I embarrassed myself at the supermarket

(Maybe not too captivating but here you go)
Last year around this time I was doing some routine grocery shopping at my local Seibu supermarket. I live in Ibaraki, if that matters.

While I was at the bread aisle, I noticed this lady, probably in her mid 30s, getting really close to my “zone”. Like, uncomfortably close. I looked at her and saw that she had a very serious, almost concerning expression. As if she was in distress. And she was looking around while she was obviously hiding from someone.

In my paranoid mind I’m thinking, oh shit. What if she’s being stalked and she’s in danger? What if she’s getting close to me to make me aware that she needs help? I need to do something. So without any hesitation, I asked her is she was ok. She looked at me and with the same frightened expression and she said yes.

Now, I’m thinking that victims who are in a dangerous situation are usually too afraid to either ask for help or admit that they need help. And yes, I watch too much true crime.

So I askd her AGAIN if she was sure she was okay. And she answered again, yes. But NO, I INSISTED. I proceeded to ask her if she was being stalked or something. Mind you, I was 8 month pregnant. My brain was pregnancy brain. Completely useless and dumb.

Then, this lady looked at me like I was some freak.

“I’m playing hide and seek with my daughter” is what she said word by word while pointing at her kid. I was just dumbfounded. This lady did not crack a smile the whole entire time. Yet I felt like I was the weird one. I even apologized.

It was a very awkward situation. I mean, shouldn’t playing hide and seek with your child be more enjoyable? Because to me she only looked like she was playing life or death hide and seek.

I felt really embarrassed. I left the store with my head down. But at the same time I’m thinking…what if she really was in danger? Better safe than sorry. However I feel like I only created a very awkward situation for her.