"honesty and grace" (Mezo Shoji X Reader)

Chapter 16

"Alright, thank you for stopping by. I really appreciate all that you've done for me, see you tomorrow!" You smile as the old man disappears into the privacy of his room. Mr. Grate had come over a lot earlier than you had expected, at about six in the morning, and talked to you for about an hour about how you were doing and if you needed anything. Though you knew it was his job to come over here and check up on you, you were now bored and unable to fall back asleep.

Today was the day that the police would show up to make sure you are keeping track of everything such as rent, schooling, and hygiene. If one thing were to slip, you would lose the place and ultimately end up on a plane back to America. Not that that would've been too terrible, but you had just started to get comfortable here in Japan, making this your new home. The thought of losing something like this tugs at your heart.

With an idea of what to do in mind before the police arrive, you throw on your tennis shoes and head out to the small shop just down the road. It was early, yes, but people were out about this time of day a lot more than normal because it was a Saturday.

On your way there, your head tilted towards the clouds. It was so easy to get lost in thought on these little walks you liked to take. Sometimes you would get stuck thinking about your schoolwork, such as a test you weren't ready for. Other times you would think of your newly made friends. With that thought, Shoji would always creep into the back of your mind, making your face flush and your eyes to soften.

Through daydreaming, you find yourself walking into the shop. Upon entering, a familiar face is seen coming from behind a row of snacks. "Hey, Mina!" You say happily, seeing her turn with a smile on her face.

"(F/n)! What are you doing over here so early in the morning?" She asks, taking a drink from a glass bottle.

"I could ask you two the same question. The dorms are a lot farther away from here than my apartment is." You say with a small laugh. Turning your head, you take note that Sero is checking out. Though, he seemed to be only having a conversation with his grandmother, at this point.

"Shoji told us about this drink that you liked and said that he really enjoyed it, so we wanted to give it a taste. We tried closer stores, but they didn't have this brand." She states, pointing at the logo of the drink. "It's really good, by the way." Her bright smile lights up the room, Sero now returning to Mina's side.

The sound of the boy's name coming from someone other than you or your mind made your heart skip a beat, enjoying the comfort that just his name brings you. "Yeah, it is. I get it like every other day. Probably not the healthiest thing to drink, but it's tasty." You laugh softly and walk to the fridge, grabbing one of them and walking to Mrs. Sero. She gave you a warm smile as you paid and began to turn to leave.

"Wait," Mina starts, looking at you as you start to leave, "you should come with us back to the dorms." She says with a smile, meeting you outside the shop as the door closes quietly.

Sero looks at the girl and raises an eyebrow, his smile faltering. "Mina, I don't think we can just invite people over to the dorms. I don't think Mr. Aizawa would be too happy if we showed up with a random person." His voice is a little worried.

The rosy girl sighs and nods her head, looking down with a defeated look, ultimately agreeing with Sero. You laugh and raise a hand, checking your phone quickly. "It's okay, guys. I have something to do at noon anyways." You say, stuffing your phone in your jacket pocket. In your mind, you kind of hoped that they would persist, given that afternoon was a little more than four hours away.

Mina sighed and shook her head. "Are you sure? We could text someone to get Aizawa's permission." Her voice was filled with hope, bouncing a little bit in her casual clothes as people bustled around her. Sero seemed a little weary, but pulled his phone out anyway.