Author Topic: Unexpected Encounter (Open) (Read 620 times)

Shouta Akimoto · « **Reply #15 on:** November 19, 2022, 02:39:42 pm »

''She seems okay. I'm still worried about these bad people she's saying that's after her and her friends. Guess it can't be helped that she is too scared to tell me anything. I can't make her. She's managed to trust me this much. I still can't just leave her here alone. I'll start with getting her something to eat and figure out where to take her and make sure she's safe,' Sho thought as they continued walking. He made sure to keep hold of her hand so as not to get separated from her and to keep her from getting lost again. The crowd of people in the area was starting to pick up the further they went to the dinner he normally eats at. Once they reached it, he looked down at Kusano to see if she was alright. Other than quiet, she appeared fine from what he saw. He proceeded to go further into the diner with Kusano at his side.

Luckily for them, there was no line of people and it strangely wasn't as crowded. Sure there were people there that'd already ordered and paid for their meals and were simply eating and conversing with one another if they hadn't come alone. Aside from that, there wasn't anyone in front or behind them. So that made it a little easier. The cashier at the counter who is aware of Sho being a regular there blinked in surprise seeing him come in with a little girl they'd never seen before. He wasn't sure how to explain that and thankfully he wouldn't need to. He didn't like lying but whenever he didn't want anyone in his business that he didn't know or comfortable sharing things with, he would once in a while tell a lie to them. It wasn't often though. Today would be the first time he'd have to. He tried to appear as unnatural about this as he took a moment and knelt down in front of Kusano again, still holding onto her hand as he gave her a smile. "Remember, we can pick anything you want okay and I'll buy it," he reminded the child while using his other hand to give her a small pat on the head.

He then turned his head to look over at the cashier manning the register currently, his smile remained as he spoke to them. "H-Hi, we'll just need a few moments before deciding on something," he informed them. The cashier smiled and nodded which made Sho feel relieved they didn't ask any questions about Kusano. Outside of lying that she was a relative, there wasn't much else the person needed to know. He himself didn't know anything. And Kusano also had her kitten with her and that was going to draw ire from incoming customers. 'Well, I'm not having her eat here since I don't want them saying anything about her having her kitten with her. I'll take her to the bookstore and see if it's okay if she can eat in the breakroom there.' Sho thought that would be the better option than sitting out in the open. What or who she was afraid of, if he could keep her out of view so she could feel safe and comfortable, that's what was more important.

Raven Nightwing · « **Reply #16 on:** December 17, 2022, 05:10:23 pm »

Kusano was quiet. Despite still feeling scared that she would be seen and caught and Shouta getting hurt as a result of helping her, she didn't want to worry him by crying again. She may have felt scared on the inside but part of her was thankful and happy that she wasn't running for her life right now. She was too tired and too hungry to run. She wanted something to eat that wasn't the vegetables she created with her own powers. They weren't terrible but they weren't filling anymore. When the two of them reached the diner that Shouta had mentioned that he goes to, the child was surprised by how big the place was and the smells of all the different meals that were being prepared and coming from the back made her unable to help but drool a bit because everything smelled delicious.

Shouta had given her a pat on the head as he'd reminded her that she could get anything she wanted. Kusano took a second to glance up at the menu. From what she could see from where she stood as she was too short to see the other choices, the green-eyed child thought it would be better to go simple. A burger with some fries. But she can't just eat for herself. She wanted to get Akira and Eri something as well. She hoped they were okay and hadn't gotten caught by those people from Yokai Inc. As she'd decided on a burger and fries, she looked away from the menu and up at Shouta. "Can we get burgers and fries?" she asked him.

And while Kusano was in the diner with Shouta ordering food, Akira and Eri weren't that far behind. Albeit, they remained out of sight where they couldn't be seen but they were right across from the very diner. Akira was very much on guard and watching while Eri stood beside him, rubbing her stomach as she began to feel hungry. "Aki, can we get something to eat too? I'm hungry," the child mumbled.

Akira looked down at Eri, whose hand he was still holding, and frowned. They had no money to get any of the food that the mall had. There wasn't much in terms of human food he could eat outside of ramen but he knew Kusano and Eri could eat anything. Without Kusano with them, she couldn't use her powers to grow vegetables for them to eat. So the two of them were stuck. The young boy couldn't help but sigh. "Just hang in there, Eri. Once we make sure Ku-chan is safe, we'll get something to eat. Okay?" he told her. He didn't know how long that would take but for Eri and Kusano's sakes, he'd remain hopeful that this man that's helping Kusano can be trusted.

Eri nodded her head slowly despite her stomach clearly growling. "Okay," she replied and continued to wait patiently with Akira who was watching Kusano with Shouta.

Shouta Akimoto · « **Reply #17 on:** January 03, 2023, 05:19:21 pm »

Sho nodded at Kusano's request for a burger and fries. "Of course," he said with a smile. He'd also decided to order a few additional things. It was more or less two extra orders of fries, a juice box-sized milk he could open for her kitty, and a salad he can save for later. The extra fries could be for her friends whenever she spotted them but he'd hoped they weren't young like her with no one to look after them. That and he was still worried about who these "bad people" were that Kusano had mentioned were after them. He could ask Sadie about had she heard anything about suspicious people walking around trying to attack and kidnap children. He knew the blonde would be more up-to-date on that sort of thing than he would be.

The cashier happily had taken the order and Sho had taken out his wallet to pay for everything. He'd been asked by the woman if they were dining in and informed her that the order was to go. Again, given that his life was usually a boring one and he didn't often go to his usual places where he'd hang out alone with friends so he'd liked to avoid being asked any unnecessary questions. There were only so many lies he could come up with regarding why Kusano was with him and who was she. He didn't even know. The child was being very vague in telling him anything and because she was, it was making him quite cautious. Once he'd paid for the order, he stood to the side with Kusano, out of the way just in case any other customers wanted to order.

For now, it was just the two of them but he was being respectful and wanting to avoid causing any trouble. He already knew Sadie was going to have a lot of questions for him and he had no idea how to answer any of them. He did know that the breakroom in the bookstore was safer until both of them could figure out what to do with Kusano. Of course, the main goal was to find her friends and make sure they were okay and then go from there. Right now, they simply waited for their food. Another five minutes had gone by as Sho had taken his phone out of his pocket to check the time. As he had, that's when one of the diner servers brought him their order in a large bag.

"Thank you for stopping by. Hope to see you again soon," they said to him, taking a bow before leaving.

Sho had done the same and thanked them in return as he'd held the bag in one hand and then looked down at Kusano. "Alright, we have the order now. You ready to head to the bookstore?" he asked her.

Raven Nightwing · « **Reply #18 on:** February 17, 2023, 06:15:19 pm »

Kusano looked up at Shouta as he'd asked if she was ready to head to the bookstore where he'd worked. She nodded once again. "I'm ready," she replied softly. As unsure as she was about all of this, she couldn't deny that she was very much hungry and wanted to eat something. The food Shouta had bought for her smelled so good and she couldn't wait to eat it. More importantly, she didn't have to force herself to use more of her energy to run away and hide somewhere. This guy was being super nice to her even if she couldn't tell him much of anything without risking him being a double agent or worse, a simple innocent person that would become a bystander in all of this. The young child hadn't wanted that.

She wanted to tell him but she first had to make sure she could trust him. She wasn't sure. It was hard to trust anyone that didn't have an ulterior motive. There wasn't much she could do about that. Not right now. If she'd been left where she was, she'd eventually have been picked up by someone that wasn't nice at all. From what Kusano could tell, Shouta wasn't being sketchy. Thus far anyway. He wanted to help her but as he was going to be taking her to the bookstore where he worked, Kusano had to make sure that his friend can be trusted. Anyone here in the mall could be someone pretending to be a Yokai Inc agent. Plus, she would only know if her kitty had reacted to someone it felt was suspicious.

'Maybe his friend is a nice person like him too?' Kusano wondered as she stood close next to Shouta while trying so hard not to drool over how good the food smelled.

Meanwhile, Akira and Eri were still watching Kusano and Shouta closely as they seemed to not be leaving the diner they'd gone into. Akira thought it strange they didn't eat in the diner but he thought about it and concluded it was probably for the best since that is a place where many mall-goers would migrate to for food and dine in if they so choose. Seeing Kusano leaving with the green-haired young man, he carefully took Eri by the hand and like earlier, they followed them but made sure to stay back far enough to where they couldn't be seen. 'Where are they going now?' he thought.

Eri said nothing but followed Akira quietly. She was honestly very scared and hoped they weren't walking into a trap. 'I hope we can meet with Ku-chan soon. Those bad people know we're here. How are we going to hide if they manage to get us?' Eri tightened her hand around Akira's, her uneasiness showing.

Akira took notice of this and gently squeezed her hand reassuringly. "It's okay, Eri-chan. We're fine for now, so don't worry okay?" He smiled warmly at her to assure her.

Eri glanced up at Akira, seeing him smile which seemed strange to her. He was normally so serious so it was rare to see him do it. She'd never smiled herself so the concept was foreign to her. But she took him at his word which helped her a little. "Okay, Aki," she said. She could only hope they would be okay. They weren't in the clear fully since she knew those Yokai Inc agents were still lurking about the mall. For now, all they could do was follow Kusano while they still had an eye on her.

Shouta Akimoto · « **Reply #19 on:** April 12, 2023, 01:27:12 pm »

Sho could tell that Kusano still seemed a bit nervous around him. He wasn't going to press for her to trust him. But he knew he couldn't leave her alone, much less hungry out in the mall alone. When she said she was ready, he proceeded to lead her out of the diner and head in the direction of the Evergreen Bookstore where he worked. Usually, he would always return from his lunch on time but because of the current circumstances, this had him taking a much longer lunch today. The green-eyed young man was concerned about Kusano's friends and he couldn't help but wonder just why was there "bad people" after innocent children in the first place. There had to be a reason behind it. Obviously not a good one, otherwise Kusano wouldn't be as afraid as she was. He'd hoped that by talking with Sadie, he'll be able to get an idea of how to go about the situation. The last thing Sho wanted was to be accused of kidnapping someone's child.

He continued to hold onto the food he'd bought in one hand and held onto Kusano's hand with his other as they reached the bookstore. It wasn't surprising to him at all that Sadie was near the entrance like always greeting the customers that came in. Sometimes he knew she'd pass out customer inquiry sheets because she valued the opinions of the customers and wanted to know how she could improve the store for everyone to enjoy it. She was her usual cheerful self, compared to Sho who was very neutral in his emotions unless he was put in a situation where he was more expressive than normal. Otherwise, he stayed to himself and minded his own business. However, he knew he was going to need help today so he couldn't just ignore the fact that he was helping Kusano.

As expected of Sadie, she saw Sho enter the store with the little girl he'd mentioned to her in a text and immediately when over to the two of them, her eyes sparkling. "Oh my goodness! She's sooo cute!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Sho immediately shushed her because he didn't want too much attention drawn in their direction. He didn't know if whoever was after Kusano was watching them. "Yes, she's cute but please keep it down, Sadie-san," he warned her. He didn't want Kusano freaking out from Sadie being such an excitable person so he was hoping she'll dial it back a bit.

Sadie chuckled sheepishly as she held up her hands and waved them to show she meant no harm. "Sorry, sorry. I couldn't help myself. She's adorable. Who couldn't resist an adorable child? Anyway, let's go to the back office to avoid drawing any attention. This is after all serious since you said she found her and she was with no one else when you did," she suggested and began heading toward the back of the store.

Sho sighed in relief and nodded. He then looked down at Kusano to make sure she was okay. "We're going to my boss's office okay? You'll be able to eat the food I bought for you in there," he assured the child before leading her to Sadie's office.

Raven Nightwing · « **Reply #20 on:** June 13, 2023, 12:18:33 pm »

Kusano walked in silence alongside Shouta. The child had her worries. Wondering if anyone from Yokai Inc would find her with him and hurt him and other people. That thought was constantly floating around in Kusano's mind. She wanted to ask for help, yet she couldn't assume there would be anyone willing to help her and her friends. Shouta seemed like he would, but if he's a human with no powers, he'll die the moment he tries to protect them. So would his friends. 'Does he know anyone with powers or not human? Can he ... really help us?' Kusano wondered as they finally reached Shouta's place of work, a bookstore called 'Evergreen'. It seemed nice and dainty in appearance. There were a lot of customers inside checking out the merchandise that was in stock on the shelves. Kusano even noticed there was a cafe inside of it, too. It was located on the far right of the store. She wasn't sure what type of cafe it was. They were clearly too far away to see it.

Kusano was snapped out of her wandering thoughts and looking over the place when they were immediately approached by a beautiful sandy-blonde-haired woman. Looking up at the woman, she eyed her carefully. Her kitty didn't react to her, so it would seem that this woman wasn't working for Yokai Inc at all. She had squealed in excitement, seeing the child, causing Kusano to hide behind Shouta's legs instinctively. Luckily, Shouta seemed to calm this woman down to avoid drawing attention to them. That made her feel a little better. That's when she'd been informed they were going to this woman's office. Apparently, she was his boss. The person Kusano remembered him saying he would text to let them know he would be late returning to work. She couldn't help but feel bad that she was interrupting his work day. It reminded her a little bit of her parents in how she wanted to play with them but was told they couldn't because they had to work. It made her wish she'd been more behaved and understanding. They'd still be here with her right now, and she wouldn't be on the run. Kusano nodded to Shouta and followed him to the woman, whose name was Sadie, office. At least she and her kitty would be able to eat something filling.

As they went in the back, Akira and Eri entered the Evergreen Bookstore. They waited about ten minutes before doing so. It was Akira's decision because he was still watching and making sure that the people Kusano was interacting with weren't Yokai Inc agents he'd seen before. Thus far, the guy that was helping Kusano seemed legit in helping. He wasn't sure about the blonde woman. Naturally, there was always the possibility of them hiring new agents to seek them out, which was the reason Akira made himself and Eri stay behind and watch from a distance. They needed help, as much as he hated having to admit to that. There was no way they could continue being on the run. Either all of them will get caught at the same time, or one of them will have to get caught to protect the others. Akira didn't want it to come to that. He refused to let it come to that.

'If these people are deemed trustworthy, then I'll ask them if they can help us.' Akira had decided. He held onto Eri's hand, looking down at her to see her still pouting and rubbing her stomach. He felt guilty that they couldn't take a moment to relax and eat something. The problem was they couldn't because they would be seen the moment they did so, and two, they had no money to get any phone. He'll have to figure out how to get some food for them in case Kusano's situation was a one-time thing. "I'm sorry, just hold out a little longer, okay Eri-chan?" he told her. "Once we make sure Ku-chan is fine, we'll figure out our next plan of action from there."

Eri looked up at Akira and said, "We're not leaving Ku-chan behind, are we?"

Akira shook his head. "Of course not. But if these people are willing to help her, then maybe they'll be able to help us as well." This meant they had to follow the small group to where they were going. If it was far in the backroom of the store, he wasn't sure how that was going to work. Stores had cameras these days, and if they got caught, it would cause a problem for the people who worked there. But if they had to do that just to confirm what they needed, that's just what they were going to have to do. They've been running away for this long; it is finally time to stop. With that goal in mind, Akira began leading Eri in the direction Kusano was going with. They were definitely going toward the back of the store, but he made sure to keep them out of open view by switching to different aisles in the bookstore and peeking to make sure they didn't know they were being followed.

Seeing them go further toward the back, Akira and Eri moved to a different aisle. They were four aisles away from where they needed to be as they were in the area where all the science fiction novels were. Akira kept his eyes and ears open while Eri stuck close to him. Her stomach was growling more because she was so hungry. It wasn't loud enough to draw attention, but Akira did get spooked when he heard customers nearing the area they were in and immediately picked Eri up and ran, hiding in yet another aisle but sitting down and holding the white-haired child in his lap. Now, they were where they needed to be. Now, it was just checking to see where they would go from here, whether that was an office he couldn't see or in the backroom of the store where they wouldn't be able to see or hear anything.

Eri squirmed, making Akira realize he was holding onto her tightly, and he released her immediately to rub her head affectionately. "S-Sorry. I didn't want anyone to see us and ask questions." Doing that will initiate it if it's seen on camera. He just didn't want them getting caught up in interacting with curious customers.

Eri nodded in understanding. She knew Akira wouldn't do anything without a reason. "I know. I just want us to see Ku-chan again," she whined softly.

"And we will, I promise. We're almost succeeding in doing that. We just have to be quiet because we have to go somewhere we're not supposed to and make sure she's okay. Bare with me."

Eri sniffled. "O-Okay..." She hoped it wouldn't land them in the hands of those from Yokai Inc. She didn't want to go back there. Eri was willing to stick this out because she was tired of running too. She may not know what it's like to have a place to call home, but it isn't something that's impossible to have, is it? More than anything, she wanted to stay with Akira and Kusano. Drying her face, she turned her head to look at Akira, a look of determination in her eyes. "I'm ready." She was willing to fight through her hunger if it meant making sure they could see Kusano again.

Akira smiled at Eri's determined face, rubbing her head again as he rose to his feet and placed Eri down on hers. "Alright then." He took her hand again, and they resumed what they were set out to do. Following Kusano.

Shouta Akimoto · « **Reply #21 on:** November 08, 2023, 08:24:49 am »

Sho followed Sadie in the back to her office while holding onto Kusano's hand. Once they reached her office, Sadie opened the door, holding it open for Sho and Kusano to enter first while following suit behind them. She made sure to close the door behind her as well. Sadie's office wasn't extravagant but spacious enough for multiple people to fit in. Her office is where she normally held her interviews when she felt the store was in need of an extra pair of hands. It was decorated with her favorite things, but of course, it was work-appropriate. She had fake plants in her office, but she had a clothing rack set off to the side with her favorite outfits she loved to wear during certain times of the year. All the outfits were neatly organized in order for such occasions. She also had a small round desk set off in the corner of her office with a small fake plant sitting in the middle of it and three chairs circled around it.

Sho carefully sat the food he'd bought for Kusano on the table first and then picked her up in his arms, pulled out one of the chairs and sat her down in it. Gently, he rubbed her atop her head while smiling. "You can sit here and eat while me and Sadie-san talk, okay?" he said to her before leaving her to eat and headed toward Sadie's desk, where he sat down in a chair across from her. He felt a tad exhausted, but that was from the previous activity of his current work day finally settling in and catching up with him. It didn't look like he'd be doing much today since he needed to keep an eye on Kusano. The poor child was really scared, and he didn't want to leave her alone. He couldn't ask Sadie to do that since she had her own work to do as well. That wouldn't be right. The most he could do right now is discuss what to do going forward.

In the meantime, Sadie was already seated with one leg crossed over the other as she glanced in Kusano's direction briefly, then shifted her gaze back onto Sho. "Well, I have to say, you're pretty amazing, Sho-tan, for not leaving that little girl alone," she started but continued further, "But did she tell you anything? Where was she from? Where are her parents?" Sadie asked. As commemorable as it is that Sho found the child and brought her with him so she wouldn't get taken by any strangers, there was still the concern of if they were to reach out to the police, could they really help? They had to give something to the officers for them to be able to help properly. Of course, they would still take the child and make sure she was properly cared for, but Sadie was still worried they'd ask more questions that neither she nor Sho could answer. It's why she was prodding him with questions now because the police would do the same thing.

Sho expected that question, but he shook his head and placed his hands in his lap, sighing tiredly. "A-Ano, she didn't say anything about her parents," he told her, but continued, "But she did say something to me when I found her that has me a little concerned." He frowned. He didn't know how to really explain it, but telling Sadie what Kusano said to him earlier may put her on edge. They might've unintentionally gotten involved in something that has nothing to do with them but everything to do with Kusano and her friends, whom he'd yet to find.

Sadie raised her brow at Sho's words. "Oh? What did she say to you?"

"I offered to take her to the security booth to help her find her family, but she didn't want me to do that. She said she didn't want the 'bad' people to find her and her friends. So, there's more than just here that's alone here in the mall. I don't know how many because she didn't tell me. She clearly didn't want any attention drawn to her." Sho had stopped speaking, taking a moment to look behind him to check on Kusano, who was still sitting at the table where he'd placed her so she could eat along with her kitten. He then turned to focus his attention back on Sadie. "Sadie-san ... I don't like assuming the worst, but I just really think that someone is after her and her friends," he told her.

Sadie listened to Sho and could tell through his words that he was worried about the little girl he found. What he said next surprised her. The sandy-haired blonde didn't know what to say to that. Who could be after children and why? Outside of creepy pedophiles, that's the only thing that came to mind. 'That's such a generic reason to be after children. There's something more going on here, but if she didn't tell Sho-tan much, we don't have anything to go off of to tell the police. Would it even be safe to do that, depending on who is after her and her friends? Hmm.' Sadie let her thoughts ponder, but she had to find out what the little girl said for Sho to come to the conclusion that he did. The expression on her face was serious as she looked at him. "Sho-tan, did this child say something in particular that would make you think that? Also, were she and her friends with any adults before you found her? If she mentioned it that is,'" she asked him.

Sho frowned, expecting Sadie to ask that question, but he knew there was no way around answering it. He only had what Kusano said to him when he first suggested reaching out for help to find whomever she was with. "She said she didn't want me to call anyone because she didn't want the 'bad people' to find her and her friends. I believe ... she was only with her friends. She only mentioned her parents when I asked her about her kitten. She never was able to give it a name after they gave it to her. I don't think they were with her and her friends. I think they were here alone and running away from 'bad people'," he explained.

Sadie would be lying to say she was surprised. She wasn't. There were too many holes and not enough information to go off of, but she knew something was amiss with this little girl. Not only that, but there were other children involved besides her. They needed to be found so she could find out what was happening. After all, they can't just roam around the mall by themselves. That alone would draw attention onto them even if they were running away from 'bad people'. "Give me a moment, would you, Sho-tan?" she finally spoke up after a long moment of silence. Sadie got up from her desk and headed toward the table where Kusano was seated. There was no telling how long she was alone and separated from her friends, but if they were in trouble, they needed to find them and keep them somewhere safe. She knelt down to Kusano's height and flashed her a warm smile. "Hey, sweetie, my name is Sadie, and I want to be able to help you. Sho-tan tells me you and your friends are in trouble. Can you tell me what kind? Maybe we can do something to protect you guys and get you somewhere safe," she said to Kusano.

Sho said nothing. He watched as Sadie tried to talk to Kusano to see if she could get more information from her so they could figure out how to help her and her friends once they found where they were.

Raven Nightwing · « **Reply #22 on:** February 18, 2024, 11:14:58 am »

Kusano had begun eating the food Shouta had bought for her while Shouta and Sadie were conversing with one another. She continued to wonder whether or not this was a good idea. Sho appeared to her as someone with no form of power of any kind. Telling him or anyone else like him about Yokai Inc. would only put them in danger. She hadn't wanted that. At the same time, she also knew that she and her friends couldn't keep running away like they had been because they'd eventually get caught and separated forever from one another. Kusano didn't want to imagine that. While eating, the kitten she'd had with her was drinking the milk she'd poured for it. It was then that the woman Sho was speaking to introduced herself to her as "Sadie" and asked her what kind of trouble she and her friends were in. Kusano stopped eating to turn partially and look at the woman. She seemed nice with no hidden intentions. Although Akira told both her and Eri to be aware of anyone being nice to them because it could be under false pretenses, so far, nothing bad has happened since she came in contact with Shouta.

Kusano wanted to believe that there could be someone out there that could help them. Whether they had powers or not and despite her own worries of putting innocent people in danger. 'I don't ... want to run anymore. I'm so tired of running. I have to ask for help even if ... it means I might be revealing who I am to someone that may be working for those people that are after us,' Kusano thought as tears began to fall down the sides of her face. Sniffling, she used the back of her hand to dry her face as she decided to take the risk. Any help was better than none at all. She could only tell them what information she had regarding why Yokai Inc. was after her and her friends. Well, she knew why they were after Akira and Eri but not so much why they were after her as well. Maybe it's because she knew they were responsible for hurting her parents. Kusano didn't know, but she had a feeling it was more than that. Sitting nervously, she began fidgeting with her hands in her lap as she tried to figure out a way to properly explain her situation that would make sense to both Sadie and Shouta.

"Um, there are bad people from Yokai Inc. that are after me and my friends. That's why ... I didn't want Shouta to have someone call them," Kusano finally admitted. "We split up temporarily to find each other later because those bad people chased us here. But ... me and kitty got lost, and now I don't know where my friends could be," she explained. Kusano knew Sadie and Shouta would have more questions for her, and she'd answer them honestly as best she was able to.

Meanwhile, Akira and Eri had managed to sneak into the back of the bookstore unnoticed. They had been following Kusano and Sho in secret, trying to figure out what was going on. It was hard hiding from people who were working in the backroom of the store, but they managed to do so without getting caught and finding the room that Kusano had been taken into. Akira kept Eri at his side as he stood close by the door and did his best to hear the conversation on the other side. Eri stayed at Akira's side as he did so, but after a while, she began to tug lightly on his sleeve, a look of worry in her eyes. "Aki, what are they saying?"

Akira shook his head, frustrated that he couldn't make out much of anything. He could hear them talking, but not exactly what they were saying. He couldn't help but worry if Kusano was telling these people everything about them. He couldn't blame her for doing so. Both she and Eri were tired of running away from the goons at Yokai Inc. However, Akira would only believe someone was trustworthy if they proved they weren't working for the enemy. He couldn't bear to have any of them get captured. He and Eri already experienced what it was like to be test subjects. Kusano didn't deserve such a fate. However, he didn't want to worry Eri any further by not answering her, so he looked down at her and said in a quiet tone, "I don't know. It's hard to hear them. But we'll know if something goes down if Ku-chan is in danger. But we have to be quiet so no one knows we're in here when we're not supposed to be."

Eri nodded, her small hands gripping Akira's arm tightly. They had to find a way to help Kusano and get out of this mess. But for now, they could only wait and hope that the guy who brought Kusano here was truly someone trustworthy. If not, Akira had no qualms about killing everyone here if necessary.

Shouta Akimoto · « **Reply #23 on:** April 03, 2024, 08:00:08 am »

Sho and Sadie stood there wondering if Kusano would tell them anything about her friends and the people who were after them. Sho didn't think she would since he'd already asked Kusano earlier about it or tried to, and she wouldn't tell him anything. However, it seemed that Sadie speaking to the child did the trick, and she began telling them about the "bad people" after her and her friends. They both listened carefully, especially Sadie, who was trying to take as many mental notes as she could. But she and Sho were shocked by the revelation of what Kusano had told them. Sadie rose to her feet, crossing her arms as she took in everything Kusano had said. "Yokai Inc..." she said in a puzzled tone. "It sounds like a company but also not. At least, not one that's well known in the area that benefits the country of Japan in some way," she added.

Sho looked over at Sadie and said, "What are you thinking, Sadie-san? Would you be able to look into this 'Yokai Inc' that she's talking about?" He'd never heard of a company by that name. Based on the name, it sounded like it involved dealing with those who aren't human. He could be wrong, but he didn't know what else it could be. Sure, people do give their businesses quirky names, but in some way, it still reflects the company and what they offers despite that.

Sadie's look was serious. She was still thinking. Something about this didn't sit well with her, especially since she had studied Japanese long enough to know what certain words meant that weren't easily recognized by English-speaking natives. The name "Yokai" is what stuck out to her. It meant "monster", so it was a company that dealt with non-humans. 'A non-human company chasing after children. I wonder why. It couldn't be that Ku-chan and her friends aren't human. Even if that's the case, hunting them down doesn't make sense. Something is not right about this. But would she even give me more details if I asked? She seems very afraid of these people and worried about her and her friends getting caught by those who work for this company. Hrm.' She continued thinking for a little longer before finally answering Sho. He's the one who found Kusano, so she knew he was worried.

She heaved a small sigh and finally spoke. "I can't be sure. I was mulling over some thoughts in my head about what Ku-chan said. I'm going to have to say that you did the right thing in bringing her here. If you'd handed her over to mall security and had them call out to her friends, it would've drawn attention to all three of them, and all hell would've broken loose in this mall. That said, I don't even think we should involve the police, at least not right now. If what Ku-chan said is true, then the people who are after them are still here in this mall searching for her and her friends. We'd be drawing a scene here if we involved law enforcement. For now, we won't be calling them. And instead of leaving out the front of the store, we'll be going out the back to avoid being seen. Anyone who comes in looking suspicious and asking questions about her and her friends, I'll make sure to let everyone know to play it safe and say nothing. I don't want anyone innocent getting hurt. Whether customer or employee. My main concern is everyone's safety. We may be getting involved in something dangerous by having her here, but we won't be turning her over to those people if they figure out that she's here."

Sadie had to be on high alert now. There was no telling what would happen, but she felt something would. She had to call in employees from every department to speak with them about the situation, but one area at a time so they didn't look entirely suspicious, having half the store with no workers on the floor dealing with customers. Sho nodded, understanding everything Sadie was saying. He was even more worried now, not just for Kusano but for everyone in the store. They had no idea what these people from Yokai Inc. looked like. It could be anyone, but he knew that when Sadie was serious about something, he also did the same. There was still another problem lingering in his mind that he couldn't help but ask. "What about Kusano-chan's friends? We can't just leave them here in the mall," he said, then added, "I know that you're thinking this has to do with monsters. You and I are human, so we can't fight anyone or anything that is a monster. What can we do about that? These people clearly sound dangerous if she's so afraid that she didn't want to tell us about them. Probably out of fear of us being hurt. We can only do so much, Sadie-san[/b][/color]."

Hearing that, Sadie chuckled as she had an ace up her sleeve. Even if she didn't have her main ace, she'd always have a backup plan with the many connections that she has. "My dear, Sho-tan, did you forget about Zach? One phone call to him, and we'll at least have an arsenal that can withstand any monsters while we focus on getting everyone in the store to safety. As for her friends, that is a good question. We'll have to find them before things blow up. I'm sure they're looking for her if they split up to find each other later because they were chased here by people from Yokai Inc." Before Sadie could say anything more, her desk phone began to ring. "Let me get that." She stepped away from Sho and Kusano for a moment to answer it.

In the meantime, Sho gave thought to Sadie's boyfriend being of help with this situation. He would be useful, given the type of work he does. He would be more useful in this type of situation than they would against a company that specializes in dealing with monsters. How they did their dealings was another question they couldn't answer. Only Kusano could if she was able to. She would've been in worse trouble if he hadn't found her. He was glad to have helped her when he did. While Sadie was on the phone, Sho knelt in front of Kusano and gave her a reassuring smile. "Kusano-chan, no need to worry anymore, okay? We'll make sure to protect you and find your friends and try to keep you guys safe," he assured her as he reached his hand out and gave her a gentle rub atop her head. Despite feeling a little scared himself, he didn't want to show that in front of Kusano and scare her more than she already was. Sho wanted to be as optimistic about this situation as he possibly could. That's all he could do for now.

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Author Topic: Unexpected Encounter (Open) (Read 620 times)

Shouta Akimoto

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Raven Nightwing

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Shouta Akimoto

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Raven Nightwing

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Shouta Akimoto

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Raven Nightwing

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Shouta Akimoto

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Raven Nightwing

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Shouta Akimoto

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