Sebun going on a blind dating come to find out there a male Cheetah (reader) and comes to find out that (reader) is the boss of another sportswear company that rivals the Metal Mouse company and (reader) offers her a job in there company showing some anger on how Sebun was treated.
I love Sebun, she’s a good (but tired) noodle.
Sebun nervously straightened her blouse, fluffing her wool once more time. She shouldn’t have agreed to go on a blind date. Her friend from college had convinced her, but she really wasn’t looking forward to it. Her nerves were fried. After working all week, being treated like a stress ball, and being belittled despite her intelligence, she just wanted to stay home and watch trashy movies while drowning her sorrows in a pint of ice cream.
She left her apartment, and her neighbor Legoshi promised to text her later to make sure she was okay. He was a good kid, despite his mangled appearance. Senbun wished all carnivores, hell, males in general, could be like him. She got to the restaurant, and waited a good fifteen minutes for a posh Cheetah to acknowledge her. He kept attending to the other, more impressive looking guests. When he finally got to her, she was lead unceremoniously to her table to where her blind date was waiting.
Her stomach dropped, and she tried not to show it. Another cheetah.
Come on Senbun, don’t be rude!
She mentally tried to bolster herself, and gave a small smile. He got up to offer her chair to her, and even helped her hop into it. It was a bit to tall for her, and her dainty feet didn’t even reach the ground.
“Thank you! How are you this evening,” She tried to keep the customer service voice from leaking into her question.
“Well, and yourself?” He seemed nice. He was put together. His clothing was all proper and without wrinkles, and he had no malice or disappointment in his eyes after discovering her to be a sheep.
“I’m doing well,” She smiled, but didn’t fully relax. She couldn’t help it. He was a carnivore, and she was an herbivore. Maybe she was a bit jaded from work, but it was hard to trust just any carnivore. Still, he made for good conversation.
Sebun ordered her food and chatted with the male. Turns out he also worked at a sportwear company. Sebun immediately got excited. She was a small female sheep, but she loved sports and designs, even if an animal like her wasn’t often allowed to play seriously. He listened while she chatted about designs, about how her neighbor kid Legoshi was self conscious about bright designs thanks to being a carnivore. He even provided some opinions.
“Where do you work now?” He asked, now happily eating his food. Sebun stopped eating hers, face falling for a fraction of a second. She quickly corrected herself, forcing a practiced smile that she had perfected back as a young girl. Who knew that was one of the most important skills she would have learned as a child.?
“Ah, Metal Mouse,” The cheetah stopped, eyes narrowing. She wondered if he was angry that she worked for a rival company. She kept the practiced smile on, avoiding direct eye contact. She would not become a target. Her mother used to tell her to avoid direct eye contact with a carnivore, or they’d lock onto you and would take no time turning you into a meal.
“Why are you smiling like that?”
Huh?
“Like what?” He gave her a skeptical look, and suddenly her food was very interesting.
“That fake smile. It’s different from the one you had earlier when you were talking about your designs and ideas,” Sebun folded her hands in her lap, ashamed.
“Ah work has been difficult,” She tried to play it off, but his golden-brown eyes seemed to see right through her.
“How so,” He carefully crossed his arms, and tilted his head slightly. In her peripheral vision, she could see his tail slowly sway back and forth. Even so, he didn’t seem scary.
“Ah well...My boss takes me with him to big business meetings, and I’m there to help them..de-stress,” His brows shot up and she quickly waved her hands, realizing how that might have sounded. “They pet my wool! Honestly, it would be cheaper for them to buy a stuffed toy than pay me to let top investors pet my wool,” She gripped the fabric of her skirt, suddenly unable to stop herself.
“Sebun-,” She couldn’t help but cut him off. She didn’t even really hear him. All she could hear was the roar of blood in her ears, and her own heartbeat.
“I’ve worked there for years, struggled with the fact that most my supposed equals are carnivores, struggled just to be treated seriously because I’m a small herbivore! Then, when I finally feel like I’m an equal, they take me away from my job to sit and play stress-ball for a bunch of animal who don’t even know my name! I have an amazing name! Instead they call me Lamb-chan, like I’m nothing more than my species. It’s demeaning,” She finished, rage leaving as quickly as it came. She suddenly felt shamed, though she noticed her waitress from across the way seemed to agree by the nod of her head.
“Sebun...” Her dates face softened.
“I’m so sorry y/n!” Sebun suddenly felt like running. She was so embarrassed! She shouldn’t have lost her temper like that.
“Don’t be,” He offered her the cloth napkin he hadn’t used, she hadn’t realized she had gotten teary eyed.
“Thank you,” She carefully dabbed her eyes.
“..Sebun, why don’t you apply to our company? I think your ideas are really great, and it’s nice that you have an inside look to young carnivores and other animals thanks to your apartment. You seem to have a wide range of knowledge, and the willingness to actually talk with your target audience. They’re really undervaluing your skills, and using you as stress relief? That sounds like ground for some sort of lawsuit,” He began speaking in a calm voice, but she could see his fur bristle as he continued talking. She even heard a low rumble of a growl towards the end.
“I couldn’t, I already ruined our date and I don't want to be any more of nuisance,” He shook his head.
“Please? I think you’d do well. I promise we’d keep everything professional,” Sebun took a moment.
“Only if you look at my portfolio and take me seriously!” She gave him a determined look. He just had small smile and laugh, and she smiled back. For the first time in a while, Sebun felt hope.
“Now that that’s over, can we get desert? I hear the sweets here are amazing,” Now it was his turn to be excited.
By the end of the night she learned cheetahs could purr.
---
The next week she submitted her resume to the company. She came in for an interview, and when she walked in the building, she saw her date. Or at least, the picture of her date. He was in a suit, and the golden label under the picture was his name...and C.E.O.
What had she gotten herself into?