𝙻𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝙸𝚗 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙶𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚜 | Chishiya Shuntaro x OC

𝟷|𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎

(https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5ViOKAY8I0EvHpn7TjeAPu?si=RKZjf70wQii8BnodHdRfqw)

°⨳°·..·°⨳°⊹٭ The before ٭⊹°⨳°·..·°⨳°

[Sakoto POV]

"Is it already Sunday? How could the weekend go by so quickly?" I groaned to myself, longing for it to still be Friday. The realization that I had to go back to work the next day and endure the usual grind was almost too much to bear. Resigned to my fate, I lay in bed wearing my oversized shirt, which served as my comfortable pajamas. Eventually, I dragged myself down to the kitchen for a late-night snack, trying to stave off thoughts of the impending Monday.

As I reached the kitchen, my phone buzzed with a new notification. It was a text from my friend Ikumi, a message that had become a familiar part of my routine. Ikumi and I had been friends since kindergarten; she always had a knack for brightening my mood, no matter how bleak things seemed.

I glanced at the clock. It was 2:06 AM, and the moonlight flooded through the kitchen window, providing just enough light for me to see. I raised my phone to check the message, only to groan as the screen's brightness assaulted my eyes. 

Squinting, I saw that Ikumi was at a bar with some guy, likely drunk, just like the previous week. I didn't feel like responding, so I set my phone down and grabbed a bottle of water, taking a long drink before heading back upstairs.

My parents were away on vacation, leaving me with the entire house to myself. The solitude was palpable, but there was a silver lining—I could play my music as loud as I wanted without worrying about disturbing anyone. Despite the loneliness, the thought of blasting my favorite songs was a small comfort.

***

I got up from bed and dressed for the day ahead. Unlike the other girls at work who seemed to embody some sort of idealized beauty, I was pretty average. I had regular brown eyes and hair, which I wore in a short to medium wolf cut. At my height, which was on the shorter side, I didn't expect to stand out or attract much attention.

It's not like in those books where the main character is some perfectly crafted person. I never felt deserving of being the protagonist in any story, yet here I was, stuck in my own narrative.

After getting dressed, I headed out to the nearest coffee shop. Making breakfast at home felt like too much effort, and I needed my morning coffee fix. As I walked, I found myself zoning out while watching kids play in the park. I wished I could go back to that carefree time when I had lots of friends and my biggest worry was whether I could stay out a little longer before dinner. Those were the best days of my childhood.

Lost in these thoughts, I suddenly snapped back to reality when I collided with someone. "I'm SO SO SO Sorry!" I stammered, panicking as I realized the impact had caused their coffee to spill.

Fortunately, it didn't land on them, but unfortunately, it soaked me instead. Still, I felt terrible. They had paid for that coffee, and now it was wasted. Shivering from the cold, I quickly removed my soaked coat.

"Are you okay, ma'am?" a calm, low voice asked. The person I had bumped into wasn't particularly tall or short, and their hair was pulled back in a ponytail. They spoke with a tone that lacked any noticeable emotion or concern, which made me feel even worse.