Craving Scarecrow

Elena tries desperately to free herself. Eero sees her struggle and immediately rushes to her rescue, wearing a shirt with rolled-up sleeves, scratch jeans, and sneakers.

Eero grabs the customer's arm.

"What are you doing, buddy? Let her go."

The customer gets angry and swings his left hand to hit Eero, but a woman with beautiful silvery white hair and light sky-blue eyes intercepts him, catching his arm.

"Please, no fighting," she says gently, using both hands to restrain him.

The customer freezes, his expression dazed as though he's in a dream. Then a voice resonates inside his head: Do as I say.

Suddenly, the man yanks at the manager's dress, tearing it slightly and revealing her skin. Before anyone can react, he punches Eero, sending him crashing against the wall.

"Eero! Manager!" Elena screams in horror.

The woman with silvery hair.....none other than the manager of the bakery...steps forward.

Eero struggles to recover from the blow, visibly hurt. The man, ignoring him, grabs the manager.

"You bitch. Why don't you come with us too? You and your staff will have the time of your lives."

The manager, despite her anger, smiles faintly while gripping the man's hand.

"You've done it now. You assaulted me, harassed one staff member, and injured another. Congratulations."

"So? What can you do? Cry?" Another man strides confidently into the bakery.

The manager raised her hand, silencing him. She smiled, but it wasn't warm. It was dangerous. If I don't stay in control, they'll think they've won.

"How about a game?" she said. "Me and Elena versus you two."

Xenon laughed, his voice dripping with mockery. "A game? What kind of idiocy are you suggesting now?"

The manager's eyes gleamed with resolve. "If you win, we'll do whatever you want. But if we win, you'll leave this bakery naked."

Elena's heart sank. "Manager, no! We can't..."

"Do you think we're idiots?" Xenon interrupted, his gaze narrowing. "We know better than to play with a sly fox like you."

"You're scared," the manager said, her smile widening. "Afraid you'll lose to two women?"

Meanwhile, Radon approaches Elena, who is cradling Eero. Without warning, he grabs Elena by her hair.

"You bastard! Let her go!" Eero struggles to his feet and lunges toward Radon but halts when the manager speaks sharply.

Are you in, or too afraid to face two girls?" Her tone is unwavering as she stares directly at Xenon.

"Manager, we shouldn't...." Both Eero and Elena shouted, their voices frantic, cutting into each other like clashing swords.

"Both of you, just believe in me," the manager said, her tone calm yet firm, her eyes narrowing with unshakable determination.

Radon, still gripping Elena's hair, released it with a smirk and turned toward Xenon. "So, what game are we playing?"

The manager's lips twitched into a faint, enigmatic smile. She stepped forward, addressing them all. "We're going to play a card game. The rules are simple: Eero will shuffle the deck, and the four of us will each pick one card. After that, we take turns asking for three cards we imagine...one from the top, one from the middle, and one from the bottom. If all three cards match what we call, we win. If not, the one with the most matches wins."

She let the tension hang in the air for a moment before her voice dropped into a challenging, razor-sharp tone. "And let's make it interesting. If we lose....…" Her gaze shifted to Eero and Elena, her expression cold. "We'll strip. Right here. In front of everyone."

Xenon let out a low chuckle, leaning back against the counter. "Fine by me. But let's spice it up, shall we?" His grin widened into something feral. "If we win, you two bitches..." he jabbed a finger at Elena and the manager..."strip, dance naked, and entertain everyone here. Deal?"

"Wait, manager—!" Eero started, his face pale, but she silenced him with a sharp glare.

"And one more thing," the manager continued, ignoring Eero's protests. "If anyone doesn't honor the bet, there'll be consequences. The game will make sure of it—death. The worst kind of death you can imagine."

The air in the bakery shifted, growing colder and heavier. A faint hum filled the room as if something unseen had acknowledged the agreement. Suddenly, a translucent screen appeared in midair, glowing faintly with the words: Condition Accepted: "Do or Die."

The crowd erupted into whispers, their murmurs tinged with fear and disbelief.

"This is insane!" someone hissed.

"They're playing with their lives....… over cards?" another muttered.

But amidst the chaos, one voice stood out. "Xenon's such a coward," a man at the back sneered. "Look at him—he hasn't even agreed yet. All bark and no bite."

Xenon's smirk faltered for the briefest moment. His fingers twitched, his jaw tightening as his eyes flicked toward the man.

"I'm not doing this," Xenon finally said, his voice low but firm. "This is fucking suicide."

The crowd's whispers grew louder, their disdain palpable.

"He's backing out. Figures," a woman scoffed.

"Coward," another spat.

Radon slammed his fists on the table, his face twisting with rage. "Enough!" he barked, his voice echoing through the bakery. "Fine. I'll fucking do it!"

"Radon, you bastard!" Xenon growled, rounding on him. "Do you even understand what you've just done? You've sealed our goddamn fate, you stupid son of a bitch!"

Radon's gaze didn't waver. "Someone had to step up, and you sure as hell weren't going to."

Xenon clenched his fists, grinding his teeth. "You don't get it. This isn't just a game. This is fucking death on the line, you idiot."

But the screen glowed brighter, the words shifting: Condition Confirmed.

The tension in the bakery was palpable. Several customers bolted for the door, not wanting to stick around for whatever madness was about to unfold. Those who stayed whispered among themselves, torn between fascination and dread.

"They're all going to die," someone muttered.

"This isn't just a bet. It's a death wish," another added.

The manager walked to the counter and pulled out a deck of cards, holding it aloft. "Shall we begin?"

Her calm demeanor sent chills through everyone, even her teammates. Eero's hands were trembling as she handed him the cards.

"Manager," Eero said weakly, his voice cracking as he clutched the deck, "this...… this isn't right. What the fuck are you thinking?"

The manager turned to him, her expression cold as ice. "Eero. Trust me."

He froze under her piercing stare, his breath hitching. For a moment, he saw something in her eyes—a dark, unrelenting resolve that sent a shiver down his spine.

"Fine," he mumbled, starting to shuffle the cards. His hands were unsteady, several cards slipping from his grasp and scattering across the table.

"Easy, Eero," the manager said with a faint smile, tilting her head. "No need to panic. I have an idea."

She looked around the table. "After we pick our first cards, we'll switch them with our partners. That'll make the game more….... interesting."

Radon slammed his palms on the table. "What the fuck for?!"

"Because," the manager replied, tapping her finger rhythmically on the desk, "it'll add a layer of strategy. And isn't that what makes a game fun?"

Radon glared at her, muttering under his breath, "This bitch is insane."

Xenon leaned back, smirking but grinding his teeth. "She's not just insane.....she's trying to stack the odds in her favor. Whatever. Let's fucking get on with it."

Eero finished shuffling and held the deck out. Everyone picked their first card.

"Alright, let's switch," Xenon said, swapping his card with Radon's. The same was done by Elena and the manager. Elena now held the manager's card...a 4 of Spades.