Imitation II - hushpuppy money is the worst kind of money

Leo's Weekly Horoscope

Leo, Leo, Leo, you just can't catch a break! Maybe it's time to hang up the towel, especially with all of the excitement you're going to run into this week. You're always on the move, but sometimes that means garnering unwanted attention. Don't let your temper get the best of you, and prove to those other animals of the jungle that you are king/queen.

Denenchofu, Japan - Monday, March 26, 2018

When Rina was younger she never imagined that she would grow up to actually enjoy working. Doing chores as a child was, well, a chore, and something she tried her hardest to get out of. Cleaning up her toys; a hassle. Making her bed; she didn't see the point in it, especially since she was just going to sleep in it again. Taking out the trash; way too smelly for her tastes. Rina would admit, she was rather spoiled growing up but for the greater good of her personality, that changed. Well, maybe not the spoiled part. Perhaps the circumstances weren't the rosiest of occasions, but she believed she grew up to be an all-around better person since her parents got divorced.

With just a father and daughter dynamic duo, Rina found herself having to step up to the plate a lot more than what she had before. Helping around the house became more enjoyable to the point where something like washing dishes wasn't such an unsavory task for her anymore. And, from there, the doors to hard work and gradual satisfaction were opened. This would explain why instead of appreciating her day off, she was standing in front of a sink, thick rubber gloves pulled up to her forearms with soap suds clinging to her apron.

The original goal was to play with some dogs, drink some tea, and eat some cake. The outcome was simple to explain. She was licked by one dog, had one sip of water, and wasn't even able to consume anything that was the equivalent of cake. Not that she was complaining, because Rina had the hardest time sitting still when there were so many tasks that had to be done; hers and others included. Honestly, she thought she would have learned by now that when she came to the Shiba Inu, she would be willingly spending her time working and helping out around the quaint cafe, much to the owner's odd mixture of praise and protests.

Today, on the other hand, was a different story, as Ms. Shimizu found herself short-handed and Rina, being the angel she was, appeared in her time of need. It seemed like everyone was trying to enjoy their last few rounds of freedom before the new school year started. Placing the last dish in the rack to dry, the teen brushed her wet hands against her apron before finding her way back to the front when the humble bell chimed, signifying a customer had entered. In the last hour and a half that she had been there, she found herself back and forth from the kitchen to the front counter. The majority of that time was spent with Ms. Shimizu as she womaned the kitchen, but as Rina was finishing up the dishes, the middle-aged woman had tasked herself with taking out the trash.

Monday's, although usually too busy, was easily manageable with two people working in the shop. The saying must be correct about tasks being easier to complete with the company you enjoy. Or at least she thought that was a saying. Something close to that or whatever.

With a pleasant smile pulled against her lips, she welcomed the newcomer politely, both hands against her stomach in a neat bow. "Welcome to the Shiba Inu! How may I help you?" The small dog that the elderly woman brought in yipped happily, running around in a circle before circling around another dog. The woman frowned, looking rather nervous as she peeked over Rina's shoulder into the kitchen.

Rina also turned her head very slowly, mimicking the woman's actions. She assumed she was going to see something concerning, anything that would explain why the person in front of her looked so nervous. However, there was nothing there and it hit Rina as a tad bit anticlimactic. At least I didn't have to fight or flight.

"Uh, ma'am, is everything okay? Do you need to take a rest?" Rina, unsure of how to handle the older woman, leaned against the counter, holding her arms out for moral support as if the woman was going to collapse to the ground at any moment. She was a small, old lady, who at this point in her life was closer to the floor than she was to the ceiling. A slight bend in her back and a tremor of her hand as she held her polished, wooden cane, the elder woman swallowed thickly. Then it happened, something that Rina was so used to that she could easily repress the sigh that wanted to escape her parted lips.

"I—hm, sorry? No English speak," the elderly woman held her hands up with a firm shake of her head and a small, kind smile on her face. Rina blinked a few times, the white-haired woman mirroring back, as a brief silence was shared between the two. This happened more often than what Rina liked to admit, especially with the older generation and younger kids. Those her age wanted to practice their English on her most of the time, but the joke was always on them since her understanding of the English language wasn't exactly...refined. Or good. The Japanese textbook from primary school didn't prepare me for these experiences, multicultural or not.

"No worries, that's totally fine. I can speak Japanese quite fluently, even though I do fumble sometimes," she tossed a joke, hoping this would ease the woman's tensions. Rina could clearly see that it did not, as the determination in the woman's eyes revealed that she wasn't going to make this one-sided conversation easy. Still looking around and obviously trying to find someone more like her, Rina tapped her manicured nails against the counter feeling awkward. Although used to it, it was still rather disappointing. She was just thankful that there weren't many people in the cafe today; a lot less embarrassing for her. In the usual fashion that she was accustomed to, the few people that were in the cafe went about their business, leaving the teen to try scramble to save the mood between younger and older.

As if an ask for more instance button was pressed, Ms. Shimizu returned from outside, washing her hands and wiping them on a fresh looking apron. "Mrs. Aragaki, it's good to see you! The regular today?" The tanned woman gripped Rina's shoulder and she took this as her cue to leave the awkward situation. Even though, every fiber of her being was screeching at her to explain to that woman that just because her skin was brown, it didn't mean she was any less Japanese than the rest. She was positive she was more Japanese than any American-born Japanese person.

Debating with herself if she should go back and say something, she stood on the far end of the counter biting her lip and staring at nothing. Educate, be firm, but also be respectful. Educate, be firm, but also be respectful. Educate. Be firm. But, also be respectful. Hyping herself up for the biggest TedTalk of the century, she bounced from foot to foot, shaking out whatever doubt she was feeling.

Turning around, she slid back up to the counter, placing a hand on Ms. Shimizu's arm and stopped her mid-sentence. I'm gonna do it. You got this. "Excuse me," she spoke, catching both of their attention. Taking a deep breath, she quickly played over what she wanted to say before formulating her thoughts aloud.

"I would like to say that I speak fluent Japanese and did not appreciate how you undermined my ability to speak and converse in my native language. I do somewhat understand that you believed you were being respectful by attempting to speak a language it looks like I would know. However, looks can indeed be deceiving and it is very offensive to assume that—"

Rina jumped, feeling something wet flick against the skin of her calve. Quickly brought back to reality, she realized that she was still on the far side of the counter and Mrs. Aragaki's order had already been taken, leaving Rina staring into space and imagining what she thought would be the most epic TedTalk of the season.

Damnit. Casting a slightly dejected glance down, she smiled softly at Ms. Shimizu's dog. Bending down, she ran her fingers through his fluffy white fur and scratched him behind the ear. His leash was cupped in his mouth, and laying a hand flat in front of him, he dropped the thick, yellow braided thread.

"Is it time for your walk already?" She asked, baby-talking the medium-sized pup. "Let me get my things and then we can go, bub," she scratched him behind the ear one more time before standing back up to her full height. The elderly woman had taken a seat already, what Rina assumed was her usual spot, and contentedly looked out of the window like she hadn't just offended one of the best people that walked into the cafe. Ms. Shimizu, giving her a knowing look and a coy smile, leaned against the counter, waving her over.

After fastening the leash around the Akita's collar, her heels clicked against the marble floor, the fluffy pooch following behind her in tiny, excited steps. "You sure were in a daze. I was almost betting you were going to say something this time," the owner laughed, passing the girl a cup of hot tea. Rina could agree with this, almost disappointed that her confrontation was only an over-imaginative farce.

"I couldn't finish out the scenario, thanks to Kyo." The dog barked as if agreeing with her statement and Rina laughing, bending down and giving him a firm pat. "I'm going to go and take this good boy on his walk and then get ready to go. I still have a few errands to run before I have to get ready for work."

"Time is ticking. A couple more weeks and you'll have one less job to do. Maybe you can come and work for me now, hm? I've waited my turn and now there's a spot open for me." Ms. Shimizu nudged the girl with her elbow, and Rina shrugged her shoulders coyly.

"I dunno~ Cute dogs, great atmosphere, yummy treats, and English lessons? That seems like a full package deal. I might be a fool to pass that up." The middle-aged woman snorted in laughter, glancing in Mrs. Aragaki's direction to make sure she didn't hear the last sarcastic bit of Rina's confessions. "If you'll have me and my dramatics, I'd be honored to work under you. I'll E-mail you my schedule."

"Make it a call and you have yourself a deal. We all know if you E-mail it to me I'll never find it."

The curve of a tail was a tricky thing to draw. If anyone knew that, it was Rina. With all of the tails wagging in nearly every inch of the area, Rina had to narrow her eyes to focus on the swish of Kyo's tail as he bounced up and down, baiting the other dogs to play. She watched intent, her eyes scanning over the entire scene of the dog park. A prime spot she'd claimed—right up on the only table the dogs hadn't destroyed and near the only working water fountain for humans—Rina had the whole layout of the park at her disposal, and that was exactly what she wanted.

Her eyes scanned the area, taking in everything. From the flirting couple down near the gate to the man stepping in poop and loudly complaining about it further in the field, it was all visible to her, and it was all currently being sketched. She paused a moment, staring at the base artwork of lines and shapes that would soon form people and objects. Her eyes scanned the park again, though they picked up nothing out of the ordinary as Kyo ran back over, slowing down into a trot to sit in front of her. He barked once, letting his presence be known and Rina looked up, then down at the dog, "If you want water, get one of your friends' parents," Rina told him, wagging her pen at him, "You know you didn't give me enough time to grab anything, right?"

Kyo didn't seem to register what she was saying and instead barked once more, tilting his head to the side. Rina sighed, turning back to her drawing while Kyo sat there for another few moments. Once again, he barked, making Rina click her teeth before looking at him. The look was enough for him to start moving, and when he did, he pointed towards one of the very few trees the dog park held.

Squinting, Rina held a hand over her eyes to block the sun and blinked a few times, vision clearing. "Who is that?" She asked, squinting more. It wasn't as if she'd known everyone in the dog park, but there were hardly any new customers coming to the dog park, or the dog park cafe as the locals often called the Shiba Inu due to it's serving of dog treats along with human ones.

The man, from what she could make out, had on some kind of suit, black, pressed. Clearly apart of a three piece set, complete with black leather shoes and sunglasses. Interesting choice, Rina thought for a moment. Aviators, different from the usual black on black shades she'd expect that type of person to wear. He tipped his glasses, eyes glued on her. She sat back, clearing her throat. Unnerved, Rina shook her head, she wouldn't look back at him again. "Okay..." Rina sang. Practically flying off of the table to stuff her things in her bag, she hooked Kyo's leash, "Let's make our break for it. I...I, uh, got some things to do anyway, and you must miss your mommy, huh?" At that, Kyo whined, tapping his feet against the grass, "That's what I thought."

Still, Rina looked back, and he was gone. If that didn't put a pep in her step, she wasn't sure what else she could do. "Alright, a little faster, Kyo." Rina tried to hurry the dog, all but slapping the leash back on and snatching the dog up into her arms. The rational part of her brain told her there probably wasn't anything to worry about, but the irrational part chimed in, mentioning maybe it was someone coming to collect her.

For what? She wasn't sure, but a thousand and twelve scenarios ran through her head, each more disturbing than the last and she wouldn't let a Men in Black reject take her in the middle of a dog park. Surely they could take her somewhere a little more classy, couldn't they? Or maybe she was overthinking those letters. Kyo trotted behind Rina as she pushed open the gate and left the dog park.

Though, for some reason, the streets didn't feel as safe as they normally did. Every alleyway invited new ideas of getting spirited away and every person she passed made her cross the street. No doubt Kyo was tired of crossing at about the fourth time. Even with all of the people in front of her, Rina couldn't help but feel as if something was behind her, looming like a dark shadow, but Kyo had yet to respond to it. She wasn't sure if it was early on-set paranoia or actual fear, but she did know that she had to keep up a quick pace.

Looking back wasn't an option, especially when she could hear the sound of someone's footfalls, who hadn't passed her yet, approaching quickly. It wasn't a run yet, but it wasn't a walk. Maybe a brisk pace? Rina thought and then reevaluated her thoughts. Did she really have time to categorize the way she ran away; well, not ran because she's still kind of walking and— "Ma'am!"

Rina wasn't a ma'am, so that couldn't be for her, right? "With the purple sweater!" Okay, so maybe she was the ma'am in this situation, but that didn't mean she wanted to find out who the caller was. If asked, she would attest that was the last thing on her agenda. Her pace picked up and it was almost a run? Maybe a jog. Heavier than a jog, lighter than a full out run-for-your-life, but somewhere in between mixed with a fair amount of fear.

Did she want to glance back? She almost felt compelled to do so. Maybe it was someone she knew? No, that couldn't be right, could it? No one she knew called her ma'am. The voice didn't sound familiar on top of that, and she had a heavy inkling that maybe it was that man from the park. She looked at Kyo, the dog barely seemed to notice her plight as he happily trotted at the faster pace.

She asked herself again: did she want to glance back? All those horror movies that she would watch through her hands were playing on loop inside her head. What if he dragged her into an alley? Or what if he just stabbed her in broad daylight? Or wha—Rina glanced back at him, not expecting the man to be so close.

Her head snapped back around and she picked up the pace even more. Okay, so maybe she wasn't fit to be in a horror movie, or she should've taken notes while she watched because that was probably the worst thing she could've done. There was a stumble, maybe she stepped on a rock weird, but Rina nearly doubled over as she snatched Kyo up off of the pavement.

Running was something Rina never did. If she were actually in a horror movie, she would probably lay down, fix her makeup and clothes, and be ready for death as it was, but real-life Rina, somehow, had gotten the idea in her head that she was good at running. Kyo struggled under her arm, but Rina didn't stop running.

"Hey! Wait!" He called after her, "I just wanna talk!"

"So you can ask me how I wanna die? No thanks!" Rina breathed out, or at least tried to because her lungs were telling her to stop doing crazy things. Things like being physical. Her heels clicked against the pavement and somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew once she was safe, she was going to be upset that the heels were ruined. She worked a double shift to even be able to buy them off the shelves. Also, she wondered, what idiot wears heels to a dog park? Oh, yeah... me.

The streets looked familiar but still didn't look safe as she skidded, nearly slamming into the railing and turned. Catching a glimpse of the man, suit disheveled, sunglasses askew, he looked like he too wasn't built for the task of running after an unwilling victim. Kyo barked once, squirming in her arms again as she ran down the side street. Just two more blocks until she was somewhere safe. He called out once more, and Rina could feel Kyo's tail slapping against her body, "What about this is fun and exciting?" She asked, though it hardly sounded like that. Kyo only barked again in response, and Rina looked up. The sign of a dog's face came into view, but Rina didn't stop running.

Lucky for her, someone exiting the little shop had the door open. Although she skidded once more, nearly slamming into the door, she and Kyo yelped as she slipped on the rug right at the entrance. Freeing himself before she could fall over, Kyo hopped out of Rina's grips as the girl tumbled to the floor in the near-empty shop. Facedown, Rina paused for a moment, not wanting to get up to look at the faces of the patrons who were no doubt staring at her.

Turning to her, he panted, tail still wagging as he licked her arm. "We almost died and this is all you have to say for yourself?" Rina was lifted off of the ground by Ms. Shimizu, who stared at her, holding her up just as one would a child.

"I feel like I need to ask what happened, but at the same time, I kind of don't want to know." Ms. Shimizu stared at her soon-to-be employee.

"Trust me...it's kind of a long story." Rina stared down at the woman, "...Can you put me down?"

"Oh, yeah, of course." Ms. Shimizu set Rina down on her feet, looking her over once more, "Did Kyo start fighting with the other dogs again? I swear, that boy just-"

"We almost died, Chishi. I saw my life flash before my eyes and I didn't like much of what I saw." Rina gripped the woman's shoulders, "I was followed."

"From the park?" Ms. Shimizu asked for clarification. She looked towards the door, not seeing anyone through the glass of the storefront. Rina nodded just as Ms. Shimizu's expression turned serious. "Alright, just stay in the back for a little while, I'll drive you home when it's time to close."

Gaienmae and Aoyama-Itchome - Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Running errands was never difficult, mostly, but they always took a few things to get them completed; time, patience, and more time. Living in a city like Tokyo, time was of the essence and Rina always had to make sure she left not early, not late, but on time. There were many great cities located all around Tokyo and to get to them, she had to commute...everywhere.

A fifteen-minute train ride, a ten-minute bus ride, and maybe even a few minutes walk after that is what her day usually consisted of. Commute to use the bathroom. Commute to sleep. Commute to talk. Commute to go to school. Well, that part was true. Early morning commutes were a thing for her.

So much buffering time was needed just to get back and forth from home to work, and as much as she would love to lug around her work uniforms, that was a lot of material she did not want to personally keep up with.

One bus ride away from her job, Rina sat in a cozy convenience store at the counter, counting down the minutes until her instant ramen was ready to be eaten. She glanced at her phone, then at the clock ticking against the wall, then at the bowl. A few more seconds and snap, she split her chopsticks from one another and stirred the soup and noodles together. Perfectly timed ramen meant really good ramen. Not too soft, not too firm, but just right. Rina sighed in content, slurping up what she liked to call pre-dinner, and looked out of the window.

In a city that never sleeps, there were crowds and crowds of people out and about on Tuesday afternoon. Although used to crowds, she preferred to avoid them as much as possible, and waiting in her favorite little shop was the best way. Since working at the Dreaming of Gaienmae restaurant over the summer, the convenience store became hang-out spot for her. Hang-out meaning wait for work to start and eat as much as she could until it was time to go, hangout. It took her a few weeks to realize that the window was one-way, and her co-workers on their commute home weren't ignoring her as she waved. Much like an idiot sometimes, and those times were the most uncomfortable to be left hanging on.

Not only was it nice to have an unlimited amount of food (even if she didn't have an unlimited amount of money), it was nice being able to quietly people watch without it being awkward. Or stuff her face without people on the other side of the glass seeing her. The only thing accompanying her was the soft ticking of the clock, the murmur from the low tv, and the quick chime of the bell when people entered. Surprisingly, she realized throughout the entire summer, she got the most work done at the tall, sleek counter with the occasional sticky spills. For every mess she cleaned up she thought she should be getting paid for being on the clock.

Rina could really concentrate behind the one-sided glass, and people-watching became easier, if not more creepy at the same time. However, that was definitely beside the point. No different from usual, her tattered sketchbook was open to a more recent page as she jotted down quick, shorthand notes about the things that she saw. It was amazing how much fashion has changed just since the beginning of summer. Bright colors, frills, and patterns were all in and that made designing outfits a lot more fun. Taking a ruler out of her bag, she split her page into medium-sized rectangles and labeled the first body shape she would be studying and exploring.

It was important to keep in mind that with diamond-shaped females, they tend to look better wearing shirts with wide necklines and princess sleeves since the hips are usually broader than the bust. Paired with a fabric that resembles fine cotton, Rina would be able to make a sleek, form-fitting blouse. Maybe a light royal blue color matched with an a-line shirt with frills. Her pencil lightly scraped across the paper while she ate her pre-dinner at the same time. Keeping the bowl of ramen away from her book, she splashed the soup against her chin and groaned childishly, stuck in a loop. With pencil and chopsticks in hand, she was unsure which one to put down first.

A napkin was placed in her view and dropping the pencil, she grabbed the square piece of paper and dabbed her mouth. Swallowing the food in her mouth, she turned her attention towards the man she didn't even realize sat beside her. "Thank you," she bowed her head softly, before turning back to her work. One mark against her paper, two marks against her paper, three— and the man still hadn't looked away from her. The eyes on her side felt oddly familiar, but she didn't think much of it at first. She glanced at him side-longly and he was doing the same, albeit a bit more obviously. He tried to peek up at her face and the teen turned her body away from him. If I knew accepting the napkin would make this happen, I would have kept my soup covered chin.

She thought her horoscope for once was going to be wrong. Okay, that was a lie, she knew it wasn't going to be wrong (it never was), but she had hoped that Monday's event was the only stressful thing that she would have to encounter. Was this going to be like one of those movies where the guy was obsessed with the girl, because if so, she wanted a refilm. This would definitely be the second movie she'd starred in that week, and that was a little too much if you asked her. If she slowly, very slowly, sloth slowly, packed up her things, maybe he wouldn't notice she was uncomfortable. Closing the sketchbook, she placed it back into her bag and zipped it up.

"Excuse me?" No, don't talk to me, I can't be willingly mean. Rina stiffly (and slowly, since she was still trying her become part of the universe method) turned towards the man, barely showing her teeth in acknowledgment. Awkward smile, check. "I thought you looked familiar!" The man snapped his fingers and pointed at her, eyes shining with true recognition. Although, Rina was still left in the dark and had no idea who this man was. It sounded like one of those you could be a model or an idol scams and thankfully she wasn't born yesterday.

"You have the wrong person," she blurted, not caring if she actually was the right person or not. She gathered the remaining ramen into her mouth, drinking down the cooled soup before sliding out of her chair.

"Morikawa Rina, right?" She stopped, bag falling off of her shoulder in her hurry. "You forgot this at the party a few days ago and I kept it in my pocket hoping I'd run into you." Party? Rina looked at the man closely, trying to find the same recognition he held for her but she still had no idea who he was. Was he a guest at a party she worked at? He pushed the piece of paper in front of her and she reached out to grab it before stopping short. Countless zeros, a name scribbled at the bottom, her name addressed on the paper; she knew exactly what it was. "Ironically, I did run into you! And we did a lot of running, I wasn't expecting you to move like that in heels, but I'm glad I caught up with you again."

This was the sharply dressed guard from the party that came to her that night to apologize. And apparently the same one who had her fearing for her life and had her father patrolling the apartment complex last night. He was dressed more casually today with jeans and a T-shirt, that she didn't notice it was him, not that she could remember his face, what with the sunglasses being on both times she met him. Not that she would have realized it was him if he wore a suit, but still, he was not who she wanted to see. "That was a terribly corny way to reintroduce yourself. Did you expect me to thank you for leaving something behind that I didn't want?" The small smile that stretched across his face quickly fell and she could tell she had him stumped.

"Look, Ms. Morikawa, it will be a lot easier on the both of us if you just accept the money and sign the agreement." Agreement? That was new. She didn't remember anything about an agreement from that night, and frankly, she wasn't at all curious enough to ask about the details. Checking her phone, she noticed she had three minutes to get to her bus or she would be running to work. And, she surely didn't want to be running again.

"Look, I know you're just doing your job, but I don't want it so I'm not going to take it. I had forgotten about it until you showed up again."

"The hosts—" Rina held up her index finger, stopping the man from finishing.

"Are sorry? You're gonna be sorry if I'm late for work." She was not about to get her pay docked for being a minute or two late and she most definitely was not about to run a few blocks just to get to work if she missed her bus. "It's fine. I'm over it. So, tell your hosts to stop being dramatic and leave it alone." She fixed her bag properly onto her back and darted away from the man.

"Ms. Morikawa!"

She felt like Aurora from Sleeping Beauty as she rushed away from her prince. Except, he wasn't a prince and the only thing similar was how Rina ran in the opposite direction. His cries of her name muffled as she ran past a person coming through the door upon her exit and she dared not to look back. That was how characters fell in horror movies and she was not about to become part of that troupe...again.

Man, really feelin' it for all my Leo's out there this week.

Komagome, Friday, March 30, 2018

Usually, Rina was ecstatic when Friday came around. It meant the week was pretty much over and her day off was right around the corner. However, today's Friday was a different story entirely. This week, specifically, had been one of the most stressful and school hadn't even started yet. "You know," Meisa drawled from behind the register, "You aren't exactly supposed to be behind here." She looked down at the girl hiding behind the counter, crouched lower than what she thought she could.

Rina scowled up at the smaller girl, fingers creeping over the counter and pulling herself up to look outside the window. Black suit. Check. Black car. Check. No way out. Fuc—fudged. Mesia handed her best friend a scope of chocolate ice cream and Rina took it carefully, sighing in content when she took a spoonful into her mouth. It had been an ongoing thing all week. Not the ice cream, unfortunately, but the man in the black suit. Everywhere she went, he was always there.

She went to the mall with the kids she babysat on Wednesday, and guess who was in the food court waiting. Mr. Black Suit and Intimidation. After shaking him off and returning the kids, she went grocery shopping and she bet you would never be able to guess who was in the cereal aisle...waiting. Mr. Suede Shoes and let me help you get that off the shelf. She definitely didn't need help getting anything off a shelf, if anything, she would be helping him in a normal situation. Either he didn't understand or the hosts of that party were too spoiled to take no for an answer. And, she knew what spoiled was, but even she knew no meant no.

Thursday, after the multiple run-ins with the man, she decided enough was enough and thought going to the police would be a smart choice. Luckily for her, she found two on-duty officers on the streets of Omotesando and tried to explain to them what the problem was. They apparently didn't find her issue to be well, just that, an issue, and even encouraged her to take the money. She was convinced those cops were also in cahoots and realized she could trust no one. She was alone in this cruel world all because she wouldn't accept some cheap, hushpuppy money.

Rina thought about telling her dad, but decided against that, seeing as he would try and keep her locked in the house for her own protection. A little dramatic, yes, but she wouldn't put it past the man. So now, the only thing she could do was hide behind an ice cream parlor counter and eat whatever frozen treats Meisa threw her way. "You know," Rina copied her friend, "who's gonna stop me? You the manager and there's only two other people working today." As if the man knew she was looking at him he turned in her direction and she ducked behind the counter once more, slamming her forehead against the edge.

"Ow! Omg." She whined, rubbing the damaged spot. She had been there for about thirty minutes and he still hadn't moved from that spot.

"Why don't you just, idk, take the money so he'll leave," Meisa suggested, leaning against the counter and waving at the man standing outside. She pouted when he made no move to acknowledge her, but she was sure he saw her.

"Do you not know me?" Rina asked, squinting at the girl like she was stupid or something. "I'm not gonna take it because they're forcing me to and most importantly, I don't wanna."

"Okay, but are you a toddler, because you sound like a baby."

"At least I'm not toddler-sized."

"If I kick you in the shin or stomp on your toes, you're still coming down, so it doesn't even matter."

"Now who sounds like a baby," Rina laughed, falling over onto her bottom as Meisa kicked the girl from her squat. To think, Rina could be enjoying this high-quality banter with her best friend normally, not behind a counter, like an idiot, if Mr. Take The Money wasn't outside waiting for her. Wait. Rina stopped laughing, gripping onto Meisa's leg, and staring wide-eyed at the girl.

"Wait a minute...he knows everywhere I am, no matter what. Am I being stalked?"

"Are you—Unbelievable. You just now figured that out?" Meisa shook the girl from her leg, walking to grab a cleaning rag and wiped off the spilled ice cream puddled against the counter.

"You mean you knew and didn't tell me!" Teeth gritted and voice low, she crawled over, avoiding any of the melted drops of ice cream on the floor. Man, I bet I look like such a first-class idiot. Instead of answering, the girl just laughed, leaving Rina looking off into the distance like an heiress in one of those Bollywood movies. Sighing, she fell back onto her bottom, crossing her legs underneath her in a spot out of the way. According to the bus app, she had ten minutes until her bus home arrived, and until then she was going to stay in this one spot.

Meisa welcomed the next customer that walked in, and Rina could only hope that it wasn't the man finally giving in. "Do you know someone name Morikiwa or something? Dude outside wanted me to pass this note along." The short-haired manager snorted, taking the note from the sporty boy before taking his order and serving him his ice cream.

"He's even recruiting customers," she whistled, unfolding the note and reading it aloud. "Ms. Morikiwa," Meisa purposely mispronounced the name, "I understand that this may be uncomfortable for you, however, if you just accept, it'll all go away—"

"Was this letter supposed to intimidate me, because feeling the pressure. Also, I feel like a streetwalker now."

"Please. You have the legs for it, but not the personality you soft ass. Anyway, as I was saying," she cleared her throat and continued reading, this time adding a deep voice along with it. "Other employees have been properly dealt with and you are the last one, so please do not make this harder than it has to be. If you do not accept the money, other measures will be taken."

"O-Other measures?" Rina repeated, snatching the letter out of Meisa's hands. The girl squatted near her friend, looking at the letter as well. "What kind of other measures? I'm too tall for most torture devices—do you think he's gonna 'gently persuade me' by dumping my head in a basin of water? Or leave me in a cabin in the woods and-"

"His handwriting is too ugly for their of those things to happen," Meisa responds, "I think other measures are them forcibly depositing money into your account? I wish that happened to me." Meisa clicked her tongue. "You're gonna let him talk to you like that, though? Let him stick your tall ass in a corner?"

"I'm not in a corner, Meisa." Rina looked at the letter again, "I'm...just hiding behind a counter in an ice cream parl—okay, that's probably just as bad. But...what do I do?"

"You go out there, and you get angry! And you make him leave you alone! And make him leave soon, the DM is coming by inna'bout an hour and I can't have weird black cars outside in the fire lane." Meisa pulled Rina into a standing position and began dusting her off to make her look presentable, "Don't worry, if anything happens, I know some cops who don't mind coming over really quick. They owe me."

"I don't know if I'm more afraid of you or of him." Rina looked at the man who was leaning against the car, sunglasses pushed down to expose his eyes.

"At least it's not the Yakuza, they owe me a favor too, but Inosuke is out on business in China, so they won't be here—anyway, anyway. Go give him a piece of your mind. Let Inner Rina become Outer Rina and rip that guy an extra asshole!" Meisa pumped her fists in the air.

As odd as the pep talk was, Rina did feel a little better about confronting the man. Head held high, Rina strode out of the ice cream parlor, and straight up to the man. He stared at her, expectant and that was where Rina immediately lost her confidence. "H-Hello..and g-good day." Rina's voice cracked through her small greeting, "Wh-What... can I do for you?"

"You could accept this money." The man responded, "And sign the contract while you're at it."

"That's...not going to happen." Rina finally answered after a long pause, "If this week was any indication on that, you should know I'm not going to take it. B-But—However, I don't appreciate threats like this. Other measures? Are you gonna stuff me in a box? Well, be prepared to pay a lot of shipping on it because I'm tall so it's gonna be a big box and I also have some poundage going on, so this isn't going to be cheap!"

"What? Stuff you in a—did you get the wrong idea from my letter?"

"You said 'other measures would be taken', how else are you supposed to interpret that? That literally means I'm going to die! B-Because I'm gonna be killed, by you!" Rina shoved her finger in his face, "Because I don't take bribes!"

"Look, Morikawa," The man cleared his throat, "I know this is uncomfortable for you, and I'm sorry I chased you around all week, but this is in your best interest to accept it. These people, if I'm honest, are leagues away from anything we could possibly dream about. The more you resist, well, the harder the next person will come at you."

"What does that mean?" Rina narrowed her eyes, "Someone else is gonna torture me?"

"Wh—No, nobody's gonna torture you or put you into a box! What I'm trying to say is: please accept the money, these people won't stop until you do. And they'll get more and more creative than sending a bodyguard around in a car and suit to give you a couple million yen."

Rina looks at him for a moment. She can tell he's sincere, even with half of his face covered by sunglasses. His tone drips with a pleading-ness that Rina almost gives in to. Almost. "I'm sorry," She finally says, "Tell them I'll give my word to not mention this, but please leave me alone. If I wanted to let the public know about this, don't you think I would've gotten names, pictures and other significant things ready and in order? It's been a whole week since that party and I barely remember the faces of anyone from it."

"I get that, but these people... they're—Ms. Morikawa?"

"It's Rina and I have to go, my bus is coming." Rina strode away, leaving the man on the street.

"Ms. Morikawa! Please!" He called again. Rina stopped, turning slightly to look at him. Feeling hopeful, the man pushed off of the car, moving to approach her.

"The manager inside the ice cream parlor says to get out of the fire lane." Rina informed him before she turned, speed-walking down the street to the bus stop, hopefully leaving the man behind for the last time.