Chapter Text
Might Tower - Minato Ward, Roppongi
The air conditioning for half of the building was out. And on the hottest day of the year thus far, of course. You and the other woman positioned at the receptionists’ desk all day fan yourselves with submission forms or the back ads of newspapers.
Even with the windows fully open, no breeze came in. Suteki, your fellow receptionist, pulled her hair into a neat bun. She was a thin woman of around 28, with long, dark brown hair and eyes to match. You couldn’t help but notice that she had some sweat stains under her arms. “I can’t believe they haven’t fixed it yet,” she said with a grunt and propped her chin up on her hand, elbow resting on the polished blue desk.
You continued to wave a folded magazine in front of your face, nodding along. “It really is too hot, what exactly happened?” Suteki shrugged, slouching farther in her seat. It was as if the heat was melting her to the spot. “I ‘dunno, but this sort of electrical issue has been happening a lot in Roppongi lately.”
“Well, that’s normal, right? Electrical issues happen all the time, especially in the Summer.” Her drooping gaze slid to you, hair already sticking out of place from the sweat. “Hm, not here. Roppongi is known for its well-maintained energy services. But, uh, you just moved here for this job, right?”
You nodded, feeling just as sluggish as her. “Yeah, my other job sucked.”
“Is that so…” Suteki patted her face with a gloved hand, concealer sticking to it and turning the eggshell white a soft beige. “This job is so cushy, we’re both lucky we’re pretty, because they only hire pretty women to be receptionists around here.”
“Hah, Suteki-san, you make it sound like we’re idols.”
She laughed too, jabbing a finger in your direction. “Now that’s a cushy job.”
You both sat, nothing but the television broadcasting the News channel making noise. It lulled you two further in the humid day. A few staff members walked around after a meeting, small talk was hushed as they moved to the elevators. Their I.D. tags made little dings as they went about their business. It was because of the security senors built into the walls. Again, you and your partner were alone.
“So, have you actually met All Might?” You tried to act casual, darting through the recent calls on the phone stand next to you. Suteki clicked her tongue and tilted her head at you smugly. “I knew you’d ask sooner or later. Why, you haven’t yet?”
“You actually have?” Your eyes opened fully for the first time in hours, arms folded on the desk as you pressed toward her in intrigue. “What’s he like? I mean, is he super serious or more of a fun guy?”
“Man, I don’t know,” Suteki sighed histrionically, leaning back as much as the stool would let her. She pulled at the front of her uniform as her eyes glanced up at the ceiling. “It was like, a year ago at this point. And it wasn’t like a proper greeting. It was just him welcoming me to the job I guess.”
“Did he bow? Shake your hand?” Suteki eyed you with bemusement, but you continued. “He’s a huge guy in person, right?”
Once again, she shrugged, and you watched a bead of sweat roll down her jawline onto her neck. “Oh yeah, he’s super tall. And it was just a formal thing, it’s not like I spoke at length with him.”
“Is that so…” Your eyes rolled to the side in wonder, imagining what it would be like to meet him. The expansive Might Gate lay just a few meters away, gleaming and intimidating. Although you’d been there for nearly three weeks, you had only seen glimpses of him; just a flash of his shining hero suit and the same pointed bangs that adorned your uniform’s cap as an enamel pin.
Come to think of it, you hadn’t really gotten acquainted with anyone in the massive building since your debut other than Suteki. Was that poor co-worker etiquette? Should you have made rounds to the offices and introduced yourself? You got lost in thought as Suteki’s head hit the desk with a harsh expelling of air. She had tapped out.
“Maybe I should have gotten to know more people who work here…”
Suteki’s head rolled to face you with half-lidded eyes. “Do you think you’d be interested in a mixer?” You popped out of your thoughts, surprised that you had spoken out loud. “A mixer? That sounds fun.” You smiled at each other, and Suteki scratched underneath her uniform’s ascot as she continued. “Yeah? It’s this Friday if you’re sure.”
The two of you chatted about who might come. A few people from separate offices were interested. You were lucky to have someone more outgoing than yourself. Suteki’s attention was drawn away from you as the elevator pinged, and she smiled when someone stepped out.
Your head turned as a man you’d never seen before stepped out. “Oh, welcome back, Yagi-san!” She politely chirped. Your eyes turned his way, getting a full look. He was as interesting as people got in the modern day, with Quirks making people out to be all sorts of shapes and sizes. He was incredibly thin, legs and arms awkwardly long even for his torso. Messy blond hair stuck out in the front as if purposefully styled to be just so. His face was what really peaked your interest.
A deep brow line shadowed his eyes, which were pinched and crinkled in a kind expression. His cheeks were hollow, almost skeletal, but his teeth were pristine, white and straight in his smile. A baggy white dress shirt with equally loose-fitting slacks flopped around on the wireframe of his body as he walked up to the desk, waving a hand hello.
“Good afternoon,” he greeted. “I heard that the air conditioning was out, so I brought you a desk fan, though I know it’s not much.”
“Oh, thank you so much, Yagi-san!” Suteki reached for the box immediately, head inclining thankfully. “It was so hot, I thought we’d both melt!”
You’d never seen him before, you were sure, and your gaze stayed on him as his attention turned toward you. “I’d heard we’d gotten a new receptionist, it’s very nice to meet you.” His voice was deep, and had a slight waver to it that made him sound finicky. You immediately bowed your head and gave your name, echoing his greeting.
“I can’t believe you haven’t even met Yagi-san yet,” Suteki said, chiding you. They spoke mildly about the hot weather for a moment, and you felt a little silly for just sitting there. You unpacked the fan while listening to their small talk. The fan was cute; pastel blue to match the desk, with rounded blades and a ceramic base.
The way he spoke was somehow very soothing, and you found yourself listening to the timbre of his voice while plugging the fan in, then switching it on. Suteki instantly sighed in relief, eyes closed while she leaned into the cooler air. “Ah, good job,” she had said. It wasn’t clear if she was talking to you or Yagi.
“I’m glad it’s going to good use, at least until the air conditioning gets fixed.” He smiled at you with an innocent wink. It made you laugh, he seemed like an easy guy to get along with. “I have to get going though, there’s paperwork to get done, and I haven’t been in all week due to other responsibilities.”
“Of course, sir.” Suteki said, far more professional than she had been before your new company arrived. He turned back to you while fishing a hand around in his pocket, before bending and presenting a card in both hands.
“I’m Yagi Toshinori. I take care of All Might’s personal affairs. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me.” You took the card, skimming his business information before turning it over. The back looked identical, but it was typed fully in English, his name was shortened to fit.
“Mr. Yagi.” You said aloud, looking at him again. “It has a nice ring to it.” He smiled again, more crooked, and maybe charming in its own way.
You both watched as he entered a door labeled ‘Staff Only’ and let it shut quietly. It was easy to notice that there was a different ding from a security checker as he went inside. You hummed, looking over at Suteki as she nudged the fan closer. “Wow, someone with the job of taking care of All Might’s personal life…”
“I know,” Suteki responded as her hands fixed up her crumpled uniform. “In all honesty I have no idea what his job even involves.”
“How mysterious.”
“Very. He’s the most mysterious employee here.”
Your eyes stayed fixed on the door he’d walked through. Even if it was for the staff, you’d never seen anyone else go through it. “What do you mean?”
“Well, not like he’s explicitly weird or anything. He's a nice guy.” Suteki rested her chin on her hand again, waving the other limply. “Just that Yagi-san has apparently been working for All Might since before the tower was built… or something like that.”
With the fan cooling your work area a bit, it was easier to space out. Suteki had her phone in her lap so that she could text subtly under the desk while you thought a bit more about Yagi. He was very nice to you, and Suteki seemed genuinely happy to see him.
A few news journalists came to join a press meeting, and you had to load their information person by person into the system's database. Name, age, height, personal information, anything that could register who they were was added. It was nice working somewhere that had decently fast computers.
After they were escorted into their assigned conference room, you walked back into the elevator, grimacing at the humidity. The faster you got to that precious little fan, the better.
You dazed in and out while watching the numbers of the floors pass before reaching the top floor; the location of your small hub. The doors chimed and opened but you didn’t move to go out. Instead, you stared up at the gentleman who hunched himself down to avoid hitting his head as he entered.
Yagi smiled as he got inside, stepping away for you to pass by, out into the lobby. You ducked in a slight bow before almost bumping into your partner, who held a box of files. “Hey, you forgot to put these into the archives on the eighth floor.”
“I thought we only had physical archives for staff members and hero institutions?” Your voice became quiet at the end, noticing her irritation.
“No,” she groaned, shifting the heavy stack in her arms. “Didn’t you read your e-mails since your last shift? We need these in case copies are required.”
“But… we could just print the copies from the database?” Your eyes darted to Yagi, who was subtly checking his phone while you physically stopped the elevator door from closing.
Suteki called your name, and you hunched in place. “Listen, it’s because of the power outages. If we can’t access our network, we can’t print.” Her foot tapped out a rushed pattern on the polished floor and it made you feel a little foolish.
“I’m on my way to the archives. If you’d like, I can bring them down for you.” Yagi said kindly. It made you feel even worse somehow, either he was in a hurry and had something important to do, or he just wanted to stop the small altercation.
You waved your hands out in front of you. “No! Not necessary, it’s my responsibility.”
“Good.” Suteki said as she pushed the load of paperwork into your arms. Her tone instantly lightened. “Make sure that it’s all alphabetized, okay?” She waved you back into the elevator with your coworker. The door closed and you sagged a little bit. Yagi hit the button for the eighth floor with a thumb and the two of you set out for the records’ office.
Your vision went from the door to the carpeted floor then up the length of his body to rest on the profile of his face. His attention was straight ahead of himself which was fine, but perhaps he sensed your eyes on him, and his gaze slid down to you. The smile he pulled made you glance away.
“So, uh…” You resettled the box in your arms. “Suteki-senpai says you’ve worked with All Might for a very long time.”
“Did she?” It wasn’t a question that held any challenge to it, so you pushed a bit more.
“Yeah, actually. That’s amazing! You know when I first got this job, I was really proud to know I’d be helping All Might!”
Yagi hummed, eyes closed in a gentle expression. He wasn’t talking about anything that would give the mystery any exposure. It would be really, really cool to know about All Might’s personal life.
“I haven’t met him yet. No official meetings anyway.” It was said with a bit of disappointment. His bangs bobbed back and forth when he turned to look at you a bit better. This ride was taking a while.
And it was still hot.
“He’s a busy man,” Yagi mused, hands lanced in front of himself. “But he’s aware that there are a few people he’s yet to be acquainted with that have begun working recently.”
You didn’t know that there were even other people who’d been hired. That meant you were a little less alone. “Suteki-senpai is going to be hosting a mixer soon. Maybe I’ll be able to meet them, too.”
“Really? That’s a great chance to meet new people.”
“Yeah, you should come!” His confused look made you stand straighter. “I mean… I haven’t really gotten to know anyone here. It’d be nice to see a familiar face.”
Laughing with a light-hearted air, Yagi shook his head. “I’m a bit too old for anything like a mixer, but I appreciate the offer!” The doors pinged, and Yagi stepped out just as they opened. “Besides, I’m very busy myself.”
You juggled the lopsided box of files as you followed after him. It wasn’t worth arguing but…
“Oh, me too! But rest and respite are an important part of a good work ethic!”
Again, Yagi laughed, taking out his card key to access the main room of the archives. The security guard bowed as the two of you made your way in. “You’re absolutely right!”
It was darker in the main records’ housing rooms, and you tiptoed closer to Yagi. It was a yawning expanse of doors labeled with different topics, and tall shelving units containing names and dates and anything else a person could need to find the exact who, what, where, when, and why of hero work in Japan.
“I’ve… actually never been down here before.” You muttered to break the stiff silence occupied by your small heels and Yagi’s oxfords on the grey floor.
The length of the eighth floor was unburdened by walls separating the filings, and so deep that the mid distance was dark. There were no windows, and it unnerved you so badly that it gave you chills. The overhead lighting was dim white.
“Your files are for the new journalists, right?”
“Oh, yeah! Though I don’t–”
He took the box from you easily and continued walking. “I know where they are, if you feel nervous, you can go back up.”
“No, it’s okay! Really…” He was already heading down the length of shelving units, stride so much wider than your own that you had to hurry to catch up. “I don’t want to seem lazy.”
Yagi laughed quietly, turning on a dime down one of the isles. “Not at all.”
The sound of him flipping through the paperwork in a neat fashion was the only sound in the stilted air. When he decided that everything was in order, Yagi slid the box into place on a shelf labeled 'RG-L8E' and stood upright. “Alright, ready to head back?”
“Yes, please.” You curtly replied before turning on your heel toward the entrance. God the eighth floor was a nightmare; suffocating and menacing in the same way that a new doctor’s office was. Too sterile and too quiet. Yagi easily caught up with your pace as you made your way to the exit. “You don’t have to be so nervous.” Yagi chided you with an endearing tone while swiping his key card. “I know this building like the back of my hand, so you can relax.”
You can’t explain why, but your heart fluttered in your chest as he smiled confidently at you before entering the waiting elevator. So the facts were in… Yagi was charming. You go in after him and the elevator went back up.
However, that was silly of you to think. Maybe the heat was getting to you. Actually, you can’t even imagine how much it must suck to be that solo security guard down in the archives. You hope his shift ends soon or that he gets a break. What were you thinking about again?
The doors opened, and you stepped out after Yagi. He bowed politely to Suteki as the two of you cross the room and back over to the door marked 'Staff Only'. You realized too late that you’re following him, and backed up a few steps as he swiped his key card near the lock. His head turned to look down at you expectantly. Oh, you really hadn’t been thinking this entire time. You bowed quickly and turned back to the counter with a quick “See you, thank you.”
“Have a good day.” Yagi chuckled before the door clicked gently closed. Suteki looked like she wanted to say something, however Yagi popped out from behind the door and jogged briskly back to the elevator. You both watched him silently as he mumbled under his breath and jabbed the service button a few times. Sensing your twin stares, he turned and grinned sheepishly while adjusting his tie.
"I... forgot that I actually had to grab something from the archives for myself."
It wasn't too apparent that he was talking to you directly, so it took a moment before you responded. "Oh, right! That's right! I'm very sorry."
"For what?" His smile was innocent and polite.
Your own smile drooped somewhat. "I don't. Uh. I don't know."
It's so awkward that you could feel your stomach curling in on itself. Yagi seemed unfazed, and just nodded and entered the elevator. The doors slid closed and the numbers began to descend.
When you rounded the corner to reclaim your spot next to Suteki, she casually pops a stick of gum into her mouth. “Wow,” she drawled while chewing, “that was fucking awkward.”
Her eyes followed you as your forehead smacked into the countertop in resignation, and the little fan blasted the side of your face with cool air. It felt nice due to your face heating up in mortification. At least one thing worked out in your favor today.