Chapter Text
DIRECT MESSAGE: K. Nijiku
Kyouka Nijiku
Zanka. How has school been treating you?
Zanka N.
It's fine.
Kyouka Nijiku
What are your grades looking like?
Zanka N.
Still top of the class.
Kyouka Nijiku
Attending all of your Student Council meetings?
Zanka N.
Yes.
Kyouka Nijiku
Eating well?
Zanka N.
Yeah.
Kyouka Nijiku
Does that have anything to do with the money that started appearing in your bank account recently?
Zanka N.
I started cat-sitting for a friend. It doesn't affect my study time.
Kyouka Nijiku
Call mom this weekend. She wants to hear from you.
Zanka N.
Okay.
GROUP: Scissor Sisters ✂️💗
lady reaper
i need to KILL zankas family
maiden empool
( •̯́ _ •̯̀) Oh no…. what happened this time??
lady reaper
i dunno but hes rly upset
i think hes worried theyre catching on about enjin
maiden empool
Okay when we kill them I'll help hide the bodies (ㅅ´ ˘ `)
lady reaper
oh no a boyfriend.. free money.. what a travesty
madam stilza
Well…. his family is very rich already….
lady reaper
and yet they barely give him enough money to scrape by on
UGH
they pmo
madam stilza
*Pat pat*
maiden empool
They do have a for real date coming up, right? (｡•́︿•̀｡)
lady reaper
yea on saturday
maiden empool
I'll bring my makeup palette if you bring the skincare ~
madam stilza
Auggie has some unused palettes I could bring… so no cross contamination!
lady reaper
omg ill bring my scissors too
ive always wanted to use him as a mannequin
maiden empool
Scissor sisters to the rescue!! ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧
lady reaper
operation zankas first date is a go!
DIRECT MESSAGE: Enjin
Enjin
Thank fuck, i managed to fully clear off my schedule for saturday
We have a big product launch at the end of the month i was worried about
But i got it all wrapped up for now
Zanka N.
If you needed more time, you could say so. I won't be offended.
Enjin
Kid, i want to see you
So much more than i want to worry about a damn product launch
Zanka N.
Oh, I see
Uhm yeah I wanna see you too
Enjin
Ill make it worth your time
Promise
Zanka N.
You still haven't told me where we're going
Enjin
Dont worry, ill come pick you up from your apt
Zanka N.
I don't know what to wear tho
Enjin
Whatever youd like
Zanka N.
Casual? Semi-formal?
Enjin
Just something nice
Surprise me
Zanka N.
Okay…
What're you up to?
Enjin
Clearing my inbox. Nothing fun
U?
Zanka N.
Classes ended a little bit ago, waiting on student council to start
Wish you were here
Enjin
I'll see you on the train tonight, dw
Gtg, talk to you later kid
Zanka N.
Okay, see you
Zanka was not fully prepared when the girls showed up at his door on Saturday morning, with a couple of bags in hand and huge smiles on their faces. He knew they were coming, he just didn't expect all of the dramatic flair that accompanied their arrival.
Now Riyo was styling his hair, scissors and a comb in hand while she worked product through the damp strands. Amo had his hands occupied, chatting away while she painted his nails with a magnetic blue polish. Eishia was rifling through the bag of clothes that her brother had sent, pulling out different pieces that August had estimated might be Zanka's size.
"Don't forget," Riyo was saying, her fingers scratching his scalp as she made quick work of his hair, "If anything happens, you call me immediately. I'll take care of that guy." Her scissors snapped shut with a quiet aggression, like she was giving a warning. Knowing her, she probably wouldn't hesitate to use her scissors for evil.
"It'll be fine," he waved off her concern, shifting in his seat. "I trust him. I'm just nervous."
Amo dipped her brush back in the bottle of polish, twirling it around and tapping the extra paint off. "Don't be nervous, you're too good for him anyway," she asserted firmly, frowning. "He's just a man, isn't he?"
"He's successful," Zanka reminded them, "And rich."
"So are you," Riyo countered. "Give yourself more credit, we'll have you looking like a full-course meal."
"Not reassuring," he whispered. "What do I do if he asks me out? Officially?" Zanka paused, grimacing and adding, "What do I do if he doesn't?"
"Do you want to be in a relationship?" Eishia asked softly, looking up from the shirt in her arms, "It's okay if you aren't ready."
"Of course I'm ready," he replied too quickly, "Everybody our age has been in a relationship already."
The girls glanced at each other. Riyo spoke up first, simply telling him, "These things don't have an age requirement. Some people go their whole lives without dating anybody. Look at Eishia, she's doing just fine."
Eishia's face turned pink, and the poor girl tucked her head, looking away. "Uhm, yeah," she mumbled, "Too busy at grandma's clinic anyway…"
He could sense a bit of movement around his fingers, and when he glanced down, Amo was hovering a magnet over the drying polish. It formed into a shiny diagonal line across his nail. "You love him, don't you?" she asked airily.
Riyo laughed, and now it was Zanka's turn to turn red. "I don't love him!" he sputtered, "I barely know the guy!"
"I dunno," Amo teased, smiling up at him, "Your last date seemed pretty romantic!"
If he could bury his face in his hands, he would, but Amo grabbed him by the wrists before he could mess up the wet polish. "Why'd I let ya guys in?" he asked aloud, groaning.
"Because you loveee us," Riyo snorted, patting his shoulder and putting her scissors away. "So try not to forget about us when train guy sweeps you off your feet, ‘kay?"
"If he doesn't bring you any flowers, I'm gonna grind his bones to dust," Amo smiled threateningly, waving her little magnet.
Zanka shuddered. He knew from experience that she really was not as innocent as she seemed on the surface, she probably wouldn't hesitate to make good on that promise. "I don't need flowers."
"Actually," Eishia whispered, digging to the bottom of the bag and pulling out a thin blue vase. "I know you don't have a lot of cups, so— well I thought— maybe it'd be nice to—" she mumbled, pausing to straighten herself out, "If he doesn't bring you anything to put in it, we will."
Zanka stared, eyes wide, not really sure what to say. It was a shockingly heartwarming gesture. "Thanks," he murmured, watching her shyly set it down on the countertop.
He was still nervous as hell, but the three of them did admittedly make him feel a little better.
When the girls were done with his hair, nails, and light makeup, he felt like a completely different person. He was given final pick of the clothes, and he ended up settling on a cozy-looking light blue sweater outfit that August had coordinated. There were definitely fancier options available, but he didn't want to massively overdo it. Something simple would work fine, and it'd probably be better than whatever he could find in his closet.
They departed with a half hour to go until Enjin was supposed to show up, so he tried to relax on the couch in the meantime. He was unsurprised to see a backlog of missed messages as soon as he opened his phone, mostly from student council. He wasn't really looking forward to the event they had coming up, some formal banquet.
Now wasn't the time to worry about that, though. He flipped through his feed to shake off the nerves until Enjin texted him that he was parked out front.
He's not sure what he expected when he made his way downstairs and headed to the lot, but he did a double take at the sleek red sports car that Enjin pulled up in. The man himself gave a wave from where he was standing leaned against the car, hair slicked back and an unabashed grin tugging on his lips when he looked Zanka's outfit over. To Zanka's surprise, he actually was holding flowers, a sweet little bouquet of white roses and lilies.
"Damn," the man murmured, his voice betraying his interest, "And here I thought you couldn't get cuter."
Zanka flustered red, awkwardly shoving his hands in his pockets. "You look nice too," he mumbled.
Enjin smiled, offering the flowers out, which Zanka took gingerly. They smelled nice and fresh, but Enjin smelled better now that he was up close, warm and woodsy where his cologne mixed with the scent of his cigarettes.
"You didn't have to—" he started to say.
"I'd be remiss not to," Enjin told him, patting his shoulder and opening the passenger door up for him.
Zanka slid into the leather seat, noting the piles of paperwork in the backseat and the heavy cling of tobacco in the car interior. The whole thing lit up with red LEDs when Enjin turned the car on. He held onto the flowers when they started rolling out, it'd been a long while since he was in a car and not just walking to the train.
"So," he asked, "Can you tell me where we're going now?"
"There's a restaurant on the boardwalk to the west I thought you might like," Enjin told him. He wasn't keeping his eyes on the road all the time, he just kept glancing over at Zanka with a look in his eyes that the boy couldn't decipher. "It's pretty nice, got a great view of the coast and the sunset."
"This sounds like a date date," Zanka mumbled, shrinking in his seat.
Enjin hummed, "Yeah, I guess it does."
They sat in silence for a bit before Enjin changed the topic over to ask about how Zanka was doing in school, and the conversation flowed from there, with neither of them mentioning the elephant in the room.
Still, it warmed Zanka's stubborn heart as much as it made him horribly nervous inside, the idea that he was on a real, no kidding date with Enjin. The very man he'd been quietly crushing on in the train for a year.
He was kinda thankful that his friends had forced him to actually talk to the guy. It was worth the embarrassment.
Zanka had never been to the boardwalk before. It was a surprisingly beautiful little place close enough to the coast to see the ocean stretching out into the horizon, and the buildings were all coated in bright, colorful paint. The path was laid out with flat stones, which Enjin led him down to the restaurant.
Expectedly, it was a seafood place, with calming music playing in the background and an entire wall that was just a massive, live fishtank full of colorful tropical fish.
They had a table waiting when Enjin walked up to the counter, already reserved under his name. The waitress walked them through the main area, which had large models of fish hanging down from the ceiling, and projections of rippling water over the floor. They were seated in a comfortable booth with another tank next to them.
"Wow," Zanka whispered, staring at the little fish as they swam around in the bright tank. "This place is…"
"Fishy?" Enjin suggested, a knowing smile pulling on his lips.
Zanka snorted, "Yeah. That's definitely a word for it."
The waitress came by and took their orders not long after, the service was quick and professional. Enjin ordered drinks for them both, something blue coconut for Zanka that didn't really catch the fancy name of.
"I think I mentioned I have a product launch coming up soon," Enjin told him, leaning back against the booth seat. "If you were interested in coming along, I could arrange a VIP pass for you."
Zanka blinked up at him, face twisting in confusion. "You want me there?" he asked, surprised.
Enjin nodded easily, "‘Course I do. Wouldn't have said anything otherwise."
"Are you sure that'd be okay?" he bowed his head, "I can handle fancy parties and shit, but I'm pretty young for a VIP pass to a Cleaner Tech event."
"It'll be fine, Zanka," Enjin assured him, not seeming worried about it in the least. "Besides, knowing you're in the crowd will make being up on stage feel even easier."
Zanka was about to reply when a woman from the table behind them spoke up loudly, yelling at who he had to assume was her date. "I'm so done with your shit, Mildretta!" she growled, standing from the table and pointing an accusing finger at the other woman. The entire restaurant quieted, people turning to stare at the long-haired blonde. "Maybe I do love my job more than you!"
"Sit down, Noerde," the other woman told her, arms crossed, "You're causing a scene."
"So what?! When you take overtime, it's perfectly fine and dandy, but when I do it, I'm wrong!"
"I don't take overtime because I'm too obsessed with my boss to think straight," Mildretta snapped, standing up too now. "But fine, be that way. I think we're done here."
Noerde stepped back, anger creasing lines on her face. Zanka cringed and looked away, glancing at Enjin. The man grimaced, shaking his head and staying just as quiet. "What do you mean we're done? You don't get to decide—"
"Well, I'm done," the woman declared, slamming a wad of cash on the table and starting to walk away. "Good luck with your boss. Don't bother calling me."
With that, she marched out of the restaurant, leaving the waitstaff flabbergasted. The other woman huffed, turning on her heel and heading towards the bathrooms.
Zanka's jaw was hanging open, and even Enjin seemed shocked by what they just witnessed. There were some awkward sounds from the other restaurant patrons, and slowly, the background conversations and clinks of silverware mostly returned to how they were before.
Enjin laughed, his boot knocking lightly against the side of Zanka's tennis shoes. "Well," he said, amused, "That was something."
Zanka pressed his foot back against Enjin's, very lightly kicking him under the table. "That seemed messy," he commented, grimacing. "Let's try to avoid a public breakup like that, yeah?"
"Yeah," Enjin chuckled, "Let's agree not to do that."
When the waitress brought their drinks around, she apologized for the interruption, offering to take the drinks off of their bill for the trouble. Enjin told her it wasn't a problem, giving her a charismatic grin that made Zanka's heart twist a little bit. Certainly just Enjin being Enjin, but he wanted that look for himself, and he especially didn't feel like sharing after watching that breakup happen right in front of them.
The blue shushee drink was surprisingly good for alcohol, nice and fruity with a very tropical twist and a little purple umbrella next to the straw. Enjin got a little umbrella with his too, which he pulled out of the drink and was twirling around his fingers.
The rest of the dinner went really well despite the awkward start. The more they talked, the easier it got. Maybe, just maybe, his friends weren't wrong that he was starting to fall in love with Enjin, just a little bit.
Only a little bit.
GROUP: first we mine, then we craft
not green enough
You guys won't believe it.
𝓂’𝓁𝒶𝒹𝓎 ⋆˙⟡
EEEE DID YOU KISS?? (๑♡ᵕ♡๑)
not green enough
What? No.
garbage goblin
Eww
our life support
Did something happen….?
not green enough
Somebody had a public breakup right next to us.
bedwars war criminal
LMAOOO FR?
𝓂’𝓁𝒶𝒹𝓎 ⋆˙⟡
Omg??
not green enough
Both of them left halfway through eating
It was kinda funny
flat fuck friday
That's terrible 😆
𝓂’𝓁𝒶𝒹𝓎 ⋆˙⟡
Okok but
Hows the date?? (੭˃ᴗ˂)੭
Does he think ur cute?
garbage goblin
Theres nothing cute about him
not green enough
Bitch 🖕
garbage goblin
Jerk 🖕🖕
not green enough
🖕🖕🖕
It's going good though.
Look at this place
bedwars war criminal
WOA
flat fuck friday
Damn is that the place on the boardwalk?
garbage goblin
Holy shit dude
𝓂’𝓁𝒶𝒹𝓎 ⋆˙⟡
OOOHH~ (≧∇≦) fancy!!
not green enough
Yeah, it's on the boardwalk
Oh, he's coming back. I've gtg
bedwars war criminal
GOOD LUCK
𝓂’𝓁𝒶𝒹𝓎 ⋆˙⟡
٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´-
flat fuck friday
Youre doing great!!