Monotonous | Nanami Kento x Reader

4 | Kento | Just This Once

Kento never came in the mornings.

If he could have it, he would go to the bakery any time of the day; morning, afternoon, evening, but strategically, he came only once. Bread was a luxury he afforded to give himself only after his work to give himself an incentive to even show up.

However, the man yapping his ear off on the phone was already annoying him, as the time was before he clocked in. In his opinion, talking about job details was only supposed to be done on company times, not before or after.

Yet lo and behold, he was still held hostage by the call as he walked down the street.

The words went in through one ear and out the other as he caught on to only the bare minimum of comprehension. He was walking aimlessly, not really paying attention. 

This morning was just an odd day for him. He felt strangely disconnected, as if he was moving through life using pure muscle memory. 

And that very same muscle memory brought his legs not to his office, but rather the same bakery he was supposed to frequent after work. He wasn't supposed to be here, but he felt a yearn in his stomach for comfort. A tug, like a fishhook that was tempting. So the man wrapped up his call as fast as he could, standing by the end of the block as he stared off into the distance. 

"I'll discuss this later." Kento said bluntly, hanging up the call.

It was always a pain to talk to his coworkers. They were like greedy leaches. Money, money, money. It was always about money. 

Needed for survival, but did one really have to go as low as to scam people for it?

He was sure Fumihiko would bug him as soon as he stepped foot into the office building, so instead of going there straight ahead, Kento gave into his urge, opening the door of the bakery to take a step inside.

The first thing his brown eyes set upon was the familiar cashier along with that puny curse lazily lounging on her shoulders. She had been aimlessly tapping her fingers on the counter to the beat of a song, a song that Kento wasn't familiar with, before she quickly straightened up, a soft, almost reassuring smile on her lips. 

So she's just as energetic in the mornings too.

Kento had barely walked in before she blurted, "Bad day?"

He paused slightly in his step. This was the first time she inquired about his day because of his reserved nature. Looking into her E/C eyes, she seemed sincere enough. But how did she catch on? 

"The day has only just started." Kento decided to answer with.

Simple enough, right?

But it wasn't enough, for she had something witty to respond back with.

In other circumstances, it would've been too early in the morning for this. But this wasn't other circumstances. 

He walks over to the counter, his hands in his pant pockets. "Starting off on the wrong foot doesn't necessary mean the whole day has been spoiled."

As he took a glance back over the cases, out of pure habit, Y/N continued on, albeit now with a playful tone.

"But it does spoil your mood, which thereby in turn affects your entire day."

The way the woman leaned over the counter had a few strands of her H/C hair hanging in front of her face despite her plain headband, which only served to slick back the baby hairs, and even then, a few short pieces poked from under the edge.

Her appearance never changed, Kento noticed as he finally looked back up. Always the same. A sky blue t-shirt paired with a light yellow apron that reached down to her knees -- not that he could see that low from behind the counter -- and a bow that tied it around her waist loosely. 

Y/N had a point, but the silence was a comforting end to the conversation. A conversation he didn't think he would've enjoyed, but did for some odd reason as his eyes stayed flickering on the menu. 

Once he was content from looking over the same daily confectionaries, Kento gave his order, polite as ever. His eyes hung onto her frame. 

He didn't have to. She always had that same procedure, her apron swinging lightly as she leaned down, a pair of tongs hanging from her fingertips with her feather-like hold. Still, he had always looked, like he always examined the pastries. 

This time, instead of delivering the bag straight to his hands, he was taken off guard as she went over to the side.

The curse on her shoulder voice was only heard to the sorcerer as it murmured, "Just keep writing... then the money will come." 

Even now Kento couldn't escape the talk of finances.

He leaned in the direction, his eyes narrowing as he sees her add some colourful small discs to his order. He didn't accidentally say anything other than bread, he was sure of that. Knowing that, he spoke up to clear this misunderstanding. 

"I didn't order--" 

Before Kento could finish his sentence, he was interrupted. 

The woman dangles the bag over the countertop, already back to the cashier spot. "It's on the house." 

He didn't accept it.

Y/N didn't let that stop her, being insistent on this. 

The bread rustles as she shakes it slightly, the sound of the freshly baked loaf was tempting. "It's nothing too much." She starts off by saying, subconsciously leaning over the counter. 

Despite what she said, Kento didn't cave in entirely. He took a glance inside the bag, seeing how the macarons had cracks and were deflated, the colours still bright. To anyone else, they would've refused such broken looking pastries.

But the smell was beyond decent. The almond scent mixed with the sugar rumbled in his stomach.

He was sure that despite the appearance, it'd still taste delectable.

"And the bread?" He was completely ready to pay for that, his hand already moving to his pocket to slip out his wallet when the baker shook her head.

"Free. At least for today, since you look so grumpy." Kento's eyes narrowed slightly. Did he look grumpy? He wasn't normally offended by that. Long has he learned how to separate sentimentalism from his daily life, but his intention wasn't to look entirely unapproachable. Yet, despite her words, Y/N was still insistent. 

Just this once.

He reached out to take it. Remembering the day before, he took care to avoid the touch of her fingers, not wishing to stir that same jolt or discomfort her in any way. 

One thing Kento noted is that as soon as he took the bag, the H/C haired woman's smile grew. She smiled with her teeth, her cheeks lifting as she repeated his words.

"Just this once."

Her voice with a downward tilt at the end waved goodbye to him as he walked his way out, and just like always, she said her salutation.

This time, he managed to catch himself in time at the door, and instead of quietly murmuring his words uncharacteristically like yesterday, his grip tightened on the knob. And before he could change his mind, he said his words just loud enough for the woman to hear.

"Thank you. Goodbye."

As he turned his head back to the front, he caught a glimpse of her smile, and he promptly left to hide the thrum of his heartbeat, the bag tucked into the crook of his waist as he held it tenderly with care, the scent of his favourite bread and the foreign, yet appetizing macarons wafted as if trying to get him to take a bite.

Oh, he was going to, just not this instant. He raised his watch up to check the time, and he wasn't late. Surprising, since he always left the house at just the right time to show up to work on the dot. 

It felt like a considerable amount of time passed at that bakery, but in reality, it had just seemed that way, for the long pauses he had thought occurred had blinked by in a matter of seconds. It was like he had gotten utterly distracted and lost his perception of the minutes ticking by.

For once, Kento broke his usual monotony, and as minuscule as something as testing out a failed batch of macarons was, he was looking forward to it.

Maybe he'd take that bite now, instead of later.