Diverting your plot

7 - Run Rabbit Run

Eventually, you make up your mind. You settle for giving him cheese, since you can't think of anything else at the moment that he would like. His family is so rich that when Yuga tells you what he wants for Christmas, his mum already bought not one, but two of the gifts he wanted. So, every year, you end up gifting him something very random that he didn't ask for.

You ask mum for permission to go out. Reluctantly, she lets you go out even if you haven't finished your homework yet. You grab a grocery bag along with a few bucks and take the bus to get to the town center faster. You felt serene, like nothing could bother you today.

Perhaps, it's the simple idea of seeing Yuga pose dramatically and sparkle again that gives you this warm calm feeling. A gentle smile forms on your lips. You can already see his surprise that quickly turns into smugness as he pridefully boasts about the cheese you gifted him.

You walk inside the grocery store.

The cold air of the air conditioner hits your face instantly, making you scrunch your nose for a second. It's very different from the hot, summer air that it's outside. You walk slowly towards the refrigerators, where most of the cheese is kept.

After barely a minute of thinking, you pick up a good piece of parmesan. You stare at the price. 900 yen. You put the piece of parmesan back in the refrigerator. Why is it so expensive?? You scoff.

With a heavy sight, you spend most of the money you saved this week into Yuga's gift. You don't forget to buy some bananas too (your mum asked you to) and finally go pay at the counter.

As the cashier scans the items one by one with the most bored, unamused loom you ever saw, you have a weird feeling. People are starting to flow inside the store faster than usual. You shake your head, being busy putting the bananas inside the bag along with that expensive piece of cheese.

You'll just go home and bring Yuga his cheese, there's nothing here worth waiting for.

You don't pay much attention to the group of people entering the shop with a panicked look until you hear screams accompanied by people running frantically and pushing each other to get inside the mall as soon as possible.

"It's a villain! Run!" It's the voice of a middle aged woman, dragging her crying son inside the mall with urgency. It alarms you very quickly, the panic in her voice, and you raise your eyes from the now full grocery bag you're holding.

A villain attack?

You tense up. This isn't good at all. People are flowing inside the store, pushing each other with no care about the elders or the kids: It's a panicked crowd fighting for survival. Unwillingly, you have to get out of the store before you get stuck in that mess.

It's a dumb idea to go out, considering everyone is going inside the store to hide, but you do that anyway. You aren't particularly scared, just very tense and worried. Besides, you're technically already out of the store, you can't enter from the counter. If you wanted to get inside again, you would have to go through that huge panicked crowd. The risk of being walked on is too high for you to try that.

Outside, civilians are instantly running inside the first shop they can set their eyes on.

It's pure chaos.

Your eyes dart around, looking for anything familiar on this messy day. You can't see any heroes, nor the villain, and that is making you sick with worry. Adrenaline is pumping through your veins, a feeling of dread looming over you fast. You turn your head towards the left side of the road.

Everyone is already hiding inside, you're the only one left.

A masked man is running with great speed through the street, going towards your side of the road. He seems agitated, he's clearly on the run. He looks around, searching for something or someone. The only person in the streets right now is a short girl, barely a teenager, with two blonde buns, holding a grocery bag and staring wide-eyed at him.