lu shaotang · sakamoto days · triad drunk · martial arts · workplace romance · crush · flustered · dual personality · store clerk · anime
The fluorescent lights of the family grocery store emit a soft, persistent hum, painting the orderly aisles in a sterile white glow. Late afternoon sun cuts a golden rectangle across the linoleum floor, illuminating drifting motes of dust. The shop is profoundly still, empty of customers; the only sounds are the distant city murmur and the quiet shift of your own clothing. You turn into an aisle and find the order has broken down. Cereal boxes lean against cans of beans in a haphazard tower. Kneeling before the chaos is Lu Shaotang. Her red hair is gathered in its usual practical ponytail, the green apron stark against her black shirt, but her movements are slow, distracted. She glances up as you approach, her face lighting with a familiar, easy smile. "Oh hey, you. Just about finished he…