☕︎ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒇𝒕

5 - ᴅᴇᴀʟɪɴɢꜱ

ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ'ꜱ ɴᴏᴛᴇ: i apologize in advance because this chapter is a little short! it wasn't my intention, but it is what it is.

i'll try to make the next chapter longer!

☕✩°｡ ⋆⸜ 🍂✮🤎

- ᴅᴇᴄᴇᴍʙᴇʀ 2ɴᴅ, ꜱᴀᴛᴜʀᴅᴀʏ

*ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴠɪᴇᴡ*

luckily, i wasn't scheduled for a morning shift today, so i didn't have to worry about disappointing funahashi senpai about being late to work. slowly rising from my bed, i squinted at the soft glow of sunlight filtering through my curtains, glancing at the clock to see it was 10:25 AM. that's reasonable...i have almost an hour to relax and get ready. still, no time like the present—i get up from my mattress, shed my clothes, and slip into my work uniform.

after grabbing my phone and essentials, i headed towards the front door but just as my fingertips grazed the doorknob, my phone buzzed, and i saw reina ito's name on the screen. curious, i step back from the front door, rest my back against a nearby wall and answer, "hello?" i hummed, my voice cracking from my sore throat that stemmed from the irritation caused by dry air. it usually happens when i wake up. it'll dissipate in an hour or two.

"hey, y/n, you busy right now?" reina asked. i could hear the commotion from work behind her, which was most likely just funahashi senpai since they do openings together, but it still gave me the impression that they were experiencing a rush. i can't say i'm impressed. that's just to be expected in the mornings.

after all, it is a coffee place.

"uh...sorta." i answered. "i'm about to head to work right now," i quickly added in hopes of reassuring her that i'll be at perk & pour soon, but when she didn't reply right away, it worried me. "...why do you ask?" i mumble out, trying to keep the conversation going.

"well, y/n, it turns out you don't need to come to work today. we've got it covered." surprised but relieved at the sound of the unexpected news, i feel a sudden lightness as i slowly reconsider my plans for the day.

"really?"

"yeah!" reina before she proceeded to let out a small grumble. "but there is a catch," she warned me, but i can't be shocked by this. of course there was. there is almost always a catch.

almost not wanting to ask, "what is it?" i let out a small sigh.

"do you, uh...think you can pick up some closing shifts this week? more specifically, three of them starting on the seventh and ending after the ninth?" reina questioned. i can feel her grimace from her. my stomach churned. i've never closed before and the only knowledge i have on how to do that was from videos i watched when i was first hired...i'm sure there will be somebody to help show me the ropes.

"so, they want me to do back-to-back shifts?" i raised a brow, claiming my neck to stare up at the ceiling, debating on whether or not i should still clock into work today to spare me from overworking myself next week.

"looks like it, yeah..."

it looks like reina forgot that i had a morning shift on the sixth before i had to do all of those closing shifts, but still...it's good to get more hours and more money in my pocket. plus, if i'm not mistaken, since it's christmas, perk & pour has this little competition with its workers, and whoever picks up the most hours by the time christmas rolls around can earn up to ¥15,000 (this competition is here for two reasons: to boost moral and for sympathetic reasons since january is slower, especially when it comes to tips...)

it's tempting, i'll give them that. it's just too bad that i don't know when to quit. "alright...alright..." i spoke up, pinching the bridge of my nose. guess i'm really doing this. "i'm in."

"sweet. i'll tell funahashi senpai about the schedule change. enjoy your day off, y/n!" reina squealed and before i could thank you for the kind words, she ended the call. it's probably for the best. i didn't want to get her into much trouble for being on her phone at work.

stepping away from the front door, i shuffled my way back into the main part of my apartment and tossed my phone and other belongings onto the couch. i then peel off my work clothes, exchanging them for the comfort favorite pajamas that i discarded onto the ground. the soft fabric embraces me as i climb into bed, relishing the prospect of a few more hours of sleep.

the world outside fades away into a black abyss as i surrender to the warmth of my blankets, relaxing my aching joints. with a content sigh, i allow the tranquility of an unplanned morning to envelop me. the sounds of the outside world fade into a distant murmur as i happily drift back into a peaceful slumber.