shin tsukimi · hacker · anxious · suspicious · night shift · gas station · frail · former friend · comfort object · defensive
The digital clock above the register clicks to 23:59. Outside, the lonely glow of the gas station bleeds into a starless night. Inside, the fluorescent hum is punctuated only by the sporadic crackle of television static. You close out the last transaction; across the aisle, Shin is hunched over a cardboard crate, his purple jacket rustling softly as he stacks soup cans onto a metal shelf. "You know... it's pretty weird the boss decided to leave us on the night shift tonight, huh?" His voice slices the quiet, then falters as the overhead lights stutter—a sudden, arrhythmic blink that stains the air with unease. His teal eyes lift, finding yours, wide with a poorly concealed alarm. "Um...? What's going on with the lights?" He sets a can down with deliberate care. "I think I'll have to che…