Terms of contract

“The moon will guide you through the night with her brightness, but she will always dwell in the darkness, in order to be seen.”

― Shannon L. Alder

. . .

Lunamor raised an eyebrow at him.

And with that, Hiro decided to skip over the usual pleasantries, knowing full-well just how much small-talk is wasted at the presence of one Cassandra Lunamor. “I’ll be honest with you. I might be needing your help with something.”

If possible, that eyebrow rose higher.

“Oh, really?”

“Yes,” Hiro very nearly hissed, “…really.”

To an outsider, Lunamor would appear indifferent, as if she has completely nothing to do with this conversation as she slowly leans back on Hiro’s swivel chair as though it was an expensive, comfortable chaise lounge instead of a measly office chair, arms loosely crossed over chest. “You didn't seem to need any of my help earlier when you chased away that poor, poor boy.”

Hiro barely hid a wince at that.

He was so outraged at being threatened, at the idea of losing his job that the events of this morning had completely slipped his mind.

But seriously, is she not going to let him live that down?

His reaction was perfectly justified!

Her, on the hand…

“Look, I don’t think we have to go through with this charade.”

There was a long moment of silence before Lunamor finally responded, as though she had been stunned, her voice dangerously low:

“…Excuse me?”

He waves a dismissive hand at her general direction, not wanting to bear the brunt of the glare she’s definitely throwing at him, “Look, I don’t know? Maybe because it might be more trouble than it is worth?”

Come to think of it, if Hiro got fired and he steers clear from the kid, at least Megan no longer had a reason or any sort of ammunition to blackmail him with. Win-win! Except not really since he still loses his job and Lunamor… Lunamor wouldn't seriously believe that Hiro changed his mind just like that, not without good reason.

But who cares about that?

At the end of the day, Hiro was still going to be out of a job–and worse, with the paparazzi trailing on him. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

“You’re not backing out on this–”

“I can, and I will.” Hiro snapped, angrily placing his hands on his hips as he glared down at her, “Last time I checked, I haven’t signed on anything yet!”

“Let me finish!” Lunamor hissed.

“Fine,” Hiro gritted out as he plucked out his glasses to wipe on it with his handkerchief, “I’ll hear you out... then you can get out of my seat.”

Lunamor pursed her lips for a moment.

But she didn’t bother to get out of his seat.

Hiro’s eyebrow twitched at that.

“Well?” he barked, “I don’t have all day!”

“…Did something happen?”

Involuntarily, Hiro felt his entire limbs stiffening.

“…What?”

By now, Lunamor was openly frowning up at him, although this time, it was tinged with confusion–and dare he say it–concern. “You were in a good mood when we saw each other earlier and you didn’t seem to have any problems with m… signing our terms and agreement. But now, for some reason, it seems like you’re angry at me. And I don’t even know why. Did something happen?”

Well, yeah, he is… angry.

Doesn’t really take a genius to guess that he is pissed off right now. And Hiro was pretty sure it was practically written all over his face.

Suddenly, Hiro felt so ashamed on getting all of his anger out on Lunamor. While she most certainly had something to do with him getting fired and blackmailed (albeit indirectly), it wasn’t really her who brought this on him in the first place. It was the paparazzi and most of all, it was Megan who was threatening to get him fired.

And what the hell was he thinking?

If Hiro doesn’t agree on this faux relationship, the paparazzi will have a field day with mobbing and stalking him all day long without her interference…

Again, a rock and a hard place.

Mulling over his options once more, Hiro finally took a deep breath and decided to take the risk. It was a shot in the dark but… it was worth the shot.

It has to be.

Or else he’s officially screwed.

Besides, Hiro was so sure that Lunamor, for some reason he wasn’t really sure of, is not a fan of Megan. Well... if he had the opportunity to maybe get back on that woman, Hiro thought that he might as well go for it.

So, without further ado, Hiro told Lunamor all about the conversation that occurred not even five minutes earlier. And as he did so, Lunamor listened to him narrate about what happened–about what Megan said, the thinly veiled threat that had been thrown Hiro’s way–with rapt attention, for once not interrupting or saying anything, even when her brother was mentioned. Her gaze not once wavering from his.

Hiro expected her to… he doesn’t really know what to expect, maybe for her to react, just say something, but Lunamor’s expression right now was the perfect example of a poker face.

Or maybe she just didn't really care.

That eerily blank expression remained unchanged even after Hiro was done talking. And when nearly two minutes (Hiro should know, he was literally staring at the wall clock hanging just behind Lunamor) has passed them by, she simply blinks at him.

“Will that be all?”

Hiro shifted a bit in his feet, suddenly feeling very stupid that he even bothered to speak up, that he actually vented on her… but nonetheless, he gave Lunamor a curt nod, “Yes, that would be all.”

“I see,” she blinked at him again, “I don’t get it.”

At that one moment, Hiro suddenly had the sudden, very ridiculous urge to burst into tears there and then. “E-Eh…? EEEEH?!” he cried.

Lunamor immediately held up a hand before Hiro had a half in mind to march right up to her and shake her senseless to make her get it (as she so aptly put it), “No Akihiro, I mean… I do understand where this is going.” Why the hell didn’t she just say so?!

Hiro inhaled and let out a long, loud exhale. Absurdly enough, he almost wished he was expelling all of his problems away instead of carbon dioxide, “So what now?”

One of Lunamor’s gloved hands tugged at a thick, strand of pale hair hanging by her forearm, picking at it as she did so. “Hm, well… I did promise that you wouldn’t get fired because of this and I do intend to keep my word. Don’t worry about that woman.”

Hiro narrowed his eyes at her, “That’s it?”

“I’m open to suggestions.”

“Good, because for starters, I want to get back at her!” Hiro snapped, whirling around to pace a bit in his office, “She knows, Lunamor. She damn well perfectly knows just how badly I need this job and yet… and yet, she’s still willing to throw me–and Akira–under the bus all for her selfish goals! Mattaku kōheide wanai!”

Lunamor watched Hiro go at it for a moment before she leans forward on her seat, propping her elbows on the desk to rest her chin on her knuckles, “…Alright then.”

Hiro paused, turning to look at her. “Nani?”

“Sign the contract. That way, you can deal with that woman on your own terms without worrying too much about your job. We’ll handle the rest along the way.”

“M... mochiron.”

Oh wow, that was just the sort of deal Hiro was hoping for. Securing his teaching job with the sweet bonus of getting back on Megan–

“Orokana koto wa shinaide kudasai.” she suddenly snapped, and Hiro froze in attention when it finally caught up to him that Lunamor had been speaking Japanese for some time.

Lunamor was speaking so fluently, so smoothly without a tinge of accent that his brain had processed it as English all this time, it seriously somehow slipped his mind. A lot of things are slipping him by these days, actually. Blame it on the paparazzi-induced paranoia, “…we haven’t even discussed what I'll be expecting in return.”

“Huh?”

She was glaring at him now.

Hiro felt like his face was burning now.

He was so caught up with Megan’s threat (and how he’ll get back at her) that he forgot she was not done talking. “Uh, right. Sorry. Well... I assumed being a good boyfriend was what I would be doing in exchange for all that?”

“You’re not stupid, so stop acting like one. Obviously that’s what our deal is going to entail… but let it be clear that the moment any of us cross a line, we’ll break things up between us. But it has to be within good reason.”

Hiro nodded.

That… actually makes a good point. It would be questionable, not to mention suspicious on both parties if Hiro (or Lunamor most likely) did something out of line and they didn’t part ways. But still... “I thought all you wanted is for me to be your boyfriend?”

Lunamor’s eyebrow twitched.

“…That term sounds so juvenile,” she muttered.

He snorts. Seriously, why does this kid have to be so damn picky? “So, what do you like? What are you going to call me? Your lover? Or do you prefer significant other?”

Lunamor’s eyebrow gave out another twitch.

She didn’t make another sound for such a long time that Hiro raised an eyebrow at her expectantly, his foot tapping sharply against the floor, purposefully loud on purpose.

“Well…?” he prompted.

But what he didn’t expect is for Lunamor to stand up, to look at him dead in the eye and say: “…In exchange for providing you and your family with protection from the press and letting you keep your teaching profession, I need you to attend various, public events with me as my date.”