V. I Chapter 6: Doki-Doki

Ciel went to the office very early the next day, unable to sleep and needing something productive to do. He started sorting the papers left by Jullian, writing down the next week's events down in the black planner. He also noticed a sticky note saying there was a meeting being held as soon as the Head of the departments got to work. He smiled bitterly. There would be a meeting, but for a whole other reason.

He walked through the mostly-deserted building, carrying blankets he kept in one of the drawers in the office, draping them over a few sleeping employees and leaving those grey-blue sticky notes telling them they were doing a good job and to get more rest. Those who were sill awake he sent to the room next and connected to his office, another office room, but this one was huge, and full of high-quality bunk beds and beanbag chairs.

After seeing so many tired employees one day, he got permission from President Jaeyline to turn the empty room into a resting area for those who worked all-nighters. Ciel smiled gently as he held his office door open for the few drowsy workers. "Get a few hours of sleep," he said softly. "I'll have coffee, tea, and hot chocolate ready when work starts."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Michaelis," one sleepy young man said.

"What ever for?" Ciel asked, confused.

The boy yawned. "For always taking care of us." He smiled tiredly. "You completely changed my mind about mean CEOs. You're the best boss we could ever ask for. You and President Jaeyline."

"President Jaeyline is quite amazing," Ciel said, guiding the swaying boy to a bed. "Get some rest. We can't have you collapsing during today's meeting."

"Hmmm...."

Ciel watched the boy's sleeping face for a second longer before leaving, closing the door softly behind him. He walked to the meeting room, laying out the appropriate documents in each attendee's place, turning the latest news on the seventy-four inch flatscreen TV, watching the news report a bit.

When he'd killed Rosenblade, he made sure to do it in an area where people didn't start walking and driving around until about eight. So the meeting's coverage would also include the live discovery of the Rosenblade's corpses.

Fool, for letting love cloud his heart and mind to reason.

Ciel walked up and down the floors of the main building, tidying up, finalizing documents, greeting early employees, even watering the month's desk plants.

Also his idea, he decided that a new flowering plant in a small pot for each of the employees each month would help keep up moral. Of course, they employees simply thought that the janitorial team replaced them once the employees took them home at the end of every month, but Ciel bought over a thousand flowering plants in tiny pots every month.

This month were poinsettias, as it was December, and they'd been placed eleven days ago, on the first.

As Ciel walked back to his office, he glanced at his watch. It was barely five. Still two and a half hours to waste.

"Um, Mr. Michaelis?"

Ciel looked up to find a woman from the Design Department walking up to him. "What is it you need?" he asked.

"I was wondering if you could review these designs before Miss Lucy comes in. I- I know it's a bother, but I really want to impress her..."

"Miss Lucy is your older sister, am I right, Miss Elaine?" he asked, taking the papers she held out.

"Y-yes, Sir! Thank you so much, Mr. Michaelis!" she said.

Ciel contemplated the time before saying, "How about this. You can come to my office and we can review the designs there. I've been told that being there during the process is much more enlightening than just being handed a list of things to change. Would you like that?"

"Thank you, Mr. Michaelis!" she said, eyes widening in gratitude and surprise.

He smiled warmly. "It's no problem. We all work for the same company, so we should all help each other improve. And just Ciel or Mr. Ciel is fine, Miss Elaine," he said, leading the way to his office.

She looked startled. "But that's not appropriate! You're my boss!"

Ciel just held the door open for her as they stepped into his office. "I may be your boss, but a boss who only installs fear and threats into his or her employees is no boss at all. Giving people kindness raises their ability to work. And I am not the kind of CEO who would impose my title upon people just to feel powerful."

"O-of course, C... Ciel...?" she said uncertainly.

Ciel pulled out the chair for her before pushing it in once she sat down. He crossed to his side of the desk and sat down, flipping through the design sketches. He organised them into four piles. He pointed to the one on the very left. "These ones are very well done and are sure to pass quickly into the upper debates. I also categorized them by type of clothing, then by gender, and then by popularity vote. These ones," he said, pointing to the next one over, "are all children's clothes and accessories. You seem to have a knack for designing very professional clothes, so the children's clothes are a bit less outstanding than your adult formal attire. However, there is a children's specialist who lacks knowledge in complex adult designing. Would you like me to organize a portfolio for you?"

Elaine nodded. "That would be much appreciated, Mr.-- Ciel."

"The other two piles are ones that have very good structure, but lack a refined design. I know you want to impress your sister, Miss Elaine, but I suggest you go to her this morning and ask her for a bit of advice and help for these. Your sister loves you very much, Miss Elaine, and she would be more than thrilled to help you with your designs. Just because she's a bit of a higher rank than you, doesn't mean she no longer sees you with love in her heart."

Elaine gaped at Ciel before nodding vigorously. "Thank you so much, Ciel! I'll take all of what you said and keep it in mind!"

Ciel smiled and said, "Yes, but don't hold someone's words and idolize them. Even your boss can be wrong."

"Of course, Ciel! I'll go look for her right now!"

"I'm just glad I could help." Ciel kept the smile in place until she ran from the office, but as soon as the door swung shut, the smile fell from his face. Ciel buried himself in work that didn't need to be done for another week, and was completely finished with thirty minutes to spare.

Ciel grabbed suits and formal attire and walked into the room with the sleeping workers, waking them up and handing them a cup of coffee with their new clothes for the day.

After that was taken care of, Ciel headed for the meeting room, placing each person's favorite morning drink in their spots before sitting in the seat on the right of the President's. Barely ten minutes later, the rest of the high-raking officers walked in with their assistants, President Jaeyline with them.

"Ciel, please start the meeting," Jaeyline said.

"Of course. Today we're called in to discuss what our next move against Rosenblade should be. They've been very persistent in their counterattacks, and--"

"And just in, Young Chairman Liam Rosenblade and his fiance found dead on an East End sidewalk! Liam Rosenblade has only a bullet hole straight through his eye, and his fiance was found with a knife in her throat. The bullet has been removed and it has a unique silver band and tip, the trademark sign of the mysterious assassin the Phantom, or Phantomsight, as some are now calling him or her. There was a footprint on the top of a building a few hundred feet away, almost eight hundred, actually. Also, just now! Three other high-ranking people were found dead! All with the marks of the Great Four Assassins! Rosenblade murdered by Phantomsight, Otogi Tono and Harris Heisman killed by Lolita, Derik Delven killed by the Jester, and Jericha VonSchuyler was found dead with signs of the assassin Nothingness. Also, news came in again that Otogi Tono's section of the English Mafia was completely wiped out, his second estate building blown to smithereens."

Everyone present in the meeting gaped at the screen, even President Jaeyline. And then she spoke. "Well, many thanks to Phantomsight for taking care of our problem."

"Miss President! This is urgent! Old Man Rosenblade and White Witch Rosenblade have accused the LEO Corporation of hiring Phantomsight to kill their children!"

"That is not true!" Ciel shouted suddenly, standing and slamming his fist against the table.

All eyes turned to him, shocked, one or two people looking like they were going to faint.

Ciel cleared his throat before continuing in an urgent but calm voice, "There's no way anyone from LEO Corp. could have hired those assassins to do this!"

"And how do you know?" Miss Jaeyline asked, recovering.

"Because I'm friends with Phantomsight, Lolita, Jester, and Nothingness!" he replied boldly. He smiled to himself wryly as the meeting room dissolved into shouts and exclamations.

"R-really now? You're not kidding?" President Jaeyline asked, remarkably composed seeing as she'd just gotten her feet knocked out from under her.

Ciel had the sudden thought that she looked cute when she was surprised before mentally smacking himself. "No. I met them by chance, because I shoot at the same private range they do. Of course, I'm sworn to secrecy about their identities, but I know they wouldn't kill someone if they didn't believe that person would die soon anyway. They've never even met Jaeyline."

"Then how do we solve this problem? What do you think is best, Ciel?" President Jaeyline asked.

He straightened and raised his chin. "I will personally ask Phantomsight and the other assassins to come to the public conference I've already started setting up scheduled for tomorrow. I will try to convince them, and then they will tell the truth."

"Very good, Ciel. Everyone, make sure the conference preparations are in place and set in stone. Nothing will go wrong tomorrow."

"Yes, Miss President!"

"Ciel, go to the range. Do whatever you have to, but get them to say yes."

"Of course, Miss President."

"Everyone, dismissed. Ciel, stay a few more minutes. I have something to talk with you about."

Everyone filed out of the room, except Jaeyline and Ciel.

"What is it, President Jaeyline?" he asked.

"How are you injuries?"

Ciel blinked. "What?"

"Your injuries from last night. Is it really alright for you to be doing your duties? It doesn't hurt too much?" she asked, her calm, cool expression turning into worry.

Ciel suppressed a smile. "I am perfectly fine, Miss Jaeyline. Dr. Ishida stitched me up. As long as I don't pull the stitches, I will be fine." He tugged on the finger of his white glove as he said it. To be frank, it did hurt, but he'd had much more painful injuries.

She nodded, brows still furrowed. Jaeyline walked to his side, raising a hand to his forehead. She sighed in relief. "You don't have a fever, so they shouldn't be infected... Are you feeling alright? You're red."

Ciel just backed up a step, holding a hand over his mouth, face flushing. "A-apologies, Miss Jaeyline. I must be going." He turned around and ran into the door before opening it and stumbling out.

Jaeyline blinked after him. "Was it something I said?" she asked the empty room.

Ciel walked quickly through the building, face still pink, heartbeat strangely fast. He almost tripped as he got into the elevator, pressing the ground floor button and trying to slow his heart as he descended.

But as he stepped out of the elevator, his foot got caught on the slight rise between the shaft and the floor and he tripped, falling to the ground.

"Oh my, Mr. Ciel, are you alright?" people asked, rushing forward. "That was a nasty fall. The first clumsy act I've seen in the four years you've been here."

Ciel just stood and stumbled out of the lobby.

As he sat in his car, his heartbeat finally calming, he wondered. Why had he reacted like that to President Jaeyline? In his confusion, he slipped into Japanese. "Hmm. Doki-doki, makotoni." Doki-doki, indeed.

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Jullian Darrow Long - F - 42 years old

Likes - white-collar jobs, tempura, writing long papers.

Dislikes - loud places, nosy people, slackers.

Strengths - multitasking, scolding.

Weaknesses - idiots.