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The automatic doors slid open with a soft ding as Touya and An stepped into the grocery store. A wave of cool, air-conditioned air immediately washed over them, a stark contrast to the humid afternoon heat that had been clinging to their skin outside. The fluorescent lights overhead cast a bright, clinical glow across rows of neatly stacked products, and the faint scent of fresh produce mingled with the sterile smell of the linoleum floors.
An adjust the strap of her school bag and turned to Touya with an energetic grin. “Okay, so the potatoes are in the produce section—follow me!” Without waiting for a response, she strode forward confidently, her long hair swaying with each step.
Touya followed a half-step behind, his hands tucked into the pockets of his school jacket. His expression was as composed as ever—calm, unreadable, with just the slightest hint of curiosity in his gray eyes as they swept across the unfamiliar aisles. He wasn’t used to grocery shopping. His mother usually handled it, and on the rare occasions he’s accompanied her, he’d merely tagged along in silence. But this was different. This was… casual. With An.
They passed by shelves stacked with colorful cereal boxes and rows of canned goods before arriving at the produce section. The area was bright and open, with misters periodically spraying fine droplets of water over leafy greens and vibrant vegetables. The earthy scent of fresh soil and herbs hung in the air.
An came to a stop in front of a large wooden crate filled with potatoes of varying sizes and shades of brown. She crouched down slightly, her amber eyes scanning the pile with practiced ease. “Alright, Touya. Watch and learn,” she said, picking up a medium-sized potato and holding it up to the light.
Touya stepped closer, tilting his head slightly as he observed. His gaze was focused, intent—the same way he’d look at sheet music when learning a new piece.
“See this?” An rotated the potato slowly in her hand. “The surface should be smooth and clean—no weird spots or green patches. If there’s green, it means there’s solanine, which is toxic.”
“Toxic?” Touya’s eyebrow lifted just slightly, his voice carrying a note of genuine surprise. He glanced down at the crate with a touch more wariness than before.
An laughed—bright, melodic sound that seemed to cut through the mundane atmosphere of the store. “Yeah! That’s why you gotta be careful when picking them.” She tossed the potato lightly in her hand before setting it aside. “Also, press on them like this—” She picked up another one and squeezed it gently between her fingers. “—it should be firm. If it’s soft or squishy, it’s already rotting on the inside.”
Touya nodded slowly, processing the information. Then, with the quiet determination of someone tackling a new skill, he reached down and selected a potato from the pile. He held it carefully, almost delicately, as if it were something far more fragile than it actually was. His long fingers pressed against the skin experimentally, testing its firmness.
An watched him with a small, amused smile tugging at her lips, There was something endearing about how seriously he was taking this—his brow slightly furrowed, his eyes sharp with concentration. “You’re really focused, huh?” she teased gently. “It’s just potatoes.”
“… My mother is very particular about ingredients,” Touya replied evenly, though there was a faint edge of defensiveness in his tone. He set the potato down and picked up another, repeating the inspection process. “I don’t want to choose incorrectly.”
“That’s… actually really sweet,” An murmured, almost to herself. The words slipped out before she could stop them, and her cheeks flushed slightly as she realized she’d said it aloud.
Touya glanced up at her, his eyes meeting hers briefly. “Hm? Did you say something?”
“A-ah, nothing!” An quickly turned away, busying herself with grabbing a plastic bag from the nearby dispenser. Her heart was beating just a little faster than it should have been, and she could feel the warmth spreading across her face. “I meant—uh—good! That’s good! Being careful is important!”
Touya didn’t press further, though the corner of his mouth twitched ever so slightly—almost imperceptibly—as if he were suppressing the faintest hint of amusement.
Together, they spent the next few minutes selecting potatoes, with An occasionally pointing out ones that looked particularly good and Touya meticulously inspecting each one before adding it to the bag. By the time they were done, they had a decent collection—enough for whatever dish his mother had planned.
“Perfect!” An declared, tying the bag with a satisfied nod. “Now for my stuff.”
She grabbed a shopping basket from a nearby stack and started making her way down the aisles. Touya followed, his hands back in his pocket, watching as An moved with the easy confidence of someone who’d done this a hundred times before.
First stop: the dairy section. An grabbed a carton of milk, checked the expiration date with a quick glance, and tossed it into the basket. Next, she moved to the bread aisle, humming softly under her breath as she debated between whole wheat and white.
“Kohane likes the softer kind,” she muttered to herself before grabbing the white loaf.
Then came the snacks.
An’s eyes lit up as they entered the snack aisle, rows upon rows of colorful bags and boxes lining the shelves. She grabbed a bag of potato chips first—the classic salted kind—and added it to the basket. Another followed. A third—barbecue flavor this time.
“Shiraishi,” Touya said quietly, his tone neutral but carrying just enough weight to make her pause.
She turned to look at him, her hand hovering over a jumbo-sized bag of cheese puffs.
“That’s the fourth bag of chips you’ve picked up,” he pointed out, his expression as calm as unreadable as ever.
An pouted, hugging the jumbo bag to her chest defensively. “Hey, don’t judge! Kohane and I always have a snack break after practice. It's basically a tradition at this point.”
Touya regarded her quietly for a moment, his eyes flicking between her face and the oversized bag in her arms. The faintest hint of a smile ghosted across his lips—so subtle it was almost easy to miss. “…If you say so.”
An blinked, catching that tiny, fleeting expression, and her heart did an unexpected little flip. ‘Was he… amused?’ It was hard to tell with Touya. His emotions were always so carefully controlled, so tightly guarded. But just now, for a split second, she thought she saw something softer beneath that cool exterior.
“What? You want some too?” she asked, holding up the bag with a teasing grin.
“…Maybe later. Akito usually forces me to share his snacks anyway.”
An laughed—a genuine, unguarded laugh that echoed down the aisle. “Ha! Classic Akito.” She looked at Touya with curious eyes, tilting her head slightly. “But seriously, what’s your favourite snack? I mean, you always accept the snacks that Akito gives you, but what do you actually like?”
Touya paused mid-step, considering the question with the same thoughtful expression he wore when choosing potatoes. His eyes drifted upward slightly, as if mentally cataloging all the snacks he’s ever eaten. After a moment of contemplation, he answered simply, “I like cookies.”
An’s face brightened, a warm smile spreading across her lips, “Cookies? I guess that really suit you.” There was something about the answer that felt perfectly Touya—simple, classic, unpretentious. She could easily picture him sitting quietly with a cup of coffee and a plate of cookies, maybe reading or listening to music.
“Is that so?” Touya’s tone was neutral, but there was a flicker of curiosity in his eyes, as if he genuinely wanted to know why she thought that,
“Yeah! It’s like… calm and refined, you know? Not too flashy, but still really good.” An gestured animatedly as she spoke, her enthusiasm infectious. “Plus, cookies go with coffee, and you seem like the type who’d enjoy a quiet coffee time.”
Touya blinked, momentarily caught off guard by how accurately she’s read him. “…You’re not wrong,” he admitted quietly.
An grinned triumphantly, as if she’d just won some kind of friendly competition. Without another word, she turned to the cookie section and scanned the shelves with renewed purpose. Her fingers danced along the rows before finally landing on a box of butter cookies—the kind with a simple, elegant design on the package. “Then let’s get you these!” She added the box to the basket with a satisfied flourish.
“You don’t have to—” Touya started, but An cut him off with a playful wave of her hand.
“Too late! Already in the basket,” An’s grin turn cheeky. “Consider it a thank-you for helping me with my shopping.”
The words died in Touya’s throat. Instead, he simply nodded, a barely perceptible softness entering his gaze. “Thank you.”
They continued down the aisle, with An adding a few more items to the basket—some candy, a bottle of iced tea, and the box of cookies now sitting prominently at the top. When they reached the beverage section, she paused, turning to Touya with bright, expectant look.
“Oh yeah! You want a drink? My treat—as thanks for coming with me!”
Touya shook his head slightly. “You don’t need to—”
“Come on, don’t be so stiff!” An was already tugging lightly on his jacket sleeve and pulling him toward the refrigerated section. “Just pick something! Or I’ll pick for you!”
Touya glanced down at her hand on his sleeve, then back up at her face. For a moment, he seemed to consider protesting further, but then he let out a quiet sigh—more resigned than annoyed—and stepped forward to look at the drinks.
His eyes scanned the rows of colorful bottles and cans before settling on a simple bottle of cold green tea. “…This one.”
“Ooh, simple and classic. Very you,” An said with a grin, grabbing the bottle and adding it to the basket. She picked out a lemon tea for herself and held it up triumphantly. “Perfect! Now we’re all set.”
They made their way to the checkout counter, the basket now pleasantly full. The cashier—a middle-aged woman with a kind smile—scanned their items one by one, the rhythmic beeping filling the brief silence. An pulled out her wallet, but Touya was already reaching for his own.
“I can pay for mine,” he said quietly.
“Nope! I pay for your drink, I already said it’s my treat.”, She handed her money to the cashier before Touya could argue further. “Besides, you helped me out, so it’s only fair.”
Touya’s lips parted as if to object, but he eventually relented with a small nod. “…Alright.”
With their bags packed, they stepped back outside into the warm embrace of the late afternoon. The sun was beginning its slow descent toward the horizon, painting the sky in soft shades of orange and pink. A gentle breeze stirred the air, carrying with it the faint scent of blooming flowers from a nearby park.
"Ah, wait—let's drink these first before we head out," An suggested, setting her shopping bags down on a nearby bench outside the store. She gestured for Touya to do the same.
Touya nodded and placed his potato bag beside hers, then opened his green tea. An cracked open her lemon tea and took a long sip, sighing contentedly. "Ahh, that hits the spot."
Touya took a small, measured sip of his own drink. The cool liquid was refreshing, and he found himself relaxing just a little as they stood there in the golden afternoon light.
They drank in comfortable silence for a moment, watching people pass by on the street. When An finished about half her bottle and capped it, Touya drained the last of his tea and tossed the empty bottle into a nearby recycling bin. An tucked her half-finished lemon tea into one of the shopping bags.
She picked up both bags again—one in each hand, bulging with groceries and snacks. Touya picked up his potato bag, watching as she adjusted her grip.
"Shiraishi," he said quietly, his voice cutting through the ambient noise of the street.
An turned to look at him. "Hmm?"
“Let me carry those for you,” Touya offered, nodding toward the bags. His tone matter-of-fact, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
An blinked surprise, then shook her head with a small laugh. “Huh? No, no, It’s fine! I can handle it. Plus, your mother probably expecting you home soon.”
Touya was silent for a moment, holding her gaze steadily. Then, quietly, he said, “It’s fine, she knows I went out to buy potatoes. Besides…” He paused, glancing briefly at the bags again before meeting her gaze once more. “Consider it my way of thanking you. For the advice on choosing the potatoes, for the drink, and the cookies.”
An felt her cheeks warm slightly at the sincerity in his words. There was something about the way Touya spoke—so straightforward, so genuine—that always managed to catch her off guard. She opened her mouth to protest again, but the look in his eyes told her he wasn’t going to back down easily.
“…Alright,” she finally conceded with a soft smile, handing him one of her bags. “But just one! I’m not completely helpless, you know.”
“I didn’t say you were,” Touya replied, taking the bag with a faint, almost imperceptible upturn of his lips.
They walked in comfortable silence for a few moments, the sounds of the city humming around them—distant car engines, the chatter of pedestrians, the occasional chirp of bird. The air was pleasant, not too hot now that the sun was dipping lower, and the golden light cast long shadows on the pavement.
“Hey, Touya,” An said suddenly, glancing over at him.
“Yes?”
“… Thanks for coming with me today. I mean, I know you usually prefer to do things alone, or just with Akito. So… yeah. It was nice having you around.” Her voice was softer now, more sincere, and there was a faint flush on her cheeks that had nothing to do with the heat.
Touya turned his head to look at her, studying her face for a moment. Slowly, he nodded. “I should be the one thanking you, Shiraishi. For helping me, and…” He paused, his gaze drifting toward again. “… This was nice. Being here with you.”
An’s heart skipped a beat. Touya’s words were simple, delivered in his usual manner—but there was something about them that felt… warm and genuine.
She smiled—bright and unrestrained. “See? Shopping together is fun, right?”
“…Yeah, It is.” Touya replied, but this time, there was no mistaking it—the corners of his mouth lifted in a small but unmistakeble smile. It wasn’t faint, barely-there curve from before. This one was real, genuine, reaching his eyes just slightly and softening his usually stoic expression. For a brief moment, he looked almost… happy.
An felt her breath catch in her throat. She'd seen Touya smile before—small, polite ones, usually reserved for performances or formal occasions, or when their music came together just right, or when Akito said something unexpectedly funny. But this? This was different. This felt personal. Like it was meant just for her.
Her own smile widened in response, and for a heartbeat, they just looked at each other—two groupmates standing on a sunlit street, grocery bags in hand, sharing something that felt almost like a secret.
They continue walking, side by side, as the sky deepened into shades of amber and rose. Weekend Garage wasn’t far now—just a few more blocks. And as they walked, An found herself hoping that maybe, just maybe, they could do this again sometime.