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Was this where Hizashi imagined himself working? All the blood, sweat, and tears he put into being the best DJ he could be only to turn around and find himself working at a cat cafe of all places? Yeah… Not exactly what he had pictured. Unfortunately, talent only goes so far when your dream job won't hire and you are struggling to pay the bills…
But did he regret it?
Not in a million years.
Okay, maybe at first. When he first started, he felt like such a damned failure. He had tried so hard to reach his dream, but fell fat on his face. Of course he would always put on a show on the clock, a bright smile and laugh, playing friend to each and every customer that came through the door… but once he got home, the mask would crumble and he would simply slide down the door, tears in his eyes, and try not to break down for the umpteenth time. This felt like a punishment, a slap in the face, salt in the wound… but… He just had to fight through it. He had to hold on. He told himself that every night on repeat as he laid in bed, a broken, desperate mantra echoing in his head until he finally managed to sleep. One day things would look up. They had to, right? It couldn’t be this way forever...
Then one day, after a particularly rough night, one of his regulars came in. After their normal exchange of friendly banter and a light jab about the contents of the coffee she ordered, she reached over and handed him a keychain… a little yellow cat with headphones on, pawing at one of the music notes surrounding it. It was clearly something handmade, though if it was her or someone else he wasn’t sure. He stared at it for a second before his eyes trailed back to her with what had to be the most amusing look of bewilderment, considering she started giggling at him.
“It made me think of you… You know, with the headphones and blonde hair and all. My friend makes them and I bought one just… to thank you. For being you. You always make me smile when I come in here, even after a bad day. I hope you like it!”
As she moved away from him to go have a seat, petting the grey tabby that hopped up into her lap, Hizashi couldn’t help but stare. Just like that, one little act of gratitude, and he realized that… this was ok. He wanted to become a DJ to be able to reach out to people, be a voice that people could turn to and listen for when they needed the pick me up. He wanted to make people smile. Now maybe this wasn’t on the grand scale he imagined, but… he could still do exactly what he had always dreamed of.
And that was when he started to embrace it.
After that, his smiles were brighter, his laughs a little louder, his eccentric friendly attitude much more honest. He became the personality he always wanted to be, just instead of radio shows and big followings, it was behind the desk of this little cat cafe and while he still wanted to strive toward owning his own show one day… he was learning that everything was ok just as it was.
However… there was one moment in particular… One that really drove it home that everything would work out. That moment came in the form of an old friend… one Hizashi hadn’t seen since he moved right after high school.
It was a day like any other, trying to clean around a playful kitten on his counter, bidding goodbye to the couple that had just left, restocking where things needed to be restocked, singing joyfully as the cats did what cats do when the bell above the door chimed.
“Heeeello and a warm welcome to-” He stopped when he finally looked up. The man that had just walked in… all black clothes, tired eyes, black hair, and a scarf around his neck despite it being mid-summer… Sure his hair had gotten longer and he had some scruffy facial hair, but that was one person Hizashi would recognize anywhere. “Sho??”
The man in question looked away from the kitten that had come up as soon as he walked in the door, confused at first who was calling him by the nickname his high school best friend called him by… only to look surprised himself. “Hizashi…”
“Holy shit! I… Long time no see! You look… Well you look comfy and tired. So like normal.” He laughed and quickly came out from around the counter. “How have you been? I know I haven’t texted in a while…”
“It’s fine… you’ve been busy I'm sure.”
A pained expression crossed Hizashi’s face at that, glad that Shota’s attention had returned to the cat at his feet so he didn’t see it. “Uh… Well I don’t think busy is the right word for it…” He admitted softly, then quickly cleared his throat and smiled once again. “But you didn’t come in here just to catch up with me I’m sure! So what can I get you? Coffee? Two sugars?”
“Yeah.” Shota confirms without looking and slowly picks the kitten he was staring at up to follow Hizashi back to the counter. He stood there, quietly watching the rather eccentric and excited blonde preparing fresh coffee. It had been so long since he got to just… watch Hizashi be himself. In fact the last messages he had gotten from the man were so… dreary. Tired. Stressed. Then nothing for months. Shota had been worried about him… but with so many of his messages going unanswered, there was nothing he could do. Then he heard word on the street that this little hole in the wall cafe was the place to be because of one friendly blonde… He was out of the house and on the way there before he could stop himself. It wasn’t the most logical thing he had ever done… but neither was letting his best friend slip through his fingers in the first place. “... Zash.”
Hizashi felt a chill run up his back. God it had been so long since he had actually heard, not read, that name. It was both euphoric and frightening at the same time… mostly because he knew what questions were coming. Why are you here? What happened to your dreams of being a DJ? He didn’t really want to tell the one person that had always had his back that he had failed, hit rock bottom and was just now climbing out again… Still, he knew he couldn’t lie to Shota… That would be worse. So he forced that smile to remain on his face as he continued working. “Yeah, Sho?”
“Are you off tomorrow?”
Well now that wasn’t what he expected… “Yeah. I’m off tomorrow and the next day, Why?”
“Hmm…” Shota hummed softly, brows furrowing for a second before looking up at Hizashi. “Dinner tomorrow?”
Shock. That was the only real way to describe Hizashi’s expression when that question got asked. It was apparently so shocking in fact that he almost poured coffee on himself. He didn’t, but it took some very interesting sounds and a little dance to prevent it and he definitely heard Shota snort a small laugh. “You saw nothing! Stop laughing!”
“No.”
“Rude! And here I thought we were friends!” Hizashi tried to sound even just a little offended, but it was hard though the joyful and mildly embarrassed laugh that had taken over his voice.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“Your question almost got me burned! Gimme a sec!” Hizashi laughed, quickly finishing up the drink and putting a lid on it. “Here. Now, your question. Yes. I would loooove to let you wine and dine me. Should I dress up? Sunday best? Suit and tie? Birthday suit~”
The expression on Shota’s face never changed, despite the teasing tone he was getting. Only after a deadpan response of, “Sunday best is fine. I’ll send you the address… 6pm. Don’t be late.” did he finally smirk, taking his coffee and heading toward the door.
“H-Hey wait! Sho-”
Ding
Hizashi stared at the now closing door that Shota had just left from. “I… Did he… What, is this a date??” Of course, the question went unanswered as the person the question was directed toward was no longer there. It wasn’t until he heard something fall off the counter, with feline assistance, that he managed to shake it off and get back to work… All with a bit of a giddy smile on his face. Yeah… Maybe this wasn’t exactly what he imagined for himself being. But now he realized, that was ok. It was evidently exactly where he was meant to be.
Fate really did work in mysterious ways...