenseless demeanor that made her react so carelessly. She was so angry she could hardly speak but anything that was coming out of her mouth was a very loud and angry expletive. Before she knew it she had hurled her canned drink at the car responsible and much to her utter shock and horror the car came to a screeching halt just as the cross light turned green and she began to try and walk past where the car had stopped suddenly ahead of her.
“What the HELL was that about?” An extremely irate masculine voice roared as a tall figure rose out of the car Tsukushi had tagged with her drink can.
Shit… Tsukushi thought as she took a good look at the car stopped just to her left. Thin tires, luscious red curves…yep, it was an import. It looked like a relatively recent model of some racing car. A Saleen? Tsukushi pondered inwardly. She was no expert on cars but she could definitely tell this car wasn’t built in Japan.
“Would you stop gawking for a moment and pay attention to when someone is yelling at you!”
“Well why don’t you slow down when you’re driving! This isn’t a race track you know! Thanks to you I’m not only going to be late for my job interview but now I look a mess!” Tsukushi took notice of her presentation notebook and the extremely wet insides. “And now ALL my resumes are a mess!” Tsukushi’s full attention went to the tall young man who had risen out of the car as fast as his voice was rising in volume. As she studied his features, she concluded that he was obviously of an upper class financial standing. From his designer suit, eccentric coif, to his well manicured hands, everything about him screamed pampered. Of course the car was, most decidedly, the first tip off.
“It’s not my fault you don’t have enough comical sense to stand farther away from the edge of the curb, you idiot!” If this man were an animal, Tsukushi knew she would see the fur on the back of his neck bristling. It was bad enough that he was baring his teeth and using a most informal way of addressing her.
“Wha-?” Tsukushi blinked a few times and tried to discern if she had heard him correctly. “Don’t you mean common sense?” Placing her free hand on one of her hips, Tsukushi tilted her head and raised an eyebrow at the man across the expensive car from her, who was now steadily turning red. Whether from the embarrassment of the public humiliation by being corrected or because of the current infraction of her drink can hitting his car, she wasn’t sure. “Your Japanese is as bas as your driving!”
For a moment Tsukushi wasn’t sure if the hot-headed idiot was going to explode or just stand there turning different shades of red and purple until he passed out from lack of oxygen. All he was managing to get out were mere utterances of syllables. Most of which were probably curses, or would have been if he could get them out of his mouth.
“Look, I don’t have time to deal with a rich brat like you okay? You could afford the car right? You can afford to get a scratch out of the paint, where as if I don’t land the job interview I’m off to I may not even be able to buy my dinner much less the dry cleaning for this suit your horrendous driving has ruined! So if you’ll excuse me, Mr.-“ She gave a glance to his custom license plate, “Numbah One, I’ll be on my way.” With that final verbal snap, Tsukushi left a handsomely arrogant man standing beside himself in the street, oblivious to the pile of traffic jamming up behind him.
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Stumbling out the door of Hanazawa Commodities, Tsukushi heaved an extremely heavy sigh. They didn’t even try to look at my resume...Not that they would have if they had seen it. Tsukushi looked down at what she could see of her own appearance. Even after trying to clean what she could off of herself, she still looked a mess. The only difference she could tell from before the impromptu bathroom cleaning and after was that now she looked like slightly less of a zombie in a business suit.
Keeping her eyes focused on the cracks in the sidewalk Tsukushi wandered in a very depressed fashion back the way she had come from. Maybe if I walk back to Yuuki’s from here I can get a fast food job or something. She was all about just getting some kind of a job now, she would have to worry about using her degree sometime later. Mustering up what little courage she had left she took in a deep breath and swung her arms more powerfully as she walked. As she lifted her eyes from the pavement, her increase in walking speed sent her colliding directly with something rather hard in front of her.
After tumbling to the sidewalk with the mass of whatever it was, Tsukushi let out a groan of frustration at herself.
“Ow!” The mass said in a vaguely familiar voice.
“Oh my god!” Tsukushi jumped inwardly and got to her feet. “I’m so sorry, I really didn’t mean to run into you! Are you alright?” The words sped out of her mouth before she could even make eye-contact with the mass of clothes and reddish-brown hair. “K-Ka-Kazuya!”
“Makino? Making Tsukushi?” The young man said, elation buried in his effeminate voice. As he dusted off his slacks and rose to his feet he eyed Tsukushi with vague familiarity. “Who would’ve thought I’d run into you?”
Smiling to each other, Tsukushi and Kazuya exchanged a warmth of friendship that could only be shared by the two who had been friends since elementary school.
“How long has it been?” Tsukushi said fondly. She and Kazuya had attended the same elementary and middle school but high school had been another matter entirely. Kazuya’s family had become, what he had always likened to refer to it as, “Nouveau Riche” which meant his parents had sent him to Eitoku Academy.
“Too long apparently.” Kazuya’s smile turned to worry as he noticed Tsukushi’s state of distress with her clothes. “What happened to you Tsukushi! You look like you’ve been attacked by a pack of wild dogs!”
“Well maybe just one wild dog…” Tsukushi muttered as she recalled the pampered rich kid yelling from his car at her earlier.
“What?”
“Eh-heh, it’s nothing. Just some trouble earlier with traffic. I was on my way to an interview but needless to say I failed.” Scratching the back of her neck, Tsukushi’s face held a regrettable smile. “They took one look at me and refused me right there.”
“You’re looking for work Tsukushi? With the economy in such a slump? That can’t be good.” Kazuya’s boyish features were made into a frown. Even over the years his boyish charms still hadn’t left his face, leaving him to look much younger than the 23 year old he actually was. Of course if his attitude was still as Tsukushi remembered it he probably still acted much younger than his age too.
“Yeah. I was hoping to look for anything really. Looks like I’ll have to go work fast food or something. You know me, always needing money so I can help out my family.” Tsukushi grimaced tightly through a smile while trying to massage away some of her tension with her hand on the back of her neck.
“Do you really mean that Tsukushi? After all, you do have a bachelor’s degree now…” Kazuya furrowed his brow. Sometimes he just couldn’t understand how people couldn’t hire Tsukushi, she was the hardest working person he knew. ..Okay well maybe I can understand why they didn’t hire her with how she looks right now. He sighed inwardly noting the faintly greasy stains the beige-grey material failed to hide.
The short brown-haired woman sighed and nodded. “I guess I don’t have much choice anymore unless you happen to know of a better idea.” She smirked jokingly, knowing that Kazuya was pretty useless when it came to job situations. It’s not that he wasn’t hard working or serious, it’s just that Tsukushi didn’t exactly see him as the dependable type really. Naturally she was shocked when Kazuya started thumbing his chin in thought and the response that came shortly after.
“Actually…” Kazuya’s eyes searched in mid-air to his right as he tried to get his thoughts straight. “If you’re up to memorizing things, I might have a job for you until you can get something where you’ll use that hard-earned degree.” He smiled and his eyes lit-up at the idea of helping his youthful crush. As a young boy and on into becoming a young man, Tsukushi had always been in his thoughts and fantasies of relationships. Even though he was always too shy to really say anything, Kazuya deeply appreciated Tsukushi for the hard-working, honest and moral character Tsukushi had been. There were other assets he had liked as well but these would be the best descriptions of her when he attempted to get her hired on at his place of work.
“Really!” She squeaked. Tsukushi couldn’t believe it. Not only running into one of her better friends, but the possibility of a job as well? It was too much to hope for.
“Sure. I’m on my way there. Would you like to come with me?” Noticing her hesitancy to answer his question he was sure to put any doubts to rest. “Don’t worry about your appearance too much. I’m sure if you just remove the outer jacket and wear the skirt and blouse, no one will notice.” Kazuya proffered his arm to Tsukushi in his always casually friendly manner and together they were off to a different part of Shibuya.
Chapter 3: Job Hunting Isn’t Always Easy
Fandom: Hana Yori Dango/Boys Over Flowers
Author: GirlAnime
Summary: AU. Makino Tsukushi is freshly out of college, still spunky and...out of a job? Between losing her apartment, seeing her family off to a new town and hunting for a new job is there even a moment of peace?
Rating: PG/PG-13, depends what your standard is.
Pairing: Tsukasa/Tsukushi (mainly)
Warnings: A little bit of language in this one.
Author's Notes: Thanks to Aikawa and Romancedinthepast, my lovely betas! Also, italics are for thoughts and sometimes sound effects (hopefully you can tell which). Story stat layout totally yoinked from
luciademedici. ^^
Disclaimer: I don’t own Hana Yori Dango, Yoko Kamio does and I love her for creating it.
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Making Ends Meet
Chapter 3: Job Hunting Isn’t Always Easy…
---
A week passed since Tsukushi’s induction into Yuki’s home. A week and still no sign of a good job. She thought as she pulled up one of her tan thigh-highs over her knee. There’s no way I can keep staying here at Yuuki’s like this but I just don’t understand why I haven’t been able to find a job yet. I know the economy is bad right now but really, there has to be a job somewhere. Slicking the hem of her business skirt down Tsukushi’s hands nimbly twisted her hair into a simple up-do that she fastened with a pair of decorative hair-sticks. I’m going to get that job at that club today if it kills me. I don’t care if it’s scrubbing floors. I need a steady paying job. Tsukushi placed on her business jacket that she just barely managed to afford dry cleaning on.
“Although maybe I am a little over dressed…” She sighed. Even though she had arranged an interview with Hanazawa Commodities’ head secretary, she still wasn’t sure exactly what position she was going into an interview for. The newspaper had simply said: ‘Assistant wanted for Hanazawa Commodities’ upper management. Please make an appointment as interviews will be held for each candidate. Resume required.’
“Well I suppose it’s better to be over dressed than under dressed.” She finally decided as she brushed her eyelashes lightly with some mascara and smeared a subtle gloss on her lips. Even using light make-up such as this was bound to help her out in some way. Tsukushi knew she might not be a beauty queen but she didn’t have repulsive features by any means. Still, I’d better get something to eat so my stomach doesn’t speak up for me during this interview. Grabbing a can of milk tea, she quickly rushed out the door in hopes of finding a new job.
Taking busses to and from prospective job opportunities had kept Tsukushi away from taking the metro ever since the night she had started staying at Yuuki’s. Often times she would catch herself remembering the handsome young man who had been so bemused at her punching that one drunken pervert as she rode the busses to and from each district. I’ll probably never see him again. She had to keep telling herself this so that she wouldn’t slip too far into her own fantasies. Still, it doesn’t hurt to think about him as long as I know it’s not reality... A girlish grin crossed her face as she lightly treaded down the bus steps and onto the sidewalk.
Looking around, Tsukushi took in the urban scenery of the Shibuya district. “Let’s see, Hanazawa Commodities should be here somewhere…” Glancing at the nearest street sign, Tsukushi began to mentally navigate her way to the interview that would be taking place in roughly thirty minutes. Lost in her own thought, she stood on the edge of the curb closest to the street of traveling vehicles. Realizing that some water had leaked onto the street from perhaps a nearby fire hydrant Tsukushi was able to skillfully dodge a small bit of splashing made by passing traffic. Ha! Maybe today is especially lucky for me! Tsukushi couldn’t help but smile to herself as she started rummaging through her presentation notebook to recount her resumes for the fourteenth time.
As a second car passed by, Tsukushi was too enthralled in her thoughts to realize it too would hit the same puddle as the previous car. However, unlike the first car, the splash this car had made was by far much larger and more damaging than what the other car could’ve made. Instead of the possibility of just her shoes being soaked, the entire front of Tsukushi’s business jacket, skirt and shirt were covered in a mix of water and road slime, not to mention her freshly printed resumes and leather presentation notebook which had been a Christmas gift from her brother.
Perhaps it was Tsukushi’s bad luck or maybe her completely defenseless demeanor that made her react so carelessly. She was so angry she could hardly speak but anything that was coming out of her mouth was a very loud and angry expletive. Before she knew it she had hurled her canned drink at the car responsible and much to her utter shock and horror the car came to a screeching halt just as the cross light turned green and she began to try and walk past where the car had stopped suddenly ahead of her.
“What the HELL was that about?” An extremely irate masculine voice roared as a tall figure rose out of the car Tsukushi had tagged with her drink can.
Shit… Tsukushi thought as she took a good look at the car stopped just to her left. Thin tires, luscious red curves…yep, it was an import. It looked like a relatively recent model of some racing car. A Saleen? Tsukushi pondered inwardly. She was no expert on cars but she could definitely tell this car wasn’t built in Japan.
“Would you stop gawking for a moment and pay attention to when someone is yelling at you!”
“Well why don’t you slow down when you’re driving! This isn’t a race track you know! Thanks to you I’m not only going to be late for my job interview but now I look a mess!” Tsukushi took notice of her presentation notebook and the extremely wet insides. “And now ALL my resumes are a mess!” Tsukushi’s full attention went to the tall young man who had risen out of the car as fast as his voice was rising in volume. As she studied his features, she concluded that he was obviously of an upper class financial standing. From his designer suit, eccentric coif, to his well manicured hands, everything about him screamed pampered. Of course the car was, most decidedly, the first tip off.
“It’s not my fault you don’t have enough comical sense to stand farther away from the edge of the curb, you idiot!” If this man were an animal, Tsukushi knew she would see the fur on the back of his neck bristling. It was bad enough that he was baring his teeth and using a most informal way of addressing her.
“Wha-?” Tsukushi blinked a few times and tried to discern if she had heard him correctly. “Don’t you mean common sense?” Placing her free hand on one of her hips, Tsukushi tilted her head and raised an eyebrow at the man across the expensive car from her, who was now steadily turning red. Whether from the embarrassment of the public humiliation by being corrected or because of the current infraction of her drink can hitting his car, she wasn’t sure. “Your Japanese is as bas as your driving!”
For a moment Tsukushi wasn’t sure if the hot-headed idiot was going to explode or just stand there turning different shades of red and purple until he passed out from lack of oxygen. All he was managing to get out were mere utterances of syllables. Most of which were probably curses, or would have been if he could get them out of his mouth.
“Look, I don’t have time to deal with a rich brat like you okay? You could afford the car right? You can afford to get a scratch out of the paint, where as if I don’t land the job interview I’m off to I may not even be able to buy my dinner much less the dry cleaning for this suit your horrendous driving has ruined! So if you’ll excuse me, Mr.-“ She gave a glance to his custom license plate, “Numbah One, I’ll be on my way.” With that final verbal snap, Tsukushi left a handsomely arrogant man standing beside himself in the street, oblivious to the pile of traffic jamming up behind him.
---
Stumbling out the door of Hanazawa Commodities, Tsukushi heaved an extremely heavy sigh. They didn’t even try to look at my resume...Not that they would have if they had seen it. Tsukushi looked down at what she could see of her own appearance. Even after trying to clean what she could off of herself, she still looked a mess. The only difference she could tell from before the impromptu bathroom cleaning and after was that now she looked like slightly less of a zombie in a business suit.
Keeping her eyes focused on the cracks in the sidewalk Tsukushi wandered in a very depressed fashion back the way she had come from. Maybe if I walk back to Yuuki’s from here I can get a fast food job or something. She was all about just getting some kind of a job now, she would have to worry about using her degree sometime later. Mustering up what little courage she had left she took in a deep breath and swung her arms more powerfully as she walked. As she lifted her eyes from the pavement, her increase in walking speed sent her colliding directly with something rather hard in front of her.
After tumbling to the sidewalk with the mass of whatever it was, Tsukushi let out a groan of frustration at herself.
“Ow!” The mass said in a vaguely familiar voice.
“Oh my god!” Tsukushi jumped inwardly and got to her feet. “I’m so sorry, I really didn’t mean to run into you! Are you alright?” The words sped out of her mouth before she could even make eye-contact with the mass of clothes and reddish-brown hair. “K-Ka-Kazuya!”
“Makino? Making Tsukushi?” The young man said, elation buried in his effeminate voice. As he dusted off his slacks and rose to his feet he eyed Tsukushi with vague familiarity. “Who would’ve thought I’d run into you?”
Smiling to each other, Tsukushi and Kazuya exchanged a warmth of friendship that could only be shared by the two who had been friends since elementary school.
“How long has it been?” Tsukushi said fondly. She and Kazuya had attended the same elementary and middle school but high school had been another matter entirely. Kazuya’s family had become, what he had always likened to refer to it as, “Nouveau Riche” which meant his parents had sent him to Eitoku Academy.
“Too long apparently.” Kazuya’s smile turned to worry as he noticed Tsukushi’s state of distress with her clothes. “What happened to you Tsukushi! You look like you’ve been attacked by a pack of wild dogs!”
“Well maybe just one wild dog…” Tsukushi muttered as she recalled the pampered rich kid yelling from his car at her earlier.
“What?”
“Eh-heh, it’s nothing. Just some trouble earlier with traffic. I was on my way to an interview but needless to say I failed.” Scratching the back of her neck, Tsukushi’s face held a regrettable smile. “They took one look at me and refused me right there.”
“You’re looking for work Tsukushi? With the economy in such a slump? That can’t be good.” Kazuya’s boyish features were made into a frown. Even over the years his boyish charms still hadn’t left his face, leaving him to look much younger than the 23 year old he actually was. Of course if his attitude was still as Tsukushi remembered it he probably still acted much younger than his age too.
“Yeah. I was hoping to look for anything really. Looks like I’ll have to go work fast food or something. You know me, always needing money so I can help out my family.” Tsukushi grimaced tightly through a smile while trying to massage away some of her tension with her hand on the back of her neck.
“Do you really mean that Tsukushi? After all, you do have a bachelor’s degree now…” Kazuya furrowed his brow. Sometimes he just couldn’t understand how people couldn’t hire Tsukushi, she was the hardest working person he knew. ..Okay well maybe I can understand why they didn’t hire her with how she looks right now. He sighed inwardly noting the faintly greasy stains the beige-grey material failed to hide.
The short brown-haired woman sighed and nodded. “I guess I don’t have much choice anymore unless you happen to know of a better idea.” She smirked jokingly, knowing that Kazuya was pretty useless when it came to job situations. It’s not that he wasn’t hard working or serious, it’s just that Tsukushi didn’t exactly see him as the dependable type really. Naturally she was shocked when Kazuya started thumbing his chin in thought and the response that came shortly after.
“Actually…” Kazuya’s eyes searched in mid-air to his right as he tried to get his thoughts straight. “If you’re up to memorizing things, I might have a job for you until you can get something where you’ll use that hard-earned degree.” He smiled and his eyes lit-up at the idea of helping his youthful crush. As a young boy and on into becoming a young man, Tsukushi had always been in his thoughts and fantasies of relationships. Even though he was always too shy to really say anything, Kazuya deeply appreciated Tsukushi for the hard-working, honest and moral character Tsukushi had been. There were other assets he had liked as well but these would be the best descriptions of her when he attempted to get her hired on at his place of work.
“Really!” She squeaked. Tsukushi couldn’t believe it. Not only running into one of her better friends, but the possibility of a job as well? It was too much to hope for.
“Sure. I’m on my way there. Would you like to come with me?” Noticing her hesitancy to answer his question he was sure to put any doubts to rest. “Don’t worry about your appearance too much. I’m sure if you just remove the outer jacket and wear the skirt and blouse, no one will notice.” Kazuya proffered his arm to Tsukushi in his always casually friendly manner and together they were off to a different part of Shibuya.