Three Dollars and a Singular Cent

Runaway, Runaway

Your phone rang from upstairs. You were sitting on the couch, and had no intention of getting up. You told yourself that when it rang again. And the same when it rang a third time.

The fourth time you heard your ringtone is when you decided to get up. "Better be important," You muttered as you stomped upstairs.

On the screen was Shin's contact. You answered the call and pressed the phone to your ear, "What's up?"

"Oh my god I thought you were dead or something, you took so long to answer." Shin sighed a shaky breath. "I think he knows where I live."

You paused for a moment, "You... what?"

He sighed again, "Some guy wearing a bunch of mismatching clothing came in and just walked around the shop for a hot minute, and, y'know, as a cashier it's not my business to judge customers, but he was giving me bad vibes." He spoke frantically, "He came up to the register with only a piece of paper in his hand... He gave it to me and then left."

"Did it say anything?"

"..."

"Shin?"

"It said that Sou Hiyori knows where I live, and that he's coming."

You didn't know what to say. This couldn't be just a harmless prank. "Are you alright? When did this happen?"

"Well, I've been trying to call you for a good five minutes, so five minutes ago."

"Dammit. Your house clearly isn't a safe space to be in, right now."

"Y/N I don't know what to do."

"You don't have to. Hey, how about this? I'm gonna come over to your work and pick you up, and we can go to your apartment and grab any essentials you might need so you can stay in my house."

"That's... not necessary."

"It is. I'm on my way." You hung up and shoved your phone into your pocket. You ran downstairs and past the kitchen, where Alice was drinking milk.

"What's got you in a rush?"

You slipped on your shoes and pulled on a jacket, "I'm bringing home a hostage. I'll be back later." You were out the door before Alice could ask any more questions.

~ * ~

"You've seen my apartment. I don't have much. It won't take me more than five minutes to get my things."

That's what Shin had said, so once seven minutes had passed, you knew something was up. You stepped out of your car and walked up to the front door of Shin's apartment. The door was open, which wasn't strange because you watched Shin leave it open. But, thinking back on it, you don't remember seeing him unlock the door either.

You stood outside the door, "...Shin?" You called. Silence. "Shin?" You said, slightly louder. Hurried footsteps came from inside the house and soon enough, Shin came sprinting out with a bag in hand.

"Hurry!" He shouted, practically tripping over his own feet as he raced to your car. You glanced back into his apartment just in time to see something violently hit the wall next to your face, and a flash of green. You booked it. Good thing you left your keys in the ignition.

You didn't take a moment to buckle your seatbelt. You just needed to get away. You drove around town, trying to lose Hiyori in the case he had followed you.

"Holy shit." You finally said, out of breath even five minutes later due to the adrenaline rush.

"Oh my god. Oh my god. What am I gonna do?" Shin was ten times more panicked than you were. "He knows where I work. He knows where I live. He knows everything about me. What am I going to do?"