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Countless adventurers came to Akira’s shop every day, looking for potions, stimulants, and remedies that would aid them in their journeys. Akira welcomed them all with the same smile and friendly disposition, trying to be as helpful as possible to ensure that they wouldn’t die a tragic and painful death—and, consequently, would return for more items.
There was one of his recurring clients, however, who had caught Akira’s attention. At first because he was pretty easy on the eyes; and then, because when he smiled at Akira, his entire shop seemed to lighten up.
“Hey,” he said in a cheerful voice. “You’ve got any healing potions without any Cituna leaves?” There was a hint of embarrassment on his face. “I’m pretty allergic to the stuff.”
His cheerfulness made him sound young. Akira couldn’t help but glance at his arms. Those were definitely the arms of an experienced adventurer: strong, tanned, and covered in scars. Well, it was a breath of fresh air to see someone who stayed so joyful after years in that line of work.
“Yes,” said Akira. “They’re a little more expensive, but should work just as fine.”
“Great!” Once again, that bright smile. “I’ll take eight, then.”
Akira nodded, starting to fill the flasks with the potion he had brewed that morning.
“You’re new around here, aren’t you?” he asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
“Ah, yeah. I came from Lavena in the east, just moved to the city this week.”
So, he was a country guy… Akira had guessed from the accent—which added to his charms. “And are you enjoying your new city life?”
“I’m still getting used to it,” he admitted. “But I’ve got my partners with me, so that makes things easier.”
Partners, huh… Akira couldn’t help but wonder if they were as charming as that man. He wanted to continue that conversation, but soon he was done filling those small flasks, and wouldn’t want to keep his client waiting.
“Here’s your order,” he said. “It’s usually twelve coppers each, but I’ll make it ten as a ’welcome to the city’ discount.”
“For real, man?”
Akira smiled. “Just make sure to come back if you’re satisfied with them.”
“You can count on it!”
He paid for the potions, then started to put them inside his bag.
“Ah, right…” He raised his head, looking at Akira. “What’s your name?”
The question caught him by surprise: it was rare for a client to care about such a thing. Maybe it was true what they said, that people from the countryside were more affable than most.
“Akira,” he said. “And you?”
“Ryuji.” He closed his bag with all potions safely stored inside. “Well, I’ll see you later then, Akira.”
Akira nodded. “Be careful out there.”
Ryuji offered him another of his warm smiles before turning away. Akira watched as he walked out of the shop, letting out a small sigh. It was rare for him to have the chance to chat with someone that pleasant… All he could do was hope that Ryuji and his friends wouldn’t get killed in action, so he would come back to his shop in the near future.
Around a week later, Akira was stirring his cauldron of stamina potion when a familiar, cheerful voice caught him by surprise.
“Hey, Akira.”
There he was, looking as bright as Akira remembered. He couldn’t hold back a smile at the sight.
“Good to have you back,” he said. “Did the potions work well?”
“Yeah, they were amazing. Much better than the stuff we used back in my hometown.”
That praise made him feel proud of himself. “That’s good to hear. Are you here for more?”
Ryuji nodded. “Eight healing potions, three mana ones, and… How much for an Olene balm?”
“Seven coppers.”
“Three of those, then.”
Akira started to gather those items. “Are you going to Ethera forest?”
He could guess, since Olene balm was a good and cheap repellent, and the Ethera forest was infamous for its pesky—and oversized—bugs.
Ryuji looked at him, seeming impressed. “You can guess with that much?”
“I just heard some complaints of bugs invading the roads. It seems a few merchants even lost some of their stock to them.” He sighed. “It will be a problem for all of us if they scare the merchants away.”
“We’ll do all we can to help, so you don’t need to worry.”
Was he trying to reassure him? How sweet.
“You said you have companions…” said Akira. “How big is your group?”
Judging by his purchase, Akira was guessing three, counting Ryuji.
“Four.”
The answer surprised him, but soon Ryuji added.
“I mean, three people and a talking cat.”
“Oh.” Akira couldn’t hold back a surprised smile. “In that case…”
Akira searched his shelves for something, placing it among Ryuji’s order.
“This is a repellent that works well on fur,” he explained. “Should keep your little friend from getting some unwanted visitors.”
“Ah, we didn’t have those back home.” He seemed pleasantly surprised. “Mona will be happy to know… How much for it?”
Akira shook his head. “Consider it a small gift from me.”
“You sure?”
“I am.” He shrugged lightly. “I really like cats, and wouldn’t want your friend to suffer.”
Which was true. Well, honestly, he usually wasn’t one for giving gifts like that, but… He liked Ryuji, and wanted him to stay safe so he would return to his shop. And, if he could help a cute cat in the process, even better.
“You’re really nice, y’know?”
Those words caught Akira by surprise, making him look at Ryuji. “Uh?”
“I mean… Not everyone was this friendly with a group of country bumpkins who just got here.” He paused, meeting Akira’s gaze. “But you… We haven’t talked for long, but you made me feel more welcome than anyone else.”
His words were so honest that, in a rare event, Akira was left speechless. In his awkward attempt to find a good response, he ended up falling into his automatic shopkeeper behavior.
“Anything else?”
Akira mentally slapped himself at the pathetic response. Ryuji seemed taken aback by it too, quickly averting his gaze.
“Ah, no.” He let out a small, nervous laugh. “My bad… I got kinda distracted here.”
“No, it’s fine,” Akira added quickly. “It’s nice to have someone to talk to.”
Did it sound too much like an excuse? Thankfully, Ryuji seemed to believe him, his face relaxing with relief.
“Glad to know,” he said. “It’s nice talking to you, too.”
Those words made Akira’s heart beat just a little faster. Before he could say something stupid again, he forced a smile.
“Good luck in the forest,” he said, then added. “I hope to see you again soon.”
“Thanks! I’ll be back soon.”
He watched Ryuji leave, quietly hoping that he meant those words, and would visit his shop as soon as he could.
Ryuji’s visits became more and more frequent as his group finished more jobs and gained the trust of the Adventurers’ Guild. In a few months, Akira had come to meet his partners: a warrior named Yusuke, a mage named Futaba, and a talking cat named Morgana, who was surprisingly skilled at support magic. The four of them seemed pretty close—which made sense, considering that they had grown up in the same small town. It made Akira a little jealous of their relationship: he had never been good at making friends, and the few he had lived far from that city.
Maybe he was lonely, but he started to wish he could get closer to Ryuji and his group. A silly idea, of course, especially considering that they were his clients. But Ryuji was such a sweet and kind man that he couldn’t help but want to know him better.
Akira lowered his head with a long sigh: he wasn’t one to get crushes like that… It almost made him feel silly to be so enamored with someone he only saw every other week, and with whom he only exchanged a few minutes of conversation at every visit.
And yet, when Ryuji entered his shop that morning, he could feel his heart flutter like it hadn’t since the last time they met.
“Hey, Aki.”
The nickname made him smile. “Good to see you again. What will it be this time?”
Ryuji made his order, which was larger than usual.
“You got a big one?” Akira asked.
“Yeah,” said Ryuji. “A nest of salamanders in a cave to the south.”
That explained the fire-resistance potions. Akira quietly added an extra one for good measure—and as a wish for good luck.
“I hope it all goes well,” he said. “Those lizards can be troublesome in bigger groups.”
“We’ll be fine,” Ryuji reassured him. “We’ve got the best alchemist on our side.”
Ryuji offered him a playful wink, and Akira laughed in an attempt to hide how hot his face suddenly felt. He wished Ryuji luck, then once again watched as he left, wondering when he would finally gather the courage to ask him out for dinner.
The next time he saw Ryuji was a few days later, when he was dragged inside his shop by his companions, covered in blood and with a large burn on his right arm.
Akira immediately forgot about the potion he was brewing, rushing to their side, his heart pounding painfully with concern.
“What happened?” he asked.
“Looks like someone lied on the job description,” said Morgana in an angry voice.
“Salamanders my ass…” Ryuji hissed in pain. “That was a damn Wyvern nest.”
Akira widened his eyes. “Wyverns…?”
As troublesome as salamanders could be in larger groups, they didn’t compare to those creatures—who were in many ways like smaller dragons—be it in size, resistance, or fire power. A less experienced group wouldn’t have returned from a mission like that.
“We managed to defeat them, but ran out of potions by the end of it,” Futaba explained. “Ryuji took that final hit for us, and you can see how it ended.”
Akira looked at that burn mark once again. It was horrible to think about it, but Ryuji had been lucky to still have an arm at all.
“It would be much worse if it weren’t for those fire-resistance potions,” said Yusuke, “so we should thank you for that.”
Akira thanked his past self for adding that extra potion to their purchase. With the initial shock gone, his mind cleared enough for him to know what he should do next.
“I’ll take care of him,” he said.
“It’s fine,” said Ryuji. “I just need some healing potions, a salve, and some sleep.”
Akira shook his head: there was no way he would let Ryuji leave his shop in that state. “Come with me.”
He guided the group to the back room of his shop, making Ryuji sit on a chair before grabbing the items he would need. A single potion wouldn’t heal a wound like that… It would need a more thorough treatment, and then some extra care to minimize the scar it would inevitably leave.
He worked carefully, but without wasting time. Only when all wounds were closed, and the burn started to heal, did he finally speak again.
“You should tell the guild about what happened. This is why they are so strict about job descriptions.”
“We will,” Futaba grunted. “Ah, man… I can’t believe someone tried to trick us like this. Were they hoping we would die there, so they wouldn’t need to pay us?”
“It was a despicable thing to do,” said Yusuke. “But at least we have all come back in one piece.”
Morgana grinned. “I’d say Ryuji is lacking a few pieces, though…”
“Yeah, yeah… Very funny, you furry brat.”
Ryuji lightly poked Morgana’s head while the cat laughed mischievously. Now that the worst had passed, it seemed like that group was returning to their usual, lively manners. Still, it was surprising how Ryuji still managed to act that cheerfully with such a big wound in his arm.
“Aren’t you in pain?” asked Akira.
“Yeah…” Ryuji half-smiled, half-grimaced. “Hurts like hell.”
“How can you keep smiling, then?”
He shrugged with his opposite shoulder. “It’ll hurt more if I stop.”
Akira observed him for a moment, at a loss for words. Then, a low sigh escaped his lips. “You’re such a strange one.”
“Huh?” Ryuji looked at him, confused. “Am I?”
Akira nodded. “Let’s say, most people with this many scars wouldn’t be as lively as you are.”
His words made Ryuji go silent for a while, as if thinking about it. “I dunno, man… I mean, I’ve got a well-paying job, a kind mom who writes me every week, a bunch of good companions, and a nice friend who’s helping me with my injuries even if he didn’t have to.” He smiled. “I think I’ve got more than enough reasons to be happy.”
Akira couldn’t respond, his mind still absorbing the fact that he had been called a friend. Close to them, Morgana groaned.
“Such a simple-minded idiot,” said the cat.
“Come on, Mona…” Futaba smirked at him. “We all know you were worried about him.”
Morgana scowled. “I wasn’t!”
“I clearly remember you saying you would hunt and fight every Wyvern to death if Ryuji didn’t make it,” said Yusuke.
“I didn’t say that!”
Their playful argument made Ryuji laugh, which Akira took as a good sign.
“Is it getting better?” he asked.
“Yeah… Thanks, Aki. I really owe you one.”
Those words made a strong urge take Akira whole, making him speak before he could think about his words. “Then… Won’t you have dinner with me once you recover?”
Silence filled the room. Akira was about to apologize for crossing a line, when Futaba suddenly spoke in a loud voice.
“Oh, I think I heard the front door opening…” She grabbed Yusuke by the arm. “We’ll go tell whoever it is to wait for a minute, alright?”
“Just take your time…” Morgana followed her, throwing the other two a final glance. “See it as our thanks for helping our stupid Ryuji.”
With that, they left the room, closing the door behind them. Well… they definitely noticed the intentions behind that invitation. But how could they not, when he was so forward about it? Maybe it was the shock of seeing Ryuji in that state, or the realization that he had been so close to never seeing him again at all, but he simply couldn’t hold back those words this time.
Akira kept his eyes low, his face burning with embarrassment, until Ryuji’s low voice called his attention.
“You meant it?”
There was nothing but curiosity—and maybe some expectation—in that question. Akira looked at him, noticing that his face carried a red flush, not unlike his own.
“Yes…” he said. “To be honest, I’ve been looking for an excuse to spend some time with you out of the shop.”
To his surprise, that answer seemed to please Ryuji, who opened a smile Akira hadn’t seen before: not as wide as his usual ones, and unusually timid for someone as bright as him, but still as beautiful and sincere as Ryuji himself.
“Y’know…” he said in a low, slightly embarrassed voice. “I’ve been thinking the same thing for a while, too.”
Akira couldn’t help but think that the sweet smile as he said those words was the one he loved the most.