3 Things About Convenience Stores

Friday

After school, Yusuke went to the convenience store as usual.

First, he replenished all the missing items and then checked if any oden had been soaking in the cooking pot for too long; then he turned on the electric fryer and added the chicken skewers, fried chicken, and more. While I was refilling the fried foods, I also started the coffee machine.

Takada was managing the cash register.

By the time Yusuke finished all this, more than an hour had passed, and it was still a while before the neighborhood white-collar workers got off work.

So he also stood in front of the cashier and began to act as a mascot.

"Thank you~! This is for you!"

With a straightforward smile on her face, Takada handed him a cup of iced milk tea and motioned for him to take it.

"Thank you." Yusuke reached out, took out his wallet from his pocket, and asked her, "How much?"

"No, it's such a small thing."

Takada waved her hand, glanced around secretly, and whispered in Yusuke's ear.

"And Kato-kun has been working really hard recently. It's really not good to encounter phone scams or something, so..."

Her expression twisted a little, and the ten fingers in front of her lower abdomen shyly twisted together, her eyes wandering and she dared not look at Yusuke.

"That... don't look at me like that, I've saved quite a bit of money before. If Kato-kun has any difficulties... you can come to me at any time..."

After she stammered and finished speaking, the girl's face was already red to the root of her neck, and she looked very cute.

Yusuke was stunned for a moment, and then he remembered the "gentlemen's agreement" with Mr. Tanaka the other day, and his face suddenly became gloomy.

'Speaking of which, Uncle Tanaka still owes me 2,000 yen.'

This was his first thought.

'Takada's misunderstanding seems to be deepening.'

This was his second thought.

"Cough, that, Takada..."

Yusuke cleared his throat, then opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"Shio..." Takada Shiori whispered, with a layer of crimson dyed on the exposed skin: "Shio... that's enough."

"Aha?"

Kato Yusuke looked at her puzzled.

"...That's why!" Takada Shiori took a deep breath and stared at him with moist eyes, "Just call me Shiori! After all... we've experienced things like that..."

The sound gradually decreased until it was barely audible.

Something like that? What?

Yusuke's thinking was stagnant for three seconds, and various images flashed in his mind.

"What--!" Takada's expression showed dissatisfaction, and her violet eyes were fixed on Kato Yusuke's eyes: "You did that kind of thing to others... That was my first kiss."

The brain resumes thinking.

'I remember i am the one always being forced.'

Thinking of this, Kato Yusuke couldn't help but sigh inwardly, looked at Takada and said, "Takada, let's talk."

"I said you can just call me Shiori..."

"That won't work—" Kato Yusuke shook his head, his ink-like eyes looked at Shiori Takada unflinchingly, and asked word by word, "Do you like me?"

"You, you, what are you talking about!?"

At first, she wanted to deny it subconsciously, but Takada's face quickly turned red like a pot of hot water that had just been boiled.

"That, that kind of thing!" Her eyes fluctuated violently, and then she lowered her head and murmured like a gnat, "Don't say it here..."

There was silence between the two.

After a few seconds, a long sigh filled the air.

"Sorry."

Yusuke said.

"...Eh?" Takada trembled and involuntarily raised her head: "What...? Why are you apologizing...?"

Another sigh.

"Do I have to be explicit about what I said?"

Dark eyes stared at her quietly, Yusuke's words were like a basin of cold water pouring over Takada's head.

Pat, pat, pat.

Water droplets began to hit the window little by little; it had started to rain again at some point.

"I'm going back."

After a long silence, Takada said in a low voice.

Ignoring Yusuke's reaction, she bowed her head and hurried out.

Yusuke reached out to stop her.

"What does this mean..."

As if suppressing something, Takada's voice trembled.

"At least take this."

Yusuke took an umbrella from the shelf beside him.

Cold tears fell from her eyes and landed on Yusuke's arm as the girl slowly raised her head.

What met his gaze was a pair of red eyes.

"People like you are... the worst!!!"

Takada took the umbrella and simultaneously grabbed the frozen milk tea on the table, throwing it toward Kato Yusuke.

Bang--

The drink mixed with ice cubes splashed on Yusuke's face, then trickled down.

He reached up and wiped his face, staring at the girl who disappeared into the rain, his eyes showing neither joy nor sorrow.

'It's best to end it before it begins.'

Yusuke thought, then picked up a rag and began cleaning up.

At night.

"Ah? Why are you alone? Where's Takada?"

Mr. Tanaka, wearing a raincoat, walked into the store and asked Yusuke, who was alone.

"She wasn't feeling well, so she went home early."

Yusuke explained.

"Really?"

Mr. Tanaka nodded, took off his raincoat, shook it vigorously on the ground at the front door, and said to Yusuke with emotion.

"It's raining really hard today!"

Yusuke glanced out the window; the afternoon drizzle had completely changed into a torrential downpour, pounding on the ground with a crackling sound.

"It's a bit troublesome."

Yusuke murmured, his gaze lingering momentarily on the empty shelves where the umbrellas used to be.

It seems we can only wait for the rain to lighten before heading back.

With this thought in mind, he looked up at the sky, his eyes slightly unfocused, so he didn't notice the person approaching.

Blah blah-

"Excuse me."

A gentle voice rang in his ears.

"You seem troubled?"

Yusuke turned his head, and what met his eyes was a cute girl.

"It's raining heavily."

The girl said with a smile, looking at the young man with an indescribable joy in her eyes.

She walked up to Yusuke with an umbrella, raised it over both their heads, placed her other hand on Yusuke's arm, looked at him with concerned eyes, and said softly.

"Let's go home; dinner is ready."

"Alright."

Seeing the girl leaning on him, Yusuke responded with a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.

"Ok let's go home Sayu."

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