#please send me questions abt them bros I love 'em (but only if ya wanna)

[samuraiondo-mace-1177]

I have an AO3 now so tell me if ya would rather have it put on there! :]

I can't stress enough about how hard it is to write like a proper fanfic when you've been scriptwriting for a while, so I apologise for the quality

(I felt like I had to write like a fanfic instead of showing you guys script cuz I'm sure you'd be bored reading that)

oh god oh jeez oh fuckk uhhh

Nanba and Asahi, everyone :]

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Night settled over Yokohama. Distant twinkling stars blurred with Isezaki Road's overwhelming neon lights. Cars drove through the days-old puddles from the last spring shower.

It had been a standard shift for Nanba. The same as any other day. As tiring and brain-numbing as it was to be a Medical Equipment Instructor, he found himself with a pep in his step.

He'd planned out his entire evening. Stop by somewhere for dinner, grab stuff for tomorrow, and relax by catching up with the manga he read back in medical school.

Nanba turned out of North Isezaki Road, down past the Revengebooks shop on Tsurukame Highway. Humming 'Baka Mitai' as he sauntered along.

He flicked his wrist out of his pocket, and pulled back his sleeve to reveal his leather-strapped watch.

21:03

Nanba slid his arm back into his trouser pocket.

Ever since he left the hospital, one question kept its claws in his brain.

What was he gonna get for dinner? It had to be cheap but filling. He wasn't gonna try something new, that's for sure, but what? It wasn't gonna be curry either – his garden hadn't grown much, and anywhere selling carrots or potatoes would've been shut around then.

"Hmm... maybe here would be good."

An aroma of rich soy sauce and faint spices drifted through the air – coming out from the Poppo ahead on the corner.

"They've probably just finished cooking Karaage and Korokke... maybe I should pick some up..." Nanba muttered.

He continued down the pavement until he noticed a stranger.

Man. Mid-late 20s. Western origin. Skin as white as foamed waves, with a mottled, bumpy scar that took over the right side of his face and neck.

The stranger ran his hand through his tousled, wavy chestnut hair – sighing as he looked over at the homeless camp across the road.

His dull teal waistcoat struck out against his charcoal formal shirt and light-grey suit trousers.

The man looked over at Nanba – the two held eye contact.

One eye was covered by a cloth eyepatch. The other was half open, heavy bags, with a lifeless sage green pupil that hooked onto Nanba's warm, hickory eyes.

They both swiftly looked in opposite directions, in fear of being caught staring for too long...

Until they found themselves face-to-face, outside of the Poppo's doors.

The man was a bit taller than Nanba, maybe just by a few inches.

Despite his intimidating appearance, the man was intensely blushing and sweating from the interaction, and proceded to make a straight b-line to the manga section. It was almost robotic-like in nature.

Nanba brushed off the situation and went around the shop like usual. Getting random snacks for movie watching or his game sessions with Ichiban. Drinks, sweets, and other generic supplies. Including, a copy of the Manga he was going to binge read for the evening.

He went to the final aisle, looking for tomorrow's lunch.

A sandwich? Onigiri? Nah, they were good, but they're more of a snack food, something you'd grab on your break. Maybe a bento box? They're pre-packaged and still taste pretty good when microwaved.

The question then was; which bento was he gonna pick? The luxury Yakuniku? Nah, that was a costly ¥2980... Guess it had to be the standard ¥800 lunch set...

Nanba, distracted, accidentally placed his hand on something else when reaching for a set.

"Huh?"

It was someone's hand.

His eyes trailed along their arm, up to their face.

It was the man from earlier...

Nanba watched as the stranger's one wide eye kept switching focus between him and their hands. His face washed over with pink - he was so warm, you could practically feel the heat emiting from his face.

He quickly snapped his hand back and sheepishly scratched his nape.

"You can- You can take the Bento set... I'll just grab a different one." He murmured as he inched to the side.

Nanba turned his head slightly and lifted an eyebrow.

"I'll grab a different one. Your hand was already on it." Nanba replied. It wasn't a big deal to him since he was the one who accidentally touched this guy's hand.

"Se-Seriously! You can just take the bento!" He continued, whilst his head dug into his shoulder as he waved his hand frantically.

"Uh... Sure then...?"

Nanba grabbed the set and tucked it into his arms, along with the other groceries. He spun on his heels, facing the cash register with its stone-faced employee.

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The man sighed with relief and grabbed a bento box, whilst Nanba went to pay.

After exchanging a light 'irasshaimase' and an 'arigato gozaimasu', Nanba grabbed his box of Karrage and left to head home.

When the man plucked up the courage to finally pay for his own stuff, he noticed something slipped out of Nanba's arms.

He slammed a 1000円 bill down on the counter, grabbed the item, and darted out the Poppo.

"SIR!"

"Huh?"

Nanba stood outside Sakura Lane, waiting for whatever this wreck had to desperately tell him.

The man slouched, slightly squatting, as he caught his breath with his head hung low. He shook his manga volume infront of Nanba.

"Ya... Ya left this..."

Nanba turned the volume to the side, and pushed it back to the man.

"That isn't mine. I already have that one."

"Haw? Oh, that isn't it..."

He flipped his hand around to reveal a box of Pocky.

"I found it on the floor... after you left..."

"Oh, uh thanks... uhm..."

"Ah! The name's Ito. Asahi Ito."

"Thanks, Ito-san."

"You're welcome-... I didn't catch yer name..."

"I'm Nanba."

"Yer welcome then, Nanba-san!"

The two silently stared at each other.

Asahi tapped his pockets, and started to back away with a straight mouth.

"Well then... I'll be seein ya around then Nanba-san!" Asahi said. "Have a nice night!"

"You too, Ito-san..." Nanba muttered. "How the hell did his demeanour just... shift? He was like an entirely separate guy?"

Nanba shrugged it off as whatever and left for his apartment.

I'll answer yer question: "Why is Asahi so nervous in this? I thought he was flirtatious and outgoing?"

I've stated before that his outgoing-ness is a mask, and him being goofy is his true self. He can be flirtatious, but it's more with close friends or strangers he didn't hold eye contact with for more than two seconds and then proceed to talk to. In addition, the character got dumped a couple months prior to when this is set, so I felt like his social anxiety would be off the charts.

"His awkwardness is unrealistic :("

*autistically stares at you with generalised anxiety disorder and severe social anxiety* Ok, but seriously, this is kinda more of an exaggeration, but I used to be like this so it's more closer to my past self.

"You shouldn't have used 'lifeless pupil' for Asahi since he is very much alive"

I agree with ya there, altho, the point was supposed to be 'he seemed lifeless behind the eyes' if that makes sense? Also giving this idea that Asahi seems like a cold, heartless being to juxtapose against his actual interactions plus Nanba in this scene. Like, they both feel unworthy of love, but Nanba has started to learn he is worthy, whilst Asahi is still stuck believing he isn't.

(sorry, I love analysing my fanfics and OCs. If this was set at an earlier point in the day, you would've heard me rant about flower language too (GOD I LOVE FLOWER LANGUAGE AND HANAKOTOBA)

The reason for a fanfic, and not a comic, is actually because of I wasn't able to get a good reference.

(my hair looks like Nanba's and IW Kiryu's atm shsjdgsk)