A week after that incident, Emi began avoiding me, as well as my other 'friends.' My popularity didn't drop one bit, which kind of disappointed me.
I started hanging out with Arisu and now we're good friends. I feel better with her than being with those other guys.
Though some people have begun to start bullying her, but, with Aihara-nee on the case, it's been resolved.
Currently, Arisu and I are walking to the nearest convenience store to my house.
"Never got to have any lunch because of those guys pestering me."
I muttered aloud.
"I'm sorry, it's all my fault."
"No, it's their fault for being absolute jerks."
I told her.
They pick on Arisu for no reason and try and shame me but, in the end, I end up retaliating and cause them to walk off embarrassed.
I'm becoming even more popular because of it, which I don't want.
The both of us entered the convenience store and we began browsing for food.
"Should I get a packed bento?"
Arisu asked, looking at the freezer full of lunch boxes.
"Get what you want. I'll pay if you want to."
The girl looked at me, blushing and panicking.
"Oh, thank you!"
She got a simple-looking bento.
Guess I'll get something else. I'm not feeling a bento right now. What I'm feeling is...
I looked around and couldn't find anything that I was interested in. Neither snack nor lunch.
Then there was a sharp BANG!
Many people screamed and I heard two more.
The sound... it's a--
"Gunshot..."
Arisu whispered to me, crouching immediately in fear.
I also crouched and peeked around the corner of the shelf.
"Everyone! Get down! You!"
It was a man; a robber, to be precise.
He was holding a gun. Judging from my knowledge of guns, that faint black colour and the symbol on its grip, that pistol is a Beretta M9. The sound of the gun is slightly different too. Maybe he's using a custom muzzle.
The robber, we'll call him Black Mask, pointed his gun at the woman behind the counter. With everyone on the ground, too afraid to approach him, he shot the ground to entice the woman.
"Money! Everything you have, right now!"
The woman hurried and scampered through her register.
Black Mask silently watched her get the money and stuff it into a bag.
A bulky man got up and charged at Black Mask from behind.
"Aaaaaahhhh!"
He screamed like an idiot.
The robber turned and shot the man's foot, almost instantly and with precision. The man tumbled over, grabbing his impaled foot, screaming even more.
"Don't scream like an idiot when you try to ambush someone."
Yeah, I totally agree with Black Mask on that one.
Anyway, there's just one problem.
Uhm, his reaction time is too great. If I go and try to charge at him, I'll be shot. Worst case scenario, I die. Even if I am a Streia, there's no way I can get from here to the counter without him noticing me.
"What can I do?"
I whispered to myself.
I can't let him get away with robbing the store. Not in front of my eyes. I have to somehow--
There was the ring of a bell.
The sound of someone entering the shop. This is the worst time for that.
I tried to peek around the corner more, but if I did too much, he'd notice me.
It seems to be a boy, probably older than me, but I can't see his face. He wore a black tracksuit-like coat with fur on the neck of it.
Everyone in the store looked at him. Including Black Mask. Hell, even the woman behind the counter stopped herself from taking the money out of the counter.
He got something from the shelf and walked toward the counter.
The boy was holding a bag of crisps.
Does he have some sort of death wish?!
"I'll be paying for this."
He said, casually getting out his wallet as if Black Mask didn't exist.
"Uh, hello? How much is this?"
The woman woke up.
"Oh, ah, 790 yen."
She said.
The boy muttered '790 yen,' under his breath while going through his wallet. Black Mask pressed his Beretta M9 against the boy's skull.
"Oi, do you have some sort of death wish?"
He asked.
The boy looked at the man.
"Why would I be afraid of you? You can't kill me."
Suddenly, the boy's voice sounds familiar to me.
"Get on the ground before I blow your brains out!"
Black Mask shouted at the boy.
Everyone watched the two's interaction as they trembled in fear on the floor.
"Do it."
The boy said, putting his wallet on the counter. He pushed his head against the gun and said it once more.
"Do it."
Black Mask looked nervous and confused. He didn't want to give in.
"Why, you!"
Before he could pull the trigger, the boy disrupted Black Mask's centre of gravity, disarmed him and slammed him onto the floor, then knocked him out with an elbow to the face.
"Woo, that was hard."
The boy said, standing up.
Everyone got up from their crouched position and began clapping for the boy. He had saved their lives. Of course, that man still has a hole in his foot.
That was when I came out of my hiding spot and peeked at the boy. It was then, that I noticed why I found his voice familiar.
"Shoya?"
"Hm? Kei?"
We both locked eyes.
He looked different. Not only his style but how he looks too. His eyes look slightly sharper and he looks like a badass with that hair of his, though it's messy. Better than his previous haircut.
"It's been a while."
"Yeah."
Shoya said with a smile.
The way I replied was awkward.
"Uh..."
Arisu came out from behind me and stared nervously at my brother.
"Who's this?"
He asked.
Arisu introduced herself.
"I'm Arisu Aoi, a friend of Kei's."
"That's nice! Finally, you have friends!"
He said, like a proud dad.
"That's the first thing to talk about when I see you after coming back from school?!"
He snickered.
Then the counter woman interrupted.
"Uh... I still need 790 yen."