Chereads / Darkness Adore / Chapter 4 - Journey of Curiosity: Mystic Emporium and the Laughter of Friendship

Chapter 4 - Journey of Curiosity: Mystic Emporium and the Laughter of Friendship

Ken couldn't shake off his curiosity about the "Mystic Emporium" that Shin had mentioned. It intrigued him, the name itself conjuring images of mystical artifacts and hidden wonders.

"Yo, what's up with Mystic Emporium?" Ken asked, a mischievous grin on his face. "Sounds like some mystical bull or something. "Dont tell me you're on fantasy now?".

Shin rolled his eyes playfully. "Nah, it's just a store, Ken. An antique store, to be precise. But it's been bothering me lately, this really stressing me out, and I wanna check it out."

Ken, ever the joker, chuckled and shook his head, teasing Shin about his perpetual state of stress. To Ken, it was just another day of light-hearted banter between friends. But Shin, seeking a moment of seriousness, gave Ken a pointed look, hoping for a deeper understanding.

"Dude, you're always stressed out. You need to chill. Anyway, are you gonna change? 'Cause if I were you, I'd do it like right now, like ASAP."

"What do you mean?" Shin replied, confusion evident on his face.

As the conversation shifted to their substitute teacher, Shin's confusion grew. He couldn't comprehend why Ken was more interested in discussing the teacher's appearance than delving into the mysteries of the "Mystic Emporium." Ken, always the one to inject humor into any situation, couldn't resist poking fun at Shin's forgetfulness regarding their subject, much to Shin's chagrin.

"Haha! You always skip class, man. You can't even remember our subject. LOL, it's PE time, bro," Ken teased, mocking Shin's forgetfulness.

Shin gave Ken a serious look. "Come on, man, can you just be serious for once? And by the way, why do you look like Coach Johnson is gonna be mad at you or?"

Ken smirked and shrugged. "Well, well, well, you're talking like you know everything, but you can't even make it to class on time. But guess what? Coach Johnson's not here today. We got a substitute, man."

Shin let out a dismissive grunt. "Yeah, yeah, whatever," rollin' his eyes. "I'm 'bout to change my clothes now." But as they strolled away, Shin's mind kept getting tangled up in thoughts 'bout that mysterious store.

"I'ma find you later, 'Mystic Emporium,'" Shin whispered under his breath. While he switched up his clothes, he couldn't hold back from spilling' the deets to Ken. 'The store chillin' in some forgotten nook of the city, straight up messing with my curiosity.

"Yo, I'm definitely on the hunt," Ken chimed in.

Then Shin dove into the strange sword with the freaking talisman.

"Hell yeah, you're all about that fantasy stuff, ain't ya?" Ken smirked, knowing he was onto something.

"And then there was that voice.. this strange voice transporting me to some dark realm where there's no way out".

"Damn, you serious? That's some haunted shit," Ken interjected, eyebrows raisin' in disbelief.

"And there's this colossal eyeball just gazing me, it's like piercing my soul, blinking all slow-like. And with each blink, gusts of wind start whipping' around me, making me feel tinier than a damn speck".

"No way, bro! That's gotta be real," Ken exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement.

"I ain't playing', Ken. Dead serious," Shin shot back, his face showing all the fear and sweat that came with his tale.

"Dude, that sounds like one hell of a terrifying experience," Ken said, a mix of concern and a sly smirk playing on his face. "You sweating buckets just recounting it. But hey, if you go tell that story to a hundred people, not a single soul's gonna buy it."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Shin replied, catching his breath. "Almost done, man. Let's bounce before we embarrass ourselves more by being late for that substitute teacher."

As they made their way to the gymnasium for their PE class, Shin continued to be lost in his thoughts. Ken, noticing this, decided to show his concern by slapping Shin hard on the back.

(Ken slapping Shin's back) "You good?"

(Shin who's wincing in pain)"Awwwww, seriously? You slap me so hard on the back and then ask if I'm good?" (Shin reaches back, rubbing his sore spot with his hand while bending down slightly)

"I mean, I was just checking on you. You seemed so lost in your thoughts. Maybe that slap helped you snap out of it. Don't worry, it was just out of concern."

Shin still rubbing his back "Thank you, I guess." (Shin's face shows a mix of annoyance and surprise) "Let's just go to the gymnasium for PE class now."

In an oddly lively yet unsettling manner, Ken couldn't help but be intrigued by Shin's mention of the "Mystic Emporium." But instead of sharing his thoughts about the store, Ken decided to divert the conversation.

"Hey Shin, let's take a guess on how our substitute teacher looks. I bet she's going to be incredibly attractive." He whispered.

Shin pausing for a moment, looking puzzled "Well, beats me, Ken. I honestly have no idea".

While Ken's mind buzzed with curiosity about the mysterious emporium, he chose to keep his thoughts to himself, opting to lighten the mood by pondering the appearance of their substitute teacher as they continue their way to the gymnasium for there pe class.