"Arigatō, Abe-san. Your black lace thong is quite alluring," Fang Zuo replied with a calm smile.
"Sou desu ne? I find myself rather alluring too," Abe Na-Jaku murmured, her breath warm against his skin. A slender, manicured finger traced a slow path from his cheek down the line of his jaw to his neck. "Especially my…" She leaned infinitesimally closer. "Would you consider working for me? I could offer five times your current salary here. I find myself in need of subordinates who are intelligent, capable, and possess your particular brand of… boldness. Obedience has its rewards. Should you prove compliant, I might even arrange for you to occupy the very seat Kato Seiichi covets." The implication hung heavy in the air.
Fang Zuo nodded thoughtfully. "Above you? That is something I would need to consider."
"Ahahaha! Arigatō! That is the highest compliment." Abe laughed, a delicate hand covering her crimson lips, her body shaking with amusement. "You truly are a fascinating Fujino-kun. Quite the silver tongue. I find I rather like you." Her laughter faded, replaced by an intense, predatory gaze. Without a hint of offense, she brought her flawlessly made-up face closer to his, her unique, intoxicating scent enveloping him.
Her full lips parted. A small, pink tongue darted out, tracing the sensitive curve of his earlobe in a slow, deliberate caress.
A soft, shuddering sigh escaped her, laden with unspoken promise.
Her teeth gently grazed the soft flesh of his earlobe.
She drew back slowly, deliberately, her eyes locked on his.
Then, as she moved away, she paused, leaned close to his ear once more, and blew a soft stream of breath – warm, fragrant, like blooming orchids.
"Your proposition… isn't entirely out of the question," she whispered, her voice a silken purr. "Perhaps we could… alternate. Sometimes, I prefer to be on top…"
Her eyes sparkled with dangerous amusement. With a final, lingering look and an exaggerated sway of her wide hips that sent ripples through the fabric of her scarlet dress, she walked towards the door.
Reaching the threshold, Abe Na-Jaku snapped back into her public persona. Spine rigid, legs perfectly together, she transformed instantly. Poise and political power radiated from her as she gracefully picked up her small handbag. She turned her head, projecting her voice clearly back into the office.
"Sayōnara, Fujino-kun! It's settled, then! I'll be expecting you in my office. Do come see me… soon." She delivered the last word with pointed emphasis, then strode away down the corridor, the sharp click of her heels echoing like definitive punctuation.
"An Onmyōji as well? Skilled in bewitchment arts, no less," Fang Zuo mused, stroking his chin. "And not weak. In Daoist terms… Late-Stage Foundation Establishment? Stronger than the Sakura family's patriarch and heir. This place does harbor unexpected depths."
He walked out of the office into the main bullpen. Silence pressed down on the large room. Every single officer was staring at him, frozen in their tasks.
"F-Fujino-kun… are you… joining Councilwoman Abe's staff?" Officer Mouri Takehiro stammered, rising shakily to his feet, his finger trembling as he pointed at Fang Zuo.
"Hm? What of it?" Fang Zuo replied nonchalantly, continuing towards his desk.
"That's… incredible!" Mouri exclaimed, swallowing hard, his voice tinged with raw envy. "C-could you… perhaps put in a word? For me? It's rumored the salaries there are twice what we make here!"
"Twice?" Fang Zuo dropped into his chair, propping his feet up on the desk, rocking it gently. "She offered me five times."
"Hiss!"
A collective gasp and wave of murmuring envy swept through the room. Whispers about pay scales and political patronage erupted.
Sonomiya Tsubaki approached, her small frame almost disappearing behind a precarious mountain of files. She carefully placed several stacks on Fang Zuo's already cluttered desk.
"Pardon me, Fujino-kun," she murmured, keeping her head bowed. "I've completed your paperwork."
She looked up through her large lenses, pushing them further up her nose. Her large eyes peered at him with unusual intensity. "…Are… are you really leaving?" Her voice was barely a whisper.
"BAKA! Where's my damn paperwork, Sonomiya?!"
A brutish voice, thick with irritation and partially muffled by food, shattered the tentative conversation. From a nearby desk, a massive figure unfolded. Standing close to two meters tall and built like a hibernating bear, Kumano Hyōe wiped grease from his mouth. A Patrol Officer specializing in Taijutsu, trained in the Andō Shintō combat arts, he'd always loathed Fujino Gen.
"G-gomennasai, Kumano-san…" Tsubaki flinched, offering a small, apologetic bow. "Y-yours isn't finished yet! But I promise, before the end of shift—"
"Then why's this pretty boy's done?" Kumano stomped closer, looming over her. His shadow engulfed her. "Does that mean you like him? Am I not worthy of your little crush?"
*THUD!*
A massive fist slammed onto Fang Zuo's desk, rattling the piles of files and making Tsubaki jump.
"I-I'm sorry! No! It's not like that!" Tsubaki shook her head frantically, shrinking back under his menacing presence. She took several unsteady steps backwards.
*THUMP!*
Her small back hit the wall hard.
*CLATTER!*
Her thick, black-framed glasses flew from her face and skittered across the floor.
Severely nearsighted, the world dissolved into a blur of indistinct shapes and colors. Panic seized her. She dropped to her knees, frantically patting the floor with trembling, pale hands, desperately seeking her lifeline to sight. Her oversized hoodie rode up, exposing an expanse of smooth, pale back skin so translucent that faint blue capillaries were visible. Her trousers slid down slightly, revealing the innocent, childish print of little white bears on the waistband of her panties.
She searched blindly, the cool floor under her palms. Just as despair began to choke her—
*THUD!* *CRUNCH!* *AH!* *UGH!*
A series of brutal impacts echoed through the room. Tsubaki froze mid-search, terror rooting her to the spot.
Then, a familiar blurry silhouette crouched down before her. A large, warm hand gently brushed her short hair aside, tucking it behind her ear. Another placed the familiar weight of her thick glasses back onto the bridge of her nose.
The world snapped back into focus.
Fang Zuo knelt before her, smiling gently. "It's alright now."
"Ah... Arigatō gozaimashita! I... I'm sorry!" Tsubaki scrambled to her feet, bowing deeply. The movement caused the heavy, droplet-shaped fullness beneath her loose hoodie to sway visibly against the fabric.
When she straightened up, the scene before her eyes stunned her into silence.
Embedded in the far wall, within a cratered depression, lay Kumano Hyōe. He was slumped unconscious, a trickle of white froth leaking from the corner of his mouth.
Absolute silence reigned in the large office. Dozens of pairs of eyes were locked onto Fang Zuo, their expressions mirroring her own shock and disbelief.
Fang Zuo returned to his seat, kicking his feet back onto the desk. "Announcement:" his voice cut through the stunned quiet.
"Effective immediately, no one in this office is permitted to assign any tasks to Sonomiya Tsubaki."
"Remember. Any tasks."
"Violators will share his fate." He jerked his chin towards the unconscious giant embedded in the wall.
"I am the sole exception."
A collective gulp swept through the assembled officers. Their disbelieving gazes flickered from Fang Zuo to the mangled figure of Kumano Hyōe – renowned for brute strength, proficient in Taijutsu, and no slouch in Onmyōjutsu. Defeated in a single, unseen strike. This… was not the lazy Fujino Gen they knew. Wasn't his position obtained through favors orchestrated by some sister-in-law in Shikoku?
Fang Zuo ignored the speculative whispers. He crooked a finger at the wide-eyed Tsubaki.
"Hai! Fujino-kun!" Tsubaki scurried to his side.
"Call an ambulance for him. Might as well inform the police while you're at it." He picked at a fingernail idly.
"We are the police, Fujino-kun…" Tsubaki reminded him hesitantly.
"Ah, right. Forget the police. Just the ambulance." As she turned to leave, Fang Zuo suddenly reached out. His fingers gently caught her chin, turning her face back towards his. He watched her cheeks flush a deep crimson, bringing her so close he could feel her panicked breath.
Leaning down, his lips brushed the shell of her ear. His words were a soft, startling whisper:
"You aren't wearing a bra. Impressively daring... and quite substantial."