Chapter Text
‘See you next time.’
‘Thank you for coming in.’
‘Good work today!’
It was the end of another good day at the restaurant or the ‘home-taurant,’ as the owner cheekily called it. The small place had been loud and bustling just a minute ago. Yuuji loved the noise, loved seeing people let go, laugh out loud, and enjoy their time, but he also liked hearing it subside just as much. He liked watching the last of the people leave, saying their goodbyes and hearing the final soft clicks of the entrance door as the place emptied out. It was procedure, part of his routine. People would bid their farewells for the day with smiles, easy and light, and Yuuji would return them just as brightly before flipping his Open sign to Closed and sliding the latch on his door.
That wouldn’t be the end of it, of course. Yuuji would turn around to face his restaurant once again and begin his second shift. He liked to call this ‘the dark hour’ because it was when he wiped the tables, swept the floor, cleaned the kitchen counters, did the dishes, and took out the trash — away from everyone’s eyes, like a shadow in the night.
Today was no different. Yuuji was cleaning behind the counter when the last of his customers got up to leave. They were regulars, a group of three men from the town who stopped by Yuuji’s restaurant every weekend after work. They were officers at the local precinct, all around the same age and old friends, Yuuji could tell from their conversations. They doted on him, kind and protective. Comes with the job, Yuuji would think to himself every time one of them patted him on the back a little too hard, paid more than what the bill stated, or told him to call them if he ever needed anything.
‘Hey kid, you done for the day?’ Yuuji heard one of them call out. He lifted his head from the sink, where he had since moved on to the dishes, and replied, ‘Ah, yes, I am. Did you need anything?’
‘All good. We’re off then,’ the officer replied. The trio shuffled around in their seats, gathering their things. They reached the door and as they headed out, one of them called, ‘We’ll flip the sign for you then.’
Yuuji looked over and waved with a gloved hand soaked in soap. ‘Thank you, Daichi-san!’ He returned to the dishes. The sink was only half full now — he would be done soon.
The sun outside went from setting to set and the sky had shifted from orange to deep blue by the time Yuuji was finally done and ready to call it a day. His ‘dark hour’ was over and he was itching to get back home and dig into the salmon onigiri he’d packed to take with him. He went through his mental list of TV shows to pick out what he wanted to watch for dinner when he remembered that the new episode of his current favourite anime should be out. He was even more excited now, almost smiling to himself, as he stepped out of the front door.
He was twirling his keys by the ring on his index finger when he spotted the bench outside his restaurant occupied by a sprawling figure. The swishing sound of the keys came to an abrupt stop, and he said, ‘Hey.’
The figure, a man with glistening eyes and the unruliest head of hair, looked up at him and said, ‘Oh,’ as if caught off guard. ‘I thought you were closed. I didn’t mean to trespass,’ he added, standing up and grabbing his coat off the bench. Yuuji was so taken by the presence before him that he didn’t quite catch the first part. He was transfixed, trying to figure out what exact shade it was that he was staring into. Is it green? Is it blue? He tuned back in just in time to catch the trailing end of the sentence and chuckled. ‘It’s only a bench, you weren’t trespassing. Don’t worry.’
A beat of silence passed between the two before Yuuji turned, putting the key in his hand to work. He spoke again, looking over his shoulder. 'I'm sorry we're closed now, but I hope you'll come back another time.' He finished locking the door and turned around to face the stranger again. He sensed the persisting unease and gently held out his hand. 'My name is Yuuji. Does tomorrow work?' he quickly added, flashing a careful smile.
He heard a quiet, almost inaudible laugh and felt slender fingers slide into his hand. 'Tomorrow, sure,' came the reply, along with a small smile. Yuuji saw the man's forehead uncrease and his shoulders drop. Feeling happy that his little joke had eased the tension between them, he gave their joined hands a shake and looked up expectantly.
The man standing in front of Yuuji, with his hand clasped firm yet gentle, could only process so much at once. He was relieved that Yuuji wasn't mad about his intrusion. He was taken by the kindness in Yuuji's demeanour. He was entranced by the way Yuuji's eyes crinkled at the edges. And he was confused as to why they were still holding hands. Then he realised.
'Oh, I'm Megumi. Nice to meet you,' he said immediately, a little too fast for his own liking, but he thought he'd caught himself in time.
'Nice to meet you too, Megumi-kun,' said Yuuji before letting go with one final shake. 'It's meatballs on the menu tomorrow, don't be late,' he added with a full smile. Then he spun on his heel and turned into the alley around the corner, waving goodbye.
Megumi lifted his own arm in return, half-waving. He couldn't muster a reply. It had all happened too fast. Yuuji was too nice, too warm, too quick. He didn't move, or he was unable to. Either could be the case. He stood there longer than he would admit to himself, replaying in his head the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.