“D-damn it! Stop saying noh-nuts!” I yelled. Everyone stared at us as the train gently rocked. The sound of the wheels clicking on the track echoed.

“I have to.” Rui thrust a finger into my helmet, the tip of her finger firmly mashing where my nose should normally be, right in the center. “You need guts. You don’t have much time left,” she whispered.

I checked my cell phone. “Twenty-one and fifteen o’clock,” I noh-sighed.

“That’s two hours and forty-five minutes left, idiot.” Rui waggled her finger in my face again. “You have plenty of time to find it. We’ll be fine, if we charge immediately into the tunnel. Trains will be oncoming, but if we hug the wall, we should be fine.”

“W-what makes you think they’ll let us?” I noh-gaped. I was all too well acquainted with the policemen who manned the boxes in the station. I wasn’t on a first-name basis with them, but I knew they wouldn’t tolerate anything outside the norm, particularly when they were watching carefully. Perhaps that had something to do with why they’d started coming down on me extra harshly since my face was suspicious.

“We have to try,” Rui murmured. “Not just for your sake... for everyone.”

The crowd, I noticed, had lost interest, convinced of Rui’s explanation. That distracted them for a while. I wonder if Natalia-sama’s store will receive any more business because of this silly advertisement she put on my butt. I wonder whether she’s worried about me or not. Natalia-sama was an angel, compared to this little devil I’m stuck with.

We relaxed for a time until the recorded voice announced the station had been reached. We were near my home, but there wouldn’t be any time to go there to hide or rest. Doing so would do no one any good, and would benefit me the least.

The train shuddered slowly to a stop, and the jingles played as the doors slid open. Rui took my hand and pulled me quickly without a word. We left the car after several people who were closer to the doors. I noh-sighed in relief, glad to be off the train, but I was sure she’d make a beeline for the tunnel we’d just left. She led me in that direction. Oh no!

I was startled when people cried out aloud behind us. “There was an attack!” It was that man’s voice. “Officers! This train was under attack! You have to come investigate!” His voice carried loudly across the platform. Everyone stopped. A series of gasps echoed behind us as they noticed the damage done to the window. Meanwhile we ran away along the platform. This was suspicious. I knew this would...

“HALT!” I stiffened and looked around, traumatized by my previous experiences with the police.

“Keep going! Run! We have to make it!” Rui tugged me insistently and I broke into another run after her, stumbling awkwardly. I didn’t see a policeman yet, but I was sure someone would be on us quickly.

We approached the tunnel, and she pulled me to a walkway which was chained off. “Hurry... flip over this and we’ll be on our way! This commotion will help us!” she whispered as she started sliding beneath it.

I wanted to follow her, but hands gripped me from behind. I turned to meet the eyes of a policeman.

He looked agitated. “What are you doing?!”