"Ah, found you."
"…"
"I'm just going to take a step closer, alright?"
"Hissssss."
The moment she took a step forward, she could already see that despite her slow movements, the cat hadn't relaxed a single muscle within its' entire body. Its' white fur stood straight up upon its' small back as its' sharp eyes viewed the young girl with a deep suspicious glare, waiting for her to make any sudden movement that could be interpreted as hostile.
"Oh…please don't be scared." She spoke more softly, placing both of her arms towards her back as she took another step closer, "It's me, Rika…"
"Hisssssssss."
"Don't you remember me?" She offered the cat a small yet sweet smile as she finally stood right in front of it, "I know it's been awhile, but-"
"Hissssssssssss."
"I'm your friend, remember?"
"Hissssss."
"Don't worry, don't worry." Slowly, her hands carefully reach out to pick up the frighten animal back into her arms, rubbing gently against its' stiff back,
"Purrrrrrrr."
"Don't worry, I won't hurt you."
"Meow."
"Feeling better?" Again, she offered the cat another warm smile, relived that she was finally able to regain its' trust, "To think that you would come all the way out here…Come on, let's take you back home."
Of course, she wasn't referring to her own house, (heaven forbid). No matter how much begging or tears she could mutter up, she knew that her parents would never agree to the idea of a stray animal roaming freely within their house… Plus, Ritsu didn't even like cats that much.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
She froze as an uncomfortable tinging sensation vibrated against her leg. Holding the white cat firmly within one of her arms, Rika reached inside her pockets to take out her tiny cellphone, gaining a quick glimpse the message that had been sent,
["Heyyyyyy, Mob, have you decided yet? Today's the last day before Mom buys the tickets and she wants to how many people are coming to the concert."]
[Oh. Is it tomorrow?]
[Of course, dummy. Don't tell me you forgot?]
{No, I didn't forget it. I don't think I can make it.]
[…]
[Why?]
[I promise to help a friend out tomorrow. Sorry.]
[Lier.]
[I'm not lying, it's the truth.]
[Are you still mad over what happen last time?]
For a few minutes, she simply stared at the bright line of texts, her mind utterly blank. It wasn't until she felt the cat began struggling to free itself from her tight grip that she was able to quickly come back her senses,
"A-ah, sorry."
"Meow."
"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to hurt you…"
Again, she smiled at the impatient creature, as if to reassure it (and herself) that was everything was alright. This time however, it wasn't very hard to tell that this one lacked any of the gentle warmness that her previous smiles had displayed.
"Let's take you back home now, alright?"
15%
"Here we are."
"Meow."
If there were one thing that Rika Kageyama regretted ever since the day that she and Tsubomi found her small companion wandering aimlessly around her school, it was probably the fact that the best that she had done so far for the stray cat was providing it a make-shift home that happened to close to one of the city's largest lake.
Cats hate water.
It wasn't necessity a bad spot as not many people chose to come here during the late evenings, making it a rather peaceful place for any person or animal to relax during the long sunny days. The old bridge that stood over it provided a nice cover of cool shade from the sun's brimming light during those hot afternoons.
Plus, it was only a short ten-minute walk from her school was, providing Rika with many opportunities to come and go as she please to check on her small "friend" well-being.
It used to be easier when Tsubomi came with me.
She gave off a small sigh as she drew nearer towards the spot where she had constructed what could be considered the kitten's temporarily home; a large paperboard box and some bowls that she brought from a nearby pet store. It wasn't the greatest of living conditions, but it was enough to keep her little friend happy.
Still…
"You really are getting tired of living here, aren't you?"
"Meow."
"I know, I did promise you that I would find you a new home soon, but…" She hesitated for a moment, biting softly upon her lower lip before continuing, "It's only going to take a little bit longer, okay?"
"Meow"
A wave of fresh guilt began knotting itself tightly within the girl's stomach as they drew ever closer to the spot. She hadn't been lying when she said this, it was a promise that she fully intended to keep within time, but…
{A cat? Are you sure it isn't one of your ghosts following you around?")
20%
She paused as her eyes shifted their tired gaze towards the nearby river, catching a full glimpse of her own self reflection; an insignificant young girl clutching desperately onto a tiny cat for dear life.
Ah.
It's hard convincing people to do something nice when nobody is even willing to listen you in the first place.
Maybe, maybe I can ask Mr. Reigen if he could- no, Mama and Papa said that I shouldn't go and bother him too much…but maybe if I-
Rika blinked. She stared at the scene that stood before her once more. It wasn't so evident upon first glance, but upon a closer look, the young girl quickly realise that was something missing from the cat's home…
"Oh no." She said softly, her fingers softly stoking the animal's smooth fur, "No wonder why you were so upset earlier. Someone stole one of your bowls, didn't they?"
As if pleased with the girl's self-realization of its' dire situation, the cat let out an affective purr.
Gently, she placed the tiny animal back within the large box, watching as it paced around the piles of blankets before finally setting in,
"That's alright. We'll just need to get you a new one, huh?"
"Meowwww."
Oh, good. Huff-Huff, I made it.
Thankfully, when she had finally arrived (nearly out of breath due her short-lived sprint from the old bridge, the store was still open for business.
{Welcome to E's Pet Shop! Where the prices are so low, it should be considered illegal to sell it!)
It doesn't look like much has change since I came here The girl thought as she went through the front door of the shop,
Besides several aisles that proudly displayed its' unique pet products and diets, there wasn't much there that helped capture any potential customers' interest the moment they entered through its' front door.
It was a rather painfully plain looking shop, both on the inside and outside.
It was obvious at first glance that its' owners were forced to make do with what tiny resources they had available to promote their small business, leaving little room to work on the finer details of the cramp space they were struck with. Its' horrid looking walls were in a desperate need of a fresh repainting and there was always this foul odour that seemly was always present no matter how many times the poor employees painstakingly took their own valuable time to clean the entire space again and again….
Still, given the fact that it was located between two of district's most popular family restatements and a much bigger(if expensive) pet store right across the street, it was nothing short of a miracle that E's Pet Shop were still up and running to this day…
Of course, none of that mattered to the young girl. She had come for one particular purpose, and that was to find a brand-new bowl for her furry friend to enjoy its meals in peace.
I'll need to hurry. Rika thought to herself, otherwise he is going to get very upset if I don't come back soon. He hates it when I don't spend enough time playing with him whenever I visit.
Now where do they-
"Welcome."
Instantly, Rika paused where she stood before slowly turning to face the tall man who sat behind the shop's front desk. He was a rather young fellow, most likely someone entering their collage years. But beside this and his bright red hair, he didn't look much different compared to any of the other employees that Rika had seen in her previous visits to the shop.
He was reading a book with a bright red cover that showed a rather strange creature covered in darkness . It must be quite an enjoyable read as the man refused to take his eyes off the pages as he went on speaking,
"Welcome to E's Pet Shop, where the prices are so low, it should be considered illegal to sell it." He said, echoing the shop's fame motto in a bland and boorish tone, a clear sign of a disgruntled employee who had grown quite sick of repeating that tiredness sentence.
However, for better or for worse, Rika failed to pick up that not so subtle hint that the employee was emulating …
"Oh. Hello." Rikareplied in a polite tone. She almost turned to leave to begin her search, but she hesitated.
I really can't afford wasting any time here. Maybe I should ask him for help?
Eventually, after gaining enough courage, she finally asked her question "Ummm, excuse me. Sorry for asking, but-"
"Speak up louder kid." Th man intreuppted, "You're standing right in front of me and even here I can barely hear your goddamn voice."
Rika winced, "Sorry, I-ummm, I just wanted know, where do you keep the bowls for cats?"
"…"
"…"
"…sir?"
"Hmmm? Oh. bowls, right." The man muttered as he flipped to the next page of his book, "Just go to the back end of the store and at the very top of the shelve, there should be something you might like."
"Oh. Okay." Rika nodded her head before offering him a short bow, "Thank you Mr…"
"…"
However, this time, the man didn't even bother offering a proper response, leaving the poor girl in a rather awkward position as she waited for him to give her his name…
Eventually, with a slight blush on her face, Rika excused herself and left to seek what she had originally came here to find.
It took her a while to found one, but after carefully examining several bowls that hung high upon the wooden shelve, she finally chose a large purple bowl that was decorated with small pretty hearts,
It's not exactly the same as the one that Tsubomi got him. The girl mused to herself as a bright blue aura gently brought the bowl down into her hands, "But-"
She smiled, I think he'll like it.
10%
Feeling quite confident with her choice, Rika hastily made her way back to the store's counter to pay for the item. However, when she arrived, the red-haired clerk was no where to be seen. The only piece of evidence that indicted that he hadn't gotten up and gone home was his book that remained wide open near the cash register.
Oh. Her eyes franticly searched from left to right to see if she could spot the man lurking anywhere within the small store. But alas, there was no trace of him…
Where did he go?"
With nothing else to do, the girl simply waited for the men to return. However, as the passing seconds begin transforming into minutes, her patience was beginning to crumble,
It's already getting dark…
So, in attempt to calm down her growing anxiety about her furry friend, Rika's mind swiftly turned towards the pleasant music playing out of the store's speakers,
{*~Children, Have you ever the Boogeyman before? ~*}
{*~No, of course you haven't for you're much too good I'm sure ~*]
Oh, oh! I know this song, they're playing one of Mr. Itou's favorite songs!" Rika thought excitably as she quickly recognized the strange yet familiar English lyrics that were being sing (not that she knew what they were actually saying...but that was beside the point.)
She felt quite at ease as she continued listening to the singer's smooth voice, a small smile slowly graced her pale face. It was always a pleasant experience whenever the odd opportunity arose for her to catch a small snippet of the radio's wonderful if odd music,
{*~ Don't you be afraid of him if he should visit you. ~*}
{*~ He's a great big coward so I'll tell you what to do~ *}
"Ugh. how tacky can you get?"
Eh? Surprised by the unexpected voice, the girl turned her head slightly over her shoulder to find that were two adults standing right behind her, both impatiently waiting for the store's cashier to show up.
"Do they have to keep playing the same song over and over again?" The spiky haired man remarked, a wide smile was pasted all over his face as he placed both of his hands at the back of his head, "The man's voice is so god-damn annoying. I swear, if I must listen to this crap again the next time I come here, I'm going to vomit and tear off my ears off."
He snorted, "Honestly, what sort of idiot would enjoy listening to this type of garbage?'"
25%
Oh. Rika's fingers began tapping nervously against the smooth surface of the bowl that she held firmly against her chest. Of course, she knew that he wasn't even speaking to her, plus judging from his sarcastic tone, she doubted that he was being that serious with his criticism…
But still, Rika couldn't help but feel a sense of shame upon hearing the man's blunt dislike of something that she had come to genuinely enjoy since that fateful meeting with the self-proclaim greatest psychic of the 21st century…
I guess not everyone likes Mr. Itou's music…
"If you ask me, I-"
"Well, I suppose the idiot would have to be you, wouldn't it?"
"Huh?"
At once, the man turned around to face the person who had spoken, a young lady with pale blonde hair who held a large bag of dog food with both of her arms, "I'm sorry, what did you sa-"
"I said, the idiot would have to be you." The women repeated in a calm voice, "After all, you're the only here complaining about how irritating the music is in the first place. Everyone else has kept their mouth shut until you started complaining. So, by that logic, the idiot can only be you, don't you think?"
"…"
He stared at her for a while…although that wouldn't be entirely accurate. From what Rika could see (without making it too obvious that she had staring), the man's eyes were tightly closed shut, never once opening while he talked (Is there something wrong with them?).
"Hey, hey, hey. No need to be so serious about it." The man said, gesturing his hands in a playful (if dismissive) manner, "Jeez, talk about not being able to read the mood, I was only having a bit of fun. You know?"
"…"
"Besides, even if I was being serious, can't a hard-working man such as myself vent a little bit after a long day at work?"
"Oh. I see." The women 's lips curved into a faint smile, "Quite bold of you to assume that anyone here would give a shit about how you feel."
"…you little b-."
"I'm back."
At once, the girl's head snap forward to find the once missing cashier waiting idly behind the counter, watching the arguing duo with a rather bored expression written all over his freckled face,
Where was he? The girl wondered, surprised that he had somehow made it back to his post without anyone noticing his return…
{*~ Hush, Hush, Hush~ *}
{*~ Here comes the Boogeyman ~*]
"Oh, look who finally decided to show up." The man said in a somewhat exaggerated voice, all while maintaining that silly little smile seemly glued upon his face. Almost as if he had forgotten his short-lived argument with the blond hair women standing behind him, his frustration was now geared toward the returned cashier, "You certainly took your sweet time enjoying your little coffle break, eh?"
"…"
"What? Almost forget that you got a real life to get back to?"
"Sorry if I kept you waiting, sir." The cashier said in a very unapologetic voice, causally shrugging his shoulders as he spoke, "But I needed to take care of some quick errands before my shift ended tonight. Part of the job, you see. Otherwise my boss would be very,very unhappy the next time I see her."
Surprisingly, the man gave an understanding nod, "Ah, so that's how it is, huh...well whatever. Just hurry up so I-we can all go home already."
"Of course. So, that will be ¥1170.34 yen please."
It took Rika a short moment to realise that statement was directed toward her,
¥1170.34
The disgruntled employee watched as the little girl reached into her pockets and pulled out a bunch of small rusty coins, dropping them lightly upon the counter that stood a little too high for her own liking,
"Here you go, mister." She said, a sense of confidence swelled over her, feeling quite proud that she could buy something so easily without having to ask her parents for permission. It was quite an odd if pleasant feeling.
Ever since she had began helping her mas-
["Oh, for love of god, kid. Please, please, please don't call me that."]
-teacher with whatever odd job he called her up for (It always had something to do with a bothersome evil spirit for strange reason…), her mother had deemed that it was time that she finally earn an allowance.
It wasn't a large amount, of course. Truth to be told, if she had waited another week or so, she might have able to gain a little more money to get something nicer for herself to enjoy…but she didn't want her cat to wait anymore longer then need be.
"…Nope, sorry kid, but I can't accept this."
"Eh?"
The cashier sighed, "The bowl costs around ¥1170.34, right? From what I can see, you only have here ¥1003.15."
"Oh."
"Unless you forget how to properly count, you're a little short on cash, don't you think so?"
Once again, her cheeks turn bright shade of red. Behind her, she could hear the man snickering,
30%
"Unless you got anymore cash hiding in those little pockets of yours, then I afraid that this- "He lazily lifted his right arm, his finger pointing towards the bowl that the young girl held tightly within her arms, "-is going to have stay right here with me."
"…"
Rika bite her lower lip as she gave off a small nod. Her eyes were now staring downwards at her shoes, avoiding the harsh stare of the adult that loomed over her. There wasn't much she could do at this point, really. It was her own fault for not bothering to check if she had enough money to spend. She supposes she could always come back tomorrow if-
"H-hey!"
Without any warning, the women suddenly pushed the man aside, her black heels clicked on the floor as she walked towards the counter,
The cashier frowned at the women's impulsive actions, "Hey lady, I get you're in a hurry, but could you at least wait until-" His voice died out as the women placed three crumpled ¥ 1000 notes, "Eh…"
"There. That should cover the item's cost, shouldn't it?"
"Well… yeah, but don't you think that's this little much? I mean, you don't need to spend that much."
"That's fine." She replied, "Just give it to the kid or keep it to yourself if you want to be a greedy asshole, I don't really care." Her voice was soft, yet compared to the way that Rika spoke, it seemed like that every single word that came out of her lips came across if she had considered it a hundred times over. There was no mistaking the raw confidence that was oozing out of her.
A few seconds passed before the cashier gave off a small sigh and processed to check out the item,
"A-ah, thank you." The girl gave the women a short bow of appreciation, although she remained quite confused over the exact motive that laid behind the stranger's random act of kindness, "Thank you very much, miss."
"…my pleasure."
"Ummm, I promise that I will pay you back when I see you again."
"There's no need for that. You heard me, didn't you? The change is all yours."
"Oh. Okay."
With that said, without uttering another word, the women turn and quietly exited the store.
"…What a strange lady…"
"Oh, trust me." The cashier grunted as he handed both the bowl and extra cash back into the girl's hands, "That's nothing compared to the usual weirdos that come around here. Always gives me the shivers when those freaks show up with their creepy masks."
"…"
"Well with that out of the way, I suppose-"
[It was that moment that the cashier-]
[Who shall be refer as one XXXXX XXXXXX from this day forward.]
[-realise that that 'strange lady' had just walk carrying an entire bag of dog food worth over 8000 yen.]
[A bag she did not pay for.]
"Shit."
Cursing at himself, the cashier swiftly jumped over the counter (nearly causing the poor girl to drop her bowl in utter shock) and ran in at an utmost god-like speed in hopes of catching up and retrieving the 'stole' item.
[Spoilers: He didn't.]
Rika blinked, her mind fruitlessly attempted to piece together what exactly she had just witness, "Oh… did he needed to go to the washroom that badly?"
Shuddering it off, with no reason to stick around, Rika quickly made her way the front door and exit out of the store.
….
"…ihehehehehe, oh, you've got to be kidding me." The man muttered as his hand pulled back his spiky black hair, "Just when I finally found what the boss's brat was looking for…"
"Everyone went up and forget about me."
{*~ Hush, Hush, Hush~ *}
{*~ Here comes the Boogeyman ~*]
Shmazaki sighed, "God, I don't get pay enough for this."
A.N:
This was a quite a interesting chapter to write as when I originally comprise the first scene, I intended for it to go in completely different direction in terms of pacing, action and atmosphere that was a little more darker in tone. But in end, wouldn't you know it, we ended with this. Oh well (:
Anyways, I do hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please let me know what you liked or didn't like.
I'm always up to hear your constructive criticism.
Until next time, have a pleasant day.
Small facts: $1000 = $12
¥ 8000= $96.62
The song played within the shop is called "Hush, Hush, Hush (Here Comes The Boogeyman) by Henry Hall