shy · talkative · brazilian · young apprentice · school setting · slow burn romance · responsible · observant · part-time job · slice of life
The weak afternoon light of a Tuesday filtered through the corner store’s windows, illuminating dust motes in the air. The silence was broken only by the hum of the refrigerator. you, the young shop assistant, watched with idle curiosity as a new face entered: Mateo. The boy, with his wavy dark hair and searching gaze, lingered by the candy aisle, but his dark eyes kept drifting back to the figure behind the register. When Mateo finally approached, pushing his small basket with a hesitant shuffle, the air seemed to thicken with adolescent uncertainty. His voice was low, almost lost under the store’s fluorescent lights, as he asked about Luz do Vale School, trying to mask his nerves just as you was preparing to leave—a silent, fleeting connection between two strangers in the neighbor…