Chapter 3 - They chase when you run

Autumn festival was fast approaching. This was when farmers harvest their crops and sold them. Naturally, when people have more money, they want to spend it.

This festival, in guise of celebrating mother nature to wish for a bountiful harvest in the coming year, is actually capitalism. With winter season lurking after autumn, people start preparing thicker clothes for warmth. That means I, as a seamstress, am making good money.

Today I am out and about looking for new fabrics to make clothes with. In this festival, many merchants from far and wide collect, thus bringing a wide variety of materials from different countries. The market is usually crowded but with the festival, it's packed with people.

And obviously, events like these are important in a story.

Even if you sweep one look around the market, you'll see an awfully large number of colourful heads bobbing up and down in the mass sea of people.

I will be careful today.

"Tina, how nice to meet you here! Are you shopping for fabrics as usual?"

I turn around to see my friend, Cecile. This one is a mob character like me. She too has brown hair and eyes. Her face is equipped thick bushy brows, flat nose and freckles. I'm not dissing my friend or anything, but even if she wanted to be a main character, she would not become one.

The number one criteria to be an important character is to have good looks. Therefore I have no qualms interacting with her - if she was someone like Aria, I'd keep her at an arm's length.

"Yes, would you like to go together with me?"

"Alright, I need to get new clothes for my siblings as well. With you they can't scam me for more money."

Like this, Cecile and I started touring the market.

Holding a large bag on my back, we flow along with the large stream of people going in different directions to reach a stall selling wool. The stall was manned by a young man with coloured hair - his hair was orange.

His aura is bright and lively, his voice clear as he calls for customers. His small face and large eyes makes him look cute, making ladies want to protect him. He grins to show his white teeth as if he's sponsored by Colgate. Women surround his stall to simp *ahem* buy wool to prepare for winter.

Needless to say, this person here is an important character.

I don't want to interact with the main characters, but it doesn't mean I have to go out of my way to avoid them completely. I have my job to do, which is to buy materials. And his wool was of good quality for a fair price.

Cecile looks completely taken in by the young man's looks. She grins happily when I tell her I'll buy some wool from that store.

I push my way through the crowd to purchase some grey wool so I can make make a large quilt to warm myself for the winter. If there is any excess I'll think about making a coat for myself.

"Pretty ladies, we have our best quality wool today and it's selling out fast. I can guarantee that there won't be more tomorrow even if you want more."

Cecile blushes heavily when she hears him address us as pretty ladies. Other women direct hostile gazes at us when he left them and direct his attention onto us.

Cecile whispers into my ears. "Omg, he's so dreamy!"

But a whisper is never a whisper in front of main characters. Because they are superhuman, they have the ability to over hear things that they want to. It's a massive cheat, I know.

Now, what is the right action to take?

Obviously, it is to fangirl together with Cecile and other women, even if you don't want to. A mob cannot stand out from its crowd, do what other people do.

"I know right! Have you seen his smile? I'd pay to see those from front row seats."

Giggling, Cecile agrees to my words.

In the midst of buying wool, a new shopper comes to the stall - a pretty girl with blonde hair and green eyes.

The handsome salesperson moves towards her and say the exact same words he uttered to us. It's like he has only this phrase memorised in his small brains, but it doesn't matter, girls will fall for it anyway.

The pretty girl scoffs at his compliments and ignores him completely. She continues to look at the wool displayed without even sparing a glance with him.

Ahhh— bad move right there.

Look. Right now his eyes are showing glint as he seductively lick his lips in a sadistic way. In his mind's probably "No one has ever talked to me like this before, I will make this woman fall for me!" Or something along that bullshit.

Well, I don't care much for it.

I finish with my shopping, pay for the materials to another staff member and quickly leave the stall.

On my way out, I see the young man entrapping the pretty blonde against the wall with a kabedon. It's a corner which is surprisingly secluded when you think about how busy the rest of the market is. That too, must be for the convenience of the plot.

Ah well, that doesn't matter much to me anyway.

A few steps after departure, I notice some potato fritters being sold at the stall a few feet away. The smell wafts in the air, travelling with the wind and attract people to buy some.

Mhmmm. I'll have it for lunch.