Chapter 0001

—Klein.

"Actually, there’s no need to fire me...I already fired myself, you piece of unrecyclable garbage," I spat at my boss before storming out of his office, slamming the door hard enough to rattle the walls.

Honestly, he’d been getting on my nerves since about 30 minutes ago when I was employed, and I’d already decided I wasn’t going to last long here.

In a way, he just made it easier for me, so I suppose I should thank him for saving me the trouble. The frustration etched across his face as I left gave me a sense of satisfaction—proof that, in my own way, I’d gotten the last word.

Well... My name's Klein, a freshly jobless graduate, thanks to my 'wonderful' talent for picking shitty bosses.

For now, I still live with my parents under the strict agreement that I’ll move out as soon as I find a stable job. Why the arrangement, you ask? Because I’m a troublemaker, plain and simple. If you’re wondering whether this is the tenth job I’ve quit or been fired from, well… even I’ve lost count at this point.

I dropped my skateboard to the ground, hopped on, and decided to cruise my way home. On the way, I grabbed some ice cream to cool off both literally and metaphorically. It was shaping up to be just another day of me versus the universe when, of course, the devil had to interfere.

"Excuse me!"

I heard someone call out, and, like the idiot I am, I turned toward the voice without paying attention to where I was going. Big mistake. To think I wasn't even the one being called.

The second I looked forward again, my eyes went wide. I barely managed to dodge a bike coming straight at me, and in the chaos, I was headed right for someone who’d just walked out of a convenience store. I braced for impact, shutting my eyes tightly like that was going to help.

And then… nothing.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself face-to-face with a stranger. Not just face-to-face, though—lip-to-lip. Yeah, you heard me right. My mouth had landed squarely on his, like some tragic romantic comedy gone horribly wrong.

His hand was pressed firmly against my chest, probably trying to keep me from crashing into him, but instead, my mouth had done all the crashing.

For a second, I froze, too stunned to move. My brain was screaming, 'What the hell just happened?' Meanwhile, my body decided this was a good time to process how soft his lips felt. Funny thing? My heart didn’t race like it should have. Nope, no dramatic thudding in my chest. What am I, an immortal without a pulse?

The stranger looked equally shocked. I pulled back awkwardly, muttered some kind of apology...though I have no idea what I said...and quickly skated away before he could respond.

By the time I got home, it was dark. I snuck inside, tiptoeing toward my room, hoping to avoid any run-ins with the family. Just as I thought I’d made it, I heard my name in the dark.

"Klein"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. The lights flicked on, and there stood my younger brother, arms crossed, shaking his head like he was disappointed but not surprised.

"Let me guess. You got fired again."

I rolled my eyes. "I didn’t get fired, okay? I fired 'myself.' There’s a difference."

"Sure there is," he said, smirking as I made a beeline for my room, praying Mom wouldn’t appear to interrogate me for being jobless at twenty three.

Once inside, I collapsed onto my bed. My family might drive me crazy, but I love them anyway—even if they seem to think with their heads somewhere other than their shoulders most of the time.

As I lay there, my thoughts drifted back to the stranger from earlier. His face flashed in my mind, and...damn it, I could still feel the ghost of his lips on mine. Shaking my head to clear the memory, I muttered to myself, "Get a grip, Klein"

Tomorrow would be another day of job hunting. But tonight? Tonight, I let myself close my eyes and drift off, wondering if I’d ever run into that stranger I found cute again.

****

The next morning, the house was quiet as usual. My younger pbrother was already off at school, and my parents...the two crazily lovable maniacs I called Mom and Dad, were at work, leaving my unemployed self to marinate in my jobless misery.

I groaned, dragging myself out of bed and into the bathroom for a shower. The cold water did its job, shocking me awake. Once done, I threw on a semi-decent outfit, grabbed my file folder, and stepped out of the house. My walk to "find purpose in life" was as aimless as it could get because, honestly, what else screams 'jobless' more than wandering the streets with zero direction?

About halfway through my pity parade, I spotted a signboard outside a sleek-looking building.

"Hiring Now: Gaming Enthusiasts!"

A gaming company? I paused, glancing up at the massive structure. To be honest, my knowledge of gaming was embarrassingly basic, just button-smashing and hoping for the best. But hey, a job’s a job, and I wasn’t exactly swimming in options.

My feet carried me inside without a second thought. The air-conditioned lobby buzzed with activity, whispers floating around as I walked past. One in particular caught my attention.

"I've never seen a guy who barely talks. Like, who says fewer than five words a day?" someone muttered.

I blinked. I know that was an exaggeration, but was that… my potential boss they were talking about? An introvert for a boss? Interesting. Better than having some loudmouth micromanaging me every five minutes. If it came down to two extroverts...me and another...i’d be out of here faster than you could say "unemployed."

I approached the reception desk and asked for directions to the boss’s office. A helpful employee pointed the way, though I noticed a few others staring at me as I walked. Not to sound cocky, but yeah, I get it...I’m one of those guys who makes heads turn. Can’t help being sexy.

When I reached the office door, I knocked lightly. No response. I frowned. 'Did he not hear me?' Or maybe he was one of those introverts who rationed out their words for the day and had already hit his limit like the employee said?. Either way, I wasn’t leaving without trying.

"Here goes nothing," I muttered, pushing the door open.

The first thing I noticed was the guy behind the desk, sitting with his head buried in some documents. He looked younger than I’d expected—probably just a few years older than me. Definitely not the middle-aged, graying boss I had pictured in my mind. His face was serious, though his delicate features could’ve passed for a model’s. I found myself staring a little too long, scanning him from his sharp jawline which was so defined it could probably cut glass to the focused expression on his face.

And then he looked up.

My breath hitched.

Oh, hell no.

It was him—the guy I’d accidentally kissed yesterday. The stranger with the ridiculously soft lips who had me questioning why my heart hadn’t raced at all.

Of all the bosses in the city, it had to be him. Nice card you pulled there, Fate.

I stood frozen like an idiot, my mind racing. Should I just turn around and run? Or… could he actually give me the job if he remembers I’m the idiot who kissed him?

As I debated my next move, he spoke up.

"You’re hired."

I blinked, stunned. "W-What?"

Was he serious? He hadn’t even looked at my résumé yet! My inner monologue went into overdrive. Wait, how does he know I’m even qualified? Does he just hire random people? Or he's giving me the job because he doesn't remember me?

"Your resume" His hand was suddenly extended toward me, palm up.

"Uh…" I stared at him, feeling a little disoriented. The way he’d said it, so calmly and without hesitation, made me wonder if he could somehow 'read my mind.'

Still, I handed over my file, watching him closely as he flipped through it. His expression remained unreadable, but my thoughts were anything but calm.

What are the odds that my new boss is the same guy I kissed?

Suddenly, he dropped my resume and clasped his hands together.

"Are you really that thrilled over a kiss?" he asked.

For the first time in my life, I felt a leap in my chest—proof I was, in fact, human.

But wait…

Did this introverted boss of mine just read my freaking mind?