Secret Senju

Chapter 2. Meeting

Recap:"I-I completely woke up so much later than I thought I would and!-" Her voice fizzled out in Sasuke's brain, his dark eyes set on her apologetic face as she spoke to her co-workers. How could someone's voice sound so pretty?

Minutes go by, and the more he looks at her the more he realizes that he absolutely despises this feeling. It's something he's never experienced before, with his chest constricting in all different sorts of directions as if he was a ragdoll to be toyed with.

And suddenly, the feeling doubles in terror when she glances back at him and their eyes lock for the first time.

"And you'll continue to find leads after this week is complete! Who knows? Maybe you'll find something significant in Furubira."

Sasuke feels himself tense, fuck.

Haru's POV:

"Haru! Haru it's fine, just put on your apron and take a breath, you look like you ran a marathon!" Mina chided, her light brown ponytail bouncing as she leaned in to take a good look at me. "Well you know I don't do good with exercise" I huff with a slight blush on my cheeks, looking away from her in favor of staring guiltily at the wall clock behind the counter.

Half an hour late! For the third time this week! Damn it, I should really get a stronger alarm clock to wake me up in the mornings. But would a strong enough device even exist?! I remember when I was a little girl, the host mother back at my orphanage would always joke that I could sleep through anything, but damn!

....she was so right.

"I'm sorry" I whine, dropping my head and letting my pale bangs shade over my eyes, my shoulders slumped pathetically as giant dark lines circle my body and make an even bigger spectacle of my shame.

How do I even get those?!

"Haru, please. It's not that serious, we've had like two customers since we opened, you know the town is in a slow season right now! There's not much to do" Mina snorts, lightly slapping my shoulder in an attempt to get me to stand right.

I nod slowly, agreeing though I still feel bad. Mina's right, it is a slow season in terms of tourism in our town, so there's not as much urgency to be present at work all of the time when I know my co-workers are already there. But still,

It's the principle that counts!!

"Has it really been that slow? Are you counting the customers who's here now?" I ask, now with a whispering tone so that the customer wouldn't hear. I haven't looked at their figure yet, but for some reason I know there's someone else in here.

It's a weird quirk I've had ever since I was little, some would even go as far as to call it a gift! My old host mother always referred to it as one. The ability to.....sense when someone is nearby, sometimes if I focus hard enough I could even figure out who the person is by their....presence?

No that's not the word, I really can't explain it.

I just happen to know when people are near me, how I do it, or why, is completely up for debate.

And right now I know that there's indeed a client sitting in the farthest back-end corner of our quaint shop. God, I hope they didn't witness my entrance, that'd be so humiliating!

"You and your creepy sensing abilities, I love it! But yeah it's been slow, the guy who's sitting there is our second client of the entire day but he's only ordered a black coffee. Why don't you go ask him if he'd like anything else?" Mina nudges me, gesturing over to the client we've been whispering about.