Chapter 154

• I hated having to leave my companion, but I didn't have much choice. He needed clothes and my pantry needed food. First, I stopped by the supermarket. I got really excited buying a wide variety of foods. I wanted him to try our cuisine, to see his reactions to each new dish I made. Since the order was so large, I asked them to deliver it to my address later.
• Leaving the supermarket, I walked through the city center looking for a good clothing store. I stopped in front of a window display with several men's outfits on mannequins. Not knowing what he would like to wear, I chose a variety of items. I already had a rough idea based on the clothes I had washed for him. The saleswoman didn't ask me any intrusive questions or question me for buying so many men's clothes. Despite this, she kept looking at me intently and smiling the whole time.
• "Is something wrong?" I asked her. I had my card in my hand, ready to pay, but she continued to stare at me so intently that I felt uncomfortable. Instinctively, I raised my hand to my neck, wondering if the mark was visible. Before leaving home earlier, I had been careful to choose a turtleneck sweater just to hide it.