Peppermint [Asahi Azumane]

~ don't worry ~

It was getting late as I sat behind the cash register, not feeling any motivation to study the material that I had spread out on the table in front of me.

Eventually, I came to terms with the fact that the shifts Ukai had me work were at times when there was never much business,other than the occasional young adult buying a pack of gum.

And so there I was, comfortably sitting at the register in a baggy tshirt and jeans, with Ukai most likely taking a nap in the back room instead of doing inventory like he said he would.

In all of my boredom, I was staring at the window for what felt like hours.

My elbow resting over the counter with my chin placed directly in my hand, I saw the wind gently blowing the leaves outside. The light hum of the fridges and air conditioning were the only thing I could hear as I started cracking at my tired and stiff fingers.

I saw a shadow walking past the windows in my field of view around 11pm. Asahi was on a late night walk.

I wish I could just run outside and smack him across the face for being such a dick earlier. Maybe try to kiss some sense into that stupid face of his... I was rightfully upset.

He was walking rather slowly and I was in a daze.

"Whatcha lookin at?" Ukai poked out of the back room, making me jump in surprise.

"Don't scare me like that!" I put a hand over my heart as he laughs.

"Staring at lover boy?" he smirks after he follows where my eyes had been planted.

"How old are you?" I furrow my brows. "Didn't you notice how weird he was during practice today?" I ask him.

"He's usually pretty hard on himself, but ever since the training camp-" he leaves his sentence unfinished.

"Somethings been off." I finish for him.

"Any ideas of what it could be?" he looks at me, knowingly.

"I didn't do anything, I swear!" I raise my voice and sigh, "He's going to another continent for two years in just a few months. He's leaving everything behind, you know? But that still doesn't explain why he's so frustrated."

"You care about him don't you?"

"Shut up."

"I'm still your coach, y/n."

"Blah blah. Youre actually not my coach by the way." I turn in the swivel chair and point at him, smirking at his annoyed face.

"Just go."

"Huh?" I lower the finger.

"No ones coming to the store around this time. I won't take the extra hour you have left out of your pay check, just go talk to man-bun over there."

"I guess not annoying you has it's perks, huh?"

"You annoy me plenty. Now go."

I laugh. "Lemme just refill my mug, and I'll go." I put another teabag into the now lukewarm water and go to the break room to fill up the bottle with hot water before tightly screwing on the lid and shoving it in my tattered backpack. I turn to an amused Ukai, and smile.

"Thanks Coach. For um, everything."

"No problem, kiddo." he pats my shoulder and I stand with the door half opened.

"You know, the whole 'kiddo' thing is growing on me." he makes a face of confusion as he says it.

"I thought so too." I smile, and go over what to say in my head before approaching Asahi.