Karin stepped lightly across the floor of her now-empty shop, closed early for the convenience of her employees. It wouldn’t be fair to leave them to run the place while she went off to have fun on a date, so she decided just to pay them for the four hours they’d be missing and let them go home. From the looks of things, she’d just been voted boss of the year.
She’d just finished wiping the tables off, having procrastinated on hiring a janitorial service for so long that she’d become accustomed to doing it herself. It was relaxing, the simple chores it took to run a bakery. So she didn’t stop. A few moments later, she reached the counter and half a minute after that the eclairs she was going to give to her friend were wrapped neatly and sitting on the marbled granite as she sat and waited for Hakuba to arrive.
It was promptly 17:59:32 when Hakuba arrived at the bakery, bringing with him a bouquet of pink roses and that charming smile of his. Honestly, he wasn’t used to dating; not in Japan anyway, and never so casually. But after the stern words of his mother and having met so many interesting people as of late, it seemed like a very fine idea.
Besides, perhaps it would help him remove some vices with a little more of his time occupied with more savory company. Karin, even for as few times as they’d interacted, was a kind soul and had been nothing but a sweetheart to him. And after the drunk texting, well, he owed it to her.
He stopped in front of the bakery door and peeked inside, wondering if he should knock or just come in. Any further delays and he’d be late, and that wouldn’t do, so he tried the door to let himself in.