The W Concern

Gotta get that manga

Nick cleared his throat for the ninth or tenth time. For the ninth or tenth time the small hooded figure didn't so much as look up. She kept reading, long slender figures curled around the pages of the book, her head bent over, her eyes glued to the pages of the manga she was reading. The way she looked at that manga, it was like it contained some kind of revelation about the purpose of life on earth. Which Nick understood. It was a very, very good, probably the best manga he had come across in years. Which is why, despite the fact that he had a very busy night ahead of him, he had come all the way across town to get the damn thing.

"Hello," Nick said.

The woman did not acknowledge him.

From what he could see of her face, half hidden by the drape of her hood, she was pretty. Pale, with long eyelashes. Strong features, nice lips. But so what? She was also being incredibly annoying, standing there reading that book and not even bothering to buy it, just preventing him from buying it.

He reached out. He was going to tap her on her shoulder even though he had a feeling that someone who spent that much time deliberately ignoring a stranger would not take physical contact well, when she turned to look at him.

Now that he could see her whole face she wasn't just pretty, she was beautiful. Deep brown eyes the colour of coffee, sharply defined eyebrows. But also she was glaring at him like she wanted to stab him directly in his eyeballs.

"That manga," Nick said, undeterred by her expression. "It's basically mine."

She laughed, a short, sharp sarcastic laugh. "Sure, whatever, you can have it when I am done. I don't even like this shit."

Well, that made no sense. "Uh, sure you don't." He said. "I am pretty sure that the way you were reading it was really indicative of someone who hated what they were reading. You weren't even blinking."

"Were you staring at me?" The tone was angry but she was smiling, like she couldn't help it. A second later the smile was gone, papered over by a scowl.

"I was staring at you reading that manga, yeah. Obviously, I've been standing here waiting for you for the past...I don't know. Fifteen minutes."

She rolled her eyes dramatically. "Fine," She said, throwing the book at him. "You can have it, nerd boy. I got what I needed from it."

Nick caught the book and watched her saunter out. She had a particular kind of walk, like she didn't care about anything or anyone and would punch you if you got in her way. It was, for some reason, incredibly sexy.

At the counter Nick asked the guy working if he'd ever seen her before.

The guy - Jeff - shook his head. "Knaw, but you know what's crazy, she asked about you."

"Like she asked about me before I got here?"

"Yeah she asked if I knew you and I said hell yeah I know Nick. He just called about Robot Sword and I told him we had one left. I showed her where it was and not five minutes later you walked in."

 "So let me get this straight. A girl I've never seen before walked in, asked about me, then started reading my favorite manga and when I showed up just straight up ignored me and then was rude to me?"

Jeff shrugged. He ran a hand through his dark, greasy hair. "I mean, yeah sure. I figured you knew her."

Nick left feeling unsettled. Something didn't add up.

On his way into work he kept glancing over his shoulder, kept scanning for tails. He didn't spot any but he couldn't shake the feeling he was being followed.

By the time he got to work the sun had set an hour prior and the moon was out, looming low on the horizon. A full moon. A blood moon, the silver gray of the moon overlaid by a sickly red cast.

He tried to put the girl out of his mind.

It was going to be a busy night.