Coexistence

Chapter 4

Hitoka couldn't bring herself to call out of work. She only had two more days before the long weekend, thanks to the extra time off for holiday.

So, she dressed in a dark magenta A-line skirt that ended below the knee. Her top was a black elbow length boat neck t-shirt that she paired with a black and white polka dot chiffon scarf. The blonde left her hair down and straight and forwent putting on any makeup. Satisfied with her appearance, Hitoka grabbed her long trench coat before slipping on her nude pumps and leaving the apartment.

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Work had been fairly simple. There were no instances where she was attracted or took special notice of the alphas in her department. She thought that maybe yesterday's reaction to the alpha at the supermarket was a fluke, and that her body was calming down. She still didn't want to take any chances though, so she stayed an appropriate distance from coworkers.

It was during her lunch break that she and her two beta colleagues Shibayama Yūki and Kuribayashi Runa were talking about what they were currently reading. Hitoka had finished her novel the other day and wanted recommendations. "If you want a quick read and don't mind creepy tales about demons I suggest 'Apparitions: Ghosts of Old Edo by Miyabe Miyuki'" said Runa.

"If you like action and want to see an awesome friendship develop you need to read the manga 'Hunter x Hunter'" said Yūki excitedly, and then continued to speak praises about the story. Hitoka valued their opinions and thought both stories sounded interesting, so she decided to pick up copies after work.

The bookstore closest to her job was a stop away by train and in the same direction that she usually goes home in. The blonde woman was pleased to find the day and events going smoothly.

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It was around 6 pm when Hitoka made it to the small bookstore. When she opened the door, she heard soft bells ring. She had never been to this store before and wanted to take everything in. The place was cozy, and the vibe of the shop was earthy. The shelves were tall and a dark oak brown. Some walls were brick while others were cream with olive green accents. The lighting in the establishment was a warm yellow.

There were only two other people Hitoka saw as she started making her way around the store. Neither looked like they worked there. Browsing the isles, she went to the popular literature section and was easily able to find the novel Runa mentioned. Book in hand she started to head to the manga section of the store. The number of stories they carried was extensive, but she was able to find the series.

Tendō Satori had just finished checking out a customer and was now in his favorite section of the bookstore. He was in the shōnen jump manga section and was organizing the shelves when he noticed a small woman walk into the comic book zone.

The books were organized in numerical order, with the first volumes on the top shelf. Hitoka was on her tip toes reaching for the first book to the collection when a shadow overtook her form. She smelled rich chocolate and saw a pale hand grab volume one. She took a step back instinctively and bumped into a warm body. Her form froze and tensed up, mortified at invading someone's personal space.

His nose registered something sweet, floral, and inviting. The petite woman that had just been against his chest was emitting the scent. Something about the aroma had him become hyperaware, where he noticed that she was still close enough to feel her body heat.

"I'm so sorry" Hitoka said quickly regaining her senses and stepped to the side where she wouldn't be in his way.

"It's no problem. Sorry I snuck up on you" said the tall man with volume one in hand.

The blonde woman was now facing him and took in his appearance. He was tall with a medium built. He had shaggy red hair and dark red eyes. The man wore old skool vans, black jeans and a white long sleeve shirt, over that he had on a mocha brown apron and name tag. Focusing on the badge she read Tendō.

"You don't look like the type to read manga" the employee said bluntly.

His honesty took her by surprise, "I read it from time to time. This series was actually recommended to me by a friend, so I wanted to pick up a copy" she said a little self-conscious after his comment.

"It's a good pick, a favorite among the regulars" he informed her. "Do you need help getting any other book," he asked gesturing to the manga in his hand.

"No, the one you're holding is the last one I needed" she answered.

The blonde woman was cute, smelled good, and liked shōnen jump. All those things made Tendō want to get to know her more. "Do you have an Instagram" he asked suddenly.

"I do" she answered hesitantly. Unsure where the conversation was heading.

"Would you mind if I got your handle" he asked enthusiastically.

The blonde had her account set to public, and she doesn't post anything too personal, so she didn't see the harm in giving him the information. "I don't mind" Hitoka said in response.

The red-haired male immediately took out his smart phone, opened the app and handed her the mobile. She gingerly took the phone from him, typed in her username and then handed the device back. "Thank you. If you're ready, I can check out the books for you at the register" he said.

"That'd be great" she offered. Hitoka followed the store employee to the front and paid for the books.

He packaged them carefully in a plastic bag and handed them to her. "Have a nice rest of your day" he said in farewell.

"You too" she responded in kind and left the cute bookstore and the lively guy. The doorbell chimed behind the closing door, and the smell of chocolate following her.

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When Hitoka arrived home, she learned where the trailing chocolate scent was coming from. The store employee Tendō had handled the comic book the entire time they were together. The book must have been pressed against the scent glands on his wrist and transferred over to the manga.

It was a pleasant smell. In the comfort of her apartment she inhaled deeply. The aroma of rich dark chocolate filled her lungs. It was ok to indulge her omega instincts in the comfort of her home she rationalized.

Thinking back to her interaction with the bookstore employee, Hitoka realized that even though she was in close proximity to the alpha she was still able to keep a level head. This realization reassured the blonde woman that her body was under control. Comforted with the thought, she went about the rest of her evening in peace.

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It was 9 pm when Tendō got off work. The bookstore was closed now, and he was exuberantly making his way to the train station. His body was on auto pilot headed towards his destination, but his attention was on the phone held between his two hands. Now that he was off the clock, he could look into the life of the woman who caught his attention.

It was on her Instagram page that he learned her name, Yachi Hitoka. She had no bio and followed only a handful of people and had a modest following. His eyes were glued to the device as he scrolled through her photos. Her latest post was from a week ago, it was an overhead food shot of ramen. The photos she shared were mostly of food, nature, and art. There were a handful of pictures of her with friends and coworkers, and even less of only her.

The tall red head was done looking through all of her photos by the time he boarded the train. He realized he couldn't learn all that much about her from the pictures she chose to put online. After all she likes manga and there wasn't a single picture about the interest. There was more to her character and he wanted to find out.

Thankfully now he had a way to contact her and see what she's up to. He wanted to see her again and thought of a genius way to make her visit the bookstore. The next time there was a special on shōnen jump mangas he would direct message her and hopefully bait her into interacting with him again. Happy with the thought Tendō hummed to himself the rest of the way home.