Thin Walls ~ SakuAtsu Short Story

1. Soda

Atsumu stared at his keyboard, silent. His whole apartment was silent. He got up and closed the book of songs on it, putting it on his shelf. 

Atsumu made his way to his kitchen, grabbing an instant coffee cup and popping it into his coffee maker. It was six in the morning. Time for him to go to work… To filing. Writing. 

Doing what he hated. 

Then after that, he would head to the fast-food joint down the street where he'd had soda poured on him so many times. Atsumu just grabbed his work clothes and coffee and headed to his car. He pulled down his mirror and smiled at himself. 

"Wider. It's okay." 

No, it wasn't. 

Atsumu looked over to see someone in their car, covered by a comforter and huddled so deep in a hoodie that their face was covered. It was freezing outside… 

This world was going to hell. 

Atsumu pulled out of the parking lot and headed to the office he worked at a while away. When he got in the building and clocked in he had the typical lady from HR hitting on him, her friend getting touchy. 

His desk partner ignored him and Atsumu worked, silent. 

He tried his best to stay focused and got through nearly all of his work. He had to go to his other job, eating something on his way. 

He was tired already. He had a small lunch. He emailed all day and wrote all day. 

Now he had to give already fat people fatty food. 

He clocked in here and his coworker, a way too happy ginger who everyone loved hugged him, laughing. He'd gotten a pay raise. 

That was great. Wonderful. 

Hinata had a nice apartment with his partner and had a nice life. He got more money now. 

Atsumu just smiled with him until he was able to do his job at the cashier. This wasn't hard. The people were sometimes hard to deal with but the job was easy. 

Atsumu was amazing at math and could quickly get people through and it got him the occasional tip. He was glad he could fake it till he made it and was able to smile and laugh with customers. 

It was nice sometimes. He could try to be happy this way. 

He hated both of his jobs but customers were nice sometimes. 

Although, right now he was thinking of just walking out. A lady who looked at least eighty pounds overweight was arguing with him over her order, which he had put in correctly for the system. 

"Ma'am, you said diet soda. Which is what I gave you." 

"Does it look like I need a diet?! I want real damned soda!"

Hinata walked up, smiling. "Hello! What's the issue?" 

"This moron put in the wrong thing!" 

Hinata smiled sweetly up at her. He looked at the tablet and then to Atsumu who shook his head. Hinata looked back up. "Ma'am?"

"What?"

"Would you like a new soda?" 

She nodded and Hinata got it for her. As soon as she turned Hinata increased the price a bit. 

"Idiot."

Atsumu smiled at his friend. "Tell me about it."

Hinata laughed. He yawned before going back to the drive-thru. 

The lady came back up. "Hello. Is everything-" 

Atsumu stopped talking as the large diet soda he'd given her previously was dumped over his head. He stayed still before turning and going back to the locker room. A manager came over and helped him out after yelling at the woman. 

Atsumu just cleaned up and when he got home he got into the shower, hoping that his hair wouldn't be too sticky. 

He couldn't stay in there too long or he would get a high water bill again and it would be difficult to get anything at the store. His credit wasn't very good either. Maybe he was going to hell instead of the world. 

As he stood there, spaced out slightly he heard soft music startup. New neighbors ignoring the thin walls. 

They got cheap apartments and cardboard walls. Why didn't people learn? 

Atsumu listened closer and noticed it was piano music, which he'd never heard in the building before. He waited a moment before shutting off the water and just letting himself listen. 

Whoever it was had been practicing scales. He heard shuffling and then coughing before a few notes were tapped. 

Then it was quiet. 

Atsumu stepped out of the shower and nearly as soon as his feet hit the floor his ears were met with a beautiful sound. A song that he had played before. River Flows in You was very, very common. 

But this person had mastered it and it sounded nice. Suddenly it stopped and the person started coughing. 

Atsumu dried off and brushed his teeth before getting in bed and trying to relax. The music started up again and he listened close. He could hear the lightness that was pressed into those keys and it warmed his heart on this cold November night. 

This was the American Thanksgiving. It was weirdly cold and still. 

The warm things tonight were that carefully played music and the heater Atsumu was given for Christmas one year.