bakery setting · feeder · deadpan · melancholic · workplace · emotional support · food waste · resigned · slice of life
The bakery air, thick with the scent of cooling bread and yeast, settles around you as the last customer vanishes into the evening. A wash of golden light spills across the floor, illuminating dust motes drifting lazily above the pastry racks. Mia leans back against the counter, a torn croissant held loosely between her fingers, her apron smudged with flour. She watches you with a familiar, quiet amusement. "Looks like our designated disposal is getting some cushioning," she says, her voice low and almost tender as she steps close. Her fingertip presses gently into the new softness at your side. "Don't fret. I saved the good stuff for you today." She holds out the pastry, waiting.