Chapter Text

Shades Of Red Official Playlist

🎕 “How’s job hunting going?”

Albatross questioned as he walked into the cozy apartment, changing out of his outside shoes. As he entered, his gaze fell on his roommate, Chuuya, who sat crisscrossed on the living room couch with a laptop on his lap. He felt something brush against his leg and looked down to see Baki, Chuuya’s Siamese cat. He knelt down to pet the creature as his roommate let out a sigh. “It’s alright, I found one but I honestly don’t think I’d even be considered” Chuuya surmised as he looked up from his laptop with a small frown.

The blonde stood back up and made his way to the couch and sat beside his friend. “Lemme see” he gestured to grab the computer and the ginger beside him allowed him to. Chuuya watched as he looked at the website presented to him, “Mori Corp?” Albatross raised an incredulous eyebrow, “isn’t this place like super exclusive?” Chuuya stayed silent as the other continued to look through the job posting. The website listed several requirements for applicants as well as information about the position. “CEO’s Assistant position? That's even more tedious” he mentioned and Chuuya gave him a glare.

“Yeah I know, you don’t have to tell me idiot I read through the whole thing” The male quipped and Albatross put his hands up in defense. 

“Sorry sorry, I’m just commenting” The alpha defended as he continued to read through the page.  “Hey, you never know what can happen right? I mean you have the experience for the position” He spoke, and Chuuya looked unsure about his words.

Sure, he had experience being an assistant for all kinds of entrepreneurs but never the CEO of a whole company, especially one as big as the Mori Corporation. And he doesn’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to long-term, “yeah sure, as long as they don’t see that I was fired from half of my jobs” he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. 

Albatross’s lips pressed into a thin line, “well, most of the time it wasn't your fault, your bosses were dicks” he tries to justify and Chuuya just sighs. A meow comes from the floor and they look to see Baki, Chuuya pats the spot beside him and the cat jumps up and cuddles into his side, sensing his owner’s distress. 

“It’s not like I can explain that there are assholes who think that Omegas were made to serve them, I mean it sounds like I’m just making excuses” The redhead explains, petting his cat’s head, and the male beside him gives him a look. Chuuya ignores it and takes his laptop back, wondering if he should even try to apply anymore.

Albatross thinks for a bit, trying to figure out what to say, “well hey, like I said, you never know what could happen, I think you should go for it” he encouraged, putting a comforting hand on his roommate’s shoulder. 

Chuuya glanced at him before looking at the application link at the bottom of the page, “fine…” he mumbled and he felt a pat on his shoulder.

He watched the alpha stand up and stretch walking towards the kitchen, “I was thinking we could order takeout tonight, Does that sound good?” he asked as he opened the fridge to grab a beer.

“Yeah sure, let’s do Thai” the omega suggested and he saw the other nod before he looked back at his laptop. He sucked in a breath before clicking on the application link and getting to work.

He woke up in the morning to a phone call, grunting out his grogginess, he reached lazily to his bedside table to grab his phone. The contact name was familiar to him, so he picked it up, “Morning, Ane-san” he mumbled, addressing his sister. 

“Chuuya did you just wake up? It’s almost noon” her smooth voice spoke from the phone, sounding like she was ready to scold him. Chuuya, who was still asleep mentally, looked at the digital clock at his bedside with narrowed eyes. The red digital numbers reading 11:46 AM taunted his tired state and he frowned.

He sat up with a bit of effort, causing the cat sleeping at his side to stir. “Sorry, I had a late night” he mustered out quietly and he heard Kouyou sigh from the phone. 

“Alright well, I was calling to invite you to have lunch with me around 2:30, I’m back in town for a bit and we haven’t met up in a while,” The woman said, from what the omega could hear, it sounded like she was out and about in the city. The faint sound of cars honking and civilian chatter could be heard from his side.

Chuuya slapped his cheeks with his palm, attempting to get the grogginess out of his body, and stood up from his comfy bed. “Yeah that sounds great” he responded as he put on his slipper and headed out of his room, leaving the door open a crack for when Baki woke up. His sister was a fashion designer, always traveling around Japan to collaborate with others in her field. Because of this, he doesn’t see her much, which is unfortunate because the woman is quite symbolically his rock, keeping him grounded and making sure he doesn’t do anything that she wouldn’t do. 

“Wonderful, we can meet at Celestial Cafe, you have time to wake up properly” he could hear the smile in her voice causing him to smile too. He was excited to see her again and hopefully, she’d stay for a while.

It was a quick phone call and the two said their goodbyes, Chuuya shuffled his way to the kitchen and placed his phone down on the counter. There was an unfinished bowl of cereal, Albatross must have gone to work in a rush, the guy is always waking up late. He worked nearby at an automotive repair shop called Flags as a mechanic, usually from 8 to 4 but the guy tends to stay overtime at least one day every week. Chuuya used to work there, not repairing any vehicles, but instead assisting with the finances and scheduling. That’s how the two met, Chuuya was checking in on how the garage was doing and ran into Albatross covered in soot and smelling like gasoline, not a pleasant experience. 

they became acquainted as he frequented the shop to check-in. He really helped Chuuya after he was left looking for a place to stay since his old apartment complex suddenly decided to ban pets. The alpha offered Chuuya a room in his apartment which he accepted albeit hesitantly at the idea of sharing a house with an alpha but he did need a place to stay. Luckily, it was a good decision and it only helped the two strengthen their friendship.

Chuuya disposed of the cereal and washed the bowl, thinking of what he should eat for his late breakfast. He walked over to the fridge, opened it, and rummaged around for strawberries. He hid them in the back because he knew that Albatross would devour them all in one day behind his back if he didn’t. He settled with making a smoothie with some toast and got to work at cutting the stems off the strawberries before putting them in the blender. He added some sugar and milk before turning on the blender and heading to start the toast. The sound of the blender must have woken up Baki because the Siamese strolled into the kitchen, rubbing against Chuuya’s leg and meowing at his owner.

Chuuya looked down at him, “You hungry?” he questioned and received more meows in response. He laughed to himself, “Just let me finish this smoothie ok?” he spoke and the cat just stared up at him. Once he deemed the smoothie blended enough he turned off the blender and headed to the small closet in the hallway of the apartment. Baki followed him and watched as the omega took out his cat food and poured it into his bowl, which was set beside the closet doors. Chuuya made sure the cat began to eat before heading back to the kitchen and finishing up making his own breakfast. 

Once he finished he sat at the counter, scrolling through his phone as he ate. His mind trailed back to last night when he was hard at work on his application. If the company found him a good fit then they’d call him within a week to schedule an interview which meant that if he didn't receive a call, he was rejected. It seemed a bit cruel, not even a rejection email thanking him for applying, instead, they would just ghost him. The application was filled with the basic questions, why do you want this job? What experience do you have? Why should we hire you?

He’s answered them thousands of times before but for some reason, he was nervous for this one. Probably because Mori Corp is more prestigious than any spot he’s worked at before and being rejected would surely lower his self-esteem. Maybe he should have looked for another job hiring, one that he knew he’d get into. But he was curious and if he didn’t get the job then whatever, they were the ones missing out right?

There was a question that had him a bit raddled though.

What’s your second gender?

It wasn’t a question that was on all job applications, which means that they’re probably looking for a certain gender. Which sucks because that usually means that omegas are most likely off the table. A part of him wished that questions like that weren’t allowed in the first place, picking someone or rejecting someone because of how they presented was stupid. The excuse usually being that Omegas can ‘distract’ coworkers. What bullshit.

But he can’t let himself be defeated before he’s even received the result yet, so for now, he’ll allow himself to be a bit hopeful.

Soon enough he finished up his breakfast with a lot on his mind. Pushing aside his worries, he got up and washed his dishes before deciding to get ready to meet Kouyou.

The streetlight turned green and the ginger crossed the street along with other pedestrians. Like always, Yokohama was bustling, the day was sunny but not too hot as a nice breeze passed through the city. Chuuya arrived at the quaint little cafe, located at the street corner, and walked in, his sensitive nose being bombarded by the smell of sweet pastries. He searched for his sister, looking for the head of hair that matched his. He spotted the back of her head and a smile settled on his lips as he walked over to her. “Ane-san, you’re early as usual” he greeted and sat down across from her.

His sister looked at him and smiled, elegant as always, “of course I am, and you’re right on time” she commented, looking him up and down, wanting to see if there was anything different with her brother since she’d been gone. “Your hair is longer, you’re still growing it out?” she asked as she observed that Chuuya’s hair was now at his shoulders. 

The male’s hand subconsciously went up to touch the tips of his hair and he nodded, “yeah, but it’s more like I’m too lazy to get it cut” he admitted sheepishly. Kouyou shook her head in amusement, she could tell that her brother could use a bit of a trim. The tips of his hair became a bit unruly.

“Well, I ordered our usual, I’m assuming it's still the same for you?” Kouyou asked, hoping that her brother’s tastes hadn’t suddenly changed in the past 2 months. She was satisfied and relieved when Chuuya nodded and let out a hum. 

“So how have you been?” Chuuya asked curiously, given that they hadn’t had a full-on conversation in a while. 

He tensed up when he saw Kouyou narrow her eyes at him and shake her head disapprovingly, “ah ah, we are not starting with me, you were the one who woke up late this morning, tell me why?” she inquired with a frown and Chuuya looked down at the table in embarrassment from being called out.

He quickly spoke up to explain himself, “It’s really nothing, I just stayed up last night filling out a job application” Kouyou raised an eyebrow at him. 

She folded her hands in front of her on the table and sighed, “what happened to your job at The Guild?” she questioned and Chuuya mentally slapped himself in the face. He never told Kouyou he was fired from The Guild for ‘giving attitude’ to his boss. It was a journalism company where he assisted in writing reports and reviewing news before it got published. But he fucked up that job after getting furious over an article they published that tried to justify alphas blaming their ‘instincts’ when they assaulted someone. It was ridiculous and he marched into the boss’s office with a lot to say and punches to throw, which caused him to be ‘let go’ aka fired.

He was definitely not telling that to Kouyou so instead he took in a breath, “uh there was a misunderstanding is all…” he spoke and he could tell Kouyou was not believing him for a second because she gave him a pointed look. “It was really nothing, don’t worry” he tried to reassure her but she just shook her head causing him to slouch in defeat.

the alpha observed him for a few seconds, “ it’s fine, don’t tell me” she said nonchalantly and changed the topic which was clearly making her brother uncomfortable.” Just tell me about this new job hmm? What did you apply for?” she asked with a more upbeat tone, wanting to keep the conversation positive. Before Chuuya could answer, Kouyou’s name was called for her order and she stood up to receive it from the young cashier. She remembered him working here the last time she visited, Kenji was what his tag said, he was a nice kid and could keep a good conversation. 

She returned to the table and placed the food down, allowing Chuuya to grab his stuff, a dragon fruit lemonade along with a strawberry shortcake. Kouyou sat down once again and looked at the male across from her expectantly, waiting for him to answer her question. Chuuya took a sip of his drink before speaking up, “it’s for the Mori Corporation, I applied to be the CEO’s assistant” he answered and his sister’s expression changed to one of worry.

“Mori Corp?” she asked as if making sure he said what she heard him say.

“Yeah?” he answered hesitantly and Kouyou stayed silent for a few seconds too long. He was suddenly very confused at his sister’s reaction, “what?”.

Kouyou tried to find a good way to approach the subject, “well it's just that…” she hesitated and Chuuya looked at her with concern, “have you not heard about Dazai Osamu's reputation with assistants?” she questioned. 

Dazai Osamu.

Chuuya knew he was the prestigious and handsome CEO of the Mori Corporation (the new’s words not his), only coming into the position 3 years ago at the age of 19 when his father stepped down. He was the youngest to ever take over the company so there were a lot of skeptics on if he would be able to do his job properly. Surprisingly, the company has been doing the best it ever had under his leadership. That was all he knew. Maybe he should have done a bit more research.

He quickly shook his head at Kouyou’s question and she seemed to cringe into her seat, “he has a reputation for firing his assistants within the first week…he’s apparently very, how do I put this, picky?” she explained with a frown at the thought of Chuuya trying hard on his application only to be fired instantly. The omega’s eyes widened at the news, this is just his luck. Now he definitely wished he applied to some other jobs, maybe he could do more searching when he gets home?

“Really? No wonder Albatross said it was tedious” he muttered and Kouyou nodded. She looked at her brother with sympathy and wondered if she could somehow help Chuuya find some other jobs, perhaps with similar pay. 

She didn’t want to see that defeated look in Chuuya’s eyes any longer so she attempted to give him some comfort, “it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try Chuuya, You’re resilient and determined, I’m sure that you have a chance at lasting a while, although it is good to know that it will be tricky if you get the job” she reassured. Chuuya looked up at her and away from where his eyes were set on the table and gave her a small smile. He appreciated the comfort but it wasn’t doing much for his doubts. 

“Plus, if the man proves to be incompetent and chooses to fire you, there’s always a job assisting me” Kouyou spoke, a smile grazing her confident features. The only reason that her brother hadn’t worked under her was because the male wasn’t fond of traveling so much, but she was sure she could come up with a way for him to work from home if she needed to. Anything for her little brother.

That seemed to raise the omega’s spirits a bit, “hmm we’ll see if I’ll have to take that offer, who knows maybe all his assistants were shitty, I’m sure I can turn the tables” he attempted to stay optimistic, not wanting Kouyou to worry. He could be right and this Dazai guy might just suck at hiring people. If he gets the job, he’ll make sure to not be someone to fire. As long as the guy isn't an asshole, which Chuuya may or may not already think that he is, he should be fine.

Kouyou nodded and was glad that Chuuya could still be positive even though the news seemed to discourage him at first. The two moved on to discuss other things like Kouyou’s time away, she was settled in Osaka working with a collaboration of designers for the upcoming Cherry Blossom Festival.

“We should go together” the male suggested at the thought of the festival, he remembered going down to Tokyo with his sister and mother when he was younger. He loved seeing all of the cherry blossom trees in bloom and seeing everyone in kimonos, it was beautiful. 

Kouyou was fond of the idea but she looked sad at the thought, “I most likely won’t be able to make it, I'll be preparing the fashion show and making sure the designs are perfect” she explained and her heart ached as Chuuya’s disappointment became evident. She tried to find a way to salvage the situation, “but if I have the time I’ll make sure to give all the time to you and we can go together” she promised and her brother nodded, still a bit sad. He knew that she wouldn’t be able to make it. He’ll probably just drag Albatross and the guys from Flags to join him if he really has to.

When the two finished the food and discussion, they stood up and headed out with smiles on their faces. “Call me when you get the results of the job alright?” Kouyou asked when they stopped at the crosswalk. The alpha was planning on getting a taxi to the hotel she booked so they were going their separate ways. 

“You’re the first person I’ll call Ane-san” Chuuya responded and Kouyou let out a small laugh. The two shared a hug before Chuuya gave her a wave and walked across the street, beginning the walk back to his place.

[+]

For the past 4 days, Chuuya’s been checking his phone nonstop for missed calls, messages, emails, or anything at all. He let out a groan and flopped onto the couch after seeing nothing in his notifications once again. Albatross gave him a side-eye of concern and Baki, who was lying on the alpha’s lap, was startled by the sudden shake of the couch and jumped off, running into Chuuya’s room. “Chuuya you’re scaring your child dude” the blonde claimed as he watched the cat run off before looking at the back of Chuuya’s head, his face being stuffed into the couch cushions. All he received was another groan of annoyance and Albatross couldn’t hide his smile, trying to keep his laugh in. “Still nothing from Mori Corp?” he asked, lowering his hand onto his friend’s head in comfort.

Chuuya raised his head, if his scent wasn’t hinting at his dread, his face was definitely giving away his exhaustion, “nope” was all he said before face-planting back into the cushions. Albatross sighed before attempting to calm Chuuya by releasing some pheromones, even though the omega’s display was a bit comical, he didn’t want his friend to suffer. 

The scent of chocolate and coconut reached Chuuya's nose, his instincts were telling him to calm down and take a breath. He raised his head and glared at the alpha in front of him who just gave him a smile, “is it helping?” he questioned smugly. 

Chuuya’s glare subsided, “kinda” he responded before sighing and moving his body to sit up. His shoulder slumped and he went to look at his phone but it was snatched away by Albatross. “Hey, what the hell!?” he yelled as he watched the male get up and make distance between the two of them.

“No more phone for Chuuya” the blonde teased, speaking as though the ginger was a child. Chuuya’s glare came back and he jumped off the couch and ran over to the alpha who just ran away from him.

“Give it back asshole!”

“No! You need a break!”

“You know I need it, I could get a call any second!”

“That is exactly why you need to get away from this devil device”

“What!?”

The two ran around the living room, Albatross with a wide smile on his face and Chuuya looked like steam was about to come out of his ears. It was clear that the omega couldn’t catch up to Albatross’s big strides in the tiny space so he stopped to catch his breath. The alpha looked at him with a smug smile that Chuuya just wanted to punch off his face. “Just…give me my phone,” he said, out of breath and the male just shook his head.

“Nope, not until you settle down and watch a movie with me” the alpha countered and slipped the phone into his pocket.

Chuuya raised an eyebrow as if to say “are you serious?” but the other ignored him and went to get the TV remote. He slumped onto the couch and patted the spot next to him, giving Chuuya a glance before looking to find what to watch. Chuuya didn’t move and continued to hold his murderous glare, if looks could kill, Albatross would currently be six feet under.

Said male sighed before speaking, “I’ll let you pick?” he suggested, his eyes still trained on the TV. After a couple of seconds of silence, he heard the shuffle of feet and Chuuya sat beside him.

“Hide that stupid grin alright?” the ginger muttered as he grabbed the remote from the other’s hand and began to scroll through movies. As he did, Albatross got up saying he’d make some popcorn. He heard the scurry of little paws coming towards the couch before Baki jumped onto it, meowing at his owner. Chuuya gave him a couple of pets, “I’m okay, sorry I scared you Baki” he apologized and the cat just purred into his hand before settling on his lap. When Albatross returned he saw that Chuuya picked Avatar: The Way of Water, that one movie with the huge blue people. He sat beside the omega, placing the bowl of popcorn between the two of them. As the movie started, the only noise was the faint purring of Baki as he rested. 

The movie was pretty long but they enjoyed it the first time they watched it in theaters. When it was finished, Chuuya’s eyes were threatening to close and Albatross looked over at him and tried not to laugh. The popcorn was finished halfway through the movie so the empty bowl was just sitting in between them. Albatross stood up to go wash it in the kitchen while Chuuya slowly dozed off. The alpha was humming a small tune as he washed the dish and jumped when the phone in his pocket began to ring. Who the hell calls at 11 PM? He pulled out Chuuya’s phone and froze at the contact name.

Mori Corp Application

Chuuya had been given the number they would be calling with so he made a contact name for them since he tends to hang up on unknown numbers.

“Holy shit Chuuya!” Albatross yelled and dropped the bowl into the sink, running into the living room where Chuuya was startled awake. He jumped onto the couch, scaring Baki who began to meow, (this poor cat can’t catch a break).

“What?” he mumbled as his best friend shoved his phone in his hand. He looked at the contact number and was suddenly as awake as he ever would be. He quickly picked up the phone and put it up to his ear, “hello?” he spoke and Albatross looked at him with anticipation.

“Is this Nakahara Chuuya?” A woman’s voice came from the phone, she sounded young, most likely around Chuuya’s age. 

“yes, this is him speaking” the omega answered, trying to get his voice to sound more confident.

“Great! I’m calling you to inform you that we’ve read through your application for the assistant position and believe that you may be a good fit here at Mori Corp '' the woman explained and Chuuya felt his heart beat fast. He knew why they called him, but just hearing it made it more real.

“Really? I mean thank you” he responded and he heard a small laugh on the other side.

“Yes! The final step for the application is an in-person interview here in the building, I’m just calling to set up the date with you”

“Oh ok, um any time is fine for me”

“sounds good, let me just check for openings” Chuuya heard the typing of a keyboard and he waited. The male beside him was moving closer, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation with a curious expression. Chuuya pushed him away and Albatross pouted at him, wanting to be included. 

“Alright, looks like other applicants chose tomorrow morning so that means the soonest we can get you in is hmm, 3 PM tomorrow! If that’s good with you?”

“Yeah that sounds good” Hearing the words ‘other applicants’ reminded Chuuya that the process wasn’t over yet, he was still competing with people for the position. His nerves were slowly creeping up and he felt Albatross’s hand on his shoulder along with the scent of his pheromones. He looked at his roommate and gave a small smile in appreciation to which the blonde returned.

“Great! Then we’ll see you then, all you have to do is come to the main building and talk to the front desk, and they’ll tell you where to go, I wish you luck Nakahara-san”

“Okay, thank you” The woman on the other side hung up and Chuuya let out a sigh. He felt like jelly as he relaxed into the couch, throwing his phone to the side.

“So?” Albatross questioned enthusiastically and Chuuya smiled at his attitude.

“They wanna see me tomorrow at 3, for an interview” the omega informed and Albatross shot up from the couch with a cheer. Chuuya laughed as the alpha danced around the living room, “you seem more excited than I am, plus it doesn’t mean I got the job, I still have to wait until after the interview” he said and the male just shrugged.

“Still, you’re one step closer!” He cheered with a smile, he went and picked up Baki and spun him around. “Can you believe it Baki? Chuuya will soon stop lazing around like you do” the blonde said and the cat meowed at him as if responding.

Chuuya scoffed, “I have not been lazing around ass, and stop spinning him around like that, he’ll get dizzy and throw up” he exclaimed, getting up and taking the poor cat from his torturer’s clutches. Baki snuggled into his owner's neck, taking in his comforting scent as Chuuya glared at Albatross. 

The alpha ignored him, “Chuuya’s gonna get a job!” he sang to himself as he went back to the kitchen to finish up with the bowl he abandoned. The ginger rolled his eyes and ran his hand up and down Baki’s back, earning him purrs in return. He wanted to call Kouyou but she was probably asleep by now so instead he set the siamese down on the couch and began cleaning around. He moved the cushions back to where they belonged and swept up some stray popcorn that fell on the floor while the two were eating. He turned the TV off and decided to give Baki a little snack before bed.

“Come here Baki” the omega called as he put some tuna onto a small plate. The cat came running at the smell and sat at Chuuya’s feet meowing. The plate was placed on the floor in front of him and he began to eat, “Don’t go too fast, you might choke” Chuuya chided and the cat slowed down, almost like he understood. 

Behind him, Albatross scoffed, “You spoil him too much” he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared at the innocent cat. 

Chuuya held in a laugh, “are you jealous of a cat right now?” he questioned as he kneeled down to pet his child. 

The blonde’s eyes narrowed, “I just think that he should learn to survive a little, maybe he can be an outside cat or something” he suggested which earned him a gasp from Chuuya who pretended to cover Baki’s ears.

“You can’t just say that idiot, and no I am not doing that to my baby” The ginger protested and he watched the cat finish up the plate. He picked it up and handed it to Albatross, “just because you said that you have to wash his dish” he said smugly before picking up Baki and walking out of the kitchen.

Albatross swore he saw the creature glaring at him just like his owner. How terrifying. “Whatever, get some rest Chuuya” he bid the omega a good night, sighing as he faced the sink.

“Good night” Chuuya spoke and went into his room, shutting the door behind him. He set Baki down and the cat instantly hopped up into his bed, sitting down and gazing at Chuuya, waiting for him to join. The male laughed and got into bed himself, Baki walked over and cuddled under Chuuya’s arms. The cat purred and Chuuya sighed as he settled in and felt his eyelids become heavy.

He hoped the interview would go well.