Death By Salaryman

"Mr. Mark!"

"Ah, Mira! Rare to see you greet me! We had some leftover bread at work, so I brought some over."

"Woah, sweet bread!"

Mira's excitement echoes down the hall along with the shuffling of a plastic bag. Two sets of footsteps grow closer once the door is shut.

"Crap!"

I try to free myself from beneath Ange, but the weight above seems to only grow heavier.

"Argh! Get off, Ange!"

"I don't think I will."

"Huh!?"

There are no lies on her face, just pure malicious intent. That smirk as she looks down her nose may as well be a gun to my head.

"My dear Ange! I've come to pick you up!"

"Noa, look! This one has frosting!"

"Ah—!"

A pitiful yelp is all I can muster when all eyes land on me. Mira doesn't pay the scene any mind, but the older man dressed business casual has a different reaction.

"Noa."

"Y-Yes?"

"What is it that I'm seeing here?"

"Uhm…"

I can't see his eyes in the glare of his glasses. However, the tone of his voice is already enough to kill a small animal.

"We…kind of slipped…and ended up like this…"

"Interesting."

It wasn't a lie, but his crossed arms make me feel guilty regardless. I may as well confess to the crime I'm innocent of, even if just to be put out of my misery. Meanwhile, Ange holds in her laughter.

"Dad! Noa wouldn't give me a snack! He also pinched my cheeks!"

"What!?"

In his rage, his glasses slip downwards to reveal eyes reddened by killing intent. I can hear two sets of five cracks, then one more as he tilts his neck to the side.

"How dare he! I've always wanted to pinch my angel's cheeks as well!"

""That's what you're angry about!?""

Ange joins me in surprise, but the orange rabbit is quick to jump ship once her father steps forward.

"Come, Noa. We must talk."

"W-Wait! I can explain! NOOO!"

A hand grasps the collar of my shirt and I'm whisked away, never to be seen again. For exactly one week, the news talks about a poor high school boy that still hasn't been found in his entirety. Eventually, his name is forgotten and the killer is never found. They say that you can still hear his screams in the kitchen of that small studio apartment.

This is my fate.

Closing my eyes, I await the end of my days.

"Sorry for always having you watch over Ange."

"Huh?"

I'm back to standing on my feet, Mark patting me on the shoulder.

"I'm sure she can be quite the handful."

"Ah, no. It's really no problem."

I look over to the pair of rabbits sitting at the small kitchen table. This has all become somewhat commonplace, whether my heart can handle it or not.

"I'll take the chocolate one!"

"No fair! Old Man Beard took the chocolate one last time!"

"That one was cream, this one is a croissant. They're different, so it doesn't count."

"Grrr! Fine! I'm taking the custard bread!"

"Hey, I wanted that one too!"

Mark and I watch the two girls squabbling over pastries, one of the many things they fight over on a daily basis. Yet no matter how loud they are, I can't be angry.

"You know, this table used to have only two chairs. No matter what I was doing, one was always empty."

"How are you liking the one I gave you?"

"It's a complete lifesaver!"

Only one ever saw use. Now, the table has three chairs that are sometimes all occupied. The colours aren't all the same shade of brown, but it still feels like home.

"Thanks for always looking out for us, Mark. I would thank Ange as well, but she would never let me hear the end of it."

"Don't sweat it. It's honestly a relief to have you keep Ange company whilst I'm stuck at work."

Mark pulls out a small hand lighter and fiddles with the metal cap.

"She always looked so lonely playing in the park all by herself. It was even worse when I left her at home."

The clicking of a metal latch repeats over and over as he watches his adoptive daughter. No matter how many times he opens it, the spark is never lit.

"You can't imagine how surprised I was when I saw you all playing that day."

"Haha…things got a little rough there…"

From sword fight to fist fight, we had quite the encounter. It was not unlike how the rabbits are wrestling each other across the room right now. Throw in an army and you would have a perfect reenactment.

"Ange was definitely covered in sweat and mud afterwards. But more than anything, she looked like she was having so much fun. I almost cried when I saw her smiling like that."

Having seen her this past month, I don't know what an Ange void of energy looks like. Whenever she's here, the room becomes lively with activity as she bounces off of Mira. Honestly, it is probably best if I never witness such a sad sight.

"I know we basically do it already, but…"

As much as I sometimes want to pull my hair out because of these two, I would hate to see them sad and lonely.

"If you ever get really busy with work, Ange can stay for as long as she needs. She keeps Mira company and helps—well, sometimes helps her with homework."

It feels embarrassing saying something like this, especially as just some high school student. If the world operated as intended, I would have never met anybody in this room. Perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself trying to help out this adult, and that thought alone almost makes me regret my declaration.

"Ah—no…just forget I said…anything?"

Scratching an itch on the back of my neck, I look up and see Mark with his mouth agape. I know I said something ridiculous, but not that crazy. It almost looks like the world has taken a completely different shape in his eyes.

Before I can ask, he lets out a light chuckle.

"Thanks, Noa. I will definitely take you up on that!"

The hand patting my shoulder makes me jump. My heart is beating faster, but I can tell that it isn't from fear or shame anymore.

"D-Don't worry about it! I'm sure you would do the same for me…"

"Of course I would!"

With a click, the lighter returns inside his pocket as Mark takes a step forward. He straightens his tie and looks back at me.

"After all, we're the same. These girls became the centre of our lives, so we want to do anything to make them happy. Be it in academics or business, working together makes the job easier."

"Then…I look forward to working with you."

We trade a handshake, one that fills me with motivation. Mark and I aren't equals in most regards, but the two of us can absolutely see eye to eye on one thing. For me, it was a miracle. For him, it was an angel. We share this supernatural experience, one that will completely change our futures.

"Thanks, Noa. You helped me make up my mind about something."

"Huh?"

Mark checks his watch and starts walking towards the door.

"Come on guys! We're going out to eat! My treat, of course!"