Chapter Text
21:55 on a Friday night…
Ding.
“Hey, be with you in one minute.” Kou’s tone was polite despite the fact that he could feel his soul about to leave his body. Ah, as was the life of working at yet another fast food restaurant. Kou was well versed in the exhausting turmoil of customer service. It was never ending.
Never.
Going.
To.
End.
Setting aside the broom he’d been sweeping the floors with, he made his way over. Mentally preparing himself, the tired adult took a brief moment to squat down behind the counter and silently scream into his hands. His shift was so, so close to being over…oh so close… Now what demonic force could possibly come in five minutes before he could clock out? Ah. Well, the leaf on his head withered when he stood. Staring right at him at eye level…
…Was Mahiru Hiruma. The red-headed menace that made it a regular habit to inconvenience Kou by coming in ten to fifteen minutes before Kou was ready to leave for the night.
No. No, he was not counting…no.
With a heavy sigh, Kou grabbed the premade bag of food that had been sitting under the heat lamp for about an hour, shoving it in the influencer’s face.
“Take it. You already paid online.”
Please shut up and leave is what his face was saying.
“Awwwh, so nice! All your other colleagues already left and you stayed behind just to give me my food—I’m flattered!”
Mahiru gave the dead tired worker a sharp toothed smile, taking his food. His glasses slipped down his nose when he peeked inside the bag. “And where’s my milkshake with—“
“Here. With extra-extra-extra cherries on top.”
Kou plucked a straw from behind the counter, tearing off the paper wrapping and pushing aside the six cherries and into the whipped cream. If Hii and Fuu weren’t at a sleepover right now, he wouldn’t be taking nearly as long tonight. Gently, Kou pushed the milkshake over in Mahiru’s direction.
“Happy?”
“Eh, I would be, but you never seem to be happy when lil’ old me comes in~”
Mahiru pouted, taking the milkshake. Proceeding to take a long, sad sip. He had his mouth set in an exaggerated pout, making Kou’s eye twitch.
“You’ve made a continuous effort to make my life difficult.”
“Ahhhh, I inconvenience you?”
The redhead raised a brow, seemingly intrigued. Kou could tell by the way his eyes narrowed. “I guess I could stop by a little earlier, but I kinda like talking to you this late.”
“Y’know, no one else… Just you and meee… And the occasional other worker but usually just you and me~”
Kou narrowed his tired eyes. So he clearly did understand how much of a pain he was being. That was to be expected. Nearly every week this month Mahiru’s stopped by (minus a few days). Always around the same time too… Despite Kou’s annoyance at this repeated occurrence, it was becoming routine all too quickly. Seeing the name ‘Mahiru Hiruma’ pop up on the board for online orders was becoming such a regular sight. It was odd how this stranger was becoming a stranger that Kou saw so often.
Mildly infuriating even.
“Really, do you now?” He shook his head, Kou’s sarcasm was more blatant than a frisbee headed straight for the skull. Picking up the broom once more, the worker resigned to finishing up his nightly responsibilities.
“It isn’t like I have more than just this job to care about each night.”
“Hm?”
The influencer leaned on the counter, tilting his head as if he never even bothered to think that Kou had a life outside of…this.
“…What do you mean ‘hm?’. Do you think I live here?”
“Whaaat? Pfft—No, definitely not.”
“Were you one of those kids who thought their teachers lived at the school…?”
“Nah, nope.”
Mahiru smiled and Kou eyed him suspiciously. Sweeping the floor a bit further away. He could feel the other watching him. Why couldn’t the redhead just leave already? Kou had to close up in a matter of minutes, so what was the point of standing there? The chairs were all set up on the tables and everything was restocked for the night. What was the point of staying?
“So, now you got me thinking. What is your life like outside of all this?”
Ah. Small talk. Of course.
Kou sighed, glancing over his shoulder. “Well I work plenty. More than just this job.”
“Why’s that?”
“Out of necessity. Rent, groceries, things can get expensive.”
“Well how many jobs are we talkin’?”
“Well, there’s here. I started this job a few months ago. Then I have that job as a cashier. Janitor, human billboard…directing traffic…”
Mahiru sounded genuinely interested, it was strange. Kou hadn’t spoken to someone so casually in a while. Now that he thought about it, Kou didn’t actually have friends. Acquaintances and colleagues didn’t count. More often than not, his conversations were nothing more than professional. It was…surprisingly nice to be able to talk to someone.
Why was he even telling the influencer this?
Of course, he couldn’t talk to his siblings and drop all of this on them. That was just unnecessary and completely unfair to them. Hii and Fuu’s childhood was important, and he could handle the worries of the world if it meant that they could stay carefree.
“Wait, wait, wait—human billboard?” Mahiru snickered, choking on his shake. Kou dragged a hand down his face. “I just hold up advertisement signs. What’s so funny?”
“Nothing, nothing—I just thought it'd be funny to see you walking around like that.”
“…”
“Oh come on if I saw you holding up a sign saying, ‘buy this’, I’d put you in my cart.”
.
.
.
“E—eh?!”
Kou nearly tripped over his broom, fumbling with it until he settled on holding it accusatorily at the late night regular. Disgruntled was one way to describe it.
“Excuse me—this is about the first damn conversation we’ve actually had!?” Kou yelled softly.
“And daaaamn, isn’t it a good one?” The other smiled, resting his arm on the counter and resting his chin in his palm. Kou didn’t blink, watching as Mahiru took the cherry off of his milkshake, biting it off of the stem.
“A-aaaugh…” Kou squeezed his eyes shut. His ears tinted red as he swept the last bit of grime into the dustpan. Setting aside the broom (for good this time) he took a look at the clock. Getting his mind off of this frustrating new acquaintance of his.
22:09
“God damnit, just get going Hiruma.” Kou huffed out in frustration, allowing his shoulders to droop. He heard shuffling, and then the familiar ding. “And be careful. It’s late, get home safe.” Kou waved the other adult off, glancing over every few seconds to make sure the other was actually leaving.
But before the redhead left he spoke once more, “Hey, you worry too much.”
With a thick sole, Mahiru seemed to have held the door open. Milkshake and paper bag in each hand. Topped with five cherries. “Do me a favor and treat yourself to somethin’ on your day off, but hey, don’t let me tell ya what to do.”
The redhead stepped out with a cheeky smile. “We’re just strangers, right?”
“…”
Ding.
With the last customer gone for the night, Kou put away the rest of the cleaning supplies, turned all the lights off, clocking out, and finally locked up the rest of the restaurant.
Stepping out into the cool air of a night in spring, for once, he hadn’t felt the need to rush. The blue haired man walked leisurely to his bike, unlocking it from the stand. There wasn’t anything to worry about. His little siblings were off having a sleepover, and he would be riding home to an empty apartment.
Part of him was relieved in some way? Yet another side willed him to worry, Kou was able to suppress that urge. Somehow. He couldn’t understand it himself, but maybe that bothersome regular was right.
Maybe, just maybe, he was prone to working a little too hard.
Still, Kou’s ride home had been uneventful, filled with the sounds of crickets and the occasional passing car. But he made it home.
Opening the door to a quiet apartment, just as he expected.
There was nothing to clean, and no one to tuck in.
As Kou laid in bed, his eyelids felt dangerously heavy.
A good night’s rest was in order, and whatever almighty being out there seemed determined to tuck him in tonight.
And Kou let it.