Arjun stood frozen in place, cursing his luck and regretting his decision to come to the mall today. His hands were sweaty, and his body trembling.
"Shit!" he muttered under his breath.
What he had been intentionally avoiding for days was now happening twice in one day. He had planned to be an extra in the academy and have minimum interactions with the main characters of the novel. He didn't want his presence to alter the storyline.
But today, the opposite was happening. First, he had bumped into Ron and Mela. Somehow managing to escape from them, he now found himself in trouble with another character.
He never anticipated meeting the main characters and engaging with them today.
"Excuse me! Are you okay?" a voice interrupted Arjun's thoughts.
Arjun, still frozen in place, turned and see Kusu looking at him with her innocent pink eyes. Her eyes sparkled, and her silky pink hair shone beautifully. She was dressed casually in expensive-looking clothes like black jeans and a pink top adorned with accessories like necklaces, a watch, and a hairpin.
Everyone passing by couldn't resist stealing glances at Kusu every few seconds. It was evident that she was popular, her beauty rivaling the top beauties of the academy. Her innocent demeanor only added to her charm.
"Um... yes... I'm okay! How can I help you?" Arjun managed to respond, his voice polite despite the sweaty palms and trembling body.
Arjun snapped out of his daze and engaged in a conversation with Kusu, maintaining a calm exterior while his mind was in chaos, desperately wanting to escape the situation.
"I'm looking for my friends. Have you seen a person with dark blue hair and a girl with orange hair?" Kusu inquired, hoping Arjun might have crossed paths with them.
Arjun smiled politely and gestured to his left, pointing in the direction he had seen Ron and Mela earlier. "I saw them over there in a store about ten minutes ago. If you go now, you'll probably find your friends near that store."
Thanking him, Kusu bowed politely for a few seconds before turning and walking in the direction Arjun had indicated. Arjun stood there for a few moments, taking a deep breath and sighing in relief once Kusu was out of sight.
"Why are all the characters from the novel appearing at this mall today?" Arjun wondered aloud, unaware that their presence was connected to him. Ignorant of the underlying reason, he continued walking through the mall, contemplating the idea of taking a break and finding some rest.
(Ron's Point of View)
Ron walked alongside Mela on the footpath, lost in thought. He absentmindedly touched his chin with his right hand while the other remained in his pocket.
"Arjun... where have I heard that name before?" Ron pondered, his mind consumed by thoughts.
Caught up in his thoughts, Ron failed to register Mela's continuous chatter. Noticing of his distraction, Mela called out to him.
"Ron!"
Startled, Ron snapped out of his reverie and looked at Mela, who wore an annoyed expression, glaring at him.
"Huh? What?" Ron replied, his attention finally returning to the present moment.
Mela's annoyance evident, she asked, "Were you even listening to me? I was saying that we should go and find Kusu. She must be worried about us since we left her at the clothing store."
"Oh... I completely forgot about that. I wonder what she's been doing since we left," Ron admitted. While Kusu had been trying on clothes in the store, Ron took the opportunity to slip away.
"I'm right behind you."
A voice interrupted their conversation, and both Ron and Mela turned around, surprised to find Kusu standing there.
"Ah! Kusu, we found you. We were worried and looking for you," Ron quickly lied, hoping to ease the tension.
Kusu listened to his words, her smile carrying a hint of anger and other concealed emotions. Ron, realizing her smile wasn't entirely friendly, awkwardly smiled back and apologized.
"I'm sorry," he said, acknowledging his actions of leaving her behind while she was changing. Kusu sighed at his apology and turned her attention to Mela, who had remained quiet throughout the encounter.
Addressing Mela, Kusu smiled and said, "I didn't expect you to do the same, Mela."
Mela, taken aback by Kusu's smile, awkwardly smiled back and apologized as well.
"I'm sorry too," Mela replied, her face reflecting remorse.
With their apologies exchanged, Kusu's face returned to its usual happy expression.
"Now that we're together again, let's go to another store," Kusu suggested, grabbing both their hands and leading the way. Ron and Mela wore horrified expression.
* * *
Arjun sat on a bench, enjoying an ice cream in the open space of the first floor while watching the news. Ever since he arrived in this world, he made it a habit to watch the news daily, seeking extra information and knowledge about his new surroundings.
As he focused on the news, his attention was abruptly pulled away by a familiar voice.
"Arjun!"
It was his friend, Frey, who approached him carrying numerous paper bags. Frey's tired expression and the burden of the bags were evident as he made his way toward Arjun.
"You traitor! I had to carry all the shopping bags because you disappeared," he grumbled, his voice tinged with fatigue and a hint of anger. Frey placed the bags on the bench where Arjun sat and took a seat beside him.
"Chill, Frey. Take it, have some ice cream," Arjun said, opening the untouched ice cream he had planned to eat earlier and offering it to Frey. Frey accepted the ice cream, gazing at Arjun for a few seconds with a glare.
"Hmm," Frey responded, his gaze shifting from Arjun to the ice cream as he started to eat it, a smile forming on his face.
After relaxing for a while, both Arjun and Frey began to talk.
"But where is Donn?" Arjun inquired.
"I don't know. I left him behind when I spotted you here," Donn replied, continuing to enjoy his ice cream. Arjun looked at Donn with a perplexed expression, sighing in response.
"Sigh... let's go. We should find Donn and help him. I don't know what might happen to him otherwise," Arjun suggested, standing up and picking up half of the bags. He then proceeded to drag Frey along, holding his hand as they began searching for Donn within the mall.
After some time of searching, they discovered Donn and Sela outside, sitting on a bench. Sela was calmly seated while Donn rested his head on her lap.
As Arjun and Frey approached them, Sela noticed their presence and addressed them.
"Arjun, Frey! Where did you go?" she asked, her tone devoid of anger as she spoke to them in a normal manner. Arjun and Frey breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Sela wasn't upset with them.
However, Donn's reaction was quite different. Spotting their arrival, he swiftly stood up and started running toward them with an angry expression.
"Where were you, traitors!" Donn exclaimed, his face filled with anger as he closed the distance between them. Witnessing Donn's ire and his rapid approach, both Arjun and Frey instinctively started running away from him.