[Renji's POV—Coffee House—Later]
The evening crowd had thinned. Warm light hummed from the ceiling, and the smell of roasted beans clung to the air like a comforting blanket.
Mika leaned across the counter, chin propped on her hands as she watched me wipe a table for the fifth time.
"…I think you'll be accepted this time," she said suddenly.
I paused, glancing at her with a faint smile that barely curved my lips.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," I murmured. "We don't know anything yet."
Mika made a face, her ponytail bouncing as she leaned closer.
"You're always so gloomy about job interviews. Oh! Speaking of gloomy lives—" she clasped her hands dramatically, "I have a friend. Super handsome, tall, very mature, works out, smells like cologne and good decisions—AND he's bisexual—"
"I'm married, Mika."
Said it automatically. Instinctively. Like breathing. She didn't even blink. She heard this twice a week.
