Burning bridges

“I am not the same, having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.”

— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

. . .

“No…?” Hiro didn't really get where Megan was going with this conversation, but he thinks he’s about to find out anyway, “Not that I know of.”

“I was young and at the peak of my career. And as one of the greatest animators of my time, I honestly thought that I could easily get a job in Crescent, way back in New York. You know that animation studio was considered as one of the big deals when it comes to computer animated feature films, right?”

Hiro wasn’t even aware that Lunamor’s family owns Crescent Animation Studios–or so Megan implies. That company was literally way older than Lunamor herself!

“Yes. Still is. And…?”

“Well, I didn't get the job, that’s what,”

“Oh.”

“Yes, oh.” Was her wry response, one of her eyebrow’s twitching clearly at a particular memory, “And after all these years, I still never understood why… it should have been easy for me to get the job. For fuck’s sake, Colorado should have been begging me on his hands and knees to work on his old man’s company at that point!”

Hiro very nearly flinched at that.

This is… getting out of hand.

“Working for Lunamor isn’t bound to disappoint, you know,” Megan said, looking a bit to have calmed down compared to the last three seconds of her sudden outburst, “Accept the offer. I would be very interested in hearing all about what you do there.”

Hiro tried not to let his jaw drop on the ground at that. He swear he did. Because there is no way Megan is all but implying that he spy on Lunamor now, right?

Right?!

He didn’t like where this is going.

If Megan is still holding on to some sort of misplaced grudge against Lunamor (or on Lunamor’s brother), there is no way Hiro is going to be a part of it.

He resisted the urge to let out another sigh, “I think there’s been a misunderstanding here. Look, I just told you that Lunamor did not even offered me anything, let alone a job… and even if she did, I'm not interested no matter how much money she waves at my face. Megan, don’t get me wrong, but I love my job and I do enjoy teaching here.”

To be honest, all Hiro wanted was for Megan to give his class back as well but eh, it's best not be greedy right now. Making math easier for his students is his passion, after all.

Being an educator is what makes him happy.

And ever since he was a little kid, it has always been his dream to become a teacher too, just like his dad. He’s already content with what he have.

Megan though, apparently wasn’t.

“Did you know that majority of the professors in this academy used to have different occupations before they retired to just being a teacher?” she asked.

Hiro narrowed his eyes at her, “We’re not just teachers.”

“No, we’re not, but I don’t think a prestigious academy would even want to have such an inexperienced and young professor such as you. Especially not someone who spends way too much of his free time hanging around with one of the wealthiest students.”

For a moment, Hiro wasn’t quite sure he even understood what the hell Megan was talking about as he stared at her for a moment or two as he tried to process, to come up with another interpretation of what she could possibly mean by that. But there’s no going around it–that was a threat.

She’s threatening him. It wasn't an open threat, but Megan wasn’t mincing her words. And Hiro couldn't afford to get fired either.

He was literally the only one paying up the bills just to keep his sister breathing, this job is literally his only source of income, getting fired with such an absurd reason would make it very difficult (if not, impossible) to find another job really quick.

And while Megan was still going on and on about how it would be a shame if his teaching license got somehow revoked because of some baseless rumors but it was okay because Lunamor would love to hire him if he just asked but Hiro wasn’t listening to that shit anymore. His mind was whirling with too many thoughts at once to even care what the hell the old hag was prattling about.

If he loses his teaching license, he’ll never be allowed to teach.

And with Hiro’s savings, he’s sure all of that money would only last for a year or at least two for his sister’s hospital bills without leaving them both to even spare should his sister wake up, if she even wakes up. Hiro’s hands clenched into a fist at the thought.

No. Akira will wake up.

She has to wake up.

He wouldn’t be able to accept the alternative. He won’t.

But… his options aren’t looking good.

If Hiro didn't resign... and soon, then he would be fired with such an awful (not-really-made-up reason), and either way, Hiro just unofficially lost his job.

Not wanting to listen for another second, Hiro turned and walked out of Megan’s office without a word, despite her yelling at him to come back. That’s it. All of his respect for the woman he once considered as his friend for years was gone–wiped out of existence.

What’s worse, it wasn’t even because she had some sort of misplaced grudge against Lunamor. No, Hiro didn’t care about that.

Not his business, not his concern.

Hiro was just absolutely livid that she was seriously trying to use him to get payback in some sick and twisted way against someone who wasn’t even personally involved it.

The nerve of that woman.

And… and Megan not being accepted in some animation studios was so long ago, shouldn’t she have been over that by now? But no.

Instead, Megan just had to involve him with her personal affairs. Hell, she was even aware how much Hiro needed this job and was the only one supporting his sister’s hospital bill! HE LITERALLY CONFIDED IN HER FOR MONTHS ABOUT AKIRA!

As Hiro got back to his office to pick up his things (he made a mental note that maybe he should start making his resignation letter too once he got home), he found someone on his seat.

Silver-gray eyes stared up at him.

Hiro closed the door behind him.

“We need to talk.”

Megan wasn’t the only one who knows how to hold a grudge.