2 hours ago.

"Alright, I'm heading out!"

"Don't play around while you're shopping!"

"I know, I know, jeez."

Sakurako exits the house with the shopping bag stored away in a pocket of her four-pocket jacket. You might say that she forgot about the money. Well, thanks to her eldest sister's sensitive nature, she put the money inside the shopping bag before Sakurako took it from her. Of course, she knew she didn't have a small bag for wallet or even small appliances. She only stores her wallet away in the front pocket of her short green jeans after she puts the money in the wallet. The shopping list, some "borrowed" candies, a couple of writing tools, and a couple of plaster bandages are placed inside the pockets of her hoodie jacket.

The day is a bit dark, cloudy, and cold, just like what the forecast foretold. The breezy wind passes by and waves her wavy blonde hair. The wind did not penetrate the parachute hoodie except through the unzipped part of the jacket. The road is relatively in peace, with some pedestrians walking about through the neighborhood. Passing cars are almost absent on the road near her house.

Currently, Sakurako is making her way to Bakimura store suggested by Nadeshiko. That particular store is 10-15 minutes away from her house. Of course, that depends on how fast she walks. With the current upset look, she had, she might take her sweet time just to walk calmly. She feels so downed enough that she hid her head with her hoodie. She then hugs herself as she makes her way through the road.

She continues with her head bows down 30 degrees. Unconsciously pocketing her hands in her jacket without a second thought. Walking at this rate of speed might take her for about 15-20 minutes to the store. If she's cheerful should have taken her for less than 10 minutes to reach the store, which would involve more skipping and running instead of walking with a dismal look.

She wished that she could travel back to the past and try to change what she had done. But, of course, she knew that result would be even the same, probably no punishments but heavy chores. She proceeds to pull out her hands from the pockets and rests them behind her head. Blinking her eyes a few times to enjoy the wind splashing against her hooded face and progressively walking on as she ignores the people that are passing by her.

Sakurako hates her sisters, but she loves her sisters. It is a tad complex relationship issue for the jolly good girl since her sisters are her family. She dislikes her sisters because they are so strict and hard, but she loves her sisters because they helped her with something either simple or stupidly good on her part. The same can be applied to Himawari; the only difference is that they both became Tsunderes when they are together.

A couple of minutes have passed as she walks. She didn't bother on how far she gets now but noticed she's already in the other part of the city. It won't be much further ahead. She continues as she stretches her arms in the air, probably bored to do the shopping instead of her sisters. She might get all the fun if her sisters didn't tell her to do the chores.

She, by chance, walks pass a particular shop. It was a radio/TV shop on her left that particular store is known to play the modern/classical Japanese music for 24 hours. Sakurako didn't really bother to see what's the name of the shop even she passed that store a few times. She turns her head through the window of the shop and sees what's inside the shop. But then she halts her track for the moment. Something caught her attention.

A full TV fills half the wide of the window. The TV is currently showing the news that happens all around Japan, and sometimes out of Japan. There's one news that caught her attention and proceeded to watch and listen for the moment. She rarely hears news since she doesn't have any interest in it, but at least she hears one kind of news.

"There has been a small rise of crime in the Toyama region," the news stated, which made Sakurako raised a brow. "The governor of Toyama Prefecture has stated that there is a small rising of crime activities in a few numbers of cities. Especially in the city of Toyama, Namerikawa and Takaoka. These crimes include illegal gambling, smuggling, theft, arson, extortion, and other crimes committed by certain organized crime groups. The governor has pressured the mayors in Toyama prefecture to increase the safety and security for the people of Toyama Prefecture-"

Sakurako finds this broadcast very interesting for a girl who doesn't listen to the news. For all she knew, Japan is very much safe for everyone, even in Takaoka. There are no crimes ever heard of in these neighborhoods. Which means, thankfully for her, are still safe and sound.

She moves on her track; she doesn't want to wait longer than she should because she keeps listening to the news. She continues down the road without bats an eye again on the store she just left. She double-checks her personal effects and makes sure that the money, the bag, the wallet, and everything else are in place. No longer after that, she makes it down to the main road.

She recognized this road that well since she sometimes if not often travel here when with Himawari. She's feeling a bit better now after being quite for an indefinite amount of time. In fact, she's happy that she's away from her sisters. The only last thing she wants is for her sisters to keep pestering her while shopping. With the allotted time limit given by her sisters, she might want to stick around a bit longer.

A few minutes later, she reached the road where the said store is. She stops and proceeds to get across the road to the right through the zebra-cross. The store is not much further, just need to pass some small buildings beside her. In less than a minute, she sees the store.

The store is located precisely at the corner of the four-way intersection. It's a known big grocery corner-store, one of Oomuro's often visited store. When I say big, it's not only big but a bit wide. This store is a one-floor building with a vast parking lot around the left and back sides of the store. Most notably, there's a warehouse behind the store where they refill supplies when out of stock. She noticed that there are a few cars parked next to and behind the store, she guessed there are not many people shopping in the morning.

If she had paid attention, the exits of the store are only on the front and the back. Why she paid attention to that, she doesn't know herself.

Anyway, she proceeds to walk to the front entrance and enters. She didn't really bother much to pull down her hood, knowing what current mood she's having. Though she noticed a security camera facing the entrance, she thinks it's the CCTV is a bit old. She really didn't mind much, only bows her head down enough that the hood covers her darkened face. Despite that she visits here oftentimes, she doesn't recognize either the cashier or the owner of the store, either because she didn't care or paid less attention.

She grabs a shopping cart and begins her 'run' around the store. She headed for the second aisle from the left to look for tissues and shampoos. Her head scans around the aisle on her left, looking at each rack horizontally before the next. She could have bought the groceries all she like, but the problem was that the list she had includes items that have specific brand and size. Usually, Sakurako will buy anything on the list if the items don't have to be specific.

She found a couple of shampoos, which are Hanako's and Nadeshiko's favorite. She puts them in the cart and moves on at nearly the end of the aisle. She looks up for the tissues, which have to be the specific brand, yet again. She finds it and reaches her hand to it. But halts, after she noticed there's another hand, is reaching for it. She retracts her hand back and looks to her right. It was another girl of the same height and age to her, but she doesn't recognize her.

The girl possesses long silky dark purple hair, which her hair is styled to a right-side ponytail right above her ear. Her front fringe hair partially covers her ears. She had a round cute face and blue eyes. Interestingly, she possesses a curvy body and a small bust. She is dressed in a thin magenta jacket, a redshirt, and blue trousers. She knew for sure she's the same grade as her but in a different school.

"O-oh," the girl began awkwardly. "Go ahead and take it."

"Huh?" Sakurako raised a brow.

"You're the first to see it," the girl replied, gestured her hand to the tissue. "You should take it first."

Sakurako gave a small smile under her hood, before grabbing it and putting it in the cart. "Thank you!"

"Welcome," the dark purple-haired girl politely replied, before taking another tissue of that same brand.

Sakurako checks on the list again, and she noticed that she needs to buy a soap of a specific brand. She did check the soap racks but didn't recall seeing that kind of soap. She might miss it.

Than bothering rechecking the racks, she instead asked the dark purple-haired girl. "Umm, excuse me."

"Yes?" the girl asked with her head turned.

"Do you know where this soap is?" Sakurako asked curiously.

"Oh, I know this one," the girl then walked over to the soap racks, with Sakurako is following behind.

The girl looked over the soap racks again and found that particular soap on the bottom of the racks. "That's the one."

"Ah, arigato," the hooded Sakurako replied in a happy tone before taking the soap. "I appreciate your help. Not like that, Oppai-Baka."

"Haii…?," the girl responded questioningly, shed sweat and confused on who she meant through the vulgar word.

Both of the girls headed back for their carts, to which then the girl asks. "I hope you don't mind I'm asking this but… are you from Nagibara middle school?"

"Nagibara?" Sakurako asked back. "No, I'm from Nanamori."

"Ah, Nanamori Middle School?!" the girl asked back in surprise. "I ever heard of that!"

"Wha- really?" Sakurako asked curiously with a raised brow.

"Yeah, I heard it is fun to study there," the girl replied with a smile.

"Of course, it is!" Sakurako replied proudly, didn't even bother to pull down her hood. "It's even fun to be a Student Council!"

The girl stares at her confusingly; she has a different opinion. "Eh?"

"Hmm?" Sakurako noticed the look she made. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Ah, nothing," the girl awkwardly replied as she scratches her head. "I don't recall if it's fun being a Student Council."

"What do you mean?" Sakurako asked back with a mischievous smile. "It's fun. I even barely do all the work myself."

The girl shed a sweat again, this time with a disbelieving look. "That sounds like what a lazy person would do."

"Hey, what makes you call me lazy?!" Sakurako pouted back but then halted for a moment.

"Well, I'm a Student Council as well," the girl replied with a narrowed look. "So, I think differently about it."

Sakurako was about to reply but then remembered something. "Wait, we didn't introduce each other."

"Oh, forgive me for my rudeness," the girl apologized politely with a bow. "I'm Misaka Kirata from Nagibara Middle School."

"I'm Sakurako Oomuro," Sakurako replied with a raised hand, then crossed her arms on the chest. "Nanamori's Student Council."

"Well… I doubt about that," the Misaka replied unconvincingly.

"Hey, I really am a Student Council!" Sakurako insisted since that is very true.

Misaka just sighed. "If you say so. You're shopping on your own too?"

"Yeah," Sakurako replied with an upset tone. "I'm being grounded to do most shopping and house chores for the whole week."

"That sounds not so bad," Misaka replied with a shrug.

"What do you mean not so bad?" Sakurako asked with disagreement. "My sisters can't let me do all I want!"

"Yah… I don't think that's the case," Misaka replied with a concerned look. "What did you do that made your sisters grounded you?"

"I was just having a fun sleepover with my friends," Sakurako complained as she looked on the list for a moment. "We were playing tag yesterday, but I play with my rival too. She was 'it,' and she chased me down. She's angry at me for no reason that I have to drop a lot of obstacles to just stop her from chasing me. I have turned my house into a mess, and my sisters and rival are angry at me."

The number of problems Sakurako had… Misaka is worried. "I can see why they are angry at you."

"If they hadn't come home earlier, we could've cleaned up the mess last night," Sakurako said under her breath. -

"Um, anyway, I want to continue shopping," Misaka replied as she opens her palm, she doesn't intend to stay to hear her personal problem; it's not her business. "I hope you don't mind."

"Sure, sure," Sakurako replied with a nod. "I hope we meet again."

"Certainly," Misaka agreed with a bow, then left with her cart and waved to Sakurako. "See you later, then."

"See you," Sakurako waved back, before finally looking back to the list she had.

At this moment, she already gets nearly half of the list. As stated previously, she takes a sweet time to do the shopping. She didn't really track the time on how long she's shopping. She only cares about getting all the items that the list stated. But, of course, this might take a long time. For the current moment, she's looking for the canned foods and ingredients in the third aisle from the right.

She is standing in the middle of the aisle, the section of food, ingredients, spices, and sauces. She overlooked the racks on her left and scanned each canned food of sardines. She's enjoying the shopping pretty much. Noticed a handful of people and employees walking about through the store. She wondered if Hanako liked sardines as she inspected it.

Sakurako then puts the canned sardines onto her cart and lands her hand on the cart handle. She then sighs to herself. Wondering if she should intentionally be late or not when she gets back home. She likes to avoid her sisters for a while after that humiliating event.

She looked down to herself, eyes in the shade of dark by the hood. "Maybe I should get back in time. They probably wait for me to death and lecture me again if I do that. I'm not going to wreck the house anyway like yesterday."

She then sighs with her eyes closed before looking onto the racks, scanning her eyes onto the racks from top to bottom to find the items according to the list. She picks sachets of spices accordingly and puts them in the cart. Making sure she didn't miss something in that aisle, she proceeds to head out to the exit of the aisle with the cart in front of her.

*TING-TUNG*

Sakurako guessed there are other customers entered the store. She only moves on until she reached the end of that aisle. When she looks at the direction on the cashier to the right, she stops in her track. The unnerving sight caught her attention.

There are at least five men dressed in punk outfits. Three of those men wear black leather jackets, and the other two only wear a white tank-top and a torn jean shirt. All of their long pants are black. She only recognized three men that are in leather jackets. The one who is in the very front has short black scruffy hair; noticeably, a silver earring is hanging on her right ear. That man also has a small scar on his cheek.

The second man beside him has a mix of black and purple hair, styled in a short, silly afro hair. His skin is pretty much tan, and of medium build. The only feature she could remember about him is that his face has an envious look and the notable white spikey necklace under his jacket. He looked at her direction, but thankfully he didn't catch Sakurako along with her cart when she dodged out of sight.

The third man next to the scruffy-haired man has short brown pixie-cut hair. He doesn't have any accessories on his square face. But she noticed that he has a thin flat mustache above his mouth. The way he looks on his eyes, she felt frightened, only trying to look at him.

The main three men are directly talking with the store owner by the cashier counter while the other two thugs watch the store. Sakurako is nearly tempted to move out of her current position, but she's a bit scared with those men around. She's dumb, but she knew how tense this situation is.

Sakurako only stays at where she is and peeks behind the racks on her left. She dislikes this idea, but if there's one thing she could do, just in case, is to hear what kind of conversation between the thugs and the store owner. Might be a dumb move, but luck is all she needed.

She peeks as she noticed that the store owner is visibly a bit frightened, but rebelled to the thugs' presence. Since the cashier counter is about two aisles away to the left, she could overhear what they said. She stayed silent as she eavesdropped the conversation.

"-What is it you want now?" the store owner asked in irritation. "I don't need any unnecessary problem right now."

"Why would we give you any problem?" the scruffy-haired thug asked calmly but stared sharply. "I just want to talk."

"Talk? Just talk?" the store owner replied sarcastically, looking away with his arms crossed. "You bring nothing but trouble to my store. And you expect us to just brush it off like that, huh?"

"How about you shut your trap before we shut it for you!?" the pixie-haired man threatened in his aggressive stance, quickly leaned forward at his face like a wolf.

"Shutting me for what!? For having enough of your bullshit!?" the store owner spat back. "You can go ahead and scream, all you want."

Sakurako narrowed her eyes as she looked away for a moment. What kind of bullshit is he talking about?

"You better watch your mouth there, dumbass," the afro thug warned with his sinister smile. "We're not just any ordinary gangster here. So you better respect us before things get worst."

"Respect? Respect?!" the store owner asked back angrily, it seems he has had enough of these brigands. "You assholes think you can force me to do what you want?"

"You can say all you want, but we're here for one thing," the scruffy-haired man inquired with his hands in his pocket, his tone is of authority. "Our storage behind this store."

"Oh, that storage, huh?" the store owner replied angrily, but his hands are seen trembled a bit in an attempt to make sure the cash register is locked. "What about it?"

"What about it?" the pixie-haired man rashly asked. "We got complaints from our men that you're not letting our men take our drug supplies off our storage, you dumbass. They won't even let us in!"

"And we need to know why," the scruffy-haired thug replied stiffly. "Because this will harm our business quite a lot. And costs us a lot of money."

"Oh, I'll tell you why," the store owner annoyingly replied, slamming his both hands on the wooden table covered with metal on top. "You haven't pay us the money you promised to us."

"Paying you?" the scruffy-haired brigand narrowed his eyes. "What the heck do you mean by that?"

"Let me fresh up your mind," the store owner replied angrily, mocking them by pointing his head straight at them. "You haven't pay your rent for storage for a goddamn year!"

"We'll pay the rent when we get back again," the scruffy-haired thug replied at him, now Sakurako can see that he is the leader of the gang. "We just want our products out of the storage."

"That ain't happening on my watch!" the store owner said aloud, quickly waved his hand across their faces. "Nothing is going in and out from your storage. And I don't care if you're some run-down gangster or not. I rented you one of my storage is because you would harm my store if I don't meet your demands, and you gave me a reasonable profit from that shady business of yours."

"How about we pay the rent for your storage right now?" the scruffy haired suggested, but clearly irritated by the owner's demands. "I believe it costs about 6000000 yens for the whole year."

"Forget about that!" the store owner aggressively replied, waved his hand across their faces again with ferocity. "I doubled the price up. Pay me 20000000 yens, and then you can get your stupid drugs of my storage!"

"What?! Are you asking for a fight here!? Huh?!" the aggressive pixie thug asked intimidatingly, slammed his hand on the counter as well. "You better pull that stupid prize off, right now!"

"Like hell I am!" the store owner spat back and leaned at them. "You pay now or get the hell out of my store!"

"We're not gonna paying you anything until you pull that offer down," the afro thug replied angrily, giving a glare at the store owner.

"Bullshitting me ain't worth your try," the store owner shot back as he pointed at him. "Who do you think you are not paying a property that's not even your own!?"

Sakurako glances around the store as this conversation ensues on. She notices a few people who're holding their shopping items stopped at either end of the aisles or racks across and facing at the aisles. She could see they are unnerved. Even she sees a woman who is at the aisle beside her shook with fear. Sakurako then peeks back to the men, hoping that the frightening conversation would stop here.

"Listen here, old man," the leader thug snarled at his face. "I'm not paying you until you pull that offer down."

"Oh, is that so?" the store owner asked back sarcastically. "Then get out of my store!"

The three men sharply stare at him, along with the two henchmen alongside them. Sakurako had heard everything and hoped that those men didn't see her overhearing what conversation they had. Sakurako is starting to get nervous to see those men staring down the store owner menacingly. She knew people felt the same to see the sight.

But Sakurako, for once, paid attention to the sight. The two henchmen alongside them have their hands reaching to the back of their waists. She can't see what the henchmen were reaching for since their waist has been covered by their untucked and loose tank top and jean shirt. Sakurako then focuses back on the conversation.

The scruffy-haired thug stares menacingly at him. "Drop the price now."

"Really?" the store owner asked with an angry grin. "Or else?"

"Or else," it was at that moment, the thug leader, along with his henchmen pull out their trump card.

The customers who are in view on thugs and on Sakurako scream and gasp, but not loud enough to hear throughout the store. Sakurako widens her eyes and frozen in the spot as she is shocked by what they just pulled out underneath their untucked shirt and jackets. She wanted to scream, but she can't. She kept staring at what trump card the thugs have in hands.

They have pistols in their hands, pointing at the single, unarmed store owner.

The store owner himself has seen to have visibly trembled, but still glaring at the bastards.

"You complete bastards," the store owner taunted with such a hateful frown. "So what, you're going to shoot me?"

The leader only bows his head a little, enough to darken his eyes through the shade of his hair. He gives a dead look on the store owner. His mouth gestures a sucking-teeth with such least sound. He looks so dissatisfied and utterly annoyed by the store owner. Probably enough that he wants to kill him without bothering to argue with him. Sakurako felt like she should back off from there and call the police, but she felt so afraid that she froze on the spot.

The thug leader stares down on the store owner with such devastating glare before he speaks. "If that's what I need to get rid of you."

Sakurako caught and heard running footsteps from behind her. She pulls her head back in and looks behind her. She spotted one of the store employees rushing down the hall, passing the customers. To Sakurako's shock along with the customers', that employee brought a pump-action shotgun into the scene. She's not a fan of firearms, but she thinks it's the Remington kind of shotgun.

"Hey!" the employee shouted, which the thugs only turn their heads at him.

*SCHLIK-SCHLAK*

The armed-employee then aims the shotgun at the thugs.

"Oh shi-!"

"Kuso!"

"What the-!"

*BARM-TWANG-PRAAK*

A round of buckshot sent at the brigands. Sakurako startled, barely shook her body from that sound. The thugs dodge the shot and forget about the store owner. By some miracle for the brigands, they survived the shot after spreading out from the hall & duck their heads down. The buckshot only holed the door glass as the store owner escaped from the cashier counter and into the door behind the counter.

Sakurako peeks out again from the edge of the aisle to see at the bandits. Two of three main thugs were on the floor while their henchmen are covering behind the aisle and leaning against the counter. Their eyes turned at the shotgun-armed employee, now with anger filled their eyes. The thugs aimed their pistol in his direction. That's when Sakurako's instinct takes over.

"GET DOWN!" the employee screamed, tackling a woman customer next to him and hides behind the aisle next to her.

*DOR-DOR-DOR-DOR-DOR-DOR-DOR-DOR-DOR*

Civilians inside are screamed aloud as Sakurako screamed, left the cart, and ran away from the crossfire end of the aisle towards the middle. What was scary is that a few bullets came through the racks behind her, and a man she passed by got shot from it. She nearly reached the end of the aisle and stumbled down from outrunning the bullets. She quickly crawls herself on the floor and in panic, taking cover behind the right racks after a quick-turn on the corner. She hugs her legs closer and bows her hooded head down in terror as the shootout ensues on. Bullets tear through the racks she's hiding behind right above her head.

"AAAAAHHHH!" Sakurako screamed in terror. Her body shakes in panic, and a tear comes out from her eye.

The shootout still ensues on for a moment, before the shootout stopped temporarily. She knew the shootout is not over yet. Sakurako slowly and shakily lowers her hands from her head before she slowly turns her head to her sides. There was nothing on her right side, but she still can hear the bandits or probably gangsters shouting to each other and taunting at the employees. She can't help but notice that there were bullet holes right above her head and the racks across her.

Sakurako then slowly turns her head to her left with erratic breathing and gasps as her heart is beating near the climax. She noticed a small pond of blood on the floor, at which she froze to the sight. Her eyes slowly trail up and follow where the blood came from. To her shock, there lay the people who died from those recent gunshots. A dead man sat at the aisle's edge next to hers, and an older man died lying on the floor in the aisle across the dead man. And lastly saw the corpse of a woman lying prone on the floor, who is the owner of the blood Sakurako saw. The dead woman's eyes were open, adding to the terror on Sakurako's sanity.

Sakurako quickly looked away, and she heard another shot went out on the other part of the store. A combined sound of shotgun buckshots and pistols rounds are in the air. She presumed the shootout is happening at the other corner of the store back at the front. She takes a quick glance at the aisle she came from. She could see one of the thugs' pistols peeking out to shoot on the probably armed employee on the next aisle. Aside from that, the man she previously ran past is wounded, sat against the rack as he gasped and held his bleeding stomach.

She wanted to get the dying man, but the problem was that the man is close to the other far end of the aisle. She might as well be asking to get shot when she saves him. Out of fear, she slowly stands up and does the only logical thing every people do. Call the police. She reaches down to her jacket's pocket but then paused. She then erratically searches every pocket in her jacket and her short jeans. At which she immediately stops with her eyes widen and her mouth agape to the horrifying realization.

She forgot her phone.

She bloody forgot her phone.

She could only put her open palm on her forehead as a tear of sweat streaming down her left cheek. She softly bangs the back of her head against side rack she's leaning. She collects her thoughts before looking at the empty aisle across her. She takes a deep breath, ignoring the shootout behind her before she sprinted down to the fourth aisle on her left. Passing over the dead bodies and managed to avoid the blood on the floor. She can do so without risking to open her hood and reached the end of the aisle.

She did a quick turn to her left and hid behind the side rack between the fourth and fifth aisle. Sakurako leaned tightly on the metal side rack with her back. She heard a door open on her left, to which she turned her head and saw that it was the exit behind the store. Another employee and the store owner himself, who are armed with shotguns, go down the last aisle to anticipate and hold back the attacking brigands. She doubtfully looked down the aisles behind her, checking the aisle on her right before checking on her left.

She sees that an employee armed with a shotgun is still suppressing from the first column of the aisles. But she noticed there's someone wounded near the edge of the aisle and near where the exchanging shootout is. She widens her eyes to see that it was the person she met minutes ago. Misaka was right there, lying on the floor while her head leaned against the bottom shelves. To Sakurako's horror, Misaka is holding and pressuring the wound she received on above her right abdomen. She can see Misaka groaned and shivered from the pain.

"H-hgk-help!" Sakurako heard her screamed, to which the then Misaka's head fell off the shelves.

Sakurako looked away and tightened her back against the wall once more. She's still terrified as ever. Her instinct keeps telling her that she should get out of the store. But at the same time, it was a risky move for her with the bullets flying about. If the shootout is right over, there doesn't mean she is in the safe zone. Also, she could save her, but she would endanger her life for that.

She gritted her teeth and shut her eyes tight. Two seconds of grinding her own teeth, before she made a decision.

"Aaah… Dang, it!"

Sakurako immediately runs down the aisle on her left and tries to reach for the wounded Misaka. Running to her and ducks her head down on the way, even if bullets aren't attacking her yet. Sakurako tumbles down again but manages to semi-run to behind Misaka. She is eventually patting her by the shoulders, which surprised the wounded girl.

"Ha-n-no, no!" Misaka hysterically screamed and resisted against Sakurako's grasp.

"Calm down, calm down. It's me!" Sakurako replied frantically, managed to stop her by looking straight to her eyes. "Sakurako. I got you, I got you!"

"Wha-ahk, Sakurako!?" Misaka responded with such surprise that it pains her wound much. "Gah, what are you-!?"

"I'm saving you!" Sakurako replied aloud before checking Misaka's wound. "You okay?"

"Gkkhhh!" Misaka groaned with her mouth shut, but her tone high. "Aaah! I-I can't-!"

"Don't worry. I'm saving you!" Sakurako then grabs her by under her shoulder. "You'll be alright!"

The shotgunning employee sees Sakurako is getting Misaka out from there. He shoots back at the thugs before speaking to the girls. "Get her out of here!"

"I'm trying!" Sakurako replied to the employee before she proceeded to drag Misaka away from the line of fire. "I got you."

*Gasps* "It hurts! It hurts!"

"You'll gonna be alright, Misaka!"

"I can't-!",

"You'll be fine!"

"We're going to die, aren't we!?"

"Calm down, Misaka! We'll be getting out from here!"

Sakurako didn't care if she's tired or her arms getting sore. She needs to get her out, even if she's still a stranger for her. She only keeps dragging her down the aisle, leaving aside the trail of Misaka's blood on the way. Adrenaline is rushing through Sakurako's veins and even comes swimming down her head. The heat was too much to take that it was enough to get Sakurako dizzy but stay focused.

She's surprisingly strong to drag her that long despite her apparent petite build. Probably the adrenaline is nulling her or because she knew how screwed she is if they didn't make it out of the store. Sakurako kept telling her to cover her wound to make sure she didn't lose a lot of blood. It was then she decided to stop and lie her down after nearly reaching the end of the aisle. It was due to Misaka's agony of the wound while getting dragged, and Sakurako takes a moment to catch a breath.

While the exit is close, she also wants to be careful, even if she's clumsy. She just takes a quick peek out of that aisle, first looking to her left where the back door of the store is. Before she turns her head to her right, looking straight at a particular corner of that store. At which she shouldn't have done right now.

The henchman in white tank top pops out of that particular corner and aims his pistol straight at Sakurako, and pulls the trigger.

*DOR-CHAK*

"AAAAHHHH!"

Sakurako, by surprise, got shot on her shoulder. Enough force to nearly drop her to the ground.

*DOR-DOR-DOR-DOR-DOR*

Sakurako quickly takes cover into the aisle whilst flinching from the shot. She groaned and screamed as loud as she can while she holds her own wounded shoulder so tight. The pain was equal to 20 needles injected into the shoulder. Own blood has dirtied her hand with frightening tremor shook her whole body. And she slowly falls down against the racks behind her until she sits on the floor.

She looked away from her receiving gunfire that tore the edge of the aisle's racks. She uncontrollably gasps as she looks onto her own bloodied hands. The blood has covered almost the entirety of her open palm along with her fingers, was enough to terrorized Sakurako's sanity. Her pupils dilated and her mouth agape, paralyzed for the moment. The adrenaline numbs the pain but only the small percentage of it.

She noticed one thing about her wound. The bullet shot her shoulder, leaving a bloody hole on her shirt. But the bullet didn't leave a hole on her jacket, since she didn't zip it and left her jacket open. Well, at least she's happy about her jacket.

She snaps herself out when she hears the thug who's shooting at her taunts. "Ya' dumb girl! You think you can get away just like that?!"

She grinds her teeth to numb the pain further as her cover receives gunfire and hear him taunts again. "No one's gonna leave this place! I'm not going to let an idiot like you to get away like that to call the police and live to tell the tale!"

If Sakurako has to be honest, she feels like she's going to die here no matter what.

"Sa-Sakurako."

Sakurako looked straight at the wounded Misaka. She's obviously crying, but she just can't from all the agony she felt. Her tone was pitched high.

"A-are you… alright?" Misaka asked slowly; speaking was cumbersome enough in her state.

"I-I…" Sakurako awkwardly replied with a sickening groan, still concerned about getting shot from the bullets tearing through the racks above her as she left a tear. "I got shot."

"No… no…" Misaka cried in anguish, closing her eyes and loosely held her wound with both hands. "We're dead. We are dead…"

"Come out, kid!" the thug taunted as he shoots her cover. "So I can kill you straight!"

Now Sakurako is pondering on her options now. Run or stay. The problem was due to her lazy lifestyle; she doesn't have any idea that could get them both out of this. She doesn't have a creative idea as to how to get out of this mess. She groaned with a sorrowful tear to her fate—no weapons and no way out.

After a moment of silent excluding the gunshots, she widens her eyes with a realization. She lifts her head up, and blankly stares forward. An idea came up in her mind.

A "stupid" idea.

She opened one of her jacket's pockets and pulled out the only item that might save them both—a sharp pencil.

That is correct—a sharp pencil.

She is going to hate this so much.

Ignoring the wound for a moment, she straightens herself up to a crouch. Gripping her sharp pencil in her right hand and looked back to the wounded Misaka. Misaka looked up by raising her upward at her on the floor. Misaka already looked at her as if she lost her mind.

"W-what… are you… doing?" Misaka asked slowly and painfully.

Sakurako only grits her teeth before replying. "I have an idea."

The gunshots on her side have stopped. She can hear the approaching footsteps of the thug and the sound of reloading his pistol. Still crouching, she approaches and readies herself at the edge of the aisle right before the corner. While blood dripping from her wounded shoulder, she lands her left hand on the floor and tightens her grip on her weapon, the pencil.

"Alright, idiot girl," the thug taunted, Sakurako could see his shadow peeking out the corner of the racks ahead. "Come out now! Make my job easier, will ya'!?"

Sakurako only shakes her head to the taunt and tells to herself. "I won't, Baka."

Sakurako takes a deep breath and looks up to her front. Ready to attack from her crouching stance as if she's ready to run in a marathon. It's just a matter of action in this one, and she only has one chance. The grip on the pencil tightens, and her open palm on the floor is starting to look like she's about to claw the floor. Watching the shadow ahead, she knew the thug is taking cover around the corner. And she heard the thug cocks his gun.

The thug then pops himself out the corner and aims at Sakurako.

Sakurako found her cue.

Sakurako quickly charges forward, with her pencil pointing at him like a dagger and with a scream. The thug pulled the trigger.

*DOR*

Thankfully, the bullet missed her next by above her shoulder and hit the floor next to the wounded Misaka. She's lucky to be that quick to gain a closer ground to the bastard. She immediately tackles him and stabs his stomach at the same time with the pencil. The thug screams as he fires his pistol wildly, thankfully his shots swayed to his right. Sakurako pushes him back while he's in pain until she pins him down at the wall.

The thug grabs her by the shoulder and tries to push her away, but Sakurako won't let up. Her left-hand grabs and pushes away his pistol by the wrist. The thug did try to push her away, but he couldn't do much without numbing the pain of his wound. Sakurako proceeds to pull out her pencil from his stomach and stabs him again. This time, she didn't think twice or had a conscious thought. She stabbed him for about three times in his chest before finally stabbing him in the middle of his chest. And gladly, she didn't scream in doing so, but she gritted her teeth.

The thug could scream in agony before he finally and slowly falls to the floor and sitting against the wall. Sakurako gasps as she's still holding the pencil and his armed-hand before finally looking up on the wounds she made. The thug could only weakly push her away, which was effortless before he gurgled for breath. The thug's right arm then weakened, which Sakurako it let fall off, as she watched the thug slowly dying before finally succumbing to his wound.

She just watched the thug's head just fell off to his right with his eyes close.

*DUG*

Sharp pain felt in her heart, a startling one. Sakurako is just frozen to the sight, ignoring the sounds of gunfire in the distance behind her. She just stares down the dead thug's head with such a shocking and disbelieving look. Eyes open wide, and jaw left hanging, her face strained, and her hand trembled to the traumatizing sight. She can't believe what she just did. She… she just killed someone. She just killed a thug, who is armed with a pistol… with a single pencil.

A pencil.

She was paralyzed for the moment until she finally blinked twice to looked down on her bloodied pencil. She just pulled it out of his chest with little difficulty and looked at the pencil. Just looking at it just enough to make her nauseous. She's scared if… if…

"I… I can't let anyone knew I killed someone. What if… what if Himawari knew… my family knew...?"

Sakurako quickly hides her bloodied pencil away in her jacket's pocket. She then quickly turns her head back to the aisle where Misaka is and where she sees the armed-employee on the other side. She was about to run back to the wounded Misaka until she just noticed that the employee got shot twice on the shoulder before hitting his stomach. Sakurako froze in her spot as she watched the employee falls inside the aisle across but thankfully still alive. The shotgun fell off his hand and landed a bit farther next to him.

Sakurako's instinct takes over again, and she turned her head straight at what the dead thug has. The loaded-pistol in his weakened and cold hand. It didn't matter her for what kind of model the handgun is, she only needs to know how to shoot with it. But then she looked back at the dead thug, quickly wondered if he had some spare ammo. Sakurako only quickly reached around the dead man's waist and found two spare pistol magazines, to which then she stuffed them inside one of her large pockets on the bottom of her jacket.

She quickly looks back to the wounded employee, and with widened eyes, she saw the shadow of the other thug closing in onto the employee. She then looks back at the pistol and quickly frees it off his cold hand. She managed to do so without accidentally pulling the trigger. She then turns her head back to where the wounded employee is in the distance and saw the thug showed himself between the column of the aisles. Fortunately for her, the thug looks straight at the wounded employee, which is unfortunate for him.

She had less than a second to react. In her nervous and panic state, she clumsily slips and falls to the floor to her right but managed to keep the pistol in her hand. She quickly aims at the thug with both hands, with a sloppy but firm grip as the thug aims his pistol at the downed employee. The trigger is then pulled.

*DAR-DAR-DAR*

Thankfully, Sakurako is quicker than the thug.

Three shots strike the thug's back, which he screamed with a small yelp and suddenly dropped dead. The employee who's groaning in pain just looked and perplexed at the dead thug before looking over to Sakurako, who's frozen on the floor and not falter the aim on her gun. Her eyes widen under her hood, and she felt a sharp pain on her heartbeat. The same pain she had after killing the previous thug with her pencil. She just found herself horrifying.

She has killed two people on the same day, for the sake of herself and the others.

The employee only stares at her for the moment, before he covered himself when a shootout commenced between the remaining thugs and self-defencing employees; he was caught in the crossfire. Sakurako didn't waste much time and hide the gun underneath the jacket on her back. She then runs over to the wounded Misaka and quickly drags her out the aisle to the right. She keeps dragging her until they reached the back door, at which Sakurako flung it open and ignored the sight of the employees shooting the thugs back with their shotguns. They exit the store, and Sakurako looks around them to find a hiding place for Misaka.

She didn't have much time when she sees very few cars parked in the lot. The next thing she had in mind was to look straight at the storage. It wasn't just a storage building; it was a green warehouse, which its size takes up about six cars. It had three garage doors, and one of the doors is conveniently open. She only continues to drag her, hoping that Misaka is still conscious as she leaves a small trail of her blood. Misaka continues to grunt and holds her wound as they nearly reached the warehouse.

Sakurako was thankful that she didn't meet anyone on the way, employee, or otherwise. She drags Misaka in with effort and looks around for a hiding spot. Her best bet was to hide her among the pile of crates on her right (since Sakurako drags her backward). To make sure no one else except the police to find her, Sakurako opts to give a hand and help her back to her feet.

"Hey," Sakurako called as she gives her right hand around her shoulder. "Come on, put your hand around my shoulders."

"Agh-alright," Misaka stuttered, her right hand still holding her bleeding wound but managed to put her left arm around Sakurako's shoulders. "Why?"

Sakurako helps Misaka walk toward the inconspicuous spot, albeit Misaka grunted in pain with every step. "You need to hide."

"You can just… grhk-drag me- there- you know?" Misaka stuttered questioningly, it was apparent she's in pain just by walking.

"Your blood will give away," Sakurako, for once, logically replied. "I don't want them to find you that easily."

"I-gah… see…" Misaka grunted painfully; she looks like about to fall.

"Misaka, Misaka," Sakurako called as she struggled to stay on their feet, which woke her back again. "Don't sleep; just don't sleep."

When they reached the spot, she then helps her down to sit against the wall. She is in a well-hidden spot right now; she only needs to conceal her by moving a large crate in front of her spot. Before that, however, Sakurako checks her condition first before herself. Misaka didn't stop bleeding.

"I'm… I'm scared…" Misaka admitted sorrowfully, can hardly handle her panicked breathing.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine," Sakurako then looked behind her before looking back to her. "I'll find the aid kit, just hang on."

Sakurako quickly leaves and looks around her. It didn't take her then five seconds to find the first aid kit. It was found stationed at one of the warehouse's pillars in front of her. She opens the first aid box and takes all its contents before running back to Misaka. She puts the first aid equipment in haste next to Misaka. Now here comes the hard part.

As the dumb and clumsy girl she is, she doesn't know how to do first aid treatment.

But for sure, she knew how to patch Misaka at least up.

First, Sakurako cleans her wound with the small cloth she found and makes sure that Misaka's pain is at the minimum. Sakurako then cuts a small rectangular piece of bandage and slowly puts it on Misaka's wound.

Misaka only grits her teeth in pain as Sakurako puts the pressure on the bandage. "Misaka, hold your wound."

"Alright…" Misaka nervously replaces Sakurako's hand with hers to put the pressure on her incomplete bandaged wound.

Sakurako looks over to the equipment and found one that caught her attention. The occlusive dressing. She tears the pack open and pulls out its contents, which to her delight, acts like a duct-tape specifically for sealing a wound. She then carefully puts it above Misaka's bandage as her hand moved away from pressuring the bandage. After making sure that the small bandage is in the middle of the occlusive dressing, she then taped down the dressing on all sides to stop the bleeding and seal the wound.

Misaka looks up to her as a sign of relief. "Thank you… I thought I was gonna die…"

Sakurako liked the compliment, but she was in no mood to respond like her usual self. "Your welcome… you'll make it."

It was only at this moment that she could feel the aching pain again on her shoulder. She holds down her wounded shoulder with her teeth gritted. She was about to take the bandage when Misaka grabs her wrist. Sakurako looked up to her with a confused look.

"Did you… kill them?"

Sakurako froze to her question if there's one thing she's afraid of is to let everyone know what she did. Sakurako just stares at her with utmost fear. Misaka seems to understand why Sakurako reacted like that. The idea of killing people is horrifying, especially to Sakurako, who did just that. Sakurako looks straight into her eyes with a concerning and frightening look, a sweat noticeably slopping down her cheek.

"Don't tell everyone that it was me," Sakurako begged with a cold, shaky breath as she shook her head thrice. "Please… I don't want everyone knows it was me…"

"B-but…" Misaka said lowly. "You saved me…"

"I know, don't tell them it was me," Sakurako replied, the anxiety is enough to grab and hold MIsaka's shoulders. "Don't tell them it was me, please!"

*Wiiiiiiiiiieeeeewwww-wiiiiieeeeeeewwww*

They both turned their heads to the direction of the sound. The sound of faint police sirens is heard in the distance. It's her time to leave.

Sakurako quickly looked at her again with anxiety in her face, but Misaka replied weakly. "Alright… your secret… is safe with me."

"Thank you… thank you…" Sakurako thanked with nods. She even lets out a tear to gladly thank her. "Thank you, Misaka…"

It takes Sakurako to look at the first aid equipment twice before she quickly stuffs a small bandage and an occlusive dressing packet in her jacket. After zipping up, she rechecks Misaka's wound to make sure it stays sealed. After a good confirmation, she pats her leg with her jaw open. Letting out a breath as she looked back at her.

"You'll be safe," Sakurako assured her, despite her anxiety. "You'll be safe…"

Sakurako makes her leave, clumsily and quickly stands up towards the spot's exit. She then closes Misaka's hiding spot by blocking the spot with a large crate. Before making her leave out the warehouse and down to the parking lot, she zips up her jacket to hide the wound she had in her shoulder before running towards the sidewalk out of the parking lot. She then walks down the road she previously traveled when she was on her way to Bakimura Store.

She thankfully knew a particular alley on that road that is about 30-running seconds away. She only continues to run pass the people and rarely bumps into someone before she reached the alley. She hoped that no one noticed the blood on her jacket, which thankfully does not show blood through the jacket due to the jacket's parachute material. She took a quick turn into the alley on her left and hid next to the pillar and a big dumpster to hide herself. She then opens her jacket up and looks down at her wounded shoulder again with irregular breathing. While the blood-stained shirt is already an issue, she uncovers her shirt on the shoulder.

She sits down harshly and pulls out the small gauze bandage and the occlusive dressing. She first places the bandage on her shoulder and holds it in place with her left hand before she grabs the occlusive dressing packet by her right hand and rips it open with her teeth. With agonizing pain, she groaned a little and carefully and shakily placed the dressing on top of the bandage. She then tapes it all down on all sides.

She takes a few seconds to relax while gasping. She still remembered the three main bastards that started this whole mess but let that worst thought away for the moment. Decided that she shouldn't stay there much longer, she covers her bandage with the shirt before covering her stained shirt by zipping up her jacket back. She quickly stands up and exits the alley, looking behind her to make sure no one followed her. She follows the road back to another store.

Yes, she knew her time is limited. But since she still has the list and the money, she figured that she could buy all the items on the list in another store. As for her wound, she can hold it as long as she doesn't show the affliction on her face. And now she needs to be quick.

She needs to run a shopping list.