Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ring ring Ring ring Ring ring

Akaashi blearily managed to open his eyes, slowly blinking the sleep out of them tiredly. As he rolled over in his bed, he attempted to block out the seemingly never ending shrill of his ringtone.

Before he shut his eyes one last time to get some form of efficient sleep before his work day started, Akaashi took note of the dark sky through the small gap of his curtains. It’s not even dawn yet, Akaashi noticed frustratedly, whoever is calling can wait another hour or so.

Ring ring Ring ring Ring ring

Ugh.

Akaashi sighed rather defeatedly, realising that whoever was calling him at the ass crack of dawn was not going to let up anytime soon. He took a short glance towards his alarm clock, the only source of light in his otherwise pitch black room glowing mockingly in his face;

4:32 AM

Akaashi inwardly groaned as he sat up, soft sheets pooling around his waist as he rubbed his right hand over his face, his other hand reaching over to the bedside table to grab his glasses, so he could see the damned person's name on his phone clearly.

Iwaizumi hajime

Akaashi was surprised to say the least...especially after their most recent, well, circumstances if you will.

Well, it must be important if iwa-san is calling me at this time in the morning, I’d better answer it then. Begrudgingly, Akaashi sighed yet again, swiping the icon upwards to answer, the last glimmer of hope of getting a good night's sleep thrown out the window.

“H-hello, Akaashi-kun, is that you?”

Who else would it be? A sleep deprived Akaashi thought bitterly to himself.

“Hello Iwaizumi-san, is there anything wrong? You are calling rather early in the morning, afterall.”

Akaashi heard the man on the end of the line groan as though he were annoyed. He wondered what could be the problem if the older man was calling him at this time in the morning, sounding like he hadn't had a wink of sleep either.

“Yes, I’m very sorry to wake you up at such a time Akaashi-kun, but it’s rather urgent and you’re the only one that could take care of it at the end of the day.”

“And what would that be? I’m sure that is not the case and even if so —”

Iwaizumi cut him off; “It’s nothing like that, it’s just that um, Oikawa-chan has fallen sick and needs the Aoba Johsai and Fukurodani crossover event to be rescheduled. I know it’s last minute, but since you’re the assistant, I figured I could make things a little easier at least by telling you before you got into work.”

Well shit.

That’s right. Akaashi worked for one of the most well known modeling agencies across the globe. And he was also the assistant, no personal assistant for the agency's worldwide renowned model;

Bokuto koutarou.

Akaashi’s days just kept getting better and better. And by better, he meant worse.

“Ashi? Akaashi, are you still there?”

Oh right, I haven’t responded to Iwa-san yet

“Yeah, yeah, I apologise, I was just thinking, is all,” Akaashi finally replied.

“I am very sorry to have told you so last minute,” Iwa replied, “but I look forward to the reschedule and when we see each other again, Akaashi. Thank you very much.”

Beep.

The call ended before Akaashi could even respond. Great, he thought, not only do I have to arrange the photoshoot for another day, but now I have to re-arrange Bokuto-san’s entire schedule for the next week or so, possibly even two.

Akaashi looked at his clock, the digital glowing numbers staring him in the face: 4:40 AM

As Akaashi stretched, he contemplated to himself; It looks as though I have a long day ahead of me then, I better not keep Bokuto-san waiting.

Akaashi smiled to himself, that is of course, if he is even up yet.

With one last groan, he pulled himself together and finally stepped out of bed. Akaashi winced as his bare feet hit the cold wooden floor, the chilly winter bite still leftover in the air, even at the beginning of March.

Right, I have a lot to do, he reprimanded himself.

He made a dash towards the bathroom, got into the shower, took his body puff and began to scrub himself hurriedly from head to toe.

He turned the shower off as soon as he was done, applied toothpaste to his toothbrush and cleaned his teeth erratically, as any person would if they were in a hurry; which was a rare occurrence in itself for Akaashi Keiji, always the organized and on time individual.

Except, that didn’t apply to him on this nuisance of a morning.

Akaashi grabbed his neatly ironed the night before uniform; it was a crisp navy blue button up shirt paired with black slacks and a burgundy tie.

And no, he did not choose this shirt as soon as it came out of the wash on Sunday because Bokuto said it complimented his ‘blue eyes’ well on his first day. He did no such thing.

As Akaashi haphazardly threw on his clothes whilst trying to retain somewhat of an acceptable appearance, he ran a check list through his head for the day he had ahead; cancel the photoshoot with Seijoh’s receptionist, cancel Bokuto’s private transport, as well as the other models, have the camera team pack their already prepared set, rearrange Bokuto-san’s schedule with everyone else for the next two weeks, find a suitable time slot for the reschedule with seijoh, stop by the coffee shop on the way to work and grab —

Ah, I’ll just do my best on the train ride to work and make phone calls when I actually get into my office, Akaashi told himself exasperatedly.

After he pulled on his socks and tied his tie, something he had never been good at, Akaashi grabbed his leather satchel, pulled it up over his shoulder, and rushed out of his bedroom, down the hallway of his apartment, and out into the front room and open-plan kitchen.

Considering Akaashi had only been on a literature apprenticeship and worked part time in the library up until a few months ago, he had enough savings and earnt a little extra income working over time to snatch himself a cosy, yet modern apartment. It wasn't small, but also not too big for one person to live in. It fulfilled its job at the end of the day when all Akaashi wanted to do was fall face first onto his bed and sleep his struggles off.

Once he had finished tying up his shoelaces and grabbed his jacket off the rack, Akaashi finally found himself leaving his apartment.

That was until he was approximately three steps out of the door and one second away from shutting it before he realised—

Crap. I nearly forgot my keys.

He silently cursed Oikawa for his so-called ‘sickness’, and quickly made his way through the door to the mini table beside it, on top sat a ceramic bowl that he snatched his keys from, grateful this morning had not got any worse by managing to lock himself out of his own apartment.

And if that had happened, that meant he would then have to make his way to his next door neighbours home, asking the warm-hearted old woman, Doris, for the spare key, and as much as Akaashi adored her, he did not have the time to sit and chat over a cup of coffee whilst getting cat fur all over his pristine suit. I will pay a visit to her soon though, Akaashi told himself, and bring her favourite biscuits round.

For the second time that morning, Akaashi finally left his building and made his way to the local coffee shop, before heading over to the train station, ready to face the job he so called told himself he hated.

The job he told himself he would never take again...

Akaashi pushed through the grand building's main entrance - the intimidating glass doors led him through to the reception where he passed through the marble pillars that held the buildings structure, showing both wealth and modernity in the premises design.

Everything about the Fukurodani Co. building screamed privileged and richness. The whole structure was practically made from gold. From the outside the onlookers were no stranger to this high-rise building. They either had some type of job within the company, or worked in one of the prosperous properties around it, within the block.

And Akaashi hated everything about it.

Well, not exactly everything, but considering the last company he had been a personal assistant for, and all the hassle and ignorance that came from working amongst the famous industry, Akaashi had found it rather infuriating.

He presented his staff ID to the receptionist. For the week Akaashi had known her, she was always a refreshing welcome in the company's reception, her friend who worked on the next desk over seemed friendly too, both maintaining the front desks for the public and workers that entered the building.

From what Akaashi had gathered in his mornings here so far, he came to learn that the two women were really good friends, not only with each other, but with the models for Fukurodani too. Yukie and Kaori worked hard for their jobs, and were often always the first ones here to open up along with the cleaners in the morning.

Despite it being unreasonably early in the morning still, the first rays of sunlight painting the sky hues of soft pinks, lilacs and oranges, Yukie managed to make Akaashi smile slightly as she gave him one of her signature, cheeky, white toothed grins.

Akaashi made his way over to the multiple glistening elevators that lined the first ground floor, the slight heel on his shoes echoing against the immaculate marble floor in the otherwise empty reception.

Akaashi began to nervously tap his right foot against the floor, in one hand holding a weighed down coffee shop bag, and his other repeatedly pulling his falling leather strap of his satchel back over his shoulder. Impatiently, he reached his hand out to press the cold elevator buttons yet again.

Ding

The lift doors opened and Akaashi stood inside them, fingertips reaching out to press Ground No. 27, on the thirty story building. After waiting five minutes for it to stop at his floor destination, they finally came to a halt and opened;

Ding

They opened to his office floor, and Akaashi made his way towards the large set of double glass doors that presented you before you reached the main office and working block behind them. Behind those glass doors were six open desk spaces, modern and more spacious than your normal everyday accountant ones. Three desks were lined just in front of the floor to ceiling windows that stretched across the whole far back side of the room. The other three were placed opposite to them, along the wall where the glass doors were situated to enter the workspace, creating a walkway through the middle of where the two rows of three desks faced each other.

At the back of the room was a large kitchen and dining space, where Akaashi’s favourite gadget was sitting, the holy coffee machine. Next to the kitchen space, there was a separate room for reprographics. In there were all the everyday necessities they used such as: the printer, a scanner, craft supplies like paper clips, extra paper, and more.

Most importantly, at the front of all the desks, if you made your way from the back of the room and through the walkway to the front, sat another set of doors. Except these doors in particular, led to the top models office.

Usually, in a company like this, the personal assistant and other models get their own spacious desk area - It was a big room afterall. However, every year where the public voted for who should be the agency's next top model, one of the advantages of being the new top model is that you get your own office and private space.

So, behind those doors was Bokuto’s own, luxury bonus office, of which he hadn't had to pass over to another model for two years in a row, so far.

As Akaashi pushed through the set of doors to the office, he wondered idly if he would be the first one in today; I doubt anyone is even in yet, Akaashi glanced at his watch: 6:47 AM. No, normal work day usually starts at 7:45 , hopefully that gives me some peace and quiet before kono—

Oh.

Akaashi looked at the sight in front of him as the doors behind him shut with a soft click.
He really had not been expecting to see everyone, well almost everyone already situated at their desks, ready to start work for the day. Looks like bokuto-san and the others were notified to come in early too, Akaashi noted as he made his way over to his own desk space.

“Hey, morning Akaashi!” Komi, another model for the agency greeted him rather chipperly for being called into work early on a Monday.

Nonetheless, Akaashi still responded to his colleagues politely, greeting them and smiling back as they all responded, some noticeably more frustrated and tired than others. But Akaashi could relate, and plus, he got along with them all better than his last company already, despite only having worked here for a week.

Akaashi’s own space was the first desk situated as you walked through the double doors and into the office, opposite the stunning wall of windows of which Akaashi enjoyed thoroughly as he got one hell of a view out of it.

It was also the desk closest to the top models own personal work environment, also including the desk opposite his own that had it’s back from the windows, of which a certain sandy haired model had yet to turn up.

Not that Akaashi could blame him on this eventful morning, he thought as he placed his jacket over his chair and bags on top of the desk surface. At least he could get some peace and quiet before the rather annoying man managed to turn up.

Right, everyone’s coffee’s should be the right temperature now, too. Perfect.

Akaashi made his way past each desk, back to front, dropping off the six coffees not carelessly, but still as quickly as he could as he still had a lot to get done, narrowly face planting the corner of a desk, as a stray photoshoot equipment cart had been left in the middle of the walkway.

I’ll have to put that away soon, too, before anyone else could get potentially hurt.

As everyone received their coffees, just the way they liked them, they all cheered and thanked him, calling him their ‘saviour’. Akaashi smiled to himself as he made his way to his desk to grab a bag of cookies before going to the last drink round he had to make.

So here’s the thing; Akaashi wasn’t bad at his job either, in fact, he was in his element, getting paid exceptionally well for doing something he ultimately didn't mind, considering one of his strong points was meticulously being able to organize and arrange things without any hassle, it was no doubt why he had the personal assistant position. That, and he had everyone's specific coffee orders memorised after just three days, on his first week at Fukurodani.

Akaashi knew he excelled at this area of work.

He just hated the self entitlement almost every famous person had. He knew that if you were amazing at something, you had every right to be proud and flaunt it to the world, but that did not then give them the right to treat everyone around them like litter in the streets, especially after the tiniest bit of fame had gone to their heads.

But so far, at Fukurodani, Akaashi thought maybe, just maybe, things could be better, and stereotypes did not apply to everyone. So that’s why since the week he had started here, Akaashi found himself making friends and smiling just a tad bit more day after day.

Akaashi reached the separate office, a bag of three peanut butter cookies in one hand, and a caramel latte, with whipped cream and two extra espresso shots, in the other, and also the folder of schedules under his arm, he carefully knocked on the door for permission to enter.

“Come in!” a rather deep but excited voice shouted from within.

Akaashi entered into the top models surprisingly neat office. Although that hadn’t been the first time Akaashi had seen it, he still loved the way Bokuto took pride in having his bonus space, and had everything neatly organised on his desk and bookshelves. There was also a rather large, cosy looking armchair in the far corner of the room, and next to it stood a large plant pot, that right at this moment, Bokuto had been watering.

As soon as Bokuto noticed Akaashi, he quickly paced over to his desk, abandoned the water jug and walked straight up to his personal assistant, greeting him with the widest grin on his face that the younger man had possibly ever seen.

Not that he minded.

“Here you are, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said as he passed over his cookies and coffee; “sorry if the coffee is a little too cold by now.”

“No, not at all!” Bokuto replied gratefully, “It’s perfect Akaashi! And you even bought my favourite cookies!”

Akaashi replied with a hint of softness in his tone, all morning frustration washed away from just having a simple conversation with the man in front of him, “It’s just something you mentioned last friday whilst we were on lunch break, is all. So I thought I'd bring them in for you from now on.”

As Akaashi saw the other man's grin light up his face, which now had numerous cookie crumbs littered around it, Akaashi couldn’t help but think this job and its people weren’t so bad after all…

“Oh, and before I forget,” Akaashi said as he passed the folder from under his arm to Bokuto, “here's your new timetable for the next two weeks. I still have to make some phone calls regarding the cancelled Seijoh event, but other than that there wasn't too much that had to be moved.”

The spiky haired man smiled again as he gently took it from Akaashi’s hands, grinning as he started to read through it, before putting it down on his desk and walking over to his assistant;

“This is why you're the best, Akaashi! Also, when on earth did you have the time to reschedule it all, we only got the call just over an hour ago!”

“Oh, it was no problem, really, I did most of it on the train ride here.”

Bokuto didn’t look surprised to say the least. In only having Akaashi working for him for just over a week now, he knew he was a hard worker, despite how much of a hassle things could be. It was something Bokuto admired about him from the first day he met him.

Bokuto smiled yet again at Akaashi, placing an arm around his shoulders, “Come on Akaashi, let’s go and see what the others are up to!” he said cheerfully as they walked through the doors and back into the main office.

Looking up at Bokuto’s wide smile, with his arms around his shoulders as they walked to his own desk, Akaashi couldn’t help thinking that this job wasn’t so bad afterall.

Three weeks ago…

Akaashi sighed as he planted his face in his hands, praying he will be able to go home soon. With all the yet to be filled in forms strewn across his desk, and the list of seven more phone calls he had to make, he doubted it would be anytime soon.

He raised his head, brows furrowed and teeth biting his lower lip in annoyance, and looked around him at the empty desks, before glancing at the wall clock ahead of him in the dimly lit room: 8:16 PM

It was a sunday evening, the typical day where everyone else was at home, enjoying their well earnt time to relax before they came in the next day to face another week of work hell.

Well, that was of course if you didn’t enjoy your job, which Akaashi did not whatsoever.

Yet, Akaashi had gotten a last minute call from his boss, Oikawa, that he would have to come in today to fill out a few extra applicants some potential sponsors had dropped off that morning.

That was the downside of being the assistant of one of Japan's top models, after all.

After an aggravating extra half an hour, Akaashi finally managed to complete his extra tasks that had been asked of him. Stacking the now finished forms neatly and scrunching up the list of numbers before tossing it in the bin, he grabbed his belongings and made his way to Oikawa’s own, personal office.

Akaashi knocked on the door, just to be sure he wouldn’t be intruding on the older model; even though he hadn’t thought anyone else except him had been ordered to come in.

Akaashi was surprised to say the least when he heard shuffling from behind the door before it opened, showing a rather disheveled looking Oikawa. His tie was half undone, and his hair was extremely mussed up.

Huh, Oikawa must have been called in too, although he looks very tired and frustrated, Akaashi wondered idly.

Luckily he knocked first after all.

“What is it Akaashi-kun? I’m rather busy and have to—”

“I've finished arranging all the applicant forms and schedules for the next week, just like you asked me too,” Akaashi cut the other man off, growing quite agitated by his bosses arrogance.

Akaashi had a life of his own too, and right now his bed was screaming for his tired and aching limbs. After running around day after day for one of Aoba Johsai’s top models, and even coming in on your day off, anyone would feel ragged and run down.

Although he had only been working within the company for just under two months, Akaashi was starting to have enough of it. Instead of getting a little extra income to pay for his literature classes he wanted to take, he ended up having to deal with arrogant, egotistical, ignorant people too.

Anyone else would consider Akaashi getting this job lucky, but he would rather work in a grocery shop than deal with famous people who thought they were better than everyone else around them 24/7.

Oikawa narrowed his eyes at his assistant, glaring at the younger man with a look of distaste, - But Akaashi couldn’t care less at this point, all he wanted was to go home, have dinner and sleep.

Oikawa snatched the forms from the younger man’s grip, not even baring them a single glance before replying, “Very well, pack up for the night then.”

Akaashi sighed with relief. Finally.

With one last devious smirk and a “See you later, Akaashi-kun!” Oikawa shut the door in his kohai’s face.

Akaashi walked over to his desk, making sure that he had picked up all of his belongings before he got on his train ride home for the night—

Ring ring Ring ring Ring ring

Ugh, he groaned, what could it possibly be now?

Akaashi reached over to where the phone was ringing on the table, picking up to answer it; “Hello, Aoba Johsai’s assistant, what can I do for you?”

“H- hello? Sorry to be calling at such a late time, I was wondering if anyone would pick up,” the squeaky voice on the other end replied, “but I had to call just to check some things over like transportation fees and arrival times for the Seijoh and Date Tech fundraiser event.”

Akaashi tried to be polite holding in his irritation, “And how long would this possibly take, miss?”

The receiver on the end seemed to pick up on his curt reply, no matter how polite Akaashi was trying to be, he really was tired and wanted this to go as quick as possible.

“Around about twenty minutes just to check the listings through, if that is okay with you, sir.”

So after another gruelling thirty five minutes and one phone call later, Akaashi found himself packing up for the night once again. Before he would go home, he decided he would run by Oikawa’s office again, just to put the updated schedule and fully approved sponsor listings on his desk for the morning.

Akaashi slung his satchel over his shoulder, grabbed the paperwork, and made his way over to his bosses office for hopefully the last time that night. Akaashi raised his fist, and tapped against the sheen glass doors.

After a minute of patiently waiting, he raised his fist to knock against the glass again.

Nothing.

Maybe Oikawa-san has already gone home, he assumed, he did tell me to go home too, after all.

Deciding it would be best to drop off the paperwork on the models desk ready for the morning, especially since he knew Oikawa was always the first one in, Akaashi took it as an opportunity to open the doors and invite himself in.

As Akaashi entered the room, the first thing he noticed was that the lights were still on.

The second thing Akaashi noticed however, was that Oikawa was not alone.

Thirdly, Akaashi could hear harsh panting and wet, slapping sounds filling the spacious office.

Akaashi froze in his steps at the entrance of the office, his eyes blowing wide open in shock.

Splayed out on the desk in front of him was Oikawa. Not only that, but there was also another man with him…

With just the desk lamp on, dimly lighting the room, Akaashi could make out the scene that was unfolding behind his eyes.

Oikawa was shirtless, his stomach pressed against the surface of his desk, hips being grabbed and thrust into endlessly by the other man that was in the room with him...

“Ah! Hajime!” Oikawa stuttered out. “Harder, more, please Hajime!”

The other man, Iwaizumi-san, Akaashi recognised as the other model that worked for Seijoh, grunted in vigour, picking up his pace as he ruthlessly hammered into Oikawa.

Akaashi was still standing rooted to the spot, unable to move a single limb, not knowing what to do, feeling as though his heart was pounding in his ears...

Suddenly, as if god had just answered Akaashi prayers in the most, unhelpful, humiliating way possible, Oikawa looked at the door.

Looking Akaashi right in the eyes.

Oikawa pushed Iwaizumi away from him, rapidly reaching down to his ankles and pulling his pants back up around his waist, and swiftly pulling his shirt on.

By now, Iwa had noticed what all the sudden commotion was about, noticing Akaashi staring at them in wide-eyed shock. Iwa was quick to follow suit, quickly repeating his co-workers' steps in redressing himself.

Eventually realising that he had been staring at his boss having sex for just a little too long, Akaashi gained all sense of coherence and stuttered out an apology;

“i-i’m s-so very sorry, Oikawa-san, Iwaizumi-san, I-i’ll just be leaving now,” with a final stutter of words, Akaashi took off the way he came, ready to delete everything he had just witnessed from his mind.

Before he could even leave however, he heard a rather infuriated Oikawa yell for him to come back.

“Akaashi! Come back!” his boss shouted for him, distress evident in his tone.

Akaashi stopped, turning to meet his boss and coworker, unable to look them in the eyes, his face the deepest shade of red he thought he would ever be able to muster.

“Look,” Akaashi had started, “I am very sorry to walk in just like that, but I assumed you had already gone home, and I thought it would be helpful if I—”

“No,” Oikawa had choked out.

Akaashi halted, all words failing to come out of his mouth as he gained enough courage to look up at his boss, properly.

As he studied the model's unreadable expression, he came to realise Oikawa’s eyes had begun to tear up slightly, his calm and composed manner beginning to crack, showing strong signs of...fear?

“Oikawa-san, are you alright?” Akaashi asked the other man, worried. He had never seen his boss like this, and quite frankly, as much as Akaashi opposed people who thought they were better because they were famous, it was an expression he decided didn’t suit Oikawa.

“Get.Out.”

Well, that had been the last thing he thought he would hear tonight.

“Get out and don’t bother turning up for work tomorrow, either,” Oikawa told his assistant bitterly, voice beginning to falter as he turned around and entered his office, doors slamming shut behind him.

Akaashi opened his mouth in order to protest, but shut it when he felt a strong grip on his shoulder;

“Iwaizumi-san, what are you doing?”

The other model dropped his hand from its place, lowering his head in shame. “I’m so sorry you had to see that, Akaashi, and i’m sorry about your job too,” Iwa said with a hint of distress.

Akaashi furrowed his brow, taking his bottom lip in between his teeth to chew on it nervously, hands wringing together with anxiety.

“It’s fine. I understand.”

As Akaashi pivoted on his heel to walk out, for the last time, Iwa called his name.

“Akaashi!” He said, “I will make sure you find another job, and I'll transfer this month's paycheck with an added bonus into your bank account.”

Akaashi smiled gratefully at the model, “there’s no need to do that Iwaizumi-san, it was my fault after all,” he responded sorrowfully.

“Please, let me do this as a way to compensate.“You’ll be doing me, and although it doesn’t seem like it yet, Tooru a favour as well.”

Akaashi gave in; he supposed he could accept it, but in the end he refused to take the bonus, all he felt he deserved was his paycheck. And with the final decision, he walked out of the Aoba Johsai building, into the pouring rain and neon city streets, making his way home.
As Akaashi got on the train home that night, he thought to himself; I will never accept another job like that again. Never again.

When Akaashi had received his paycheck at the end of the week, despite all his attempts at refusing the extra money from Iwa-san, there was almost triple his monthly earnings that had been transferred into his bank.

And with that, Akaashi had smiled to himself, silently thanking the other man as he got into bed that night.

Present…

Akaashi was sitting in his chair, eyes fondly staring up at Bokuto as the other man sat on Akaashi’s desk, legs swinging back and forth hanging off the side, enthusiastically chatting with his assistant about anything and everything that came to mind.

“And oh, oh, get this kaashi’, did you know that barn owls can be determined by their heart shaped faces?” Bokuto grinned down at Akaashi.

“As a matter of fact, I did not Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said, mouth quirking upwards in a slight smirk.

Bokuto looked down at Akaashi, whose hands were folded resting on his chin, bright golden eyes meeting ocean blue ones.

“I know right! How cute is that?!” Bokuto replied, grinning. “Also I love your shirt kaashi! It really brings out the blue in your eyes!”

Akaashi gently smiled up at him, he felt as though he had been doing that a lot lately, “that’s because it’s the same shirt you complimented last week too, Bokuto-san.”

Bokuto’s face lit up with realisation, “Of course, you’re right Akaashi, it is!” Bokuto chuckled.

Sitting here, right at this moment, in this new job, Akaashi thought maybe it wasn’t so bad afterall. That, and looking back on what happened three weeks ago, Akaashi wondered to himself that he wouldn’t be so unprofessional to get caught with his boss at work in the first place.

Luckily Bokuto-san is a man, Akaashi thought, but that’s besides the point, even if it was a woman, I still wouldn’t be so unprofessional, he mused to himself.

To be continued in the next chapter...