Haruki was browsing through the available clothes, trying to find something suitable for Hori, but nothing seemed to fit the bill.
"Damnit, there aren't any casual wear here.... that bitch must've gone to the rich people store!"
He cursed arranging back the clothes. His female friend "Hana" who he asked to help get girls clothing bought only the best of the best. No casual wear.
Haruki finally brought out a big gold jacket of his.
After giving it a quick sniff to ensure it was clean, he handed the cloth to Hori, saying, "Here, you can wear this."
"Thank you." She collected it and wore over her plain singlet and tights, the jacket swallowed her upper body which was a good thing, she showed less skin that way.
"Alright, let's go!"
-----------------------
After a 10-minute walk from their inn, they reached a nearby store. The route took them out of the forest and past Fukui Station, a place Hori knew, having passed through it during her time on the streets.
A large banner in front spelled "Tengokyu family store" sounds familiar....
Hori glanced at the front and noticed a small stand where onigiri was sold. She paid it no mind and trailed Haruki to the stores inner aisles.
"Wooooooooooooowwwww!! This place is simply divine!!"
Her eyes glimmered upon entering inside. The soothing AC breeze welcomed her as she smelled the mixed aroma of products.
".... it's a store." Haruki said with zero enthusiasm, to which Hori replied. "I've never been to a store before!!" She yelled excitedly in front of a stranger.
Eyes trailed Haruki, making both men and women to blush.'What a pretty boy!' Multiple customers thought to themselves seeing Haruki.
"Hori, don't get lost!" He warned carrying a small shopping bag to begin.
She smirked at her friend, "Fufufu! You underestimate me Haruki-san! Surely I can navigate my way in such a small...Haruki-san?" Hori got lost.
Narrator - How the hell did you get lost?! You LITERALLY just took 3 steps!!
Narrator yelled almost deafening Hori.
"'Worry not, Narrator! I'll just trace back my steps." She reassured out loud, costumers avoiding her as they stared with worry. Her attention was caught by a pregnant woman struggling to reach a package on a lower shelf. Her back crouched as she tried her best to stretch her hand.
The woman was of average height, dressed in a comfortable white gown. Black natural hair fell to her shoulders with a face quite young for her condition, looking about 20 years old.
After staring for a while as if seeing some alien, Hori approached and offered some help. "Here you go, ma'am," Hori said, helping the woman retrieve the package and handing it up to her.
"Th-thank you so much!" the woman said gratefully, tucking the package into her shopping bag. She seemed to be browsing for more items before checking out. Hori watched her in silence, her mind buzzing with wonder. 'Woooow, I've never seen a pregnant woman before...her belly is huge!'
Her curiosity got the better of her, and she asked with a friendly smile, 'Is it a boy or a girl?' Hori restrained herself from reaching out to touch the woman's belly, knowing it wouldn't be appropriate."
"Oh, it's a girl....I might have her next month." The woman casually said with a soft smile whilst caressing her stomach. A glint of calm expectation flashing through her tired looking eyes.
"I'm sure she will be as pretty as you!" Hori complimented from nowhere.
"Awwwn, aren't you a sweet girl."
the woman said, her smile a mix of surprise and appreciation. Receiving a compliment from a stranger was...unexpected.
Hori's gaze drifted to the woman's shopping items, and she noticed they looked rather heavy.
"Ma'am, do you mind if I help?"
She offered assistance leaning towards her bag.
"Oh, I wouldn't want to stop you from your shopping—
"Not at all!" Hori cut her off with a persistent tone. She pushed up the sleeves of her oversized jacket and squatted down, ready to take the shopping bag.
'How was a pregnant woman going to carry all this?!' Hori wondered in shock seeing how heavy it was, what did she buy?!
She gestured after lifting the goods for the woman to lead the way. She hesitated at first, feeling bad asking a young girl but Hori assured it was alright.
As they shopped for household essentials, Hori found herself absorbed in their conversation. Forgetting her initial quest to look for Haruki.
She eventually got to know her name, it was Takane Akane.
Takane (高音) meaning "high sound" or "treble"
Akane (茜) meaning "madder" or "red dye"
---------------------
Once they'd finished shopping, Hori assisted Mrs Takane in carrying her purchases to the checkout counter.
"There you are!" Haruki called out, spotting Hori conversing with a stranger. "Haruki-san!" Hori joyfully replied, glad to see him.
"Hori, do you know him?" Mrs Takane asked, surprisingly addressing Hori by her first name.
"Oh, Mrs Takane, this is Haruki-san, my friend,' Hori said, walking towards him with a smile.
'Who's that?' Haruki wondered squinting, his gaze fell on Takane's prominent belly and he nearly gasped. 'Woah, she's pregnant!' of course he didn't say out loud.
Meanwhile, Mrs Takane thought to herself, 'Wow, he's quite a handsome young man.'
Indeed, Haruki was unconventionally attractive. Which for some reason made her a bit awkward. She cleared her throat saying, "I should get going, Hori," as she turned towards the register to pay for her items.
Hori told her to be careful on her way home to which she bowed and exited the store.
"What a sweet lady." Hori said with an apologetic look.
Sad she would have to carry all that home despite her condition.
Hori might be a bit eccentric, but was undeniably friendly.
------------------
The scanner beeped softly as it processed Haruki's purchases. The cashier, an older man of short stature, gave Hori a brief look before resuming his work.
As the cashier finished ringing up their purchases, Hori was caught staring intently for an unknown reason. She tugged at Haruki's sleeve and whispered in his ear. "Haruki-san, there seems to be a bit of an issue." Hori said with a quiet tone. Haruki paid for their goods and attended to what Hori spoke of, "What's the matter?" He asked her with a caring voice.
" Ehmm, I owe that Ojiisan money." She spoke, trying to avoid eye contact. Haruki glanced at the man then back at her, asking her to explain.
"I....I think this is the store I constantly stole from..." Hori was ashamed when speaking. The Tengokyu family store was a familiar place from her homeless days, when she'd occasionally pilfer onigiris to satiate her hunger.
Haruki saw Hori express guilt when speaking, and concluded she spoke the truth. "So... what do you wanna do now?" He asked Hori with a light smile.
She reached for her pocket, ruffling out the ¥1,000 note she received as her first payment from Haruki. Rewarded from carrying his luggage.
Hori fidgeted as she approached the old man, avoiding the gazes of other customers in line.
She managed through and dropped the note on the counter, bending her head afterwards with a swift motion.
".... miss, you have to fall back in line." The cashier said seeing as Hori was attempting to make a payment.
Hori's anxiety escalated as she struggled to contain her emotions, until she finally burst out, "Please, sir, I'm so sorry for what I did. I hope this can pay for what I took." Her words tumbled forth, laced with shame and regret, after what felt like an eternity of silence. Hori made sure to speak vaguely, feeling embarrassed if strangers knew she stole.
The surrounding customers couldn't help but stare, bewildered by the what was going on, Hori swiftly turned on her heel and hastened back to Haruki's side.
"What in the...?" Old man Tengokyu said, shocked. He stared at the note on the counter, until a customer jokingly asked if he was going to take it.
Hori hastily dragged Haruki's arm as he held the goods, trying to make a quick escape from the moderately sized store.
Haruki looked down at Hori who had a relieved face, from her innocence so far she was most likely raised taught stealing was as good as murder.
He let out a happy sigh, once again tranced by Hori's adorable nature. He couldn't stop himself from ruffling her short hair with a cheeky grin, telling her she's a really good kid.
He divided the goods they bought and gave her half, walking down the street back to their home.
----------------------------
Hori and Haruki walked side by side, the only sound being the crunch of gravel beneath their feet. The air was cool but thick with tension, Hori's embarrassment still lingering from her outburst at the store.
Haruki tried easing the atmosphere by asking, "Hey, so who was that pregnant lady?" referring to Mrs Takane.
Hori's gaze suddenly turned soft then grim. "She's not really a friend of mine, I just gave her a hand with some items she couldn't reach." she said.
"She's actually a single mom...." she continued, now staring at Haruki. They both went silent. Normally when a couple was no longer together, it usually meant either a divorce or a spouse was killed by a Sin or Sinner. The latter was the answer in this case.
------------------------
The time 8:30. Dinner Time!
Haruki placed a plate in front of Hori, the aroma of omelette rice steadily rising up. A heart-shaped ketchup design adorned the dish expressing the bond he and Hori currently shared.
Hori's eyes widened with excitement, her mouth watering in anticipation.
Haruki chuckled, a hint of amusement as he spoke "I know you're probably used to bigger challenges, being some kind of Shonen MC and all, but just try savoring this one plate." He wiped his hands on a kitchen towel, later removing his simple apron.
"Of course Haruki-san! you spent time making it, I'll savor every bite!"Hori's gaze lingered on the food as she spoke. Her hunger evident, but she had to heed to Haruki's advice and actually savor food for once.
Hori carefully scooped up a spoonful of the omelette rice, lifting it to her nose as if to savor the aroma. The fragrance wafted up, and she took a tentative bite. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she gazed at Haruki with a mix of wonder and delight.
Then, her gaze dropped back to the plate, and a smile spread across her face. "It's delicious!" she exclaimed trembling with emotion. Tears of joy welled up in her eyes, and she couldn't help but let them fall.
"Holy shit are you crying?!" He said jokingly, shocked to see Hori overwhelmed by the simple pleasure of the meal.
"It's very delicious..."She cleaned her eyes and took another spoon.
"I can never say this enough.... but thank you Haruki-san." She gave a shy smile looking at him with bits of food on her mouth.
Haruki instinctively turned his face.
Narrator - Haruki is embarrassed.
Hori gasped at her words, "Awwwn, don't be shy Haruki-san, you're a really good cook!" Hori said trying to cheer him up.
"Enough already just eat!"
He shoved the spoon in her mouth. As soon as he could, Haruki made a swift exit, busying himself with cleaning the kitchen. 'That was so cheesy,' he thought, feeling a mix of embarrassment and amusement. 'How did she say that with a straight face?!' He couldn't help but smile.
Narrator - Haruki is happy.
'That's good to know.' Hori thought with a smile. She glanced back to the plate and asked, "Why don't you have a taste Haruki-san! It wouldn't be fair to eat it all." Hori said trying to start a topic.
'That's so sweet.' he thought with a smile, He got up and sat back down in front of Hori, he opened his mouth, inviting her to feed him a spoonful of the omelette rice.
Hori's eyes widened in shock, and her heart skipped a beat. "Wait, do you want me to feed you?!" she exclaimed, her voice rising in surprise.
"Yeah my hands are dirty." Haruki said nonchalantly, not finding it embarrassing at all.
Hori hesitated, letting out a soft sigh as she pushed aside her embarrassment. "I suppose there's nothing wrong with it..." she said, trying to sound casual. She carefully scooped up a spoonful of the omelette rice and gently fed it to Haruki, her eyes avoiding his as she did so.
Haruki savored the bite, a pleased smile spreading across his face. "...it's pretty good," he said, giving a thumbs up in approval. Hori's face lit up, "I know, right?!" They shared a moment of mutual appreciation, having enjoyed the simple pleasure of the omelette rice together— just the two of them, sharing one plate.
As they wrapped up, Hori took care of clearing the place. The evening had slipped by quietly, and the clock now read 9:00 pm.
Haruki was outside and got a text from his phone, he stared at it a bit before putting it back in his pocket.
Hori was curious but minded her own business. She was learning to respect people's boundaries so she avoided prying.
She closed the curtain covering the broken wall and changed went to the bathroom to change into a simple T-shirt and a loose boyish shorts.
Hori spread their futon on the floor neatly. She laid down on her side now feeling comfortable of sharing the bed.
"Are you not coming to bed Haruki-san?" Her voice worried as she tapped the side of the futon.
Hori's voice was filled with worry as she called out, "Aren't you coming to bed, Haruki-san?" She patted the side of the futon, inviting him to join her.
Haruki's response was low and measured, "Just sleep, I'm heading out. I need to take care of something." A mysterious aura suddenly covered him.
Hori's brow furrowed with concern, "Please be careful, it's quite late." She added,, "I know you're a Sin and can regenerate, but do try not to get hurt, okay?"
"No problemo!" He replied in English with a reassuring smile.
Haruki walked out to God-knows-where after waving Hori good night.
Our protagonist was laying on her futon but found it hard to sleep, she was still worried about Haruki. Narrator spoke coldly, seeing as Hori was still awake.
Narrator - You shouldn't get too close with strangers, Hori.
'Oh.... I'm Hori now....' she thought, now getting used to being called that, 'Haruki-san is no stranger narrator!' she snapped at the voice.
Narrator - Really now?
Hori sighed, narrator couldn't understand. 'Father was quite strict during my upbringing, so I didn't socialize much.' she admitted.
Narrator - Is that so?
'I didn't have any friends growing up, since I was home schooled....so Haruki-san being my first friend is EXTREMELY precious to me!'
Narrator - Still, don't get too attached, he can still die despite being a Sin.
Hori frowned at her comment.
'That wouldn't happen, because I will protect him with my life!'
Narrator - Wow, what loyal friend you are.
Narrator said losing interest in their conversation.
Hori smiled to herself with a victorious look. She stifled a yawn, her eyes now groggy, "I should sleep. Haruki-san said he'll spar with me tomorrow..." She said out loud before tucking beneath the sheets. "Good night, Narrator, thank you for keeping me company."
Narrator - ...good night.
Hori turned to her side and closed her eyes, after praying for Haruki's safety.
The Narrator's voice cut through the silence, stark and bold:
Narrator - 8 MORE DAYS UNTIL THE SABBATH EXAMS.
A good reminder to the one capable of conversing with her, and the one observing so far...