Lia

“You’re what?”

Your mother’s voice pierced through the silence of the apartment, her tone sharp and filled with disbelief. It echoed off the walls, hanging in the air like a thunderclap.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered, barely able to hold your gaze. You could feel her eyes on you, heavy and intense. “Do you know who the father is?” she asked, her voice softening just a fraction. The shift in her tone was clear; she’d realized how terrified you were.

You looked up at her, tears beginning to form in your eyes. Her figure stood before you, a blur of concern and frustration. As your gaze locked with hers, you felt an overwhelming surge of emotion. Without a word, you stumbled toward her and wrapped your arms around her, your face buried in the fabric of her blouse. The comfort of her presence, even amidst the chaos, was the only thing that could keep you from falling apart.

“I don’t,” you whispered, your voice breaking.

She sighed heavily, her arms tightening around you in response. For a moment, neither of you spoke. It was as though the weight of everything had settled in the space between you, and no words could fill it.

“You’re going to have to get over the fact that you were fired,” she finally said, her voice steady, but laced with frustration. “I understand that you’re upset, but look what that’s done. You’ve made some… choices. Choices that have led you here. Drunk. Pregnant.”

You nodded, guilt and shame pooling in your stomach, mingling with the anger you didn’t quite know how to express.

“I need to get another job,” you mumbled, your voice barely audible.

Your mother gave a quick, sharp nod. “Yes, you do,” she said, her tone resolute. “You need to start taking responsibility for your actions. Life doesn’t wait, and neither do your responsibilities.”

“Let’s get you a drink of water,” your mother said softly, her voice calming as she took charge. You nodded, grateful for her presence, and watched as she moved toward the sink, filling a glass. You stood, the weight of the conversation still heavy on your shoulders, and took the water she handed to you.

You couldn’t let yourself fall apart, not now, not when you had so much to figure out. You needed to be strong, not only for yourself and your mother but for your baby, too. The reality of the situation was overwhelming, but there was no turning back now.

How could you have been so careless? Pregnant at 23. The thought echoed in your mind as you swallowed the cool water, trying to clear the swirling thoughts.

Your mother’s voice broke through your haze as she picked up the stack of job applications on the table. “Let’s start looking, then. We’ve got work to do.”

You both leaned over the pile together. There were openings at a pet shop, a mechanic shop called S.S., and a few other places that didn’t feel quite right. The options were limited, and nothing seemed to stand out, but you couldn’t afford to be picky.

That was until your eyes landed on one listing that made you pause.

“The DJ?” you muttered, squinting at the name of the club.

Your mother let out a surprised laugh, and the sound echoed in the small kitchen. “What an odd name for a club!” she said, shaking her head.

The laugh was contagious. You couldn’t help but join in, the absurdity of it all making you momentarily forget your worries. “Seems like a great name,” you said, still chuckling a little, the tension between you easing just for a moment.

Your mother smiled and raised an eyebrow. “Well, good luck.”

You took a deep breath, feeling a flicker of hope amidst the chaos. “It seems like it could be. I’ll give them a call and send over my resume.”

You stood straighter, determination building. “Wish me luck,” you added, a nervous smile tugging at your lips.

“I just did, didn’t I?” Your mother laughed again, the sound like music to your ears, even if only for a moment.

——

A huge sigh left your lips as you stood outside the club, your fingers feeling numb as you gripped the few sheets of paper in your hand, the last remnants of your past life, now encapsulated in a resume. You couldn’t help but feel the weight of everything pressing down on you, but there was no turning back. You had to at least try.

With a shaky breath, you pushed open the door. The harsh, cold air from inside hit you like a wall, and you stepped in, holding your life tightly within the crumpled paper in your hand.

“How can I help you?” A woman approached you with a smile. She had striking green hair and piercing yellow eyes, and her presence was almost magnetic.

You smiled back, trying to steady your nerves. “I’m here for the job application!”

She nodded, her smile still kind. “Just to be sure, what’s your name?”

“Y/N,” you answered, your voice slightly shaky.

“I’m Ai. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said, her tone warm. “Come this way, please.”

You followed her as she led you through a narrow corridor to a door at the back. As you walked in, you couldn’t help but take note of the gentleman sitting at a desk, sifting through paperwork. He looked tired, the weight of the world hanging on his shoulders.

“RINDOU!” Ai called out to a man sat down. Rindou smiled and shushed her out, before motioning for you to sit in front of him.

“Take a seat,” he said, his eyes sharp as he looked at you.

You sat down, trying to calm your racing heart. The man, Rindou, as Ai had called him, sized you up for a moment before asking, “Why do you want to work here?”

Before you could answer, a taller man, wearing a confident grin, stepped into the room. His presence seemed to fill the space, and you couldn’t help but feel a little more on edge.

“Truth is,” you started, gathering your courage, “I’m not in a good position. I used to work in an office, but I was fired. I got drunk, and… I’m pregnant. I need a new job.”

The two men exchanged a glance, and their faces remained unreadable. You had said it all so plainly, but their lack of reaction made it clear that they’d heard this story before.

Rindou sighed before looking back at you. “When looking for jobs, I wanted something I’d actually enjoy. Something that would make me happy. When I read about this club, my mom and I both thought the name was funny… and well, we saw it as a sign of good luck.”

The taller man raised an eyebrow at you, and for a moment, you were unsure of what he was thinking. Then, to your surprise, he burst into laughter.

“I told you it was a shitty name!” the tall man, laughed, and the sound was oddly infectious.

Rindou frowned but couldn’t hide a small smirk. “It’s a great one.”

His laugh echoed through the room. “You’re hired!” His voice boomed with excitement, and you froze for a second, unsure if he was serious.

“Really, brother? Just because she made you laugh?” Rindou shot him an unimpressed look, his tone dry.

The man looked at you and smiled. “I’m Ran. This is Rindou. We’re your bosses. We’re not here much, so if you need anything, you’ll have to email us. You’ll get our contact details soon enough.”

Rindou, now standing, nodded in agreement. “Yeah, don’t expect us to be around every day. We’re busy. But you’ll be fine.”

“Thanks…” you stuttered, still trying to process what had just happened.

As you stood to leave, Ai’s voice called out from the hallway. “RAN!”

Ran stood up and left the room.

“Okay then, when do I start?” you asked, turning back to Rindou.

“It’s Tuesday today, so I’ll give you a week to get yourself ready. You’ll start on Saturday,” Rindou answered, his voice firm.

You couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it. “That’s not a week,” you remarked, pointing out the obvious.

Rindou smirked. “Technically, it’s five days. Get used to it.”

You felt a sense of relief at the banter, but there was still so much uncertainty. “So what’s going on, anyway?” you asked.

Rindou glanced over at you, his expression growing more serious. “Our boss is here.”

“I thought you were the boss,” you remarked, confused.

Rindou shook his head. “We are. But we have our own boss too. Welcome to the world of weird.”

You laughed lightly, and just as you were about to bid your farewell, you caught sight of Ran standing next to two much taller gentlemen. As you walked toward him, he noticed you and nodded.

“Thank you again for the job,” you said, grateful but still in shock.

Ran smiled but his tone shifted slightly. “Make sure you don’t take any alcohol offers from our clients. With you being pregnant, it could affect you and the baby.”

You nodded earnestly, grateful for the warning.

As you started to turn to leave, one of the men stood with ran caught your eye. His striking white hair and violet eyes immediately drew you in, and his tanned skin made him stand out in the dimly lit room. But it was the way he looked at you, intense, searching, almost as if he recognized you from somewhere, that unsettled you.

Before you could speak, he broke the silence. “You’re pregnant?”

You froze, unsure how to respond. How could you explain yourself?

Ran’s voice broke through the tension. “Izana? Do you know her?”

Your stomach dropped, and you could feel your heart race as Izana, the man with the white hair, looked at you with a mixture of curiosity and something darker.

“I wouldn’t say I know her,” Izana said, his tone casual but loaded with something you couldn’t quite pinpoint, “but I slept with her a month ago.”

The words hit you like a punch to the gut. You stood frozen, barely able to comprehend the implication of what he had just said.

“Wait… so…” Ran started, his voice cutting off as Izana interjected, “Is it mine?” His voice had a bite to it, almost demanding a response.

You stared at him, feeling a surge of anger. How dare he ask you like that? Did he think you were some kind of woman who slept around with random men?

“I’m not the kind of girl that sleeps with random men all the time!” You spat, your voice shaking with fury. You turned on your heel and walked away quickly, not wanting to stay in the room a second longer.

“Y/N!” Ran’s voice stopped you in your tracks. You turned to face him, your hands clenched at your sides.

“Is that an order?” you asked coldly, trying to keep your voice steady.

Ran looked at you for a long moment before nodding. “Yeah. Come back.”

You reluctantly walked back to his side, still seething inside.

“So it’s Izana’s, then?” Ran asked, his eyes narrowed.

You nodded stiffly, your voice laced with bitterness. “Can’t be anyone else’s.”

“Stop,” a new voice interjected. It was a boy with black hair, two different colored eyes, and a scar across his forehead. His voice was calm but firm. “He didn’t mean it like that.”

Izana seemed unbothered. “We’ll talk about this another time. For now, I need your number.” He said it so matter-of-factly, as if you had no choice in the matter.

You looked at Ran, who simply nodded. “Give it to him, please,” he said, his voice softer now.