[i][color=violet]"I-Is there any particular place in mind...?"[/color]

[color=aba000]"Oh. Hm... I hadn't really thought about that, hahahaha."[/color]

[color=violet]"Then... How about the planetarium just out of town? They say that the summer night sky is breathtaking. I'd... li-like to see it with you."[/color]

[color=aba000]"A planetarium, huh? Sounds great, can't wait to see it! So this Sunday at the planetarium, it'll be a [b]promise[/b]!"[/color][/i]

[h3]Shizuka Otonashi || Star Drop Cafe || June 27 SAT: After School[/h3]
[i]There was something about this day that had put me in an uneasy feeling. Was it perhaps the looming dark clouds? I had no clue, but most of the day went smoothly as it usually did, even receiving a rather high score for my last English exam. The thought of Harvester-senpai influencing me to better my English crossed my mind and I couldn't help but giggle. 

The cafe started to finally calm down after the lunch time rush, giving me moments to myself to think about the date tomorrow. What should I wear? Should I fix up my hair? Will the clouds clear up by tomorrow?

I was too lost in my thoughts that I hadn't noticed or even given suspicion towards these group of people in hoods who seemed to have entered the cafe. I wouldn't have really thought anything of it at the time since the theme of the cafe for the week was RPG character classes. I honestly might have mistaken them for people dressed up as mages, even the rest of my co-workers greeted, 'Welcome home, masters!' like they usually would.

But we would soon find out that they had a different motive for being here. Has it been heavily raining for awhile now? I don't remember, but a bright lightning struck as one of them had disappeared. A hand from behind me had suddenly pressed a cloth against my mouth, and as if to keep me from resisting, a strong arm wrapped itself around my arms and waist. What was happening?! Attempting to struggle free nor scream proved to be futile as a strange chemical scent from the cloth was slowly but gradually drifting me off to the darkness despite the loud commotion among the rest of the people in the cafe...[/i]

[b]WHACK.[/b] Thud. [i]'W-What was that?', I thought to myself as I attempted to turn to see what had happened to my assailant, but my groggy body was about to fall. A strong yet gentle arm caught me before I met the floor.[/i] [b]"Shizu, hang onto me, we need to get you somewhere safe."[/b]

[color=violet]"Ho-Hoshikawa-san...?"[/color] [i]My nerves loosened and I almost felt tears sting at the corners of my eyes at how relieved I was to be saved by Kenji-san, the manager.

Kenji-san slightly smiled while he supported my weak body to hurriedly walk away from the scene.[/i] [b]"Hoshikawa-san, hm? Haven't heard that from you since your first day at work."[/b] [i]He chuckled a little before his tone seemed to have become serious.[/i] [b]"I don't understand what's going on but we've got to get you out of here."[/b]

[i]My vision was blurred as I was being quickly lead towards the emergency exit while the customers and other staff had scrambled towards the front entrance. Just who were those masked people? What were they after? Could they be.... the cult from the rumors...?[/i] [b]WHACK.[/b] [i]I flinched from the sudden whacking noise ahead of me.[/i] [b]"Hah, that'll teach them! I wasn't my own stunt double just for shows!"[/b] [i]Kenji-san flashed a grin back at me after withdrawing his fist from the hooded man's face.

Walking away from the scene and into the quiet hallway towards the emergency exit, Kenji-san settled me down in the closet before whispering in a hushed voice,[/I] [b]"Shizu, before we head to the exit this way, let me check if the coast is clear. We can't have you in your current state to run for it when something happens. I'll be back as soon as I can, alright?"[/b] [i]I nodded slowly and hesitated as a gentle hand patted my shoulder as if to give me assurance that everything will be okay. The closet door was shut closed and everything was dark.

Will we be alright? Has anyone contacted the police yet? Why was this happening to us? I was lost in thought once more as the rain outside had become heavier and heavier with thunder and lightning as accompaniment. Kenji-san's steady and light footsteps paused as he raised his voice,[/I] [b]"Just who are you people and what do you want from us?!"[/b] POW. CRASH. WHACK. .... [i]After moments of loud scrambling noises, it had become painfully silent until a pair of footsteps clacked against the ground towards my direction. My heart must've been pounding loud enough for anyone just out of the closet to hear, my breathing becoming unstable and ragged.

It must be Kenji-san, right? There was no way a professional sentai actor who did his own action stunts could lose. ... Right? But if it wasn't, ... Will anyone come to help me? Father, mother, where are you...? Please, help me... Why aren't you ever there for me when I need you...? Harvester-senpai... I'm sorry I couldn't fulfill my promi--[/i] [b]Creak.[/b] [i]All I saw was a pair of unfamiliar, gloved hands reaching out for me before everything went dark.[/I]

. . . . . . . .