"Life just seems so mundane as of late" This thought persists inside the mind of one Oni as she roams the wide-open rooms of a busy shopping mall in downtown Saitama, the smooth grey walls filled with ornate decorations & advertisements creating a vibrant ambiance to amaze shoppers as they browse the many items on sale. Hanging from the hide ceilings are thin unimposing light fixtures wrapped in vibrant décor taking the shape of branches in bright pink & blue like a peacock corresponding with the accessories on display in every store stretching along each wall
This explosion of hues draws eager shoppers in with its flashy displays & catchy slogans in dazzling Kana fonts, a stream of Humans tours the mall's interior with keen eyes & heavy wallets. Humans of all styles, from the bland grey suit-wearing Salarymen to the dynamic alternative clothing of energetic youngsters & in the middle of it all stands Haru in her Human form as she goes on an unseen spontaneous shopping spree. "Why am I here?" she asks herself
Haru: "_"
Situated dead center of the display room, underneath the ceiling decorations as she looks up with intense green eyes wondering at that thing. "I wanted to do some unplanned shopping, what's the harm in that?" she thinks while the dangling spired point towards her like sharpened cave spikes
Shopper: "The LEON store is this way!"
Cries one restless shopper as they speed past Haru, following that person were several younger shoppers. Perhaps university aged as they are adorned with bright blues & pinks, a few of the girls with grey plaid skirts & dangling chains gently rattling with every antsy step. "When did this Kawaii fashion get so popular here? Just shows my age doesn't it?" This near encounter with those youngsters leads Haru into momentary despair as the age gap between her & these girls becomes evident
Contrasting the cheerful students living their golden years with no ounce of dread & clothes as bright as Shika's feathers is Haru bearing her dim pebble grey blazer matching her formal office skirt. Indeed, this is her standard workplace attire with a complete lack of colour & sense of individuality so as not to offend or be deemed inappropriate for the office. "What I would give to have those years back" With that thought her mind jumps to many delicacies of life she wishes to remove to be 19 again, "alcohol is an obvious one, it is an expensive affair for sure. Human spirits aren't built for the Oni liver, it takes much more than one bottle to get me tipsy" shaking her head in her dismissal of that idea, allowing her bleached blonde hair to wave side to side for a moment before she stops & finds another luxury to forgo
Her eyes open wide & fixate on a piece of advertisement in the distance, down one of the large corridors is a blood-red sign displaying: "Foreign Meat" in bold Kanji characters. "Meat! Could I give up my love of pristine meat like thick gourmet steak or European Gammon Pork?" as she mulls over that idea pictures of red juicy steaks pop up in her mind causing her to close her eyes & gargle at this buffet her imagination cooked. "No! No! No! I can't give up something as essential to life as that, I'm a gal with a large appetite after all. Cannot be helped" She justifies keeping her desire for meat with a hungry grin & deep eyes pointed at the sign of that meat store, "maybe this was what possessed me to shop during my break, I haven't eaten a good Steak Au Poivre in a while" thinking of a delightful French steak coated with freshly cracked peppercorns while she lightly tiptoes her way towards that corridor with reddened cheeks, raised eyebrows & a slight drool from her mouth as she enters a brief state of euphoria at the thought of an exquisite slab of cooked beef. "Wait a minute, what am I doing?"
Haru: "_"
She pauses her sluggish pursuit of meat & snaps out of that trance she found herself in, recomposing herself by straightening her back & wiping any bit of slobber she could have. "That would have been embarrassing" Swiftly coming to her senses she brushes her skirt down with both arms before directing her mind back to the essential items she needs to justify this impromptu shopping spree
Haru: *Taking a deep breath*
Her chest gradually expands as she takes in more air before breathing out decreasing the size of her lungs, "we ran out of surface spray" A bright lightbulb flickers above her head as she makes this realization. Anti-bacterial spray & wipes are essential for cleaning smooth surfaces in a home, the House of Monsters in particular requires more than your average family home. "It's always those two, Neko & Shika" Instantly blaming those girls for the swift depletion of cleaning supplies Haru enters a new train of thought where finding justifiable reasons to become mad at them is the destination. "Neko always leaves a mess whenever she eats, whether she's at the table or not" Thinking about it more she clenches her fists in frustration while marching toward a nearby department store in the middle of this vast shopping mall, "as for Shika, besides leaving her hair everywhere. She doesn't enjoy using plates very often. At times I'd catch her just eating with her hands while sitting on the banister, it's a miracle her hollow bones & light frame are why it hasn't broken yet" as this train of thought continues she makes it to the store she seeks
She stands before a modest-sized entrance to a decently scaled one-room store specialised in cleaning supplies for domestic use, on both sides of the rectangular doorway are two large windows revealing the store's interior with the view only obstructed by half a dozen stickers on each enticing customers with eye-catching phrases & difficult to ignore discounts all in bright rainbow colours & written a bold Katakana font. These are accompanied by red arrows pointing at the open doorway Haru faces
Haru: "Huh?"
She loudly scorns in shock, her eyes migrating to one of the messages on the left-hand side window: "!33% off this new Dongzhi vacuum cleaner!" this incredible deal delights the Oni Homeowner whose shock turns to excitement. "With a new vacuum at that price, I could get Shika to clear out all her feathers!" delightfully thinking of the possibility that her Resident Parakeet seriously cleaning after herself, she pictures a young Harpy girl wilding a new vacuum like an assault rifle as it inhales all the small fiber-like green feathers off the floor leaving it spotless & radiant. Haru tilts her head up as she cups her hands together with deep green eyes & a hopeful grin, a lustrous halo could appear around her head now if Shika was the type of person to really do that. "she wouldn't even clean the stains in their bathroom" with that thought Haru's head tilts back done as she exhales, any sign of optimism disappearing along with her smile. "Dream on, Haru"
Haru: "Hmph"
Shrugging that off before entering the store she steps forward until her black office shoes reach the open entrance
--
Several minutes later this powerful Oni maiden in the form of an office-working Human strutting out of the store carrying two grey bags loaded with stuff, her back straightened & her solid arms holding those bags up like they were empty while gracefully grinning with raised perky cheeks
Haru: *Hums*
Joyfully humming away as she thinks "those discounts were too enticing", her light blonde hair drifting side to side along with her proud hips as she strolls with confidence all while bearing two bags of not only the spray she was looking for but also spray for her bathroom, anti-dust spray for her bedroom, a pack of cleaning cloths, even oil stain removing liquid & more. All in tall thin spray cartons coated with flashy art & eye-catching product names, each completely filled. Together putting weight on the bag as she clutches the handles with her athletic grip, holding them close to her torso & far off the ground while the force of gravity strongly pulls down. "I paid nearly half price for most of those" gleefully recalling the discounts on these, "the oil stain remover was such a steal, ¥333 is so little for what this item can really do for the house" this astonishing state of amazement is suddenly interrupted by another thought which enters her mind. "When have I ever spilled oil in my house?"
Haru stops dead in her tracks, like a tree she rigidly stands in the light coming from the above windows & her tough branch-like arms sticking out as they securely carry those bags. Her bottom lip faintly quivers as regret settles in her very being, Haru had been struck by a mild dose of buyer's remorse. A jittery motion trickles down her limbs toward her wrists & fists tightly clenching the bag handles, her stiff frame begins to rattle like a maraca. "Well, you never know with that bird of mine" her mild shaking only subsides after a quick justification for keeping the product as a brief poof of steam ascends from her head, accompanying this is a forced smile binding her cheeks upward. "If it takes this much scaffolding to keep a smile like this up then I'm glad I don't have to work in a maid café" with that thought she sets off to get the next destination, a store that sells; mixed nuts for Shika, turkey bites for Neko & Zuke marinated fish for Hoshi. "I just hope I have time to nab a thick steak as I shop, I really need a succulent steak on my plate" the thought of having such a meal fuels her expedition through the mall as she marches in search of a store that could house all these items. She picks up her pace while firmly holding those two hefty bags
A minute has passed & Haru is still walking down the large corridors, despite the ordinary grey walls surrounding her, the shoppers & stores the dangling décor spreading across the ceiling snakes through each passage as if it's following Haru like an arching rainbow glowing with the sunlight. This contrasts the ever-present somber smog trailing her thoughts like a dog on a leash & carrying with it the essence of an alien soul that refuses to leave her as it clings to her pessimistic thoughts & the chaotic emotions coursing through her veins like jagged stones through a river, these sensations are only exacerbated by her environment as in a young couple walking towards her. This pair, a college-age boy & girl at roughly the same height gradually approaching, even at several meters away their twinkling essence of young love can be felt by Haru. A short tender girl with smooth porcelain cheeks & long dark hair, locked arms with a taller boy with neatly cut short lapis blue hair as they step in near synchronization. They casually walk in Haru's direction as the girl joyfully giggles at the boy's fluid expressions & gentle hand movement along her silky hair, her uncontrollable childish chuckle cause the boy's cheeks to rise. Her infectious smile has caught hold of her darling but like a virus, Haru wants nothing to do with it as she promptly turns away, lowering her gaze & averting any visual contact with them
As the image of them approaches a weight settles onto her chest, "will I ever get appreciated like that?" she questions. She picks up her pace hoping to cross paths with this couple quickly so she doesn't have to be in their presence for very long, she lowers the bags & uses their heft load to increase her speed, "I don't want this moment to last longer than it has to". That cloud tethering itself to her acts in accordance with these actions of hers & taking root along her soul, it's not long until her very being is engulfed in this mist of dread as it begins to consume her heart & fill it with emotions as black as coal. This pressure creates initiative for her as the youthful couplet draws nearer, she creates more space between them by subtly drifting leftward as though these teens were diseased. Even keeping her face away from them & taking short breaths to avoid their aroma, as they cross paths she begins to direct her head further left towards the stores until the couple is out of view
A brief moment later, Haru adjusts her head to face forward, as she careens her point of view her right side increasingly reveals itself to be empty without a trace of those two. "Yes! I got through that like a chief" initially celebrating her achievement with a slight grin & furrowed eyebrows, this accomplishment abruptly depletes as soon as she assessed the situation. "Why am I so pleased by avoiding them like lepers?" she asks herself, "it is just a young couple, they looked delighted by each other's presence, that's sweet" she starts to decelerate her pace & relax her grip on the bags
It's not long before she reaches an ornate grocery store several steps to the right of her, the wall becomes a row of clear glass windows exposing the store's interior for all to see. She turns to find the store's deep & expansive aisles separating the outstanding displays of food, facing the window is a large collection of ready meals all packed in neatly presented boxes promoting their contents with punchy Katakana & elegant pictures of the meals available. Bowls of steaming Ramen with spring onions, meat ranging from pork to chicken & smooth round egg chopped in half displaying the pristine yolk at its centre. On the side closest to Haru is a row of shelves dedicated to instant meals, all in plastic transparent containers & showing all the vibrant colours they'll need to attract eager shoppers like the rituals of a Bird-Of-Paradise. "I'll find meals for Shika in this aisle" with that thought becoming fuel for her determination to shop Haru heads towards the store's entrance, the closer she gets the denser her surroundings incline as she encounters a stream of pedestrians shuffling through the automatic sliding doors. It's here she adjusts her stance to stumble through the entrance, with more people coming in & out she stops her advance to allow them to pass but this only causes greater congestion as three people exit the store at the same time leading to the rest to stand still. "Is there some kind of sale going on that I was not aware of!?" she frustratingly asks herself as she stops to allow shoppers through, the pace starts to pick up with haste while each individual apologises with a little bow of the head while the march out to give room for others. However, once the space was cleared the crowd including Haru gush into the entrance inevitably locking shoulders with each other, "I can't believe this" she sighs
Haru: *Sighing* "I can't believe this"
Quietly sighing as the crowd looks at one another as if they are deadlocked in a Mexican standoff, the doors swiftly slide shut causing everyone to groan
Haru: *Lightly face palming*
Gentleman 1: "Alright, we can't rush in all at once"
A gentleman on Haru's left breaks the silence with obvious observation, within the crowd stands a man with glasses, a white shirt & a tidy bowl cut with the middle part of his bangs empty exposing his smooth forehead. As he spoke the crowd turned to him like cats to a mouse
Gentleman 2: "Alright, some of us will need to step back…to let the rest through"
Another man speaks, this time to Haru's right. A taller fellow with a brown buzz cut, hench shoulders & an orange American Baseball shirt. He makes eye contact with the first gentleman who responds with a decisive glare
Lady: "But who's it going to be?"
The woman standing directly left of Haru now ways in by asking the question that's on everybody's mind, this woman wearing a pink cardigan over a white tshirt & a long purple skirt. She tassels her short purple hair left to right & shimmies her shoulders, Haru to her right feels this & tries to distance herself by leaning in the opposite direction only to end up bumping shoulders with someone else. "This is the most tense store entry I've ever experienced" thinking as she views the situation with her mouth slightly agape, astonished but also mildly confused at how difficult everyone is making it out to be. As they each begin plotting their moves with fierce glares directed at the opposite person before turning to the next, the only set of noises in this area coming from the store's jingle which only started faintly playing & the shoppers already inside overjoyed by whatever is going on in there. With that becoming the trigger for this crowd's resolve, everyone but Haru lunges in towards the door before immediately bashing into each other like Rugby players. The sight of grown adults rushing to reach the doors as they instantly slide open causes Haru to stare blankly, "what am I witnessing here?" she questions for a moment while turning to glance at a digital clock behind her. [13:44] is the time displayed in a red digital typeface on a rectangular black screen, "I don't have time for this!" within an instant her bewilderment turns to rage as she faces this crowd eager to enter with fury. She marches onward while carrying her bags, "dare I whack them out of my way with these" wondering whether to utilise her heavy bags to get through before arriving at the scene with deep furious green eyes, if she was in Monster form her horns would be glowing by how determined she is to be liberated from this mess
She pulls her arms up & plants them into the crowd, getting good use out of those bags as she wobbles them. Sending vibrations to drill a hole with her fists & pressing on without the others noticing, her arms become elbow-deep into the horde. At this moment she takes some deep breaths, gradually spreading her arms apart from each other. As she does so the few people caught in her way begin to separate allowing her to advance like a knife through hard butter, gradually stepping through while only using a fraction of her strength as she calmly breaths as if this mild inconvenience should soon pass. "People are incredibly odd sometimes" she concludes as the clear glass door comes within her reach
Gentleman 1: "How is she doing that?"
The man with the bowl cut vehemently questions what he sees, the others piling onto each other like beans gaze upon Haru with astonishment. Enough for some to back away, the two gentlemen & the lady who initially spoke out see this as a challenge to overcome. As Haru takes their attention away from each other the three loosen their grip on the crowd, seeing that Haru gets closer & closer to the entrance they each come to an agreement. They briefly make eye contact & gently nod in each other's direction before lunging for the sliding door as it opens, a strong pinging sound echoes through the crowd when the door slides open & facing it directly is the bold blonde office woman firmly carrying heavy bags while a slightly older lady & two men stand closely behind with sinister smirks. Once the door has fully opened the three trailing Haru advance, shoving her onward like she was a riot shield. "What the hell are they doing?" she asks as she comes into contact with these strangers looking to use her to enter the store, once the four of them pass the barrier of entry Haru digs her black heels into the floor & tenses her frame to slow their advance to a halt. Her arms spread out in an attempt to trap confine them to this area, her head rises as she turns to face them with a flaming glare & exposed teeth
Haru: "Just what do you three think you're doing!?! You guys are acting like this is a Zombie apocalypse"
She vents at them with a raised voice & a slight hiss as she looks down at the three planted on the floor in disgust
Gentleman 2: "Sor~ry but for 80% off you can't really blame us"
Haru: "What's this about 80% off?"
Slightly raising her chin as she inquires, she clenches her lips & crosses her eyebrows while staring menacingly at them with her yellow-green eyes causing them to nervously shake & huddle closer together
Lady: "It's the Platinum sale! You didn't know?"
As soon as she spoke the other two promptly nod in agreement, the three then take their fingers out & point ahead but somewhat to the left as if it is to something behind Haru. As they each put on a timid grin the office woman turns her body to the right & curves her head even further to get a glimpse of what they're pointing at, the object they point to appears as a large rectangular A-board sign standing on a meter away from them. This plastic board is flushed in platinum grey & depicting icons of items in the store as well as messages in Hiragana printed in aqua blue whimsically contrasting its metallic surface, the statement to take center stage proclaims; "Annual Platinum Sale! Get 80% off the price for these items!" surrounding that spectacular deal is the many icons representing items included in the discount. Upon seeing this for herself, Haru takes a second to process what she's reading. "No, this is unbelievable. How could I have stumbled across something so…so" her shoulders begin shaking slightly as her thumbs start to fidget while her remaining four fingers hold her bags tightly, "so exciting!" she finds herself ecstatic at this rare opportunity. Feeling energy flowing through her limbs like electricity, charging her like an energetic appliance with her left foot she twirls to face the three buffoons as they get off the floor & brush themselves off
Haru: "Thank you for making this phenomenon known to me"
She joyfully extends her gratitude with a large grin much dissimilar to the terrifying look from just a second ago, she gives a gentle bow in their direction before marching off to shop like a child in a candy store
--
Along the side of the store, beside the frozen food section, Haru strolls pushing a little shopping cart along with the plastic bags hanging from a hook inside the cage. Situated ahead of them are some items, a large jungle-green bag of mixed nuts & a pinkish-red box of frozen Salmon both with bright blue & grey stickers indicating their inclusion in the discount. As she curiously steps along tracing her finger against the glass barrier to the left of her & examines the contents behind like a hyena with her large green eyes magnifying the food on display, her lips clench & her brows come close as she fails to locate the turkey bites for Neko. "This is illogical, surely they would be in this part of the store" as she stands next to the fridges holding frozen food her mind deduces that processed meats like turkey bites would reside here
Haru: *Sighs*
She lets out a mellow sigh as this she brushes this off as a mild inconvenience by raising her chin & turning her head in the opposite direction in a fit of childish scoffing. With that attitude she walks on for a short moment until the selection is presented shifts along with the temperature, it's not long before Haru finds that the items are no longer frozen nor are they solid food. To her left is shelf upon shelf containing bottles ranging in size & colour with only one common denominator being, "booze" her face freezes & eyes widen at the number of alcoholic drinks available to purchase. The aisle extended into a broad line-up of nicely kept bottles in exquisite condition from wine to beer & even Sake, all drinks brewed to near perfection. As the wall of liquor fills her view she takes a lengthy peek at what's on the shelves, her bottom lip instantly drops at the sight of the tall royal dark red wine bottles, the slim golden jugs of beer dripping with condensation & the chunky emerald green Sake jars all ornately decorated with beautiful hand-painted Kanji printed onto the sides. "Truly an outstanding sight for sure" now only one thing crosses Haru's mind, "but which ones are included in this Platinum Sale?" She wonders while strolling along this side of the aisle using her superb vision to scout for any blue & grey stickers, "there doesn't seem to be any on display, that's disappointing. But there's no time for personal shopping, I must get to the cashier" the lack of drinks on the discount deal a little blow to her mood yet after reminding herself of the urgency of time she readjusts her posture & brushes that off her attitude with an uptight raising of her chin
???: "Oh Haru-san!"
Just as she begins to set off a rowdy voice from behind reaches her ears, "I'm being called?" this outlandish anomaly causes confusion in Haru as she ceases her pursuit of the cashier & her eyes whiten with this bewilderment
???: "Haru-san!!"
"There's that voice again, it's getting more strident" she acknowledges the voice calling once more, this time louder. "This is clearly the voice of a woman who knows me but I don't seem to recall who it could be" she thinks while turning her attention towards whoever calls
Haru: "Um Hello"
She discreetly mutters under her breath, unsure how to react she stares with wide curious eyes at whoever calls for her thinking "she's using my given name so we must have some kind of close bond, perhaps this is a friend?" she ponders some more. "Not likely, I would recognise this voice if so" she concludes while holding her lips together as she pouts, "I have friends who could spot me by chance" as she tells herself this person doing the calling becomes visible as she briskly trots in Haru's direction. With thick wavy brown hair swaying from side to side as she steps closer with increasing velocity, her elation carried by her graceful smile & adorable amber eyes. The most defining feature of her face outside of those would be a minuscule mole on her upper chin slightly left of centre & below her rosy pink lips, the most defining feature of her stature overall would have to be either her large curvaceous boobs swaying with her hair like wrecking balls or her big round booty, each hardly fitting into her forest green cardigan & tight-fitting black yoga pants as she pushes a hefty load of shopping in her cart
Woman: "Haru-san. I knew it was you"
The volume of her voice decreases along with the distance between them, in a blurred state & somewhat embarrassed Haru raises her shoulders while tilting her head to her left
Haru: "Well it is me…can't hide that I'm afraid"
She consciously answers with her eyes shut, "so this woman was calling me" now with that clarified a string of questions pops into her mind. "Who is this woman? Why is she acting so cordial towards me?" she intends to have the answer to these questions
Haru: "Have we met befo…"
Woman: "I didn't think I'd see you again for a very long time but here you are, in the booze section. Takes me right back to the academy"
Just as Haru attempts to ask about this woman's identity with a straightforward question, the woman cuts her off as quickly as a popup ad & equally as direct. By placing her cart to her right this woman walks along its side keeping it in reach of her right arm as she pursues this interaction with Haru, her eyes lighting up the closer she gets. But the words she spoke had almost the opposite effect on Haru who maintains her rigid posture toward this stranger & her guard up, she lowers her eyebrows & slightly drops her jaw in utter bewilderment. "Just who is this person to know about such a habit of mine? She must have known me for some time, the way she brought up the academy reveals she could be an old classmate of mine" in a sheer state of perplexity Haru's mind becomes disorientated by the information coming from this woman she has no memory of ever knowing
Woman: "Haru-san! Earth to Haru-san! Please pick up"
Haru's mind was in a frenzied condition, she wasn't receiving any input from this woman until she heard her own name being called
Haru: "Earth?"
Woman: *Giggles* "No silly it's me"
As if in some kind of quiz show Haru answers with "Earth", her disoriented mind jumps to the conclusion that this was the woman's name by how she was addressing her. This mishandling of the situation by Haru's brain caused the woman to cup her mouth with one hand & giggle, her response after giving Haru zero information on who this gentlewoman is. "That doesn't help me whatsoever" her mind rants
Woman: "Gosh you're even wearing the same outfit as last time"
Haru: "Last time?"
The woman takes her amber eyes down to admire Haru's smooth ironed shirt & blazer, pointing out its extreme similarity to their last encounter. Hearing this Haru twitches her head slightly to the left causing this woman to elaborate
Woman: "You remember? When I was in my Slime form & just gushing out of the faucets"
Haru: "Faucets?"
That's when it hit Haru, that this woman standing before her is. In fact, the Slime Girl she met just days ago only not in the form of jelly-like goo in the shape of a woman. This revelation caused Haru's eyes to spring open as this lightbulb moment brightens her mood, "no way! She is that Slime Girl from the Lady's at work. The one who was overly friendly to me, how could I forget?"
Slime Girl: "You probably don't recognise me because I'm in Human form now. You were right about taking the Masking Potion, it's much easier to move around with Humans when I appear as one of them"
But suddenly the mention of Masking Potion & referencing their true forms while in public turns the lightbulb above Haru's head into an alarm bell, she pivots over to this woman with hast & raises her arms chest height to gesture to stop with her fingers spread out
Haru: "Shh keep that part down, we're still outside"
She discreetly cites the need to keep such a topic watchfully guarded when in public with Humans about
Haru: "They could hear you if you keep talking loudly"
She whispers once again, mildly shifting her gaze past this woman's left shoulder & narrowing down on a small group in the backdrop surveying one of the aisles but immediately after they escape from her view another person enters this section from one of the other aisles close by. This man higher in stature proceeds to pass them deliberately while gagging the alcohol shelves currently occupying the two women, with tense piercing eyes trying to navigate this area he can't help but look towards these women standing close by each other. As he passes widely his left arm rises & points in Haru's direction, with every step he makes closer to them her heart steadily increases
Haru: *Gulp*
She anxiously gulps, her arms ascending to shield the other woman while her body remains still in between said woman & this taller man with wide dot-like arms observing the two. The lengthy arm of his that's reaching out extends somewhat causing Haru to keep her guard up
Slime Girl: "Anyway enough of this! Sir, can we help you?"
This shaky yet short-lived silent atmosphere is broken by the Slime Girl's boisterous voice calling for an end to this stillness & assertively asking what the man needs. As she interrupts this tense moment Haru turns her head to this woman & begins to peer with her large green eyes, "what are you doing?" she asks with a deep stare
Man: "Some beer, you two are blocking the way"
The man responds with a soft tone before slowly tilting his finger to the beer shelf just past Haru, she follows this finger then turns around to see the selection of beers he wants. "Oh I see" realizing this she moves to the right side of the Slime Girl & extends her arm out, her change of position is met with a complete reversal of attitude towards him. Her guarded anxious manner is gone & in its place is a warmer welcoming one coupled with a superficial grin
Haru: "Right this way Sir, sorry for that"
Man: "Thank you"
He slides past to grab a few bottles before turning away from them & gradually strolling off, as he leaves Haru's dainty smile dips along with her eyebrows. "That was a close one" giving herself a short sigh of relief as she traces this man exiting the area & into another aisle, "out of sight, that's good. Now where was I?"
Haru: "But seriously…Uhm…you can't say that so loudly in the presence of Humans let alone in crowded areas like this one"
She turns to the Slime Girl with fierce eyes, hesitating in the middle of her condemnation at a point where saying a person's name would be most appropriate to convey frustration at said person. "But I can't remember her name" Haru awkwardly states to herself, "Come to think of it, how could I forget such a bubbly character who seems to treat me like a close friend?"
Slime Girl: "Like he knew what we were talking about, you didn't have to make it so obvious"
Hearing how casually this woman took the whole situation Haru is left in a perplexed state, lulling her words & lightly tilting her head back & forth. "I probably didn't handle that in the best way but she's not helping anything" Haru thinks to herself while peering into the distance behind the Slime Girl, after seeing a collection of aisles completely devoid of other shoppers she turns right around to gage the rear side only to see it too empty. "Maybe we are safe for now" she reconsiders now seeing that the coast is clear
Haru: "You can never be too sure, they say"
She contently conveys as her head swings back to the Slime Girl, after scouting the area she loosens her shoulders & opens her ears to what her acquiescence is saying
Slime Girl: "As I was saying I managed to get the proper Potion but you won't believe how many scammers there are these days"
Haru: "I have actually encountered some of those scams over the years but I've kept my wits about it"
She casually adjusts her hair while adding this fact to the conversation, the Slime Girl sees the confidence in Haru & drops her jaw in amazement
Slime Girl: "Wow that's quite a skill, you've always been clever about these things"
The inclusion of the word "always" gets detected by Haru, "always? Like we've known each other for more than just two interactions" this little detail makes her want to press this matter
Haru: "In what way do you mean always?"
She candidly inquires
Slime Girl: "Are you seriously asking!?"
She boisterously asks, instantly letting out an explosion of shock by boastfully extending her arms out, open jaw & raised eyebrows in a display of disbelief
Slime Girl: "You always had the best grades in all the classes…"
With every step she makes closer to Haru her gigantic cleavage bounce as she asserts this to be true, even forcibly grabbing her wrists & raising her arms upwards while slightly pitching her head to speak directly into Haru's eyes. Haru shuts her mouth & only stares on in anticipation
Slime Girl: "Also I have you to thank for getting me together with Nakkun"
With this string of revelations, Haru is left to ponder "which of my classes was this girl in? I can remember almost everyone I interacted with at the academy but this person does not come up". There's one other piece of info she gave that Haru begins to question
Haru: "Nakkun"
Slime Girl: "Oh yes, Natsu-kun my high school sweetheart. It's a shame we couldn't make it work after graduation, our love burnt bright but not for long"
She passionately proclaims his name like a Shakespeare-esque performer with arms outstretched, proud posture & eyes shut as she aims her head toward the heavens
Haru: "Oh Hosei Natsu!"
She hastily lets out the name of one Hosei Natsu (蒲生 那都)", her eyes brightening at the astonishment of remembering. "So I remember him but not her, this is frustrating"
Slime Girl: "Aye the very same"
She declares just as passionately by resting her right arm on her heart, calmly placing it just above her left bosom
Haru: "Remind me, what was it I did to get you two together?"
She asks hoping to get more information that could rewire her memory
Slime Girl: "Well your pep talk gave me the confidence to confess my feelings for him, for that I certainly owe you"
She drops the Shakespearean act to deliver her response, taking her arm to the side & facing Haru with pure sincerity. "I seriously don't remember any of that!" Haru's mind frantically states however hearing what action the Slime Girl recalls & seeing how it impacted her the frustration within her begins to subside as she turns her head somewhat to her left. "Was I seriously capable of inspiring such courage in her?" she asks herself
Slime Girl: "I should have returned the favour by getting you & Fujima-kun together"
As soon as she said that Haru freezes, her head slightly jolts into place like a stalled car while her brain rings an alarm as that name was uttered
Haru: "You knew Fujima-kun? My Fujima-kun?"
Without thinking Haru adjourned the Slime Girl & began fishing for confirmation, "I can't believe she just brought up Anton like that" the name in question belonged to a boy she knew in the academy. Fujima Anton (和泉 アントン), "I haven't thought about him in years, now my streek is broken by her!"
Slime Girl: "Are you serious!? It's hard to forget a honey badger like him, with his cute nose, thick hair & that round buttock"
This woman answers ferociously as if remembering him is the most obvious thing in the World, she follows this with a string of compliments describing his exquisite physique like chronicling an art sculpture
Haru: *blushing*
The words from this woman help Haru paint a picture of what Fujima Anton once looked like when they knew each other which allows her to recall their interactions & who they were to one another. "Anton was a mutual friend, we had the same group of friends & even shared some classes like archaeology" as she recounts the picture becomes clearer in her mind. The image of him as a young man with ash grey hair, Burgundy red eyes which could glow in the dark, that cute button nose & as the eyes pan down nice round arse. Her heart could skip several beats at the sight of his delightful butt, "yes…now the memories are coming back" her mind buzzing at the thought as her cheeks shine in a deep red colour much like his eyes
Slime Girl: "I gotta ask though, why you never made a move on him?"
This question coming out so bluntly caught Haru off guard which only increases the intensity of her red cheeks, "what!? Why do you ask me now!?! This was four years ago!" she exclaims in a fit of fury at the candour of her inquiry & how swiftly the topic diverted. However, she struggled to come back with a rebuttal
Haru: "Umm…wasn't it obvious?"
As she asserts the answer to this is difficult to acquire & it causes her to hesitate when speaking, the office woman holds up as she tries to articulate a response. "We didn't have enough time to interact" she points out before a counterpoint coming from her subconscious speaks up, "you had two years in that classroom to make conversation with him!" not looking to start a battle within her own mind she says the first thing that comes to mind
Haru: "He had…"
Slime Girl: "I can't believe this, Haru. You're spouting the same trout you spouted back in the Academy"
This Slime Girl steps a little closer & halts what Haru had to say by brashly commenting on the absurdity of this situation, even expressing her astonishment at Haru by shifting her head & talking with more animation in her face
Haru: "Well nothing could be added to the story since then, Fujima-kun was simply pining for another. There was nothing I could do"
Sensing the offense Haru retaliates with just as much energy as she directly faces this woman to defend herself, "I don't see what this woman is getting at, it was clear he wasn't keen on me" yet her mind speaks more aggressively & the truest form of her defense
Slime Girl: "But it's not like you were rejected though, you never confessed your feelings to begin with"
To that Haru freezes once again
Haru: *frowns & turns away*
Without a reply, all she does is looks away in frustration & glance at the aisle to her left. As her eyes skim the bottles of alcohol she ponders, "it's all in the past now, Anton is no longer in my life"
Haru: "What difference would it have made?"
She whispers to herself as if justifying her past decision to let go of him, "he wouldn't have thought of me in that way so why lose sleep over it?". Once she muttered that a pool of silence fell between the both of them, with Haru in a guarded stance facing down to identify her beer of choice & the woman standing in front trying to reach out to her with words
Slime Girl: "Well whatever happened, you don't need to repeat it with Kiichi-kun"
Haru's gaze went up as soon as she heard that name, "Kiichi-kun?" she recites in her head while a new portrait enters the view of her mind's eye. He's freshly cut black hair, strong jawline, those chestnut brown eyes, kissable lips & the build of a Roman statue. The mood of this office woman changed as the image of him strolling through the corridors & interacting with colleagues at work fill her mind. "If only he would talk to me more often" she thinks while harkening back to that one lunch break in the café, he sat across the table but on the left side however many conversations between them. "I just wish I remembered what he was saying" laughing away in her head as the sound of his pleasurable voice & sweet lips as he talked, "it must have been something mundane if I cannot remember whatsoever". With all that Haru gained the courage to speak up
Haru: "He is one elegant fellow"
She mentions to the Slime Girl with a whimsical smile while leaving room for one thought to pop up
Haru: "But I don't know what his personality is like"
Her cheeks redden as she lets out this thought, taking her arms upward she lightly slaps her glowing cheeks & furrows her brows in resentment to her unusual release of emotion
Slime Girl: *Giggles* "That makes him a good candidate to be your second chance"
The woman cheerfully adds, covering her giggling mouth with her right hand before taking a few steps back to reach the dark wine red handles of her shopping cart. Just before she grabs onto it with her left hand she turns her torso, angling it left in order to face Haru with one final confectionary to sprinkle onto the conversation
Slime Girl: "I believe in you Haru, you're an amazing person. You certainly helped me in the past"
She affirms, radiating a comforting beam with fluttering eyes to Haru who watches on with raised eyebrows & relaxed lips as she wonders "Again how!? Please tell me who you are!". Once the woman gives her last words of solace she grasps the handlebar with both her hands & places herself behind her full cart
Slime Girl: "So what drink are you picking?"
This question jumps Haru out of her subtle brain moment & puts her back onto the path for booze, she breaks out of her ridged frame & begins to look left at the selection of beers
Haru: "Oh…Umm…this beer"
In a period of indecisiveness, a grey can with a rufous red circular badge caught her eye so within an instant she extends her arm to grab it & display the logo to this woman who raises her eyebrows at the sight of Haru presenting this liquor
Slime Girl: "Wow! I didn't know you were into Lager"
For once, hearing this woman get a detail about her wrong. She squints somewhat before pulling the beer can back & placing it in her average sized cart
Haru: "I've always liked Lager"
She calmly reveals after gently placing the can
Slime Girl: "Well this is news to me"
Shrugging her shoulders before turning her cart out & casually walking to Haru's side
Slime Girl: "Anyway I should let you go for now, catch you next time"
She says as she gets closer with Haru's eyes tracing her movement & grinning
Haru: "I should too, my break should be over soon so I must get back into the office. Bye now"
She says, ending their interaction with a soft wave while she takes off from her fixed position & heads into another aisle. All the while giving some final thoughts to that interaction, "she was nice, joyful & uplifting but she certainly knows how to take up your time" once she reaches that conclusion the fuse of time burns bright as her break greatly nears its end