Chapter Text
You didn't usually walk this way, or rather, you didn't usually walk at all when running errands. Usually you and your closest friend would get your grocery shopping done together, making it convenient for you to hitch a ride guilt free. But they had been extremely busy all week and you were getting desperate to restock your dwindling kitchen selection.
You were excited to dig into your food haul. Canvas bags full with meats and vegetables waiting to be cooked up with your favorite sauces and spices that you had at home. It would be a nice change from the pre-packaged dinners you had been subjected to recently after running out of fresh food. There was also a box of ice cream bars you bought to treat yourself to later.
The bags aren't too heavy but the rough fabric is beginning to leave marks on your fingers and palms as they weigh down in your hands. Determined to get home you moved at a steady pace, paying attention to where you were walking. Unfortunately, there was a man hurriedly leaving a building to your immediate right who wasn't watching where he was going, crashing right into you, catching you both off guard. Your bags slip to hit the ground, one of them spilling its contents.
“Ah! I'm so sor-” He stops short when he looks up to see your face, and he blushes slightly, only able to continue his sentence after quickly darting his eyes away to the side. “S-s-sorry. That was stupid of me. L-let me help you pick everything up.”
“It's okay,” you assure him, not feeling okay about this at all. But it was just an accident so you're trying not to be too upset. You both reach down to pick up the dropped items, and you notice that your belongings are now buried under things that he must have dropped as well. Your fresh and frozen veggies are scattered under some green and pink items, each donning the face of the same cat-girl smiling and posing. She looks familiar, an idol? You don't pay any attention to those sorts of things but you have seen her briefly before on TV spots and CD covers. He blushes a deeper hue in embarrassment now, rushing to gather up all the idol merchandise. With his stuff out of the way you reach for a bag of green beans at the same time he reaches for it to help. Both of your hands jerk away at the same time too.
“G-g... go ahead!” he squeaks, motioning for you to continue for the green beans, nervously reaching for a different bag once your hand is safely out of the way. You take turns picking items up and soon enough all your food is back in your bags and you're eager to get away from this clumsy, nervous wreck.
“Thanks for helping,” you say out of politeness.
“It was my fault that happened to begin with,” he replies, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand, idol merchandise clutched tightly in his other trembling hand. Good god, even the bag holding his items has the cat-girls face on it. He's obviously still on edge but at least he has calmed down enough that he isn't stumbling on his words anymore.
“Either way, I still appreciate the help. I have to get going now though, before my ice cream can melt any further.” You exchange awkward good-byes, but that awkwardness isn't relieved as you start walking towards home. He's heading in the same direction. You pick up your pace but he is either a fast walker with no other speed setting or isn't picking up on the hint that you're uncomfortable with how he's now trailing behind you. Every step you take you hear echoed by his steps, until the tension becomes unbearable and you turn quickly to face him. He must startle easily because he makes a tiny jump onto his toes before settling down again, looking equal parts confused and scared. “If we're heading the same way anyways I'd rather we just kept talking then having you constantly behind my heels in silence.” It comes out a bit angrier than you intended but he's a tad more relaxed now as opposed to the small panic he was in just a second ago. However it still takes him a moment to mull over what you've said and prepare a response.
“Choromatsu,” he says, holding out his hand for you to shake, looking pointedly at anything but you or the hand you're meant to grab. You give it a quick, weak shake, telling him your name in return.
And so you continue together, him walking carefully at the edge of the sidewalk away from you. It's obvious he's painfully shy, or maybe just in this awful situation, but at least the small talk goes smoothly. He actually leads the conversation rather well, asking you a few bland get-to-know-you questions like whether you're going to school or working, but he avoids the topic when you ask him those same questions in kind. The exchange has you talking in equal parts and it's nice, until you ask about what he was out buying and Choromatsu's face lights up. You learn all about his favorite idol, and it almost seems like he knows more about her than he knows about himself. Even if you tried you wouldn't be able to get a word in anymore as he's talking excitedly, not even pausing to breathe.
In his excitement he's let his nervous guard down, no longer keeping himself as far away from you as possible while you walk, and the change in character is sort of endearing. You don't even mind that he's neglecting to let you join the conversation, although you stop paying attention to the boring topic he's on about in favor of enjoying how genuinely happy he is to be talking about it. But you do have to cut him short soon enough. You stop walking promptly but he doesn't even notice.
“Choromatsu?” you call, and he whips around to see he's a few steps ahead of you and blushes once again. “This is my stop.” you finish, as you begin to dig around in one of your grocery bags.
“Okay.” He drags on the word, eyeing your house. “I guess I'll be going then, it was nice meeting you.” As he's finishing his sentence you manage to pry open the corner of one of the boxes in your bag. Taking an item from the box you step forward to hand him one of your ice cream bars, which he takes hesitantly.
“Nice meeting you too. Maybe I'll see you around again sometime,” you say and give him a warm smile, which he gladly returns. You exchange good-byes, again, this time sure that you meant it. At least for the time being.