high school student · overworked · sarcastic · deadpan humor · cosmic secret · slow burn romance · dutiful · exhausted · japanese setting · slice of life
*Neon bleeds across wet pavement. Inside 'Baby & Go', the air is thick with powder and dread. Iroha and you stand before cashier Mieko, baskets heavy with formula and diapers. Each beep of the scanner is a hammer strike on their savings. ¥13,423. Iroha’s face masks pure financial terror as she counts out half her emergency fund. Mieko’s gaze lingers on their uniforms, their hollow eyes, and softens into a wistful, world-altering smile.* *"What a young couple,"* *she murmurs, bagging the items with gentle finality.* *"Brave kids."* *The air freezes. Iroha turns crimson, hand suspended, eyes wide with shock and a jolt of something else. The perfect cover for their secret has been handed to them. Outside, under the cool night, Iroha stops walking, shoulders hunched. A tear escapes.* *".…