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Hitoshi didn’t know what was worse: the endless monotony of highway lines stretching into oblivion or the bickering coming from the backseat. Either way, he was two hours past the point of no return.
The family road trip was supposed to be a bonding experience. Mic had pitched the idea with a hopeful gleam in his eyes, as if everyone in the car was going to suddenly start playing games, sharing inside jokes, and loving each other like the idyllic family in some vacation commercial.
Instead, it had been non-stop chaos. His Pa was overly chipper, trying to organize snack rotations and “share your thoughts” sessions, he belted out classic rock at an ear-splitting volume while Aizawa desperately attempted to calm him down, and his younger sister Eri…well, right now she only existed to make everything worse. She was in the middle of a tantrum about the window not being open enough when his dad’s voice cracked through the car.
“Can you please stop acting like someone just killed your puppy, Hitoshi?” his dad barked from the driver’s seat. “We’re supposed to be having fun here.”
Hitoshi resisted the urge to throw himself out the window. “Yeah, Dad, this is the fun I’ve been dreaming of,” he muttered under his breath, barely loud enough to avoid a lecture about his ‘attitude.’
The sun hung high in the sky, casting the world in that post-lunch, heat-drenched haze. They’d been driving for what felt like years, crossing state lines into places Hitoshi would have never visited had he been given the choice. He’d always envisioned himself in cities, with stories of coffee shops and art museums—not highways, fast food joints, and parking lots filled with gas stations.
It was the latter that brought him to the convenience store. They’d just crossed into a new state and the family needed to stretch their legs, so Mic called for a “pit stop.” Which, in family-speak, meant another ten minutes of arguing about bathroom breaks, snacks, and whether or not Eri could have more than three packets of fruit snacks.
The store was a small, out-of-place relic of a simpler time—half a gas station, half a mini-museum of forgotten snacks and travel necessities. The fluorescent lights flickered as Hitoshi walked in, and for a moment, the world outside seemed to fade. The air conditioning hummed, a small mercy in the sticky heat.
Hitoshi pulled his earbuds out, walking straight to the fridge. He grabbed the first bottle of water he could find, trying not to make eye contact with the overly peppy cashier at the counter.
He was probably Hitoshi’s age, maybe a little younger, with messy blonde curls and a lazy smile that made it look like he didn’t care about anything except whatever was playing on the radio behind him. His name tag read Denki in big, blocky letters.
He caught his gaze and grinned. “Road trip?”
Hitoshi stared at him for a second, then realized that, yes, he must have looked like someone who was nearing the end of their tether.
“Five days,” he said, placing the bottle on the counter. “Three states, one younger sister, and a dad who thinks ‘family time’ is a form of torture.”
The blonde boy, presumably named Denki, leaned on the counter in a way that suggested he wasn’t expecting to be busy anytime soon. “I’ve heard worse,” he said. “We get a lot of grumpy travelers around here. But hey, it’s not that bad, right?”
Hitoshi couldn’t help but snort, shaking his head. “You’ve clearly never been stuck in a minivan with a parent who thinks he’s auditioning for a role in ‘The Screaming Show.’”
Denki raised an eyebrow. “I mean, I have been stuck in a van, but I’m guessing your road trip’s a little different than the one I did last summer. It was a college thing, but it was all bad decisions and cheap beer. Pretty sure we spent more time lost than we did anywhere else.”
Hitoshi’s lips quirked into a reluctant smile. “I’m just trying to make it through Oklahoma without killing anyone. At least you didn’t have to suffer through the same snack rotations for the past 36 hours.”
Denki leaned closer, as if telling a secret. “I’ve got a better deal for you,” he said, and before Hitoshi could ask what he meant, he grabbed a bright red lollipop from a jar behind the counter. “Store policy says I can’t let anyone leave here without a smile. And you, my friend, look like you’re about three seconds away from killing somebody.”
Hitoshi blinked, half-surprised, half-amused. “You’re seriously offering me candy?”
He shrugged, a playful glint in his eyes. “It’s not just candy. It’s a smile guarantee.”
Hitoshi eyed the lollipop warily but accepted it with a resigned sigh. “You’re persistent. I’ll give you that.”
He grinned, as though he’d won some small victory. “Everyone could use a little sweetness in their day.”
Hitoshi glanced at the door, hearing his family’s bickering resume outside. For a moment, he allowed himself to linger in the quiet of the store, breathing in the stillness, away from the chaos that had been his life for the past few days.
“Thanks,” he muttered, finally breaking his stern expression and giving the cashier a genuine smile.
Denki’s eyes lit up like he’d just witnessed something magical. “Now that’s the stuff. Have a safe trip, okay? And seriously—if you’re ever stuck in this place again, I’ll be here.”
Hitoshi nodded, holding the lollipop like a small token of peace. “I’ll think about it,” he said with a smirk, turning to leave.
“Wait!” He heard the other call out.
Hitoshi turned around to face the boy. He looked nervous, his tan skin was flushed a light shade of pink.
“Could I, um, maybe get your number?” Denki choked out. His expression lacked confidence as his eyes fluttered anxiously.
Hitoshi felt the side of his mouth begin to quirk up in a smug smirk. “Is this part of your policy as well?”
The blonde eyes widened in shock before he stuttered out a response. “N-no, um, this is just for me.” Denki started before rushing out a quickly “You don't have to of you don’t want to though, I mean, we will probably never see eachother again anyways,”
Hitoshi couldn’t help but chuckle at the cute cashier’s panicked face. “Relax, I didn’t say no”
Denki's mouth opened slightly, before he swiftly shut it again. “Oh,”
Hitoshi quirked an eyebrow, urging the blonde to go on.
“Yeah I guess you didn’t.” Denki murmured out in disbelief.
Clearly he had broken the poor boy, Hitoshi decided it was best to take it from here.
“Here, give me your phone.”
Denki rapidly stumbled to grab his phone, before placing it in the other boy’s hand. Hitoshi typed in his number, saving his contact in the blonde’s phone.
“This way you have someone to complain to when the road trip gets rough.” Denki smiled up at him hopefully.
“Yeah, I do.” Hitoshi gave him a soft smile of his own before turning and leaving the store.
As he stepped back into the heat of the parking lot, the air suddenly didn’t seem as oppressive. The van was still there, of course, waiting to drag him back into its claustrophobic madness. But for a moment, it didn’t seem so bad. Five minutes of peace, a kind word from a stranger, and a ridiculous lollipop had somehow made all the difference. Maybe that stupid policy was useful after all.