business partner | miya osamu

four

    IT WAS 5:30 PM and you entered your apartment building. they were very new compared to other old but remodeled apartment buildings in tokyo, yours being built in the early 2010s. it was very clean and very nice. you found it harder every month to meet your pay for the rent, due to your decline in traction of the bakery and expensive apartment.

unlocking the door, the only thing on your mind was showering. you were still so disappointed that no one was coming to buy desserts. you put so much time into learning recipes and tweaking them to be 100x times better and adding your own little twists. you spent your childhood baking with your mom, miriko, and for your classmates. everytime someone came over to hang with you, your forced them into baking with you.

after undressing, you stepped into the warm water. your mind wandered to onigiri miya. you thought back and replayed that whole interaction you'd had 6 hours earlier.

you got an idea. if his restaurant closed at 8 pm, you would just show up at 7:59 and force him into a conversation. there would be no one there except him and it still would technically be open! you knew, as a business owner yourself, that was the most annoying this someone could do but you had to.

yep. perfect.

dinner was simple. you ordered your f/f. as you ate up, you decided to call your best friend, yori.

"yori! how are you?"

"hi y/n! i'm good. ugh we haven't talked in like a week. i'm so sorry i've been soooo busy you have no idea."

"it's fine don't worry, unfortunately i have not been busy, but whatever." you sighed.

"oh, why? what's up? you sound, i don't know, not like you usually are."

you put your hand to your hair, "no, no, im still the same im just kinda sad. the bakery has had literally no customers! i mean, maybe once every hour. but that's nothing compared to how it used to be. miriko thinks it's because of this new onigiri shop or whatever..."

"oh i'm sorry about that y/n... you know i love your food everyone else is missing out. what onigiri shop?"

"i don't know i guess a few months ago this guy opened up this restaurant called 'onigiri miya'."

a few seconds had passed of silence which meant yori was still listening.

you continued, "and i went and talked to him because like, he's stealing my fucking business! ever since he got there i've had no customers. it's like he's famous or smth."

"well what happened? what did you say to him."

you explained your interaction with mr onigiri two days ago and the one today. you left out the fact he was extremely good looking. and muscular.

"damn HAHA he sounds like a brat, let me get a hand on him and see what happens. sorry it's not funny... what are you gonna do now?"

"in like an hour im gonna go back there a minute before closing so he has no choice but to talk to me cause everytime he uses the excuse he's busy."

that hour passed while you conversed with yori about her love life, school, movies, food ofc, etc. it was so nice to talk with her again. she's the type of friend that no matter how long you stay away from eachother it's always the same loving friendship.

you parked your car along the street. 7:56. you sighed for maybe the 20th time that day and waited those painful 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

7:59. it was dark already thanks to the winter. you could see through the glass windows of his store that there was no one in there since it was closing. you rushed in hoping he wouldn't make you leave again

his head was looking downwards, cleaning the countertop. even though his face wasn't visible, you could tell it was him.

"hello again!" you greeted with a smile as he looked up. he looked about ready to roll his eyes while grabbing a new disinfectant wipe to wipe down the glass shielding at his working station.

"im sorry we are closing."

"i know that's why i'm here! we are gonna have a talk."

he sighed, most likely in defeat.

"why do you keep coming back here?"

"you clearly forgot what i said the first time i got here. why are you stealing my customers? no no no, how can you stop stealing them? "

"im not ''stealing your customers''.. what do you mean?" at this point he stopped what he was doing.

"when did your shop open mr onigiri?"

"about two months ago. and my name isn't mr onigiri, it's miya. it's says it on my shirt?"

"right miya whatever, well ever since two months ago when you opened this place up, i've been getting little to no customers. so please stop whatever you're doing."

"so you're saying my shop is stealing your customers because everyone is coming here instead of to your place?"

you crossed your arms, "yes exactly"

he laughed a bit, at you, and in a "this is ridiculous" way. "im not "stealing your customers" im doing my job. and miss we are closing."

"it's l/n y/n."

"i don't need to know your name if you aren't ordering, which you can't because we were supposed to close 2 minutes ago."

"we?? i don't need see any of your employees here which means you can talk to me."

"yes ma'am but i want to close up and go home too. also, there is nothing i can do about people going to my place instead of yours."

"you can change locations, or put up posters to advertise me, or uh..." you focused your eyes towards the ceiling and bit the left side of your mouth in the pursue thought. miya let you think for a bit as he was too tired to say anything else

"hey! what if we like joined shops or something? i-we could be so successful!"

he made a face, "uhm, no. from what i've seen of you so far you seem, not to be rude, but very pushy. i don't think i would like working with you. i also have no reason to. and i like working independently."

"jeez so much for a shot in the dark i guess. i'll come up with something, okay?"

miya finished up cleaning. while walking to the door past you he grabbed his keys. he opened up the door and held it open for you, "goodnight miss."