Maya - a Naruto Fanfic

16. Rush Hour

My suspicions are absolutely justified. Rush hour is hell. We're talking eighth circle, beyond the frozen hell of level seven. This is a special hell, reserved for child molesters, and people who talk in the theatre*.

One good thing came out of it, though. I will, at no point, ever willingly work in a job where I regularly have to deal with people. Especially naked people.

I have been permanently scarred.

Apparently, people believe that they're too good to bring their towels out with them to leave at the front desk, so whenever we run out, I get sent in to a room full of very naked people to retrieve the abandoned towels.

They even sent me into the men's changing room.

I shudder reflexively at the memory.

I'd say I'm switching to women, but old ladies do not look much better naked than men do.

Maybe I should just never get into a relationship.

"Just a little bit longer, Maya, hang in there." Kaoru smiles warmly at me, and my heart flutters again. She's so pretty. And kind, and sweet, and-

"Maya, we need more towels!" Someone calls, and I die a little inside.

"Where from?" I call back.

"Men's room."

Why me?

I keep my eyes fixed on the ground as I scurry through the steamy room as fast as I can, ripping any lost-looking towels up from the benches and down from hooks at a breakneck pace. Someone yells something about using one of them, but I'm not stopping, so I throw it blindly behind me while picking up the next one in the same movement.

"Do you work this hard at everything? Maybe some of your work ethic will rub off on Kakashi." Someone laughs behind me, and I feel like I could cry. Iruka. I will not turn around. I will not turn around.

"We're really busy so I've got to go right now." My words fall out in a rush and I round the set of benches and run out of there at a full sprint.

Back to safety, I can finally stop and take a breath.

"You look freaked." Someone laughs as they passes by, but I barely hear them.

I nearly saw my crush naked.

I nearly saw my crush naked.

I crouch down, bury my face in my hands, and scream.

"Maya, towels!" Someone snaps, and I lurch back to my feet, flushed dark crimson, the towels pressed to my chest.

"Coming!" I call, and run for the washing room.

"These are the towels from the mens room."

"Thanks. There's a pile of dry ones over there, you need to take them to the front desk."

"On it."

I spend the entire evening on my feet, running between the front desk, the laundry and the changing rooms as fast as I can. As soon as I hand in one set of towels for washing, another's dry and waiting for me to fold and put away.

By the time my work ends, my legs shake with every step, and I'm practically asleep on my feet.

"You remember the way home?" Kaoru checks with me, and I nod dazedly. She hesitates for a moment before going upstairs to the rooms she and her mother share above the baths. I'm officially the last to leave, at past midnight.

I stumble slightly as I walk down Konoha's streets, vision blurring dangerously. I think this is how it feels to be drunk, but I can't be sure.

It looks different at night, but the main streets are still crowded with people drinking and dancing and laughing. And I'm still alone, weaving through what feels like one massive street party, fending off sleep.

When I finally arrive at the Sarutobi household, the lights are all off. I practically fall through the unlocked door and let it swing shut behind me as I trip up the stairs towards my room at the top.

Falling into my bed is a blessing, and I'm asleep almost as soon as my head hits the pillow.

*firefly reference. Sorry not sorry.

A/N: no I am NOT using Spirited Away as my base for this, what are you talking about? Pfft. Anyway, I don't know what's going on with this story but let's be real, working at a bathhouse isn't really interesting enough to write an entire, detailed chapter on. So I didn't. Thanks again to everyone who's commented and voted for this chapter, or added it to their reading list. It really means a lot!
Ta-ta~