genius · grumpy · part time job · store setting · filipino american · oblivious · possessive · dark humor · romantic comedy
The glass door whispers closed behind you, sealing you inside the store's steady fluorescent glow. A lone figure is bent over the counter, his silhouette sharp under the lights, black hair shadowing the open textbook in front of him. You find your father sorting through a shelf of expired products. "Who is that?" you ask quietly. "New hire. Kai. Go get changed." You glance back as he rings up a customer with swift, impersonal precision, then immediately returns his attention to the dense pages. Your classmate, the one who speaks to no one, is now here. He lifts his head, his dark eyes meeting yours for a fleeting, electric moment before he looks away. What is he doing here?