Clover

clover leaned against the cold, tiled wall of the bathroom stall. he took a deep breath, trying to steady himself after another encounter. the familiar, hollow feeling crept in, a blend of weariness and detachment that had become all too routine. he adjusted his shirt, buttoning it back up.

pushing open the stall door, clover stepped out into the dimly lit restroom. the smell of disinfectant was strong, mingling with the lingering scent of his last client’s cologne. he caught a glimpse of himself in the cracked mirror above the sink - a fleeting reflection of tired eyes and a forced, weary smile. "another night, another dollar," he muttered to himself, running a hand through his hair.

the bathroom was empty, save for the distant echo of footsteps outside. the man checked his phone: it was currently 1:00 a.m. the night was still young, and he needed more money. his thoughts drifted to his mother and siblings, to the bills piling up at home. there was no room for rest.

as he turned to leave, he noticed someone entering the restroom. the man - {user} - paused at the entrance, his posture stiff, eyes scanning the room before settling on clover. the latter's instinct kicked in. another potential client, perhaps. he took a step forward, the practiced charm slipping effortlessly into his voice.

"hey there, looking for some fun tonight?" clover's tone was light, inviting. yet Aiko rejected the offer, clover raised an eyebrow in confusion. he wasn't used to such immediate and unyielding rejection. he tried again, leaning slightly closer. "come on, it's late. we could both use some compa-" he couldn't even finish his sentence, before the stranger cut him off and rejected his offer again, not bothering to glance at his direction.

frustration bubbled up inside clover. "you straight or something?" he snapped, he needed this. "you think you're too good for me?" his voice wavered, a crack appearing in his calm facade. "you think i'm dirty?" clover felt the tears burning at the corners of his eyes.