#dumbass!!

merrick: oh that was a quote from Shakespeare if you didn’t know

nicky: ???

It was a long day at work.

His shifts aren't really that long—not typically—but by the time he got done helping poor Junker and Mr. Haga clean up the shop after the kids came by and wrecked the place... it'd been pretty late. It didn't help that he had deliveries to run out after.

At first, Aoba doesn't even realize how late it is. It's not until he pats the small bundle of fur in his bag and asks Ren what time it is—(It's 12:30 AM, Aoba,)— that he realizes it's been ages since he's eaten, and he's exhausted to boot. It's way too late to come home and cook and he'd feel absolutely gut-wrenched asking Granny to make anything this late, even though she'd probably insist anyway. The lady would probably still be up, worrying, if he hadn't already told her work was keeping him late.

Aoba resolves to head to the nearest convenience store instead. He'll eat something proper in the morning—Granny will have his head if when she finds out he was buying packaged dinners, and she'll probably scowl at him while making breakfast tomorrow.

Truthfully, Aoba's not paying the greatest attention when he walks into the store. He catches sight of someone he's never seen around the Old Residential District before, but he doesn't give her more than a single glance. She doesn't necessarily look like she's out of place, so there's not much reason to talk to her.

...At least, not until he accidentally bumps into her as she's coming out of the aisle he's going into, and he has to lean forward to catch her so she doesn't tumble onto her ass.

Huh. She's... really short.