The Reservation (Nanami Kento || JJK)

Coffee

I followed him out into the street so we didn't take up the door of the bakery.

Matsu—an ex-boyfriend who hardly counted because we dated for all of two weeks—rubbed the back of his head. He smiled, but the way his eyes squinted made it seem like this interaction was painful for him. "Hey, Mae. It's been a while, hasn't it? How are you doing?"

"I'm good," I said. Perfunctory. I was more than good these days, but Matsu didn't need to know the details. "How are you? Did you graduate?"

"Yep. Last year. You?"

I shook my head. "I never went back."

"Shame... You were really good." He looked at my full hands, then jumped to be polite. "Here, can I carry something for you?"

Before I could protest, he took one of the coffees and the bag of croissants, leaving me with my own drink. Somehow, the fact that I had two coffees hadn't alerted him yet that I was about to meet someone else.

With a growing smile, the pain leaving his eyes after we got the initial interaction out of the way, he continued, "Do you live around here? I had no clue we lived so close if you do. I'm just down the block over there."

To my dismay, he pointed in the direction of home. "Oh... Yeah. I'm not far from here either."

"Really? Do you live in the Rose Apartments?"

My stomach clenched. I didn't want to tell him... We were several years out from our whirlwind relationship, but the memory of how obsessed he'd been remained. I wanted to believe he got over it, but...

"I should get going," I said on a rushed breath, smiling brightly to appear polite. "It was so good to see you again, Matsu. We should catch up sometime. I'm just busy right now."

I made a grab at the other coffee and bag, but he pulled them out of reach at the last second, smirking like it was so playful and funny of him. "I'll carry this for you. No worries. We're walking the same way back, right?"

I had half a mind to tell him he was wrong. To purposefully take the longest, most circuitous way home just to avoid admitting we lived in the same building. I debated going back in to buy another coffee and croissants just so I didn't have to play this game of chase with him.

But on an artist's salary, I didn't have the funds to buy spare croissants... I needed the first ones back.

It took everything in me not to frown. To keep on smiling as I agreed politely. We started our stroll back to our apartments even though I protested, "Weren't you going to get something at the bakery? I don't want to keep you."

"Nah. I wasn't sure what I wanted. I was just bored this morning, honestly. I can go another time. So tell me what you're up to these days. Got a job?"

"Sort of. I do commissions."

"Nice. Pays well?"

"Well enough."

"I'm working at a design company. It's mostly remote, but every once in a while we all meet up at swanky places in the city. The boss pays for it all too. If you want, I could put in a good word for you the next time we're hiring."

I shook my head. Living in the same apartment as my ex was bad enough. I definitely did not want to work at the same company, no matter how well it paid.

"Thanks, but I'm not into digital design."

"Oh, well sometimes there are other positions for—"

"Well, here we are!" I said, being purposefully over the top to make him stop talking about getting me a job with his company. I tried to snatch the bag and coffee again, and he evaded. Again.