Chapter Text
The store’s quiet that day.
It’s barely afternoon but no one has come by. It doesn’t particularly bother him, but he can’t help but wonder if anyone’s going to stop by. The clock on his wrist, his watch, ticks every second by. Was he hired because there were so few customers there’d be no way for him to mess up…? Well, then, how was this place able to keep making money? Oh, it must be that they gave him the most boring shifts. He sighs, resting his chin in his palm.
Past the filled isles of food and drinks, a bird rests outside the door, pecking at the concrete pavement. It’s searching for food, he thinks, hissing out an exhale through his teeth.
What can it do?
There’s nothing here. After all, this part of the neighborhood was a little more shady, especially at night. He should be happy about the fact he was even hired.
Sou would tell him something. What would he say to him now? Would he come in to cheer him up whenever business was slow? (Was it really like that…?) He’d say something creepy that’d make him nervous, but it would warm his cold skin and offer shallow comfort. He thinks—thinks just a little too long—and his heart aches for the painful sting of Sou’s warmth.
Where are you, Sou?
Shin slumps over the counter, feeling his body weight drag its familiar pressure.
A light breeze brushes leaves across the road. The bird has left now, leaving him truly alone.
Leaving him.
Why did you leave like that?
“Shin, you’re so funny sometimes,” he chuckled that hollow laugh of his, “that’s the wrong code. If you want to fix this, work a little harder. I know you’re smart enough—you’re just not living up to your potential!”
“Sou, I’ve tried everything…” His shoulder.
“Do you need help again, Shin? You’re so weak and pathetic, but I love that about you!” his throat tightens. “Think, Shin, think, think, think! That’d just be too sad, I know my Shin…is better than that. Show me how much you’ve improved.”
The grip on his shoulder.
A bead of sweat forms under his bangs and his mind scrambles with too many thoughts at once.
“Well—oh! Oh, maybe if I…” His fingers thumbed over the keyboard, typing rapidly upon his revelation.
“That’s it! I knew you had it in you.”
His shoulder burns.
He stuffs his face into his folded arms, the fuzz of his jacket tickling his nose. Hunched over, he can almost grasp the ghostly imprint of smooth fingers on his back.
Stacked cans and bright labels peek out through the gaps of his posture.
"Hmm…”
His eyes slide over to a pink sign decorated in paw prints.
Fresh Cat Food! On Sale.
He thinks back to something his parents whispered when he was meant to be sleeping.
Does he really have a sibling? He wants one, he knows, there’s a flicker in the back of his head—in his heart—that he can’t hide. He lets his mind wander as he stares out blankly at the banner. Would they have fluffy hair like him? What would their eyes look like, what age would they be? His lips curve into a soft smile as he entertains a hope almost long forgotten.
In all honesty, he doesn’t like to hope. He likes facts, certainty. He likes something he can easily grab and understand. He likes formulas, patterns—logic. He doesn’t like uncertainty nearly as much. But this hope creeps up onto him whenever he lets his guard down. It crawls along the edges of his tinged thoughts, bringing some sort of possibility. It brings him reassurance that he’s not at a dead end, but the lurking dread of truth tugs at the tips of his fingers.
One thing is sure. If he did have a sibling, they’d be disappointed in the person he is. He wouldn’t want to meet them yet, if such a person existed. He’d have to be the person he wants to be by then. The person he wants to be…what kind of person is that exactly..?
The door jingles and he jolts upright, standing stiffly as he quickly adjusts his clothing to look more presentable.
“Don’t wrinkle your clothes, Shin! You won’t even touch the iron. You have to care more,” He smiled. It always felt so strange.
“Sorry…”
“Ahaha, you’re so quick to apologize, Shin. If you’re not careful, someone might take advantage of that!”
The clink of a soda can slamming down onto the counter shakes the memories from his mind.
“Hey, you’re quite absent-minded for a cashier aren’t you?” The voice is loud but even then, not harsh.
“Sorr-” He pauses, “Aha, how can I help you…?” He’s wearing a striped jacket with black bars that stretch across. It resembles a western prison uniform a little too closely. Is that intentional? Shin almost snorts.
“I have claimed this soda can…” The tall man searches him for something, his gaze trickling down past his face. Self-conscious, Shin wills himself to scan the can past reddening ears. His fingers flick the button, eliciting a beep from the machine.
“Mwaha….Your name tag is smudged, you seem to be a mess. If I may ask, what are you called?” Shin’s eye twitches at the way he talks. How can someone have so much energy at night? Is it normal for these kinds of weirdos to walk into dull stores like these? And what kind of laugh is that? Wait—he didn’t even notice the tag.
His ears flush noticeably this time.
“Er…I’m Shin…Shin Tsukimi,” He plasters a nervous smile on his face as he pushes the can to the other side.
“I must thank you Shin Tsukimi, you see, I was wondering to myself—where can I find a shop with a variety of carbonated drinks? Alas, you were here, working the night shift when others had closed, and have saved me the trouble of another day. To return the favor, I’ll reward you with my name. Alice Yabusame.”
“Ahaha…” Shin laughs, uncertain if it’s from the absurdness of his words or the exhaustion filling his blood. “Well, Alice, if that’s all it’ll be 200円.” The name is a little familiar, but he can’t put his finger on it.
“Hwahhhhh?” Alice’s eyes widened, “There is no way this puny can is worth that much.”
“It is.”
“You lie.”
“It says right here…”
“I demand to know the reason. Tell me, Shin Tsukimi! Why is this can of—” he looks down to read the name of the can, “Pepsi worth 200!”
Did he seriously not even know what kind he was buying?
“Urk…yes…that is…” Shin’s embarrassment leaves as the sky darkens. “That can is one of a kind!”
“It is?”
“Yes,” Shin affirms, nodding to sell it as he settles into fake certainty, “this can has come a long way. On the back…there is a number!”
“There’s a number!”
“Correct!” He uncaps a sharpie and scrawls ‘62’ on the back.
“What did you just do?”
“Here’s your order, sir!” Shin smiles innocently, handing the can over to make sure Alice takes it this time.
“WAIT!” Alice exclaims, “you have not told me the…mystery of these numbers yet. Heh, do not think I will be fooled so easily.”
Shin blinks, his hands reaching to grab the scarf behind the counter (tucked away from view) absentmindedly as he thinks. What was he getting himself into…he better get a raise for this. He is being an excellent salesperson right now. He knows those sodas are not worth their price.
“Ehe…that is…”
“It is…”
Alice waits patiently, peering at the other man on the other side. As Shin chooses his words, he takes notice of his strange hairstyle.
“Every…Every can here has a number.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, yes that is ‘so.’ There is an um…” He glances at the back of the store, behind both of them. “A contest. Yes.”
“Do tell me more,” Alice crosses his arms, an excited glint in his eyes as he smirks. Shin almost lets the disbelief spill onto his face as he buys the story he’s making up as they stand.
“The first person to find the can that has something other than a number will win!”
“Win what exactly!”
“Er…” Shin closes his eyes, “they will get…50% off every bento!”
“Seriously?” Alice slams his hands on the counter before snatching the can and turning it around in his hand. He inspects the scribbled number on the back before grinning wider. “For how long?”
His mind is swirling.
“A year!” He shouts, pumping his finger in the air to sell it.
“Alright. I’ll be the one winning that one-year deal! Just you wait, Shin Tsukimi! I’ll make you tell everyone about my triumph!” And with that, Alice walks out of the store and rounds the corner out of sight, leaving only a bill.
Shin falls to his knees and wraps the scarf around him, covering his newly flushed face. He hadn’t expected to yell tonight. Just a few more hours and then his shift is over. What even happened? Well…it seems like his job was going to get a bit more interesting.
He is so screwed if his employer finds out.