<span style="color: pink"> “If a window of opportunity appears, don’t pull down the shade.”</span>Hinata chided, doubtful Izumi-san would even understand the reference.<span style="color: pink">“If you don’t know how to get around the office, it’s all the more reason to have stayed with us.  Being proud of ignorance is priding yourself on being stupid.”</span>Which, when she thought about it, might explain why he was drawing such drivel instead of contributing to society in a more meaningful way.  She sighed and shook her head but let the topic drop. her interest caught by another topic:<span style="color: pink">“Seoul? Why are we headed there?”</span>She stopped shredding her roll, unconsciously brushing the scraps into a pile.  She’d have to figure out where Joyce had placed her passport.  Now that she thought about it, it was about time that she took possession of it anyways; she was an adult now.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FFBF80">“There’s an anime convention,”</span>her interest started to wane,<span style="color: #FFBF80">“there and Izumi-kun will be presenting as a guest speaker.”</span>She looked skeptically at the dark-haired man, happily munching on his salad.  Him as a guest speaker...<br/><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="color: #BFFFFF">"Yeaah... I guess... But I mean...<br/>"I have... A bad sense of direction..." </span> A nervous laugh.<br/>A messy man in a baggy t-shirt with hair flying everywhere stumbled into the room.</span><br/>God, she pitied those poor convention goers already.  What a waste of money for them.  Oh well, at least she could make sure he showed up on time and dressed appropriately.  The rest… well, she hadn’t been employed to make him more eloquent.  (Truthfully, she doubted anything short of a miracle could solve<span style="font-style: italic">that</span>.)<br/><br/><span style="color: pink">“I see…”</span>The polite thing here would be to ask more about what Izumi-san would be speaking about, but she really didn’t care to know.  She’d have to listen to it anyways during the convention, no need to start the torture early.<span style="color: pink">“Is the itinerary already set or will I need to set up any hotels, transportation?”</span>She’d gotten some experience planning trips with the newspaper club in college but she’d never had to handle it overseas.  Perhaps the office would have a guide or someone willing to show her?  She and Ishida-san discussed logistics before the orange-haired man turned his attention to Izumi-san.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/><span style="color: #FFBF80">"So as I mentioned earlier, this is one of Kodaisha's smaller back office."</span>The impromptu lunch had finished and the trio were headed back to their original meeting place.<span style="color: #FFBF80">"We left through the front doors this morning, but there's also an employee entrance that most prefer to use."</span>Ishida-san explained cheerfully, leading them down a back alley to a nondescript metal door.  The orange-haired man coolly pulled out an employee badge and flashed it over the sensor.<span style="color: #FFBF80">"Izumi-kun has a badge, Tachibana-san. We can request one from the secretary today and it'll be ready for you when you get back from Seoul."</span><br/><br/>Hinata looked dubiously at Izumi-san but said nothing.  Despite her ire with both men, they were her employers.  She was just lucky they hadn't fired her for her display earlier, though she had the odd feeling that Ishida-san didn't mind her attitude.  'It's probably just more entertainment for him.' She thought glumly, not particularly thrilled she was someone's source of entertainment.  That never ended well.  Memories of cruel amber eyes shattered under an unexpected shout, "Ishida-sempai!"<br/><br/>Up ahead, further down the corridor, a bright-eyed young woman waited, one hand in the air in greeting.  Heavy bangs covered her forehead and two locks framed her face.  Rosy pink lips were curved up in a smile. "Welcome back!"<br/><br/><span style="color: #FFBF80">"Iijima-chan," Ishida-san greeted with his ever-present smile.  "I thought you weren't working today?"</span><br/><br/>"Oh! We-well," Iijima-chan blushed, fingers fiddling with themselves nervously, "I, um, I'd heard.. I just wanted to see if there was anything I could help with!" Despite the innocent words, the girl was looking anywhere but at the orange-haired editor.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">'Did she like him..?'</span>Hinata wondered in amusement, though she kept her mouth shut.<span style="color: #FFBF80">"Ah! Tachibana-san, let me introduce you to one of our interns! Iijima-chan attends Hitotsubashi University and works with us full time over the breaks."</span><br/><br/>"It's a pleasure to meet you, Tachibana-san! My name is Iijima Kinuye. I place myself in your care."<br/><br/><span style="color: pink">"Tachibana Hinata, Iijima-chan. Let's work well together."</span>The two women bowed politely.<span style="color: #FFBF80">"Tachibana-san will be Izumi-kun's new personal assistant!"</span>Hazel eyes flashed at a sudden feeling of malice.  Hinata glanced around surreptitiously but could see nothing suspicious.  Odd, perhaps the reminder of Rei had left her more rattled than she thought?<br/><br/>"O-oh! Izumi-sensei's..." Hinata could feel Iijima-chan's appraisal as grey eyes traveled down her body.  It was an unfortunately familiar feeling.  Most Japanese weren't as curvy as her.  "personal assistant?"  If it had been anyone else, Hinata would have teased the younger girl.  However, she had no interest in draping herself over--she glanced back at the sloppily dressed man behind her--<span style="font-style: italic">that</span>thing.<br/><br/><span style="color: pink">“Yes,”</span><span style="font-style: italic">unfortunately</span><span style="color: pink">“I will be starting today as Izumi-san’s assistant.”</span>She smiled with a cheer she didn’t feel.<span style="color: pink"> “Ishida-san was showing Izumi-san and I the layout of the office.  Perhaps you could join us?”</span>