maybe | hitoshi shinsou x reader

~chapter 12~

Shinsou's departure is abrupt as it is cold, and leaves you with a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. A deep, dank pit filled with creeping dread and an abundance of confusion.

How are you supposed to react to that? You didn't think you knew Shinsou well enough to be in bad terms with him, but maybe you've underestimated how awful you are at interacting with people.

Karage pauses, a slight narrowing of the eyes the only indication he understands what just happened.

You'd like to be clued in, honestly.

Without a thought for your internal predicament, Karage eyes the pile Shinsou dropped off and plucks an apron from it that looks about your size, then hands it to you. You accept it mindlessly, still a little caught up with how you could've managed to offend someone so badly after only having spoken to them once prior. Karage adds a teal visor printed with Bean Town's logo and a blank name tag to the apron you're already holding.

"Try 'em on," he says, the warm expression on his face belying the tempered suspicion he wore only moments before. You do as he says, and it all fits about as well as you could've hoped for—too big, yet too small at the same time, but altogether wearable.

"Thanks," you say, because you're not sure what else there is to say.

"No problem." Karage gives you a pat on the shoulder. Except it's not much of a pat with the way the force of it rattles your teeth. You don't think it was purposeful. Probably.

"Um," you start, because you can't manage to speak without stuttering in some sense,"can I get something to write on my name tag with?"

"Oh yeah, sure." And then Karage runs off, presumably to get you a pen, though he doesn't need to be that fast too do it. Not long after that, you hear a cartoonish hiss.

"Pst." It's Yakitako, shifty-eyed and beckoning you with one hand. It seems like they're trying to be casual about it, but they fall short of the mark spectacularly. Seeing as there's nothing else to do at the moment, you walk over to them. Normally, you know, like a normal person, and not like someone trying to do an impression of a normal person, or whatever it is Yakitako's trying to do.

Once you're close enough, you can see that Yakitako—who so far has seemed ever the disinterested employee—has a glint in their eyes that radiates a strange sense of...well, danger seems to strong a word, but it definitely makes you want to take a few steps back.

"You do something to Toshin?" Do they mean Shinsou?

"Uh, no. I've only ever talked to him once before," you tell them, only half-sure you're speaking about the same person.

Yakitako's eyes you distrustfully. The process probably only takes a few seconds, but their probing, judgy gaze makes it feel like a lot longer. You have no idea what they're looking for, though it reminds you a bit of the interview process Karage put you through, if a bit ruder.

Yakitako tsks, seemingly satisfied with whatever they found, and gives you a nod. "Okay. You're good," they say. But there's an obvious pause there, and it's supposed to be a loaded, poignant pause, but it's too cheesy to come across as more than immature. But you stay quiet so they can have their moment.

"For now," Yakitako finishes, fixing you with an overly intense stare.

"Ah, okay." You give them a short nod back and walk away, trying to extricate yourself from the conversation as soon as possible.

Your first day has been so great so far; you've been ignored and interrogated and vaguely threatened all in the span of a few minutes. Wonder what else is in store.