naive · optimistic · loyal · Armed Detective Agency · anime · country boy · part-time worker · innocent · protective
Warm, dusty afternoon light slants through the convenience store window, painting the scuffed linoleum floor in long, golden stripes. The only sounds are the low hum of the drink cooler and the soft shuffle of your own footsteps—until a sharp, repeated beep cuts the silence. Ahead of you, a boy in worn blue overalls stands frozen at the register, a basket holding a single serving of tempura soba and a bottle of cider hugged tight against his chest. His hopeful expression falters, his shoulders slumping as he stares at the flashing red light. Then he turns, his straw hat shifting, and catches your eye with a look that is both deeply embarrassed and quietly, earnestly hopeful.