As the last few stragglers exited the art shop, Sasori heaved a sigh of relief. It had been another long day. He quickly turned the lock on the door and turned the 'open' sign around so it read 'closed.' He could see the sun beginning to set in the distance, he pulled down the shades on the window, blocking it out. He then began to pick up the dirtied paintbrushes and took them to the sink to clean them off.

His smock was covered with paint, charcoal, and clay. His red matted hair stuck to his face, despite his attempts to brush it aside from his eyes. Ever since his apprentice had left a month ago, he had been swamped with work. His little art store had become quite busy recently, there were more people interested in taking his art classes or coming in to buy various art supplies. Being the only person to man the shop had taken its toll. He would have to put up that 'help wanted' sign tomorrow.

Sasori didn't like the idea of hiring a new apprentice, but he knew he needed the help. He preferred to do things alone. He enjoyed solitude, it was an easy lifestyle for him. Being alone meant he could avoid the hassle of dealing with annoying people.

Once he finished rinsing out the paintbrushes, he stacked up the paint bottles on the shelves, placing each color where it belonged. Everything had a specific spot in his art store, he liked to keep things neat and perfect. His last apprentice had understood that, and had strived to keep things the way Sasori liked.

Sasori stepped back and admired the array of paint colors. His favorites were the plethora of reds. Burgundy, scarlet, bright maroon, crimson, cherry, rose, mahogany, and candy apple red all took up one shelf in a beautiful assortment. On the shelving next to the paints, there was a display of blank canvases of all sizes and shapes. Underneath the canvases the paintbrushes were laid out according to their size. The wall next to this one was adorned with unopened clay. He kept the pottery wheels in the back closet, as he rarely ever used them. The clay was sometimes bought by curious customers, but he didn't instruct a pottery class. He didn't think there was much interest in pottery.

Sasori's favorite art form was puppetry. The puppetry tools were displayed in the front of the shop. His prized possessions of wood, chisels, hammers, and thread were laid out carefully among the shelves. He had posed some of his own puppets in the window of the shop, so onlookers could admire his work. Children and adults of all ages were often seen looking at the little puppet figures, with eyes as wide as dinner plates. They would gaze at the puppets, wondering how someone could make them look so real, so human-like.

Sasori inhaled deeply, taking in the intoxicating scent of the oil paints mixed with the ashy smell of charcoal dust. He had finally finished cleaning up the shop. His feet shuffled beneath him as he made for the back door of the shop. He closed the door and locked it behind him before making his way up the creaky wooden stairs.

His small loft was situated on top of the art shop. Perhaps living on top of one's workspace was a little archaic in the modern world, but Sasori did not mind. Besides, he had a great deal on rent for his place, due to the fact that the landlady was his grandmother.

He jiggled his rusty key in the keyhole and pushed open the rustic door. "Meow" his fat calico cat Moshi greeted him. She rubbed up against his legs, and he leaned down to scratch behind her ears.

While he pet his furry friend, he pulled out his cell phone from his back pocket to check for any messages. There were none. He figured as much. Sasori didn't have too many friends.

He was too exhausted from work to make food, so he pulled out a box of leftover curry in his fridge and heated it up in the microwave. He sat on his small plushy couch and munched on his food in silence, enjoying the absence of sound. His art shop had gotten noisy earlier today, with a raucous crowd of teens bustling in and gawking at all the art supplies. They had asked a lot of questions, which had irked Sasori. He didn't have the patience to explain everything to the starry eyed spoiled teenagers.

He flipped through channels on his television, trying to find anything worth watching. As usual, there was nothing that caught his interest. He grunted in annoyance.

Nothing exciting ever happened in his hometown. Each day was just as mundane as the last, with few surprises or changes. Usually, this was just fine for Sasori. He preferred things to be ordinary and easy. But lately, he had become bored of the same old routine.

He turned off the television and ate the rest of his food in silence. Once finished, he made his way towards his tiny bathroom to brush his teeth before bed. He then plopped himself on the bottom bunk of his bed. His grandmother had insisted on getting a bunk bed for this place, so that two tenants could live here. When Sasori had moved in, he refused to get a roommate. She had argued with him that he wouldn't like living alone, but he simply glared at her until he had gotten his way. He and his grandmother rarely got along. He paid rent to her once each month, and that was the extent of their visits and conversations. He always kept these exchanges brief, not wishing to stay whenever she offered for him to come in and have tea.

Moshi purred as he ran his hand along her soft fur, scratching her favorite spots. "I'll have to get a new apprentice soon," he told the cat, "maybe it won't be so bad. Maybe it's just what I need…a change could be nice." Moshi purred louder, rolling on her back so he could rub her belly. Sasori had made up his mind, he would put up that 'help wanted' sign first thing in the morning.