I woke up desperately wishing it was all a dream. My blue covers engulfed me, but I forced myself to throw them off, I guess there was no time to waste. I got out of bed and reached into my dresser, grabbing my key from under a mound of socks. I locked my room door, and opened my lock-box from under my bed. For a moment, I stared at my only full outfit, a cute school uniform with a couple matching accessories, but to me, looked like a prison. His words routinely played in my head, taunting me.

I looked at myself in the mirror, I remember I used to enjoy the outfit, but over time I became dull to it as my only card, and now, my misplacing of my hatred for Inui’s schemes -wrapped beautifully along the waistband of my being. he's gonna parade you around like some freakshow in this.

Within an the next two hours, I ate, and walked to the bus stop. My heart falling at every perceived head turn. The forty minutes it took to bus, felt like years, but eventually I was there. A block away from Keiko’s Cosmetics, and a block away from my deepest fears.

“Glasses again?” Inui starts “Is that supposed to be a part of your fake identity or something? Cuz’ I gotta say, It does nothing for you.” this is the first thing he says?

“So what now.” I snap.

“Ah, yes, about that.” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I was feeling a little guilty y’know? Last time we were here, we were picking stuff out of the perfume section, and I thought that, well, It was my fault that was cut short...”

“Yeah…?” A weird sense of anticipation sparked, albeit a weird thing for him to consider if this is just for laughs.

“Let’s go shopping!” he said. There were a lot of people at Keiko’s on a saturday, he really did just want to parade me around. The thought crippling my slightly more positive spark. But Keiko’s Cosmetics was out of the way, there was a possibility that I could have a good time with this.

“I-I’d rather be myself.” I mutter out, my words only meaning that I’d wish we were here alone.

“Don’t be like that!” He replied, trying to squeeze a sense of energy out of me, at least one of us knew how to enjoy ourselves. I sighed, looking him up and down.

“Why are you in your school uniform?” I ask as a legitimate question.

“Well, why not? This way, we match!” Does he just assume that this is my only outfit? it is, but that's a mean thing to assume. Suddenly, I was bumped by two guys walking by us, my stomach dropped and my chest felt heavy, it was obviously an accident, but what if it wasn’t? What if they were just like the people at the bus stop? I hid behind Inui like a human shield.

“Oh, sorry” The only thing the stranger said back, continuing down the street as if nothing happened. Why do I have to always over-react like that? Inui chuckled, dropping his light attitude and turning to face me.

“Hey, you alright?” he asked in what seemed like a genuinely concerned tone. I wanted to tell him how I felt, stuff like being overly-anxious and of all my self-doubt, but for some reason I held myself back. Why couldn't I express to him how I felt like a normal person? There has to be something wrong with me. I’d never had many friends growing up, and I’d always just blamed that for my inability to express emotion. Inui felt, for some reason, felt like a weird exception. His chipper attitude, and comfortability at all times, besides the weirdly specific situation reading, felt like a system I could hold myself in. But for now I was too embarrassed to speak.

“I’m not used to going out dressed like this okay?” My words merely being half the truth, but of the other half I had no a clue.

“I thought you were into that stuff?” he said, throwing me back into reality and cutting me off from my over-exaggerated psychoanalyzing. Inui’s words puzzled me, so basic, as if someone with half a brain would say them. Said as if he couldn’t read a situation, which puzzled me. Is this like a game for him? Is he testing me?

“L-like hell I am.” I said to a grinning, controlling, monster. We continued walking.

“Don’t you get off to being seen like that?” He teased

“No. I never said that.”

“What is like? Nice? hot? Or like, high and mighty?” He continued. “Will it feel good if I did it?” he said in a lower, trying-too-hard voice

“You’re a real prick you know that?” I cross my arms, trying not to let out a small smile, feeling now that maybe he really is impervious to the situation, and just wanted to mess with me.

“Blackmailing you doesn't necessarily make me a saint.” His words reing me that though I felt mentally on top, I still was under his control. I just wanted the day to end, and to end quickly.

We walked into keiko’s, and the smell of the sore lifted my heart slightly, maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as I thought? A slight smile grew on my face as we ventured into the store. I was a little anxious after seeing Inui grinning at me in the corner of my eye.

“Lemme guess, last time you were here was actually your first time?” He asked, a weird contradiction to his last situation reading

“Yeah...“ I dropped the smile, cleared my throat, and gave him a minimal answer.

“Aw~~ and I had to come and ruin it!” I shot him a dirty look, yes you did. We made our way down a couple aisles and I picked up where I left off, Mattie’s End Mist and the fruit-scented perfumes. Remembering the bad online reviews I decided to test it for myself. After that, a popular Strawberry scent, and so on. After what only seemed like a couple minutes, I felt genuinely happy, before hearing Inui whisper something under his breath. Coming off my perfume-high, I looked to Inui, which, I had only just realized, was looking at different perfumes himself.

“Smell this, it’s really good!” he said in a quiet but exited tone. I took off the cap and brought it to my nose. It was a kiwi scent, and it actually smelled rather pleasant, which took me by surprise.

“You’re right, that's pretty sweet” I replied, meeting his eyes.

“Of course I am” Inui smirked, looking at the scents to my right. I couldn’t help wonder, I put down the Mattie’s End Mist, and asked Inui a question.

“So the girl you were with last time, she your girlfriend or something?” this thought mellowing the tone.

“Why?” Inui grinned “You curious? I don’t blame you, Ricchan’s super cute.”

“No, I just don't want her to misunderstand.”

“Like that would happen! I only date the pretty ones.” Inui said with clear intentions of offending me. What an asshole. “Anyway, she’s not my girlfriend. She’s just an ex of mine. Were good though.” Uhhh-huh, ok, sure, checks out. Like any girl leaving him would choose to stay friends.

“Sorry I asked” I chuckled, starting toward the line to buy the kiwi scent Inui picked out.

“You’re going by yourself?”

“Yup.” I said slightly agitated.

The store was packed with small groups of girls buying items together, and suddenly, I realized what Inui was saying. Standing in line alone would be out of place, and I wouldn’t want any extra attention. I’d never actually bought anything either, maybe this is what lines in these stores always looked like? I couldn’t believe he’d realized tht before me, but a the last thought, concluded that he must’ve come here often with his “ex”. Buy by the time I was at the counter, my face was flushed.

“I can help the next customer” That’s me. I walk up calmly and let her scan my items. “That’ll be $12.50” expensive for one scent, I took the money I’d been given from mom, before she’d left on another business trip, and handed the cachire $13. My palms sweating. She put the perfume in a bag, but before handing it over, asked a question.

“Would you like a membership card?”

“...Uhm” Shit, if I say something, I’m out...

“Oh a membership card?” Inui stepped into line, “Totally! sign us up.” I was pulled back. Again, good situation reading. “You want one, right Tobari?” I nod at the cashier, Inui grinning.

“Alright-” she said, punching in a code and handing over a small card. “Thanks for your purchase!” We left the store and my heart fluttered. I did it. I actually bought it. I actually bought it! The air outside was bitter and cold, my exhilaration replaced with pure joy. Shivering, I put my hands in the seams of my skirt.

“Whew” Inui said. “I’m sweating like crazy-- But ain't that awesome? You got it!” he smiled at me, holding his fist in front of him.

“Yeah!” I said. Inui relaxed his posture and reached over to pat me on the head.

“Way to go.” my chest felt warm. What was with this mood? “You were awesome.”

“Thank you…?” I said slightly hesitant and uneasy. How does he just, understand?

“So, where to next?” He shifted around on the balls of his feet.

“Huh? Next? There's gonna be a next? Why again?“ As quickly as my attitude rose at the thought of a “next time”, it fell at the thought of his grin. Is this a game for him? The fake lines, Is he gonna keep doing this forever? “Just quit it! I already did everything you told me to do. This should be enough.”

“Oh.” Inui was visibly hurt before putting another smile. “Then what’ll you do when that happens again? Y’know, the whole membership card thing.” What the hell? “Look, I’m on your side. I’m not a bad guy. I’m your one, and only, ally” I give up. Just do what he says, as long as he has that picture.

“C-clothes” I stutter, “I want to check out clothes next.”

“Okay, you’ll be wearing what we got today right? I can’t wait” Something cold settled in me, lodged in my chest. Staring at his grin, I felt like I’d made a deal with the devil, again.