Shin's idea of escaping his friends via taking the night shift was a bust, since Reko blabbed to everyone about his new schedule. Knowing the others just a little too well, they'd probably be more than willing to lose sleep in order to mess with him.

If they were so willing to mess with him as long as they were out of work, then that left him with only one option- to work at the same as them. His main qualm with working during the day was the fact that it collided with his sleeping schedule. He'd spend many nights gaming away and would end up sleeping till an hour or so after noon- the last thing he wanted to do was go to work during the time he was normally asleep.

But alas, his friends had left him with no choice. If it meant he could find some peace and quiet, he didn't mind having to alter his sleep schedule. Granted, it was easier said than done, but he was sure he could figure out a way to adjust. And of course that wasn't his only problem with a day shift; he was also worried about the chance of his friends visiting during their lunch breaks. Despite that, it was a small risk he was willing to take, considering that taking a shift in the middle of the day would eliminate half of the people who could visit him; namely those who were students and teachers.

At least, he thought it would eliminate students and teachers from coming into the store, until three hours into his shift when a horde of students carrying in easels and canvases suddenly started piling into the store from out of nowhere. Shin didn't even believe it at first- he was so tired he simply believed that he had fallen asleep at the counter and was dreaming. But the moment he thought he saw Kanna's older sister among the swarm of students, only for her to make direct eye contact with him and frown, he realized that this wasn't a dream; this was just one hell of a nightmare.

"What are you doing here?" They both one another asked at the same time.

"I work here." Shin answered, quickly glancing at the clock. "Shouldn't you be in school right about now?" He asked, turning his gaze back to the high schooler. "It's only a quarter past noon."

"I am in school." Kugie clicked her tongue, only realizing just how odd her statement must have seemed after a moment of silence passed between the two. "My sensei's kind of weird... He's an art teacher who somehow managed to get permission to host class outside of campus. He even got an assistant to help with today. Not sure why he chose to have class at a convenience store, of all places, though."

Her story seemed to add up, considering all of the confused yet excited looking students setting up their easels around the store, yet Shin couldn't help but furrow his brow in confusion. "What kind of crazy ass art teacher...?" He mumbled to himself, his voice trailing off.

"Alright, everyone!"

Shin whipped his head toward the entrance, craning his neck as he tried to see beyond the last few straggling students. He'd recognize that voice anywhere.

Standing with his arms outstretched and a wicked grin on his face was none other than Mishima, bringing with him a cheerful looking Nao. "I have another matter to quickly take care of, so in the meantime why don't you guys get set up?"

"This is your art teacher?!" Shin glanced back and forth frantically between Kugie and Mishma, the latter of which had only just now noticed Shin, his grin somehow increasing in size. "How did you even get permission to teach here?!"

"Why hello to you too, Shin!" Mishima exclaimed. "Are you perhaps acquainted with Miss Kugie?"

"Answer my question first." Shin lowered his hand onto the counter, trying his best to maintain his composure in front of all the students in the store. If anything, he was more disappointed in himself than he was mad at the others- the moment Kugie mentioned a kooky art teacher, he should've known Mishima was behind it.

"Well, it took a lot of begging and convincing, but after a while the principal-"

"No-!" Shin exclaimed just a little too loudly, lowering his head when all the students turned to look at him. He waited until they went back to what they were doing before continuing. "I wasn't asking about how you got permission to teach here; I was asking about how you got permission to teach here, a 7-Eleven, out of all places?!"

"Ah..." Although his eyes were hidden, Mishima took on a very solemn look as he turned his head to the window. "I have plenty of connections to this establishment... Would you believe me if I told you that I'm actually acquainted with the CEO?" He asked, turning his head back to Shin with a shit-eating grin on his face.

"No, no, no! We are not doing this CEO s-" Shin pressed his lips firmly together in restraint- why were there always minors around at times like these? "-stuff again. I literally looked it up the other night- the CEO's just some random middle-aged American, there's absolutely no way you know him!"

Mishima frowned, clicking his tongue in disapproval. "Are you doubting me, Shin? As a teacher, it is my sworn duty to provide guidance and educate those in need. I would never even dream about lying to anyone younger than I. Connections are everything in this day and age, and I value each and every one I make. But I digress- what matters in this moment isn't me, but my lovely students. Now, tell me, Miss Kugie, how exactly did you and Shin meet?" He asked, somehow managing to successfully change the subject, leaving Shin speechless.

"Oh, well," Kugie fiddled with the collar of her blazer awkwardly. "It was actually because of my sister. It's kind of a long story, honestly..." She mumbled, hoping that she wouldn't have to explain to her teacher about her and her girlfriend bullying Shin.

"Nonsense! There is no such thing as a long story!" Mishima smiled warmly at his student. "Although Shin and I knew of each other for months, we only actually met in person a few weeks ago, when a group of close friends decided it'd be nice if we were to drop by sometime- like a sort of pleasant surprise waiting for him after a hard day at work. Over the past few weeks, we've all paid him a visit or two in hopes to have some fun, yet with each one he seems more and more irritable. I wonder why..."

Kugie's eyes widened in realization. "Ohhh, so that's why you chose to come here, sensei..." She whistled, the corners of her lips etching upwards into a smirk. "You're in on it too, aren't you?"

"I am afraid I have no clue what you're talking about, Miss Kugie." Mishima pushed his glasses up further over his eyes, the bright lights in the store casting a glare on his lenses that hid his eyes from sight. "In a manner similar to yours, I just happen to know Shin through some mutual friends of mine, that's all..."

The mutual friend in question offered the convenience store worker a polite smile. "Hi, Shin," Nao waved, setting down the few various containers of paint she was holding onto the counter. She turned her attention to Kugie, her smile unwavering. "You're Kanna's older sister, right?"

"Yeah," Kugie nodded, her brown eyes flickering with amusement. "Although I'm a little worried about exactly what kinds of people Kanna is friends with, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued by..." She snuck a quick glance at Shin. "the little inside joke you guys have going on."

"Oh, you're more than welcome to join in on the fun if you'd like!" Nao offered as she sorted through the paints. "Take out your phone, I'll give you my discord."

Kugie didn't need to be told twice, her phone already out of her pocket and in her hand as she opened up discord. "Can my girlfriend Anzu join too? We're a package deal."

"Of course!" Nao chirped, taking Kugie's phone from her outstretched hands and putting in her username, sending herself a friend request. "The more the merrier!"

Suddenly, Shin slammed his head down onto the counter, the loud noise startling the three talking at the counter. "Oh, I kinda forgot that he was here," Kugie admitted, as if the whole reason they were there wasn't because their objective was to torture him.

"Do you think he's okay?" Nao frowned, handing Kugie back her phone and, after a great deal of hesitance, reaching her hand towards him and poking his head firmly.

Shin groaned at the contact, unmoving from what was probably an uncomfortable position. "I'm sure he's been through worse!" Mishima shrugged, before promptly turning his attention away from the worker and to the students. "Now, class, come up here and get your paints from Miss Nao!"

The students came up one by one, picking out the colors they wanted and heading back to their stations. Having been too busy talking with Shin and the others to do so earlier, Kugie took the opportunity to quickly set up her easel in one of the few remaining spots in the store- next to the bin full of frozen treats towards the side of the store.

"Alright, class, today's theme is still life!" Mishima exclaimed, his hands behind his back and a bright smile on his face as he watched the last few students get their paint. "I felt that the props we had in the classroom and around the school were inadequate and overused, so I took the liberty to bring you guys somewhere elsewhere. Take a look around you, paint something you wouldn't normally see painted, like the broken slushie machine in the back," Kugie had to stifle a laugh at the mention of her girlfriend's work of art as she got the last few paints from off the counter, hurrying back to her station to get started. "Or this half-dead cashier right next to me!" For extra effect, Mishima patted Shin's head. "I'd call it... 'What One Nine-to-Five at a Seven-Eleven does to a Two-Timing Part-Timer!' Though, can a loner really be considered a two-timer? Whatever the answer may be, I'm sure you guys will come up with a splendid way to make the most mundane of objects into something extraordinary!"

Sitting down at her station, Kugie got a good look at the colors she had picked out. Green, white, and red- an odd combination, but seeing as they were the only ones left at the counter, she'd have to make do somehow. Glancing at her surroundings, the task at hand would prove to be a little harder than she had hoped for.

Kugie had been too busy wondering what she could possibly paint to notice a person approaching her from behind, nearly screaming the moment she felt a hand on her shoulder, only to bite her tongue as soon as she heard the voice that followed. "What a unique combination of colors!" Nao mused, peering at her selection from over her shoulder.

"Tell me about it," The highschooler groaned, letting out a breath of relief. "I should've grabbed some colors while I was talking with you instead of waiting to take the last few. The only thing I can think of with these colors is an apple, but there's so many drawings of that fake one in the classroom, there's no way I could paint that."

"I think it's great that you're trying to go above and beyond," Nao smiled. "But perhaps you're being a little too harsh on yourself." The confused look from Kugie prompted her to elaborate. "You're focusing too hard on what you can't do, not what you can do."

"But it's kind of hard not to focus on what I can't do when there's so much..." Kugie frowned, staring hard at the paint before her.

Nao shook her head. "Don't go getting tunnel vision on me, now. Your problem is with your colors, right? But what's the point in worrying about colors if you haven't even touched your brush to the canvas yet? Something Professor Mishima taught me a few years back was that in times like these, sometimes it's best to think like a kid."

"Think like a kid?" Kugie turned her gaze back to Nao,

"Kanna's your little sister, right? When you were younger, did you guys ever draw together or paint each other's nails?"

"Sometimes we still do," Kugie admitted, smiling fondly.

"I'm sure she probably used random colors whenever you guys did stuff like that."

"Now that you mention it..." Kugie hummed in thought, "Yeah, she used to do that."

"Kids don't care what colors they use, they just do what they want! And although it may not look too good at times, they still have fun with it! So just relax and draw something that stands out to you. Just as long as you put effort into it, I promise Professor Mishima will give you a good grade."

Kugie nodded her head in understanding, grinning happily. "Got it! Thank you, Nao-senpai."

"Please, just call me Nao!" The college student waved her hand dismissively. "Come get me if you're still struggling, I'll be somewhere around the store helping out the others."

Watching as Nao went further down the aisle, Kugie's eyes drifted to the large ice cream container from earlier. Setting her materials down, she slowly rose from her seat, approaching the box and peering inside its glass door. Inside were various different kinds of ice cream, from double popsicle bars to ice cream bars with faces of cartoon characters- but it was a particular package of mint chocolate chip mochi that caught Kugie's attention.

For the longest time, Kanna didn't like mint chocolate chip ice cream. Kugie wasn't sure when she had changed her mind, but the last time they got ice cream together she remembered very clearly how dejected her little sister had looked when they were out of the flavor. She was so tempted to go find another store just to get the flavor her sister wanted, only for Kanna to pick the same flavor as she had, a gesture that Kugie found sweeter than the ice cream itself.

Sliding open the glass door and taking out the packet of mochi, Kugie felt herself frown a little out of guilt. It had been so long since she and Kanna had gotten ice cream together. Ever since she started dating Anzu, she'd been spending less time with her sister and more time with her girlfriend. She even tried hanging out with both of them at the same time- and although they got along nicely she'd usually end up paying more attention to one over the other.

Gripping the Mochi package tightly (but not tight enough as to squish it) and hurrying back to her station, Kugie knew what she had to do- both in regards to her dilemma with her sister and what she was going to draw for her current art project. First and foremost, she had some colors she had to mix.

Words: ~2.6k

Author's Note: This chapter didn't quite go the way I wanted it to- but then again I wasn't sure how I wanted it to go. I had like, five ideas LOL Hayasaka was in one of the ideas too. I like where I went with this chapter- I got the beginning down good and I got the end result I wanted, so I'm very content. But now it's 1am and I have to wake up by 7am in order to take a test at 9am. It's physics too. This is gonna go great. Thank you so much for reading, and a special thank you to those who leave comments!