â -- { troisième espoir | squall&reika }
Blue eyes gazed at Squall as he seemed to work out exactly what she had said. There was a hint of amusement on her features as she watched the way he puzzled through every word sheâd just spoken. And, surprisingly, Reika couldnât help but feel as if sheâd been here before. As if sheâd seen him make that exact face many a time. Reika rested her chin in her hand, continuing to keep that smile on her lips. He wasnât the type to take offers with ease, apparently. There was a look of suspicion in his eyes, as if he expected her to laugh in his face the moment he agreed to her offer. Whatever life heâd had before heâd walked into her shop, it wasnât a very good one. She couldnât help but feel pity for him - not that she would ever admit to that.
At first, sheâd assumed that Squall was going to turn down her offer. That thought in and of itself was disheartening. However, when he continued on, Reika was pleased to discover that that wasnât the case. If Squall could be described as heavy, then Reika Kuze could be described as light. She moved as if nothing could hold her down, spoke as if no one could bring her down, and even acted in a way that would lift the spirits of those around her. Nowhere more was that evident than now, as she sat across from a man who had clearly taken a beating at every turn. Reika only smiled as he spoke - airing out all of his concerns and thoughts. Only when he was finished did Reika speak once more. âI guess it could seem like things are too good to be true for someone like you. Life bullies you too much and then when someone offers you a hand, it would be only natural not to place much trust or value in that person. HoweverâŚâ
And here, Reika paused to draw a breath. âAs I said before, I think itâs the duty of people to help one another. I canât promise you that youâll be paid a fabulous sum of money for your work, but itâs better than nothing.â The way he looked at her hurt her - that dead look in his eyes caused Reika no small amount of pain. The female sighed softly. âItâs not really about your talents as a worker or what your abilities are. But itâs also not about pity.â She had the feeling that would have been the conclusion heâd jump to had she not added in that particular little part. âI have a duty to help people who need help. You look physically capable enough to me. Youâre not stupid, either, so anything you needed to do you would be able to learn with relative ease.â The young woman leaned back in her hair, gazing out the window. âAnd your presence is comforting.â Another pause. She should probably expand on that. âI employ mostly females. Kairos isnât a bad city, exactly, but can be a little stressful.â
Reikaâs eyes closed. âWe were robbed three weeks ago, actually. I was in the store alone, thankfully, so no one was harmed. But still, it was frightening.â Reopening her eyes, she looked to Squall with a soft smile. âThe way you look would probably ward off a few potential thieves and bring in a larger female clientele. But beyond all of that, thereâs one main reason why Iâm hiring you.â And here her smile brightened considerably. âIâd like to reverse what the world has done to you. All that pain, all that suffering. Iâd like to take it away from you. This is just the only way I know how.â
It was clear the boy was narrowly keeping a leash on his tongue. The corner of his lip twitched at her words, and he turned his gaze to the window to avoid her eyes. He didn't like the way she was talking to him. Squall's life was his own, and the conditions he lived in were none of her business. "I never said I was suffering," Squall replied, voice a little sharper than he intended, "Why don't--" Cutting himself off, the brunet clenched his jaw. (Shut up. She's offering you a job you're not going to find elsewhere.) It was an incredibly lucky opportunity, after all. If he'd walked just a little bit further, or gotten here just a few minutes later, Squall had no doubt he'd be neck-deep in trouble. Money meant everything... it meant keeping his home, staying in Kairos, living his own life... and most importantly, remaining far, far away from his parents. This woman might as well have been offering him his freedom on a silver platter. Offering her a vaguely apologetic glance, Squall shook his head and said, "Never mind."
He stood still as a statue. It had been that way his entire life. While others his age might've been prone to fidgeting and shifting around, Squall said nothing; did nothing. And when he finally did open his mouth to speak carefully planned courtesies, his voice was as stone cold as his look. Everything screamed 'strictly professional'... there was nothing personal in his mannerisms whatsoever. That was the proper way to act before an employer, right? "Thank you." He said quietly, "I'll do my best."
Swallowing his pride was difficult, to say the least. But somehow he managed, gearing his thoughts towards the more important things while pushing his personal qualms of having to be helped by another aside. What sorts of things would he be doing? It wasn't as if he'd ever worked in a cafe. What was his pay going to be like? And his hours... "When am I going to start working?" He asked aloud. Squall dared not mention his other responsibilities, like school or the other two jobs he still kept. If a conflict arose with the latter, of course he'd have to bring it up. But as for the former... well...
He wasn't about to sacrifice his income for that.
There were so many questions he both wanted and needed to ask, but ultimately he narrowed them down to the two that were most important. He didn't want to irritate her or appear desperate. Giving a tug on his jacket, Squall added, "And... how would you like to be addressed...?" Because simply asking 'what's your name' didn't suit a man like himself.
