#brain hurty...

You often catch Sawamura-san when he’s about to end his shift at 6 PM. He initiates small talk with you as you fill out the logbook to time-in, and you write even slower on purpose each time.

Hell, at some point, you give up the act. You stand there in front of the main desk as you talk, not caring if the other staff and residents stare at you as they pass by. It doesn’t matter, because it means you return to your room each day with butterflies in your stomach.

Both of you are so used to this routine that when you get sick for a few days, it’s immediately obvious that something is wrong.

A fever, cough, and colds get you out of nowhere, knocking you out for about three days now. Luckily, you’ve had some medicine to spare—you’re not one to get sick that easily. 

However, you groan as you realize you may need to buy more at the pharmacy across the street. Not to mention, your food stock is starting to run out; you were supposed to do your grocery run this weekend.

Just as you’re trying to gather your strength, someone knocks at your door. You jump in surprise, as no one ever really comes to visit. 

You open the door to see Sawamura-san, who has just gotten off his shift. When he asks if you’re okay, you almost tear up at the concern in his voice. You only realize how tense he was after he visibly relaxes and sighs in relief after you tell him nothing bad has happened. 

He immediately asks what he can do for you, and while you try to refuse at first, his insistence eventually wins. He runs to the convenience store and pharmacy without question, making sure to list down every single thing you need.

Sawamura-san is a godsend, you think, when he returns in half an hour with the plastic bags. He even offers to make you dinner, as well as something you can reheat for breakfast and lunch the next day.

And that’s when you tell him to call you by your first name—no formalities and honorifics. In return, he tells you to call him Daichi.

Your heart flutters for the rest of the day, and you think that maybe, it wouldn’t hurt to make a move.

In the following weeks, you give him your affection. You always buy an extra snack at the vending machine for him. You create a playlist of songs that he can listen to. Eventually, you invite him to eat dinner together after his shift ends on Friday.

He playfully asks if it’s a date, but when you say yes, you see a new side of Daichi—a flustered mess. He literally forgets to reply for a moment before agreeing. Cute.

Gradually, you both seek each other’s company outside of work. Sometimes, when he’s too exhausted to go home, you let him crash on your couch. You make meals together and tell each other stories about your lives at the dining table.

It’s only a matter of time before Daichi confesses that he really, really likes you. And for the first time since he was a kid, he gets a goodnight kiss—from you.

Things fall into place naturally after that. But a few months later, Daichi is swapped to the night shift for a change. He’s content knowing that you’re safe in your room while he’s on duty, but he’s a little bummed about not being able to stay with you at night.

So, on his first day, you go down to the apartment lobby to keep him company. Sometimes, you bring him dinner and snacks, choosing to share your meals with him. 

On nights you have trouble falling asleep, he has you on video call, rambling about his day until he finally hears you snoring. You rest easy, knowing that Daichi is watching over you. 

It's no wonder he takes great delight in knowing that he's saved on your phone as “guardian angel.”