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Nanami has always been a stranger to love. Any love that has appeared in his life has been fleeting and he never welcomed it with open arms. He's hesitant, and he might even say that he's keeping love at an arm's length on purpose. He doesn't want to know love, because what then? Welcoming unfamiliar feelings and letting them root in his psyche, gone in just a moment's notice over small mistakes? Love has always played a role as a silly caricature for Nanami, something to chuckle at in books and films when the protagonist is proven an idiot for their tenderness and care for another person.
It doesn't dawn on him that maybe love is more of an acquaintance that he never meant to know. Like a pesky coworker that you try your best to ignore that becomes a friendly part of your life, or an annoying family member that you find yourself going to at family gatherings. This doesn't dawn on him until he thinks about you when he shouldn't.
You work at the bakery. The one on the third corner that he passes going to work, across the street from his normal commute to the office. It has a quaint exterior, a nice hole-in-the-wall place that he stumbled across upon moving into the neighborhood a few months ago. When he went for the first time, you recommended him the blueberry scones. You told him it's a favorite of yours, and the baker makes ginormous scones that last for at least two cups of tea. He indulged, buying your favorite and a lemon pastry of some kind. He didn't know how to tell you he doesn't like blueberries too much, so he bought it anyway. He ate it with his tea that morning when he arrived at the office, making sure his tea was extra strong to overpower the blueberries.
After that morning, he kept going to that bakery. Usually before work, sometimes over his lunch break, or even right before it closes so he has pastries for an early meeting the next morning. He doesn't think twice about why he goes so often. Sure, you bring a smile to his face before he faces the shitstorm of his office and you make lovely jokes that he finds terribly endearing. But that's what friends do, right? He's just some regular that you're obligated to chat up for an extra couple bucks in the tip jar.
But, a few months into this habit of his, he finds that his stomach drops when he realizes you're not working that morning. It never used to do that. He found himself waking up excited to see your face rather than excited to taste the new pastries. He thought about you throughout the day, wondering if you're having a good shift, if the patrons have been nice to you, or if you're excited to go home to... someone.
He physically cringes at that last thought. He shouldn't be thinking like this. He doesn't know why he's thinking like this. He doesn't recognize what he's feeling. He's never had such strong feelings for a person that he's jealous at the prospect of them having a partner.
Oh god, is this what liking someone is like? he thinks. He hopes not, because you're overruling every thought in his mind and it's quite distracting. He doesn't know what to do. Should he talk to you and see you more? Talk to and see you less?
He opts for the latter, choosing to take a break and figure out what the hell is wrong with him. He starts making his own pastries, even blueberry ones. He goes a different way to work, avoiding any possible temptation. Despite of all these measures he takes, you're still always on his mind.
He confides this in the secretary on his floor, Nakamura. She's the office nag, constantly taking rounds around the cubicles and offices to ask about potential girlfriends, boyfriends, kids, all that. Nanami has been one of her biggest targets for the last handful of months, so he figures it can't hurt to indulge her a little bit.
The two settle into a table in the back corner of the cafeteria over coffee and some of the pastries that he made—they're not nearly as impressive as the ones you sell, but they're still good considering the man that made them.
"There's this girl. I used to see her all the time, she works at a bakery I frequent." his voice is nervous. He's never verbalized his emotions like this, he hardly knows how to approach it.
"For a while, I thought she was just this kind girl, always happy and... excited to talk about croissants. I've always had people at places that I look forward to seeing and catching up with, but none like her. I get upset when she isn't there, I hope she's having a good day, and I get jealous of some fake significant other of hers that I imagine in my head. I don't even know if she has one. I tried to stop going so she wouldn't distract me anymore and I could clear my head, but that didn't help. The only thing that changed was I missed seeing her even more. I've never had such a strong opinion of somebody, I don't know what it means," he takes a breath, "I don't have a lot of friends, really. Is it just that I want to be friends with her?"
He finally looks up to face the woman he's been rambling to for far too long. She's smug, but with an incredulous expression painted across her face.
"Don't look at me like that," he grumbles.
"Do you think she's pretty?"
This question sends him even further spiraling. Does he? Of course he does.
"She's beautiful. Her hair is this wonderful color, especially in the sun. The sun shines right through the front window at the perfect time every morning, and it shines. Her uniform is this ridiculous chef's coat, even though she's told me herself that she's not a chef nor a baker, she just makes the coffee and sells the pastries and bread. Oh, and one time he had her sprinkling powdered sugar on the donuts and she got some on her cheeks, she looked... adorable. Oh, and her cheeks. I could just..." he trails off, deep into thought.
"You're an idiot, Nanamin. You're in love with her. Go tell her, right now."
"What do you mean? I can't just do that. What if she says no and thinks I'm a creep?"
"Who cares if she says no, telling her will make you feel better."
With more scolding from his coworker, he informs his boss that he's leaving early due to 'family problems'. He rushes to the bakery, silently praying you're still on shift since it's well into the afternoon.
He realizes that he still hasn't been back since disappearing, and now he hopes you even remember who he is.
He opens the door to the bakery, heart beating out of his chest. The first thing he notices is that it's empty, save for you behind the counter. You're sprinkling powdered sugar on the donuts, and he immediately recognizes the presence of powder on your cheeks.
The bell on the door catches your attention, and you look up.
"Welcome in!" a flash of recognition crosses your eyes. "Nanami!"
His heart clenches with the way you say his name. It's the first time he's ever heard it come from your mouth.
"Where have you been? We-I missed you! How are you?"
"Do you have a few minutes, y/n?"
"Of course, there's no one here and Mr. Yamashita stepped out for a cigarette."
"I think you're wonderful," he cringes at his opening statement, "Or... you're very pretty, y/n, and I think you have a wonderful smile and you always make me so happy whenever I see you. I don't really know you too well, but I want to know everything about you. I haven't been coming for a while because all I could think about was you, and I didn't want to constantly think about a girl i could never have a chance with. Clearly that didn't work, so I just wanted to come see you and tell you how I feel."
His confession comes out as a mess of words, his cheeks getting redder and redder with each admission. You feel giddy thinking about a tall and stoic man like Nanami Kento being a flustered mess right in front of you.
"Nanami-"
"Wait! I'm so sorry, I didn't ask. Are you seeing anybody?"
"Well, there is this guy that I've been wanting to ask out for the longest time," his gut sinks, "but he just did all the work for me. So I guess I will be seeing somebody soon."
"Oh, what's his name?"
"Dummy," you mutter and lean across the counter and plant a kiss on his cheek, accidentally hitting the corner of his mouth more than his cheek. The powdered sugar that paints your cheek now paints the tip of Nanami's nose, glowing a brighter red.