Entry 4: The keepsake

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Prompt 4: Gold.

Setting: Pre-Sailor Moon Season 1

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"Your total is 990 yen," Shinn announced as he finished scanning the items. The customer placed their change in the dish on the counter before grabbing their purchase without waiting for the receipt. "Arigato Gozimasu."

After a long string of customers Shinn was again alone in the Family Mart where he worked. It had been a busy morning and it hadn't been helped by his fellow coworkers taking an extended break. The place needed to be restocked from the rush but someone needed to be by the register. The store still hadn't installed a self-scanning machine to help with the flow of human traffic.

The day was long already and he had foolishly agreed to pull a double shift. He was tense but didn't show it. He never showed it. He always maintained the same stoic posture and demeanor he always kept which made it impossible for others to tell any change in his mood. He wanted a break but knew he wouldn't get one for a while. Needing a bit of a relief, his hand moved to the front pocket of his pants where he traced the outline of the object inside. It was there, as it always was.

"Konnichi wa Kita-san," A familiar voice called as they entered the store. Shinn turned to see Asakura, one of the part time workers, arrive. She apparently was a housewife but had gotten a job since her children had entered junior high. "Are you here alone?"

"Yashida is here, somewhere," Shinn mused with a shrug.

"Well I'll take over," Asakura insisted with a smile. Shinn always noticed Asakura seemed to be an incredibly friendly individual. Almost as if she was hoping to get to know Shinn more intimately. "You take your break."

"Arigato gozaimasu but," Shinn scanned the store, bothered by the low stock. "I'd better restock everything first. Don't want a surprise field trip or something blindsiding us."

"You are so responsible Kita-san," Asakura commented with a smile. The former housewife gave Shinn a once over when he returned from the back with boxes of product. "You keep it up and the higher ups will want to make you a manager."

"Pass," Shinn grumbled as he finished adding more sweet rolls on the shelves. He knew becoming manager meant keeping people like Yashida in line and he didn't want such a headache. "For now this position is fine with me."

"Really?" Asakura asked in a flirty tone. "What do you want out of life?"

"I want," Shinn stopped himself, pausing in the middle of placing new potato chips on the shelves. The object in his pocket seemed to become heavier from Asakura's question. His attention turned towards the door as the bell went off and he saw Yashida had finally returned from his break. "Good Yashida-san finish restocking these so I can take my break. Onegai…"

"You're not the boss of me," Yashida snapped, interrupting Shinn. Despite his objection he took over restocking the chips.

"If I was your boss you'd be fired," Shinn whispered softly as he headed to the employee area in the back and sat at a small table there. Alone, Shinn reached into his pocket and pulled out the object inside. He had found it going through his father's belongings following his death. It was a gold coin. He wasn't sure if it was real gold or not and frankly he didn't care. What fascinated him about the keepsake from his father was what he saw as he gazed into it.

Everytime he looked into the smooth surface of the coin he saw the image of a person. A woman whose beauty was indescribable with hair the same color as the coin and eyes blue as the ocean. She seemed to dance on the surface of the coin. No music played but she always moved as if she was dancing specifically for Shinn. He had lost count of how many times he got lost in the reflection of the coin watching the gorgeous phantom dance.

"Kita-san," Yashida barked, shaking Shinn from his daydream. "It's been 15 minutes. Take over the register so I can restock the drinks and Asakura-san can accept a delivery."

"R-right," Shinn acknowledged, jumping to his feet and shoving the coin into his pocket. He glanced at the clock on the register when he returned to the front. Sure enough, it had been 15 minutes and it had passed for him in the blink of an eye. This wasn' the first time either. The coin had a pull on him he couldn't explain. It made him want to scout the Earth to see if he could find the woman he saw on the coin's surface. To venture as far as needed to see if he was something more than an illusion.

The sound of a beverage being put on the counter again shook Shinn from his train of thought. He grabbed the beverage and scanned it.

"Don't you find it odd?" The customer asked. "Me buying liquor so early."

"No ma'am," Shinn replied, doing his best to be respectful. He wasn't the best at small talk with the customers. "I have had customers buy more and even earlier."

"Well the thing is I may be celebrating," The woman commented with a smile. This caused Shinn to finally give the customer a good scan. She was a young woman in expensive clothing, sunglasses, and deep red hair. "I'm hoping to add a new member to my team soon."

"I see," Shinn acknowledged looking towards the total on the machine. "868 onegaishimasu."

"I think thai should cover it," the woman chuckled as she dropped her payment into the tray. It made much more noise than needed for a simple can of burn. Shinn turned to see the payment tray was filled with gold coins.

"What?" Shinn mused as he picked up the handful of coins and inspected them. They looked ancient yet still seemed to shine like the sun in the store's fluorescent lighting. In the glassy surface of the coins he could see the mysterious woman he kept pining for. As he held the coins he could feel more of a connection as if the woman was even closer than ever before.

"So," The woman interrupted, breaking the spell the coins seemed to hold over Shinn. "Interested in being a part of my team?"

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A/N: 4 down and 3 to go. Just like with "Water" in the Mercury/Zoisite week I'm using the element prompt to show the guys having visions of their missing soulmates only to be approached by Beryl in her reborn form. It makes me wish I had done the same thing with the Mars/Jadeite week for the "Fire" prompt. Oh well, maybe next time.

Reviews are love and they keep me going.