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Chiharu can't stop herself from openly staring and gaping.
It's a rude thing to do to customers. Especially regular customers. She should be extending them her hospitality, making sure they come back again to her little bakery. Worse, this one is an old regular, too, who hasn't stopped by for a while. She should be ashamed that she couldn't even finish greeting them properly when they entered the shop as the words died halfway through on her tongue.
But really, she can't help it.
It's the salaryman. The blond one, who always looks a little worse to wear every time he visits. Who, with the correct questions, would start monologuing about the horrors of work and society and capitalism and other such depressing realities, which she sometimes struggles to keep up with. Chiharu still doesn't know his name. He hasn't visited her bakery since the last time she felt the sore weight around her shoulders disappear.
She wouldn't lose her composure this much if it's just him coming back after a long time. She would be delighted to see him, even. He's not even in his usual pinstriped suit today, dressed casual in a black turtleneck and jeans. Clearly an off-day or something, which Chiharu gets the impression he doesn't take very often.
The thing is, this is the first time she's seeing him again in years, and half his body is covered in a large burn scar.
Ruder still than her actions thus far, is the way her brain attaches the word "grotesque" to how the scar looks. The whole left side of his face, his left hand, and what she can see of half his neck, is a mess of shriveled skin, slightly redder than the other half. His left ear is just a stump of meat and skin. The shorn of hair on the left side of his head contrasts the neatly styled, longer blond on the right. He wears an eyepatch to cover his left eye, and her mind involuntarily conjures up images of what could be hidden underneath it. None of them a pretty image.
"Go on if you're going to ask."
Chiharu's teeth click together as she shuts her mouth too quickly. The salaryman is giving her a dry look, one she's familiar with, if only done on one side. He's the one starting the conversation, though, which is a first.
"Sorry," she manages to say. "I'm being very rude right now. It's good to see you again, though."
He gives a small nod. "It has been quite a while."
He walks up to the counter. On the tray that he puts on the table, of course, is his usual meat and vegetable bun. It causes Chiharu to smile.
As usual, Chiharu stalls checking his item out. "I would ask how you're doing, but." She feels her smile turn more into a grimace.
The salaryman doesn't pause. "I'm quite alright, actually. Today is a pretty fine day."
Chiharu chuckles awkwardly. "You know exactly what I mean."
He shrugs, expression unchanging. "This and that happened, but I came out on the other side alive. I should think that counts as alright and fine."
The way he says it, like he only narrowly escaped death…
"Shibuya?"
He gives her a flat look, which kind of feels like its own what else?
Because of course it's Shibuya. That Halloween night where the horror holds no fun at all. The night the world as they know it turned upside down. The night Japan narrowly escaped turning into ruins entirely.
"I thought your office was around this block?"
"It was. I changed jobs since the last time I was here." The man tilts his head a little. "I suppose a more accurate description would be that I went back to my previous job."
"Ah," Chiharu says, dazedly inputting his item into the cashier machine. So she can't even refer to him as Mr. Tired Salaryman anymore. Mr. Tired Changed-Jobs Man doesn't have the same ring to it. "And your new office is in Shibuya?" Wait, that's not quite right. Chiharu feels even more stupid. "Or, I guess you could just live around that area. Or just be visiting on that Halloween night." Though, the man doesn't really look like the type to hang out late dressing up in costumes.
"You're right that I was there for the job. But the job isn't always in Shibuya."
Chiharu blinks. The man doesn't look like he's joking, or purposefully speaking in riddles. She doesn't think he can, or rather, would do such things. There's something here that she's supposed to connect together. The job requiring him to be in Shibuya that one night, him narrowly escaping death, the pressure around her shoulders disappearing back when he was a salaryman and used to come here everyday, before he never came back for years, supposedly because he went back to his old job…
Chiharu gapes once more. "You're one of those ghostbusters."
"Ghostbusters," he repeats, and unlike her it's no awe and all deadpan. The scarred corner of his mouth twitches. "Not the most accurate term, but not entirely wrong in definition either."
Chiharu worries over her own lower lip. "Should I be paying you for the last time you helped me?"
Before the man can answer, the front doorbell tinkles. And before Chiharu can greet them, the new customer yells, "Nanamin!"
A blur of dark blue and pink rushes into the shop. The ex-salaryman—Nanamin-san? It sounds like a nickname rather than his real name—doesn't seem alarmed at all, merely turning around with a deep sigh.
A boy crashes at him in a hug. The thing is, Chiharu wouldn't say that the man looks like someone who is big on physical contact. He doesn't push the boy away, though, or sidestep the hug altogether like she thought he would. If anything, he opens his arms and catches the boy properly. He holds right back, very loosely when compared to the younger's seemingly crushing grip.
"Itadori-kun," he says, tone just as plain as whenever he talks to her, "we're in public. Though I know that never stopped you." He still doesn't push him away.
The boy—Itadori-kun, definitely his proper name—looks up to the man and makes an expression that, in Chiharu's opinion, is as lethal as a kicked puppy look. "You left me with Gojou-sensei."
The ex-salaryman doesn't seem to shift even one facial muscle. "Combining the two of you is a surefire way to get nothing done, or get them done in three more hours than necessary."
"We were just looking at the gift shop!"
"You and Gojou-san should be banned from any and all gift shops."
Itadori-kun pulls back a little, so that Chiharu can see his face now. It's a boyish face, if adorned with a scar over his right eyebrow and on the left corner of his lips. His expressiveness makes him look sweet instead of delinquent-like. There's a ring of powdered sugar around his mouth.
Nanamin-san frowns. "Did you eat something?" He's already reaching into his pocket, pulling out a handkerchief.
Itadori-kun releases his hold. He sheepishly pats the white stain on the man's turtleneck. "Gojou-sensei bought donuts." He accepts the handkerchief and wipes his mouth. Then, as if just realizing where they are, he looks around the bakery with renewed interest. "Hey, Nanamin, is this your favorite bakery?"
Nanamin-san's eye glances her way, then back to the boy. "It's a good bakery."
Chiharu smiles. "Thank you, Nanamin-san!"
He sighs. "Please don't imitate him. It's Nanami."
So it is a nickname. Chiharu's apology is drowned out by Itadori-kun's laugh.
"He doesn't actually mind being called Nanamin," Itadori-kun says, still hanging from Nanami-san's arm. "I'm Itadori Yuuji, by the way!"
"I do mind," Nanami-san refutes. The way he says it, Chiharu thinks that it must not be a lie, merely that Itadori-kun has special privileges.
"What do you recommend?" Itadori-kun asks her, ignoring Nanami-san completely.
"Nanami-san seems to like this one so much." Chiharu grins and gestures at the only bread on the tray.
"Ooh!" Itadori-kun leans forward enthusiastically. "Then, I'll get one of those too. You only bought one, Nanamin? Hey, let's buy something for everyone!"
He doesn't wait for Nanami-san to agree, just drags him back to explore the bakery, chattering all the way. Chiharu watches as Nanami-san, dry and gloomy and tired ex-salaryman Nanami-san, indulges him without much protest. His responses are short and clipped compared to Itadori-kun's high energy, but he engages nonetheless. Their tray is steadily getting stacked with goods, and Chiharu wonders how much company they have.
The doorbell tinkles again. This time, a tall man with cool sunglasses and pure white hair leisurely steps in. He's holding several paper bags with prints that Chiharu recognizes are from famous dessert shops around the area. He gives Chiharu a charming smile at her greeting. If she didn't already have a girlfriend she absolutely adores back at home, she might've swooned. He paid no mind to her reactions, though, immediately making a beeline for the only other two customers in the shop.
"Oi, oi, I can't believe the two of you already forgot about me." He sniffs, leaning his towering height between the two and resting his chin on their glued shoulders. "I'm wounded. What if I got lost trying to find you two?"
"Gojou-sensei!" Itadori-kun greets cheerfully, contrasting Nanami-san's irked, "Get off of me, Gojou-san."
The aforementioned Gojou-san only seems to lean more of his height and weight on his companions. "Which one's for me? I sure hope you don't also forget to buy some for me. Hey, that one looks good!"
Itadori-kun rattles off names and attaches baked goods to each of them. Gojou-san nods approvingly every now and then, adds his own suggestions, and then grabs another tray for them to fill. He takes his place on Nanami-san’s other side and follows Itadori-kun in linking their arms. Like that, the three of them stumble around the bakery. The prongs they’re holding clack loudly as they argue over which bread to choose. The second tray's getting full almost as fast as the first one. Nanami-san looks rather resigned, only making steady commentary of how overboard they're going. The other two ignore him.
Watching their interaction, Chiharu notes that other than the change in appearance, something else changed from Nanami-san. He seems… lighter, in how he carries himself, than before. For all of his back and forth with the other two, he lets himself be tugged around their way. There's something mellow and comfortable in the way they're all tucked together, arm by linked arms.
When they finally walk up to the counter again, they have accumulated three trays stacked with bread and pastries, which immediately spill all over the table the moment they put it down. Chiharu bites back a bigger smile than is acceptably polite, and pulls out the biggest paper bag they have. She thinks she might need several to fit all of the items.
Nanami-san inspects their haul and clicks his tongue. He repeats the same argument that everyone present knows will be shrugged off by the other two. "Who's going to eat all of this?"
"All of us?" Itadori-kun says, tone an obvious duh.
"The rest of us don't have as big of an appetite as you, Itadori-kun."
Gojou-san laughs. "Aw, we'll deal with it somehow! It's a celebration after all!" He then taps Itadori-kun's shoulder, chin jutting towards the front of the shop. "Look, Yuuji, ice cream truck! We should catch it!"
"Where?!" Without waiting for a confirmation or direction, Itadori-kun exits the shop, his dash as urgent as when he entered.
Gojou-san grins. His shades slip downward a little, and Chiharu can see the bright blue peeking from behind dark lenses. He tosses something from his pocket Nanami-san's way, who smoothly catches it.
"I'll leave that with you, since I don't think ice cream trucks accept anything but cash," he sing-songs. "Yuuji, wait for me!"
Nanami-san looks at the item, one visible eye widening slightly before he looks up again. "Gojou-san—" But his protest reaches no audience, for in the few seconds of his pause Gojou-san's wide steps have taken him outside the shop, following their charge.
Nanami-san sighs heavily.
Chiharu continues scanning another bread to the machine. "They're very… carefree."
Nanami-san shakes his head. "I still think it's a bit scary how they operate in such similar wavelengths." He lifts the item Gojou-san gave him. "Do you accept payment with these?"
Chiharu looks down. It's… a black card. She stops herself from gaping in front of Nanami-san for the third time today. "I—Yes?"
"It's okay if you don't, I have cash."
"No, it's fine, it's just, I never thought I'd see one of those in my lifetime." She opens another paper bag, scans more wrapped pastries. "Your partner must be loaded. Does your new… or old, I guess, job, pays better?"
Nanami-san's singular eyebrow furrows. "Partner?"
"Erm," Chiharu stutters. She'd assumed… "Sorry for making assumptions! But I saw the two of you with the boy, and I thought…"
Nanami-san stares to the front of the shop, the glass doors separating them from the outside. They can just make out tall figures with white and pink between the people lining up in front of the ice cream truck.
Nanami-san's face is a bit harder to read, with the scar covering half of it. And he just doesn't emote overtly, really. But Chiharu thinks she sees thoughtfulness there. "He's… a coworker," he says. "But I suppose the line between 'coworker' and 'partner' is a bit blurry, in our line of work."
"Hoh. And Itadori-kun?"
"My… protégé. In a sense." Nanami-san scratches the back of his neck. "Well, he's Gojou-san's student first, though."
Chiharu smiles, hearing something else that he doesn't say, and she refuses to translate. She'll let him keep it. This is the most she's hearing from him, about himself and the people around him, from all of their short interactions in her bakery. "I see."
She finishes wrapping up all the items. She rattles off the total, which makes Nanami-san wince. He doesn't take out his wallet for cash and just pushes Gojou-san's credit card. Chiharu accepts it, and is glad her hand doesn't shake as she goes through the whole payment process until she returns the card to Nanami-san. He puts it inside his pocket.
"This card, well, the short story is that Gojou-san just has that kind of money,” Nanami-san is saying. “As for the job's pay…" he continues, surprising Chiharu once again that he willingly picks up the conversation, and even choosing to answer her intruding questions. "Money-wise, it pays more than being a salaryman. But being a sorcerer is shit. It's pain and death and heartbreak. It's dropping curses that will never stop appearing, until you yourself drop." He looks at his hand, and Chiharu looks at his scars. "I came close to that, very recently. It's a tiring job, where rest is the most expensive currency."
Chiharu doesn't know what Nanami-san is seeing, between the criss-cross of pulled skin on his hand. "You'd think that would get me to stop. Run away once more, while I have the chance. But, what I found, the last time I did that, is that sorcery is shit—yet everything else other than sorcery is somehow even more shit."
Nanami-san looks up and meets her gaze. Despite the scar, despite his constant dullness, despite his depressing monologues that Chiharu sometimes struggles to keep up with—his gaze, all unblemished and scarred halves of it, is warm. "You asked if you owe me anything for the last time I exorcised the curse from your shoulders. You don't. That time, your gratitude was the one thing that convinced me. To go back. To stop running away. So, if anything, I'm the one who owes you this much, at least: thank you."
Chiharu does, in fact, end up gaping in front of Nanami-san for the third time today. He doesn't wait for her to pull herself back together, gathering the two large paper bags in his arms and moving out of the shop. From the glass doors, Chiharu can see Itadori-kun joining him, taking the paper bags into his arms, all while balancing his cone of ice cream. Gojou-san joins them soon after, and offers Nanami-san a cup from the three that he's holding. Nanami-san says something she can't hear. The other two laugh. They start walking away.
Chiharu snaps back to herself. She moves from her little counter, runs across her little shop, and opens her little bakery's glass door. She stands at the entrance, facing their backs, and yells, "Nanami-san!"
Unlike last time, Nanami-san stops walking. Unlike last time, he looks back and waits for her to speak. Unlike last time, he has two other people walking by his side, also stopping to look back at her curiously. One of them is holding paper bags filled with baked goods she made with her hands. A large amount of them, clearly to be shared with a lot of people.
She didn't get to greet them properly when they entered; at the very least, she should send them off properly, right?
Chiharu smiles, cups a hand around her mouth, and waves with her other hand. "I'm Suzuki Chiharu! Thank you for visiting! Please come back soon!"
Nanami-san's changed, it was obvious from first glance. Since he paused walking, she can feel his exasperation even from this distance. And for all of the new, intimidating scar, the way his head is turned back only means that she can see the loose lines of his expression.
Without saying anything in return, Nanami-san nods and continues walking. Itadori-kun waves back at her with the hand that's holding the ice cream cone, causing some of the treat to spill and fly around. His smile is bright enough to make up for the shaded winter sun. "Bye, Suzuki-san!" Nanami-san grips his hand so he'd stay still and produces his handkerchief again. Gojou-san just laughs, throwing her a grin and a smaller wave over his shoulder. He ruffles Nanami-san’s hair, who swats his hand away once he finishes fussing over Itadori-kun.
They walk away together, conversation swallowed by the sounds of traffic, and Chiharu hopes they will visit again soon.