Work Text:
It’s a bright sunny day in Inaba, making it the perfect day for a date. Of course, that’s what Yosuke Hanamura would be saying if he wasn’t stuck working a full-time shift at Junes. A few part-timers ended up being a no show, so Yosuke was called in to help out since Junes is short on employees. What soured Yosuke’s mood even more is that he already made plans for today. His girlfriend Labrys is coming to visit, and Yosuke wants to take her out on a nice date. Unfortunately, the universe had decided to screw him over, and now he’s stuck stocking products on shelves..
“When I see those kids, I’m going to give them a piece of my mind.” Yosuke grumbles to himself. He couldn’t understand why the new hires would apply for work just to go play hookey. Don’t they know the pressure and responsibility gets pushed onto him and the other coworkers if they don’t show up for work?
Yosuke sighs as he sets the last item on the shelf. Another task done, and a million more to go. Shaking his head, Yosuke wonders if he should go check on Teddie. Unlike Yosuke, Teddie didn’t have any special plans for today was already coming in for work. However, the bear mascot was given additional tasks to complete. On one hand, he should make sure Teddie isn’t overwhelmed by his new tasks given to him. On the other, Teddie will continue his habit of causing trouble at the store, and Yosuke can’t afford a bigger migraine than the one he currently has.
“Eh, I’m sure he’s fine.” Yosuke reassures himself. Teddie’s a big boy now. He can handle himself and if he screws up, then Yosuke will just dock his pay. At this point, Teddie should already know how to be responsible. Now if only the new hires would learn that too.
“Who’s gonna be fine?” A female voice questions, and Yosuke quickly turns around to find himself standing face to face with Labrys. The Junes part-timer feels a blush creeping up on him from how close he is to his girlfriend.
“Labrys! How did you know I was at work?” Yosuke asks, remembering that he forgot to let Labrys know he was working today.
“Easy. I went to your house and asked your mom where you’re at. We had a good chat, and she’s really nice too!” Labrys cheerfully answers, not noticing the surprised look on her boyfriend’s face.
“Wait, how did you find out where I live?” Yosuke responds with confusion since he never brought Labrys over to his house or introduced her to his parents. Even though Yosuke and Labrys have been dating for quite a while, their relationship hasn’t reached that milestone yet.
“Oh. It’s simple really. I asked Chie-chan for your address.” Labrys casually informs her boyfriend.
“Figures. Wait, roll it back? You talked to my mom?” Yosuke groans, wondering what kind of embarrassing things his mom must’ve told Labrys.
“Yup! She really wanted to get to know me. For some reason, she thought you were lyin’ about having a girlfriend and asked me first if I was being paid to be your girlfriend.” Labrys states while Yosuke feels his body getting pierced by imaginary daggers. Do his parents really view him like that? “I didn’t know being someone’s girlfriend can be a job.”
“It’s not! Actually, there are some people who do that, but that’s not the point! Did my mom really think I couldn’t get a girlfriend?” Yosuke bemoans while Labrys places a finger on her chin as she thinks back to the conversation.
“Well, she was in disbelief when I introduced myself as your girlfriend. She told me that she and your dad thought you were “hiding in the closet”. I thought it was Teddie-kun who lives in your closet?” Labrys adds, sounding confused before finding Yosuke sulking at the corner. “Yosuke? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just know that I need to have a serious conversation with my parents later.” Yosuke mutters as he steps away from the corner. “By the way, you didn’t tell my mom about being a robot did you?”
“Nah. Mitsuru-san would have my head if I did that.” Labrys reassures the Junes part-timer and gestures to the black suit that she’s wearing. “Your mom and I just talked ‘bout stuff like where I’m from and what I do for a livin’.”
“I’m pretty sure Kirijo-san would go after mine instead.” Yosuke sighs with relief. The Junes part-timer isn’t ashamed of dating a robot girlfriend or anything. He just doesn’t how his parents, especially his mom, would react. The number of people who know about Labrys’ true nature is very limited, and Mitsuru wants to keep it that way for Labrys’ and Aigis’ safety.
“Your mom did show me pictures of you when you were younger. You look really cute as a baby.” Labrys gushes, and Yosuke goes back to sulking in the corner.
Later on, Yosuke and Labrys are exploring the Junes’ electronics department. Or to be more accurate, Labrys is exploring the electronics department while Yosuke is working. Yosuke didn’t understand why Labrys would want to hang out in Junes while he’s working. She could be having so much fun anywhere else, but the android is insistent on spending time with Yosuke even if he’s on the clock. The Junes part-timer could only guess that Labrys is probably curious about what his work in Junes is like.
After helping a customer find an item they were looking for, Yosuke spots Labrys staring at various headphones on a shelf. At first, the Junes part-timer thought nothing of it, but then he notices Labrys’ eyes have an intense look in them. Wondering if something’s troubling her, Yosuke quickly heads over to his girlfriend’s location.
“Is everything okay, Labrys?” Yosuke asks as he approaches the android girl. Some of the headphones Labrys is looking at are recognizable brands while others are newer models that have just been shipped in.
“Yeah. These headphones just remind me of the ones Aigis has back home.” Labrys mentions, pointing to the silver Audio-Technica ATH-EM700SV. Yosuke is surprised Junes still has that model in stock.
“I didn’t know Aigis had these headphones, but doesn’t she already have a pair on her head?” Yosuke asks, pointing to his ear as a demonstration.
“Nah. Those are my sister’s audio receptors. They also function as heat vents. Kinda like mine.” Labrys explains before turning to face Yosuke. “But yeah, Sis keeps those headphones in her room, but she likes to wear them between missions sometimes and listen to their music.”
“Never knew that. Wouldn’t Aigis-san want a newer model though? Headphones don’t last forever, you know.” Yosuke suggests taking a recently released pair of headphones off the shelf and handing it over to Labrys. However, the android girl doesn’t take the headphones.
“I don’t think Aigis would ever replace them. Those headphones used to belong to her boyfriend, so they really mean a lot to her.” Labrys claries solemnly, causing Yosuke to wince and immediately put the pair of headphones back on the shelf. Yosuke is aware of who the late Makoto Yuki was. The Shadow Operatives have mentioned him a couple times and would often talk about the impact he had on their lives. “Don’t you have a pair of headphones too? You’d always wear them whenever we hang out, but you’re not wearing them right now.”
“Oh. My headphones are in my employee storage locker. Dad doesn’t let me wear them on my shifts because he thinks I’ll get distracted. Why do you ask?” Yosuke asks curiously, noticing the look of interest in his girlfriend’s eyes.
“I’ve never worn headphones before, but I’m curious to know what it’s like listenin’ to music from them. Sis is very protective of the headphones she has, so I never tried them out. I was thinkin’ of wearin’ yours and listenin’ to the music it plays.” Labrys requests, earning a grin from her boyfriend.
“No problem! I’ll bring them out on my next break later, and we can listen to music together at the food court. What do you say?” Yosuke offers, and Labrys rejoices by lifting her boyfriend up with a hug.
“I love to! It’s a date!” Labrys excitedly states, and Yosuke begins to blush from his girlfriend's large display of affection.
“Heh heh. You can put me down now, Labrys.” Yosuke nervously chuckles to the android girl. While the Junes part-timer doesn’t mind his girlfriend acting affectionate towards him, he does see several customers starting to stare at the two and whisper to each other. “On second thought, I think my next break is about to start.”
At the Junes food court, Yosuke brings over two plates of steaks and drinks over to the table where Labrys is sitting. Since Labrys called this a date, he might as well make it official as a lunch date. Yosuke hands Labrys her steak and drink before setting his food down. Right now, the android girl is wearing his headphones, listening to one of the songs currently playing. Yosuke doesn't know what Labrys’ taste in music is or if she even has one, but he hopes she’ll enjoy the songs from his playlist.
“How are you liking the song so far, Labrys?” Yosuke inquires as Labrys has been listening to the song very intensely as if she’s trying to concentrate on something. The android girl looks up at the Junes part-timer after receiving his question.
“The song sounds fun and upbeat, but some of the words are confusin’ me. Contagiourous? Voraciourous? Audaciourous? I never heard these words before. Also, what does “Rizzin’ up the mind” mean?” Labrys asks innocently while tilting her head. In a panic, Yosuke snatches the music player and switches to a different song.
“Let’s try another song, shall me? The one you just listened to was brand new, and please don’t say those words in public. Better yet, please don't say them at all.” Yosuke tells Labrys with an embarrassed smile. It’s already bad enough Teddie learned certain words and phrases that shall not be said and started spouting them shamelessly, and Yosuke will be damned if his girlfriend gets corrupted like that too.
“Um, sure?” Labrys responds in confusion, making a mental note to ask Teddie later if he knew what those words meant.
The next song plays, and Labrys bobs her head from side to side as she listens to the song. Similarly to the previous one, this song is upbeat but has a lot more energy in it. The android girl feels this song would work perfectly as a battle theme. In fact, she can already imagine fighting shadows while this song plays in the background.
“Reaching out to the truth. Reminds me of you and the Investigation Team. This song really fits you guys.” Labrys praises as she continues listening to the song.
“Yeah, it’s one of my favorites. If I could play it in the TV World while fighting shadows, I totally would.” Yosuke agrees with a grin. Once the song ends, Labrys immediately switches to the next song on the playlist.
The next song, for some reason, reminds Labrys of when she faced her shadow in the TV World. Back then, Labrys had believed she was an actual human and tried to deny who she was upon learning the truth. It was thanks to Yosuke that Labrys was able to accept herself and her shadow self. It’s also thanks to Yosuke and their friends that Labrys won’t find herself alone ever again.
After it ends, the next song playing is more peaceful and calm than the previous songs Labrys listened to. In fact, the android girl feels relaxed listening to this song. If Labrys had to describe it, it’s the kind of song you would listen to while going out for a walk at night or just to look at the stars. Maybe she and Yosuke could go stargazing sometime. That’ll be a fun date.
The next song that plays is both calming and upbeat. At first, Labrys thought it was going to be a romance song based on its title but then again, Yosuke isn’t the kind of guy who listens to romance songs. Instead the song comes off as more hopeful than romantic. Maybe there’s actually a romance song hidden in the playlist. Regardless, that didn’t stop Labrys’ mind from drifting off to thoughts about her love and affection towards Yosuke, which causes a faint blush to appear on the android girl’s face.
While Labrys is having a fun time listening to music from Yosuke’s headphones, the said owner of those headphones is currently watching his girlfriend enjoying herself. Yosuke smiles at the cute sight and thinks about buying a new pair of headphones and music player for Labrys. Not only could he add the songs from his playlist to hers, but the android girl will get the option to choose her own songs if she wants. Yosuke then checks his phone and sees that his break is about to finish.
While Yosuke quickly finishes his steak so he can get ready to continue his shift, Labrys listens to the next song that comes up. However, instead of being another upbeat song like the previous songs, this new song is melancholy. As Labrys carefully listens to the song’s lyrics, her mind is suddenly flooded with several memories from her past.
The first of these memories is Labrys’ first encounter with her sister #024 followed by their nightly meetings and the conversations they had. Next is her memory of being forced to end #024’s life and the emotional pain that came with it. Following this is Labrys’ memory of learning #024’s dream of meeting their mother. Afterwards is the memory of Labrys failing to escape Yakushima and passing down her wish to future generations. Lastly, the final memory is Labrys finally meeting her mother and fulfilling #024’s dream.
“Hey, Labrys. I have to get back to work. Want to continue tagging along or…” Yosuke is about to ask but trails off when he sees Labrys staring down with a distant look on her face. However, what actually concerned Yosuke was the tears streaking down his girlfriend’s face. Yosuke quickly rushes over to Labrys’ side and gently shakes her. “Labrys? What’s wrong? Labrys?”
“Huh? Yosuke?” Labrys responds as she takes off the headphones, confused as to why her boyfriend looks so worried. However, the android girl senses something is off and touches her face, finding her fingers wet from her tears. “What? I-I’m cryin’?”
“You didn’t notice?” Yosuke asks, his concern unwavering. Labrys shakes her head, and the Junes part-timer wonders what could’ve caused his girlfriend to cry.
“I… I was listenin’ to this song, and it brought back memories of my life at Yakushima. Both good and bad.” Labrys explains and shows Yosuke the song that had been playing: Heaven. Yosule couldn’t help but feel guilty for indirectly causing his girlfriend to cry.
“I’m sorry. This was my-” Yosuke apologizes, but Labrys quickly cuts him off by covering his mouth with her hand. The android girl stares at him with an intense look in her teary eyes.
“Don’t. Don’t you dare say it’s your fault. I was the one who asked to wear your headphones and listen to your music. You didn’t know the effect they would have on me.” Labrys chides at her boyfriend and her expression softens right after. Labrys then removes her hand from Yosuke’s mouth and wipes away her tears. “It’s been a while since I last thought about my life in Yakushima. I didn’t expect this song to remind me of it.”
“Are you going to be okay?” Yosuke asks, hesitant to continue his shift. Not when his girlfriend nearly had an emotional breakdown right in front of him.
“I think I just needed a good cry and maybe some time to focus my thoughts, but I’ll be fine.” Labrys informs her boyfriend, but Yosuke is still concerned for her.
“Are you sure? I can take an early leave from work and stay with you.” Yosuke offers, but Labrys shakes her head no.
“That’s sweet of ya, Yosuke, but I don’t want ya to get in trouble for my sake. I’ll be okay. I promise.” Labrys states and gives her boyfriend a reassuring smile. “If it’s okay with you, can I still listen to your music?”
“Of course! I’ll head back to work but if you need anything, just give me a call and I’ll come running.” Yosuke vows as he hands Labrys back his headphones. The android girl responds with a giggle and kisses her boyfriend on the cheek.
“Don’t worry, I will. In fact, I’ll wait for ya when you’re done with your shift. Now go show everyone why you’re the hardest worker this place has to offer.” Labrys cheers, earning a blushing grin from Yosuke. The Junes part-timer gives the android girl one last wave goodbye before heading back to work. Once Yosuke leaves, Labrys puts her boyfriend’s headphones back on and plays the next song in the playlist: Now I Know.