The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and –
Yuno was unemployed. Again.
His last job? Gluing beady black eyes onto teddy bears at a rate of 25 cents a bear. He got pitifully released after failing to meet the deadline of 300 bears a week.
And… he didn't even get the full paycheck thanks to the dozens of bears he ruined with his hot glue gun!
The morning after, Yuno had been stirring one too many spoonfuls of sugar into his coffee, murmuring blandly something about how the coffee was of poor quality.
While perusing a job application website on his phone, he absentmindedly poured an absurd amount of creamer into his syrupy mess without realizing it, swirling the cream with a tiny spoon that made soft clinks whenever it tapped against the porcelain rim.
And when he finally glanced down at the mug, he sighed.
Regardless, Yuno drank it anyways.
He raised the mug to his lips and took a nice, long, contented sip. It felt as if the guilt was washing away along with all the sweetness.
…Then reality hit. Along with all the bitter notes of 3-in-1 instant coffee hiding under the creamer.
He remembered he was unemployed.
Damn it.
Yuno had started "freelancing" odd jobs for six months, but because he never really marketed his business – if you could even call it a business... he'd only taken up a grand, amazing, astounding, baffling total of… zero jobs. So zero income.
Money was getting tighter and tighter, and he could've sworn he had a kidney stone the size of a small child from all the cup noodles he'd been surviving on for the past few months ever since his father stopped sending money.
His dad had called him three months ago, sometime in early July, and if anger and disappointment had an embodiment in the form of a 40-second video call taken from a low and awkward angle, it would've been the FaceTime call he and his father had.
"Son, you're turning 25 this year! Your brothers are raising their families and getting stable jobs – and all you've done is raise my blood pressure! I ain't sending you no more money. Beg your mom if you need something, 'cause I surely ain't giving jack!"
Yuno had tried to reason with his father, he really did – but this time his dad didn't fall for it like he did the last 12 times his little son swore he'd get a source of income. The old man hung up before Yuno could even get a word in.
It left him staring blank-faced at the "Call lasted 00:40 seconds." screen for a good five minutes, just trying to process what had happened.
Time flew by, and when he closed his eyes and opened them again, it was already mid-October. All Yuno could do now was pitifully stare at his last two packs of ramen in the pantry while trying to come up with a solution so that they could last one more week.
In the middle of Yuno's high-IQ noodle brainstorming – coming up with ways to revolutionize cup noodles – his phone dinged with a notification.
Yuno didn't receive notifications often, as he had no friends; they were all busy with adult life now.
The number was from Elias Weckins.
Yuno was practically raised by this guy. He was his uncle. Elias Weckins was some rich, 50-something-year-old man Yuno used to spend a lot of time with when he was younger.
The man ran a successful business, and despite Yuno having spent a considerable amount of his childhood with him, Yuno didn't really know exactly what kind of work he did to have so much money.
All he really knew for sure was that his uncle was the kind of man that didn't share his wealth with family.
Yuno remembered Elias saying, "People should work hard for their own blessings. Some entitled relatives I have…" Then going on some mindless ramble. At that time he thought his uncle was the greediest and most stingy man on earth.
But now?
Now, he understood why he said that. Money was hard to earn; you shouldn't give it out like it's candy– even if your candy jar was about to topple over from all the candy inside.
That was exactly the reason Yuno never got mad at his rich uncle for not helping him financially, even though they were close. He knew his uncle's "Work for it, you brat." attitude more than anyone.
Uncle Elias's message read:
[8:53 AM] Seen
[UncleElias] (1/2)
"Hey, ur pa told me about your situation kid!!!! I am gonna be out of my home for a year and wondering if you can housekeep during that time. M going on a cruise ship around the world, I trust u the most. Can't let grubby employees steal my things."
[Laughing Emoji x3]
The message was obviously written by a man in his fifties, with countless grammatical errors that made Yuno chuckle. His interest, however, was piqued by what his uncle offered. It was basically just living in his uncle's home for a year – all expenses paid…
Despite how enticing it appeared, Yuno still needed to know more before eagerly accepting. He decided to ask for the details.
[8:54 AM] Seen
[YunoLiel] (1/1)
"Ay! Have fun uncle on vacation u deserved it :))))!!! Thx for offering me this job after finding out my current you know… but could I have more details?"
His uncle told him that it was somewhere in the Pacific Northwest, about a five-hour drive from where Yuno lived – which was somewhere in Portland.
Just the thought of driving that long made him cry out with a drawn, exasperated groan… then he remembered the fact he didn't even have a car, so there was no point in worrying about it. Thankfully though, his uncle found a solution to his travel woes in advance!
It seemed like Uncle Elias Weckins already knew Yuno couldn't reject the job offer.
His uncle offered to buy him a cheap one-way ticket from Portland to SeaTac, then get him picked up by a shuttle bus. It wasn't glamorous, but it was a hell of a lot better than some bumpy and clunky bus ride to hell next to some lard who didn't know of the amazing innovation of the deodorant stick by Jules Montenier in 1941.
"Such a cheapskate of a man, really! Imagine having millions in the bank and cheaping out on public transport!?" That was Yunos inner monologue, however he would never dare say it to his uncles face.
…But after finding out his usually cheapskate uncle was offering...
$4,000 every month just to keep the place clean!?
Yuno suddenly changed his image of his uncle as some angel sent from heaven. He would've already taken out a trumpet and started singing and dancing for Elias right then and there if it wasn't for the fact they were simply messaging.
Sure, the mansion was a bit secluded deep in the forests, and a little too big and quiet for one man… however – no matter how many cons you put in this job,
Four thousand is four thousand!
He thought with fervor.
That was more money than Yuno had ever gotten in the six months he worked as an odd jobs specialist…! Albeit, he never took any jobs anyways. Even if all he did was sell a strand of hair, he'd make more money than what he did as a "freelancer."
Now, rather than the very tiring job of doing nothing… all he had to do was keep the place clean and not burn it down!
…
Not once did Yuno ever think there was a more sinister reason the pay was so absurdly high when he knew his old man was a total miser who wouldn't have even spent $20 on new pants while insisting the zipper could still zip! Let alone offer that kind of money…
Although Yuno had a cautious nature – anyone being offered four grand to do basically nothing would've been a little shortsighted too – he didn't pause to wonder if it was safe to work alone in a quiet area for six months, in a place where it would take 40 minutes of walking to get to the nearest establishment.
Yuno reread the message from his uncle a couple dozen times before he could reply, already drooling at the thought of being able to eat a proper meal – something above cheap processed food and freeze-dried veggies.
Good timing, Unc!
When he came to his senses, he typed a simple reply trying to seem composed through his text message.
[9:08 AM] Seen
[YunoLiel] (1/1)
"I'll definitely take good care of your home, trust me uncle!!"
And with that, the deal was sealed. He would fly to the Pacific Northwest in a week and live the next year lounging in a mansion and getting paid.
Yuno's days of only eating cheap 50-cent packets of instant noodles were coming to an end!