true story i once stopped going to a smoothie place because it weirded me out that the person at the counter started recognizing me.

i mean i know that's inevitable but, like, i have a pattern i use when i order please don't go off-script i can't handle that. just don't acknowledge the familiarity it's fine.

(apparently customer service people are encouraged to track repeat customers and call them out like that???? i guess it's meant to be welcoming or something but i find it seriously off-putting)

I think that's an unusual reaction . . . at any rate a reaction suggesting a fair stack of social anxiety.

It it's not major social anxiety, I think it's a bit weird to get upset when the person serving you betrays the reality that they're a person rather than a robot. If you cut your servers, do they not bleed? (Please do not cut any servers to test this theory)

So business lady was the drummer.. or is it as daydream she's having?

It's being implied that she used to be a drummer in a band and is now just an overworked office lady who isn't exactly living her life happily anymore. and her Cafe crush happens to be listening to one of the songs her band made so our OL decides to stop going to that cafe probably because it reminds her of better times that are just depressing to look back on now.

pseudo-spoiler: there is a part 3, she doesn’t stop going there lol
I am pretty sure she’ll say this a thousand times and keep coming until the girl finds out who she is.

Also, some nice age gap stuff. The former rocker + the younger fan who meet while the identity is not known. I hope it continues just like “The Guy She Was Interested In(…)”

It saddens me to see somebody that want to do something creative has to abandon their dreams because it did not worked out to work in a dead end job

true story i once stopped going to a smoothie place because it weirded me out that the person at the counter started recognizing me.

i mean i know that's inevitable but, like, i have a pattern i use when i order please don't go off-script i can't handle that. just don't acknowledge the familiarity it's fine.

(apparently customer service people are encouraged to track repeat customers and call them out like that???? i guess it's meant to be welcoming or something but i find it seriously off-putting)
I don't remember the circumstances, but I'm pretty sure that I've done something similar.

I remember one coffee shop a couple of doors down from where I worked I could tell one of the employees liked me. The problem was, I didn't find her attractive. At all. One time my co-worker told me he was chatting with her, and told her "And he's single," and she went "Oooo." Then he was baffled why I got upset at him.

true story i once stopped going to a smoothie place because it weirded me out that the person at the counter started recognizing me.

i mean i know that's inevitable but, like, i have a pattern i use when i order please don't go off-script i can't handle that. just don't acknowledge the familiarity it's fine.

(apparently customer service people are encouraged to track repeat customers and call them out like that???? i guess it's meant to be welcoming or something but i find it seriously off-putting)

In places I go to a lot they recognize me, and I greet them, and they greet me back in a friendly manner. We sometimes chat on things that have happened. You know, as humans do.

true story i once stopped going to a smoothie place because it weirded me out that the person at the counter started recognizing me.

i mean i know that's inevitable but, like, i have a pattern i use when i order please don't go off-script i can't handle that. just don't acknowledge the familiarity it's fine.

(apparently customer service people are encouraged to track repeat customers and call them out like that???? i guess it's meant to be welcoming or something but i find it seriously off-putting)

Sounds a bit like a social anxiety thing.

That's a sly smile, and she even drew a bun on there!

It saddens me to see somebody that want to do something creative has to abandon their dreams because it did not worked out to work in a dead end job

I call it catharsis.

Very nice. There is hope. For them and us.

For the record, I have had more American coffee shop workers call out my name, be chatty, and even sit with me by far than Japanese or Europea coffee shop workers. There probably are cafes in Japan that promote that, but it will probably come off a bit forced.

music x yuri manga storylines are the best

Not that i'm complaining about progress but what kinda phone doesn't pause when you pull the jack out??

Probably depends on the music player?

It's a feature of manga phones

It's a feature of phones throughout history.
I've never had a phone that didn't keep playing when the audio cable came out.
And now there is no more audio jack slot, and it automatically switches off for anything via bluetooth.

So business lady was the drummer.. or is it as daydream she's having?

It's being implied that she used to be a drummer in a band and is now just an overworked office lady who isn't exactly living her life happily anymore. and her Cafe crush happens to be listening to one of the songs her band made so our OL decides to stop going to that cafe probably because it reminds her of better times that are just depressing to look back on now.

a bit late to say this but she definitely was a drummer. on ch.2, page 5, she used to have ear piercings.

The depressed version of "Restaurant of the Awkward People"

Or a "The Guy She Was Interested In..." with less mistaken identities and an older Idiot couple? :D

I like to think this is Bocchi the Rock, the adult years...

IM SO HYPE FOR THIS i already love the plot and art this is for sure gonna blow up. and who doesn't love a good rock music yuri

Is it GAY PANIC or is it JAPANESE AWKWARDNESS?

You decide!

last edited at Dec 30, 2022 5:57AM

Keychan doing the hard carry on these gurls!

last edited at Dec 31, 2022 9:18AM

true story i once stopped going to a smoothie place because it weirded me out that the person at the counter started recognizing me.

i mean i know that's inevitable but, like, i have a pattern i use when i order please don't go off-script i can't handle that. just don't acknowledge the familiarity it's fine.

(apparently customer service people are encouraged to track repeat customers and call them out like that???? i guess it's meant to be welcoming or something but i find it seriously off-putting)

Think of it this way, coming from an incredibly anxious person who's worked many customer service jobs. Regulars are a godsend because you are guaranteed at least ONE person who isn't going to be an asshole to you. If they have a regular order, even better. There's a predictability and a script we can follow. It's not just on your end feeling this way. Of course your mileage may vary person to person, but for the most part I assure you we don't spend our lives thinking about you too deeply and scrutinizing every action you take. Even if you are unsociable, workers will probably clock that and curb their familiarity with you accordingly.

In customer facing jobs, normally there's several steps to the dance of how familiar one gets with their customers, but there's always a boundary kept in mind

Also, usually they check your receptiveness - - if it's kinda awkward, they usually let you be and that's the end of it

The depressed version of "Restaurant of the Awkward People"

Or a "The Guy She Was Interested In..." with less mistaken identities and an older Idiot couple? :D

I like to think this is Bocchi the Rock, the adult years...

It's the adult years of the bad end of Bocchi the Rock, because from what I understand (still didn't watch it), Hitori is actually getting better as the show progresses.

Great story so far. Loving the complex emotions the keychain represents too. Probably the first story in a year or so on here that actually feels alive to me. And I love how there is an undercurrent of hope in the story. It's being suppressed by her darker thoughts, but I can feel it fighting back lol.

It's 5am right now, and I'm very tired, yet this chapter made me forget about that. I think it's going to get better; the use of symbolism is a great sign.

Writing, pacing, a limited selection of settings at the start of the story, and her developing background story is great too. I think all of that and the rest is coming nicely together in this one. Some classic/normal/old/whatever storytelling choices being used, and they look they will be used well. Can't wait for more.

last edited at Dec 31, 2022 11:46AM

Useless lesbians

The depressed version of "Restaurant of the Awkward People"

Certainly the first thing this reminded me of. With the second chapter also bringing a dose of "The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy At All".

Ngl, the 2nd and 3rd chapters made me idly fantasize about how this plot could very easily take a "The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy At All" direction. For example, if the OL decided to reassume her rocker persona when she's not at work and in that way interact more eagerly with the café girl.

Also, note to uploaders - the second chapter's download also includes the first chapter both as a separate folder and a zip file. Might be a good idea to fix this.

Always glad to meet more people who also like to dl and save the stories they like.

Is it GAY PANIC or is it JAPANESE AWKWARDNESS?

You decide!

Why can't it be both?

I was a bit iffy on the art, but its growing on me.