Noa slammed the sketchbook shut and clutched it to her chest, hoping Reno would disappear the same way he came. But Reno just stood there, grinning wide, as if he had all the time in the world.
"Why are you still here?" Noa hissed. She glanced nervously at the door—anyone could walk in and see this bizarre scene.
Reno tilted his head, looking mildly offended. "Why wouldn't I be here? You *brought* me out. Besides," he said, tapping his chin, "I can't exactly go back in until you figure out what you *really* want."
"What does that even mean?!"
Before Reno could answer, the door creaked open. Noa nearly dropped her sketchbook. It was Mira, her supervisor, poking her head into the room with a tired smile.
"Hey, Noa, the promo cuts ready yet?" Mira asked.
Noa swallowed hard. "Uh—almost! Just… another minute!"
Mira's eyes flicked around the messy room. "You okay in here?"
Reno leaned against the console, waving cheerfully. "Hi! I'm Reno."
Noa leapt in front of him so fast she nearly tripped. "That's—uh—just… a new intern! Testing equipment!"
Mira raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "Intern? You didn't mention we had a new one."
"He's… temporary!" Noa squeaked. "Super temporary!"
Mira shrugged, too exhausted to question further. "Fine. Just hurry up, okay? We need that file by six."
As soon as the door closed, Noa spun around and glared at Reno. "You can't let *anyone* see you. Do you hear me?! You're going to get me fired!"
Reno blinked innocently. "But I'm supposed to *help* you! I thought smiling at your boss might help things along."
Noa groaned, burying her face in her hands. "No, no, no… this can't be real. I'm talking to a… sketch… thing…"
Reno crossed his arms, pouting. "Hey, I'm *very* real. And you summoned me, remember? All that careful shading, the little blush on my cheeks—pretty sure you were *wishing* for me to jump out and sweep you off your feet."
Noa's cheeks burned. "Shut up! That wasn't… I didn't think… UGH."
Suddenly Reno leaned close, his crooked grin softening just a little. "Look, Noa… you're lonely, right? You want that perfect romance? Well, lucky for you…" He waggled his eyebrows. "…I'm here now!"
Noa pushed him away, frustrated. "No! What I *want* is for you to go back where you came from and leave my job—and my life—alone!"
But Reno just plopped himself into the rolling office chair, spinning lazily, ignoring her panic. "Sorry, babe. That's not how this story goes."
And deep down, in the pit of her stomach, Noa had the awful feeling he was right.