~TOWICL~ Phantom Thief Returns

Chapter 24: Second Sign of Trouble, An Assault

Recap:

Just as Dark and Riku were far inside the grocery store, a familiar middle aged man came and entered the coffee shop across the grocery store, with a teen walking right next to him.

"I can sense that they are here," he said to the teen. "We will wait."

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The said middle age man was the same glassed man Dark encountered with Riku that night. Although they had no conflicts in particular, it was evident that he has something against the two of them, particularly Dark. He was dressed the same exact ways before, and that made the waitress recognize him easily and the teen after him.

The teen after him has the same built as Dark, except he was shorter. He had orange hair and he was clad in a hoody and a pair of tight fitting jeans. He and the middle aged man were regular customers of this coffee shop.

The waitress welcomed them warmly from the counter. "Good day to you Mr. Fukuda Kohei and Mr. Kai."

"You already know our order," Fukuda replied with a serious face.

"Certainly sir," she said cheerfully, "It'll be ready in a few seconds."

Fukuda and Kai went to secure a table and the waitress approached them with two cups of coffee. "Enjoy your drinks, sirs."

Kai smiled at her and she left. Fukuda kept his gaze outside, through the glass wall and took a sip on his coffee.

"Are you sure your plan will work, Boss?" Kai asked.

"We'll find out later."

Dark and Riku were on the middle of shopping inside the grocery and Fukuda couldn't be sensed. Riku went back and forth inside the grocery to buy ingredients that nearly filled her cart when she momentarily stopped. She asked him sarcastically, "Aren't you getting tired of constantly following me back and forth? You should give yourself a rest."

"I'm not," he responded, "Have you forgotten that it is my duty to watch after you all the time?"

Her face fell as she mumbled to herself, "I don't remember asking you that."

"Did you say something?" he bent down a bit and placed a hand behind his ear so that he could hear her better.

"It was nothing," she laughed sheepishly, "just talking to myself."

"Sorry," he regained his composure, "I thought you were talking to me."

Her face dimmed as she thought, "Okay, what now?!"

Riku took her list and started looking for the items she hadn't checked, but apparently, there weren't any left. She got everything and her cart was getting harder to push. Dark, walking straight with a hand on his pocket and his head lifted, took a glimpse of her list without moving his head. He saw that her list was completed and it was already 6 pm according to her wrist watch. He's getting impatient with their constant back and forth motion inside the grocery with her taking no more items. He spoke, "I thought you wanted to go home early, but now you're slacking off."

Riku caught him starring and countered his sharp words with her own. "Then why don't you help me push this cart so that we can go home early."

He took the cart, but continued his ranting. "I know you wanted to stay longer. But with your list completed, there's no reason for you to do that." His rants turned into lectures, "It's 6 pm and it's getting late already. I hope you remembered what you said earlier, 'The earlier we go, the earlier we can get back home, and that's safer, right?'"