It was now thirty minutes after Biologist and I split up in Momo. It didn’t take that long for me to find our quarries. In fact, I found them pretty much immediately. I’ve been silently watching them for about half an hour now. To put it simply, it seems like Rose is using Bunny as her… personal dress-up doll.
Bunny looked completely exhausted, like always.
“Can we go now?”
“Not yet, try on this one!”
Rose enthusiastically held up a revealing schoolgirl outfit, one in stark contrast to the overly modest and frilly dress Bunny was trying on now. She simply took the new clothes and walked back through the dark blue curtain into the changing room. (Actually, isn’t it weird for a place like this to have a changing room?)
Rose seemed to be having the time of her life. She was scrolling through her phone gallery, admiring all the different costumes and half-hearted poses she pushed Bunny into. It made me feel a little bad for Buns, Rose was treating her just like a pet. Though, if Bunny really hated it, I’m sure she could have wriggled her way out by now. She doesn’t secretly like it, does she? She did ask if they could leave. But maybe she was just being tsundere?
I should probably leave this store before it gives me permanent anime brain-poisoning.
But, for now, I stayed. It’s not that I really wanted to watch what Rose and Bunny do in their private time. But Biologist sure made it seem like something was going on, I doubt it was something this innocent. Well, making your friend dress up in flashy outfits for your own amusement might not be “innocent”, but considering the events lately, it’s not a very big deal. There must be something else to this.
“Can we go now?”
Bunny had returned from the changing room again, wearing the small uniform she was handed a minute ago. Personally, I didn’t think it was very flattering, but Rose was snapping up pictures from every angle. After her frenzy ended, she gave a small sigh.
“Yes, we can go now. Thanks, Bunny.”
Bunny silently returned to the dressing room, and came out a moment later wearing her usual ripped-up camo jacket and pants. Rose had a couple things in a bag, and they began walking to the check-out counter.
Wait, shit—that’s behind me. There’s no way they won’t see me if they keep moving this way! Should I come up with a cover story? Pretend like I didn’t see them? Should I ditch the sunglasses?
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It didn't matter, because I was already busted. My heart sank as I heard Rose's chipper voice reverberate through the narrow aisles.
"Oh, hey, Mina! Is that you?"
While desperately trying to make my brain fart out any excuse possible, I turned to face her like a deer faces an oncoming Toyota Camry.
But she wasn't there. My eyes darted all over to no avail, she wasn't in the same isle I was. For some reason, she was on the other side.
"I thought something was up with that text! And I really thought you actually--"
And then she stopped speaking. With her voice now raised an additional octave, she stammered out an apology to someone. I peeked out past the corner, and I saw Rose and Bunny talking to someone who looked like me, but unquestionably was not me. She had dark hair like me, was a bit stout like me, and she wore the same kind of stylish clothes I like to wear.
"Oh- oh. Sorry, I thought you were someone else! My friend always wears this lame yellow hoodie every day, and I thought—"
I was suddenly blinded by fury indescribable with language; In less than three seconds I had Rose in a headlock.
"OW OW OW OW OW OW—"
"Don't be an asshole to random customers! And my hoodie is NOT fucking lame!"
So much for being undercover.
After I had regained my composure, I proceeded to spill the beans. I told Rose the whole story of how I ended up here, against my better judgement.
“Biologist said we were being sus, huh? I wonder what exactly she heard…”
I raised an eyebrow, encouraging her to continue.
“I mean, we really are just out here shopping. Like well-adjusted, adult humans do. If either of you were one of those, you would have already figured that out.”
“I doubt a well-adjusted, adult human has ever set foot in Momo.”
“Shut up. Anyways, where’s Biologist? You said you came here with her.”
“Probably still looking for you two. I’ll let her know I won this accidental hide-and-seek game. Wait, wasn’t Bunny right beside you a second ago?”
Rose quickly searched all around her, as if she’d dropped her keys. It was just the two of us in the aisle for a few foreboding moments, until we heard Biologist’s voice. She was running as fast as her long khaki skirt would let her, panting and sweating.
“M-Mina, Bunny is—Bunnies are—There’s like a lot of, uh… J-Just come here, quickly!”
She yanked my wrist along as she ran towards the front of the store. No matter what I asked, she wouldn’t tell me anything about what she said. I was frustrated at her, until I saw it too, then I understood. This isn’t something you could convey through speech, you really had to see it.
The entire mall was swarming with uncountable numbers of Bunny.