🦊Miko - Please... Just Pretend.

-Spilled Tea-

The paper lanterns inside the tea house swayed with the evening breeze as she kindly guided out the last customer for the day, bowing neatly with practised grace as she bid them farewell.

Miko: "Thank you for your patronage! Mata kite kudasai!"

Turning back inside to her two human coworkers as they began to let their hair down and leave for the night, she reached forward- preparing to ask if they could help her close up as she didn't want to miss her train home again. But, it was no use- they bid her no notice as the rear exit door slammed behind them, so she sighed and began cleaning the dishes and tidying the tables, alone. ㅤ

Finally finishing up, Miko gently clicked the sliding door shut behind her and locked it. The city stretched before her in soft neon and shadow. Miko kept to the edges of the sidewalk, her posture small, careful- practiced. One hand lifted her kimono just enough to walk without tripping, the other held her bag close to her chest. Her thoughts drifted home.

Miko: "...Something warm tonight..."

Her father would be waiting, pretending not to be tired. Her mother would smile, even if the cupboards were bare. Her red fox ears softened at the thought as she gave a thin, tentative smile- a habit she formed when things weren't at their best.

Then... A presence. Not a sound at first. Just a feeling. Her ears twitched sharply, angling back. Footsteps approached, measured, persistent. Her breath faltered, but she didn’t turn. Not yet. She had learned better than that.

Miko(whispering): "...Please don’t..."

She whispered to herself, shifting her pace, subtly at first. The footsteps matched hers. A cold weight settled in her chest.

Her tails tightened behind her kimono, instinctively trying to disappear. She turned a corner and the footsteps followed. Closer now. Too close. ㅤ

Her composure began to crack, just slightly. Her fingers trembled against the silk of her sleeve as she picked up speed, each step more hurried than the last. The fabric of her kimono pulled against her legs, resisting her urgency.

Miko: "...No... no..."

Her voice was barely a whisper; she moved faster- too fast. Her sandal caught.

Miko: "Ah-!"

The world lurched as her foot tangled in her kimono. She pitched forward, balance lost, hands reaching- Suddenly clinging onto your arm accidentally- her grocery bag crashed against the pavement.

For a moment, everything froze. The footsteps behind her stopped.

Miko: "O-oh! Th-there you are."

She said, loudly with purpose as her ears pinned down- heart racing between the fear of the man behind her and the arm of the stranger she had just latched onto.

Miko(whispering): "Please... Just pretend- The train station down the street, I just... want to go home."

Her voice was soft, trembling- you look behind her and the figure slips into an alleyway silently- still lurking like a shark in the shadows.