Page 5 of The Jorogumo

"Hey, Haruto. Welcome back!"

"Thanks, Liam. I've been looking forward to this visit," he said, smile still in place, and I grinned. I'd worried for a moment that the ease he'd felt around me last time would be gone now that it was just us in the shop, so I was happy to see that wasn't the case.

"I've got the newest issues set aside for you." It wasn't something I did unless I'd been asked to, but I'd hoped he would return, so I'd kept copies of the latest issues from the series he'd bought last time.

"You do? That's awesome. Thank you!" Haruto's dark eyes shone as he spoke, and I found myself tongue-tied for a moment. "Are you busy?"

I blinked, and it took me a moment to process his question. I shook my head quickly, then explained, "It's a slow day. Weekdays usually are until evening unless it's a new issue day. What do you need?"

"There are a few issues I've been looking for to complete various collections. I couldn't find them online, at least notwithout paying obscene amounts of money. Do you think you might have them?"

"It depends on how old the series is, and how popular it still is. But we do have some of the older, rarer stuff downstairs. How about you tell me the titles and I'll check for you?"

One of the tasks I'd taken up when I first started working here was digitizing all the inventory, and it had taken me close to a year to do it. Along with this store, the owner also had an environment-controlled storage unit where she kept most of the older, rarer comics. That one had been a pain to catalog, but I'd gotten it all done. The owner had been so impressed by my work she'd given me a very nice bonus.

Haruto pulled out a folded piece of paper from his shirt pocket and held it out to me. Our fingers brushed when I took it from him, and I ignored the sparks that raced up my skin.

Nope. Not going there. Haruto was a customer, and he was being nice to me. That was all.

Unfolding the paper, I read through the list, remembering where I could find a few of them instantly. Still, I wanted to double-check them and the rest.

"Give me a minute."

Walking behind the counter, I woke the desktop and pulled up the database, searching the issues on Haruto's list one by one, and jotting down where I could find the ones I had available.

"Okay, I have six of these, and I think I could find the other three for you at reasonable-ish prices, but it might take a while," I said as I walked back around the counter with the list in my hand.

"Really?"

I grinned at the excitement in his eyes, and we shared a moment of geeky solidarity before I cleared my throat. "Yeah.Though two of the ones I have are in a storage unit, so I'll have to get them for you later. Maybe you could come again next week to collect those?"

"That works. I don't live too far from here, so it's no trouble. I didn't think you'd be able to find all of them."

"I haven't yet," I reminded him, and he waved me off, like the fact that I'd said I would was all he needed. That kind of implicit faith was foreign to me, but it made me happy that he felt he could trust me.

We started talking aboutSpider-Manafter that, since he was Haruto's favorite superhero, and our conversation moved seamlessly from topic to topic without either of us noticing the time passing.

I was surprised when my phone buzzed to remind me it was lunch time, wondering how we could've possibly spent the morning chatting. I'd never talked that much with anyone in a long fucking time, and yet it'd felt so effortless with Haruto.

"Would you like to continue our conversation over lunch? Or do you need to go back home?" I asked, and Haruto pursed his lips.

"I need to check in with my friend first. I'm not sure where he went."

"Of course."

While he did that, I straightened up a few things around the store before changing theOpensign with an 'Out for Lunch. Back soon!' sign.

"Okay, he says he needs another hour, so I'd like to join you...if that's okay?"

"Of course! Come on around back. We can eat there."

Haruto blinked, then tilted his head. "You have a packed lunch?"

"Yeah. Just sandwiches and a salad, nothing special."

"Oh. I can't eat your food then. You need it."

I waved him off as I led him into the backroom that I used as an office. There was nothing but a desk and a chair on one side, so Haruto had plenty of room to move around.

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