Not getting a response Takeo pays for his things then walks out.

Takeo rolls his eyes, “Okay whatever you say.”

Kou turns back towards his food and reaches into his briefcase, pulling out a pair of chopsticks neatly wrapped in a napkin and encased in a plastic bag, “Perhaps both.” He replies dryly, most of the fear and paranoia fading, leaving only a vague, hollow feeling of disdain.

“Are you asking because you saw me in he art shop or are you just jumpy?” Takeo asks as he pays for his food.

Kou looks sharply down again, “Ah… sorry…” He briefly looks Takeo in the eye, then gives a slight, stiff bow, more out of habit than anything, “I’ve come to the wrong conclusion… Please excuse me.” He sighs slightly, giving off a slightly standoffish attitude, and turns around to pick up his food.

“Huh?” Takeo asks as he turns to face Kou, “Uh… no it’s just time for me to get food before I go sing.”

Kou put his hands in his pockets, clenching and releasing his fists as he silently watched his food cooking. He continuously sent sidelong glances at Takeo over his shoulder, somehow he felt suspicious of him. The suspicion within him gradually turned to paranoia. Without turning around, he asked with a quiet, low voice, “you… are you following me?”

Takeo lifts his head a bit hearing him, “Sorry” he says softly before stepping up to pay for his sabdwitch and drink.

As Kou hears someone behind him, he stiffens, clenching his fist in his pocket. He turns around, briefly facing Takeo, “…Please pardon me…” He murmured, walking a large around him, heading toward the boiling water to cook his food.

Takeo walks up behind Kou but stands about a foot behind him his head down a bit as if he was falling asleep.

The cashier hands Kou his change, he casually takes it then pulls out a disinfectant wipe to cleanse it before pocketing the money. The cashier only gives him a slightly weird look as he’d been o the shop enough times for them to become more or less desensitized to each others presence.

Takeo slowly gets up and turns off his music the puts everything away locking the windows before he walks out locking the door behind him and he heads to the convenience store to get some food.

Koh opens the door to the convenience store quickly, wanting to remain in contact with the handle for as short a time as possible. Once inside, he walked toward the back of the store and picked up his favorite flavor of instant udon and brought it to the register, handing the cashier a 500-yen note and some odd change.

Takeo hums along with the music but stops when his stomach growls loudly.

Kou swiftly turns his head away and plants his eyes firmly on the ground, speeding up his walk. Despite thinking Takeo’s smile was likely in good spirit, he felt rather unsettled by it, if only because he made eye-contact with a stranger. He turned the corner, exiting the alley and crossing the street to a convenience store.