Chapter 8 – Shirtless, Shameless, and Slightly Emotional
Narrator: After the viral chaos, Reno becomes an unexpected internet star.
The station forces Noa to manage him like a talent handler, pairing them for a behind-the-scenes webseries.
---
Meanwhile, Kaito begins acting strange around Noa flirting, teasing, maybe even getting jealous. Reno, sensing competition, turns up the charm in the worst way possible: showing up shirtless in the breakroom, attempting a surprise picnic in the elevator, and "accidentally" leaving fan-made body pillows in Noa's cubicle.
But beneath all the jokes, Noa starts to question what Reno actually *is* just a drawing? A spell? A mistake? Or something real?
It started with the shirt.
Technically, it started with *no* shirt.
Noa was walking into the breakroom with her third cup of coffee and her last nerve when she saw him—Reno. Again. Shirtless. Flexing beside the vending machine like a Greek statue who just discovered protein bars.
"Morning, sunshine," he said, sipping something green and probably cursed.
Noa froze.
"You—why are you like this?!"
He raised an eyebrow. "You mean perfect?"
"You can't just be naked in the workplace!"
"I'm not naked. I'm tastefully underdressed."
"You're *not supposed to be here at all!*"
He pointed at the whiteboard near the fridge. Someone had scrawled "RENO IS LIFE 💪 #GymGod" in dry-erase marker.
"I'm employee of the week," he said smugly.
Noa slammed her coffee on the counter.
"You're not even ON payroll!"
He grinned. "Yet."
---
Later, back at her desk, Noa tried to focus.
Emails. Schedules. Meeting notes.
Normal things.
But then she opened her drawer and found it.
A pillow.
Not just any pillow.
A custom anime-style *body pillow.*
Of Reno.
Posing.
Winking.
Wearing *nothing but a strategically-placed clipboard.*
She screamed.
Across the room, Reno leaned into the doorway.
"Did you get my gift?"
"YOU LEFT A PILLOW VERSION OF YOURSELF IN MY WORKSPACE."
"It's ergonomic."
"It's disturbing!"
He walked closer, shameless as ever.
"I just want to make your desk more... cuddly."
Noa grabbed a stapler.
"You're three seconds away from being turned into office supplies."
---
And then there was the elevator incident.
Noa was running late. As usual.
She hit the button. The doors opened.
And inside?
A full picnic.
Blanket, fake grass, candles, sandwiches—and Reno, sitting cross-legged with a glass of juice like this was *The Bachelor*.
"Welcome," he said, gesturing. "To our first date."
"What the—how did you even get this *in here?!*"
"Romantic compression magic," he said seriously. "Very advanced."
"You're not supposed to date me!"
"You keep saying that," he replied, offering her a sandwich. "But your blush says otherwise."
Her whole head turned red.
She stepped in, slammed the emergency stop, and sat down.
"Five minutes," she muttered. "Then I'm dragging you to HR myself."
He smiled. "That's the spirit."
---
The webseries plan came the next day.
Her producer, looking far too pleased, clapped her hands in the conference room.
"Team, we're greenlighting a weekly behind-the-scenes vlog starring Reno."
Noa's coffee almost flew out her nose.
"Wait—*what?!*"
"It's what the viewers want," the producer said. "Sexy chaos. Behind-the-scenes drama. And Reno's abs."
Reno gave a finger-gun. "I'm ready for my close-up."
"You're assigning him a handler," the producer added. "Guess who?"
Everyone turned to Noa.
She slumped in her chair.
"I hate everything."
---
That afternoon, Kaito stopped by her desk.
"Hey," he said, leaning on the divider. "You surviving?"
"Barely," she muttered.
He offered her a lollipop. "Emergency sugar. You look like you're about to murder someone with a keyboard."
She took it. "Thanks."
He sat on the edge of her desk, unbothered. Cool. Too cool.
"So," he said. "Reno, huh?"
She groaned. "Please don't."
"I'm just curious. Is he… real?"
She paused.
That word hit different.
"Depends what you mean," she said finally.
Kaito looked at her, like he wanted to ask a thousand things.
But instead he just nodded.
"Don't let him drive you too crazy."
"Too late."
He smiled. "Maybe I'll take you out sometime. Give you a break from sketchbook boy."
She blinked. "Wait—are you flirting with me?"
He stood. "Guess you'll have to find out."
Then he walked off.
And Noa was left holding a lollipop and too many feelings.
---
That night, Reno sat at the kitchen table, drawing on sticky notes with a stolen pen.
Noa watched him from the doorway.
"You were quiet after work," he said, not looking up.
She didn't answer.
"I saw you talking to Kaito."
Still no answer.
"He's… real, huh?" Reno said. "Like, blood-and-organs real."
She crossed her arms. "And you're not?"
"I'm something," he said softly.
She walked over, sat beside him.
"Reno," she said. "What *are* you?"
He looked up.
His eyes—usually full of jokes and trouble—were serious.
"I don't know," he admitted. "I just know I don't want to disappear."
She swallowed hard.
"I don't want you to either."
Silence.
He passed her a sticky note.
It was a doodle of them—badly drawn, cartoonish—but holding hands under a ridiculous sun.
She laughed through her nose.
"You suck at art."
He smiled. "You gave me the hands I draw with, so technically this is *your* fault."
She bumped his shoulder with hers.
And for once, no one said anything stupid.
They just... existed.
Together.
---
The next day, the station launched Reno's webseries.
The title?
**"Sketchy Love: Reno Unfiltered"**
The first episode was five minutes of him doing squats while talking about heartbreak.
The internet lost its mind.
And Noa?
Noa sat backstage, watching the comments pour in.
Some were creepy.
Some were hilarious.
One just said: *"I would let him ruin my taxes."*
She laughed. Tired. Happy. Terrified.
Because whatever this was...
It was no longer just a sketch.
It was becoming something real.
And she didn't know if her heart was ready for it.