whenyouneedme | (no subject)

[Suddenly

there is

a unreasonably detailed timetable charting Emi's estimated work hours and his sleeping schedule, with notes such as 21 HOUR WORK DAY? and WEEKLY TOTAL: 19 hours of sleep jotted throughout.

There's even a graph. A graph drawn with very angry lines.]

[Well. That was not what he was expecting. He's more impressed and vaguely concerned than anything else.]

When did you do all this??

When I wake up three hours early to my shift and realize you're already gone!

Ah. I guess that would be enough time.

Anyways, don't change the subject

Even you have to have known that this kind of schedule is too insane for anyone to handle long-term. What were you thinking?!

[He's consulting this very angry graph.]

I'll give you that week was a bit crazy, but otherwise it's not much different from what I'm used to so

No.

[That's all it says.]

K

I MEAN IT.

You need rest to function efficiently, Emi.

I'm fine, but I hear you, ok?

This just means you didn't hear me the first time!

Do you even take your breaks at work?!

It was fine then too is all.

When I need to, yeah.

Did you take one today

I'm on one right now??

You only took one to reply to my message, didn't you

Meaning if I had never messaged you, you'd still be working

Would you rather I waited till I was off my shift??

We're slow right now so I'm hardly working anyway.

That's not the ~~poi-~~

Why'd you suddenly take on so many hours anyway?! You weren't working nearly this much a month ago, but suddenly you're ~~never around anymo~~ always exhausted and you pass out the second you're back in dorm

Suddenly I'm...???

Well It was slow for a bit cuz the farm shifts are mostly done for the season, but I've got stuff to make up for so.

[Not to mention the adjustment to his contract, but he was fairly certain that the knowledge of that would do more harm than good.]

[You're never around. I never see you unless you're asleep. I don't have anyone to talk to. I'm alone even when you're around. Isn't this what you told me not to do? It isn't fair. I'm worried about you. I don't want to watch you work yourself to death. Don't do this to me.

...

After a long pause, Eiji's scrawl was notably more timid in its plea.]

I don't want you to

[There was another long pause from Emi's end this time as he stood at the counter, staring down at those five little words. He trailed his fingers over them, taking a deep breath before he picked up his pen.]

alright. i'll figure it out.

[The confidence in his handwriting picks up as he begins to rapidly scratch out:]

That's not good enough

I'm planning your schedule now. Your shifts go through me. You're going to tell me how many hours you want per week, and I'm going to organize your workload, including required rest periods.

And, in case you conveniently forget to eat, I'm including scheduled lunch deliveries and timed messages.

[NO ARGUMENTS ALLOWED]

Oi oi isn't that

[There was an abrupt stop in Emi's response as he paused. This was just Eiji's very convoluted way of saying he was worried, wasn't it? Emi shook his head a bit in disbelief, almost feeling a laugh coming on but not quite. If it were anyone else he would have absolutely argued because this was too much. Not even an argument, it would have been a flat out refusal.]

Sure

You don't have to go so out of your way for me, but alright. We can give it a try and see how it goes.

It's not out of my way.

If you're going to overwork yourself, I might as well make you efficient at it.

[Normal human translation: he cares about you, okay.]

Pfft well. I appreciate it.

Thanks for worrying.