The Devil Over My Shoulder

The rest of the day after passed at a steady pace. Customers came and went from the store like the tide, and the rain eventually let up into barely more than a dusting of droplets. The sky was beginning to dim now as the clock ticked toward closing, a yellow-orange glow seeping up over the mountainous horizon.

Hinoka was restocking a few items now, careful to set things back in their correct places. She'd already taken her break a bit ago, although her mind had been too preoccupied with things to indulge in the adorable bento.

The harebrained plan had gone well for the most part. Kaitoji and Miyami had apparently talked through a lot of things, and the penguin had been in a much cheerier mood after. At first, she'd expected the worst since she'd come upstairs to hear crying. But she was relieved to see that they'd been happy tears.

Her girlfriend had told her a little of what had transpired—like her uncle's promise, and while she'd been hesitant to pry further, the streaked hair woman was glad that the two were growing even closer. Miyami was going to need to grow her support network.

Hinoka allowed herself some fluffy feelings as she put the last of the games in their spot, eyes drifting to the other girl as she moved to the next of the inventory. Miyami was helping a few of their regulars at the moment, her movements a little more upbeat than usual in spite of her typical timidness.

'Don't you think you'll need to do the same as your girlfriend? Improve yourself? Maybe connect with others? It's great that you have her alongside the old man now, but you can't expect to live your entire life only being close to two people.'

Hinoka paused, the intrusive thought from her inner self suddenly dragging her mood down.

Clenched hands struggled to not crumble packaging.

*sigh*

It was a fair point though, as much as she didn’t want to admit it.

For the past three months it'd just been her, her boss, and Miyami. Even before that, it'd only ever really been her and the boss with how many bridges she'd burned. The charred remnants would've probably been enough to act as a bridge by itself.

'You know, your parents would likely be willing to talk if you just apologized. They were never the ones to hold grudges, after all. Maybe it'd be a good idea to try to make up with them?'

Hinoka's fingers nearly crushed the earbuds she was stocking before lightening a bit. As if she was ever going to apologize to them.

'It's not like it'll hurt to say sorry for being a brat and storming off.'

No. It absolutely would. They'd been the jackasses who thought her 'girl-obsession' was just a youthful phase and kept trying to set her up with dudes. She was the one who was right.

'So, it's better to just never talk to them again? You were getting through to them. If you'd just took the time to calm yourself and communicate a little more properly, they'd have eventually understood. Instead, what? You pushed things to the point where things broke, just like every other relationship.'

Hinoka ground her shoes against the linoleum.

'And now look at you. All because you can't get a grip on yourself. You've barely changed.'

Her breath flared as she directly confronted her inner demon. It was wrong. Miyami was proof! Sure, there'd been mishaps, but they'd gotten through things together. She'd changed!

'Sure, you’ve gotten better at handling things—but that doesn’t mean the core issue’s gone. Face it, you've been pushing your luck too long, and it's only a matter of time before you screw up and push her away too.'

"…"

'What would've happened had your reckless plan today not worked out? You need to slow down and maybe consider talking to someone else about your problems before you try helping Miyami more with hers. It doesn't have to be your parents, but the boss is always here for you, and your girlfriend you idolize so much might be able to help too if you just give her the chance. You're partners! Not hero and damsel.'

*slam!*

She rattled the shelf in a single motion, although thankfully not to the point of knocking anything over. Her hands were shaking as her inner self finished its diatribe.

Freaking hell.

It was wrong. It had to be. Things were fine. They were going great. She was going great—

"Hinoka?"

Miyami's voice cut off her line of thought, and she blinked as the other girl stood before her, hands clasped in front of her nervously. "C-can you help me with something? The register's acting up again."

"…"

The ponytailed woman shook her head, offering a smile at her anchor. "Sure. Sorry, just spaced out for a bit."

Her partner gave her a look. "…Are you okay? Did something happen?"

A shrug. "It's nothing."

Miyami's eyes narrowed.

"It's nothing, really. Anyway, follow me."

Hinoka moved behind the counter, tapping the reset code into the register with the practiced ease of someone who'd done it a thousand times. The machine beeped, and the screen refreshed, showing a blank interface ready to start transactions again.

"There ya go."

"T-thank you."

The shorter woman sighed at the cuteness, cheeks lifting slightly as she walked back to her duties. "Don't sweat it. Just let me know if it happens again."

She didn't hear a reply, but she figured it was because Miyami had gotten absorbed in helping the customers at the counter.

Hands returned back to restocking, and thoughts returned to stewing. Her inner self had done well playing devil's advocate—too damn well. Now, all her thoughts were just swirling around. Her fingers fumbled with the boxes in her grasp, and her legs moved on autopilot.

Her feet took her toward a display stand, straightening it up.

She'd prove her inner self wrong—that she had changed.

Her focus trailed to the reservations she'd made earlier. It was something she'd planned to have for Miyami regardless of how the plan panned out, a celebration for her partner's progress and another check off her list bundled up in one.

Hinoka stole another glance at her girlfriend, now helping another customer with their order, and then to the wall behind her.

Those doubts be damned.

After all, she still had a penguin to sweep off her feet.

***

*ring-a-ling!*

"T-thanks for stopping by! Please come again!"

The door closed shut behind the customer, the last encounter for the day resolved. Miyami's EXP and money meter jumped into vision as victory music played over her mindscape.

Her shoulders slumped in social exhaustion. The store was finally empty now, nothing but AC and stillness.

Hinoka peeked out from behind one of the shelves she was cleaning and waved in her direction.

"Guess that's a wrap then. Mind closing things up front? I'll handle the stuff in the back."

Miyami nodded at her coworker's instructions, already moving to grab the keys. Her heart was still full from the talk with her uncle earlier, and its warmth sustained her amidst the late hour. She'd told her partner a little about the conversation, and while the shorter woman hadn't pressed for much, she could tell how glad she was that they'd had that heart-to-heart.

Miyami shuffled toward the entrance, flipping the sign closed and locking up before making her way back to the register. Even though she'd learned that it had been a setup, she was still grateful for it.

The dark-haired girl tapped in the code to balance the register, humming as the drawer slid out with the sound of a bell. She began counting the bills and change, all while feeling a giddiness in her soul.

Her girlfriend was so amazing!

Sure, she was still a little salty that Hinoka had gone behind her back like that, but she couldn't stay mad at her. Especially since her partner was so wonderful, kind, thoughtful, beautiful—

"…" She shook the distracting deluge of praise from her head.

Focus, Miyami! Focus!

Her fingers began flying across the bills, counting the remainder faster than a bullet train—hurray finger dexterity!

"…Okay." The penguin breathed a sigh of relief as it came out right. She stuffed the money into a small envelope, scribbled the total onto a sticky note, then placed it into the deposit box for her uncle. He'd already left for the day after their talk, although he'd complimented her work skills before heading out.

"You all wrapped up?" a familiar voice called from the stairs. Miyami nodded, turning to see Hinoka carrying a… stool?

"Yes, I think I am. Um… why are you carrying that though?"

Her girlfriend ignored her, instead plopping it down right beside her. "Good. It's best if we set out early if we wanna get there in time."

The taller girl tilted her head. What was she going on about?

"…?"

A devilish smirk was all she got. "I'm kidnapping you for a little outing. That okay with you, princess?"

Miyami's face instantly turned red. "Wh-what?!"

"Come on, it's a surprise. Just trust me."

*creak*

Before she realized it, Hinoka had tugged her arm, positioning her back against the wall and stepped up onto the stool, now nearly half a head above her.

"…" Her amber eyes shimmered in the light, a playful glint to them that made the dark-haired girl's heart jump into overdrive.

W-what was going on?! Why was Hinoka—

*THUD!*

The wall shook as a hand smacked against the surface, and Miyami's soul nearly leapt from her chest.

"Hey, Miyami." Her partner's face was suddenly centimeters from hers, and the penguin felt her legs grow weak. She was wrapped in her presence.

"…" Hinoka leaned in, her voice husky as it brushed against Miyami's ear.

"I want to hear my birdy sing~"

"…!"

Miyami's brain short-circuited as one of her lifelong dreams came to life in front of her. Her entire body was awash in flames, the heat of her face so intense she was certain her hair was going to catch fire.

"M-my birdy s-s-sing?"

"That's right." The other girl's hand brushed aside her bangs, exposing the entirety of her blushing face. "I'm gonna treat my princess to a night of fun. Just a room, mic, and some snacks between the two of us. Sound good~?"

The cat trailed down to her chin, tilting it upward as if to kiss her. "So, what do you say?"

"…" The penguin's brain tried its hardest to piece together a coherent response, but it was an exercise in futility. Her voice refused to cooperate, leaving nothing but a soft chirp in its place.

There were reservations. She hadn't expected karaoke so soon, nor had she mentally prepared herself for it. She was still recovering from this afternoon.

Yet… the way her partner smiled—the confidence in her gaze.

She trusted her.

The taller girl just vacantly nodded, doubt swept to the side.

Before soft lips met hers, and she saw nothing but stars.