Chapter Text
Shin liked his job, really.
Some might think that he was crazy for agreeing to work in this part of town but Shin’s boss was genuinely a nice guy, once you got to know him, and his salary was good, more than enough to sustain Shin’s expenses.
Shin’s dad was rather strict about money. He said that once Shin decided to move out and live by himself he needed to learn how to take care of his own needs without having to rely on others. Asakura did not cut Shin’s financial needs completely. He agreed to pay for Shin’s tuition and even his rent. But, if Shin wanted to have enough money for other necessities, like groceries and household bills, it was his own responsibility to work for it. In Shin’s opinion, this arrangement between him and his dad was completely fair.
So, the time he started his second to last semester of university, was also when he began looking for a job.
Shin knew it might be difficult to find something stable as a college student, but one of his school friends and ex-roommate, Lu, had suggested he look for a part-time job, as a waiter, for example, or as a cashier.
After a long and tedious search around the city, Shin finally found the flyer with the huge “WANTED” sign printed on it, which lifted his dull spirits. Shin did not have to think twice before he called the number on the poster to ask if the position was still available.
Shin could not believe his luck. He was going to work at a convenience store.
The owner, Sakamoto-san, appeared to be a little strange when Shin met him for the first time. There was barely any interview for the hiring process. Shin almost blacked out when he came in and got asked a few questions. Sakamoto-san made a long humming sound after each of Shin’s answers. Before Shin got to ask whether he got the job, he had a green apron with his name tag pushed right into his hands.
The work itself was not overly complicated. Shin had to keep the store tidy, sweep the floors, and do regular clean-ups like washing the widows, taking out the trash, and making sure that all the shelves were stocked up with the latest products.
Because of his conflicting schedule with school, Shin had to work night shifts. Sakamoto-san agreed to this, and so Shin came into the store five times a week, starting work at eleven in the evening and finishing at four in the morning.
Shin was content and when he started his first shift he truly thought his work was going to be all roses and butterflies until he met his first customer.
“One pack of cigarettes,” the raspy voice spoke over him, bringing Shin out of his daydreams. Shin pulled out the pack from the shelves with trembling hands. Shin was not usually the one to judge people by their appearances, but that man certainly looked like a gangster. There were tattoos on his arms and a massive scar on his face and he wore dark glasses inside! What else was Shin supposed to think?!
“That would be six hundred fifty yen, please,” Shin felt grateful that his voice did not waver and he could hide his face behind his outgrown bangs. The man took out the money and placed it loudly on the counter.
“Thank you for stopping by,” Shin lowered his head when the man exited the store.
Shin let out a sigh of relief. Naturally, this was not the last nor the first of the strange encounters.
Shin did not know what it was, the location, or maybe something else that he was not aware about the convenience store, which brought the worst kind of crowd. Intimidating-looking customers kept stopping by the store so often that Shin learnt to control his tiny crash-outs, composing himself before fully freaking out.
When the store became empty, Shin slumped over the seat behind the counter, pulling out his homework. Taking the night shifts has truly been much harder on his health than he expected. He was slightly behind in his lectures. Working nightly made him exhausted so he did skip a couple of classes but honestly, he would rather catch up with study material later than miss a paycheck.
Working night shifts had its positives too. Despite the customers being outright scary, not that many people had stopped by the store during the late hours, so usually after Shin was done with arranging the newly arrived itinerary or cleaning up between the stalls, he could relax and focus on his university work.
Not even half an hour had passed by before the door to the store opened again with a slight tinkering of the front door’s bell.
Shin closed his book and stood up, acting all busy and alert, just in case he was needed for anything. Shin saw a mop of dark hair before it disappeared at the back of the store. Shin felt a slight shiver running down his spine but he did not pay much attention to it, focusing instead on the new visitor.
The man, or so it seemed to Shin, did not appear to be in a rush. He strolled leisurely between the shelves, and the slow sounds of his footsteps made Shin a little frustrated.
How long can a person spend in a convenience store, really?! Just pick up the food and go.
Perhaps it was the late hour which made Shin slightly short-tempered. It was three in the morning and he had an hour left of his shift before he would switch with Sakamoto-san, and this time of the night was the hardest for Shin.
Finally, the man decided what he wanted as he approached the cashier. Shin had to tilt his chin to get a proper look at him. The guy was crazy tall, and the first thing Shin noticed about him was the black ink edges of the square-shaped tattoo on his pale neck. Shin suppressed a shudder.
“Hi there,” the man grinned, his head tilted slightly to the side as he stared down at Shin, “did Sakamoto hire a new assistant?”
Shin did not like the man’s eyes. His lips were stretched in a smile, but the stranger’s eyes were dark and hollow, and there was an intensity to them which made alarms go off in Shin’s head in self-preservation.
“I started working here two months ago, yes,” Shin nodded politely, as he started to check out the man’s order. There were two onigiri balls, a pack of sweets and a cup of noodles.
The man hummed. “How interesting. Shin, right? May I also get those Marlboros behind you, Shin-kun? If it is not too much trouble.”
Shin worried his bottom lip. The guy might be tall but he looked awfully young too. His face was smooth and clean. Not like Shin stared back at him, or anything. “Sure. But I need to see some IDs first.”
The man’s hands reached towards the pockets of his long coat, his face completely understanding as he pulled out the wallet. “Of course! Let me get them out for you.”
The man even had tattoos on his knuckles, Shin noticed absently. He did not know why but the observation turned his chest tight, his spine breaking out in cold sweat. The card was placed gently on the counter. Shin studied the ID before him.
Yoichi Nagumo, it read. Shin did the maths in his head. Twenty-seven years old.
“Thank you,” Shin turned around to grab the cigarettes. The entire time as he stood on his toes to reach for the box, he felt the piercing gaze on the back of his head, and when Shin faced the customer again he pretended that his cheeks were not flushed a subtle shade of pink. He did not why, but Shin could not stop feeling on edge around this guy. “Here you go. That would be two thousand two hundred thirty yen, please.”
The guy pulled out the money and left the cash on the counter. “I will see you around, Shin-kun.”
Shin did not know if the words sounded more like a promise or a threat, but the guy winked at him before he disappeared soundlessly from the store.
The short encounter brought a strange taste in his mouth. It was almost as if describing the guy as simply a mobster did not do him justice. Something about him felt fishy. Shin huffed to himself. Whatever. Not like he was ever going to see him again anyway.
***
The man did not stop coming to the convenience store. Quite the opposite, Shin felt as if Nagumo made it his entire goal to arrive at the same time, almost every single night, waving his hands and giving Shin the brightest of smiles. Shin felt that even in the quiet of his bedroom he could still hear the tilt of Nagumo’s overexcited voice.
“How is Shin-kun doing today?”
“What time does Shin-kun get off work?”
“Does Shin-kun act so cute around all the customers or am I special?”
Shin thought he was losing his mind. The questions and the small talk never ended.
And Shin was not acting cute. That man was being delusional.
It was not that Nagumo was intimating or a bad customer. Sure, he often teased Shin but he never actually tried to harm him or be rude. No, Nagumo was polite, and soft-spoken and always greeted Shin in that light voice of his, that made something warm curl in Shin’s belly.
Shin was not fooled by Nagumo’s sweet talk. He saw the tattoos and the dark eyes which seemed to linger on Shin a bit longer as if Shin was pretending to pointedly not to look at Nagumo’s direction. Everything about Nagumo smelled of danger and despite his nonchalant attitude, Shin could not shake off the feeling of strange anxiety that he felt around the stranger.
If there was one thing Shin was certain about, it was that Nagumo was not someone Shin could trust lightly.
Shin thought he was being a little ridiculous or thinking too much about it. So, naturally, when he was plagued by a problem he decided to go to Sakamoto-san and ask him about the noisy customer.
“I will go receive the new shipment, boss!” Shin called out from inside the storage unit. It was a Saturday and for the first time in a long while Shin was working a daytime shift.
The exam season was approaching soon, and Shin wanted to work outside of his usual hours in the afternoons or during weekends so that he could keep nights for his late library cramming sessions.
During the weekend the store was busier than usual and Sakamoto-san was working the register. It was also one of the only times when Shin could catch-up with him and talk about the stranger who kept coming to the shop in the past few weeks.
“All done,” Shin spent an hour sorting out the new products and arranging them neatly on the shelves. He was quite proud of how everything looked; the stocked-up shelves looked orderly and full and Shin patted himself mentally on the back for the good care he took of the store’s appearance.
The latest customer just left the store and Sakamoto-san was sitting at the cashier, reading a newspaper, an empty cup of noodles standing before him.
Shin liked his boss. Sakamoto-san was a kind man, he was a good husband and a caring father, and he treated Shin almost like he was a part of his family. Shin felt safe around him, and when he first started working and noticing the gangsters and all types of dangerous men walking through the doors of the convenience store Sakamoto-san made sure that Shin could always talk to him if he was in any kind of trouble.
It was not that Shin felt particularly threatened. He was just feeling a sense of .. unease.
“Can I ask you something, Sakamoto-san?”
Sakamoto-san raised his head from the paper he was reading, glancing at Shin through the thick lenses of his glasses.
Shin walked a little closer to the counter, tugging on the straps of his apron.
“So, there has been a new guy coming in during nights lately,” Shin stared at the tips of his shoes, suddenly nervous. “He seems familiar with Sakamoto-san too. He is really talkative and he likes to linger around the store sometimes. I thought- I thought Sakamoto-san could tell me a little bit about him. He has tattoos on his hands and neck and he is very tall. I checked his ID when he wanted to buy cigarettes and I believe his name is Nagumo.”
Sakamoto-san was quiet for so long that Shin started to grow a bit restless. Did I ask something wrong? Shin thought when Sakamoto-san put down the newspaper and folded it neatly before him.
“Nagumo is an old acquaintance,” Sakamoto-san replied curtly.
This was also how Shin found out that the guy could be a bit of a troublemaker and that Shin should simply ignore the guy’s antiques when he came to the store next time.
Shin still could not wrap his head around that Sakamoto-san would be familiar with Nagumo. Perhaps they were college friends or something, Shin reasoned, but he could not think that someone like Nagumo with his tattoos and menacing eyes would be a normal law-abiding civilian. Well if Sakamoto-san said that Shin should just ignore him, then this was exactly what he was going to do next time.
Moreover, Shin had his upcoming exams to worry about so there was no time for him to think of a tall handsome stranger. Shin took a few weeks off the night shifts so that he could focus on school.
When it was finally time to get back to work, Shin thought that the strange visits which Nagumo was paying to the shop would eventually stop.
Shin definitely was unused to working nights again. He went on with his usual routine, swiping the floors and wiping the dust off the shelves. The shift went by as usual, and Shin kept looking at the clock on his phone screen. He was not waiting for the time to strike a particular hour, but Shin could not get rid of the strange anticipation that was building inside his stomach.
When the doorbell rang Shin absolutely did not jump from behind the shelf he was sorting out and called a loud enthusiastic “welcome!” to the newly arrived customer. But when Shin noticed it was some guy in a red hoodie with long bleached hair. Shin let out a tired sigh and walked to stand behind the register.
He was not disappointed. And he was not waiting for anyone in particular. He was simply being polite and welcoming to others.
“That would be five hundred yen please,” he checked out the order, his voice a little low and slumbered.
“I see you working around in this store a lot,” the guy spoke suddenly making Shin frown. He was not used to customers taking notice of him. There was a slight flush on the guy’s cheeks which Shin found to be a little out of place.
“Uhm, yes, I usually work the night shifts.”
“Well, I just wanted to say you are kind of cute,” the guy went on, making Shin grow weary. The pale eyes of a stranger were sharp and slimy and the way he looked at Shin made him want to recoil away. “Are you dating someone or are you single?”
Shin narrowed his eyes, trying his best to sound polite. “I am sorry I do not discuss my personal life with strangers,” he pushed the pack of crisps and a Red Bull towards the customer. “Thank you for stopping by.”
“You sure? Let me take you out or at least let me get your number,” the guy stared at the name tag on Shin’s chest, “Shin.”
“I think he said he was not interested.”
Shin’s half-opened mouth, an insult already prepared on the tip of his tongue, parted even wider in surprise as he gaped at the tall dark-haired man standing with hands in his pockets beside the counter. Shin did not hear the doorbell ring. Hell, he did not even notice another figure approaching the cashier stand. The guy with the bleached hair looked visibly struck too.
“Who the hell are you?”
Nagumo smiled cheerfully. “Just a passerby. But you know, when someone tells you no, you should take the rejection well. Otherwise, it makes you look like a creep.”
“You bastard,” the guy grunted, “who the fuck do you think you are calling me a creep, huh?”
Shin did not like the agitation that was rising in the air. He had never seen a real fight break out in the store before, and he really wanted to keep it that way. He did not want to explain to Sakamoto-san the reason for the brawl the next time he saw him.
“Alright now,” Shin raised his hands, peacefully. “I think it is enough. If there is nothing else you would like to buy then you should leave.”
I don’t need any trouble in here, Shin thought to himself hoping that his words would not remain ignored.
“Whatever. You look like a stupid twink anyway,” the bleached-haired guy spat out hurrying away. Shin watched him leave with a scowl. He was not a twink.
“Excuse me for a moment,” Nagumo smiled at him as if nothing about the situation bothered him in the slightest. “I will be right back.”
When Nagumo left the store suddenly appeared oddly cold and empty. Shin did not know what he expected, but seeing Nagumo again after almost three weeks of nothing, made him feel so excited that he forgot that he was supposed to be on alert and cautious about the guy.
But yet he and Sakamoto-san used to be acquaintances, so surely Sakamoto-san would not be friends with a bad guy.
Right?
Shin did not get to dwell on his thoughts for much longer before the door opened again.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Shin-kun! So happy to see you working again,” Nagumo smiled wide and innocently and something inside Shin’s heart melted a little bit. “Your pretty face was the only thing that could get me through work these days.”
Shin could not help but flush brilliantly. He twisted his head a little, trying to pretend that he was not affected by the fluttering words. “Are you buying anything tonight or what?”
“Ah! Of course! Let me go get my sandwich and I will be back in a moment.”
Nagumo disappeared between the shelves of the store. Shin could see the glimpse of his trench coat and it filled with such longing that he could not stop searching for Nagumo as he strolled in between the shelves.
“Just these, please,” Nagumo decided as he swiped the tuna and egg sandwich and the apple juice across the counter. “Oh, and a pack of Marlboros, if you don’t mind.”
Shin nodded as he turned around to get the cigarettes. When he looked at Nagumo again his dark eyes were glued to Shin. “Here you go.”
“Do these kinds of situations happen often when you work?” Nagumo asked. He must have referred to the oddball trying to ask Shin out.
“Not really,” Shin shook his head. “This area is known for attracting the wrong sort of guys but I never had much trouble dealing with them before.”
Nagumo hummed thoughtfully. “Well if it keeps happening you should talk to Sakamoto. He should not leave you working all alone especially so late at night.”
“It’s fine,” Shin lowered his eyes, trying to get his emotions under control. “Sakamoto-san and his family leave upstairs. If something bad was to happen I am sure they would be the first to know. I don’t feel unsafe when I am with them.”
Nagumo’s face softened at the sound of that. “Well, that does make me feel a bit better,” Nagumo did not look like he was in a hurry to leave. “I got the sandwich and the juice for you. You have been working hard lately so you deserve a little break. If it is not too much trouble why don’t you eat them with me, keep me a little company?”
Nagumo was such a smooth talker that Shin found it hard to deny him anything. The store was quiet too and Shin did work hard. He was not a slacker and Nagumo had already got him a little something to eat anyway. It would be rude to reject him, right?
“Sure,” Shin replied hesitantly, eyeing the sandwich suspiciously. “Why are you being so nice all of a sudden?”
“What are you talking about?” Nagumo laughed, his eyes glimmering a little bit. “I am always nice to you, Shin-kun.”
Shin did not have the energy to protest. His break was coming up soon anyway, so Shin could take a few minutes off. He thought to himself that nothing could go wrong if he followed Nagumo outside, where the chairs and the table stood just beside the store.
It was warm, and the late spring air almost made it feel like summer; Shin did not mind getting a breather from standing behind the cashier and sweeping around the store the whole night.
Nagumo appeared so .. relaxed. He spoke easily, and when Shin bit into the sandwich and groaned happily from the food Nagumo’s face did a little twist which flashed so quickly that Shin thought he almost missed it.
“So, how come I have not seen you in the past weeks?” Nagumo watched Shin intently as he ate.
“I have been kind of busy with school lately,” Shin did not know how much he could let his guard down around Nagumo, but so far he was acting relatively kind. Nagumo even made sure that the guy would stop bothering Shin at work, and he brought Shin a meal. “I go to university around here,” Shin explained. “It was midterm season last week so I had to ask Sakamoto-san to change my shifts for a while. But I am back to working nights now.”
“So you are a student,” Nagumo drawled out and Shin did not know whether that was a question or a statement. “I see. How has it been so far, working for Sakamoto?”
“It has been good. Sakamoto-san is a good boss and his family is very sweet too,” Shin bobbed his head reaching for the apple juice. “They were very kind to me, so there is nothing to complain about,” Shin put the plastic tube into the carton box, growing courage to ask Nagumo the question that had been on his mind for a while. “What about you? Sakamoto-san said that the two of you are acquaintances.”
Sakamoto-san had also specifically told Shin to ignore Nagumo but look what he is doing now. Chatting and eating with this guy like they were some sort of buddies.
“Acquaintances, huh?” Nagumo leaned back against the chair making it squeak under his weight. “Is that what he called us? Huh, well, I supposed he is not wrong. We went to, uhm, college together. We studied for about five years and then we began working in the same industry. I would say we were more like coworkers in the past, bumping into each other here and there.”
Shin never considered what Sakamoto-san’s life was like before he married or started working at the convenience store. The idea that he used to even go to school with the likes of Nagumo somehow did not sit right with Shin.
“What kind of industry was that?” Shin tilted his head.
Nagumo smiled, almost teasingly. “Well, Shin-kun, that sounds like a nice question you could ask someone when you are on a date.”
Shin stared at the Nagumo blankly. What?
“Are you trying to ask me out?”
“Is that so obvious?” Nagumo leaned forward, folding his arms on the table before him. “I would love to take Shin-kun out if he lets me. A nice dinner perhaps. Something a bit more filling than the egg sandwich and juice. What do you think?”
Shin had been asked out before. He was not the most popular kid, but he still hung out with boys and girls his age. He even received some chocolates for Valentine’s Day. Shin was not ugly, some said he was rather cute, actually.
However, he was never asked on a date by someone who looked even remotely like Nagumo.
According to Lu, Shin might be a bit naive, but he was definitely not blind. Nagumo was gorgeous. He had the face of a model and a smile that could easily swoon anyone off their feet. He was a pretty boy through and through; and although Shin was not insecure, rather far from it actually, he still felt a little unnerved by Nagumo’s attention almost like it was some sort of cruel prank.
“You want to ask me out on a date?” Shin felt a little stupid having to repeat himself but there was no other way he could wrap his head around the matter. He was still dumbfounded when Nagumo gave him a cheerful nod.
“I want to ask you out on a date, Shin,” Nagumo’s eyes crinkled around the edges. “Will you be free this weekend?”
Shin knew he should say no. The right answer was: no. He should stay away from this guy, and move on with his life. But when else will Shin get to have a chance like this? He was just a guy with a small tiny inconsiderable crush. He could have nice things in life too, right? Lu kept telling him that Shin should go out and experience life more. Isn’t this the perfect opportunity to do so? All Shin had to do was reach out and claim it.
“I will be free this Saturday,” Shin answered softly, twiddling with the sleeves of his blue hoodie. He did not know if he should stare at the table or find the courage to look up at Nagumo.
He felt a little awkward under Nagumo’s prying eyes.
“That’s lovely. I would love to get to know you more Shin,” Nagumo spoke easily, words lulling Shin into some sort of false comfort. “You are very pretty you know. And your eyes are so large and beautiful too. Almost makes you look like a kitten.”
Shin felt his face growing pink. He was not used to anyone calling him pretty.
“Thank you,” Shin grew fidgety on the plastic chair. “You are- you are nice too. When you are not trying to be annoying.”
The last thing Shin expected was Nagumo’s loud boisterous laugh. “I can’t help it. Shin-kun looks so adorable when he is flustered. Makes me want to tease you even more.”
Shin puffed his cheeks which did not help his case at all. Everything that Nagumo said appeared to get under Shin’s skin and he could not stop from squirming trying to get a hold of the heat that was spreading through his body.
Shin was so lost in the conversation he forgot to check the time. Nagumo must have noticed the flash of panic appearing in Shin’s eyes, as Shin reached for his phone. “I should probably let you go now. Don’t want to create trouble in your work.”
“It’s alright,” Shin looked at the time. 3:30. He still had half an hour of his shift. “But I should get inside now. Thank you for the meal, Nagumo-san.”
“Why of course,” Nagumo flashed him another smile. “Now, can I have your phone number? So I can reach out to you about Saturday?”
Shin nodded, his voice shaking just slightly as he told Nagumo his number. Shin got himself so worked up that he could barely sit still on his chair. He wondered if he was making a mistake. Nagumo looked so relaxed and assertive; it was probably not a big deal for him at all, he looked like the kind of guy who asked people out all the time.
Surely, one date won’t hurt? Shin tried to read Nagumo’s face but all he could see was the soft smile and gentle eyes.
Despite how calm and reassuring Nagumo sounded, there was a part of Shin that felt as if there was something dark lurking beneath that handsome facade. If only Shin could put a finger on what it was, perhaps it would explain the the restless feeling in his chest.
For now, Shin decided, he would take the risk and get a bit closer to this curious stranger; closer than he probably should.