KOREKIYO'S POV.

Travelling the world was... quite the experience, to say the least.

Blaring lights, bright billboards, a bombardment of brilliance - lights of all kind shone down at me, mounted on skyscrapers and shop fronts; people were absolutely everywhere - even at such an hour as late as this. Faint, sweet aromas came wafting from the open doors of restaurants that lined the already crowded streets, the painfully enticing scent carried by a bitterly chilly night breeze. The air was alive with a million different sounds, the clamorous chatter of the crowds, the music blasting from nearby clubs and casinos, each soundtrack louder and more attention-grabbing than the last. Hasty, abrupt phone calls were being made all around me, but the words spoken by the callers were quickly drowned out by the impatient, annoyed honk of taxis and the roar of their wheels. Tyres screeched, battling the oncoming wave of traffic, slicing through rainwater that sloshed into the bronze drains hunched at the side of the roads, welcoming the rush of cast-aside litter and fallen cigarettes - useless reminders of the past.

Beautiful.

Instinctively, my slender, bandaged fingers reached for the silver zipper attached to my mask - I fiddled with it as I walked, trying my best to wind my way through the crowd. The faint smell of rain lingered in the air, and, anticipating the downpour, I silently thanked myself for my thick layers of clothing and pushed onwards.

My goal was to find somewhere to eat - fine dining, however, was not an option tonight. I had to be quick, it wouldn't be long before my taxi would be here to pick me up, and I did not want to be late.

Being late was rude.

Some would say travelling in your gap year is unwise - and in most cases, it would be, unless you already had a stable source of income. I wrote journals on the places I visited, and they proved to be very popular online. It gave me an excuse to study humanity to a greater extent, and publishing my works on websites helped me make money whilst doing so. It was my job, effectively.

Horns blared in my ears as I crossed the street, dodging the sea of vehicles that inched forward into the hubbub of the night.

A park lay on the other side of the road, a pretty, square stretch of grass harbouring a fountain situated in the middle. Empty benches lined the paths that snaked through the lawn, and I saw this as my chance to catch a break from walking. Flowerbeds were dotted left and right, illuminated by the faint light that leaked from restaurant windows either side of where I sat in the park. Sitting down on the bench, I shut my eyes, zoning out to the quiet sound of water from the water fountain splashing into the basin.

I was startled back to reality by the sound of my stomach beginning to growl.

How silly of me - I'd almost forgotten why I'd come here.

Rising to my feet, I dusted down the khaki uniform that I wore and turned my attention to the nearest places to buy food.

There were options everywhere - not that you would usually find me in restaurants such as these, I cook my own food almost all the time, but it seemed that I didn't have much of a choice at this present moment in time.

The sound of a door opening somewhere to the right caught my attention - a boy emerged from the nearest Subway - he wore black jeans and a bright green shirt, a matching green cap was pulled down over tousled, grassy hair  and an apron was tied tightly around his waist. He seemed to be closing up shop.

I watched him fiddle with the lock for a while, even laughing a little bit when he seemed to grow frustrated and crossed his arms in a fit of exasperation.

The boy must have heard me. He turned, looking slightly embarrassed - as was I at the fact that I'd been caught - and flashed me a toothy grin. Saying nothing, he pocketed the keys and drew the door open for me with a flourish, beckoning me inside and disappearing into the building.

He must have assumed I wanted to order.

And all of a sudden, I felt like doing so.

Chuckling quietly to myself, I readjusted my mask and made my way over to the entrance. I bid the freezing air adieu as I stepped into the warmth, the sweet, sweet smell of fresh bread enveloping me like a warm embrace. This was definitely one of the nicer-looking subways around, the decor was all nicely coordinated - mainly made up of different shades of warm brown and cream. Potted plants were dotted around the room, sitting beside tables and bookshelves. The Subway logo was mounted on one of the walls.

I'd spent so long studying the place itself that I'd forgotten about the reason I'd actually walked in here - the boy stood opposite me, resting his chin on his elbow behind the counter, and only now was it that I realised what trouble I'd gotten myself into.

He stared up at me from shockingly green, slightly tired-looking eyes; a curtain of thick, dark eyelashes hung over each of them,  some of which was obscured by unkempt, bouncy green hair. His lips curled upwards into a smile once he'd caught me looking and he laughed, eyes crinkling at the edges as he did so. Freckles dusted two tan cheeks, and the more I looked the more there seemed to be - and the amount of piercings and jewellery was quick to be noticed.  On his wrists hung an assortment of brown bracelets and on his thumb, forefinger and middle finger sat three rings. A pendant hung around his neck on a string, and both earlobes glistened with silver studs, as did one eyebrow. His left ear bore five ringed cartilage piercings.

He was exquisite.

"Hello and welcome to Subway, may I take your order?" The boy drummed his fingers rhythmically on the counter, that lazy smile still plastered over his face.

....This was going to be a lot harder than expected.

Clearing my throat, I made my way over to where he stood, quietly surveying the many options set out before me behind the glass.

"You were just in time," his voice was deep, smooth. Nonchalant. Calm. "I was just about to close. Lucky you managed to grab my attention, though."

I smiled under the mask. He was... strange. He seemed to be silently questioning the material that hung over most of my face, most likely the bandages, too, but said nothing. Just watched.

Intriguing.

He grinned as he took my order, seeming to forget my presence and focusing on constructing the sandwich. His rings clicked together as he worked, and I found him readjusting his name tag every so often -

- "Hello! My name is Rantaro!"

His name was scrawled in black underneath the green stripe, and a smiley face was scribbled beside it. Peculiar.

Once again, I'd been caught staring.

He chuckled under his breath, and I felt my face heat up ever so slightly.

Pull yourself together, Korekiyo.

"That'll be $2.99, Sir." He nudged the sandwich forward, gaze unwavering. His eyes were soft, kind. Inviting. I forked out a five-dollar bill from inside my wallet and handed it to him, bandaged fingers brushing against his.

"Thank you," I said, picking up the food, still slightly warm from the oven, and laughing to myself at the brief shock that flickered across his face as I spoke. I was often told that the way I spoke was strange, or unsettling, so his reaction was as expected. He suddenly cracked a smile.

"You have a very nice voice."

...That was, I'll admit, less expected.

He laughed again, a pretty, melodic sound. Regaining my composure, I shook my head, resigning myself to the nearest table. I took careful, delicate bites of the sandwich - not bad, I'll admit. It wasn't the best I'd ever tasted, but it was certainly very good.

I looked up, hearing the sudden Bang! of a door swinging shut. The boy had re-emerged from behind the counter, and was holding a sandwich in his hand. He sauntered over to the table at which I sat and, much to my surprise, perched himself in the chair opposite me.

Looking him up and down, I was unsure of what to do. Most didn't dare approach me - the mask, the bandages and even the hair scared them off, so why was he..?

Beaming, he stuck his hand out in front of him, inviting me to stake it. "Rantaro Amami," he said quite simply, chuckling as he did so. "And you are..?"