Day 4 Secret/Sky
something short and silly for @sihjrweek to keep me from getting burnt out
***
Kisa was impressed with Ritsu’s speed and efficiency as the ‘newbie’ (not so new anymore given it was well over a year later, but he was still the newest - and it was fun to watch his face get red with frustration whenever they called him that) raced through his work to try to get all of it done before five.
“Where’s the fire, Ri-chan?” Kisa asked. “You might actually make a deadline at this rate!” He added with a good natured laugh. It wasn’t odd to see Ritsu hard at work, he had more than proven himself to be ambitious and diligent, but it was because of those qualities that Ritsu didn’t often object to staying behind later than the rest of the crew.
“I just have somewhere to be this evening, that’s all.” Ritsu said, not looking away from his work.
“Ooh, I see, you and Takano-san have a hot date?” Kisa asked, just trying to make conversation. Said Demon-Editor-In-Chief was currently out of the room and Kisa figured he’d take the opportunity to catch up on a little bit of gossip!
However, that question made Ritsu’s entire workflow freeze.
“Excuse me?” Ritsu said, looking toward Kisa. Surely Ritsu had heard him incorrectly, right? That would be an entirely inappropriate joke to make. Kisa was joking, wasn’t he?
Kisa blinked at the icy cold reaction. “You know, do you two have, like, dinner reservations or something?” He reiterated.
“Kisa-san, I’ve told you not to pry into their personal lives before.” Hatori scolded from across the way.
“I think it’s a perfectly normal question to ask your friend and coworker.” Kisa pouted. “Especially when the results of date night so drastically affect our boss! Remember last time Takano-san went too long without one? When Ri-chan went on that business trip without him? It was like Hell on Earth here! Oh, no pressure though, Ri-chan, just have fun!” Kisa turned his attention back toward Ritsu, giving him a big smile.
“He looks like he’s going to faint…” Mino spoke up, his smile taking on a nervous edge as he watched Ritsu carefully to make sure that he didn’t topple over.
“You-You all knew?” Ritsu choked out, looking between his three coworkers frantically as a sense of horror grasped his heart.
Kisa blinked. “...Was it supposed to be some kind of big secret?” He asked with an innocent tilt of his head.
…
“R-Ri-chan?!”
“I’ll go get him some water.”
“Someone should probably let Takano-san know that their plans tonight might need to be canceled…”
That was the commotion Takano came back to, walking into the office with a frown on his face. He was about to demand why he and Ritsu’s plans would need to be canceled - and then he noticed Ritsu on the floor with Kisa next to him fanning his face with a piece of printer paper.
“I told you to mind your business, Kisa-san.” Hatori scolded as he passed Takano to go retrieve the water he had promised.
“How was I supposed to know he’d pass out like this?!” Kisa demanded, fanning more frantically to try to get Ritsu’s red face to return to a normal color.
“What the hell happened?!” Takano demanded as he rushed to Ritsu’s side. Kisa quickly jumped up and out of the way when seeing his boss on the warpath.
“It wasn’t my fault!” Kisa insisted.
“Ritsu, hey, look at me.” Takano cupped one of his flushed cheeks, trying to rouse him back to consciousness.
Ritsu blinked his eyes open, but his mortification was replaced with anger as his eyes landed on Takano.
“It’s your fault…” Ritsu gritted his teeth.
“What? What’s my fault?” Takano frowned and furrowed his eyebrows. “Are you sick?” He pressed a hand against Ritsu’s forehead, prepared to take him to the doctor. He knew Ritsu passing out couldn’t be because Ritsu was overworking and undereating again. Takano monitored those things very carefully now.
Ritsu smacked his hand away and reached up to grab Takano by the collar of his shirt.
“IT’S YOUR FAULT THEY ALL KNOW WE’RE DATING, YOU PERVERT!” Ritsu shouted.
A few moments of silence passed, letting Ritsu’s words echo against the walls.
“...Well. Now all of Marukawa knows. Idiot.” Takano said.
Ritsu nearly passed out a second time due to overwhelming rage.
