Takeshi started his job on the counter and started since 3:40 PM.

"Sigh–"

He stood there for some time and customers started coming in and an hour passed him taking care of customers.

After then. An annoying person comes.

"Yo! Takeshi-san!"

This bastard…

"Why are you here?"

"Eh? Why? I came to buy."

"There is another store near your place. Why bother to come here?"

"Eh. Just wanted to see you."

"Ugh. Go on. What do you need."

"Just wanted some juice."

Mitsuo walks to the fridge and took a bottle of apple juice.

"Here."

Mitsuo pays and received his juice, opened it, and drinks.

"…. Are you done?"

"Eh… you wanted me to leave? Is that what you want?"

"Yeah."

"Come on Takeshi-san. I know this is the first day we met. But you saved me earlier I recall. Thank you for that."

"Yeah, yeah whatever."

"Let me stay here for a bit, please. I don't have friends actually. Since we're friends now. Please!?"

"…"

I regretted that. You're so noisy."

"Ehhh…. Okay. If that's what you wanted. I'll leave."

"Stay. My boss will think I'm turning a customer away. Look above."

"Eh?"

Above them. Mitsuo saw the surveillance camera.

"Oh… but if you wanted. I'll just leave. I'm sure your boss won't be mad."

"Just stay. It's alright. It's a bit boring here after all."

"Really!?"

"Yeah."

"Thank you! Well. I brought a laptop here."

"We can't play that here. You could on that table over there. But my boss is still here. Maybe later. If you wanna play with me. Later when he left."

"You can play!?"

"Of course. What do you think of me? Living under a rock?"

"Okay! Let's play Tekken later!"

"Mnm."

"Okay! I'll wait there first while drinking this."

Mitsuo walks to the table next to the window and sat there to wait.

Time passed and it's almost 5:40 PM.

A customer entered. This one looks like a bit of delinquent.

"Hey. Sell me a pack."

"May I see your ID first?"

"Huh!? ID? Don't give me that bullshit and sell me a pack."

"I can't. Unless you show me an ID and you're an adult."

"Uhh! Ya [email protected]! Let me tell you here. I'll best ya up if you don't give me a pack now."

"I can't. I'm truly sorry."

"[email protected]! Here."

He then hands Takeshi five hundred yen.

"Sell me. I need it."

"I can't. I'm truly sorry. Don't look for trouble please."

"Looking for trouble? Isn't that ya?"

"My boss could be looking at the camera right now and potentially are hearing us right now. He could report us. Me for selling to an underaged and you for insisting on buying and smoking."

"[email protected] it. Fine."

"Just buy from another store. If that is they would."

"Che! Making me walk again!"

"Sorry for the inconvenience."

"[email protected] dis shit. Fine! I'll remember ya face!"

"Thank you."

"Tsk!"

After the person left. His boss came out.

"Takeshi. What was that about?"

"Just a stubborn one, boss."

"Just don't sell cigarettes to anyone underaged. Even your friends."

"Understood."

"Alright. I'll go. Take care here. If there are delinquents that come here and caused trouble. Call me immediately. I'll bring police right away."

"Yes."

"Is that guy right there friend of yours?"

"Yeah. Kinda."

"Aight. I'll leave."

"Take care, boss."

His boss then now left.

"Come on! Let's play now!"

"Sure."

Mitsuo brings his laptop and gave Takeshi another controller as they play on the counter.

"So? How come you're playing this?"

"Arcades."

"Oh… Show me your best!"

"Sure."

*I'll play Kazuya!"

"Jin."

They started playing a couple of rounds after then. With a score of 10:1 and Mitsuo leading.

"You…"

"Eh? Are you mad!?"

"No... I'm not mad idiot. You're so good at this. You can even execute EWGF four times. You could combo me with that for two times and I would already lose."

"Eh… ahhh… hehe. Yeah. I'm kinda good at it. But you're good at sidestepping."

"Just natural reflexes."

"Still! That's hard with just reflexes. Your hands are fast and you're good at whiff punishing!"

"Yeah. And how about you studying frames?"

"Oh. How'd you know I'm studying frames? But that is required the higher you climb!"

"I know. I got no time studying frames but I could guess when I could punish it based only on animations."

"Yeah you could look at the animations but studying frames is still a very good option."

"Whatever. I only managed to win one time. You're one heck of a player."

"Haha. I'm a gamer after all."

"Really, huh?"

"Oh. It's already dark. Maybe I should go home now. Sorry, Takeshi-san."

"It's alright. It's now almost 8 after all."

"Yeah, I'll come here always. Bye!"

As Mitsuo puts back his laptop on his bag and walks out of the store.

Takeshi continues on his job and patiently waits until the next employee comes by 9:00 PM. After a few whiles. A customer comes inside. It was a huge hulking man.

What the [email protected]? Is this a gangster? Wait. If this man is someone sent by those people. I'll be [email protected] for sure. Gotta save here for now.

He saved the current situation and continues once again.

"Hello. May I know what you need? If it's cigarette I'm sorry but you have to please show me an ID."

"No."

Will he cause trouble here? If he's an idiot and caused trouble here the police will surely arrest him as there is a camera that records everything.

"I'm buying snacks."

"Oh… o-okay."

I'm being paranoid, I guess. I even wasted a save. It'll reset tomorrow after all. And it's good to be always ready. But why the hell would he have to tell me he's buying snacks? Just grab it and come here so I could scan it. Is he an idiot? But still, just look at his muscles. Damn, he seems to be a bodybuilder.

Takeshi waits as the man picks up chips and drinks.

"Here."

Takeshi received and scanned the items. The man then pays and he returned the change.

"Thank you for coming."

The man then sits at the table beside the window and started eating.