[[Wednesday, October 15 :: Kodaisha Offices, Ginza, Tokyo ]]<br/><br/>“What are you looking at?  Are you new here? A new editor?”<br/><br/>Hinata looked up from the messy handwriting at the inquiry.  Teal eyes peered at her inquisitively behind a frame of glasses.  Before she could respond, Ishida-san inserted himself into the conversation.  Okuda-kun?  She looked at the now giggling girl in interest.  Nope, she didn’t recognize her.  Why was the name familiar?<br/><br/><span style="color: pink"> “Today seems to be a popular day.”</span>Hinata offered as she looked at the gaggle of people by the door.  The editors had fallen mostly silent, grins on their faces.  Izumi-san was standing uncertainly behind an irate Iijima-san, the latter glaring fiercely at a smirking Okuda-san.  The two exchanged catty banter before Iijima-san dragged Izumi-san through the door and out the room.  Huh, she hadn’t realized he was so.. popular among the women.  Scruffy jeans, oversized t-shirt, and scraggy hair weren’t really her type, but everyone had different tastes.<br/><br/>“I can’t believe he needs a girl to defend him.  Weakling.”  Okuda-san said scornfully to the room before turning to slam the magazine back on the table where it’d initially came from.  She glared at the foxgirl on the cover before turning to look at Izumi-san’s new personal assistant.  “Good luck with that one!”  Though the sneer was evident in her tone, it didn’t seem directed at Hinata so the pink-haired woman took no offense.<br/><br/>“Well… I had been hoping you could take Izumi-kun home so you knew where he lived but…”  Ishida-san looked at the door with fake concern, “it appears Iijima-chan will help him home.”<br/><br/><span style="color: pink">“Is there anything else that I should do in the mean time..?”</span><br/><br/>“Hmm.. Well, not right now.  But can you stop by Izumi-san’s house on Tuesday to make sure he’s started packing and that he’s eaten?”<br/><br/>Did she look like his mom or something..?  Make sure he<span style="font-style: italic">ate</span>?  She looked at the smiling Ishida-san in disbelief before shaking her head.  She really should have known this job had sounded too good to be true.  But as Ishida-san had pointed out, it<span style="font-style: italic">did</span>pay well and her student loans wouldn’t pay themselves off.<span style="color: pink">“Alright then.  Can you give me his address and what time I should be there?”</span><br/><br/>“Oh, I’ll just text it to you later, Tachibana-san.  And how about.. before 11 am?”<br/><br/><span style="color: pink">“Alright.  And in the mean time?”</span><br/><br/>“Study Korean..?”  Ishida wondered contemplatively before laughing, “Not that you need to be proficient in the language!  There will be a translator!  But it’d be best to get a bit familiar first!  Also, stop by here on Friday so we can get you your badge, your computer, and everything else.  Today had just been meant to introduce you to Izumi-san!  Although.. I guess it wasn’t the best introduction.”<br/><br/>Discretion was the better part of valor, so Hinata didn’t say anything in response.  ‘Not the best’ was already an understatement; terrible would have been more accurate.<span style="color: pink"> “Very well then, I’ll see you again next time, Ishida-san.  Okuda-san, Editors-san, it was a pleasure to make your acquaintances.”</span>The newest employee bowed, waved to everyone, and then left the madhouse.  Manga.. ugh.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~</div><br/>[[Tuesday, October 21 :: Ikeburuko, Tokyo ]]<br/><br/>Ikeburuko.. was so far away.  Hinata sighed as she finally came to the address Ishida-san had given her.  On one hand, she couldn’t believe she was required to go to Izumi-san’s<span style="font-style: italic">apartment</span>to make sure he had packed properly.  Who needed<span style="font-style: italic">that</span>much help?!  On the other hand, this<span style="font-style: italic">was</span>why she’d been hired, she guessed.  If Izumi-san could take care of these things on his own, he wouldn’t need a<span style="font-style: italic">personal</span>assistant.<br/><br/>She checked the address on the building’s wall to the one inputted into her smartphone.  Yep, the two matched: this was the right place.  Snapping the lid back onto her phone, she dropped the mobile back into her purse and entered.  Ishida-san had given her the cardkey to enter the complex and the building.  Theoretically, it could let her into Izumi-san’s apartment as well, but she had no interest in barging in.  (God knew what she’d see!)<br/><br/>Coming to the nondescript door, she knocked on it twice even as she eyed her wristwatch contemplatively.  It was half past ten and she’d just missed the morning rush.  Hopefully being here wouldn’t take up too much time and she could get back home.  Being Izumi-san’s personal assistant had been surprisingly little work so far but she had a feeling that wouldn’t last.  Ishida-san had mentioned that Izumi-san had been on a short hiatus that would end after this trip to Seoul.<br/><br/>Realizing an abnormal amount of time had passed without any response, Hinata knocked on the door again, this time also calling out:<span style="color: pink">“Izumi-san?”</span>