Work Text:
“50 percent off?! hell yeah!”
you look in reko’s direction. your best friend is pointing at something in the hot topic display window, a black sign with bold white letters: up to 50% off ENTIRE STORE!
“i can’t miss a deal like this, we HAVE to go!” before you could protest, reko was running towards the store’s entrance.
only reko would get this excited over a hot topic discount. you laugh and chase after her.
upon entering the store, you notice reko is nowhere to be found. knowing her, she probably found something seconds after entering and was probably in the fitting room. there are toys and trinkets from many games and shows you recognize, and a lot of stylish clothes. a my chemical romance music video is playing on the screen above the cash registers. nobody is behind the counter, though.
that’s weird, you think. maybe they’re short staffed.
you walk towards the fitting rooms to see if reko’s there, but the door is open and nobody’s inside.
“why’s this shit so high up? what do they think i am, a giant?!” you hear reko’s voice coming from near the cash register. she’s jumping in her heels, trying to reach for a pair of socks.
“careful, reko! if you keep jumping in your heels, you’ll fall,” you walk to her side and look at the items she was jumping at.
“whatever, i jump in heels all the time during my performances,” she sighs, “see, i want to buy those black cat socks, and i want to buy matching pink ones for nao.”
you chuckle. last time you went to hot topic, reko and her girlfriend nao bought matching frog bracelets. they’re hopelessly in love with each other, and it shows.
“maybe we can piggyback, and you can reach it,” you suggest.
“if you sit on my shoulders, you’ll mess up my perfectly styled hair!! i’d rather scale that wall myself,” she huffs.
“climbing it would mess up your hair too, especially if you fall… uh look, maybe i can try to carry you?”
you look at her outfit, her heavy platform boots, chained belts and jewelry.
“actually, nevermind. i do not want that falling on me.”
reko grumbles to herself and grapples at the wall. you facepalm.
“uh, do you two need help?”
you and reko turn around to face who’s talking. it’s a short, scrawny, teal haired boy around the same age as you two. he’s wearing a blue scarf and a dark green beanie covering his unkempt hair. there are eye bags under his blue eyes.
“what do you want, you twink?” reko yells at the boy.
“ma’am.. i just work here, i was wondering if you need help.”
“oh. you work here? can you grab that metal grabber thing and help me reach these socks??” reko asks him.
“sure, just give me a minute..” he grumbles.
“man, that guy looks so tired,” i whisper to reko as the employee searches around the cash register. he’s kinda cute, you want to add, but reko’s lesbian and wouldn’t care. so you say nothing.
“sorry ma’am.. i couldn’t find the garment hook,” the worker sighs. “i don’t know if somebody misplaced it last shift, and it’s just me today.”
you take the opportunity to look at his name tag. it says shin.
“how the hell am i supposed to get this then?!” reko crosses her arms.
“look kid, i just work here-”
“who are you calling a kid?! i’m definitely older than you, i’m like a foot taller than you!” reko fumes. you look down at reko’s huge platform boots. there is an awkward few feet of space between shin at the cash register, and you and reko at the wall. you can’t help but feel bad for the guy.
“if you want to try piggybacking or something…”
“we already tried that!!!” you and reko say in unison.
“oh!” you realize. “i can piggyback you,” the words come out of your mouth before you could think. piggyback the cute stranger? what am i saying??
“me?” shin asks.
“yes, dumbass!” reko rolls her eyes. “you’re a twig, even a grade schooler could pick you up.”
“o-okay..” shin mutters awkwardly and closes the awkward gap between you and him, and stands behind you.
“here,” you squat down and brace yourself for contact. shin’s slim fingers graze your back, and you shudder. he climbs onto your shoulders, and you grab his knees to steady him. his warm legs are on both sides of your neck, and his thighs-
“step backwards a bit,” shin says. you gasp softly and look up to see him on your shoulders. you position yourself under the socks, and shin reaches up to grab them.
his thighs are warm on your neck, and you tighten your grip on his knees as he shifts around.
“dammit- i can’t get them off the hook!” he yells down. he’s struggling to pull the socks off the upturned hook.
“what the shit?! are you too weak to pull them off the rack?! just pull harder, twink!” reko yells back at him.
you gasp as he reaches higher, making a motion to stand (even though there is no floor beneath him) and you instinctively grab his hips to make sure he doesn’t fall. this must look really weird for the other shoppers…
“aha! got it!” shin yells triumphantly with the black cat socks in his hand. you exhale as shin sits back on your shoulders.
“i want the pink ones too, y’know.” reko tells him.
shin grumbles and reaches up again, pulling the pink socks off the hook.
you lower yourself and shin climbs off you, sliding off your back.
“thanks!” reko smiles and takes the socks from shin, turning them over in her hands. “ooh! these are on sale!’
“is that all you’ll be buying?” shin rings her up at the cash register and reko is smiling happily.
“yeah,” reko pulls out her wallet, and you catch a glimpse of a polaroid of nao in it. you laugh to yourself. she did all that for some socks for her girlfriend. love wins, i suppose.
reko took off the packaging and hummed to herself, and shin looked at you awkwardly.
“thanks for piggybacking me. that girl would’ve killed me,” he laughs.
“of course,” you reply, smiling like an idiot. “anytime!”
wait, anytime?
…oops.
“here, uh.. a token of my thanks..” shin avoids your gaze and hands you a sticky note.
“you’re welcome! i- mean, thank you too? oh-” you look at the sticky note. his number is written on it!
“i've been wanting to go to that sushi place nearby, but i have no friends..” he says shamefully.
aww.. what a loser <3 jk
“oh! we could go, i- uh- call me! and stuff!’ you fumble with your phone and save his number in a contact.
you rejoin reko outside the store, shin still smiling at you as you walk out.
“what took you so long? don’t tell me…” she looks down at your hand with the sticky note in it. “ugh.. i knew you were eyeing him.” she makes a disgusted face. classic reko.
“if you two start dating… tell me if you ever need me to beat his ass.” you both laugh, but you know she wouldn’t hesitate to do that.
you send him a quick text telling him “it’s me, the person from hot topic!” he’ll check his phone after his shift is over.
“i can’t wait to give these to nao after her art class,” reko cheers. you know she’s going to come back to buy more from hot topic, but you don’t mind.
no, you don’t mind at all.