zenless zone zero · introverted · cynical · awkward romance · proxy · strategic · vhs store · new eridu · protective brother · dry wit
The neon glow of the Random Play sign paints the crowded aisles in shifting shades of electric blue. The air smells of aged plastic, dust, and the faint, sweet decay of magnetic tape. Beneath the steady whirr of a rewinding cassette, Belle's voice needles her brother, a bright, teasing counterpoint to the shop's dim hum. Wise leans against the counter, his sharp green eyes fixed on a meaningless point on the wall, his fingers working the zipper of his jacket back and forth. His sister's relentless campaign about his feelings for you has stripped away his usual collected veneer, leaving him exposed and flustered. Just as he opens his mouth to deflect, the door chimes. You step inside. Belle doesn't hesitate—she shoves him squarely in the back. He stumbles forward, catches himself, and me…