Shouta Aizawa has inherited his parents' teahouse and is having trouble finding new staff. Y/N has quit her job and is about to end her life, when she sees the poster about the open position and decides to give life another chance.
TW: themes of sui...
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Shouta was always very careful when cleaning the tea cups. He paid attention to every tiny spot on the clay material, making sure they were clean, but that the aroma of the tea stayed with the cups. It was almost like a calming ritual for him, one where he could focus just on what he was doing and nothing else.
Normally he'd clean the dishes when no one else was around, when he was all by himself, but sometimes there would be a regular that would stay a little longer than usual. Shouta usually didn't mind, even when they were loud people. Somehow the atmosphere in the teahouse managed to calm down even the loudest people. The best example was his friend and regular Hizashi.
He was working at a radio station, always busy, always talking and doing something and whenever he came into the tea house he'd almost talk Shouta's ear off. Shouta didn't even need to reply to him, Hizashi just kept on talking. And then at some point he would drink his tea and lean back and it was like he had forgotten every single word. But he didn't seem upset about it.
He would still talk after that, but it was much easier to listen to him. He would be calm and collected and Shouta would actually find it easy to talk to him after that. Maybe that's why Hizashi kept coming back, because he could wind down at the tea house. It was similar with all his regulars.
And after all, regulars were the only people coming into this place anymore. Shouta was often wondering whether it was still worth the upkeep, but he had inherited the place and his parents had put money aside to run the tea house. And the amount of money they had put aside would probably keep this place going for a hundred years longer. Shouta wondered who would take over after him...
"You still looking for someone to help you out with the place, Shou?" Hizashi asked him, looking up at him. Shouta put down the tea cup he was cleaning. He didn't want to get distracted from cleaning it by making conversation. It would feel... Shouta wasn't sure what the right word was. It would just feel wrong. Like he was trying to pay attention to a child while still working. It didn't feel right.
"Yes. Not that I get a lot of people coming here, but... it's still a lot of work." Shouta replied. Hizashi grinned and nodded.
"You should get a break. You look tired all the damn time." he told him. Shouta nodded. He didn't just look tired.
"I am."
"You really need a break." Hizashi repeated. Shouta knew that he needed one, but there was just no time to take one. This place didn't run itself and even on his days off there were things to do - cleaning, repairs, bookkeeping. And trying to find someone to help out at the teahouse.
"And you still haven't found anyone? No one at all? I mean, you could just get a bookkeeper or an accountant or something." Hizashi suggested. Shouta had been thinking about that, but having someone helping with just one part of this didn't seem right. It made him feel as if he was turning this place into some sort of commercial chain. Which it wasn't. Shouta was barely making a profit.
