A Better Day

[madimpossibledreamer]

Okay, more posting out of order because Yosuke’s birthday. This is for a yakuza crossover I haven’t posted yet. All you really need to know is Narukami is head of one of the secondary Families and Yosuke runs a hostess club, and Narukami has a crush and pretends to be mere businessman Seta-san.
Also this does not occur during the pandemic; it’s partially based on the time I had to work retail on my birthday while sick; I wasn’t contagious anymore but my throat still hurt and all I wanted to do was sleep. I was Mr. Grumpy Gills.
It was generally considered polite to wear a mask to help protect others even with the ridiculous Japanese work ethic, however.
Chie’s cabaret name is Keiko-chan from Keiko Fukuda, the most decorated female judoka.
squeaking in under the deadline

Main Points:
Persona 4/Yakuza AU
Chapter Summary: Narukami has this all planned out.  Too bad Yosuke-kun's a master at throwing a wrench in his plans.
Word Count: 825
Rating: Teen
Pairing: Pre-Narukami/Yosuke, but can be read as friend!ship
teddie and kanji are only mentioned
Warning: as mentioned above, sickness tho not covid.

        This time when Narukami heads to Junes, he’s alone.  It might be a little obvious, not trying to impress his ‘business partner’ this time, but he doesn’t want an audience, even Tatsumi-kun, to see him stumble over his words as he tries to ask Yosuke-kun’s excitable little brother what his brother’s plans are for the day and if he would mind company and if he would mind passing along the present Narukami agonized over for so long, and hope there are no unfortunate questions about how he even knew about the significance of the date…
        Only to see a completely unexpected face manning the desk.  Well, it’s more the hair, eyes, and glasses, given that he’s wearing a mask.  Honestly, Yu probably stares too much, but he can’t help it.  Hanamura looks exhausted and it takes him a moment to even recognize Narukami.  “Oh, hey, Seta-san, what are you in the mood for today?”
        “Y-you’re working,” Yu stammers, and watches Yosuke-kun frown and rub his temple.
        “Yes?”  He sounds like he’s half sure it’s a trick question.  “Is…there a problem with that?”
        “No, no problem, I just—”  And he’s the one that makes the schedules, too—it’s not like he could have failed to know it’s his birthday.  Yu is too busy worrying about whether he should take the direct approach to realize that his traitorous mouth has already decided for him, without his brain’s permission.  “I just would have thought you’d have scheduled someone else on your own birthday.”
        He definitely sees the wide stare, even if the expression is hidden.  “Dude, how’d you know?  I didn’t tell anyone…”  He trails off, likely thinking back through, and then his eyes narrow.  “If that bear thinks he’s getting a bonus, he’s mistaken,” he growls.
        It’s as good an excuse as any, and Hanamura-kun probably wouldn’t even mind, given how enthusiastic he is about his ‘onii-san scoring with a hot stud’ (Narukami is entirely unsure if Hanamura-kun is aware he’s a yakuza and approves of that, too).  Narukami still thinks a silent apology to the man as he raises an eyebrow and hopefully distracts from the grudge to begin with.
        “Why would that be a problem?” he asks, and Yosuke-kun just sighs a little, coughing into the mask and instantly triggering the desire to cook a nice, warm soup, or perhaps make tea.
        “It’s gonna sound pathetic,” Yosuke-kun whines, and Narukami shakes his head, trying his best to indicate that, of anyone, he will hardly care.
        “It’s just…if I call out to someone and they don’t notice, it feels like they’re ignoring me.  If I tell everyone about my birthday and they do nothing, or have half-hearted gestures like they did back when I used to tell people, it makes me feel like trash.  Back in high school, Dad always used to give me a retail shift on my birthday, and so I guess I just got used to it.”  He shakes his head again at Narukami’s no doubt horrified look breaking through the characteristic stoic expression.  “Hey, better to have no expectations than always be disappointed, right?  Besides, Ted’s got this big idol concert he was looking forward to and Ichijo and Nagase aren’t answering their phones.  If I called out today, none of the hostesses would be able to work today either, and some of them really need their paychecks.  Being the boss means that sometimes you’ve just gotta suck it up and do things even when you don’t wanna do ‘em.”
        “Well, I hope the fact that your expectations have been exceeded makes you feel better, then,” Yu says quickly and hands over his gift, unable to make eye contact or even look at the man.
        Who splutters.  “D-dude, you didn’t have to—this is wayyy too much, Seta-san, you’re just a customer—”
        “Who’s helping you solve a murder case because the police refuse to listen, and…” Yu swallows, hoping he’s not actually blushing.  “Well, I count you as a friend, at least.”
        “Friends, huh.”  He sounds thoughtful, even touched.  “That sounds nice.”  Narukami’s grateful for yakuza discipline or he might read too much into that wistful sigh.  “Bet you’re not going to tell me how much shipping cost.  But I’ll warn you, I’ve bought other international CDs.  I know they’re not cheap.”
        “That’s a secret.”  That wouldn’t come out, even under torture.  “If you trust me in your employee lounge, I can make you some tea.”
        “I do, Keiko-chan doesn’t, but she’ll be cool if she escorts you back there, probably.  You don’t need to feel obligated, though; this is already much better than any of my recent birthdays.”
        Or any, probably, Yu suspects.
        It’s much easier to get Keiko-chan to trust him today, if only by dropping the word ‘birthday’.  She glances at the front and her glare intensifies; it appears she has yet to learn that kicking someone into taking care of themselves isn’t the most effective method.