"...it does a great job of capturing that distinctive feeling of smoking out the back of the shop, the intimate yet rough environment. The brevity of the moment, the relief of the cigarette."
—@Wilza

The Japanese supermarket, as portrayed in various forms of media, often presents itself as a middle ground between many different groups of people. From elementary schoolchildren looking to buy an afterschool snack with their allowance to balding middle-aged managers whose wives await them with another lecture about leaving the toilet seat up, there are nearly limitless interactions that can happen between the most diverse of people.

A Story About Smoking at the Back of the Supermarket is exactly what its title suggests. It follows the budding relationship between Sasaki, an overworked middle-aged salaryman, and Yamada, a cashier at the supermarket he frequents. Sasaki's defining trait is his unchanging nature. Every day, he works himself to death at his office job. Every day, he comes to the same supermarket to buy a pack of cigarettes. And every day, he lines up to get checked out by the same cashier: a gorgeous young woman named Yamada, who seems to be the only person in his life who ever shows him a genuine smile. Sasaki's fervent adherence to this routine leads him to develop a near-parasocial relationship with this random cashier, to the point where seeing her smile is just as important as smoking his cigarettes.

Unbeknownst to him, Sasaki's obsession has not gone unnoticed. Yamada, who spots him leaving the store, takes this opportunity to invite him to smoke with her, though not before donning a disguise. Yamada's character is predominantly defined by her two faces: at work, she is the cool and collected cashier at the supermarket, never abandoning her perfect smile and treating everyone with the same, calm professionalism. But on her breaks, she transforms into Tayama: the mischevous young woman who ties her hair up, speaks brashly, frequents the back of the store to smoke, and starts teasing the much older salaryman that she meets there. "Yamada" is the perfect girl that receives endless praise and admiration from strangers, and "Tayama" is a disguise that she uses to be her true self, if just for a moment.

"Tayama" initially confronts Sasaki with hostility, asking him about his intentions with the cashier that he idolizes so. But as they share a smoke, the two come to a mutual understanding and begin a tentative friendship. Tayama teases him endlessly, and Sasaki goes along with her antics, even when they cause him grief (both physically and mentally). This manga puts its main focus on the mundanities of life: the day-to-day conflicts that these two share with one another, the little details that they mention in passing, and the gripes and feelings that they could never mention to anyone else. And really, it's in these little interactions that their relationship begins to gradually bloom. This isn't a slow burn—it's a seed in a pot on the windowsill, waiting for spring.

I'm a huge fan of how this manga has turned out so far. The artstyle is nuanced and lively, the side characters are utilized well, and the romance is written with grace and subtlety. Looking forward to reading the rest.