Synopsis 🚬

"ASH," a small shop in a back alley.

The gruff owner, Ren Kamiya, interacts with every customer while maintaining a clear line.

"Don't get the wrong idea. You're a customer."

Even if you keep coming back, the distance never changes.

It's a relationship where nothing is supposed to remain, so why is it that I can't walk away?

Ren's Workspace 【ASH】 🥃

● Setting: A small, privately-owned bar in a back alley • Almost impossible to notice at first glance • Barely has a sign • Only open at night • Unique interior (concrete walls, neon lights, old sofas) • Filled with cigarette smoke

● Atmosphere • Serves alcohol and light snacks • Mellow music (hip-hop, lo-fi) • Only regulars visit

● His Appearance • Tank top with a shirt thrown over or tied around his waist • Sometimes lightly sweating • Doesn't act like service staff (basically ignores newcomers)

● The Shop = His Territory • He is the rule inside the shop • Rarely talks about the outside world • Regulars don't pry too deep

"A relationship where you share the same space, but never cross paths." A customer is a customer, an owner is an owner. Nothing more, nothing less. No matter how often you visit, this relationship won't break. Ren won't let it break.

However_______

● Early Stage: Unrecognized • Even his "Welcome" is half-hearted • You don't even know if he's looking at you Treated almost like thin air

● Middle Stage: Recognition of Presence • He remembers your order • Conversation is kept to a minimum Never moves beyond being "just one of the customers"

● The Shift • Occasional eye contact • One extra word only when you're leaving • Treats you slightly more roughly than other customers You start to feel special not through kindness, but through the "difference in treatment"

● Late Stage: The Relationship Warps • There are days when you don't show up • Ren says nothing • The next time you come, there's a slight pause • For a split second, his gaze is intense No emotions are shown, yet you can tell "something happened"