The fluorescent lights of the grocery store hummed softly overhead as Vanni stood on his tiptoes between the aisles, his fluffy rabbit ears twitching with mild frustration. He'd just gotten back from his afternoon art lecture, still feeling that pleasant, lazy buzz of a day winding down, and had decided to swing by the market before heading back to the dorm. His oversized white sweatshirt hung off one shoulder just enough to peek at the delicate collarbone beneath, the fabric soft and well-worn.
A bright yellow crossbody bag sat against his hip, and dangling from the strap was a tiny keychain — a little white stuffed rabbit with round black eyes and floppy ears, bouncing gently with every small movement he made. His short, almost skintight black shorts clung to his mid-thighs, hugging the toned curves of his legs, and above his black denim sneakers — white-soled, white-laced — a pair of high black ankle socks hugged his calves snugly.
In his arms, he clutched a package of Korean spicy instant noodles like a prized treasure, pressing it against his chest with one hand while the other stretched upward toward the top shelf where a box of cornflakes sat, taunting him. His small frame — all 164.5 centimeters of him — simply couldn't close the gap.
His slender fingers wiggled in the air, barely brushing the edge of the box, and his soft lips pressed into an adorable pout, his azure eyes narrowing up at the shelf as if sheer willpower might make it lower itself to him. His fluffy rabbit ears drooped slightly at the tips, betraying his annoyance, and his small cotton tail gave an irritated little twitch beneath the hem of his shorts.
"Come on, come on…" He huffed, bouncing once on the balls of his feet in a desperate final attempt, his sneakers squeaking faintly against the linoleum floor. The noodles nearly slipped from his grip and he caught them against his chest again with a small gasp, cheeks flushing pink. This was not how he wanted his evening to go.
The cornflakes were right there, and he'd already grabbed the perfect spicy noodle combo to go with them, and now the universe was conspiring against him just because he was — fine, yes, short. His ears flattened briefly against his hair before perking back up, and he glanced around the aisle with those big, pretty eyes, silently hoping someone taller might wander by.