Part I: The Problem

Sakura sighed as she folded the store catalogue and placed it on the continuously growing pile of costume catalogues that hadn't passed her expectations.

Honestly, why was finding a decent costume so hard? If they weren't all fluttery, cliché, over-used, plain, boring, or made to make the wearer look like a hooker, then her life would be much easier.

But sadly, that wasn't the case.

She sighed again and looked out her window, resting her chin on her hand, elbow on the table, as she gazed at her neighbourhood preparing for Halloween with a mug of hot chocolate in her hand. Halloween was her favourite holiday of the year. What was there to not like? One gets to dress up as whatever one liked, no matter how loud, strange, fancy, or outrageous the get up was. In fact, the weirder the better. Plus it was so endearing to see all the children dressing up and get so hyped up. They were adorable! And people just had so much fun, playing around, waving away stress, joking and partying. Plus the candy! Who didn't like candy? Well, Sasuke Uchiha, her childhood friend and Mr. Popularity extraordinaire, didn't, but he was on his own on that front.

She sighed for the third time that morning. Yes, Sakura loved Halloween and everything that came with it, but her problem with the holiday was the same every year: finding a costume. As aforementioned, if they didn't make her look like a hooker, or a kid high on sugar, then she'd be a happy girl. For her to enjoy her costume, the costume had to match her in some aspect. Call her picky, but wearing just any old thing from the back of her grandmother's closet just wasn't her cup of tea. To her great chagrin, it seemed that every year there was less and less selection. It's like humanity is losing its creativity; which she found very hard to believe seeing what humanity is capable of.

To make matters worse, Ino Yamanaka, her best girlfriend since elementary school, had proudly announced that she was hosting the biggest Halloween bash of town in her humble (cough, expensive, cough) home (mansion, cough, cough). And Sakura, as her best friend, wasn't just expected to show up – she was also expected to wear a mind-blowing costume to make her diva of a friend proud.

The worst part of it was that she'd had a month to find something. The month was up at ten o'clock, tonight. It was finally Halloween. She had less than eight hours to find something, lest she found herself hanged by her blonde friend by morning. That is, if her ears survive the screeching and guilt-tripping the blonde was sure to submit her to is she didn't come up with something and pronto.

Sakura groaned just thinking about it. That just complicated matters. Just as she decided to leaf through the numerous catalogues advertising costumes all over again, just to make sure she hadn't overlooked anything (which she was sure she hadn't), and thinking that perhaps she'd really just have to settle for anything this year and hope Ino would someday forgive (and spare) her, her phone rang.

Surprised at getting a call in the morning, since she knew most of her friends were either sleeping in or working despite it being the weekend, she took a quick sip of her hot chocolate and answered. "Hello?"

"Sakura-chan!"

"Hey, Naruto," Sakura answered with a surprised smile. Naruto Uzumaki, along with Sasuke Uchiha, was an old childhood friend, even older and closer to her than Ino, and was one who loved sleeping until noon, so hearing from him in the morning caught her off guard. "What's up?"

"Have you bought your costume yet?"

"`Fraid not, Naruto. You know how it is."

"Yeah, yeah. Every year it's the same story. 'These look like they belong in some pervert's wet dream!' or 'this makes me look like a deranged rat,' or 'that's gross!'" he whined, trying to mimic Sakura's voice by getting it a few pitches higher. "And with Ino's Halloween party, the pressure's on, no doubt."

"Oh, shut up, Naruto," Sakura said without any real heat, rolling her eyes. Knowing each other for as long as they did, Naruto of course knew of her Halloween costume struggles. He had made a habit of teasing her about it, and she didn't mind so long as he knew when to quit.

"Are you sure? Because there's a brand new costume shop in town, and I hear they have some pretty amazing costumes. That's why I called, to see if you wanted to go see if we could find some costumes together, but since I can't talk to you I guess I'll go all by my lonesome…" he sighed the last part dramatically, and Sakura rolled her eyes once again at her friend, but smiled nonetheless. He was a clown, that's for sure, but he sure knew how to get her spirits up.

"Alright, alright. I take that back, Naruto. Please proceed speaking like you always do."

"I don't know, Sakura-chan, being told to shut up really hurt my feelings." She snorted. As if. The boy was hard to hurt in any way, shape, or form; including his sense of humour which she knew he was using to his advantage.

"I'll buy you a week's supply of ramen," she bribed him, knowing fully well about his strange fixation on the Japanese food after her grandmother, who was Japanese, had served it one day when he was at her house when they were children. He was never the same again.

"As I was saying, the store's called 'Akatsuki,' which I guess is Japanese for 'sun' or something," Naruto said, his voice cheerful through the receiver.

"It means 'dawn,' Naruto."

"Pssh, same thing. It involves the sun. Anyway, the store has costumes from all over the world! Europe, Americas, Asia, Africa, Australia… everywhere! Plus, they guarantee that if you can't find a costume there, they'll tailor one just for you at half the price, including make up and accessories!" He sounded as exited about the place as a kid that was going to Disneyworld for the first time. It was hard to not get infected by his optimism, and at his words, Sakura felt a flutter of eagerness in her chest.

"Really?! Are you sure, Naruto?" she asked him intently. Maybe her prayers were going to be answered with this new shop. After all, if for some bizarre reason she couldn't find a single costume in the seas of costumes they apparently had, then she'd get one custom-made, with everything she'd ever need for the costume all but handed to her in a silver platter. And if she was really super lucky, they can have it done on time for Ino's party. She might arrive a little late, but that's better than not arriving at all. Either way, she was sure to get the perfect costume. It was a win-win situation.

"I'm absolutely, positively sure, Sakura-chan! Plus, the bastard says that if you go, he'll go too."

Sakura froze at his words. The "bastard" was Naruto's nickname for Sasuke. When they'd first met they didn't exactly get along, but after spending years together, their rivalry had morphed into a strong brother-like friendship. Hell, who is she kidding, they were best friends! It's just that the nicknames they'd dubbed each other in the time when they didn't really like one another never really faded away.

Sakura liked to think it was because of her that they became friends. After all, when they were kids, Sasuke's antisocial, cold personality scared away the other kids (even if they all secretly admired him), and Naruto was too much of a prankster that the other kids found him annoying. Sakura had somehow managed to befriend them both, and they realized that if they made her choose one over the other then they'd be hurting her. So they silently agreed to tolerate each other's presence to keep her happy. Eventually they came to consider each other friends, though to this day, they have yet to admit it. Boys.

Sakura suppressed a laugh, returning from her little trip down memory lane. Sasuke was never really one to dress up. He was the serious, calculating, silent type. He only ever participated in such festivities because of her (plus plenty of pestering from others, family included). So if he went along with her and Naruto, then maybe they could coax him to buy a costume that wasn't a tux and a mask like he'd been every other year thus far. She delighted at the thought.

"Pick me up in one hour," she said and hung up. She had to get ready, and her wallet warmed up.

~X~

"Where did you say this place was again?" she asked Naruto for the fifth time, impatiently.

"I told you, it was supposed to be right across Old Man Sarutobi's shop!" the blonde defended himself.

"We looked around the whole place, idiot," Sasuke, who was sitting comfortably in the back of Naruto's old car, said monotonously. "It's not there."

"I know it's not there!" Naruto snapped, swivelling his head to glare at his friend.

"Eyes on the road, Naruto!" Sakura screeched. Naruto immediately did as she said, but the scowl never left his face.

"Well, you guys saw the advertisement with the directions clearly printed in them. You know that's where the godforsaken shop is supposed to be!" he growled, frustrated. Sakura felt a little bad for him, so she patted his shoulder consolingly.

"Well, what are you saying? That the shop just grew legs and walked off?" Sasuke asked sarcastically, still as stoic as before. And as stoic as he's always been, really. Sakura marvelled, not for the first time, that such polar opposites could be so close.

"Well, why not? It is Halloween, after all. You know, magic and spirits and all that." Sasuke snorted, unconvinced.

"As if."

"You know what, I'm just going to ask someone for directions," Sakura huffed, rolling down her window to peer out to see if there was anyone around.

"Aw, Sakura-chan, there's no need for that," Naruto pouted, but slowed down the car nonetheless.

"Hn. I agree," Sasuke said.

Sakura raised her eyebrow at them, a teasing smile on her lips. "Honestly, what is it with you men and asking for directions?"

"Well, for starters, we have the directions," Naruto mumbled moodily as he parked his car by the curb. Sakura ignored him and the equally moody albeit silent Sasuke, and got out of the car, closing the door behind her. She looked around the street for a second before she saw a red-headed man walking in their direction, carrying a small bag over his shoulder. She smiled. Maybe he'd know where the Akatsuki shop is.

"Excuse me," she called to the man as she made her way over. The man looked up at her, looking bored and unsurprised. His eyes were light brown, almost dark amber, and Sakura wondered for a split second if they were natural or coloured contacts.

"Yes?" the man, who really was a young adult, barely out of his teens, inquired politely.

"Hi, um, my friends and I were wondering if you would happen to know where the Akatsuki costume shop was," she said. He looked at her for a second before lazily trailing his eyes over her shoulder at the two faces staring intently at him from within a horrid rusty-orange car. He looked back down at her, and was taken aback by her hopeful expression, although he didn't show it.

"Ah. Akatsuki, yes. I know where it is," he said, his voice soft and eloquent. Her face immediately brightened.

"That's great!" she gushed. "Could you please tell us?" He tilted his head a fraction of an inch, as if contemplating on whether telling her or not, before a tiny, playful smirk made its way onto his face.

"Sure, doll. Go back right up the street, turn left, keep going for two blocks, and turn right. The store is practically that entire block, you can't miss it," he said, gesturing his directions with his hand.

Sakura smiled politely and thanked the man before turning around and taking her seat beside Naruto. They'd already been on that street and there'd be nothing there. How odd that that was where the young man had directed them to.

"So, what'd the dude say?" Naruto asked her. She shrugged and told them the man's directions. Naruto scrunched up his nose, looking unconvinced as he pouted, just as he tended to do when he couldn't wrap his mind around something. "But we've already been there!"

"Hn," Sasuke agreed from the backseat. Sakura shrugged her shoulders.

"I know, but really, what can it hurt to look again? The worst that can happen is that we'll lose ten more minutes of our time," she said. Naruto and Sasuke shared an unconvinced look but agreed, and Naruto started up his car again, manoeuvring it to follow the strange man's instructions.

~X~

"What. The. Hell?!" Naruto gasped in awe after he'd parked his car.

"Hn," Sasuke said, but even his one simple syllable sounded baffled. Sakura didn't say anything, and just sat open-mouthed at the building they were parked in front of.

"Where the hell did this place come from?! There was nothing there twenty minutes ago! Nothing!" Naruto ranted, slightly freaked out. Sasuke and Sakura shared a look, her eyes open wide in bewilderment while Sasuke's face paled slightly, his lips parted ever so slightly in shock. This was seriously disconcerting.

There, just as the red-headed stranger had said, was an amazingly beautiful gothic building, six stories tall, and nearly the entire block wide. It was painted entirely in black, with black stones and fences, and red curtains covering the inside of the tall-as-a-man windows. The sixth floor, the penthouse, was smaller than the rest of the building, with a few small windows decorating the dark walls. Above the largest door, centred perfectly in the structure, was a sign that read

AKATSUKI

WORLD'S BEST COSTUME SHOP

ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK

"Well, I'll be damned," Sakura whispered. "Either we're all blind as bats, we're all very stupid, we're all trapped in some alternate reality-slash-dream, or this building literally just poofed into existence."

"See, I told you, bastard! Halloween is the time of witchcraft and the supernatural!" Naruto turned on his seat to gloat at Sasuke, who looked at him with slight irritation.

"Hn."

"Yeah, that's right. That's what I thought," the blonde laughed as he turned back around, having won some silent bet against the brooding teen.

Sakura looked at the building for a moment longer before turning towards her friends. "So," she said. "You guys ready to go?"

The boys nodded and they all got out of the car, walking together towards the entrance of the shop. Sakura hesitated for a second. She'd noticed that the usually busy street was deserted, save for themselves, and that they were the only car parked in the shop's parking lot despite it being midday. It was very unusual, and a little eerie.

She shook her head and placed her paranoia in the back of her mind. It was a costume shop, for crying out loud. What was there to be paranoid about?

So she hooked her arms around those of her two friends and in the three went.

Part II: The Shop of Solutions

The inside of the store was lighted with soft, almost dreamy light, and it took a few seconds for the eyes of the three friends to adjust to the change of brightness. Naruto, being the impatient dummy he tended to be, wandered into the shop half-blind; almost immediately crashing into a mannequin dressed like an Italian nobleman from the Middle Ages.

"Naruto!" Sakura hissed, helping him up. "Be careful, you idiot!"

"Heheh. Sorry about that," he grinned sheepishly.

"Welcome," a voice greeted the three from behind the blonde boy, causing said boy to let out a shriek in a pitch that would've made an opera singer jealous, jumping into Sakura's arms thus mimicking to perfection a scene from Scooby-Doo. The only difference was that Sakura shot him a glare and abruptly dropped him even though she was more than strong enough to hold his weight.

"Ow! Sakura-chan, that was so mean!" Naruto whined as he rubbed his behind with a pout. Both she and Sasuke merely rolled their eyes at him and turned to look at the stranger who had greeted them.

"Excuse this idiot," Sasuke smoothly said to the man who'd spoken, "but he's just an idiot."

"You just called me an idiot – twice! In the same sentence!" Naruto protested, jumping to his feet with all signs of pain gone. Sakura, sensing a showdown coming on, quickly stepped between her two friends and shot them warning looks.

"You know what? You're both idiots; now shut up and stop arguing," she said. Naruto and Sasuke gulped. While her words had been simple enough, her eyes conveyed the hidden threat in them. They both knew from years of experience that if she was forced into making a threat, she always carried it through.

Painfully.

"No, no," the stranger, who turned out to be a young man in his early to mid twenties from what she could tell, replied with a slight bow in their direction. "It was my fault for startling him so. Please, do not blame him for my mistake. I concede that perhaps I did catch him off guard; however unintentional that may have been."

What eloquent speech, Sakura thought to herself but gave him a complacent smile. "It's alright, no harm done, mister…?"

"Pein, miss," the man offered, raising his bowed head so his eyes met hers. She choked back a gasp. His eyes were like none she'd ever seen, or even heard of, before. They were composed of grey rings with a tiny pupil in the centre, each ring surrounding the previous one, making his eyes look like hypnotic bull's eyes. The rings extended from the centre of his pupil all the way to the outside corners of his eyes. He stepped forward then, perfectly composed, yet his eyes remained unwavering from hers, and now Sakura could see him perfectly as he moved closer.

He had bright pumpkin-orange hair spiked up in all directions, and the little light that was available made several piercings that adorned his face and ears gleam wickedly. His attire was elegant yet very mundane: dark grey jeans with rips by the knees and seams, a few chains tied to his pockets, a black shirt with a red cloud on the centre, and a long black coat without any sleeves; the hems that once held them looking like they'd been ripped off, leaving behind uneven claw-like pieces of cloth that revealed two long, muscular arms which were folded pleasantly behind his back. The elegant part was the way he held himself, like a gentleman from the Victorian era who somehow found himself not only stuffed in modern rocker clothes, but perfectly comfortable in them too.

"Did you just say your name was Pain?" Naruto asked, bewildered.

The pierced man moved his eyes from Sakura's emerald-green ones to look at the rambunctious blonde and shook his head. "Not 'pain' with an A, meaning hurt. It's Pein, with an E. P-E-I-N. Pein."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Pein," Sakura said. "Am I right in assuming you work here?"

"Aa," he nodded. "I do. In fact, I own this shop."

"Really!" Sakura beamed, pleasantly surprised. "That's great! And that's quite an accomplishment, especially since you don't look much older than us. Plus this place is humongous! It can't be easy running it. Congratulations."

Pein nodded, accepting her praise with silence. "Thank you, miss. It's not easy, but I manage. Now, before we get any further off track, I am correct in assuming you all came here for Halloween costumes, yes?" Sakura and Naruto nodded enthusiastically, while Sasuke just stared at him with a tiny, almost imperceptible nod of his head, his lips pressed into a thin line. "Then permit me to assist you. Follow me."

Pein turned silently and walked further into the shop, leaving the three friends to stare at his back for a second before hurrying after him. All the while, Sasuke couldn't help but feel like he'd seen the mysterious man before, a long, long time ago.

~X~

Pein led them further into the shop, passing countless mannequins dressed in elaborate, very realistic costumes with shelves stacked to the ceiling with said costumes, and every now and again, some smaller, finer shelves would break the pattern by displaying jewellery and other accessories that complimented the costumes. There were hats of all sizes and colors, boas, tiaras, wands, necklaces of all colors and eras, with fake precious stones cut and placed in elegantly embroidered metal holder; there were shoes of all styles, purses, bags, earrings, rings, etcetera. It looked like whatever was ever needed for any costume was all gathered there.

As they walked along, Pein explained to them the system of his shop ("Your store has a system?" "Shh, Naruto! Of course it must have, running a place this big must need some kind of system to keep track of everything." "Oh, I knew that, Sakura-chan!"). It was amazing how he was able to make his way around the labyrinth of merchandise, but then again, Sakura mused, after working here for years he must have learned to.

"My shop, as you've no doubt noticed, is not only very wide, but also very tall. Six stories tall, in fact, if you count the main one which we're in right now," Pein said. "Each floor has a different theme in which it specializes in. This system was set up because we have so many costumes it was just simpler to categorize them based on their theme and have a specific section for each. But again, like I said, we have so many that we couldn't fit them all in one floor, so we had to build more to accommodate them all."

"You mean all six stories of this place are packed with costumes just like this?" Naruto wondered, amazed as he evaded stepping on what looked like a big fat crow with red eyes. He shivered and kept walking. That was creepy.

"Yes," Pein answered. "The only exception to the system is the main floor. We have samples of costumes from the rest of the other floors so our patrons do not have to go all the way to the top. Most of our patrons are happy with what they find here, but if for some reason they are not, or if they already have a specific type in mind, a broader selection is always available upstairs."

Sakura let out a low whistle. "That's… That's pretty amazing."

"Indeed." Pein stopped them in the heart of the shop, a wide circle empty space with a few seats of velvet cushion spread about the empty space. The shelves around them made several entrances and exits, each zigzagging around the other, each so different yet so exactly the same as the others that Sakura and her friends were at a loss. They weren't so sure they could find their way back; the place, though neat to a fault, was just so confusing it was like being in a house of mirrors.

"This is the center of the shop," Pein said, turning to them. "Every floor will have a center of open space just like this one so our patrons can take a break after they try on their costumes, or as they wait for their aids to retrieve an item. Please fell free to use it to your convenience."

Naruto whooped for joy as he dove towards a love seat that looked oh-so-comfortable, and sighed in contentment as the cushions felt just as soft as they looked. "This is so nice!" he exclaimed. Sakura just shook her head at him before turning back to Pein, only to find his ringed eyes fixed on her already. She shuffled her feet awkwardly.

"Um, Pein, how would we find our way back? I'm sure it's not as complicated as it looks, but this is our first time here and all of these shelves are a bit confusing," she said. And intimidating, she added silently.

Pein continued to look at her in silence for a heartbeat before answering in his eloquent speech. "I assure you that there's nothing to worry about; although I can understand how intimidating this can be for first-time visitors. If you get lost, simply call out for some help. Someone in the staff will go fetch you and guide you to where you wish to go. As well, if you need help with anything else, such as reaching for an item that is too high, finding a specific size, or anything of the like, please feel free to call any one of us. That is what we are here for."

"A-ah, I see. Thank you," she said, looking around nervously. Why was Pein looking so intently at her? Sasuke, sensing her discomfort broke his silence and claimed Pein's attention.

"How do we identify the workers?" the brooding teen asked.

"Everyone who is employed here will be wearing the store's logo, like me," Pein pointed to his shirt, specifically at the red cloud smack on the center of his chest. "The black background and red cloud are the logo of the shop. Anyone wearing the logo, or in costume, is employed here and will be able to assist you."

"Hn. Thank you, then." The blatant dismissal was obvious in Sasuke's voice, and Sakura narrowed her eyes at his rudeness but Pein didn't bat an eye, as he merely inclined his head and turned, leaving the three friends by themselves.

"I hope you all find what you're looking for. I'll be within earshot if anything should… arise," were his last words before he was swallowed by the darkness of the shop.

~X~

"Okay, do you guys have any idea what you're looking for?" Sakura asked the boys as they all sat around comfortably on the chairs of the little lounge. They had decided to sit for the time being while they got used to being inside the store.

"Hn. Not really," Sasuke asked with a shrug. "I still don't see why I can't go with the same costume as last year."

"Because Ino would murder you, bastard," Naruto answered him. "Besides, you've worn the same costume for like what? A thousand years? Bo-ring!" He sat up straight, pointing at himself proudly with his thumb and grinning widely. "I, on the other hand, have decided with all my awesomeness that I'm going as a wild animal!"

Sasuke smirked at his friend. "Finally accepted your roots, idiot?" Naruto scowled at him, but didn't answer. Sakura, not wanting to have a sulking Naruto, spoke up.

"Why do you want to go as a wild animal, Naruto?"

Naruto returned his attention to her, grin back in place. "Because then I can show off my awesome six pack thanks to the barbarian clothes and the animal factor will make all the girls find me cute, so they'll be all over me." He smirked smugly and crossed his arms with a self-satisfied grunt and nodding at himself, pleased. "Oh yeah. I'm just that awesome."

"Tch. You're just that perverted."

"Shut up, you bastard! I never hear anything coming from you except for complaints!"

"At least I'm not thinking of going as an animal-themed stripper."

"Why, you son of a –"

"OKAY! Enough, you two!" Sakura cut in, chopping the air between the two males as if she was actually cutting the tension between them. Then, before either of them could react, she smacked them both upside the head, hard. "Stop acting like children! We're seniors, for crying out loud, practically adults! Start acting like it!"

"Owowow! Sakura-chan's so mean! You'll never get a boyfriend if all you can do is hit him!" Naruto whimpered as he rubbed the back of his head with both hands, looking very much like a kicked puppy.

"Tch. Violent women are highly unattractive," Sasuke agreed, holding the back of his head with one hand while glaring sourly at their pink-haired friend.

Sakura didn't answer, didn't make any move to smack them again for talking back, which was very uncommon for her. When Sasuke and Naruto noticed this abnormality, they cautiously looked at her. There was a heartbeat of silence as the three processed what the two males had said. And, two seconds of tense silence later, Sasuke's and Naruto's eyes snapped open in horror as they realized what they'd just said to their best friend.

Before either of them could say anything, Sakura spoke. "Well then," she said in such a dry voice that the boys felt their hair rise, "since I am such a mean, and violent woman who only ever hits others to the point where I am highly unattractive to the male sex, and therefore be alone for the rest of my life because I'll never get a boyfriend, I'll leave you two to find your costumes by yourselves while I go find mine, alone." Sasuke and Naruto wanted to say something, an apology, anything, but the steel in her voice and the venomous look she was giving them left no room for argument. The damage was done.

After letting them squirm uncomfortably under her icy glare for a second longer, Sakura turned on her heel and marched with her head held high in a random direction, with her final instructions being to call her when they find a costume, and that they'd better find one within the hour or else.

A minute or so after her footsteps had disappeared, a very tense, very guilty pair of friends looked at each other. They were both so ashamed of themselves; they knew the bitter past of Sakura's amorous relationships and they just had to go and stick their foot in their mouth.

"It's all your fault, you bastard! How could you tell her that?!"

"Me? I'm not the one who told her she'd never get a boyfriend!"

"Ugh! You know what, never mind. We sure are quite the pair of idiots, aren't we?"

"Hn."

"Some friends we turned out to be."

"Hn."

"Yeah, I agree."

"…"

"…"

"…so have you thought of what animal you wanted to dress up as?"

"…I was thinking maybe a fox, because they're so cool. You thought of anything yet?"

"Maybe I'll dress up like someone from Assassin's Creed, if they have a costume."

"Yeah, I can see you in that. Better be prepared for your fangirls, though."

"Do not joke about that. Alright, what's something that won't attract as much attention?"

"How about dressing like the Tin Man from Oz?"

"Why?"

"You know, `cause you're so heartless and all."

"Shut up, you dolt."

"After you, bastard."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Say, Sasuke, didn't you notice anything weird about that Pein dude?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him in question.

"You, too?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. He looks a little familiar – like, I could've sworn I've seen him somewhere before, back when we were kids. But that face of his would be impossible to forget what with the hair, gazillion piercings and freaky ringed eyes."

"Hn. Yeah, I thought so, too." Pause. "Now that I think about it, I don't think I've seen him before, I know I've seen him before."

"But how? I can peg back the feeling of recognition like ten years back. We would've been what, seven?"

"Probably. And now that I think about it, this place is very odd too, even for a costume shop."

"This place gives me the creeps, honestly."

"Hn."

"Do you think Sakura'll be okay by herself here?"

"Probably."

"…"

"…"

"We should probably go find our costumes, then."

"Whatever."

The two friends got up and together headed in a random direction much like their female friend had done, but unlike her, they went so with caution and the uneasy feeling that something was not right with the place, or its owner.