Dance of Two Colors (Genji x Reader)

Chapter Eighteen

So there's this old organic convenience store that my mom used to bring me to when I was little. She wanted me to eat healthy, so she literally shoved me inside and ordered me to select any of the vegan snacks that they had.

I remember picking an almond bar that tasted like cardboard that day.

But over the years, I grew to like the convenience store's overly healthy food more every day. Or maybe I just got used to the bland tastes. I became friends with the cute old man who worked there, named Mr. Ikoma. He was kind, and was there for me when my dad left.

He let me take any of the food I wanted for free, and granted me permission to sit on the rooftop whenever I needed to get away from the world. It became my escape. Sometimes I would scream at the top of my lungs up there, or cry, or sleep. The possibilities were endless.

Well, when Genji asked me where I wanted to go after we left the party, I requested the organic store.

It was a cozy place with a low-hanging warm lightbulb that seemed so welcoming. Not a lot of people went there to get food so it seemed like we had the place to ourselves for now.

The noisy bell rung as I opened the door. Mr. Ikoma, who was sitting on a chair sipping tea, looked up and smiled toothily upon seeing me. The skin around his eyes crinkled with delight, and he set down his cup on a coaster.

"(Y/n)? Oh, how nice it is to see you!"

"Mr. Ikoma, hello! How are you today?"

"Things have been slow. I'm so glad you dropped by."

I walked into the store like it was my second home, but Genji seemed to hesitate at the entrance. I gave him a quizzical look, to which he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I usually don't have luck making elders like me," he whispered.

I clicked my tongue and yanked him inside, which elicited a puppy-like yelp. Mr. Ikoma seemed to be alerted at the sight of me with a guy, and immediately began mentally judging him, based on the rapidly blinking eyes.

I gestured to Genji with a smile on my face. "This is Genji. He's a friend of mine."

"Nice to meet you, sir," Genji greeted nervously, waving to him.

The old man said nothing and squinted at the two of us, his gaze shifting from me to Genji, and then to me again. I awaited some kind of verdict or greeting.

"Why," he began sternly. "Is your hair green, young man?"

I broke out into fit of laughter, disrupting the silence in the store, cradling my abdomen with my arms to keep it from hurting while Genji pouted and crossed his arms. I swiped at his hair playfully.

"I know, right, Ikoma? It looks stupid."

Genji elbowed me in my shoulder, muttering a quick "shut up" before addressing Mr. Ikoma again. "You see, sir, I like green."

"Hmph! What are your intentions with (y/n), green boy?"

I stopped laughing and felt my face heat up. "Ikoma!!"

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With an armful of overly healthy snacks, Genji and I made our way up the ladder to the rooftop. It was a classic slanted rooftop covered in sandpaper-like material, but it made me feel at ease. I had never brought anyone up here before.

I dumped all the food onto the roof and plopped down into a relaxed seated position, while Genji copied my actions.

"Cozy place you have here."