Hizashi and Shirakumo had been enjoying their summer break before the start of their third year in high school. When it came down to the last few weeks of their break, they were commonly seen sitting at a WcDonalds located near the suburbs. Their frequent patronage wasn't really because they liked fast food. Hizashi preferred cute little cafes that served sweet desserts and Shirakumo loved street vendor food, particularly egg puffs and takoyaki. But the WcDonalds in the suburbs had something their favorite restaurants didn't.
A cute black haired boy that Hizashi had developed a major crush on.
It had started out as a joke. The pair had decided to grab some hamburgers before heading to Hizashi's place to watch a movie. As they waited in line, they heard a few of the boys that were ordering ahead of them ask for a smile from a girl with black hair. She was probably a year or two older than them.
She obliged happily, throwing in a wink with her pretty smile, leaving the boys flustered and satisfied.
"I bet boys come on to her all the time," Hizashi weakly laughed, briefly wondering if she had to keep a broom behind the counter to fight off extra thirsty customers.
"Well, yeah! Just look at her," Shirakumo whispered back. "She's gorgeous."
"Must get annoying though, I bet," Hizashi sighed.
"I bet the other workers are jealous of her always getting the attention," Shirakumo hummed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he studied the other cashiers behind the counter.
"Or pity her for always having creepy guys on her tail."
Shirakumo threw his arm around Hizashi, grinning from ear to ear.
"Why don't you ask for a smile from someone else then? Might make their day, you know?" Shirakumo said. "Maybe… that one over there with the black hair and dead fisheyes."
Hizashi stood on his toes to peer passed the customers in front of him, his green eyes darting around until he noticed the boy Shirakumo had pointed out. The black haired boy wearing the red uniform hat appeared lethargic but Hizashi noted how every movement he made was efficient, keeping up with the line as well as his other coworkers while maintaining a calm composure.
"Sure, I guess," Hizashi shrugged, smiling devishly. "But will he be able to hold himself back from DJ Present Mic's flirtations?"
He received a wolf whistle from his friend, the two of them laughing energetically as they waited for their turn to order. They were unfazed even when heads turned to their direction to locate the sudden boisterous laughter.
Just their luck, when it was finally the pair's turn to order, they had landed on the exact person Shirakumo had pointed out.
"Welcome to WcDonalds. What can I get for you today?" the cashier asked with a rehearsed tone.
Hizashi glanced at the name tag pinned to his white uniform shirt, noting that his first name was "Shouta.'
"I'll get two double cheeseburgers, please!" Shirakumo said, holding up two fingers with a bright smile.
"Would you like that to come in a set meal? It'll come with fries and a soda," the boy replied, his shoulders relaxed as he entered in the order to his electronic register.
"Yeah, sure! Thanks!" Shirakumo said, his smile growing wider as he turned to Hizashi. It seemed like he truly believed that they were about to pull the biggest prank in the world.
"Anything else I can get for you two?" Shouta asked, his eyes not leaving the register as he finished inputting the order.
"Yes, please!" Hizashi nearly screamed, raising his hand as if he were volunteering himself to answer a question. "Can I get an iced coffee and a large order of chicken nuggets?"
He received a small nod as Shouta added the order.
"Oh, and one more thing!" Hizashi placed one arm on the counter, leaning forward as he threw a finger gun at the cashier. "Can I please have a smile to go, please?"
There was a short pause.
"Huh?" Shouta's face grimaced at the request, one eye twitching in response.
"One smile, please," Hizashi repeated in English, wiggling his eyebrows in what he hoped was in a seductive manner.
Releasing a huge sigh, Shouta turned to face his female coworker who was ringing up another customer beside him.
"Oi, Nemuri. Another customer wants a smile!" he said.
"Oh, you got it!" she replied, turning to face Shirakumo and Hizashi, flashing them her best customer service smile while blowing them a kiss.
"Wh- wait, no! I want a smile from you, not her!" Hizashi stuttered. Shirakumo didn't seem to mind, his attention completely diverted as he pretended to grab the kiss directed at him and blow it back to the female cashier.
"Me?" Shouta grimaced.
"Well, yeah! I asked you, didn't I?" Hizashi pouted, throwing him another finger gun to emphasize his point.
"I can't…"
"Just give them a smile, Shouta. We have to keep the lines moving," his female coworker encouraged, giving him a teasing smirk. Hizashi's eyes darted between the two, faintly wondered if the two were going out. He wasn't sure why the thought popped up.
Shouta stiffened, his posture unnaturally straight instead of his usual slouched appearance. His mouth was in a thin line as his gaze fell to the counter. Hizashi suddenly felt bad for asking as he watched the cashier struggle to give him a crooked smile, the side of his mouth twitching from the sheer effort.
"That's as close as it's going to get," Shouta muttered, pulling his hat down lower to cover his eyes as he hunched his shoulders. The tips of his ears were red.
Hizashi blinked, studying the small blush blossoming on the boy's pale skin. One eye was hidden behind his long bangs as the other shifted from staring at the electronic cash register back to his gaping face.
"Please tell me that's all you're ordering," Shouta mumbled, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.
Hizashi would be lying if he said his pants weren't feeling a little tight at that moment. He awkwardly adjusted his belt.
He could feel Shirakumo's eyes lingering on him, his smile growing wider.
"I think we're done here. Please make our orders to go," Shirakumo smirked, teasingly elbowing his friend in the stomach. "My friend here is easily satisfied and quick to finish his meals, but when it comes down to it, he loves to savor the nice hot ones."
Hizashi felt his face heat up, his prescription sunglasses threatening to slip off his nose. He hurriedly confirmed their order and handed the confused cashier the money, dragging Shirakumo away once they had their receipt before his friend could say anything else.
Once their orders came out, Hizashi quickly went to the customer station to add in sugar and cream to his drink. He glanced over to see Nemuri whisper something into Shouta's ear. Whatever she said managed to make the boy snicker, quickly covering his mouth to hide his smile. Hizashi felt his blush grow more evident on his face as he wondered what the two were talking about. They must have been close if she could make the stoic cashier laugh.
After that incident, the two visited the establishment every weekend. Hizashi would order an iced coffee and Shirakumo would have a large soda and they would choose a seat with what Shirakumo called "a good view of the black haired cashier who made Hizashi super hot and bothered".
"That's probably why you order the iced coffee. To cool down your burning thirst," Shirakumo would tease every single time they went to the fast food joint. "Come on, just ask him out already."
"I don't know…"
"Since when does the great DJ Present Mic ever get cold feet when it comes to asking someone out?" Shirakumo said, resting his chin on his hand as he smiled at his flustered friend.
"I can get nervous about this stuff!" Hizashi insisted, indignantly taking a sip of his iced coffee.
"Yeah? What about that time you painted on your back, 'will you go to prom with me' for that girl in English class? You're lucky I convinced you that getting it tattooed was a terrible idea, especially since she said no," Shirakumo hollered, throwing his head back as he laughed at the memory while Hizashi bit down on his straw in embarrassment.
"Oh, or how about that time you asked a girl out during your live podcast and she actually called in and rejected you on the air?" Shirakumo wiped back tears as Hizashi kicked him under the table.
"That's all different, alright?!" Hizashi hissed fiddling with the hem of his t-shirt.
"How?" Shirakumo snorted, his smile still spread wide across his face.
"Because…," Hizashi hesitated, pouting his lip as his voice grew smaller. "Because I didn't really care if they said no."
Shirakumo's smile softened at the response, fondly huffing quietly at his friend. He already knew his friend didn't care about the girls he had previously asked out. Hizashi had admitted that he had only gone through with his antics because his classmates were starting to date and he wondered what it would be like to be in a relationship. Nothing ever quite panned out, but Hizashi was never very disappointed about it, cheering up from the rejection almost immediately with the following day. Hizashi had dated one or two girls for about a month, but it felt like an investment rather than an enjoyment, leading him to break off the relationships almost as soon as they had started.
"Well, that's even more of a reason to ask him out," Shirakumo said. "Being nervous just shows how much you want it to happen."
"I guess," Hizashi half-heartedly agreed, sighing dramatically as he turned to face Shouta who was currently wiping down the counter.
"If you're serious about asking him out, I'll help you out," Shirakumo continued. "This place is usually pretty quiet during the mornings so we can plan to come over here around then so there won't be that many people around. Sleep over at my place tonight. I'll help you get ready for the big day."
Hizashi glanced between his friend's wide smile and the black haired boy who had his arms folded as he spoke casually with his female coworker.
"But what if he's already taken?" Hizashi asked, his eyes lingering on the pair as felt a hint of jealously building in his stomach.
"Hmm? To her?" Shirakumo said, glancing over at the black haired girl. "Nah, I don't think they have that type of chemistry. Plus she's way too pretty for him."
"Not true," Hizashi huffed defensively.
"Whatever, man. Just trust me. I'm the best wingman you could ever ask for," Shirakumo smugly replied, coyly throwing back his hair. "So can I count you in?"
Pondering over the idea briefly, Hizashi eventually agreed, giving his friend a "manly" handshake as they nodded at each other in agreement. Once again, they didn't care if customers were staring at them.
The next day Hizashi came in the store wearing a white dress shirt and black dress pants. Shirakumo trailed behind him with a single red rose. For once in his life, Hizashi was glad the store was empty enough that no one noticed them.
He stiffly walked up to the counter. Shouta narrowed his eyes at the two boys, his mouth open ajar from speechlessness.
"Good morning, my dear listener!" Hizashi sang, his voice cracking midsentence.
"Uh, yeah, morning. What can I get you two?" Shouta asked, glancing at Nemuri as if to signal for help. She had her head turned to the side, poorly stifling her laughter.
Hizashi flashed Shouta a nervous smile, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
"Say your lines, Hizashi," Shirakumo whispered, nudging him with his elbow as he retained his bright smile.
"My… my lines! Yeah!" Hizashi quickly raised his right palm to his face to read the words written in sharpie.
"Um, do you believe in love at first sight? Or should I walk past you again?!" he nearly yelled. Shirakumo gave him a thumbs up.
Shouta's affect was flat, gaping at the question.
"Why do you need to walk past me? You're not allowed behind the counter."
Hizashi sputtered at the response, frantically trying to regain his composure by reading off the line written on his other hand.
"Oh, that doesn't do it for ya? Well, how about 'there must be something wong… no, wrong with my eyes. I can't seem to… take them off you'," Hizashi read off his hand, squinting at the words that were slightly smudged from his sweaty palms.
"There might actually be something wrong with your eyes judging by how much you're squinting."
"N-no! My eyes are fine!" Hizashi hollered, adjusting his glasses as his face heated up. "But uh, my eyes… aren't the only thing… that are… fine."
Hizashi's voice grew softer with each word until he sank to his knees, clinging to the counter as Shouta leaned forward to ask if he was alright. He could feel Shirakumo's hand on his shoulder as he knelt down beside him.
"Hey, come on! Now big finish! Ask him out!" Shirakumo fiercely whispered, his eyes burning with excitement.
Hizashi felt like throwing up. He stood back up abruptly and inhaled deeply.
"Shouta!"
"Yeah?" the cashier raised an eyebrow at him.
"One large iced coffee please!"
"So the usual then?" Shouta muttered, putting in the order.
"Come on, man!" Shirakumo groaned, slapping his forehead in disappointment.
"And the usual large soda for my friend," Hizashi quietly added, sheepishly twiddling his fingers.
"Alright, just give me a moment. I'll get the two drinks ready in a minute," Shouta confirmed, turning his back to the two boys to make their drinks.
"How could you blow it like that?!" Shirakumo whispered, throwing his arm around Hizashi to pull him close.
"Sorry! I just… I freaked out! He obviously wasn't into me."
There was a short pause.
"But you still want to be in him, I bet," he teasingly said, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Shut up, man!"
Hizashi pouted as he watched Nemuri and Shouta whisper to each other again behind the counter. He couldn't hear their conversation, but whatever she said made Shouta's cheeks grow red. He harshly whispered something back to her and stalked off while she stuck out her tongue.
"Sorry for the wait," Shouta muttered, handing them their drinks. He pulled out a canister of sugar and creamer from behind the counter and placed it with their blush had spread to his neck. Hizashi couldn't help but stare at the prominent way it stood out on his pale skin, absently wondering if Shouta was a full body blusher as he brought the straw to his lips. Or perhaps it was really easy to leave visible marks on his body. Shouta would probably have to use make-up to hide the love bites…
"Hey, man that's not your iced coffee. Stop fantasizing about the cashier. Maybe if you weren't checking out his ass when he turned around, you wouldn't be drinking my soda."
Hizashi sputtered with so much force that the soda came out of his nose. He tried to deny the accusation between his coughs, hastily covering his dripping nose with his sleeve. He was blushing furiously, his face steaming with embarrassment as he felt tears prickling at the sides of his eyes from suddenly expulsing liquid from his nostrils. He could hear Shirakumo's loud laughter echoing in the building and…
And he could hear another soft laugh coming from Shouta. Hizashi blinked his blurry eyes at the sight in front of him. Shouta was smiling, laughing into the back of his hand as he tried to pull his uniform hat over his eyes.
Hizashi absently thought about how pretty Shouta looked with a genuine smile on his face. In his daze he hadn't realized that he had picked up the sugar cannister, nearly pouring half of the contents into his iced coffee.
"W-wipe your… your nose, Hizashi!" Shirakumo laughed, gasping for air as he grasped his stomach, sloppily attempting to dry off the soda from Hizashi's face. "What are you even doing fixing your coffee after shooting soda out of your nose?!"
Feeling the blush return at full force, Hizashi grabbed the napkin out of Shirakumo's hand and hastily cleaned himself up.
He muttered a short "sorry 'bout the mess", grabbed his ruined drink, and dashed out the front entrance. Once outside, he tilted his head up to the sky and screamed in frustration, not caring if he set off car alarms. After a few moments, he sighed, shoving one hand into his pocket, and glared at his ruined dress shirt. He gazed through the glass doors and saw Shirakumo offer the forgotten rose to Nemuri. He couldn't hear the conversation but judging from how Shirakumo's head drooped, he figured he had been rejected as well. When he locked eyes with Shouta, he quickly turned his gaze to the cement floor, biting his lip in embarrassment.
Hizashi and Shirakumo didn't go back to WcDonalds for a week after that.
Two days before summer break was over, Hizashi decided that he wanted to apologize for making such a mess. Shirakumo stood outside the fast food restaurant while Hizashi sheepishly made his way to the counter. The moment he entered the building, he noticed Shouta's eyes widen, his attention fully locked onto him. Hizashi couldn't help but feel extremely self-conscious. He prayed that nothing would come out of his nose this time.
"Hey, haven't seen you for a while," Shouta began, his face softening in greeting.
"Um, yeah. About that…" Hizashi began, realizing that he had been holding his breath. "Well, I just wanted to stop by and apologize about what happened last week."
"Last week? Oh, don't worry about it," Shouta shrugged, fighting back a smile as he recalled soda shooting out of Hizashi's nose. "I've seen worse."
"Yeah, but still, I'm sorry," Hizashi sighed. "I won't bother you again so… can I get one last iced coffee to go?"
Shouta appeared stiff, glancing between the register and Hizashi as he slowly inputted the order.
"Give me a second. I'll be right back," he eventually muttered.
Hizashi watched his crush head over to the kitchen to make his drink. He stuffed his hands into his pocket and pulled out his phone to busy his hands while he waited.
"Here, sorry for the wait."
"Thanks," Hizashi smiled softly as he took the drink and napkin that had been handed to him.
He made his way over to the customer counter to fix up his coffee, noticing that the sugar cannisters had been replaced with sugar packets. He raised an eyebrow at the small change.
As he finished mixing his drink, he waved to Shouta one last time. The cashier appeared as stiff as the day he had asked for a smile, Hizashi thought as he pulled the glass door open.
"Hey, blondie! Look at the damn napkin!" Nemuri hollered before he could exit.
Hizashi startled, turning around to see the female cashier with her hands on her hips, glaring at him. Shouta had muttered a quiet "calm down, Nemuri" with a short "tsk" as his face turned red.
Blinking slowly, he turned the napkin over to find a message scribbled on it.
"You're the reason we switched to giving customers sugar packets," was scrawled on the brown napkin followed by a messy phone number. He stared at the number, shifting his gaze between the napkin and the cashier who was currently staring at the ceiling tiles while rubbing the back of his neck.
"I… I'll call you tonight!" Hizashi screamed, bouncing on his heels in excitement.
"Yeah, okay," Shouta replied, a blush dusting his cheeks as he smiled softly in return.
Hizashi ran out screaming to Shirakumo. Once Hizashi managed to tell his friend the good news, Shirakumo screamed with him all the way home.
Summer break was nearly over, but overall Hizashi couldn't have been more pleased with it.