The winter break has started. It's been 8 days since I met the man. Nothing's changed, except for the cold---it's gotten worse. It took me a day to realise that it wasn't my imagination---it was all real. My ability to accept reality is good, fortunately. Most would just brush it off as a daydream.

But these holidays are also a hassle for me, because of increased working hours. We can't have a proper vacation. Oh, how I'd love to go to Hokkaido for skiing. Instead, I'm stuck in my shop right now, just sitting about. Most of our regulars have gone to enjoy the holidays. The god of envy seems to be devouring me. It's still just morning... Who would come to buy anything at this time?

As I kept thinking to myself, two men entered. They were all dressed in suits, and wore hats---which really reminded me of Henry. They were conversing with each other in some foreign language, but looked Japanese.

"What would you like?"

"We're looking for a person, who goes by the name of Henry. Has he been here?"

Mr. Turnwallace? Why would they be looking for him? Are they his acquaintances? If this were some spy movie, they'd be the bad guys trying to look for the escaped man. Nevertheless, I'm not going to get myself involved. Best to just send them away.

"I'm sorry, no. Never had any customers with western names before. Anything I can get you?"

"Well, if it has come down to this..."

He instantly grabbed my collar, and pulled me across to the wall on the side. OUCH! That hurt like crap.

"Wh-What are you DOING!? LET GO!"

"Let me ask again. Has he been here?"

I need to touch this guy and find out about him. But I can't remove my glove while he's watching me. He'll think I'm reaching out for some weapon, and that won't end well for me.

"Hey Ryou, I can't seem to find your dad? Has he go—Oh my GOD! What are you doing to him? Let him go!"

Oh dear, it's Akane... Why's SHE here? She wasn't supposed to have her shift at this time.

"Don't you dare interfere. And you, do NOT let her get out of here!"

In that split-second moment where he turned behind to look at her, I was able to remove my glove. The only thing left is to touch him. But how do I do that?

"Ryou, get down!"

In an instant, she threw her heavy bag she was carrying at the guy holding onto me, and made him flinch. The other guy's now onto her. Now's my chance.

"Maybe I ought to take it up a notch, until you give me proper answers, you little scum. Hey, strangle that woman to death. Now, kid, tell me, he was here, wasn't he? I need to know when, and I'll leave you two alive. Is that clear? Until then, I shall choke you too."

He slowly removed his gloves, and wrapped his hand around my neck. God, did that hurt.

"AARRRGHHH, LET ME GO, YOU PERVERT!" Akane shrieked.

"Okay, yes, h-he was here, but that was more than a week ago. Please, that is all I know! Let us go!" I gave in.

"Oh, no, now you tell me everything. On which day was he exactly here? At what time? Everything, now!"

"Wait, let us go, and I'll tell you all the details. Just put me down, and tell him to leave her. She has nothing to do with th-this... Argh!"

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If I touch him now, he'll only assume that I'm trying to make him let go. Okay, here goes.

Immediately, without hesitation, I touched him, but I actually wasn't pretending to make him let go. It really did start to make me feel scared.

As soon as I touched him, I could see a lot of things. Disturbing things, actually. What are these images? This smell? It's a horrible scent... is this... BLOOD!?

"...AAAAHHH I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE IS! PLEASE, DON'T KILL ME...AAAAHHHH..."

"...PLEASE, TAKE WHATEVER YOU WANT, JUST SPARE ME! NOOOOOO...."

What are these voices? I see people dying. Were they all killed by these guys? These are what he did 3 hours ago, and yet, he's already killed two innocent people. They're monsters! Good grief, we're in deep trouble. We have to make a run for it. But how? They still have me and Akane immobilized.

"Maybe you ought to let them go, boys." A voice came from near the door.

Dad? No, he won't be home for another hour. Who, then?

"Who the bloody h—it's YOU! Henry!"

Where did HE come from!? No, more importantly, is he going to face the two at once? I can't even talk out of this situation.

"You bastard, we have orders to bring you in alive! So, unless you want these innocent fools dead, you can run all you want. Your call."

"Heh. No need for that. I don't intend to run. Never did. What you two, though, are going to do, is you're going to let them go."

"Do you think we'll be threatened by you? We were informed to not engage in combat with you, but we have leverage. Surrender, and quietly come with us, and these two will live."

Henry's pretty calm, for a person being threatened. He's just walking up to them like he's been through this numerous times. Who is this man? Why're they after him?

The moment Henry was just a few feet away from me, the other guy pulled a gun out, and started pointing at Akane.

"If you take one step further, I will blow this girl's brains out."

"Try, if you will." Henry calmly replied.

"That's IT! KILL HER!"

"YES SIR!"

"NO, STOP IT! PLEASE, DON'T---" Akane shrieked.

"What are you doing? Finish the job, you idiot!"

"I-I'm trying, but I'm not able to pull the trigger. What is going on!?"

"You're useless! I'll show you how it's do—What the? Where's my gun?"

"You mean this play thing?"

There it was—the gun, in his hands. What is happening? Henry didn't have a gun when he entered here...

"You bastard... I'll kill you for sure. I don't care about the orders anymore. I'm killing all of you he---Wha--? I-I'm not a-able to move. You, what did you DO!?"

He's stiff as a statue. It still hurts, but I can't feel his grip strength from before. This man, Henry... he's doing this. Did he inject some paralyzing agent into them? No, that is impossible---I have been watching him the entire time, and he hasn't done anything. Hell, I can bother with the questions later... I need to break free.

Although still strong, I was somehow able to escape from his grip. It took all I had to just be able to move his fingers, wrapped around my neck, away from me. Akane saw me do it, and did the same. We both surprisingly sustained minor injuries, but she, especially, was trembling with fear.

"Akane, it's all right. Calm down."

"T-Thank you, Ryou. I'm okay now."

This is all I can do for now. I regret that I couldn't protect her, but instead, she tried to protect me. I'm not sure what I feel right now... All I can think about is this bizarre situation right here.

"How did they escape out so easily? HOW!?"

"Funny thing, time. Blesses the young, curses the old. It is always equal to everyone, isn't it? Yet, there are ways in which it can be bent, if not manipulated. It can both heal, and destroy."

"Y-you... You're a historian, aren't you? They told us not to fight with you, but they didn't mention any of this!"

"You see, they didn't mention it because it wasn't an order---it was a warning. And, as to why you're not able to move your bodies, is because I changed your perceptions of time."

Changed the perception of time? What is he talking about now? Also, the word historian doesn't mean literally in this context. That, I'm sure of. But what now? What is he going to do to the two of them? I have to ask.

"What is happening to them, Mr. Henry?"

"Their perception of time has been altered. What is seconds to us will seem like hours to them. However, only their bodies are affected. They can still talk."

WHAT THE--? Is that even possible? No, I'm the poster boy for abnormal things... Of course it is. So that means, he's like me? If he can change the perception of time, then that would explain why only a minute had passed that night. Great… as if my powers weren't weird enough. Akane has this frightened look on her face, like she's just about to scream for help. Nobody can blame her---there's too much going on in here, and she's also the only normal person among us.

Those two are just standing still---not moving an inch. He really did stun them. Who is Henry, exactly? Obviously not some old man on a business trip---that's a load of crap.

"So what now? Are we leaving them here, in this state?"

"For now, yes. They won't move. Until then, why don't the three of us have a little chat?"