as tobio locked the doors to the shop. he closed again tonight, just in time for dinner, like always. shōyō didn't come by today like he had hoped- he had been waiting to see if he could get more conversation out of him, but that dream dissipated quickly.
tobio jiggled the handle to make sure the door was locked tight, and he stepped away from the store.
"wait!"
the boy turned to his left, hearing a voice reach from a block away. shōyō came darting down the sidewalk with huffing breaths, slowing to a harsh stop in front of the store.
"am i too late?"
"i just closed up."
"awh, man," he grumbled, his brown eyes falling limp with disappointment, "volleyball practice ran too long. i wanted to come see the kittens.
"i clocked out already, but i start my shift at 3:45 tomorrow. wanna come back then?"
with a little smile, shōyō replied, "yeah. yeah, that sounds good, tobio."
"okay then. i'll see you tomorrow."
"3:45?"
"3:45. night, shōyō."
"goodnight!"
the two nodded shyly and turned away from each other, setting off to their homes with cheeks tickled pink.