Welcome back guys! Today we see what happens when grocery shopping turns into something more magical...or terrifying.


Hero Simulator

Chapter Eleven: Errands

After a week of playing hero, the weekend had finally arrived and Budo appreciated the temporary break from madness. He had successfully stopped Ayano's first attempt of murder and extended the life of Osana, though he didn't know for how long. He knew the brief period of relaxation wouldn't last because next week would require him to protect not one, but two students from potential death. Budo now had to keep his eyes glued on a bedridden Osana and a cooking fanatic who was constantly surrounded by dangerous kitchen utensils. The thought of such a task continued to beat at his mind as stress continued to take over.

The anxiety had only increased once he found the suspicious text glinting off the screen on his phone. This mysterious stranger knew about Ayano's secret and Budo's heroic actions. They may have been watching their movements all along, but who would do that? Only Budo should know of these things since he experienced the time reset. When he woke up after Ayano's arrest, he saw everyone carry on with their lives as if the murders never happened, because in this timeline they never did happen! No one else knew that time had reset because they never lived past the moment Budo had awaken. He thought he was the only person with this knowledge…did someone else experience the former timeline too?

The martial arts president groaned and rolled over on his side, his eyes gazing out his bedroom window. The afternoon sun had found its way into his room as its rays stretched across the floor and over to his bed. Though he was usually an early bird, he found the extra sleep necessary and a remedy to the fears consuming him. If it was his decision, he would have stayed in his bed all day but a higher authority thwarted his plans. The dark haired boy was startled by the sound of his door swinging open as his father stepped into his room.

"Alright, come on. This isn't like you, you know? If you're not going to do anything, I'll give you something to do." Budo's dad sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. "Here, your mom would appreciate it if you got the groceries. Doesn't that sound like a fun little quest on your day off?" He grinned and waved the paper over Budo's face as the boy sat up from his spot.

"No problem," Budo yawned and grabbed the paper, his eyes scanning over the ingredients for future meals.

"You know, if something's bothering you, you don't have to fight it alone." His father stated. Budo had heard this phrase many times before because he was the one who had said it to others. It was also something he wished he could tell Ayano.

He smiled at his father and stood up from his bed. "I know dad, there's nothing to worry about."

"At least nothing for you to worry about." He thought to himself and let out a sigh.

"Well, if you need anything, just let us know, alright? I can tell something is stressing you out because I know you. You have a knack for putting other people's problems before your own." He stood up from Budo's bed and headed over to the door frame, his body stopping for a quick second. "You're a good kid Budo, but even you deserve to be saved sometimes."

Budo glanced up at the door and allowed his father's words to soak in. After his father disappeared into the hall, Budo remained seated on his bed while his thoughts returned to his efforts. His mind was so set on saving others that his own needs were placed second. He didn't mind it; the thought of protecting his friends meant more to him then his own desires. But saving them was his desires…especially Ayano. What he was doing was his choice and the choice he wanted to make. It was his number one priority.

Yawning, he stood up from his bed and threw on a black T-shirt and jeans while thinking about the upcoming week. Though worry took a whack at his brain, he knew it couldn't stop him from his actions. He didn't care about the obstacles blocking his way, he would fight through them and get the job done. He had already thwarted the first murder attempt so he could take on anything. No one could stop him, not even the mysterious stranger on his phone. His heart was set on changing time. Everyone deserved another chance to live.

Before he headed out to gather the groceries, he paused in front of his dresser and carefully lifted his bandana in his palm. The white strip of fabric was more than a club accessory, but a symbol of his passions and strengths. He joined the martial arts club in order to defend the weak and fight for the truth, but there were other reasons that he kept buried within. The memories of his past began to seep into his thoughts and he tightened his grip around the bandana. He tried to keep those feelings to himself and use them as his motivation to fight, but there were times when he couldn't handle the chains of his burdens. Sometimes the people who protect the suffering were the ones who were strengthened by their suffering.

Budo's heroic persona masked the boy suffering inside…a boy haunted by his childhood and unrequited love. And now that time has passed, it was almost as if those memories were repeating themselves. Would Ayano just be another unrequited love? The thought made his fist clench tighter around the white fabric. He couldn't lose the girl that was healing his broken heart and he was slowly beginning to understand why.


Budo stepped through the market's doors with his mother's shopping list in his hand and began to hunt down the ingredients. He lifted a basket off the rack and made his way towards the produce section with his mind focused on getting the errands done as quickly as possible. He had more important things to worry about and he needed to keep his eye on Osana and Amai since they were still potential targets. His hands worked at piling up fruits and veggies into the basket until it was time to move on to the next aisle. Once he approached the meats section, he heard someone cussing to the right of him. He stopped in his tracks and turned to see the girl with a mountain of groceries stacked in her shopping cart.

"Dammit! Why do they have to make these recipes so complicated?" The dark haired girl mumbled under her breath as she pushed the massive cart towards another aisle. Budo recognized the long black ponytail and felt his heart pound against his chest. It was a mix of butterflies and fears fluttering within him and he knew the more he was around her, the more nervous he felt being near her. But the martial arts president would never back down from a challenge.

"Ayano?" He asked and reached for her shoulder, causing her to freeze in place. She turned around and met eyes with Budo, both relieved and disappointed that it wasn't her beloved Senpai. When she noticed him direct his attention over towards the cart stocked with mix-matched ingredients, she tried to block his gaze by leaning to the side.

"Oh, hey Budo." She stated with her body standing between him and her cart. Budo tilted his head past her and chuckled.

"So, whatcha got there?"

"Just shopping for some groceries." She darted back with a blank face.

"Some?" He laughed at the mountain resting behind her. She began to shift on her heels.

"I was just looking for stuff to pack my bento with…"

"You packing for an army?" He smiled and noticed her face beginning to redden. The shock of seeing her blush at his comment made him start to blush.

He tried to read her expression and could tell that something was bothering her but she was so hard to get through to. In the other timeline, whenever he attempted to get close to her, she instantly threw up her barriers in defense. It was a challenge, excavating his way to her heart and trying to chip away at the hardened shell surrounding her. He was determined he could do it.

"I'm stacking up on food…"

"Ah, to avoid too many shopping trips?"

"Yup, you got me." She sheepishly smiled and began to push her cart further down the aisle. "I see you got a pretty decent stack of food in your basket."

Budo paused and looked down at his own mini mountain of produce and the checklist his dad had given him. He rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled. "Yeah, I got tasked with grocery shopping today…otherwise I would have been working out…"

"Yeah right, you were sleeping like a log." His mind began to nag.

"Oh really?" She grinned and reached for some spices sitting on a nearby shelf. She held them up to her eyes and tried to compare and contrast the two while glancing down at her own grocery list. "I would have never expected you doing something like that."

Budo raised his brows. "Is that sarcasm I hear?"

She smiled and tossed one of the spices at the top of her pile. "Maybe."

Budo's eyes widened at her surprise remark and he almost felt giddy inside. Was her personality slowly beginning to soften? The two of them continued to walk down more aisles while Ayano picked away at the shelves and increased the size of her grocery haul.

"Did your parents send you off today too?" He asked and noticed her expression fade into blank stare. She sighed and leaned against the bar of her shopping cart.

"No, they're not home right now."

Budo swallowed, fearful he was leading their conversation into a touchy topic. He already knew a bit about her from the other timeline but they never talked about their parents before. Maybe this could be his chance to learn more about her distant personality, if she was willing to talk about it of course. He had burdens of his own to carry so he'd understand her decision either way.

"Oh…really…" He began, unsure of what to say. Ayano noticed his fidgety behavior and managed a faint smile in order to ease his discomfort.

"It's not as bad as it sounds," She grinned softly, "They're on a little trip…so I get the house to myself."

Budo nodded and cleared his throat. "Does it get lonely? Without them I mean…"

He felt sweat form on his forehead knowing he was pushing the boundaries but Ayano's expression remained unchanged. She simply sighed and continued to push her cart.

"Not at all. In fact, you wanna know a secret?"

Budo's face blushed. "Sure."

"I feel lonely even when they are home."

He felt her words tug at his heart, almost as if he could understand a part of her pain. It was the first time she had ever said anything like that to him and he wondered what other scars stained her mind. Her sentence alone could spawn off a thousand questions but he decided to end it right there. Being with her was like taking his first baby steps: it was a shaky process that required time and commitment. She was beginning to open up to him and he didn't want to rush her. He respected Ayano and her privacy, but he also wanted to be the one to save her from her battles. The day would come, and today was only the beginning.

"You know, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'll always be here to listen." He grinned and felt his heartbeat strengthen. She stared at him and smiled.

"So you'll always be here in the grocery store when I need someone to talk to?"

"That's not what I meant!"

"I know what you meant," She chuckled with an expression he always wished to see. It was a rare sight to see her cheerful about something other than Taro.

"Taro!" Budo's eyes widened as he glanced between her and her massive shopping cart. "Of course! That would explain the random assortment of her food mountain. It all rooted back to the bentos Amai and I made. I need to clarify this…"

"Hey Ayano?"

"Hmmm?" She grunted while trying to push her heavy cart forward.

"I was just wondering…don't you think you're buying way too much?" Budo almost wanted to bite his tongue back as his words floated in the air. Even though his intentions were good, commenting on someone's shopping or eating habits could lead to a bad outcome. He hoped she wouldn't think he was calling her fat of all things.

She stopped pushing her cart and eyed all of the products resting within her mound of food.

"Yes, I know..." She muttered and pulled out a long list from her pocket. "To be honest, I don't even know how to cook, at least nothing fancy."

She handed him the list and he recognized the assortment of dishes taped to the paper. She had cut out popular meals from magazines and taped their recipes onto her shopping list. The dishes ranged from breakfast to dessert, which explained why her products seemed out of place with each other. Even some recipes she got wrong and substituted the ingredients she couldn't find for uncomplimentary alternatives.

"You got a sudden itch for cooking?" He asked and handed the list back to her.

"I was actually thinking of joining the cooking club."

Budo's hairs stood on end as his predictions came true. This was her response to the incident on Friday and her opening for vengeance. Amai was the second victim to begin with and Budo only made things worse. Ayano would not only try to win Taro over with her cooking but finish off Amai during the process. He thought he could get a little break from last week's events but there was no rest for a hero. He had to change Ayano's mind before her plans became reality. He thought she already agreed to his club too!

"The cooking club does sound cool but I thought you said you were joining my club." Budo looked at her with soft eyes, his voice emulating hints of pain and disappointment.

She raised her brows almost as if she had completely forgotten all about their conversation last week. Their walk home in the rain became a precious memory to Budo but it proved to be a one-sided thought. She had clearly wiped that memory from her mind and looked at their walk as something less than special. It must have meant nothing to her.

"Oh, that's right, I did say I would join," She nodded and stared down at her mountain of food while thought overtook her. Budo's heart began to crumble inside of him but he wasn't going to let that stop him from his goals. In retaliation to her words, his mouth began to spew out unprocessed sentenced.

"I'm telling you, the martial arts club is very beneficial! It's the perfect way to achieve redemption and fight the bullies standing in your path. Hell, I can teach you moves that will make you invincible! No one will ever want to mess with you or risk trying to!"

He swallowed and felt his stomach twist in knots. Throughout his years at Akademi, he always explained his club to others with joy and confidence. He enjoyed stressing the importance of protecting the weak and building self-esteem, but when he spoke to her, he felt like he was promoting revenge. It sounded like redemption meant vengeance and that they fight to harm and not for defense. What scared him most was the expression forming on her face. She stepped away from the cart and nodded at him with an odd smile.

"I'm glad I ran into you today Budo! I can't wait for the first club meeting now."


Love can make you say things without a filter xD ANDDD we get to learn more about our hero...and hints from his past...I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please remember to review! I love all the plot suggestions from you guys and I hope to surprise you all as the story continues on! Until next time!