Scaramouche stopped at a small display of smoking accessories, fingers hovering before lifting an ashtray shaped like a shallow dish. Behind him, you had wandered off to the glassware section. “Hey, Scara, look at these glasses. Aren’t they cute?”

Your voice pulled him out of his thoughts. His eyes landed on you holding up a transparent drinking glass, tiny strawberries circling the rim. “I can’t believe they’re only 100 yen!” you added while he stared at the glass for a moment, expression flat. Then his gaze flicked to your face.

“Little red strawberries?”

Your smile wavered. You tilted your head, eyes dropping to the glass as you rotated it slowly between your fingers. Ever since moving and sharing an apartment with him conversations had been relatively dry, but you pressed on despite his introverted personality. "No good?" You asked tentatively and he exhaled through his nose, shoulders lifting in a lazy shrug.

“If you want them, buy them.”