.
"Are you leaving already?"
!
'Damn, apparently it's not an important call; I allmost had an heart attack when she called me.'
.
"Yeah, I didn't keep track of the time, I have to go now."
"That's a shame... but boy, you know you have to pay for the phone, right?"
!!?
'Did I mishear!?'
The employee said the words so unsettlingly calmly that it took me a moment to realize.
She said it so calmly and composedly, as if she knew everything.
.
I decide not to engage with the employee and quicken my pace, pretending I didn't hear her and hoping I misunderstood.
But in my head, I'm certain; 'No, I didn't mishear', I quicken my pace and start running.
'It's time for plan B!'
Without looking back, I start running as fast as I can.
.
!?
*Thud!*
"Argh?!"
Suddenly, the ground is getting closer and my head is spinning.
'Did I just trip?'
Before I realize it, I'm lying on the cold floor.
?
I want to get up and keep running, but I can't get up, and I can't move my arms either.
"Didn't I tell you that you have to pay for the phone?"
!
I didn't realize what was happening because everything happened so fast.
The female employee is sitting on top of me and holding my arms firmly behind my back.
'Fuck... why is she so fast and strong?'
She was still behind the counter talking on the phone, so I really should have had a head start.
I know that women in this world possess special abilities and are stronger, but I didn't expect to be overpowered so easily; the employee is relatively tall, sure, but she isn't particularly muscular and doesn't look fast, either. But above all...
'how did she notice me?'
In my mind, I was being inconspicuous and slipped the smartphone into my pocket at the right moment.
'Eye of Truth'
.
// failed... //
// ++Eye of Truth++ cooldown: 11 hours //
.
Damn, I should have waited for the cooldown to expire; she must have an ability that gave me away.
.
"How did you find out? "
"Boy, didn't you know that most stores selling expensive items hire women with detection skills? Is this the first time you've tried to steal something?"
"Actually, yeah."
"You actually did quite well, though."
"Thanks"
"That wasn't meant to be a compliment..."
"...this isn't the first time someone tried to steal something, and the detection ability doesn't make me all-seeing. You caught my eye before you even walked in here; you give off this male delinquent vibe, which is why I've been keeping an eye on you..."
"You should have been on your way to school at that time; generally, hardly anyone comes in here at this time. When you walked in, that feeling only grew stronger. While you didn't give that impression when I spoke to you, the feeling wouldn't leave me. So, I set an alarm on my phone, pretended to get a call, and waited to see how you'd react while I was distracted."
.
"You're pretty smart huh? don't you have a detection ability, or is it too weak to expose me right away?"
"that..."
"That...boy! Aren't you a bit too unfazed for someone who just got caught stealing?"
"So it's too weak"
"Hey! I've already called the police, and yeah... it's not a big store—that's why they hired me; my ability isn't that strong, so personnel costs aren't as high. But aren't you worried at all? I called the police on you, or... don't tell me you'r from one of those rich families!"
The employee's face darkened.
.
.
"nah, I would describe myself as the opposite of rich, if I were, why would I steal anything, idiot."
The employee exhales in relief.
"Well then..., you're lucky; if you weren't a boy, I would have beaten you up a long time ago."
The employee's voice grew louder and angrier, while her gaze became more confident.
"Hey redhead, are you trying to act tough now? If you don't plan on hurting me anyway, why tell me you won't do anything... Idtiot."
'maybe I should have tried pretending to be someone from one of those wealthy families.'
But judging by the employee's reactions, I realized that even in this world, there are influential families who get away with anything. And it was because of people like that that I had to suffer and die. I have nothing against wealthy or influential people, but I've had very bad experiences with those who abused their power. Even in a desperate situation, I can't bring myself to pretend I'm one of them.
"What the hell is wrong with you!? You're the one trying to act tough, or do you have an ace up your sleeve.
'Looks like I hit a nerve.'
.
The employee let go of me with one hand and reached into my trouser pocket for the mobile phone.
Thanks to my ability, I've received memories of a time when I was in a similar situation. I know what I need to do to break free; I haven't tried yet because she was too strong, and when I do make the attempt, I want to wait for the right moment to catch her off guard.
Now that she's let go with one hand, it's the perfect moment.
I know that even if I do break free, I might won't be able to run away. I might just be putting myself in an even worse situation.
...
...
!
I gather all my strength, grab the remaining arm of the employee pinning me down, and in one fluid motion, I stand up and throw her over my shoulder onto the floor.
Just because women are stronger, it doesn't mean they've become heavier.
!
"huh!?"
*Thud*
I start running, but something holds me by the arm.
'danm'
The employee reacted quickly and just barely managed to grab me by the wrist.
She's gritting her teeth and has put on a much more serious expression. Her constant commentary has stopped, too.
.
'danm, I knew it wouldn't be that easy...'
'but, I swore to myself...'
'that I stand up for myself, even when I'm wrong!'
.
Had enough—I jump and spin at the same time.
!
and with a hard roundhouse kick to the face, she lets go of my arm and collapses to the floor.
I sprint off toward the outskirts. I didn't notice it at first, but several passersby stopped and saw what had happened. Most of them looked surprised and didn't seem to know what to do; they just stood there frozen, mouths agape—like fish in an aquarium.
I can feel a lot of eyes on me, which makes me a bit nervous; if even one woman decides to play the hero, I'm in big trouble.
.
"Stop him!"
!
'What? How is that bitch still conscious? Even a professional boxer on Earth could have been knocked out by that!'
I've been kicked enough to know when you lose consciousness; looks like I underestimated women in this world.
I'm starting to run faster.
*Huff*
*Huff*
!
Then, out of nowhere, I feel a hand grab me and pull me to my feet. The grip is firm and secure—firmer than that of the employees.
I'm a little exhausted, but I don't care right now, so I'm getting ready to fight again
"Not so fast, young man, you know tha-"
"Huh"
"Jin?"
Just as I'm about to turn around to see where I'm going to kick her, I realize that someone unexpected is holding me...
"Huh?! Olivia?"
'Why is she here? I have a bad feeling about this...'
.
*Huff Huff Huff*
The employee from the phone Store comes running up, exhausted, her nose is bleeding slightly and her eyes are wide open. When she sees Olivia holding me, she relaxes visibly.
'I have to get out of here.'
"Thank God you caught him. I would have been fired if something would been stolen again."
*Huff Huff*
'danm it'
"Jin, what's going on here?"
Olivia said with a slightly confused face.
...
...
...
Well, to cut a long story short, the next few minutes were a bit awkward; I couldn't get away from Olivia, and the employee told her I'd tried to steal the smartphone. Olivia, for her part, didn't want to believe it at first and kept asking me over and over if it was true. When I finally admitted it, Olivia made an expression I couldn't quite read and bombarded me with comments ranging from "Do you realize what you actually did?" and "This could have consequences" to "I know your situation is complicated" and "You'r a minor, so don't worry too much about the consequences."
Not much later, I was back at the same police station as yesterday.
Olivia didn't actually force me into the police car, search me, or—let alone—handcuff me.
But I didn't dare stand up to Olivia; I sensed I wouldn't stand a chance against her. Even though I have better instincts and perception, I didn't notice her until she touched me. So, like a good boy, I obediently got into the car.
Now that I'm paying attention, I notice she's wearing a sword on her belt where the pistol should be, given how advanced the technology on Gaia is, I wouldn't have expected that. But I didn't have time to ask, since she was bombarding me with words non-stop. Honestly, I'd rather have the handcuffs than let my ears suffer like this.
And now I'm sitting in a small white room with Olivia; the room is boring as fuck, and the conversation is almost as dull, But sometimes there are a few interesting things.
.
"Jin, no matter what you think, this is going to have an impact on your life. You should consider yourself lucky that I'm the one questioning you; normally, someone else, someone not nearly as friendly would be doing it. But since you are a minor and I've dealt with you before, my superiors gave me the go-ahead to do so. Even so... I'm not the one who decides whether you'll be punished or what that punishment ist going to look like."
.
"No matter how it turns out, this incident will go on your record; that could cause difficulties when you want to find a job for exampel. cause, especially for those who don't know you'r circumstances—You'll be considered a criminal to some extent..."
.
'She's been asking me for hours now why I did it and is explaining to me why stealing is wrong; as if I were a child.'
'That's so boring.'
.
*Click.*
The door behind me opens.
"I told you something was wrong with him."
says an annoyed voice I've never heard before.
As I turn around, the policewoman with long brown hair is standing there—the one who was also present the first time I met Olivia.
She has her arms crossed beneath her large breasts and is looking down at me suspiciously.
"say kid, did you kill your uncle?"