After taking the elevator down 8 floors, Soza started getting nervous. The memories flashed before him until- Ding! The elevator's doors opened and Soza quickly ran outside.
The door opened and sunlight poured onto Soza. It was bright out, afternoon, the streets crowded with cars and people crossing the street. Chatting and zooming rang in Soza's ears. Shoko took Soza's hand to calm him. The rings stopped and the light dimmed.
"Where do we go?" Shoko asked, smiling and looking around.
"Hah! Get in losers! We're going shopping!" Fumiru yelled as she jumped into a black slim car.
Nina gestured to come inside as she climbed into the passenger seat. Soza and Shoko followed inside, the car was clean and smooth. The seats were black leather, Fumiru sat in the right while Shoko climbed in the middle and Soza sat on the left.
"Soza, are you excited?" Shoko asked quietly.
"No." Soza grumbled.
"How come?" Shoko said, frowning.
"Nothing," Soza said sadly, looking out the window.
He remembered when his family went to the mall, his sister would complain about how many clothes she could get. Soza's father would get toys all the time for him until..that happened.
"Soza?" Shoko asked.
Soza snapped out of it.
"What?"
"You were hyperventilating," Shoko asked with a worried look while putting a hand to his cheek.
Nina and Fumiru stared at him with the same worried look. Soza's hands sweated.
"I'm fine." He cleared his throat. "Is this your car?"
"No, it's called an Uber. Kinda like...an advanced taxi." Nina explained.
Nina and Fumiru wore matching white handbags that dangled and glistened in the sunlight that entered from the car window.
Shoko pointed to the bags. "Whereʻd you get those from?"
"The mall! You two should get matching ones too!" Fumiru said, smiling in her seat. Shoko turned to Soza, happily smiling, and Soza nodded softly.
After a while, the car stopped and the doors opened. The two girls got out of the car, and Shoko and Soza followed after them. They were in front of a big building, with multiple shops lining the walls. Fumiru and Nina started walking towards a small shop, filled with brightly colored clothing.
"Is there anything white? It's my favorite color. Oh, also is there any black for Soza?" Shoko asked the girls.
"Oh, yeah there's a couple stores like that. Hot Topic?" Nina suggested.
"Where is that?"
"Upstairs."
"Okay! Let's go, Soza." Shoko said while taking Sozaʻs hand.
Soza rolled his eyes.
"This is not my kind of thi-Wooaaah," Soza said, interrupted by Shoko pulling on his arm.
Shoko pulled Soza, running toward Hot Topic past Fumiru and Nina. The sudden stop made Soza slam his head into the motion detector.
"Ow..." Soza murmured as he rubbed his head.
"Sorry!" Shoko said softly.
Soza stayed silent, still rubbing his head. Shoko reached up to gently touch his head.ʻ
"Iʻm sorry." Shoko repeated.
"I'm okay," Soza said as he pulled away, walking toward the clothes section. Shoko sighed and a sad look appeared on her face, only for a second, and it quickly turned back into a smile. She followed after Soza.
Nina and Fumiru came rushing in with a screech.
"Guys, you're too fast." Nina said huffing and puffing between words.
"That's good! I like it!" Fumiru shouted eagerly.
Shoko's eyes twinkled with excitement, and she was drawn to the shelves with anime clothing and merchandise and other items colored with dark colors.
Pretty dark. My type. Soza thought while looking at the anime shirts with Shoko.
"Bro, this looks pretty expensive." Soza stated while glancing at the prices.
"Donʻt worry, we got you!" Fumriu exclaimed.
Soza brought a fluffy blanket with an anime print, the tag read $35.
"3-35 dollars?!" Fumiru exclaimed.
Nina shoved her elbow to her arm.
"It's okay!" Nina said with a thumbs up.
Soza stared at them suspiciously.
"Okay, so that's why you guys need us." Soza teased a smirk.
Nina's smile got turned upside down, Fumiru just walked away.
Shoko then grabbed a selection of anime shirts she found, as well as a small black pleated skirt.
"Um...can I get these?" Shoko asked.
"Sure!" Nina turned to Soza. "Your girlfriend is way nicer than you."
"What girlfriend?" Soza questioned, looking at Shoko as she was checking clothes out with Fumiru.
"Shoko." Nina whispered, while smirking.
"Whatever." Soza rolled his eyes.
"Then is it okay if I hit on Shoko?" Nina asked, eyes twinkling.
"Hit her?!" Soza's eyes turned red for a bit.
"You know what I mean right?"
"You're going to attack her?" Soza asked, confused now, but eyes still glowing red.
"No, no, no. I mean like flirting with her," Nina explained, a bit scared.
"Oh." Soza's eyes calmed down to the regular black and white. "You like her?"
"Kinda." Nina answered in a quiet voice.
"If Shoko's happy, then I'm happy. So if she's happy with you then, I'm okay. I donʻt care." Soza said, while walking away.
Man, I can't read that guy. He totally cares though. Nina thought, giggling softly.
Soza's eyes were always the same, dull and unpredictable, unless if he was really mad, they turned a bright shade of red. After a few minutes, Shoko purchased a small pleated shirt, black shorts, oversized white T-shirt, a black sweater with an anime print, and white and black striped T-shirt. Which equaled about $70.
"Sorry for spending so much money." Shoko apologized to Nina and Fumiru.
"No problem girl, we got you," Fumiru said with a wink.
Soza got black jeans, white jeans, black neck high long sleeve undershirt, black and white striped oversized sweater matching Shoko's shirt. Which cost about $57.
"Don't you wanna get more?" Nina asked while handing her credit card to the cashier.
"I don't need as much as girls," Soza joked with a straight face.
Nina pouted and paid with a ding!
After some hours, they shopped all kinds of shops, probably the whole mall. Shoko and Soza bought new clothes and items, which we had to force Soza to get. Finally they arrived home.
The door burst open with four exhausted kids.
"Wow, that was longer than when we shop usually." Fumiru gasped.
"Y-yeah." Nina said out of breath.
Only Shoko and Soza were fine, well, they've been in tougher conditions.
"How are you guys not tired?" Nina asked, while she plopped on the couch.
"We've been through worse." Shoko said, shrugging softly while turning to face Soza. "Did you like it?"
Soza shrugged along, he shuffled toward the guest bedroom with his bags.
"I've never felt so happy!" Shoko sighed happily as she put her bags down and joined Fumiru and Nina on the couch.
"I'm going to take a walk for a second," Soza said, opening the door.
"But-" Nina started, but Shoko stopped her.
The door shut with a slam.
"Is he okay?" Fumiru asked, concerned.
"He'll need some air or he might do the black smoke stuff." Shoko explained.
That closed their mouths.
Soza was walking down in the sidewalk, he walked pretty fast so he was far from the apartment. The crowded streets and roads made it hard for Soza to calm down. He was crossing the sidewalk with a crown of people when he heard a familiar voice in his head.
Experiment 151...will go down with Experiment 152...