Lisa was going on a car trip to the grocery store to pick up some fresh ingredients for her family dinner. She needed items such as ramen, vegetables, ham, and spices. Long story short, she was planning to get some groceries. Her drives were always relaxing for little Ponyo and Sōsuke. Sōsuke liked to count how many cars he saw, while Ponyo loved looking at the scenery and had a tendency to imagine people there.

She stopped near this street's parking lot, exiting the car and closing the door behind her. She then went to the others, opening the doors and picking them one by one up in her arms. Her instructions were clear for them.

"Okay you two, I'll be going shopping for a bit; You two are free to do as you'd like, but stay around these parts and DON'T wander off! Okay?"

Lisa bent down, squatting down to their height. Both of them always paid close attention to the instructions she had for them. To ensure they fully understood, she asked them to repeat it once more. Finally, she gave them a gentle pat on the head before walking to the store.

Sōsuke and Ponyo took a few steps and then a slow look around their environment, they were immediately enveloped by a lively atmosphere brimming with color and energy. The cobblestone streets stretched out before them, lined with quaint shops and bustling stalls, each one bursting with unique offerings. Awning-clad storefronts displayed an array of handcrafted goods, from delicate pottery to intricately woven textiles, their colors bright against the backdrop of warm, weathered brick buildings. Ponyo was more in awe of the sight, due to how new she was to this.

Ponyo swiftly tugged at Sōsuke's shoulder, prompting him to turn and face her.

"Sōsuke.. My feet are tired from the walk here...." Ponyo said tiredly, with a little snicker emitting from him.

"We only walked at least uh.. six steps here!" Sōsuke replied, making it obvious there was no real malice in his voice and that he was just jokin' around. Ponyo looked up at him with a pout, softly hitting on him with her balled-up fists while cutely whining. He took in Ponyo's expression and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "S-Sorry, sorry.. There's gotta be one around here, if I just look hard en-"

Ponyo's face lit up as she already found a good and cozy-looking bench. She latched onto Sōsuke, making a swift run towards the bench on the other.. street. Sōsuke yelped, being yanked along with her.

"Wait, where are we go-" Once he learned they were about to go into busy traffic, he yelped and wrapped his arms as tight as he could right around Ponyo's waist, and pulled them both back to stop her.. As an ambulance sped by, their clothes fluttered in the wind like small sails, accompanied by its loud siren.

Sōsuke took deep, uneven breaths while holding her tight to try and calm down, unfazed by the sound. Ponyo however, had her eyes shut and ears covered by her hands to block it out. Sosuke gave her a light pat with one of his hands.

"Ponyo, Ponyo.. it's gone."

Sōsuke reassured her, still breathing a bit unevenly. Ponyo didn't get the message of Sōsuke's pulling her from traffic, just thinking he was giving her a hug. She suddenly wriggled a little out of his grip, before hugging him back warmly which calmed him down. Sosuke nervously laughed, giving her the most heartfelt hug he could.

"Please.. please don't do that again, Ponyo. I don't want you to get ran over and flat as a pancake.. okay?"

"Mmm.. pannncakes~!" Ponyo unintentionally shifted the subject, licking her lips with closed eyes.

"Yeah.." Sōsuke replied, before doing something new: He set up Ponyo high up on his back for a piggyback ride, beginning to walk to the bench.