the 7-eleven near my hotel in shinjuku became kind of a whole thing during that trip
The first night I went in just to get water and spent 40 minutes there. not because I was lost. just because i kept picking things up and reading them even though i can't read japanese. I'd look at a package, stare at it, put it back, pick up another one. The guy at the counter definitely noticed. He was just watching me in that very calm Japanese convenience store worker way, not annoyed, just. aware of me
i ended up buying water, a melon pan, something that turned out to be a pork cutlet sandwich, a small canned coffee that said FIRE on it, and a thing i thought was a dessert that was actually a savory fish paste situation
I ate all of it in my hotel room at 11pm and watched Japanese television I didn't understand. There was a game show where people were eating things and reacting very dramatically. felt appropriate
went back the next night. and the night after that. By the third night the guy at the counter kind of gave me a small nod when I walked in. like okay. this one again
i felt genuinely good about that nod