A short first meeting (really first seeing) for borrower!Haruhi and Hikaru.
1,410 words
Maybe considered accidental fear-play? Haruhi is definitely scared. Trigger warning just in case.
There are Three universal rules known by all borrowers. First, never borrow more than you need-not only is it a quick way to get noticed, it also slows you down when making an escape. Second, never let a human bean see you-the ones that speak that rule with the most passion in their voices have seen some truly horrible sights. Sights most borrowers hope to never see. Last, if you have broken rule Two never, ever, freeze up. First and foremost you must escape the situation-through any means necessary-then you can worry about moving into a new home and starting over.
It was a Thursday morning when Haruhi simultaneously broke all three rules.
She felt stupid-mostly because she wasn’t stupid. She knew better than to try and take a whole half of a dinner roll. But it was so fluffy, fresh baked that morning by one of the beans that wore the black and white outfits, and she was starving.
For the past three days the beans had been hosting some kind of gathering. What seemed like Hundreds of unfamiliar beans flooded the home that her home was inside. It was impossible for her to leave the cover of her home.
Even in the night hours it seemed that a bean was around every corner. Because of rule One Haruhi didn’t have any real backup supply of food. She’d always gone out during the hours she knew the beans would be busy, or sleeping, and only took enough food to last for the day.
Only a few hours after all the visiting beans left she ran out of her home and waited for the kitchen to empty of the black and white clad beans that were in charge of the food. She should’ve waited until night-another day of hunger was better than being caught-but at the time her body was controlled by her stomach instead of her brain. All she could think of was filling herself with food, and the roll smelled so delicious.
Now she stood frozen in place, eyes locked with the bean named Hikaru. No matter how hard she willed her feet they would not move. For the moment, neither did Hikaru.
Haruhi could hear the faint ticking of the clock, somewhere above her. Counting down to her doom. She wondered what was going through the bean’s mind. Was he thinking of different ways to torment her?
When she was small she had heard stories, terrible stories about borrowers who were caught in closed fists and never seen again, from one of her papa’s friends. A traveler who passed by from time to time. She was tough then-safe in her childhood home from the monsters of stories-but now she couldn’t stop picturing everything that might’ve happened to those stolen borrowers. Everything that might be happening to her soon.
Hikaru took a step towards her, mouth dropping open, and she finally found herself able to move. She had to move, before he closed the distance between them. She refused to be the next horror story told to young borrowers.
She threw the roll to the floor and dashed towards the spices lined up on the counter. She could use them as a barrier between her and the bean-however flimsy they may be compared to his massive size-until she could force her brain to remember the escape route she’d practiced so many times.
Behind the spices she couldn’t see the bean anymore, which was almost more terrifying than locking eyes with him. At least then she knew where he was and what he was doing. Now she only had the sounds coming from his direction, which were nearly drowned out by the thumping of her heart in her ears. Faint shuffling of feet and panicked mumbling.
Please she begged silently to any entity that might’ve been listening just let me make it out of this alive
She reached the edge of the counter just as the bean started shuffling the spices behind her. Her blood ran cold when the thought of him seeing her. It seemed to freeze up her heart and she was worried she might get stuck in place again, luckily her feet didn’t stop moving.
Unluckily, she was past the edge now. She felt her frozen heart drop to the pit of her stomach. Too terrified to even scream, her body went into auto pilot. She didn’t know when, but at some point she had pulled out her hook and stabbed it into the wall. Her hands burned when she grabbed onto the thread, skin peeling away from her palms and she slid too quickly, but she successfully slowed her descent.
As quickly as she could, she propelled to the ground, taking bigger leaps than she normally would’ve. Desperate times called for a few more risks-and her hands were already torn up anyway. They burned with every drop but she couldn’t let them slow her down.
She didn’t glance up-didn’t look for the bean. She could still hear the rattling of spice bottles on the counter. With any luck he wouldn't notice she was no longer behind them until she made it back to her home.
She reached the ground and pulled on the thread. The hook didn’t budge. Haruhi didn’t have a moment to waste on trying again, or even to mourn the loss of the hook her father gave her, she had already been seen. She left it without a second thought. He would forgive her for leaving it, given the circumstances.
“Hey” she heard the bean’s voice behind her as she ran towards the slit in the baseboards that served as the entrance to her home “stop running”
She vaguely heard the order, but of course paid it no mind. She was so close. Even with his giant legs the bean wouldn’t be able to catch her before she slipped inside. Once there she was sure she would be safe-at least for a moment. Long enough to get her emergency pack and start her escape. On to a new home.
“Come back” the bean called again and she heard the thumping of his feet. They rattled the ground slightly as he moved towards her.
A pause in the thumping almost made her stop, something strange was happening behind her. But she didn’t allow herself to look back.
Just as she slipped into the hole the floor shook beneath her, she felt wind push against her back, and felt the very tips of the beans fingers rustle her short hair. A squeak of surprise escaped her throat and she jumped forward. Safe.
Haruhi glanced back with widened eyes and saw the bean’s giant eyes staring back at her through the hole. He was on his stomach, laying on the ground. She knew instantly that if she had stopped to look at him he would’ve caught her. Probably crushed her. The bean has leapt from his previous place, towards her goal in an attempt to catch her.
She walked backwards, further into safety, but kept her eyes locked on his. Her whole body trembled.
“Come back” the bean sounded almost pleading when he spoke “where are you going?”
She slipped into the darkness. And once she had to turn a corner she stopped looking back. Her heart still thumped in her ears and throat, it felt like her eyes were throbbing in tune with it. Her brain raced as she recalled the events and mentally kicked herself for being stupid. Just because she wanted to gorge herself on bread.
I won’t make that mistake again she thought to herself as she gathered little scraps of things she might need.
She had no idea how far she would have to travel to find a new home. The only food she had was a small piece of stale cracker that was her absolute emergency last resort food. It had already been three days since she last ate.
No use pouting about it. It was too late to do anything else. She would have to brave the outside with what she had and nothing more. But at least she could wait until night. The bean can’t get her here-not quickly anyway. She might as well double check her materials and try to make some semblance of a plan.
I should’ve taken a bite at least she mourned the loss of the roll-the cursed thing had ruined her life, nearly ended it, and she didn’t even get a bite.