Collaboration

Every person has their Trigger, in fact, every person has the right to have a trigger that other people should avoid. Maybe there should even be a rule about stating your trigger when introducing yourself so that people can avoid setting it off.

If Iori had to choose one, her trigger would be 'someone disturbing her plans'. Maybe she's making a big deal out of this, but, receiving a text from the president of her publishing company at 6 AM on a Saturday stating that they had an important meeting in less than two hours and that she should present herself at the company or there would be trouble with her contract. Well, if that doesn't trigger her anger, what would?

Since this morning her mind had been tirelessly looking up ways to change humanity by infiltrating a ridiculous rule into their daily lives, just to avoid the murder ideas that keep whispering in her mind seductively. Funny how her single-minded publisher doesn't even have to try in order to give her inspiration.

The humming of the small engine cut down, and she was engulfed in the parking lot's silence. Steeling her nerves she got out of her car and was heading toward the elevator when a black sports car noisily penetrated the place zooming and parking beside her mini car in a frenzy of noises. Not wanting to wait to see who got off the vehicle she resumed heading her way. Judging by her lack of luck since this morning, the person who owns this car is definitely someone she didn't wish to meet.

"If it isn't Iori-Sensei? What are you doing here this early on a Saturday?" a low male voice she recognized spoke from close behind her, closer than she'd expected since she didn't hear him approach.

"Jun-sensei, good morning" She responded not bothering to look back. Her whole focus was on stopping her body's involuntary reaction to recoil away from him and stand against the wall where no one will surprise her from behind. "I should be the one asking you this question, seeing you awake at this time on weekdays is shocking enough, let alone on the weekends..."

"Well, sometimes work doesn't give you a choice." He responded in an almost melodic tone as if he was enjoying the daylight out of this conversation. He came up to walk beside her giving her a bright smile. The handsome young man beside her with natural charm and a good-looking face that often made him more famous than any writer could become with his work alone was standing beside her at an annoyingly close proximity.

'ugh, I really wish he would just disappear.' she thought to herself

"How's your next book coming up? I heard your last one was a huge success as usual," He asked oblivious to her train of thoughts.

"I Haven't decided on the new theme yet. As for my last one, I guess I should be grateful to my loyal readers, it's all thanks to them that I can continue doing what I love for a living," she responded wishing that the elevator would just open since she'd missed her chance at climbing the stairs instead of riding the elevator with him the moment he spoke to her. She may not like the guy, but she wasn't rude enough to do something like that, he parents raised her way better than that.

Iori was organizing her sneaking away attack when Jun Kamioki stood in front of her, looking at her with his overly friendly smile,

"Is it about one of your how to kill Manuel books, I'm still surprised this kind of book didn't get banned yet..." he said his tone light and breezy, smiling at her as if he was having tea with her at the queen's parlor.

"Well your manual about killing people, is called a mystery novel. Where we use logic, power of deduction, and intelligence to reach the truth. Unlike some story about how a silly and close-minded high school girl got her first love experience..."

"as always you still have the same sharp cold tongue."

"and you still have your impertinent and annoyingly show-off playboy attitude..."

They talked as they headed toward the elevator, she was about to push the number on the floor when their hands touched the same button. Taking her hand back, she took a sip of her coffee and turned her eyes in the opposite direction.

"Great! We're going to the same floor..." she muttered to herself as she tried to avoid looking at him as much as possible.

But, they were going to the same floor, and this floor is reserved for the president's office and the company's archives. She just hoped that he was going to look at the archives or flirt with one of the secretaries because the idea of being summoned by the unpredictable president is already not giving her any good thoughts, and if he was summoned with her too at the same time... she couldn't see herself in anything but trouble...

" I heard that your last novel was a huge success, they will make it into a movie," he said as he took out his phone as if to keep the conversation as carefree as possible.

" Not as successful as yours, it seems like every single high school girl in the country have a copy of it."

" Well, it's to expect, after all, I took the trouble of writing about my own experience in there."

"and I'm sure you have that many, to fill the whole romance section in the library if you were to write about it..." Iori responded finding the concept quite funny,

"Jealous?" He said leaning close to her ear

Iori fought to keep herself from flinching or panicking and instead she threw him a glare.

" I would appreciate it if you kept to your personal space…"

Her words came out harsher than she had intended. Jun stared at her his eyes widening slightly, then his expression became serious as if he was looking at her seriously for the first time...

Just as the situation was becoming unbearably awkward. the elevator stopped and a woman employee stepped in, of course, Jun didn't miss the chance to flash her his charming smile, the girl blushes and then bows to them. Iori who saw the whole scenery from the mirror sighed slightly and took out her phone to check on her mail, not paying attention to the conversation, she was too glad that there was a third person with them there to care about what they were discussing. As long as Jun's attention was elsewhere she was good.

When the elevator reached the young employee's floor she got off rather resultantly still looking at Jun with starry eyes that made Iori fight hard not to roll her eyes at her and give him a reason to start another conversation. When they reached the last floor she was secretly praying that he would head toward the archives, but, he simply had to walk past her as she greeted them saying that the president was waiting for them.

They entered the office to be greeted by a charming and handsome middle-aged businessman.

"Hello you two, I see that you made your way here together."

The president said with the same provoking smirk that Jun gave her earlier in the parking lot, the similarity was so comical that Iori had to Stop herself from snorting. But she soon felt satisfaction when she realized that the president's smirk gave Jun the exact same degree of frustration as it did to her, it felt good to see him taste his own medicine.

The president stood up clearly enjoying the reactions he was getting from them, and said

"I'm very glad you could make it on such short notice. Have a seat, you two still prefer earl gray tea and black coffee right?"

Iori nodded slightly knowing very well that it won't take them anywhere to hasten him, as strongly as they wished to leave this office as soon as possible, the president was a "my pace" kind of person, and if he intended to have you in his office for the rest of the day without a valid or useful reason, be sure that he would.

Iori still remembers the time when he called her there only to tell her that he felt bored and she came up as the only person to entertain him in his actual mood, she ended up going back home that night with a terrible headache and a very bad mood, while she left him smiling from ear to ear...

" it's not like you gave us a choice, manipulative old man." Jun snorted, his charming ways all gone. Iori found that her only entertainment at this moment is Jun's terrible reactions because he seemed to be way more upset than she was.

"I see you're in a bad mood today, still hungover from yesterday's party?" The president retorted this time with a clear smirk on his face.

"seriously old man?! It's like Saturday morning, and you're texting me Friday night when I was too wasted to remember my phone's password, telling me that we have an urgent meeting the next day at 9 Am?!"

"At least he informed you yesterday, I received the Email this morning at 7 AM..." Iori replied coldly, glaring at the president whose smirk didn't waver.

"you're always wasted on any day of the week Jun, it's not like the weekend is any different, so I figured you wouldn't read the message until this morning, as for you Iori, I know you're an early riser so I figured you would be awake writing by that time..."

Iori chose not to respond and calmly took a sip from her offred teacup. Savoring the herbal sugary mixed taste, she put it back down feeling her tensing muscles and nerves calm down at once. She was ready to face the moody president now.

The silence stretched as Jun seemed to decide not to waste his energy on futile discussions, realizing that the president clapped his hands and leaned forward.

"Let me get to the point," he said

"wouldn't that be fantastic..." Jun murmured beside her. She had to gulp down her tea in order to stop the chuckle that bubbled up in her throat, Maybe this meeting wouldn't be that bad after all.

"I want you two to co-write a book." He stated with a smile looking at the two of them as if he gave them the best offer of their lives...

'I take back what I said,' Iori found herself begging her mind silently, 'Just please let the crazy president be joking or hallucinating right now,'