The mist had cleared.
I knelt by the riverbank, my hand resting lightly on the hilt of my katana. The blade lay half-sunk in the dirt beside me, still humming faintly. My breathing had finally settled, but the silence pressed against my shoulders.
I looked up.
Across the curve of the river, I saw her. Iroha lay unconscious, her head resting gently in Rika's lap. Her skin looked pale. Too pale. Rika sat motionless, watching over her.
I forced myself up and crossed the space between us, my knees sinking into the grass as I dropped beside them.
"Is she…" I started, not sure how to finish the question.
Rika shook her head. "She'll be fine," she said softly. "I've healed what I can. The wounds are gone… but whatever magic the hag used, it wasn't just an attack. She's been bound into a deep sleep. I can't break the spell."
My eyes locked on Iroha's face. Her expression was soft. Peaceful, almost. But it didn't feel peaceful.
"But it shouldn't last more than a day," Rika added, brushing a strand of hair from Iroha's forehead. "She just needs time."
I let out a breath I didn't realise I'd been holding. Relief settled in for all of five seconds before the guilt pushed it out again.
"I shouldn't have gotten caught," I muttered. "If I hadn't let my guard down... she wouldn't be like this."
Rika didn't say anything at first. I could feel the silence between us get heavier.
"It's okay," she said eventually. "Don't blame yourself."
Her voice was calm, but there was something underneath it. She wasn't looking at me.
"You couldn't do anything. But I could have. And I didn't." Her fingers shifted, resting lightly on Iroha's shoulder. "Maybe she was right. The second things got serious, I froze. I just... stood there while she came to your rescue."
She looked down, her platinum blonde hair hiding most of her face.
"If I had reacted faster... maybe I could have protected you. Or at least her."
"No, Morisaki-san," I said. "We're here because of you. You stopped the hag from hurting Naru-chan. You pulled us out of danger. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be here right now. You saved us. You saved Iroha-san."
Rika didn't say anything. She just kept watching Iroha, her expression unreadable.
"…Thanks, Samurai," she said quietly.
I smiled. Then. My stomach twisted. Wait.
"Where is Naru-chan?"
Rika glanced to her left.
I followed her gaze.
There was a girl lying on her back in the grass, close to the river's edge. Mist floated around her like it had a mind of its own, swirling protectively, just barely concealing what needed to be concealed.
She groaned and sat up, scratching her side. "Ugh… I'm itchy," she mumbled.
Then, suddenly, she froze. "Wait. Did I just talk?!"
She stared down at her hands and immediately flailed backward, screaming. "Waaahhh! What the hell?! Where's my fur?! Where are my ears?!"
She paused. Reached up. "Oh wait… they're right here. LOL."
She patted the top of her head and wagged something behind her.
My jaw dropped.
"Naru-chan?" I said.
She turned to me and waved, completely unfazed. "Oh hey, Samu-chan."
I spun around so fast I nearly twisted my neck. "Uhhh... Morisaki-san? What is going on?! She's not wearing anything!"
"Relax," Rika said calmly, not even glancing up. "I've cast Wandering Fog on her. No risk of seeing anything you shouldn't."
"Right. That's... good to know." I rubbed my face. "But I feel like we're glossing over the part where Naru-chan is literally a girl now."
Behind them, Naru was twirling in the mist, marveling at her own limbs. "Oh my god, I have elbows! And feet! I'm so bendy! This is amazing!"
Rika finally looked up. "The hag attempted to change our wolf's form," she explained. "I thought she was trying to kill her, so I interrupted the ritual before it was completed."
"So the hag was going to turn her into a girl?" I asked, eyes wide. "Then… what is she now?"
Rika tilted her head slightly and sighed. "I don't know yet."
I looked back toward Naru. Her silver hair glinted in the light.
Rika gently brushed her fingers across Iroha's temple.
I watched them for a moment, then stood and took a deep breath.
"We need to recover," I said. "All of us. We should set up camp."
Rika hesitated. "No. It's too risky. She needs a proper bed, not ground."
She adjusted her gaze across the distance, voice steady again.
"I teleported us close to Duskmere. If we leave now, we can reach the town before sunset."
She glanced over at Naru, who was now splashing in the river with reckless delight. Still very much unclothed, the fog trailing faithfully behind her.
"…And probably get her some clothes too."
The inn was built into the slope of Duskmere's western ridge, tucked between a blacksmith's workshop and a tavern that smelled like roasted onions and wet floorboards. The walls were stone, uneven and stained with old smoke, and everything creaked: floorboards, shutters, even the sign that swayed gently in the wind outside. But it was warm. The kind of warm that made you sink into your shoulders and pretend you weren't exhausted.
We only had enough coin for a single room. Technically, we could've afforded a larger one. Extra beds, a bit of breathing space, but most of our leftover gold had gone toward Naru's new armor. Custom-tailored. Apparently, tail-holes cost extra.
Rika moved around the room now, quietly placing wards in each corner. Her hand hovered over the window, then the door, murmuring something under her breath. The air shimmered faintly and then went still again.
"No one will be able to enter this room," she said, stepping back. "Iroha will be safe for now."
I looked over at Iroha, still asleep on the bed. Her breathing was steady. Her brow, uncreased. She hadn't moved since we arrived.
"What about us?" I asked.
Rika glanced at me. "It would be illogical for the two of us to face the hag without Minazuki-san."
"Hey!" Naru chirped from the corner. "I'm right here."
Rika continued. "It's best we wait and recover. Once Iroha awakens, we can plan next steps."
I sighed, rubbing my arm. "Shame we had to burn the last of our gold on armor."
Naru was sitting cross-legged on the floor, proudly examining herself like a fashion model who had just discovered joints. Her new armor was a simple brown leather set, sleeveless and light. The boots were slightly too big. The tunic had been cut short to give her more freedom of movement, and the bottoms had a stitched gap in the back to let her tail swish freely. Her silver bob cut was still uneven, like she'd trimmed it with a dagger. Her wolf ears twitched every time someone said her name.
I stared for a bit longer than I meant to.
"So... what are you now?" I asked.
Naru tilted her head. "Hmm. I still feel like a wolf. Or... like how I should feel? It's weird. I thought I'd feel different, but I don't."
Her ears perked up. "All I know is I'm hungry."
I blinked. "I guess we could count that as an answer."
I pushed off the wall and stretched my back. "Well... we may not have enough gold for another bed, but we can try to get something to eat. That counts as recovering, right?"
Rika didn't object.
"Yay!" Naru jumped up and latched onto my arm, wrapping herself around it. "You're the best, Samu-chan."
We ended up at the tavern right next door. The Crooked Tankard.
The place was half-full, the kind of crowd that kept to themselves. A bard played something slow and forgettable in the corner. The fire crackled behind the bar. We managed to secure a small round table by the window, and the tavern keeper barely raised a brow when Naru ordered two whole roasted chickens.
"To share," I clarified.
Naru grinned. "I get one. You two split the other."
Iroha was still back in the room, so I didn't argue.
The chickens came out steaming, skin crisped and dripping in fat. Rika picked at hers once, then pushed the plate away. Naru took that as permission and devoured her share like she hadn't eaten in weeks. Her mouth was too full to talk, which might have been the most peaceful part of the day.
"I'm sorry," Rika said after a moment. "I wasn't able to bring the scythe with us."
I shook my head. "Don't worry. It's not like I was thrilled to be carrying that thing around anyway."
Rika nodded, eyes low. Naru just kept chewing.
She chomped through the last wing, sucked the bone clean, then jumped off her chair with a drumstick still clutched in one hand.
"I'm gonna go get more!" she announced, skipping off toward the bar.
"Wait, don't get yourself into trouble!"
Too late. She was already gone.
She zig-zagged between chairs, bumped into a server, and then full body collided into a mountain.
A big, broad-shouldered brute stood by the bar, arms crossed, face locked into a permanent scowl. Naru bounced off his gut and looked up, wide-eyed.
"Oh! Sorry!" she said. "Whoa. You're huge. You could eat, like... twenty chickens!"
The man scowled harder.
"…What did you just call me?"
"Twenty chickens," Naru replied brightly.
His eye twitched. A slow breath hissed through his nose. His hand curled into a fist, veins rising across his forearm like cracks in stone. For a second, I thought he might just let it go.
Then with a grunt he raised his arm high and brought it crashing down toward her.
Before the blow could land, Naru vanished.
No. She jumped.
Mid-air, she spun and landed cleanly on his forearm, crouched like a fox about to pounce.
The man froze. His eyes widened. Naru was barely the size of his arm, but she looked completely relaxed, still chewing on her drumstick.
"Wow," she said, mouth full. "You got some real estate on these arms, huh. This takes arm wrestling on to whole other level"
The brute roared and swung his other arm, trying to hook her off.
She jumped again, this time landing on his shoulder.
He spun in circles, trying to swat her like a mosquito, but Naru kept shifting: arms, head, back, shoulder, shoulder again.
Then she flipped once, landed behind him, and without even bracing, lifted him by the waist like he weighed nothing at all.
For a second, the brute just hovered there. Arms flailing, eyes wide, before she casually hurled him across the room.
He flew backwards into the wall behind the bar and slumped down in a heap. Unconscious. The tavern went quiet.
Rika and I both just sat there, staring.
Naru dusted her hands like she'd just taken out the trash and marched up to the bar.
"Two more whole chickens, please!" she beamed.
The tavern keeper poked his head up from behind the counter, eyes wide.
"That'll be ten silver pieces," he said hesitantly, eyes flicking between Naru and the unconscious brute still slumped against the wall.
"Samu-chan!" Naru called, waving the empty drumstick in the air. "I need coin!"
I leaned over to Rika. "Uhh Morisaki-san… I think Naru-chan has maxed out Strength."
We both glanced toward the bar. Naru had the tavern keeper cornered now, bouncing slightly on her toes while waving a silver fang-shaped charm in his face.
He ducked and ran for the back room.
Naru yelled after him, "Extra crispy, please!"
I watched the door swing shut behind him.
"Yeah," I said. "I don't think he's coming back."
"So how does my character get more money?" Naru asked. "Like, do I get paid? Or do I just find gold lying around?"
I leaned forward. "Mainly through looting the bodies of our fallen enemies."
She blinked. "Oh?"
"Or," I added, "you steal. But your character isn't really built for subtlety."
Her ears twitched. "Oh."
"Well, that's what happens when you dump all your points into Strength."
She grinned. "No regrets."
The club room was quiet. Just the three of us around the table. Dice scattered across one end, my campaign notes spread open in front of me. Rika was seated neatly, flipping through the campaign binder. Naru was lying flat on the floor nearby, feet swinging lazily in the air as she sipped loudly from a juice box.
Rika looked up from her binder. "If we need loot, we probably need Minazuki-san's character to wake up".
"She should be good to go next session. Full revival."
"Assuming Minazuki-san actually shows up," Rika added, without looking up.
Naru slurped her juice again.
That's when the door opened.
Again with the door. We're nine chapters in and the writer still uses it as an excuse to progress the plot. At this point, the real protagonist should just be the door. Anyways, I digress.
Iroha stepped in, holding a folded piece of paper in one hand and a water bottle in the other. Her uniform looked perfect as always. Slightly windblown hair, faintly flushed cheeks, like she had just come from winning a sprint relay and signing autographs on the way.
"Great, you're all here. Sorry for ghosting the session today… though, if anyone deserved a dramatic late entrance, it's me."
Rika sat up straighter. "It's okay. I made sure your character is safe."
"Aww," Iroha said, smiling. "Aren't you sweet? Did you tuck me into bed as well?" She winked at Rika, leaning in just enough to make her uncomfortable.
Rika looked away.
Iroha's smile softened. "Aw, lighten up, Honour Girl. I'm only kidding. But if you keep looking out for me like that... you're gonna make me start blushing."
She reached out and pinched Rika's cheek gently, then pulled back before she got swatted.
Naru let out a loud, exaggerated slurp from her straw.
Iroha turned to the rest of us and held up the paper.
"Anyway. I've got a club announcement. Some good news, and… some not-so-good news."
Rika and I exchanged a look.
Iroha continued, "So. You guys know the Club Exhibition Showcase is coming up."
I nodded slowly. "Yeah, it's that thing where clubs try to impress parents and first-years, right?"
"It's mostly for visibility and funding," Rika added.
"Exactly," Iroha said. "Every club has to prove they're worth the budget they're given."
I blinked. "Wait... we have to participate? I totally forgot about that."
"That's the good news," Iroha said brightly. "When I registered our club, I had it marked for exemption."
"Oh," I said, exhaling. "That's... good. We wouldn't have time to come up with anything anyway. When is it?"
"In a week."
"Yikes."
Naru raised her hand. "So... what's the bad news?"
Iroha sighed. "Turns out... we're not exempt after all."
"What?!" I stood up. "What do you mean?! So there was no good news to begin with!"
Iroha gave a tiny, guilty chuckle.
I narrowed my eyes. "What happened to our exemption?"
"That's why I wasn't here earlier," Iroha said, unfolding a letter from her pocket. "I was dragged into an emergency meeting with the student council. The school's funding board changed the policy. This year, every club has to participate. No exceptions."
Rika's brows lowered. "So if we don't participate...?"
"Or if we make the club look like a joke," Iroha finished, "there's a high chance the board might... disband us."
The room went quiet.
Naru crushed her juice box between her fingers. "So what you're saying is... we gotta stand in front of people and not look stupid."
"If you want to keep the room and stay in this club, then essentially," Iroha said, folding the paper with a sigh.
I dropped my forehead onto the table with a soft thud. "...We're so screwed."
Naru stretched out across the floor, staring at the ceiling. "Okay, like, even if the club gets disbanded or whatever... that doesn't mean we can't still hang out and slay stuff, right?"
Iroha raised an eyebrow. "Well, if you have any brilliant ideas for where the four of us could meet up and go dungeoning, let me know. And before anyone says anything, Dungeon Boy's apartment is only two squares away from being considered a closet."
"Hey!" I snapped.
Naru smirked. "I wouldn't mind spending time with Samu-chan in his closet."
"Not helping," Iroha muttered, rubbing her temples.
Rika cleared her throat. "It would be... strategically counterproductive to lose club status. The probability of recruiting additional members or sustaining group consistency without institutional support is significantly reduced."
There was a beat.
"...Exactly," I said, mostly pretending I understood all of that.
Iroha folded her arms. "Then it's settled. We need to do whatever it takes to win over the review board."
I stood up, raising a fist. "CRITICAL HIT STYLE!"
They all just stared at me.
Silence.
Then…
"So…" Naru said, grinning, "does anyone like pasta?"
The air inside was soft with the scent of coffee and something buttery. Outside, late afternoon light blurred behind the frosted glass, casting faint shapes across the table. A waiter had just dropped off the menus and three glasses of water. Naru already had a soda in her hand, which none of us saw her order.
She was seated next to Rika, who sat directly across from me. Iroha had taken the spot beside me, across from Naru
"The usual, please," Naru said without looking up.
"Of course, Fujikawa-san," the waiter replied with a smile. "And for your friends?"
Iroha leaned back in her seat. "We just got our menus, so you'll have to give us a few."
"Shall I continue preparing your carbonara then, Fujikawa-san?"
She sipped loudly from her straw and nodded. "Don't forget the extra pasta and sauce."
He nodded and walked off.
I raised an eyebrow. "How many times have you been here?"
Naru shrugged. "This is my uncle's café. My parents don't cook at home 'cause they're not around much, so I come here when I get hungry and he feeds me."
Iroha raised an eyebrow. "You make it sound like you're a stray dog."
"Gotta get food somehow," Naru said with a shrug.
Beside her, Rika was scanning the menu.
"Anything you feel like having, Morisaki-san?" I asked.
"I'm not sure," she said without looking up. "I've never really had this kind of food before."
Naru froze. "What?!" She slammed her palms on the table. "You gotta try the wagyu here. It's to die for."
She started drooling almost instantly.
Rika gave her a sideways glance, then calmly returned to the menu. "I'll take it under consideration."
I paused, remembering what Rika had told me once how she didn't really go out. Just school and home, and back again. Watching her now, quietly studying the menu like it was a textbook, I started to realise… this might actually be her first time at a café.
Come to think of it, this was a first for me too. Not going to a café, I'd been to plenty, usually by myself, sometimes with my parents. But sitting in a booth like this, surrounded by people my own age, just hanging out because we wanted to? Well I guess right now because we had to. Even so, That felt new. Unfamiliar. A little terrifying, honestly.
But... not in a bad way.
"Alright," Iroha said, breaking the moment. "We need to figure out what we're gonna do for the club exhibition."
Naru raised a hand. "I vote for interpretive dancing."
I blinked. "We can't do dancing. I'm pretty sure the dance club already has dibs. Same with theatre. If we do a play, it's gonna look like we're copying someone."
Rika chimed in. "There are many forms of theatre. I'm sure two clubs doing different styles won't feel redundant."
"Well, if we are doing a play," Iroha said, "then we go all out. Flashy costumes. Props. Special effects."
Rika looked up from her menu. "Theatrics are fine, but we don't follow a script. Our entire structure depends on improvisation and dice rolls. We'd need to plan around that."
"She's right," I said. "We pretty much make stuff up as we go and let the dice decide what happens."
The waiter returned just in time.
"Have you all decided?"
"I'll have the carbonara," Naru said immediately.
Rika didn't even look up. "That would be your second serving. You've already placed your order."
Naru folded her arms and slumped.
"I'll take the mushroom risotto," Rika added, handing over her menu.
"I'll have the wagyu steak pasta," Iroha said with a grin. "Extra garlic."
I passed my menu over. "Just curry for me, please."
"Seriously? We're in a place with an actual pasta section and you're getting curry?"
"What? You can't blame someone for having a favourite."
The waiter chuckled softly, took the menus, and walked off.
"So," Iroha said, locking eyes with all of us. "I still want costumes, just to be clear. But if we're not doing a full theatre performance… what are we actually planning to do?"
They all looked at me.
I blinked. "Wha… why are you all looking at me?"
Iroha tilted her head. "Duh. You made the game. Can't you think of something?"
Rika nodded. "It would help to define what we actually do during a session."
I took a breath. "We play our characters. I mean… sure, it's a game, but most of the time it doesn't really feel like one. It's like we're actually in that world, talking to each other like we're really there, making decisions, reacting in the moment. And when things get messy or we're not sure what happens next… the dice figure it out for us."
Iroha leaned back and gave me a look. "So, all of that just to say… we're just playing pretend. With dice."
I scratched the back of my neck. "I mean… yeah. If you put it that way."
Naru perked up. "So can't we just do that?"
We all stared at her.
I squinted. "You mean… play the game? In front of people?"
Naru nodded. "Yeah. Obviously." She wasn't even looking at us anymore. Her eyes were locked on the kitchen door.
"That might be kinda boring," I said. "Just having people watch us sit around and play. What if they don't even get what's going on?"
"Then we involve them," Rika said.
I looked over. "How?"
"We give them the dice," Iroha said, snapping her fingers.
Rika nodded. "Yes. Give the audience something to do. Make them feel like part of the story."
I stared at them, then leaned back slowly. "That actually... sounds like it could work. It wouldn't be a normal theatre play at all."
"Exactly!" Iroha added. "We just do what we normally do when we play. Only this time, on a stage."
"Hmmm… but what about the dice? How do we get a whole crowd to roll one or two?" I said, then hesitated. "That... might be a problem."
Rika tapped her thumb against her lips, eyes narrowing. "I suppose we'd select a few students from the audience. With proper crowd control, we could make it feel like participation even if it's only a handful."
"Leave that to me," Iroha said, smirking. "I'm the best at working a crowd."
"So... that's it?" I asked. "We've got our plan?"
"Yup," Iroha nodded. "It's solid. At least enough to show the board we're not just wasting clubroom space."
"Well," I said, exhaling. "At least the stakes aren't that high. As long as we look like we're doing something legit, we'll be fine. Doesn't have to be a masterpiece, just... convincing."
"...Oh. Uhm," Iroha muttered.
Rika and I both turned toward her.
"Okay, I may have glossed over one detail," Iroha said, folding the paper with a small wince.
"The school's trying to qualify for this fancy academic program next year. Some kind of prestige upgrade. More funding, better status, all that. But to apply, they need to streamline everything. Too many clubs makes the school look scattered. So they're cutting a chunk of them. Like… a lot."
There was a pause.
"How much is 'a lot'?" I asked.
Iroha winced. "Unofficially? Around 50%."
Rika processed the words like she was running calculations. "So there's a high probability that we fall into the disbandment range... considering the number of established clubs with longer histories and visible activity."
Her voice trailed off. Her expression dropped.
"What?!" I blurted.
"Yay!" Naru chimed in.
We all turned to look at her.
A plate of carbonara had been placed in front of her, and she was already halfway through her first bite.
"Aren't you even listening?" I asked.
Naru spoke with her mouth full of penne. "Yeah…" she chewed. "The school wants to get all fancy, so they're ditching anything that looks like extra fluff. That could be us. So we gotta make sure our performance is straight-up S-tier. We play our game, bring the crowd into it, and boom, our club stays off the chopping block."
She took another bite like it was a mic drop.
I blinked. "Hm."
Naru looked up and grinned, eyes bright. "Don't worry, Samu-chan. I know I only just joined, but I won't let you guys down. We're gonna throw a hell of a campaign."
I smiled.
Rika traced a finger around the rim of her glass. "Agreed."
Iroha leaned forward. "That's good and all, but what campaign are we throwing the hell out of?"
I blinked. "What do you mean?"
Rika spoke plainly. "She's referring to the fact that we're still midway through a campaign. The real question is whether we continue it on stage, potentially confusing the audience, or start a new one from scratch."
Iroha gave her a long look. "God, Honour Girl, I love how you rephrase my nonsense into logic." She smirked at me. "Move aside, Dungeon Boy. If you don't fall for her first, I will."
Naru grinned, either at the pasta or Iroha's completely out-of-pocket flirting, maybe flirting, I think it was flirting, or not, I mean… I don't know.
I stammered. "You mean, like… start a brand new story? New characters, new setting, just for the stage?"
Naru frowned mid-chew. "Wait, why would we do that?"
Rika raised an eyebrow. "So you think it's better to stick with what we have?"
"I mean… yeah," Naru said, still full-mouthed. "You saw what happened last session. The forest is corrupted, the hag's still out there, and Iroha's character is asleep alone in that inn. That's already high steaks."
"You mean stakes," Rika corrected without looking up.
"How would you even know I used the wrong word if it's pronounced the same?"
"I just know," Rika replied, deadpan.
There was a beat.
"Wait… you left me where?" Iroha asked, just realising what Naru had said.
I nodded gently. "Rika said it was safer to let your character rest in an actual bed rather than risk setting up camp in the woods."
Iroha turned to Rika, eyebrows raised. "Wait… you really did that?" Her voice was softer now, less teasing, more surprised.
I leaned forward, fingers steepled. "I'm with Naru. The story we're already in, it's special. We built something. If we keep going from where we left off, it'll feel more real. Maybe that's what people will connect with."
Rika nodded. "He has a point. We're already sitting on a loaded moment. If we execute it right, continuing the current narrative might help us emotionally resonate with the audience."
"Yes!" Naru said, pumping her fork in the air. "And I already love my character! I'm a super-strong wolf girl!"
Iroha froze. "A what?!"
"I'll fill you in later," I said quickly.
"I was gone for one session and suddenly my wolf companion transforms into… whatever that is?" She pointed at Naru, who looked up with cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk hoarding penne.
There was a beat of silence.
Then I heard it.
A tiny giggle. From Rika.
Iroha gave a soft smile. "Alright then. Whatever story we're in now… I guess I'll have to live with it. Thanks, Honour Girl. For looking after my character."
She stood. "Okay team, we've got one week. Let's get to work. Costumes. Staging. Effects. Whatever it takes. We're gonna show the school that fantasy adventure is cool… while still being totally lame."
I couldn't help it, I smiled. "Yeah!" I raised my fist. "Hey wait!" I frowned.
Iroha shot me a cheeky wink.
Naru raised her glass. "Operation Save the Club is a go!"
"Excuse me," said a voice from behind Iroha. A waiter appeared, holding a plate. "Your steak?"
"Oh my god, finally," Iroha said, immediately sitting back down.
I leaned back in my seat as the final plate clattered onto the table. Forks shuffled. Soft music filled the gaps.
All that was left now was to get ready. We had one week to pull it off.
I glanced around the booth. Naru was laughing at something only she found funny, Rika was hiding a blush behind her glass, and Iroha looked two seconds away from popping a vein.
The truth was... we didn't seem compatible at all. Personalities clashed, priorities were all over the place, and the idea of us pulling off something cohesive felt more like a fantasy than the one we played in.
And yet... for some reason, I wasn't worried.
A bottle clicked against the shelf beside mine.
"Did you survive the café summit, Dungeon Boy?"
I reached for a canned drink. "I guess I would call it productive. And don't call me that."
A soft rustle. Something slid into the basket I was holding. "Why not? It's a cute nickname."
I tried to ignore it. The faint hum of the cooler buzzed between us. The overhead lights always flickered in this aisle.
"Okay, fine. What about Samurai?"
I felt a tug against the sleeve of my hoodie.
"No."
I dropped a snack I didn't need into the basket. Plastic crinkled.
"What, now that you have friends they're more important than me?"
I glanced over. A row of steamed buns turned lazily in their case.
I sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry. It's complicated. I don't know... I guess I just like it when they're the ones calling me that."
I was met with rolled eyes.
"Hmm. You're walking a funny line, you know."
She nudged a snack into the basket.
"Keep going like this and it might get... complicated."
I stared at the shelf in front of me.
"Yeah... I know. I don't really know what I'm doing."