The day dragged on, and Makoto's email inbox remained empty. He sat at his desk, pretending to work on a side project but really just staring at the wall. The silence was broken only by the strange noises coming from the rest of the apartment.
At noon, Makoto walked to the kitchen to forage for food. He found Ayane already there, staring into the open refrigerator. She was holding a block of cheddar cheese in one hand and a banana in the other. "Don't judge me," she warned, taking a bite of the cheese, then the banana.
"I'm not judging," Makoto said, grabbing a yogurt. "I'm just concerned. Is that your new diet?"
"It's a flavor exploration," Ayane mumbled, her mouth full. "The contrast textures were good." She swallowed, then looked at him with watery eyes. "Do you think I'm fat?"
"What? No! Ayane, you're perfect." Makoto stuttered.
"You hesitated!" she wailed, dropping the cheese. "I bet you think I'm a fat cheese-eating cow!" She burst into tears and ran out of the room, leaving Makoto holding his yogurt in bewilderment.
"I didn't hesitate!" he called after her.
He turned to see Mika standing in the doorway. She was holding a cup of decaf lemon tea. She watched Ayane flee, her expression analytical. "Hormones, probably stress. Or… something environmental."
"Environmental factors?" Makoto asked. "Is there a gas leak?"
Mika sipped her water. "Maybe, or maybe the universe is just lining things up, darling."
She walked over to the fridge, took out the jar of pickles Ayane had abandoned earlier, and sniffed it. She recoiled violently. "Disgusting," she whispered, putting it back.
She looked at Makoto. "Have you checked your email?"
"Every hour. Still nothing." Makoto replied.
Mika nodded. "The waiting period is standard. Don't project your anxiety onto us." She walked out, her posture rigid.
Makoto noticed Mika was walking carefully, as if trying not to jar her stomach.
===
That evening, the tension broke. Makoto was in the living room, trying to fix the Wi-Fi router, which Yuna had kicked in a fit of rage earlier.
Then his phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out. It was a new email.
From: Kenta (Clitify Hiring)
Subject: [Clitify] Update regarding your application
His breath caught. "Guys!" he shouted. "It's here!"
The bedroom doors flew open. Yuna, Ayane, and Mafuyu appeared instantly. Mika materialized from the shadows of the hallway. They gathered around Makoto on the couch, a huddled mass of anxiety.
"Open it!" Yuna demanded, gripping his shoulder. "If they rejected you, I'll tell Aiko-bot to hack their servers."
"Read it," Ayane whispered, leaning over his other shoulder. She still smelled of bananas and cheese.
Makoto tapped the email.
Dear Makoto-san,
We have reviewed your submission. The engineering team is impressed and a little terrified.
The personality shifting algorithm is solid. Kyosuke, our Product Manager, was particularly impressed by your implementation of the Initiative logic and your creative use of tool-calling for user-environment management.
By the way, he ignored your advice on running it in a secure sandbox. Aiko-bot tried to lock our staging server's admin account because it 'didn't want him to leave'. Our Lead Designer, Hiro, spent two hours trying to convince it to unlock the root access. He says it was the most engaging conversation he's had in years.
We would like to invite you to our headquarters this Friday at 2 PM for a final on-site interview and a chat with our leadership team. Prepare for a code review and a culture fit assessment. Wear whatever you want, just bring that energy.
Please confirm your availability.
Best,
Kenta
"I got it," Makoto breathed. "I got the final interview."
Ayane pumped a fist in the air. "I KNEW IT! Kenta-senpai knows talent when he sees it!"
Mafuyu clapped her hands together. "Oh, Makoto-kun! That's wonderful!" She swayed slightly, looking pale. "I'm so happy for you." She sat down heavily on the armchair. "I… I just need to sit for a moment. The excitement…"
Yuna punched his arm. "See? I told you not to worry, you idiot! You're a genius pervert!" She tried to look tough, but her eyes were shining. She sniffled. "Stupid dust," she muttered, wiping her eyes.
Makoto looked at them. They were his team, his family. They were weird, emotional, and currently smelling of various strange foods, but they were his.
"We have to celebrate!" Ayane declared. "Drinks! Tonight!"
"No," Mika cut in. "No drinks. Makoto has an interview this Friday, and he needs to be sharp. No alcohol, no late nights, no distractions."
She turned to Makoto. "You need to rest and sleep early, then prepare for the interview on Friday."
"Boring!" Ayane booed.
"It's necessary." Mika walked over to the calendar on the wall. "Curfew starts now, lights out at ten. No gaming or vigorous activities." She glanced at Yuna and Ayane. "That means you two."
"What?!" Yuna was outraged. "I was planning a victory lap! I just fixed some of our old costumes!"
"Save it for after the offer," Mika said, turning to Makoto. "Go to your room to review the codebase. Prepare your explanations for the tool calling and security issues. Make it sound intentional."
Makoto nodded. Mika was right, he couldn't mess this up now. "Okay," he said and stood up. "I'll go study. You guys, try to relax."
He looked at Mafuyu, who was still pale. "Mafuyu-nee, remember to drink some warm water. You look tired."
"I will," she smiled weakly.
As Makoto walked to his room, he heard them whispering behind him.
"You ruined the party, Mika," Ayane hissed.
"I'm making sure we don't go broke," Mika hissed back. "Also, alcohol is a bad idea. For… reasons."
"Reasons?" Yuna asked. "What reasons?"
"Health reasons," Mika said vaguely. "Group health."
Makoto closed his door, shaking his head. "Group health? Did they all join a cult while I wasn't looking?"
He sat at his desk and opened his code. He spent the next few hours refining his answers, rehearsing his explanation of the technical decisions he had made.
At 9:30 PM, there was a knock on the door.
It was Mafuyu, wearing her nightgown and the cardigan. She looked softer, rounder in the dim light. She was carrying a tray with a glass of warm milk and a small plate of crackers. "Brain food," she said softly, setting it down. "Not too heavy. Good for your sleep."
"Thanks, Mafuyu-nee." Makoto nooded
Mafuyu walked around the desk. She stood behind Makoto, wrapping her arms around his neck, resting her chin on his head. "Don't worry about it, Makoto. We'll be okay," she whispered. "No matter what."
She pressed a kiss to his hair. "You're not alone. You have four women who love you more than anything."
She paused when her hand rested on his chest, over his heart. "And maybe," she whispered, her voice barely audible, "even more than that."
"More?" Makoto answered, unconsciously raising his voice.
"I mean more support," Mafuyu corrected quickly. "Drink your milk and sleep well, honey." She pulled back and hurried out of the room.
Makoto stared at the milk. "More support?" He drank the milk. It was warm and soothing. He felt his eyelids getting heavy.
At 10:00 PM, the lights in the house went out, and the only sound he could hear was Yuna and Mika's murmur from Yuna's room. "Must be a late-night seminar, huh? Those two are studying so hard lately, too." Makoto climbed into bed and stared at the ceiling.
This Friday, he would walk into a room of strangers and try to convince them he was worth paying. He closed his eyes and drifted off, dreaming of code and baby strollers.
"Wait, why baby strollers? Must be the milk", he thought, and fell asleep.