Work Text:
The door rang at 5 pm, making Thoma jump from his seat by the counter.
Business was so slow at the new shop, that he thought no one would ever come in this shift.
But apparently, he was proven wrong, watching as a blue-haired man enter the shop with a look of curiosity on his face.
“What does this place sell?” his voice was deep and melodious, filling Thoma with a sense of calmness from it.
Now that he was up close, Thoma could see how pretty the man was. Glacial long hair that swept down his nape, eyes as bright as polished diamonds, and even a little beauty mark under his lips.
Thoma almost reeled back from that observation.
“Uh…milk tea sir,” he said, his voice small as he gestured at the menu.
The man bit his lip, looking at the menu intently.
His gaze was so intense that Thoma couldn’t even look away.
Then he suddenly beamed “Can I have three large Wintermelon please?” he said as he fixed the kendo sword hanging from his shoulder.
Thoma snapped from his staring, his face turning red.
The man laughs “Well aren’t you an easily flustered one?”
Thoma blushed even harder “No, I’m not.”
“Are you sure~” The man smirked as he watched Thoma shovel ice into the large cup. “You look like a little tomato.”
“T-tomato-”
“Yep~” the man sat in the seat before him almost daintily “You know what, I’ll call you Tomato from now on!”
Thoma looked at him curiously “From now on?”
“I….My previous boba shop was found out.” the blue-haired man said almost sheepishly “Since this is more hidden, I won’t be found out here.”
“..You make it sound like you are being chased by the mafia, sir” Thoma dropped a pint of tea into the cup, “How much milk do you want sir?”
“Three tablespoons,” he said “And also about the mafia thing? It’s not technically a mafia…but might as well be a cult.”
“Why? Are you famous?”
“...you don’t know me huh?” The man tilted his head, going quiet.
Thoma bristled from his mixing, fearing he offended him
. “Sir- I’m so sorry I-” he tried to apologize when the man’s laugh cuts him off.
“Ahahahah man, you really are strange” he giggled, an arm holding his stomach “This is the first time this happened…hehe…I’m rather amused.”
“And this is the first time I have seen a person not be insulted that I cannot remember their name.”
“Well, you learn something every day I suppose” he chuckled.
Thoma nodded and then grabbed a straw from the container. Pushing it out to the man, he gave him a smile “Thank you for buying!”
The man’s violet eyes brightened and he grabbed the cup almost desperately much to Thoma’s amusement.
He hummed, sipping the Wintermelon boba “This is so good~” he grinned widely, pleasure on his face.
“You really are a boba addict huh?”
“Boba tea is the best beverage. You cannot argue with me.”
“And this is my job and there is a CCTV watching my every move so I won’t.”
“I feel your love for this job emitting out of you ahaha”
“Well, I have to get a paycheck obviously.” Thoma grinned. “So I have to act like this “Happy Go-lucky” person all the time while on this shift.”
He looked at him in surprise “You’re not happy go lucky?” he then sighed “Man…to think I’ll lose my people reading skills to a boba shop employee. Well, Aunt Yae is going to scold me for this.”
“Well I am? To be honest I’m not sure- wait did you say Yae? As in the famous publisher Yae Miko?”
Now it was the stranger’s turn to blush. “Great, what is up with me today?” he grumbled “I’m usually more reserved than this.”
“Well, I’m glad I was able to let you let down your walls to relax enough”
“Relax, huh?” he echoed, and then he looked at his wristwatch “Oh no, I’m late for dinner.” he groans, standing up “I’m dead to my aunts if I stay any longer.”
“I’m sorry for keeping your time then.” Thoma apologized as he helped him gather his milk teas.
“It’s fine” the stranger waved his concern off “ If I give them these milk teas, it should pacify them enough”
He starts walking away when Thoma found himself shouting something.
“Can I at least know your name?”
At that, the stranger winked at him “Secret~”
And closed the door behind him.
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The second time he sees him enter, he’s not alone.
“WOAH ANIKI, YOU FOUND US A NEW PLACE!?” The tall brutish looking man was like a child as he looked around the shop in wonder.
‘Aniki’ laughed “Well Itto, we had to vacate our previous one after a certain someone leaked the place.”
Itto frowned “I’m sorry okay? I wanted to share it with Takuya!”
“.....Itto you posted it on Twitter.”
“My hands are too big for my phone okay?”
The stranger patted the taller man’s arm “Let’s buy you a larger one someday but not today.”
The blue-haired beauty then approached the counter with a smile “Hey Tomato~”
“Tomato-” Thoma choked.
“Dude, your name is Tomato?” Itto gasped.
Thoma blushed “What? No!” he then exhaled “But I guess it makes sense you call me Tomato since I haven’t said my name yet….” the blond stuck out his arm “I’m Thoma.”
The blue-haired man narrowed his eyes before shaking his arm “Thoma….okay Thomato!”
Thoma winced “You are not letting go of the tomato thing aren’t you?”
The stranger laughed “Obviously”
“But at least tell me your name.”
“No~”
Itto grins, showing his long canines “Yeah, you can’t know. If you knew he was Kami-” the blue-haired man shoves a cookie at Itto’s mouth.
“Now now Itto, let’s not lose another Boba shop to hang out in….again.”
“You make it sound as if you went to a lot of boba shops,” Thoma remarked as he started to gather his ingredients.
“Well, honestly we went to maybe….120 shops already- and also one Wintermelon for me and one chocolate milkshake for Itto, both large”
“Okay coming right- wait did you say 120 shops?” he looked at them incredulously “Are you both loaded or something?”
“Not me but Aniki is-” another cookie is shoved up his mouth again.
‘Aniki’ smiled at him “Anyways, we’ve been to 120 shops just to find a quiet place to hang out.”
“Because of the cult?”
Itto burst out laughing “CULT- OH MY GOD ANIKI, DID YOU CALL YOUR FAN CLU-”
“Itto, do you want another cookie down your throat?”
Itto shuts up.
Thoma stared at them “You do realize I’m slowly piecing together who you people are right?”
“Yes, and I’m hoping you don’t say it once you do.” the man said, sitting on the seat by the counter again. Poor Itto was so big that he had to seat near the window, at one of the stalls.
Thoma listened in to them talking about beetles as he started to create the milk tea and the shake.
He tried not to stare at the way the man smiled and the way he seemed to be so proper and elegant while leaning against the counter. How that was even possible, Thoma doesn’t know.
He never knew that something as simple as leaning could be so attractive…
Thoma jumped. What in the world? He doesn’t even know the guy…
Soon he finished the two drinks. “Thank you for buying!” he greeted as he passed them to the two men.
A smile appeared on Itto’s face “This is delicious, dude. I should really bring Takuya and Yoimiya here sometime too.”
Thoma looked at him in surprise “You know Yoimiya? As in the summer queen Yoimiya?”
“Why the sudden change in tone Thoma?” the stranger taunted, his lips red against the pale straw “Do you have a little crush on Yoimiya~”
“What? No!’ Thoma stammered “I don’t have a crush on her!”
“Good because I do!” Itto said, puffing his chest out.
“Itto sweetheart, you find everyone we meet attractive,” the stranger said, sipping on the boba. “You even found Takuya hot and he tried to get you expelled.”
“Hey- At least I have tastes. You literally have no one to fond over.”
That’s when the stranger’s eyes turned playful. “Oh really? Watch me” he turned to Thoma “Hey I like you, you’re my crush now.”
“HUH!?”
“ANIKI, THAT’S NOT HOW IT WORKS!”
“Well you didn’t give me clear rules so I did what I did,” he said smugly.
“BUT STILL-”
As the two begin to banter, Thoma could only stare at his shoes.
His crush huh?
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The third time he came here..he really didn’t come.
As in he was just by the doorway, looking at him pleadingly.
“Hey do you allow dogs here?” the man called out, holding a leash.
Thoma shrugged “Well you are the only ones buying in these hours so I guess go ahead.”
The stranger thanks him, disappearing behind the door frame and walking in carrying a Shiba Inu.
Excitement filled Thoma “Is this your dog?”
The stranger nods, trying to calm the squirming dog “Yes, I was supposed to get him a dog walker but apparently he got food poisoning earlier soooo,” he stared at the floor “Do you mind if he’s left to roam the place? He’s trained, don’t worry.”
“I don’t mind” Thoma smiled at the dog “If I wasn’t working, I would already be all over your dog…what’s his name?”
“Taroumaru.” The stranger lets Taroumaru down on the floor, making the pup run around the place in excitement.
“Awwww, that’s a cute name for a cute dog” Thoma mumbled, looking at the way the dog rolled onto his back, letting his owner scratch his belly.
“You’re a dog person huh?” the blue-haired man remarked, caressing the dog’s head.
“Well, I would be if I had the money to even afford a dog that cute. I always wanted a Shiba Inu… ” Thoma shrugged “So instead, I take care of strays instead.”
The man nods, now looking curious “Now that I think about it, why are you working in this job?” he asked, “Not that I mean to pry into your life, I'm just curious on why you are settling on this job as your main source of income considering you seem overqualified for this job.”
At that, Thoma looked away “Well, have you realized my name sounds different from the Inazuman dialect?”
The stranger nodded.
“Well…I guess I am what you can say as an Overseas worker,” he said embarrassedly “I’m not originally from this city. I just came here to provide for my mom in another country and to fix the debts my dad left here..”
“Debts?”
Thoma sweatdropped “His original business…wasn’t doing great…so here I am, working in a boba shop.”
Thoma waited for his mischievous comment. If there was one thing he learned from the man, he was playful.
Instead, he looked at him thoughtfully “Oh. Then I’m sorry for not giving tips then.”
“It’s fine” Thoma shook his head “If I’m going to earn money, it’s by clean means!”
“Clean means huh?” the blue-haired man repeated, looking troubled.
“....”
“.....”
“....hey….aren’t you supposed to order?”
“Oops, I forgot about that.” he said sheepishly “One large Wintermelon please.”
“You never get tired of Wintermelon?” Thoma asked, gathering the materials.
“Well, what else can you make?” he asked, a challenge present in his voice.
“I could make you a triple chocolate shake with all the toppings and syrups we have here,” Thoma said with a smile.
“Are you sure you can make that taste good?” the man asks, lifting the Shiba back into his arms.
At that, Thoma grinned “Watch me”
-
After that, the stranger came in more and more. Sometimes bringing his friend Itto, sometimes bringing his dog, and sometimes he goes alone.
No matter what though, Thoma always expected him at the hour now, preparing for his arrival with all the ingredients.
Sometimes he just settles on milk tea and sometimes he feels a little experimental and asks for everything on the menu to be combined into one (“No, that’s not possible for the last time.").
They seemed to grow closer too. Thoma basically spilled a lot of information about himself. How his mother was and what his hometown was like.
But there was one thing he still did not understand: the man’s secretiveness of his identity.
The man still did not reveal his name. And when he did reveal parts of his life to Thoma; like Itto, his dog, his relationship with “Yae”; he still did not reveal all of it.
It was as if he was hiding something big from him.
Putting away the newest economics magazine, he waited for the man again.
Just like clockwork, the man entered, looking exhausted.
“Thoma, Wintermeloonnnn” he groaned, a black Shiba Inu in his hands.
Thoma lets the dog escape its owner's grasp before letting the man slump over the counter.
“What happened to you?” Thoma asked, getting back to the back of the counter.
The man raised his head weakly “The amount of work I had was just” he stared at his hands “I can’t even describe it. Not to mention the cult was there when I left so” he gestured at his disheveled state.
“Well then” Thoma chuckled, placing a Wintermelon tea against the pale man’s cheek “This is on the house then.”
The man sits up “No, no Thoma. You need the money-”
“I insist” Thoma laughed “it’s your prize for standing my rants.”
“ You make that sound as if I’m not the one who coaxed you into them,” The man said with a huff.
“If that’s what you feel, then consider it as a ‘thank you’ for being a friend….yeah I still do not know your name.”
“You still haven’t figured it out?” the man snickered.
“Hey! You weren’t giving any clues, so don’t blame me,” he said as he scooped down to hug the black-furred Shiba Inu. “Also is this a new dog?”
He nodded his head “Yeah. It is”
“Well, why didn’t you bring your other pet? Taroumaru”
That’s when the man smiled “Who said this dog is my pet?”
Thoma was about to open his mouth when he heard a lot of footsteps come from the distance. “What the-”
The man paled “Oh gods not again.” he looked at the window in terror “I thought I covered my tracks right this time.”
Grabbing the cup, he then looked at him in terror “Is there any back entrance here?”
“Well there’s one over there but why-”
“I’ll explain one day, but not today,” he said, running towards the back entrance “I need to go now. Bye”
“Stranger wait-”
As soon as the man closes the door behind him, the bell in front of the main entrance rang.
Waves upon waves of girls (and some boys) came into the shop, their gazes looking around the shop.
“Was he here?” one of the girls asked, pulling Thoma so close he can smell her breath.
“Who was here?” he tried to ask,
“Kamisato Ayato, duh. The CEO guy? The one who models his brands?” she pursed her lips “Apparently someone saw him come here. We had to check!”
“Huh? Kamisato Ayato? The only one who came here is…” that’s when something clicks.
He looks down at the magazine he threw away.
The stranger’s face was on it….
Thoma felt his cheeks burn.
Yae Miko….Loaded…..Cult-like following…Oh God, why did he not see this before?
After shooing them away (“No, you cannot touch that straw just because Kamisato-san touched it”), Thoma realized something.
The stranger- No,...Kamisato Ayato forgot his dog.
Panic swells up his system when he spots something on the dog's collar.
Why….was there a lock mechanism on the tiny square tag.
Thoma knelt next to the dog and pressed his thumb against the tag.
The cover popped up, revealing a tiny roll of paper.
A letter, he realized as he unfolded it.
“Dear Thomato,
Yes, I’m not letting go of that nickname.
Anyway, remember when you told me you wanted a Shiba Inu? Guess who bought one for you. Also, don’t worry too much about the debt. I already cleared it out for you. I may have pulled some strings here and there but we don’t talk about that!
And the last thing, you might want to enter Yashiro Enterprise tomorrow and call for Kamisato Ayaka. She’ll help you settle in for a new permanent job.
Though you’ll still have to make boba tea for me, my ‘crush’.
See you in the building ehe.
Lots of boba, Kamisato Ayato”.
Thoma felt his face burn as he stared at his new dog and back at the smooth calligraphy of “Kamisato Ayato” on the paper.
What…did he just get himself into?