The sun shone high in the sky as I walked through the crowd. I held the phone to my ear, and Haruka's voice sounded crisp on the other end of the line.
—"Mochi, remember to stop by the OHRA headquarters tomorrow so they can assign you a team for the upcoming missions."
—"Haruka, can't I really team up with you?"
—"No. They made it very clear."
—"Alright… I'll go there tomorrow then. Well, I'll let you go, Haruka. I have to do some shopping for tonight. My parents are going away for three days, so I'll be cooking dinner by myself."
—"I guess you're planning to buy lots of sweets and stay up late playing video games."
—"Exactly!"
—"Phew…" —Haruka let out a resigned sigh— —"Alright. See you tomorrow, Mochi."
I hung up the call with a smile. Now all that remained was to do my shopping. For tomorrow's lunch, I planned to make curry; it had been a while since I last ate it, and just thinking about it made my mouth water.
That's why I came to this shopping street. The place was full of small stalls selling everything: vegetables, fruits, fish, sweets, spices… Unlike regular stores, here you could haggle over prices. Hehe… I intend to lower the price of everything I buy! That way, I'll spend as little as possible from the allowance my parents gave me for these days, and I can keep the rest. It's a perfect plan!
The atmosphere was cheerful and bustling. This street was pedestrian-only, and the sun warmed every corner. People walked back and forth with full bags, chatting animatedly. The older women moved like whirlwinds among the stalls, fiercely competing for the freshest produce. I learned the hard way that this area is a battlefield… I still have flashbacks whenever I see them. I'll never make the mistake of standing between them and the deals again.
Alright, stop getting distracted, Mochi. First, I'm going to buy the vegetables. If I remember correctly, there's a stall at the end of the street that sells them at a good price.
—"Oh, little Noa! I haven't seen you around here in ages! Come, come!"
One of the ladies at the market recognized me and waved excitedly. I approached with a slightly embarrassed smile.
—"Hello, ma'am. Yes, I've been really busy with school assignments and couldn't come before."
—"Oh, I see. We all missed you around here… here, this is a little gift from me," she said, handing me a bag with a big smile.
The woman gave me some fresh vegetables as a present. I accepted them with a smile, we chatted a bit, and after saying goodbye, I walked a few steps further… until I was stopped again.
—"Noa, Noa!" another voice called— "It's been a while since I saw you!"
This time it was an elderly man from the market, the owner of a fish stall. I had always liked him. The fish he sells are very fresh—he catches them himself every morning.
Just like the lady before, he also gave me something: a couple of filets wrapped in paper. After chatting a bit, I said goodbye… but the story repeated. Once. Then again. And again.
By the time I realized it, my arms were full of goods. I remembered how, when I was little, Mom used to bring me with her to this very same market. She used to say that with my cute little face, we got lots of free gifts. Looks like that tactic still works.
By the time I finally reached the stall I had in mind at the beginning, I already had all the vegetables I needed. There was no need to buy anything.
The sun was already starting to set, painting the street in shades of orange and gold.
I turned around and started walking back. I packed everything I had received into my shopping bag. It ended up pretty heavy. If I had still been my old self, I probably would've had a hard time carrying it. But not so much now.
After the tunnel incident, Haruka forced me to take boxing lessons. She said I needed to learn how to defend myself, how to fight. At first, I complained, but now... I feel stronger.
Well, to be honest, a few days of training didn't exactly make me an expert, and the bag is still pretty heavy.
I tried to think of it as an extra strength training session and kept walking at a relaxed pace. The breeze was gentle, and the sky, painted in warm colors, was incredibly soothing.
Everything was peaceful… until something caught my attention on the other side of the street.
A group of people was gathered around something, although from my position I couldn't see what it was. Curiosity made me stop.
Soon, a few people stepped aside, and then I saw it.
It was a man dressed as a clown. He was holding a large bouquet of roses and seemed to be giving them out to passersby.
On the surface, a normal scene.
But something wasn't right.
I couldn't explain it. It wasn't fear—at least not at first. It was more like a tingling at the back of my neck, a pressure in my chest. As if the air around me had gotten thicker, heavier.
He wasn't doing anything wrong. He wasn't even looking at me. He was just handing out flowers. Silent. Calm.
But every fiber of my body was screaming: leave. Now.
My hands clenched by reflex. I wasn't looking at him directly, but I couldn't stop seeing him. His figure, his movements, the grotesque contrast between the painted-on smile and what my instincts were sensing…
It was like looking at a broken photograph: at first glance it seems normal, but the longer you look, the more obvious it becomes that something's off.
And then, for a fraction of a second… it felt like he was looking at me.
He didn't move. He didn't smile more. He just… looked at me.
And that's when I felt real fear.
The moment our eyes met, I felt disoriented. Like I was getting lost in his eyes. Like a thick fog was seeping into my mind and pushing me out of myself.
Everything turned blurry.
It was like I disconnected from my own body for a few seconds. A soft buzzing filled my ears. I felt pressure, like I was underwater… or trapped in a nightmare.
When I blinked… I was already standing in front of him.
My heart skipped a beat.
I had no idea how I got there. I didn't remember crossing the street. I didn't remember traffic, or noise, or taking a single step. Nothing.
I was just there. Standing. Inches away from him.
—"Here," he said in a raspy voice, extending a rose toward me.
I didn't react. My body moved on its own. My fingers were already wrapped around the stem before I could think.
And then I saw him up close.
His eyes. They didn't look human. They were golden. Intense. Cold. The eyes of a predator watching its prey, waiting for the exact moment to strike. He didn't blink. Not once.
His mouth, on the other hand, was smiling. A smile far too wide—unnatural. His yellow, crooked teeth peeked out between his painted lips.
I looked down. The rose.
It was withered. Black. As if it had been dead for weeks.
And that's when I woke up.
Everything came rushing back. The noise of the street. The heat of the sun on my skin. The frantic pounding in my chest.
I didn't say a word. I didn't think. I just turned… and ran.
I ran like something was chasing me.
Like every second of hesitation could seal my fate.
I dove into the crowd, dodged cars, turned corners without looking.
I ran until my legs were burning.
Until I felt like I couldn't go on.
I ran all the way home.
I slammed the door shut.
Rested my trembling hand on the lock and stayed there, breathing in short, sharp gasps. My chest rose and fell like a drum pounding from within.
I was safe.
That's what I thought… until I looked down at my hand.
I was still holding the rose.
My stomach turned. Without thinking, I crossed the room and threw it in the trash.