Back at the Akagi residence.
Haruto stepped into the dining room.
His mother was seated at the head of the table, and seated beside her was a floating set of casual clothes - a soft hoodie and leggings, they were chatting casually before Haruto came in.
"Finally," his mother said, resting her ladle against a pot she was holding.
"Sit down, Haruto."
As Haruto pulled out his chair, he felt the weight of two pairs of invisible eyes locking onto him - practically vibrating with "snitch" energy.
"We were just talking about the sports festival.
You know... you don't actually have to participate. I've heard It's an intense competition, and I've seen enough 'intense' from you this week.", his mother said with a weary expression.
"I hear you, Mom, I'm planning on a low-profile run, I'll stay in the middle of the pack, do enough to pass the qualifiers"
Toru turned her invisible head face to Hana, a mischievous smile on her face.
"Mrs. Akagi, you have no idea! He's already talking about 'speed-running' the obstacle course! He told me he's going to find a way to finish without even touching the ground."
Haruto then faced the invisible snitch, with a betrayed expression
"Spoilers are bad, Toru," he muttered,
"Don't ruin the experience for the readers."
Haruto turned his gaze toward the empty corner.
"See this? This is what happens when your 'supporting cast' gets too much screen time. They start leaking the 'the strategy' before the event even starts."
His mother blinked,
"The readers ? Haruto, I'm the only one here besides Toru! Are you talking to those 'internet ghosts' again? "
Toru started giggling,
"Oh, ignore him, Mrs. Akagi! He's just upset because I'm exposing him ! He wants everyone to think he's just winging it, but he has actually spent the last day planning how to 'phase' through the obstacle course without even touching the ground, he just loves the attention"
Haruto rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"It's called Information Security, Toru," Haruto muttered. "You're ruining the 'engagement' for the sake of a domestic subplot."
"Anyway...,", Hana sighed,
"we'll talk about this later. For now let's just eat"
She said, finally setting the heavy pot in the center of the table.
The meal eventually ended, reaching its natural conclusion.
Toru stood up, and pushed her chair back.
"Well, Mrs. Akagi, as much as I love watching Haruto have a meltdown over his spoilers, I should probably get home before my parents start a search party."
"Of course, Toru," Hana said with a smile. "Thank you for keeping an eye on this boy. He needs the supervision."
Haruto stood up as well, reaching for his keys. He glanced at his mother.
"Hey, Mom. Since I'm walking Toru back, do you need anything from the grocery store?"
Hana blinked, surprised. "Oh! Yes, actually. Grab some milk and those ginger candies. And Haruto? Try to stay on the sidewalk"
"Copy that, Mom," Haruto muttered.
***
The cool night air hit them the second they stepped onto the porch. Haruto walked with his hands in his pockets, his eyes scanning the shadows out of habit.
"Seriously though," Toru said, breaking the silence,
"Do you think I'll be able to keep up? I feel like my power isn't exactly built for competition"
"Don't overthink the script, Toru," he said, his voice steady. " You'll be alright."
Toru was quiet for a second, her hoodie bobbing as she looked at him. "You really think so?"
"I know so," he muttered.
Suddenly, she bumped his shoulder playfully, then reached out and asked.
"Speaking of which... what did you do with your 'hero suit' anyway? You know, the casual crimson hoodie ?"
"I threw it. It had a hole in the center the size of a dinner plate", Haruto replied.
"You just... threw it? Haruto, that was basically your brand!" She nudged him again, giggling.
"Well, how about you come to the mall with me tomorrow. We're getting you some new clothes."
Haruto paused.
A slow, mischievous smirk on his face.
He leaned a little, and said
"The mall? On a Saturday?" He glanced at the empty space where her face would be. "Wait... is the 'Romance' tag finally working? Are we pivoting into a 'date' episode right before the tournament arc?"
Toru froze. For a second, the only sound was the distant hum of a passing car.
Then, her invisible sleeve whipped out and smacked his shoulder.
"It's a mercy mission, you idiot! A 'charity for the fashionably challenged' event!"
she squawked, her voice jumping two octaves.
Haruto just chuckled,
"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Ghost-chan."
Toru laughed, waving an invisible hand as she reached her gate. "See you tomorrow, Haruto! Don't forget your mom's milk!"
********<>*********
The next day
Haruto stood outside the mall entrance, his hands shoved into his pockets, he wore a plain dark T-shirt.
"You're late," he muttered,
"The 'Mall Arc' usually starts at 10:00 AM sharp."
"I am not late! I was perfecting my 'stealthy' look!"
Toru's voice chirped from thin air, right in front of him.
A moment later, a pair of light denim overalls and a striped t-shirt seemed to materialize as she stepped out of the crowd.
"And anyway, a protagonist is supposed to wait for the heroine."
Haruto gave the floating outfit a sweeping look. "Right. The heroine who looks like a set of invisible laundry. Let's get this over with"
The mall was a sensory overload of neon signs, pop music, and the smell of overpriced pretzels.
As they navigated the sea of shoppers, Haruto kept his eyes moving, instinctively mapping out the exits and the line-of-sight for security cameras.
"So," Toru said, her invisible sleeves swinging as she walked.
"Are we looking for a direct replacement? Or are we doing a total character redesign?"
"Both. I'm actually picking up a replacement for the crimson set - gotta keep the look consistent, after all. But I also need a spare in black," Haruto said, pausing in front of the high-end streetwear shop.
He moved through the racks ignoring the flashy trends.
He grabbed a vibrant crimson hoodie that matched his old one perfectly, then reached for a matte-black version of the same cut.
"Double-slotting, huh?" Toru giggled, watching him carry both to the counter.
"You're starting to sound like someone who actually cares about his appearance."
"It's called inventory management, Toru," Haruto countered, "I'm not leaving my character design up to a 'random loot drop' anymore."
After an hour of Toru treating the mall like a high-speed looting simulator, they ended up at the food court with a tray of takoyaki.
"See? That wasn't so hard," Toru said, her invisible form leaning back in the plastic chair.
"You have a new hoodie, and I got these cute ribbons."
Haruto popped a piece of takoyaki into his mouth, his eyes scanning the crowd for any 'Random Encounters' that looked suspicious.
"Don't get comfortable, Ghost-chan. The pacing in this place is suspicious. We've been here for two hours and haven't hit a single plot-relevant ambush yet."
He leaned in closer, his voice dropping low. "Wait... is the camera panning toward that guy by the fountain? He's wearing a trench coat in April. That's a classic 'mid-tier villain' look."
Toru let out a bubbly laugh that made a few nearby shoppers turn their heads in confusion at the empty chair.
"Haruto, he's just a guy waiting for his girlfriend! Not everything is a 'scripted event'!"
"That's exactly what a 'secondary character' would say right before the building explodes," Haruto muttered.
"Anyway," he said, standing up, "Let's go home before th-."
Toru didn't wait for the meta-commentary to finish, before she stormed toward the exit.
"Race you to the exit!" Toru shouted, her clothes already blurring into the crowd.
"Hey! No using invisibility to cheat the physics[1]!"
Haruto called out, though he was already moving. He was scanning the environment ready for whatever 'random encounter' they could face.
***
Just as they reached the sliding glass doors, Haruto stopped dead.
Leaning against a concrete pillar was a tall, hooded figure, and he was staring intently at a small, glowing device in his hand.
'The Mall Encounter. It's too early in the season for the "dust-man" to make his move.
Should I just wipe his ass right now ?'
Haruto thought, his eyes narrowing.
"Toru. Stay behind me"
"Haruto? What are you—"
The hooded figure suddenly looked up,to reveal a perfectly ordinary, middle-aged man holding a grocery list.
He blinked at Haruto, looking confused by the teenager's intense combat stance, before wandering off toward the pharmacy.
Haruto stood frozen for a three-second count.
"Right," Haruto muttered, adjusting his jacket
"Talk about a bait-and-switch. The writers are really phoning it in today."
"A bystander?" Toru chirped.
"Haruto, you were ready to drop a combo on a guy looking for groceries!"
"He was radiating villainous aura, Toru! It's not my fault the environmental storytelling is misleading," Haruto countered.
As they stepped out into the parking lot, Haruto glanced back one last time at the mall.
'Fine. No scripted ambush today. But it's probably for the best. - the story needs his mess'
[1] He means that she is using her invisibility to phase through the crowd. (it is not happening of course)