Chapter Text
Shuichi slumped into his old office chair for what felt like the hundredth time this day. The blue-haired boy shifted between working on the case to wandering around his cluttered room, finding any possible way to avoid dealing with yet another mundane case. Running his fingers through his now slightly shaggy hair (he'd gotten so caught up in his work that he’d totally forgotten to get his hair cut), he stared at the blank case file, and it felt as if it looked right back at him. He couldn’t do this, not right now. Shuichi settled on departing from his office, not for long, just so he’d have a fresh pair of eyes when he returned to his work.
Shuichi absent-mindedly stumbled into the coffee shop, still feeling exasperated over his struggle to solve his most recent case. The sweet aroma of freshly ground coffee filled his senses, and he immediately felt his muscles relax. This will definitely help, he thought. The queue to order was far from orderly, but Shuichi had time to kill, so he popped in his earphones and began to observe the shop. He appreciated some of the smaller details of the shop: the soft glow of the candles on each table; the gentle scuffs on the maroon linoleum flooring; the way each customer in the shop seemed to melt into the sofa lined booths, comfortable, safe and warm. He longed to feel that same sense of security, but the pending case still loomed over him.
Then something - well, someone - interrupted his thoughts. It was one of the baristas, he was young - about the same age as Shuichi, with a head of bright purple hair and matching eyes, they were a deep shade of purple - it reminded him of acres of land filled with assortments of flowers: verbenas, lilacs, lavenders, violets and-
“Hi! Can I take your order?”, the boy he’d just been admiring asked, followed by a gentle smile.
“Uh-“ Shuichi stammered. He tilted his head in response to Shuichi’s silence, causing his hair to bounce a little. Shit. He’s so cute. Shuichi thought, trying his best not to make it apparent that he might have just fallen for a complete stranger. He managed to mutter, “Um… yes, I’ll have a black coffee, please.”. Bitter, but maybe enough to help him to finally finish the case he’d been working on.
“Coming right up!”, the barista replied, and bounced over to his coworkers, informing them of the order he’d just taken. As Shuichi headed over to an empty booth, the purple-haired boy met his eyes and flashed a smile. Their interaction was brief, but enough for Shuichi’s face redden and heartbeat quicken to a pace he didn’t even know was possible. He covered his face with his hands in an attempt to disguise how flustered he was. The barista seemed to notice his embarrassment and giggled, which didn’t help Shuichi’s dilemma one bit. His smile was so pretty, Shuichi observed.
The detective removed his hands from his face, accepting defeat - he couldn’t deny it, he was absolutely infatuated with this stranger. He placed his earbuds back into his ears while he waited for his drink to be brought to the booth he’d chosen, but after that commotion Shuichi deemed acquainting this perfect stranger much more important than the reason he originally came here. Shuichi noted how busy the coffee shop was, so he resigned into his seat and patiently observed the barista - he watched his mannerisms, each one cuter than the last and, from time to time, the barista would glance back at Shuichi with a look in his eyes too fond for words.
Eventually the purple-haired boy began to make his way over to the booth Shuichi had settled in, of course - he had expected a waiter to bring his drink but any moment with this stranger was a moment of bliss, so he made nothing of it. He glanced at his coffee and back at the barista, pausing to admire his eyes once again. Startling Shuichi, the boy exclaimed, “Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be back in a minute!”.
Despite the unexpected request, he did as the boy asked, and waited for the others return. He hesitantly sipped his drink and looked around the coffee shop - noticing the lack of people around, and the remaining waiters, who swiftly collected the leftover plates, cutlery and coffee cups. The store must be closing soon, he inferred. Not long after this realisation, Shuichi and the mysterious stranger were the only two people left in the shop. The barista stepped out of what seemed to be the staff kitchen, (he had now changed out of his apron) and marched over to the blue-haired boy, and held out a hand. Instinctively, Shuichi shook his hand and watched as the barista took a seat right next to Shuichi. “I’m Kokichi Ouma! It’s nice to meet you!” he communicated with a level of confidence that took Shuichi by surprise, and naturally he too introduced himself, undeterred by the awkwardness of the situation. They chatted for a while, happily getting to know each other, while either boy analysed their newfound crush: every feature; every strand of hair; every soft chuckle or adorable smile.
Abruptly, Kokichi explained, “Excuse me if this is too blunt, but I noticed you checking me out earlier, and since- “.
“Gah! I- I wasn’t! I swear!”, Shuichi blurted in an attempt to salvage the dignity he had left, but they were both far too aware that the detective was lying.
Kokichi acknowledged the awkwardness of the situation and stood up, handing the other boy a small slip of paper before leaving. “Hey, maybe I misread the situation but if you ever feel like hanging out, that’s my number. See ya! Or not!” he stated as he waltzed out of the shop.
Shuichi followed, still in awe over what just happened. “Bye, for now I guess.” he muttered, and began to walk home before being startled by a car that passed them.
Reflexively, he bolted backwards into the arms of the boy behind him, eliciting a chuckle from Kokichi. “Ouma-kun! I- I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to!”, he stammered. Taking a step away from the barista, who seemed to be unphased, he hesitantly asked, “I’m so sorry, but would you mind accompanying me to my flat? It’s just that it’s so dark it doesn’t seem safe for either of us walking all alone! Right?”. Kokichi agreed and they began to head towards the taller boy’s home.