Chapter Text
“As you all know, the goal of university is to make you a competitive candidate for your dream job.”
The whole class did their best to hold in their groans as Dr. Matsunaga once again mentioned their future. It was every student’s greatest fear: the vast unknown that is post-graduate life.
But of course, that was why they were all attending university in the first place. It was the reason Fengfan went against his parents wishes and applied for a year abroad in Tokyo rather than their suggested school in Singapore. Though they had a good point that he would feel more comfortable because they had relatives who lived near the university, Fengfan was looking for an adventure. Something new.
Dr. Matsunaga continued on with his inspirational speech about how receiving a quality college education is the foundation to a successful life, smoothly segwaying into the real point of his lofty lecture— the annual career fair. These were big events like this at his main institution back home in Zhejiang and it never failed to make him spiral.
“I will be posting a list of all the different sessions you can attend next Friday. Please email me the session of your choice by Monday so that the speakers can prepare in advance,” Dr. Matsunaga clicked off his powerpoint and placed his clicker on his desk. “Let me know if you have any questions or if you’re unsure which session is best suited for you.”
With that, Dr. Matsunaga concluded the lecture with his usual reminders about the business student circle and upcoming chapter tests. Once class concluded, everyone quickly filed out of the lecture hall to attend their next activity, while there were quite a few that stayed behind to speak to their professor about career options.
“What session are you going to?” Takeru asked, slipping his laptop into a plain navy case before placing it carefully in his backpack. “I was debating on going to the hotel management session.”
Fengfan shrugged, “Not sure yet.”
When Takeru gave him a judging look, Fengfan pressed a finger to the other boy’s chest to halt any nagging.
“I know, I know. Don’t worry, there’s just a lot of options to choose from, all I have to do is narrow my options down.”
“Alright Fentarius. If you still can’t narrow your options by Monday, you can just tag along my session,” Takeru said. “Also, you sure you don’t wanna come to dinner with Takumi and I tonight? It’s gonna be at that yakitori restaurant near his family’s store.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I already told my manager I would cover my coworker’s shift tonight.”
“What is the cafe and event planning board going to do when your year abroad is over?” Takeru sarcastically clutched his chest in sadness, to which Fengfan couldn’t help but snort at. Even at his home university in China, he was a fairly involved student on campus. He had so many interests and hobbies that it was difficult to choose just one thing. Fengfan met Takeru through the Campus Activities Organization (CAO), who was the Chair for this academic year. Though Fengfan couldn’t commit to being an officer, he was a very active general member. “Well, I was going to hang out at his place after dinner anyway so you’re free to join us then.”
The Ozaki family ran a flower shop that doubled as a cafe a little ways down from his student housing complex. Fengfan and Takeru frequented their business so often, it became a running joke between all of them that they should just apply there. Although, it seemed like Takumi’s parents secretly hoped it wouldn’t be a joke at some point.
“I’ll message you when I’m finished at work to see if you’re still at Takumi’s,” Fengfan said. “Hopefully you’ll still be there when my shift is over.”
“Nah, Takumi and I talk for hours, we’ll definitely still be there by the time you’re done,” Takeru flashed him a grin. “I’ll text ya later.”
—-
Whenever he was in a mood, Fengfan liked to go away from the major city and venture into the slower paced areas of Tokyo. He stayed on the bus a few stops after his normal route to work and got off in front of a park in one of the residential areas.
He’d been here so many times that if he were to walk with his eyes closed, he could find what he was looking for in a heartbeat.
A few streets and apartment complexes later, he felt his body visibly relax upon the site of a small roadside shrine at the corner of the neighborhood. It had a golden roof rusted from the weather and faded multicolored origami cranes draped on both sides. In the center was a small stone carving of Buddha, smiling calmly at him with its hands clasped together.
Standing in front of the shrine, Fengfan took a deep breath and then closed his eyes.
“My first 3 months of being abroad are over, yet it feels like I just arrived yesterday. I would ask if time could slow down, but I don’t think you’d fiddle with the space time continuum just for a boy who wants to stay in Japan for a little longer. Maybe a better question would be, how can I make this exchange an unforgettable one? If you’re listening, please show me how I can make the most of my time here.”
Fengfan waited.
And waited.
Nothing.
Just the sound of feet hitting gravel and laughter from a group of high schoolers heading home on their bicycles.
He slowly opened his eyes and refocused his vision on the small stone carving in front of him.
Was there anyone who listened to him up there? Who knows. It always helped to clear his mind and put it out there for whoever is above to hear.
After one last deep breath, he turned around to head back to the bus terminal he was dropped off at, when he was nearly pushed to the ground.
“Eek! Sorry mister! I was so busy watching the street performers near the station that I didn’t realize I was late for cram school…”
The young girl bowed profusely to him in apology and took off down the street to presumably her cram school class. He rubbed the part of his shoulder that took the impact of her tackle and sighed. As unforgettable as it was being nearly American-football level tackled by a stranger, Fengfan wasn’t sure if that was the type of unforgettable memory he wished for a second ago.
However, the mention of street performers piqued his interest because busking hardly ever happened at this part of town. Figuring he had enough time to check it out before heading to work, he made his way to the station near his bus stop.
From afar, he noticed that there was a small crowd gathered around a makeshift stage and figured that was where the girl came from earlier. As he got closer, he noticed that there were three dancers with the younger boy in the middle wearing a brown suit that made him stand out from the group. The boy didn’t look much older than Fengfan and had an admittedly charming smile.
It seemed like the next number was a jazz routine based on the upbeat saxophone and base instrumental that blared from the set of speakers placed near the stage. Fengfan was immediately captivated the moment the brown-suited boy danced in a way he’s never seen before. His roommate Taji was more of a hip-hop kind of guy, so that was pretty much what Fengfan was exposed to. However, the dancer in front of him moved in fluid, precise moments that gave off the impression he was practically boneless.
The men took turns at the center stage showing off their individual dance styles and encouraged the crowd to bring up their energy. Due to the commotion of the crowd, more spectators flocked to the stage.
At the end of the song, the dark haired boy spun around to gracefully end his number, and scanned the crowd, somehow landing on Fengfan’s line of sight.
Though Fengfan had no idea who that boy was, he beamed directly at him with a 100-watt smile that could light up any room. For a second, he felt his cheeks burn. Is this what idol fans feel like when they receive fanservice?
He had to admit, whoever that stranger was on that stage, he was talented and attractive. It was no wonder that the girl was late for her cram school class earlier because she was distracted by his performance. Maybe he could become an idol one day.
Shit.
Fengfan looked at the time on his watch and his heart dropped to the floor. If he didn’t hurry, he was going to be late too. Taking one last look at the black-haired boy who bowed at different parts of the crowd in gratitude, he ran to catch the next available bus.
—-
Fengfan leaned against the counter and sighed. He knew that rushes during work were a thing but they were only supposed to happen during peak hours. Luckily, most of his close work friends were scheduled for the majority of the day and helped him through the excruciating pain of refilling countless plastic, clear cups for disgruntled college students. Taji stayed a little over his scheduled time to help him clean up the coffee grounds and spills from various iced refresher incidents.
“Alright, Fengfan, I think I’ll head out. I got some cramming to do for accounting tomorrow,” Taji undid the tie behind his back and folded his green apron neatly on the marble counter next to Fengfan. “Get some rest when you go home.”
Fengfan gave him the best smile he could, “Thanks for staying back to help, Taji. You really didn’t have to.”
“Well anything that could help you close a little faster is worth it.”
“Yeah no kidding, you saved me a lot of time. A little over an hour of this and it’s bedtime for me once I get back to our apartment,” Fengfan yawned, making a point that he was ready to hit the hay.
“Don’t fall asleep on shift,” Taji sang as he went to the back breakdown to collect his belongings.
“I won’t,” Fengfan sang back in a deadpan tone loud enough for his friend to hear.
Taji returned to the front of the counter with his school backpack he stowed away in the breakroom this afternoon, “Kidding, kidding. I know you won’t. I’ll see you later tonight, Fen.”
Fengfan nodded and waved goodbye to his friend until he exited the cafe. Through the clear doors, he saw Taji open up his umbrella and briskly walk off to the nearest bus stop. From the small peak he had outside as the door swung close, he noticed that the drizzle from earlier turned into a downpour. A part of him felt relieved that it meant no one would dare come in with this weather, but the other dreaded the walk home.
“Get home safe, Taji,” Fengfan said into the empty cafe, knowing his friend was already long gone at that point.
He glanced at the clock.
8:00PM
He had an hour until he could officially call it a day, so he decided to do simple cleaning procedures that Taji wasn’t able to finish up. He went to the back storage closet and took out a mop to clean the floor with. No one would be in the right mind to come in right now, so he might as well get the longest part of closing over with.
After filling the bucket with water, he dipped the mop inside and swirled it around a few times until it got completely damp. He then placed it in the ringer and stepped on the pedal to squeeze out the excess water. Once he was satisfied, he started with the corner of the cafe where the smaller tables were located.
He continued along the column of tables and chairs, occasionally going back to the bucket to dampen the mop. Whenever his manager wasn’t in, Fengfan and Taji played songs they liked on the cafe speakers rather than the repetitive, pre-made playlist the corporate office of the cafe made. Fengfan immediately recognized the song that came up on shuffle next— it was the new release from survival show group JO1 that he’d been listening to almost every day since it came out. A smile returned to his face as he mopped along to the rhythm of the song. As it approached the bridge, he sang a little louder, letting himself indulge in the flow of the song. He was careful not to make too much movement, otherwise it would create a very bad accident that involved fresh wet floors.
Fengfan used the mop in his hand as a mic stand and belted out the final words of the song. He made a dramatic hand gesture, swinging his pretend mic stand around, and spun to complete the final movements of the dance when he saw a boy around his age standing in the doorway.
“Sorry, err… are you closed..?”
Fengfan dropped the mop out of shock and felt his face flush a deep red.
“Ack I’m sorry! Did I scare you?” The boy frantically ran over to Fengfan. He swiftly maneuvered past the wet floor sign that he had put down earlier to avoid any accidents, and crouched over to grab the mop he had just dropped. The boy gently offered it to him, “You dropped this…”
From this angle, Fengfan was able to get a good look at the person kneeling before him— he had large round, brown eyes and dark colored bangs clung to his face with rain still dripping down his temple. Despite wearing a black pullover sweater that would normally hide imperfections, you could clearly tell that he walked without an umbrella.
Wait a second. Why did he look so familiar?
Fengfan took the mop from him, their hands briefly grazing each other during their exchange. When the boy stood up, he stretched a little to prevent cramps after crouching over.
“Are you alright?” The boy asked, a hint of concern on his face.
“I’m fine,” Fengfan said, pinching the space between his eyebrows, feeling the cringe coming in full force.
“Um, I really like that song too! Icy by JO1…” When Fengfan’s face turned a deeper shade of red, the boy waved his hands in front of him frantically. “You were really good though-” Suddenly, the other boy let out a loud sneeze. “Ugh, sorry,”.
That was when Fengfan realized that the air conditioning in the cafe was probably making him extra cold after being drenched in the downpour outside.
“Um, I feel like I should be the one asking you if you’re okay,” Fengfan gestured to the dripping wet clothes of the stranger. “You’re completely soaked.”
The stranger let out an embarrassed laugh, “I didn’t pack an umbrella with me today. Bad luck I guess?” He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, “I can be a little forgetful sometimes so stuff like this happens to me a lot though, believe it or not.”
“You might get sick if you do this kind of thing often,” Fengfan glanced at the duffle bag that the other was clutching in his right hand. “Do you have a change of clothes in there?”
The boy lifted the bag in question, “In here? I don’t. Just some personal items. I really didn’t expect it to rain so hard tonight, it was clear skies when I was performing outside a few hours ago so I left anything extra at my apartment.”
That was when Fengfan put two and two together. He was the boy from the street performance earlier, and was way cuter up close. There were so many people in the crowd that the chances of him remembering Fengfan among a blur of faces was slim to none.
Fengfan thought to himself for a second about the situation at hand. In the backroom, there was a shelf full of towels they used to clean up larger messes in the cafe. There were definitely a few that would be large enough to give to him so the poor guy could at least dry up. Fengfan felt bad that he braved the wind and rain to get a little drink, it was the least he could do before he took his order.
“Wait here.”
Without waiting for his response, Fengfan carefully placed the mop back into its respective bucket and walked over to the backroom where the extra supplies and towels were located. He stood on his tiptoes grab one of the bigger towels from the highest shelf, balancing himself with his left hand on the shelf in front of him. After feeling around for a bit, he took the towel from the top and opened it up to double check its size.
Perfect.
He went back out into the main part of the cafe and handed the stranger the towel, “Use this to dry yourself.”
The boy took the hesitantly accepted towel, “Sorry for the trouble..”
The boy ruffled his hair with white towel Fengfan gave him and did his best to dry out all the rain that was falling from the top of his head to the floor.
“Well then, can I get you something to drink?”
“Yes, please,” The boy’s voice was muffled as he got to drying the rest of his face with the cloth.
Fengfan walked behind to his position by the counter, careful not to slip on the freshly mopped floor. Behind him, the other boy slowly followed suit, waddling over to the register where Fengfan stood.
He pressed a few buttons on the monitor to wake it up from its idle state after Fengfan’s mini performance, “What can I get started for you?”
“I better get some rest tonight so it's probably not the best idea to get coffee at this time of day huh,” The boy placed the towel on the counter for Fengfan to take back. He then pursed his lips and looked at the menu for a couple of seconds. “Can I get an iced matcha latte please? A tall size.”
“Are you sure you want an iced drink? You look like you’re freezing,” Fengfan said, reluctant to write his order.
Masaya waved him off, “I only ever drink iced drinks, even if it's cold outside.” Not too long after, he let out another sneeze in perfect timing, further proving Fengfan’s point.
“Okay, make that a warm latte,” Masaya slumped his shoulders.
Fengfan nodded and scribbled down notes on the side of the cup.
“And a name for the order?”
“Masaya.”
What a pretty name.
Fengfan shook his head at the sudden thought that popped into his mind. Taji loved to tease him whenever he would obviously flail around when a good looking guy came into the store. If his best friend was still here right now, he would have an absolute field day.
“What’s yours?”
He was taken aback by Masaya throwing the question back at him. If customers asked him a follow up question, it was about their non-dairy options or how much money they had left in their gift card.
“Fengfan.”
“Fengfan…” Masaya repeated. Fengfan couldn’t help but like the way his name sounded in his voice. He pronounced each syllable, as if he was making a mental note on how to say it properly. “Where are you from?”
“I’m from China.”
“China?” Masaya exclaimed in wonder, making pride bubble in Fengfan’s chest ever so slightly. “Do you go to school here?”
“I’m doing exchange in Tokyo for a year,” a small sense of pride bubbling in his chest.
“Whoa, you’re impressive Fengfan! Tokyo has some of the best schools in the country. You must be crazy smart,” Masaya smiled brightly at him, his big cheeks making his expression even more endearing. “I’ve been living in Tokyo for a while but this was actually my first time at this location, I didn’t know that there was one in this part of town. I was invited to a dance class over at a nearby studio, I thought I’d grab a drink before I headed home.”
“You take lessons around here?” Fengfan asked, genuinely interested in his answer.
“Not at the studio I went to earlier since I was invited as a guest, but I’ve been dancing for as long as I can remember. It’s like walking for me,” Masaya exclaimed proudly. “At my home studio in Shinjuku, I teach contemporary and jazz.”
Fengfan rounded up his order on the screen so that he could get started on his drink. He had friends who danced for fun, but none of them pursued it professionally as it was more of a hobby in between their actual career goals. Fengfan only started dancing when he entered college so there were a lot of things he didn’t know, hence why he always admired people who have been dancing for a long time.
“I’m originally from Aichi but I moved to Tokyo so I can pursue dance as a full time gig. I was nervous at first because I wasn’t sure if I could make it but here I am,” Masaya continued. “Guess Tokyo had something to offer to both of us.”
Fengfan hummed in agreement as he moved to grab the vanilla syrup dispenser and pumped a few shots of vanilla into the cup. “Also, I just want to mention. I may not be a teacher or professional dancer but I can definitely dance better than what you saw earlier. Sorry you had to see that.”
Something bubbled inside of him when Masaya let out a short laugh. He hid the smile that was creeping on his face by turning his back to Masaya in order to mix matcha powder and hot water together in a separate container. Once they were properly mixed he added it to the Masaya’s cup, the heat of the water caused the sides to quickly condensate.
“Hey, it was a great performance from someone who was dancing on a wet floor,” Masaya replied in good humor.
“You think so?” Fengfan laughed.
“I teach dance, remember? I don’t lie when I compliment someone.”
The corner of his mouth quirked up, “Fair enough.”
Fengfan bent down to take out a carton of whole milk from the mini fridge under the counter. “I haven’t been dancing for as long as you have been though. I saw you earlier at-“
“Ah, wait-” Masaya suddenly exclaimed in panic.
Fengfan abruptly stopped before he poured the non fat milk into Masaya’s drink. Shoot, he forgot to ask if he wanted a substitute for milk, didn’t he?
“I didn’t pay for the drink before you started making it…”
Fengfan looked at Masaya and then back at the drink in his hand. That’s right. He was so carried away by their conversation that he started making his drink without even taking his payment. One drink on him wouldn’t hurt right? It’s not like he’ll see Masaya again after this since he did say that he was never in this part of town anyways.
“It’s on the house.”
Masaya tilted his head, “I can pay for it though?”
“You’re fine. I’m sure you had a long day.”
Masaya’s skeptical expression melted into a heartfelt one, “That’s really nice of you. Thank you, Fengfan.”
He uncapped the milk carton and poured the correct amount into the frother according to the recipe he had repeated a million times before. Once he was finished, he put the milk back into its respective place in the fridge and placed a lid on top of Masaya’s drink.
Fengfan handed Masaya his order, “One matcha latte. Careful it’s still hot.”
Masaya took it from Fengfan and inspected the drink with a grin, “I really appreciate it… it feels like comfort in a cup. Just so you know, I still feel a little bad though.”
“Don’t feel bad, I think you’ll be feeling worse if you woke up with a cold.”
“Totally,” Masaya laughed, but his smile dimmed ever so slightly when he caught a glimpse of the clock behind him. “Hey it’s almost closing for you isn’t it? Sorry for keeping you here so late.”
“It’s fine if you stay a little longer,” Fengfan said softly. “We don’t close for another 10 minutes, if you want to sit for a moment...”
What was he saying right now? He had to close up shop soon.
“Are you sure? You haven’t finished cleaning up from earlier.”
“It’s fine. I usually clean right when we close.”
That was a total lie. He liked to clean at least 30 minutes before closing so that he could get home earlier.
“Well, if that’s the case,” Masaya’s eyes searched around the cafe. “How about we sit together? It doesn’t seem like anyone would be walking in anytime soon, unless they’re an idiot like me and walks in the rain.”
Fengfan practically jumped out of his skin for the 5th time tonight. Sit? Together?
“Sure, let me clean up back here a little beforehand, if that’s okay. It’ll be really quick.”
“Of course.”
Masaya waited for Fengfan as he undid the knot behind his apron and placed it near the register. He hastily wiped down the utensils and materials he used to make Masaya’s drink as well as the surfaces of the back counter, trying his hardest not to make it obvious that he was attempting to be as quick as possible so that they had more time together. When he was finally done cleaning the area, he did one last inspection of the space. Satisfied, and also mildly impressed that he was able to do a good job in such a short amount of time, he made his way around the counter to meet the other boy so that they could walk to the farthest window seat in the cafe together.
Masaya pulled the chair open for him, “Go ahead.”
“Thanks,” Fengfan quietly mumbled as he sat down. This guy really knew how to make a person fall for him, didn't he? With a bright smile like his and manners that could make anyone swoon, he has got to be popular; Fengfan made a mental note to take this interaction with a grain of salt. He could have a partner for all he knew, or rather, he could be doing this with anyone he came across. Fengfan pushed that last thought to the very back corner of his mind.
Masaya slid into the chair opposite of his and placed his drink in the middle of the table.
“Whoa,” He exclaimed, looking out the window. “I can’t believe I walked through that, I knew I should have brought an umbrella.”
“What made you come here on such a rainy night?” Fengfan questioned out of genuine curiosity.
“Well, I was walking to the train station after dance class and was really wanting something sweet. I love eating sweet things, especially after a hard day,” Masaya grimaced as if he had an unwanted flashback. But he quickly recovered from it and continued his explanation like nothing happened, “I could’ve gone to a sweets shop or convenience store near my apartment, but I thought I’d take a look around here before I went home. Then after some wandering around, my feet led me here.”
“I see.”
It was ironic how Masaya explained his story about how he stumbled upon Fengfan’s cafe on a random Thursday night because he actually wasn’t even supposed to be working. It just so happened that his coworker got sick and he offered to cover for her as everyone else pretended not to see her message in the work group chat when she asked for a substitute. Funny how that worked. Perhaps the universe worked in mysterious ways, to Fengfan it—
“...must be fate.” Fengfan finished his thought out loud without realizing it.
“Fate?”
Shit, did he say that out loud?
“I like that word. Fate,” Masaya toyed with the lid of his drink. “It's like the idea that everything happens for a reason.”
Masaya turned to quietly look at the view from outside— there were countless buildings and lights that were blurred between the showers of rain that didn’t seem to let up. Couples, college students, and workers huddled under umbrellas in order to shield them from the downpour, creating a rainbow of bobbing bouts of color everywhere that moved to the rhythm of their footsteps. Tokyo was a large city after all, people came and went, it never waited for anyone. It was rare for Fengfan to see the same customer more than once, most of them were just passing by.
“You saved me y’know.”
“Saved you?” Fengfan furrowed his brow at the sudden confession. “Like from the rain?”
Pink dusted ever so slightly on the apples of his cheeks upon seeing Fengfan’s puzzled expression. He laughed, “No, no not from the rain. Or, well maybe that was one part of it. ‘Saved’ probably isn’t the right word, but…” Masaya’s eye’s flickered to the drink in front of him in deep thought. He laughed and waved his hand in front of him in dismissal, “Actually, nevermind, I don’t know why I said that. Sorry that was a little dramatic.” He gave him a sheepish smile like he was embarrassed that he said something so outlandish all of a sudden.
”Did something happen?” Fengfan asked carefully.
Masaya took a couple more sips of his drink and swirled around the light green liquid in his cup, looking deep in thought.
“Ah, it’s nothing too important,” Masaya dismissed. “It’s just about blowing an opportunity and feeling a little regretful about it.”
A part of Fengfan wanted to ask him what exactly happened, but felt it wasn’t his place to ask a question like that to someone he had just met.
“You shouldn’t hold on tightly to outcomes you can’t control,” Fengfan replied. He couldn’t tell if he was giving advice or if he really was just talking to himself.
Fengfan watched Masaya gaze at the bustling city below, eyes fixated to the slew of cars for the light to turn green. He couldn’t read his expression but it seemed like he was processing his words.
“Yeah, that’s true,” Masaya said after a long bout of silence. He flashed a grin but his eyes weren’t smiling, “Guess I just gotta try harder next time.”
Masaya abruptly stood up to throw his trash in the nearby bin and returned to his seat across Fengfan. He looked around the cafe, like he was taking everything in, when his eyes glanced at the clock. His expression tightened, almost like he was debating on saying something.
“Looks like it’s only a slight drizzle now. I hope it says like this until I get to the train station.”
Fengfan also stood up, “Here I’ll walk you out.”
They walked slowly to the front door of the cafe in silence. Fengfan was at a loss for what he should say to Masaya.
Masaya grabbed the door handle, “Thank you again, Fengfan. For the drink and for talking with me.”
“Well… sometimes we all need a kind stranger, right?”
“Yeah, guess we do,” Masaya chuckled. “See you around, Fengfan.”
With that, Masaya opened the door and ducked into the drizzle.
Fengfan watched as Masaya’s figure moved farther and farther away from the cafe. He couldn’t stop the soft giggle that bubbled out of him seeing Masaya put his two hands over his head in an attempt to keep himself dry, though it was practically impossible without any hoodie or umbrella. Once Masaya reached the streetlight a few feet away, he turned around to look at the cafe again in search of something.
Fengfan quickly averted his eyes and mindlessly adjusted the table’s position in front of him to look busy. After a minute of slowly moving the table in random directions with no real purpose, he slowly lifted his head again.
Masaya was gone.
Fengfan left the table he was preoccupying himself with to grab cleaning supplies from the storage closet again in order to wipe down the rest of the surfaces in the cafe as fast as he could. Much to his surprise, and thanks to the previous help of Taji, he completed the rest of his closing duties within a fairly timely manner. After a final sweep, he routinely gathered his belongings from the breakroom, shut off the lights, and locked the front door once he exited the cafe.
The damp May wind lightly hit his cold cheeks that were from working in an air conditioned space all day. Thankfully, the rain died down completely sometime between the time he cleaned up and did his final closing duties. The air smelled of concrete and wet grass, there was something comforting about the silence after rain. He fished out his headphones from the front pocket of his bag and queued up his latest playlist. With that, he headed for the train station.
—
“Fen!” Takumi greeted enthusiastically upon opening the door to his home.
“Hey, Takumi,” Fengfan felt his mood lift immediately.
“Fengfan!” Takeru appeared from behind his friend’s shoulder.
He was quickly ushered into the warmth of the Ozaki household and made his way to his usual spot on the couch in front of the TV. It looked like Takeru and Takumi were watching a variety show featuring JO1, who were touring different parts of Tokyo.
“Hope you’re hungry!” Takumi gestured to the yakitori takeout, chips, and onigiri on the table. “We have lots of food to go around.”
“Yeah, better eat it before Takumi does,” Takeru joked. “Also, can you tell which onigiri I made versus Takumi?”
“They’ll taste the same anyways,” Takumi grumbled.
Fengfan laughed, “Thank you for saving me food. You didn’t have to.”
“We had to,” Takeru nudged him.
“How was work Fengfan?” Takumi asked, opening the bag of chips and popping a few in his mouth. Takeru motioned for him to pass him the bag after he was done.
“It was…” Fengfan briefly thought about Masaya. “Interesting.”
Takumi and Takeru looked puzzled at his unusual response. On a regular day, he would've said something along the lines of “it was okay” or “Taji made a weird drink combo again.”
“Did something happen?” Takumi followed up, hoping to get clarity on Fengfan’s answer.
“Not really, ” Fengfan reached for the onigiri that Takumi probably made based on the shape and took a bite out of it. “I just had an unusual customer.”