Monotonous | Nanami Kento x Reader

24 | Shiori | Promises

The mornings at the bakery are always busy. Not because of the customers, but because we have to be baking constantly-- so maybe the customers are to fault... However, today, Y/N called in saying she wouldn't be here, so it just became busier. She must really be sick. For some reason, her voice sounds different, almost nasally like she aged back a few years. I'm glad she's taking a break-- she loves this place so much, she'd marry it if she could.

Those two jobs must've caught up to the poor girl. Alas, that was what I told her admirer then. He looked funny with that subtly panicked expression, as if it was foreign for him to display or even feel such emotions, or maybe to the caliber of the extent. Or maybe, I'm just reading too much into it. 

Ah, young love. 

"Do you know if Y/N's alright?" Kento asked, his foot tapping on the floor with a thrum of anxiousness. His hair was wind-tousled and his green glasses were nowhere to be found. 

"She should be. Quite resilient, that one is." I told him. Behind was a line of people starting to grow. "Y/N will be back in a couple days."

He seemed to deflate, as if a couple days was too much for him to bear.

"Cheer up. It's not like she's gone and left the country." I pat his back. 

The door chimed as another person came in. Normally, they've would've joined the growing line without any prompts, but this time, they caught my attention as they came straight to the counter. 

I blinked twice at the sight of the short girl. An empty tote bag hung from her elbow, oversized clothing dwarfing her frame. Although she seemed to be a child-- barely a teenager, those E/C eyes and H/C hair was familiar. "You must be Hana?"

Kento looked down at the child, seeming to recognize the features. "You're Y/N's sister."

She told him? When did they even get the chance to talk? That girl never even told me they met outside of work! When Y/N gets back, I'll be suing her for this betrayal. Not telling me, her work bestie, is sacrilege. 

When I looked at her sister, they really did look alike. However, unlike Kento, who was able to tell that she and Y/N were related, Hana did not know who he was. Her eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms, glaring up at him. "Am I? You shouldn't presume things. Not very smart of you."

"Is she alright?" Kento was a better person than I; if someone spoke to me like that, they'd get the slipper. Instead, all he was concerned about was--

"Y/N's none of your concern." 

Hana's defensiveness didn't scare him away, instead it only caused him to speak further. Nanami was too tired to filter his words, and spoke whatever his heart spewed. "Even if she isn't, I would care for her anyways."

Huh. Maybe he's worth more than just a joke to tease Y/N about.

Although Hana wasn't fully swayed, she paused. Then, she huffed, and simply turned to me, saying, "Big sister's fav, get me that." 

It would be interesting to watch a pre-teen have beef with an adult that just doesn't care, but I rolled into the kitchen regardless. For Y/N, I'd rather make it myself, and so I bullied Keith to go handle the customers instead. He protested, in the middle of wiping down already clean counters, but I shooed him off. 

The shop was closing down in a few months, but the number of customers didn't dwindle at all. Briefly, I glanced over the opening in the window, catching a few of the words Hana exchanges.

"What are your intentions with my sister?!"

"To make sure she's ok." 

A soft smile matched with a sigh left me. I was getting too old for this-- my fingers ached with the effort of creating. And so was Keith. We both had grandkids to pamper, and my retirement was supposed to happen right after this place is sold.

I know it'd break Y/N's heart. Maybe that's why I neglected to tell her. If I told her earlier, would she have burned out this fast?

As soon as I finished packing her favourite dessert, for everyone when they're sick deserves sweets, I stumbled into Kenshi. He had just left his office, had a grim look on his face. I didn't even have to say anything to know what that meant.

"When...?" I asked, expression dropping.

Kenshi hesitated. "New Year's Eve. After that, they're tearing it down." 

"What are they making?"

"Does it matter?"

"It does to Y/N."

He didn't answer. "Tell her to take things easy." And with that, he left.

I didn't have time to dwell over him. I handed over the package to Hana, who drummed her fingers on the counter. Next to me was Keith, but I paid him no mind. As soon as Hana left, I glanced at Kento. 

"She'll be back. Please do for her what we can't." I murmured as his brown eyes widened.

From under the counter, his hands clenched and a sharp intake of breath could be heard. "I promise." 

He kept coming back every day, morning, evening, waiting. 

It hadn't even been a week-- barely. Hana hadn't come back since that day, but Haru, my grandson, has. He always came infrequently, but whenever he and Kento stumbled onto each other, a tenseness would tauten the air. 

It wasn't hard to recognize the look in Kento's eyes, the jealousy and self-loathing. Haru, on the other hand, was an airhead. Only I can call him that since I'm his grandma.

I knew my grandson quite well. I used to spoil him with lots of little sweets, but he was a disaster at baking, unlike Y/N. That's how they met when they were young during a class event. I suppose it was a coincidence I later came to work with her, and tease her about Haru. After all, I wouldn't mind having her as a granddaughter-in-law(?), but, deep down, I knew them both. What they had didn't run deeper than friendship. 

But Kento didn't know that. 

There was nothing for me to do but experience these days pass without further sight of Y/N. It might feel like overstepping, but it was only natural to hope for her to return. 

There were people who cared for her outside of what she could provide, and till then, we'd just have to hope she'd realize that sometime before it was too late.