#benji writes

Humming quietly, Benji approached the nearby cafe, glancing up at the sign. WildKat. The cafe had been slowly becoming like a second home to the adult, considering how much time he spent there drawing. With a small yawn, he held onto his bookbag a little tighter before heading inside. 

He was greeted by the barista, who spoke up, “Welcome to WildKat.”

Benji nodded slightly to him with a smile as he approached the counter to order his drink.

“Your usual, boss?” Sanae spoke up, to which Benji nodded in response.

“Yeah, vanilla latte, two packets of sugar. Thanks,” he murmured before going and sitting down at a table. It didn’t take him long to grab out his sketchbook from his bag. Benji took a quick glance around the cafe to take in his surroundings, then proceeded to get to work on his latest piece.

Sanae approached the table a couple minutes later with Benji’s drink in hand, gently setting it down. “You’ve been working on that an awful lot the past few days, haven’t you?”

“Oh… This? Yeah, I have been.”

“Mind if I sit with you while you work on it?”

“Don’t… Don’t you have a job to do?”

“Things are quiet, you’re the only customer I’ve got today. I’ve got the time.”

“Well… Don’t let me stop you…” Benji trailed off. He’d been coming here for at least a month now, and he still didn’t know the barista’s name.

“Hanekoma. Sanae Hanekoma.”

“Oh, well, don’t let me stop you, Mr. Hanekoma. I’m Benji,” he spoke quietly as he introduced himself. He couldn’t help but feel a bit shy.

“Benji, huh? A handsome name for a guy like you,” Sanae responded as he pulled up a chair to sit across the table from the other man. “You’ve got good taste in coffee, y’know.”

“Oh, uh…” He paused, too flustered to speak for the moment. “Th-thank you,” he murmured, fidgeting with his pencil.

“What’s this piece you’ve been working on?” Sanae asked, picking up on Benji’s shyness and deciding to redirect the conversation to a different topic.

“Oh, it’s gonna be a painting of CAT’s Udagawa mural, assuming… You know what I’m talking about?”

“I think everyone knows the Udagawa mural, Benji,” the black haired man responded with a smile.

“That’s true… Well! I’ve spent some time photographing it so I’ve got references to work on it, and… Maybe I’ll have it done by the end of next week, I’m not sure…”

“Well, I’d love to see it when you finish it. From the looks of it, you’ve got a good understanding of the energy surrounding the mural,” Sanae continued, drumming his fingertips on the table.

Benji nodded again, finally taking a moment to drink his coffee.

“Why don’t you give me a few minutes, I’m gonna make myself something to drink and I’ll come back and sit with you. You’re welcome to spend as much time here as you’d like and I’ll keep you company. Sound good to you, Benji?”

“Sounds fine to me,” he murmured, smiling.