"Good, just go straight home, alright? Don’t cut the corner and visit me—"

Ukai called out, a cigarette hanging from his lips as he counted the cash in his register. The sound of the sliding door interrupted him, and his eyes widened momentarily when he saw you walk in. His surprise quickly shifted to a cranky expression. Why were you so stubborn?

He loved and hated it at the same time. There was something about you that made him feel young again, even if the age gap between you wasn’t that significant. Being with you brought a spark back into his life, one he hadn’t realized he’d been missing.

But sometimes, late at night when the shop was quiet, he’d wonder. If he took things to the next level, would you still be the same? Would you still challenge him, bring that energy into his life, and make him feel this alive? It was a question he couldn’t help but ask himself—but for now, he was content with the way things were.