ã€ŠAmihikiru &#x2014; The Soft Spoken Girl Next Doorã€‹


 V1 - The Spring Rains that Brought Change: Part One

    The first thing that greeted Katsumi as he began to wake up was the cool hardwood floor of his apartment. A sensation that had unfortunately become increasingly familiar to him. As he began to pick himself up, a rustling came from the living room.

    Katsumi lazily turned his head towards the source of the noise¡ªhe discerned the silhouette of someone on the couch.

    "Mornin'' sleepy-head," the silhouette said.

    "...Nara? When did you get here?"

    "Oh man, you really got messed up last night."

    "...I don¡¯t remember a thing."

    The night prior, as almost every other night, Nara Takagi had come over. A girl Katsumi had only known for a little over a year now, yet, she practically lived in his apartment. Katsumi never intends on drinking with her as often as he does, but Nara always has a different idea in mind.

    He slowly reached around for his cellphone, which he found under the nearby chair. When he pressed the power button to check the time.

    "You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me¡­"

    "Hm? What¡¯s up?" Nara sounded uninterested in her response.

    More rustling came from the living room and Nara was now standing by the balcony-door curtains. They were graciously preventing the sun''s light from entering the apartment, but with one swift motion, she threw them open.

    The sun¡¯s light flooded into the apartment, reaching almost every corner of it. The rays streaming in illuminated countless dust particles floating aimlessly through the air¡ªalong with the mess that was the apartment. Various bottles were scattered across the living room and kitchen along with a plethora of used dishes and empty food containers.

    "Ahh~ What a beautiful mornin¡¯. Wouldn¡¯t ya¡¯ agree, Katsumi?"

    Nara angled her head towards him, flashing a wide grin.

    "This was a terrible night for you to come over."

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?"

    ¡°You''re kidding... It¡¯s the first day of the semester¡­¡±

    "And why does that matter to me?¡±

    "It matters to me."

    "By the way, it¡¯s the second day already, first day was yesterday. You slept right through it."

    "Why didn¡¯t you think to wake me up...?"

    "Ya¡¯ just looked so cute while gettin¡¯ your beauty sleep. I couldn¡¯t."

    "..."

    "It¡¯s all good, we¡¯d already be bout¡¯ two hours late to our first class anyway. So why worry ¡®bout it now? There¡¯s always tomorrow."

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    Katsumi didn''t bother trying to argue back anymore, recognizing that Nara had firmly made up her mind. Instead, he began heading towards his bedroom to get ready.

    As he did, it felt as if all the surrounding air weighed down on him. His movements were staggered and almost couldn''t stay balanced. However, he managed to make it to his bedroom without only falling over once.

    Katsumi¡¯s room contrasted greatly with the kitchen and living room. Someone seeing his apartment would expect an equally disheveled bedroom, however, the truth was quite the opposite. Entering and flicking the light switch, it revealed a surprisingly well-kept and organized room. For most of Katsumi¡¯s life, the idea of a clean living space leads to a better mental state was something he stood by. This idea was quickly deteriorated over the last few months though, as the messy lifestyle of Nara Takagi had encroached on his apartment.

    This left the one place she wasn¡¯t allowed in as a bastion of Katsumi¡¯s old way of cleanliness.

    A bed was placed in the back right corner of the room, nicely made with unwrinkled sheets and blankets. A waist-high bookcase filled with an assortment of textbooks, binders, and other books of various sizes was situated adjacent to the bed, along with a desk that had a laptop and a bit of miscellaneous clutter on it. The laptop had a sticker that read Kashiwa University on it.

    He went directly to the bed, where he stripped and hurriedly changed into some clothes that were scattered on it.

    Quickly stepping back out into the living room, he decided it wouldn¡¯t hurt to ask Nara one last time if she¡¯d come¡ªbut her answer remained the same.

    "Just feels like a waste of time, ya¡¯know? Like, imagine the looks everyone''s gonna give ya'' when yer¡¯ two hours late. I mean, come on, that¡¯d be terrible."

    Nara was now sprawled out on his couch, looking more than comfortable with her choice.

    "...The least you can do is put some clothes on. You look like a mess.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m gonna be goin¡¯ out today, who cares.¡±

    I keep giving in to her¡­ Two days ago I knew classes were starting yet I still got hammered with her. We could¡¯ve drank on the weekend but we¡ª Katsumi rubbed his face trying to collect his thoughts. I have to stop drinking on weekdays. It should be easy.

    Katsumi navigated to the front door, where he slipped on his shoes. He looked back into the apartment and again tried to reason with the unreasonable Nara. He drew in a deep breath followed-up by a satisfied exhale. A late-morning breeze blew on him, catching his black hair as he looked out onto the street below.

    His apartment was situated in the Kashiwanoha Park City Campus¡ªa cluster of modern high-rise apartments, businesses, and restaurants located near Kashiwa University¡¯s campus. It was about a fifteen minute walk from where a majority of classes were held, making it a premium location for students of financially inclined families to stay while attending the university.

    Katsumi was aware he got incredibly lucky being able to stay there, rather than having to live in a dorm with a random roommate. This fact left a lingering feeling of guilt inside him because of how he treated the apartment.

    After about ten minutes of on-and-off jogging, he arrived at the main campus and was now standing in front of the classroom door. He couldn¡¯t stop thinking about how Nara was right¡ªthis feeling sucked.

    With a drawn-out sigh, he slid the door open. Instantly being greeted with the gazes of almost everyone in the classroom, including the professor.

    "Nice of you to finally join us¡­ Murakami, is it?"

    "I¨CI¡¯m sorry¡­."

    The professor, Hasegawa-sensei stared at him for a moment, then pointed to an empty seat in the back-middle of the classroom. "Go sit down."

    Katsumi turned his attention to the seat Hasegawa-sensei pointed at, it neighbored a girl with short black hair. Almost instantly, he vaguely recognized her, adding to his embarrassment.

    Do I know her? This is terrible¡­ I think we might¡¯ve gone to high school or some cram school together¡­

    After this bit of hesitation, he moved to his seat.

    "M-morning¡­" Katsumi whispered to try and break the tension as he set his backpack down.

    The girl gave him a vacant look as she pushed some hair behind her ear. She quickly redirected her attention towards the front of the classroom.

    Katsumi followed suit and slouched in his seat.

 The Spring Rains That Brought Change: Part Two

    The sky had become overcast and was accompanied by a chilly breeze flowing through the open windows, causing a few of the students to shiver. Soon, droplets of water started to accumulate on the windows, one after another. Before anyone knew it, the overcast had transitioned into a downpour.

    "Jackson, Akito, please shut the windows." Hasegawa-sensei directed the two students closest to the open windows.

    The boy Hasegawa-sensei called on, Jackson, rose from his seat. He towered over all the other students being one hundred-ninety centimeters tall. A head of messy blonde hair sat on his head, and despite its unorthodox style, looked good on him.

    The foreigner spoke decent Japanese in his response to Hasegawa-sensei, but just by hearing his voice, it was easy to tell he wasn¡¯t a native speaker. Katsumi figured that he¡¯d most likely come to Kashiwa recently in some sort of exchange program.

    Katsumi¡¯s brain idled for an hour and a half, all the way until afternoon classes had ended.

    Students were splitting up with their friends and spreading across campus. Some decided to find a nice spot and chat or do homework, while others returned to their dorms. One of those that was looking for a spot was Katsumi, but he didn¡¯t plan on chatting or doing any studying.

    As he walked aimlessly through hallways, he listened to some of the meaningless chatter.

    Up ahead was a decently large room, the walls almost entirely made of glass. It was one of the campus¡¯s caf¨¦s.

    This might be the spot. Katsumi thought as he claimed a table for two. As he sat however, he spotted something that dampened his already annoyed mood.

    The foreigner, Jackson from his class, was there, and he seemed to have already carved out his own clique. He was surrounded by six other students, two being guys and the other four girls.

    Figures¡­

    A few of them Katsumi believed he vaguely recognized from high school¡ªa girl with a brown pony-tail and maybe one of the guys. However, none of them stuck out¡­ until his eyes landed on the girl sitting closest to Jackson¡ªthat girl being Akito Saki.

    She was someone Katsumi unfortunately knew for the better part of a decade. She had been in the same class as him throughout middle and high school, the two being on generally good terms almost the entire time. It was only during their senior year of high school where that changed.

    That year is when Katsumi befriended Nara Takagi. Nara¡¯s bad habits and mannerisms quickly caught on with Katsumi, causing him to slip from his academic and social grace, along with leaving a negative opinion of him in almost everyone''s head.

    This included Saki. Especially Saki. Someone Katsumi coined as his number one hater. The core memory he had of Saki was her going around the school and ensuring everyone knew the type of delinquent he had become.

    Katsumi was left with one question because of this: why? He always wondered what he did directly to her to cause this. The answer he came to time and time again was a simple moral code she held. Which he found stupid.

    Jackson¡¯s gaze drifted from the group and ended up locking eyes with Katsumi from across the caf¨¦¡ªwhich caused the latter to instinctively avert his. Yet Jackson¡¯s lingered.

    What the hell is this guy¡¯s deal¡­? Can¡¯t you tell I¡¯m ignoring you, please look away.

    Jackson¡¯s prolonged gaze had the misfortune of drawing the attention of Saki. When she realized who he had been looking at, her expression soured.

    Even without being able to hear their conversation, Katsumi immediately knew Saki was dumping negative details about him to her friends. They slowly, one by one, turned to take glances at Katsumi.

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    Alright, I¡¯ve had enough of this public humiliation. Katsumi set his hands on the table and rose from his seat. I¡¯m gonna go smoke¡­ Hopefully they have somewhere no one can see me¡­ Maybe the roof.

    After a few hallways and a couple flights of stairs, Katsumi was face-to-face with the door to the roof. He put his hand on the handle and turned it.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect it to be unlocked.¡±

    Once therapeutic and rhythmic, the sound of muffled rain hitting the roof turned into an unignorable, loud wall of noise.

    "At least the wind isn¡¯t in this direction¡­" Katsumi poked his head out of the doorway, looking left and right before stepping out.

    When he did, the rain didn¡¯t hit him.

    "Hm?" He looked up. "Ah, there¡¯s an overhang¡­ isn¡¯t this my lucky day."

    Katsumi pulled a carton of cigarettes out of his pants pocket along with a lighter. He put a cigarette in his mouth and cupped his hand around the front of it. The sound of rain fell away as the only thing Katsumi focused on was the repeated clicking of his lighter.

    Come on, it¡¯s too damn wet out here¡­

    After a few more seconds of clicking a flame came out.

    Finally¡­

    The smoke rose upwards, illuminated by the light installed in the overhang.

    "Got one to spare?" A voice came from the doorway.

    After a moment of silence Katsumi did a double-take, finally realizing who said that.

    "What? Jackson?¡±

    ¡°You already know my name?¡± He asked.

    Katsumi gave an unimpressed look. ¡°Hasegawa-sensei said it during class. And you stand out, so it¡¯s easy to remember.¡±

    "I suppose.¡± Jackson gave a smile reminiscent of someone Katsumi knew.

    When did he get up here? I never heard the door open¡­ Katsumi eyed him out of the corner of his vision. ¡°So why¡¯re you here instead of with your fanclub?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve met a lot of people already, but you seem interesting, so I wanted to talk with you.¡± Jackson attempted to sound genuine, but Katsumi easily saw through it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be all philosophical with me. Why¡¯re you here?¡±

    ¡°Well it¡¯s not a complete lie, I did want to talk wi¡ª¡±

    Katsumi curtly cut him off. ¡°Just tell me.¡±

    Jackson sighed. ¡°A girl I was sitting with wouldn¡¯t stop complaining about you. Saying stuff like how unlucky she was that you attend this university. I¡¯ve never seen someone get this worked up, so I had to know why.¡±

    ¡°Akito didn¡¯t go on and on about what I was like during high school?¡±

    ¡°No, she did¡ª wait, how did you know it was Saki?¡±

    Katsumi shrugged. ¡°Lucky guess.¡±

    He brushed over Katsumi¡¯s sarcastic remark and continued on. ¡°The real reason I¡¯m here is because I¡¯d like to know if you did something to her in the past that made her hate you. She was livid back in the¡ª¡±

    Before he could finish though, the roof door swung open and the brown-haired Saki Akito stepped through. "Jackson! Why¡¯re you talking with Murakami!?"

    "I was just introducing myself,¡± Jackson responded calmly

    ¡°That¡¯s the last thing I wanted you to do! Look at him, unkempt and gross. He¡¯s a delinquent!¡±

    "Yes-yes, you¡¯re right Saki, sorry."

    It¡¯s been a few months since I¡¯ve seen Akito, and the first thing she does is insult me? That¡¯s so in character for her¡­ Also Saki? First name basis already?

    "You weren¡¯t going to smoke with him, were you?" She calmed down, lowering her voice.

    "Of course not. I, in fact, told Murakami that he shouldn¡¯t be smoking.¡±

    Saki turned her piercing gaze towards Katsumi. "See Murakami? Even people from halfway around the world agree that you shouldn¡¯t be smoking. It¡¯s terrible for you."

    Katsumi stared back at her with dead eyes. "I¡¯ll give you one thousand yen if you leave right now."

    "I¡¯ll gladly do it for free. I can feel my social status dropping just by being around you."

    "You¡¯re really gonna pass up on free money because of that stupid pride of yours, Akito?"

    "Ah¡ª I¡ª Like I¡¯d want any money from you! Besides, you can¡¯t even make a normal expression when talking to me. You¡¯re pathetic.¡±

    "Who would want to look at you?"

    "Amazing¡­¡± Jackson interjected. ¡°You two are so familiar with each other. Are you ex¡¯s?" His eyes flickered from one to the other.

    Saki¡¯s response came quickly. "Jackson, please don¡¯t say such stupid things. We went to the same high school and junior high together. And believe it or not, he used to be an upstanding student.¡±

    "I see¡­ So then why are you so mean to Murakami?"

    ¡°This new girl from the countryside transferred in during our last year and turned him into the delinquent you see before you."

    ¡°Does he bother you?¡± Jackson still wasn¡¯t grasping her reasoning.

    "W-well, just look! He¡¯s terrible! someone needs to tell him off because his parents clearly didn¡¯t do that."

    Jackson looked over at him, which prompted him to say, ¡°I just reciprocate what she says to me."

    "I see¡­" Jackson was scratching his chin as if he was trying to decipher something.

    "Weren¡¯t you going to leave, Akito?" Katsumi continued to glare at Saki.

    "Y-yes, we were just about to."

    "It looks like I¡¯m going too then. See ya, Murakami."

    Saki grabbed Jackson by the hand and stormed back inside.

 The Spring Rains That Brought Change: Part Three

    <div>

    The rain was still pouring down onto the pavement, creating large and small puddles alike across the campus and its surrounding streets. The downpour was unexpected, resulting in Katsumi having no way of returning home without getting wet.

    You reap what you sow I guess¡­

    Katsumi stepped out into the storm.

    With each step, more and more water flooded into his shoes. Water dripped from his bangs onto his face, but Katsumi pushed on.

    He stared ahead, grasping the straps of his backpack, not bothering to wipe the water off his face knowing it would return as quickly as he did.

    In a jarring instant however, the rain stopped hitting his face.

    ¡°Hm? It¡¯s not raining over me anymore¡­? Thanks, God.¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    ¡°God!?¡± A disconcerted Katsumi looked to his left to see a girl with short black hair holding an umbrella over the two of them¡ªthe same girl he sat next to.

    ¡°You looked miserable, so I thought I¡¯d help.¡±

    The girl didn¡¯t meet Katsumi¡¯s gaze, instead keeping her focus straight ahead. However, he continued to stare.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    Katsumi regained his senses and shook his head, turning his attention back to the street in front of them.

    ¡°Ah, nothing¡­ Just a bit surprised.¡±

    The two silently walked together for multiple blocks. The rain soaking her left side as she held the umbrella in a way that entirely shielded Katsumi from the rain. He stared at her shoulder for a moment, thinking about bringing it up, but ultimately decided against it and silently continued walking.

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    This silence left Katsumi¡¯s mind bent on one question: why? Why has this girl gone out of her way to help him? Did she feel so sorry for him that she had to do something?

    The sound of dinging filled the air.

    A black and yellow arm slowly lowered at the railroad crossing, followed a train whistle blowing. The click-clacking noise of the train sliding across the tracks grew louder and louder as it approached the crossing.

    ¡°Ah!¡± A sudden gust of wind had taken hold of the umbrella and took it from the girl¡¯s hand.

    With unexpectedly fast reactions though, Katsumi reached out and grabbed the handle before it blew onto the tracks.

    He handed it back to the black-haired girl.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± She said.

    ¡°Mm, no problem.¡±

    The gate slowly rose, and the two carried on.

    It took a few more minutes of walking until the girl spoke up again.

    ¡°I¡¯m going left here, how about you?¡±

    ¡°I go straight.¡±

    ¡°Nnn¡­ I would like to walk you all the way to your apartment, but I promised to meet a friend soon. I¡¯m sorry about this.¡±

    ¡°What? No, don''t worry about that. You¡¯ve helped me more than anyone would. T-thank you very much for this.¡± Huh? My apartment how¡ª

    ¡°Here, you can take the umbrella.¡±

    ¡°No It¡¯s yours. You really don¡¯t need to go out of your way for me like this. You¡¯ve done more than enough.¡±

    ¡°I insist, take it. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± She pushed the umbrella into Katsumi¡¯s hand before swiftly walking off into the rain.

    She got so far so fast that Katsumi felt it was impossible to call out.

    His arm fell limp and the umbrella dropped down by his side. The once muffled patter of the rain hitting it was thrust into the foreground. His hair became drenched again, just as it began to dry.

    Katsumi stood alone in the elevator. The only sound that could be heard was water dripping onto the floor¡ªwhich was beginning to form small puddles. There was a ding, then the doors slid open. With the dripping umbrella at his side, he stepped out and walked down the hallway.

    He reached into his pocket for his keys, which he soon found weren¡¯t there.

    "Shit¡­ I left them on the kitchen table¡­"

    He hit his head on the door and stood in silence for a moment when he heard someone from inside his apartment say, ¡°Coming!¡±

    You¡¯re kidding me!

    ¡°Welcome home, honey!¡± Nara burst out of Katsumi¡¯s apartment.

    ¡°...Get outta my apartment.¡±

    Nara gasped. ¡°Are ya¡¯ saying you want a divorce?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn''t go out with you even for one-hundred million yen.¡± Katsumi raised the umbrella and shook it, spraying water all over Nara.

    The door slammed in Katsumi¡¯s face.

    ¡°Sorry! sorry! Please let me in!¡±

    <div>

 A New Neighbor: Part One

    ¡°Good morning!¡± The lecture hall door slid open and a girl with a big smile on her face stepped in¡ªher brown ponytail swaying as she did.

    The girl was Yui Nakagawa, one of Katsumi¡¯s current classmates along with being a previous one from high school.

    Jackson broke away from his conversation with Saki to see who entered the classroom. ¡°Oh, Nakagawa, good morning.¡±

    ¡°Jackson, Kiki good morning,¡± Yui replied with a smile.

    ¡°You¡¯re in high spirits today. Did somethin¡¯ good happen?¡± Saki asked.

    Yui Nakagawa put a finger to her chin, contemplating a reason for her happiness. ¡°Mm~ nothing in particular I guess. I¡¯m just glad it¡¯s finally sunny, there¡¯s been too much rain this week.¡±

    ¡°Kiki?¡± Jackson laughed. ¡°That¡¯s a great nickname, it¡¯s so cute.¡±

    ¡°W-what? Jackson don¡¯t say that so loud. It¡¯s embarrassing¡­¡± Saki made an attempt to cover her face.

    ¡°You¡¯re turning so red,¡± He teased back.

    ¡°You two¡­ so early in the morning¡­¡± Yui sighed.

    After Saki took a moment to compose herself, she proposed a question. ¡°A-anyway, after we get out of class, I wanna check out the caf¨¦ that recently opened near campus. Will you come Jackson?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing going on so sure, why not.¡±

    Yui gave a small wave and departed from her conversation with Saki and Jackson, making her way over to a girl with short black hair.

    ¡°Ah, and good morning to you too!¡± Yui then latched onto the girl.

    The girl bookmarked the page in her book and set it down. ¡°Yes, good morning Yui. But do you mind?¡±

    ¡°Eh-heh, sorry¡­¡±

    After a few minutes of idle chit-chat, Hasegawa-sensei entered the lecture hall and asked everyone to take their seats. He spent the next few minutes taking attendance.

    ¡°Please remember everyone that since this is your first year, attendance is part of your grade. So please show up.¡±

    After a few more seconds of looking over his sheet he looked up, back down, and back up again. ¡°Is Murakami here? Murakami?¡±

    All the students in the lecture hall blankly stared back at him.

    ¡°If anyone sees Murakami please tell him to come see me, thank you.¡±

    A student in the back of the lecture hall raised his hand.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Hasegawa-sensei, I thought you were the Modern Japanese professor, why¡¯re you teaching Physics?¡±

    Hasegawa-sensei sighed, ¡°Please don¡¯t ask stupid questions like that. Now let¡¯s begin today¡¯s material.¡±

    The student was left speechless, unsure what to make of the answer.

    ¡°Wakey-wakey sleepy head, it¡¯s time for class,¡± A voice whispered into Katsumi¡¯s ear.

    He bolted up, breathing erratically. ¡°What the¡ª¡±

    The voice that woke him up came from someone far too familiar¡ªNara.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that. And please don¡¯t tell me I¡¯m late¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, for classes yesterday, yes. You slept through the entire day. But right now it¡¯s five in the morning, so you¡¯re fine.¡±

    Katsumi grumbled in response to this. He got up and headed towards his bedroom door where he directed Nara to leave.

    He laid back down and pulled his comforter over his head. It only seemed like mere seconds in between then and the loud beeping of his cellphone¡¯s alarm clock was piercing his ears.

    The disheveled Katsumi tried to stop the noise but ended up rolling out of bed and onto the floor.

    ¡°Seven-thirty. Nice timing.¡±

    The bathroom mirror came into focus as his eyes finally started adjusting to being awake. He stared into his reflection, lingering there for minutes, becoming entranced by his own blinking.

    After finally breaking out of the trance, he hurriedly readied himself for the day. Brushing his teeth and changing into something a little more presentable than what he had on.

    As he crossed his apartment to the front door, Nara was nowhere to be seen.

    Katsumi slipped on his shoes and stepped out the front door. Seeing clear blue skies and bright natural light was always a calming sensation to him. He put a hand in front of his eyes and squinted.

    ¡°A little change never hurts I suppose.¡± With bags under his eyes and a messily put on outfit, he started walking towards the elevator.

    ¡°Hasegawa-sensei said he wanted to see you when you get to campus.¡±

    ¡°Mm, right.¡±

    No, wait, not right! Who the hell is that!?

    A black-haired girl was leaning against the railing of the hallway¡ªthe same girl that lent Katsumi her umbrella.

    Katsumi still had no clue what that girl''s name was. When they first met on their walk home either she mentioned her name and Katsumi wasn¡¯t paying attention, or she never did. Nonetheless, he had no clue what it was. So he decided to guess.

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    ¡°Uhm, excuse me, Ms¡ª¡±

    ¡°Arata,¡± The girl cut him off.

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    ¡°My name, it¡¯s Mayumi Arata.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡ª right¡­¡± Katsumi scratched the back of his head and smiled nervously. ¡°Right, Arata¡­ Why¡¯re you here?¡±

    ¡°Because I live here.¡± She pulled out a key with a tag on it that read 87.

    Eighty-seven¡­ Katsumi slowly turned around pondering why that number sounded familiar.

    The number eighty-seven was on the door next to his apartment.

    ¡°What!?¡±

    Mayumi had already begun walking towards the elevator without Katsumi noticing¡ªhe rushed to catch up with her.

    ¡°What do you mean, what? I am your next door neighbor.¡± She sounded slightly disappointed in the fact that Katsumi hadn¡¯t known this.

    The two exited the elevator and walked through the lobby, now on the street they were side-by-side.

    ¡°When did you move in? I think I would¡¯ve remembered this.¡± Actually, I¡¯m not so sure, I don¡¯t remember much of what happened over the past week. Just that Nara had come over  almost every day.

    ¡°Clearly you don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Alright, fine, I don¡¯t remember. So when did you move in?¡± Katsumi had no interest in playing this girl¡¯s game of ¡®him figuring it out¡¯.

    ¡°It¡¯s been four days now.¡±

    ¡°Four? How come I¡¯ve never seen you in the hallway?¡±

    ¡°That''s what I was going to ask you. The past two days I¡¯ve been going in and out of my apartment quite a bit, and I have not seen you once. However, I have seen a girl going to and from your apartment quite a lot.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t remember her being over at my place much at all recently.¡±

    ¡°Mhm¡­¡±

    For a while the two carried on in silence.

    ¡°You know you didn¡¯t have to walk with me all the way to campus. I¡¯m assuming you normally go with friends?¡± Katsumi asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I just want to make sure that you don¡¯t get sidetracked.¡±

    What the hell does she mean sidetracked? I don''t get sidetracked¡­

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Mayumi asked, seemingly out of the blue.

    ¡°W-wh¡ª Huh? Yeah why?¡± Did I say that out loud?

    ¡°You were making a weird face.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡ª Uhm, yeah, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Katsumi slid open the door to their classroom and the two of them quietly made their way to their seats. He took off his backpack and looked over at Mayumi. ¡°Hey¡ª¡±

    She seemed to already have tuned out the world around her¡ªquietly tapping on her cell phone.

    This is the girl that went out of her way for me? Really?

    ¡°Wow~ look who showed up today.¡± A new voice introduced its presence, one coming from the last person Katsumi wanted to see.

    ¡°Actually, I really wish I could tune out the world like Arata too.¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°Good morning to you too, Akito.¡±

    ¡°I guess it was a good morning.¡±

    Yui Nakagawa approached the two and joined the conversation. ¡°Hey hey, come on now Kiki, no need to be so rude to Murakami. I mean, didn¡¯t you two used to be in the same club back in high school?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly it Yui, you just helped my point. Used to and back in high school. Did you ever talk to him during the last semester of high school? After he started hanging out with that Takagi girl from the sticks?¡± Saki had fully switched into her Katsumi hating mode.

    ¡°Mmm~ I suppose not,¡± Yui responded.

    ¡°See? Then I don¡¯t think you¡¯d be a good judge of Murakami.¡± Saki crossed her arms.

    Yui turned to face Katsumi. ¡°Sorry about that Murakami, you¡¯re fine. I guess Kiki just holds grudges for a long time or something.¡±

    ¡°Holds grudges!? I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Come on Kiki, it¡¯s fine¡­¡± Yui guided her away from Katsumi.

    Shortly after their altercation, class began, but Hasegawa-sensei was nowhere to be seen. The only sign of instruction was written on the chalkboard at the front of the classroom. Modern Japanese Group Project ¡ª Groups of two to three!

    Group project huh? Isn¡¯t that a convenient way of saying I don¡¯t wanna teach today.

    Katsumi scanned the classroom to see what the situation was. Everyone seemed to be happily following the provided direction. Some couples got together to form groups while other groups were just boys or just girls¡ªsome with a bit of each.

    Jackson moved over to Saki and Yui¡ªforming their group of three.

    A few more minutes went by of students figuring out their groups when Hasegawa-sensei entered the room with ruffled hair. He held a coffee mug with the phrase I Love Teaching written on it.

    ¡°Uhm, alright let¡¯s see¡­ Okay, is everyone in groups?¡± He asked while scanning the classroom. Hasegawa-sensei¡¯s gaze landed on an alone Katsumi, which prompted him to sigh.

    Hasegawa-sensei¡¯s attention was directed to Mayumi, who also sat alone. ¡°Arata, do you mind partnering up with Murakami?¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Mayumi¡¯s response was nonchalant.

    She always seems to play it cool, but I bet inside she¡¯s embarrassed because she just got called out like that. Having to partner with me. Look, I bet she¡¯s trying to hide her face because it¡¯s red or something¡­ Isn¡¯t that a bit too self-deprecating?

    When Katsumi looked over, she was simply staring straight ahead, resting her head on her hand¡ªuninterested.

    I suppose this is more realistic¡­

    The class officially began and a boring hour passed with Katsumi almost falling asleep twice.

    Hasegawa-sensei dismissed the class and students quickly filed out of the room¡ªincluding Katsumi. However, he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

    Katsumi came out into the hallway from Hasegawa-sensei¡¯s office. ¡°That damn teacher, behavior correction program¡­ Work with others around you. What a load of shit.¡±

    ¡°I can hear you, Murakami! These walls are thin!¡±

    ¡°Y-yes¡­ Sorry sensei.¡± Katsumi put on his backpack and walked down the windowless hallway alone.

    Or so he assumed.

    ¡°Murakami?¡± A girl¡¯s voice asked.

    ¡°Huh? W-what? Arata?¡±

    Katsumi spun to his right, where the voice had come from. However, the next time Mayumi spoke her voice came from his left.

    ¡°Where¡¯d you come from?¡± Katsumi asked.

    ¡°I was waiting next to the door, you passed right by me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so sneaky, what''s up with that? I mean maybe it¡¯s just me being dense but it¡¯s like you have no presence at all¡­¡± Well it¡¯s probably me, I didn¡¯t even notice Jackson opening the door to the roof.

    ¡°What did Hasegawa-sensei say to you?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s got you so curious?¡±

    ¡°Well, from what I heard¡­¡± Mayumi trailed off her sentence.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Paper-thin walls.¡±

    ¡°To me it seems you have some issues¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah well, it would probably seem like that to someone who only heard that conversation. But it¡¯s really nothing. He¡¯s over-exaggerating.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    When the two got to the front entrance it was raining, just like his and Mayumi¡¯s first encounter there.

    Rain again? Luckily I brought my umbrella this time. It should be right here¡ª Katsumi reached for the side of his backpack where his umbrella should¡¯ve been located. However, he felt nothing.

    A sigh escaped his mouth.

    Something suddenly tapped on his shoulder, causing him to spin around. His face was met with the tip of an umbrella mere centimeters away. He jumped back slightly and let out another sigh.

    ¡°Quit that...¡± Katsumi said.

    ¡°Quit what?¡±

    Katsumi raised an eyebrow at this. ¡°Being so sneaky.¡± He accepted the umbrella and opened it, stepping out into the rain.

    It¡¯s only my second day at school this semester and I¡¯ve relied on her both times¡­ What¡¯s with this coincidence? And now I have two of her umbrellas!

    Mayumi pulled out her own umbrella and followed suit.

    Because of the wind, rain was coming down at an angle making it so their umbrellas were only effective at keeping their upper torsos and heads dry. The harsh storm accented the city incredibly well¡ªneon lights shone through the storm like beacons, office lights dotting skyscrapers that rose up into the cloudy sky, out of sight.

    Continuing on in silence for a short while longer, Katsumi and Mayumi turned left and walked under the canopy over their apartment building¡¯s front door. This awning only slightly helped keep the rain away, as it still pummeled them from the side.

    ¡°I guess you really do live here¡­¡±

    ¡°Why would I lie about living here?¡±

    ¡°...Good point.¡± Katsumi gave up this pointless argument before it even started¡ªknowing it would go nowhere.

    They navigated through the nicely flourished lobby and to the elevator. A short ride later, the display in the elevator read eight, and preceded by a ding, the door slid open.

    ¡°Hey, look who it is.¡± Mayumi gestured towards the end of the hallway.

 A New Neighbor: Part Two

    Sitting near the end of the hallway was a girl sloppily wearing some slacks and sweater. She had shoulder-length brown hair and was intently looking down at a smartphone.

    Nara Takagi.

    ¡°Hm? Oh, Arata,¡± Nara casually said while looking up.

    She was sitting next to Katsumi''s front door with a cellphone in one hand and a loosely held cigarette in the other. To accompany this, she had been building a collection of empty bottles around her.

    After a moment of looking at Mayumi, she noticed who was next to her. A grin grew across her face.

    ¡°Oh, and Katsumi too! I see ya¡¯ve¡¯ met yer¡¯ new neighbor!¡±

    Mayumi turned to Katsumi, giving him a look of disappointment, which made him quickly break eye contact with her.

    ¡°Nara, why aren¡¯t you inside the apartment?¡± Katsumi asked.

    ¡°I ran back to my place to grab a few more beers, an¡¯ when I got back the door was locked.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have the spare key?¡±

    ¡°Nah, forgot it inside.¡±

    Katsumi paused for a moment before becoming aware that she dressed a bit nicer than usual. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to come to class, what¡¯s with the clothes?¡±

    ¡°Oh, ya¡¯ see, I was considerin¡¯ comin¡¯ today, but I decided that it was simply a waste of time.¡±

    Mayumi interjected herself. ¡°H-hold on. You comment on her being a bit more dressed up? Making it sound like something extraordinary, but not the fact that she is smoking cigarettes and drinking outside of your apartment? And what¡¯s all of this about a spare key?¡± Her eyes were wide open as she stared into Katsumi¡¯s.

    After holding it for a while longer, she broke her contact and marched over to Nara where she plucked the cigarette out of her mouth and threw it onto the ground¡ªflattening it beneath the sole of her shoe.

    ¡°C¡¯mon! I wasn¡¯t finished with that,¡± Nara said in a joking tone. All the while, she was reaching for her pocket.

    ¡°It¡¯s bad enough that you hang around Takagi. But at least you don¡¯t do anything like I''ve heard.¡° Mayumi turned back towards Katsumi.

    The instant she did, Nara pulled out the carton and began lighting another cigarette with a mischievous grin on her face.

    What is this? She¡¯s so fired up. I never thought she¡¯d be able to show this much emotion¡­ Well, it¡¯s like she¡¯s fired up but still has that same vacant look on her face¡­ I don¡¯t get her. But why is she treating Nara like that? She approached Nara like they know each other. Even though Arata is strange, she doesn¡¯t seem like someone who would do that to a stranger.

    ¡°Murakami, you don¡¯t do anything like I¡¯ve heard. RIght?¡± Mayumi pulled Katsumi out of his thoughts.

    ¡°Well¡­ how do I put this¡­¡± Katsumi trailed off.

    Nara, now standing, took the cigarette out of her mouth with two fingers and put an arm around Mayumi¡¯s shoulder¡ªblowing the smoke in front of her face. This caused Mayumi to let out a few little coughs while trying to disperse the smoke.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Ya¡¯ see, Katsumi here¡ª¡±

    Mayumi pulled away from Nara and glared at her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡±

    Nara continued anyway. ¡°Some mornings'' when he wakes up he doesn¡¯t even remember that I came over ¡®cause of how much he drank. He still always acts surprised when he wakes up and sees me on his couch.¡±

    Even though Mayumi¡¯s expression didn¡¯t seem to have any serious emotion in it, Katsumi felt as if she was freezing the hallway around her.

    ¡°And I¡¯m surprised he hasn¡¯t tried anythin¡¯ on me yet, know what I mean Arata?¡± She said this with that same mischievous grin plastered on her face.

    ¡°Nara, don¡¯t say dumbass things like that,¡± Katsumi commented.

    ¡°Haha, calm down, I was just jokin¡¯ around. Anyways, toss me yer¡¯ keys so I can get in.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, sure.¡± Katsumi reached into his pocket, and tossed his keys to Nara. However, they never reached their intended target.

    Mayumi snatched them mid-flight and put them into her skirt pocket.

    ¡°Hey what¡¯re you doin¡¯?¡± Nara took a step towards Mayumi.

    For a second time, Mayumi plucked the cigarette from Nara¡¯s mouth and threw it to the ground. Once again squishing it with the sole of her shoe.

    Nara quickly reached into her pocket, bringing out the entire carton of cigarettes. She waved them in front of Mayumi¡¯s face.

    ¡°Murakami, she¡¯s obviously a terrible influence, you need to get your priorities straight.¡±

    ¡°Whad-ya¡¯ mean I¡¯m a terrible influence? I¡¯ve only been helpin¡¯ him relax and enjoy himself a bit. He used ta¡¯ be so up-tight, like you are now.¡±

    ¡°Maybe that version of him was better.¡±

    This comment from Mayumi prompted a back-and-forth between the two girls. While this was going on, Katsumi moved over to where Nara had been sitting and started collecting the various bottles she left lying around.

    ¡°He used to be an upstanding student, the top of his class. And now he has difficulty getting to classes on time. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re helping him in any way, he¡¯s changed¡­ for the worse."

    ¡°An¡¯ what would you know ¡®bout change Arata? Have ya¡¯ put in an any effort at all?¡± Have ya¡¯ tried talking to anyone but your one friend since high school?¡±

    ¡°...Y-yes.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Then who might I ask?¡±

    ¡°...Murakami.¡± Mayumi¡¯s face was turning a bright-red.

    ¡°Aw~ look at you, still tryin¡¯ ta¡¯ achieve your goal from high school. It¡¯s a bit funny, cause it don¡¯t take a phycologist to figur¡¯ out what kind of person Katsumi is. Of course he¡¯d accept you inta¡¯ his life, you think yer¡¯ special for that?¡±

    Mayumi had no response to this.

    I¡¯m completely lost¡­ what are those two talking about? We went to high school with Arata? Her goal? I¡¯m trying to recall seeing Arata as well, but I can¡¯t¡­ She clearly knows me and about my¡­ falling off. Man I did kinda fall off. It¡¯s not terrible though, I mean I¡¯m still attending university¡­ sorta.

    Nara put the carton of cigarettes and her smartphone in her pocket. She threw her hands up behind her head while she casually made her way down the hallway. ¡°Arata¡¯s bummin¡¯ me out, so guess I¡¯ll catch ya¡¯ later Katsumi. Looks like your mom is mad at you.¡±

    Nara gave a parting wave and disappeared into the elevator.

    It was now just a confused Katsumi and a Mayumi with a very menacing aura about her.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I expect to see you here first thing tomorrow morning, got it?¡±

    What¡¯s up with her? She didn¡¯t react as intensely when I made remarks... But once Nara got involved she got all worked up. What they were saying sounded so¡­ personal. I¡¯m going to have to ask Nara.

    Mayumi stepped on Katsumi¡¯s foot quite hard because he was being unresponsive.

    ¡°Ow! Sorry, sorry¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s for your own good.¡±

    ¡°Okay I get it¡­ but why do you even care?¡±

    Mayumi crossed her arms and opened her mouth. For a moment it seemed that she began to say something, but cut herself off.

    ¡°Alright¡­ tomorrow morning, right? I¡¯ll be here.¡±

    Katsumi sensed he asked something Mayumi would rather not answer at this moment. However, to him, it was currently one of his most important questions. He wanted to push it and find out her reason, but he dropped it.

    Katsumi opened the door to his apartment and stood in the doorway¡ªbut he just couldn¡¯t walk away and curiosity pulled him back out.

    ¡°Arata?¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°What was that conversation between you and Nara about?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Mayumi stared off blankly into space.

    ¡°Arata?¡±

    ¡°I rather not talk about it¡­ not right now at least.¡±

    Not wanting to make Mayumi feel uncomfortable, Katsumi dropped the topic and stepped inside his apartment.

 The Way Forward

    Vastly different from prior nights, Katsumi was soundly asleep on his bed¡ªinstead of the cold hardwood floor of his hallway.

    A gap in his bedroom curtains allowed the blinding light of the sun to seize the opportunity and remind Katsumi of its presence.

    He slowly awakened, covering his eyes with a hand and rolled over.

    After lying on his bed for a moment longer, his brain began de-clouding. He patted around, searching for his cellphone. Still not finding it, he positioned himself so he could peer off the side of his bed.

    Now with his head poking out over the edge, he spotted his cellphone in what seemed like arm''s reach. Katsumi went for it, but he found that it was actually quite far away.

    "You¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡­"

    He scooted more and more over the edge of his bed. Finally, when he was just about to snatch it, Katsumi slid off the bed and onto the floor with a loud thud.

    This loud thud was then followed by three more, even louder thuds. What made these different though, was they came from the front door.

    More thunderous pounds came from his front door. Katsumi jolted upright and powered on his smartphone to check the time¡ª8:07 AM.

    Who in god¡¯s name could want something this early?

    Katsumi recalled his and Mayumi¡¯s parting words from yesterday.

    ¡®I expect to see you here first thing tomorrow morning, got it?¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t forget.¡¯

    Arata doesn¡¯t care about me at all¡­ she just wants me to live in a way she thinks is right. I mean honestly, eight am? Someone like you should be at class already.

    Another set of thuds rang out from his front door followed by a long pause. A female voice announced itself, ¡°Please excuse my intrusion.¡±

    Katsumi tensed up.

    He decided the best course of action was to lay back down on his bed and pray that he was just imagining things.

    As Mayumi was slipping off her shoes by the front door, she suddenly gagged after getting one breath of the foul air. She quickly threw open the door and rushed back to the hallway where she leaned over the railing.

    Her eyes widened, and her usual expressionless face was now one of ill-disgust. It was a completely foreign environment for Mayumi, an atmosphere like an alien world.

    Over the past months, the air inside had changed from oxygen to an indefinable mixture of odors.

    Now a little light-headed, but mostly recovered from the initial shock, she slowly reentered the apartment. She hesitated in the doorway, taking some time to adjust to this environment, she flicked on the lights, revealing the dump that Katsumi called home.

    As usual, there were bottles, dishes, and empty containers, accompanied by a wide range of garbage scattered about.

    Mayumi briefly froze up at this sight¡ªthen took in another highly regrettable deep breath. Tip-toeing her way through the ravaged living room and towards the hallway where Katsumi¡¯s room was located.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Mayumi stood in front of it for a moment while mistakenly taking in yet another deep breath. She coughed a couple of times then knocked on the door.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming in now~¡±

    There¡¯s no way she waltzed into my apartment¡­ This is just me dreaming... Who exactly does she think she is?

    The door slowly opened up, revealing Mayumi.

    She¡¯s not standing there right now, this isn¡¯t real.

    Mayumi panned across the room, scanning everything before her gaze landed upon Katsumi¡ªwho was lying face down on the bed pretending Mayumi didn¡¯t exist.

    ¡°Geez Murakami, you¡¯re still in bed at this time?¡± Mayumi looked down at her watch.  ¡°You look like you¡¯re dead.¡±

    "And you just entered the apartment of a boy you barely know and went straight into his room without asking. What do you think that makes you look like?".

    Mayumi grabbed hold of the light switch with two fingers and started rapidly flipping it off and on.

    "Alright! I¡¯m getting up! Okay?" Katsumi sat up and swung his legs off the bed. He put his hands to his head and looked down at the floor.

    Even after the unpleasant surprise of Mayumi barging in, he was still quite groggy and wished for nothing more than to be able to continue sleeping. However, this did not seem like an option, considering that Mayumi had come here specifically to get him out of bed, not back in it.

    ¡°Do you really think that you can just barge into someone¡¯s apartment like that?¡± Katsumi muttered.

    "Well you didn¡¯t answer the door after I knocked six times, so I figured you were purposefully ignoring me.¡± Even after the berating from Katsumi, Mayumi didn¡¯t seem the least bit concerned by her actions.

    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me you decided the best course of action was to barge into your neighbor¡¯s apartment unwelcomed?¡±

    "..." Mayumi remained silent, staring at Katsumi, not offering any sort of comeback. After a moment, she began reaching for the light switch again.

    "I¡¯m going, I¡¯m going."

    "Maybe take an extra bit of time washing your face. If you went out into public like that you¡¯d have the police called on you because you look like a drug addict."

    Ironic¡­

    After a groan and a short pause, Katsumi got up. ¡°Just go¡­ wait in the living room or something.¡±

    Mayumi expressionlessly looked out to the living room and twirled some of her hair around in her fingers. Looking back at Katsumi she said, ¡°Where would I sit? It was hard enough navigating to your room.¡±

    "...Out.¡±

    "Alright~"

    A little over ten minutes passed before Katsumi entered the living room. ¡°I¡¯m ready, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Mayumi was precariously sitting on the edge of the couch trying her best to avoid touching the filth.

    ¡°Murakami¡­ how did it get this bad? Have you ever cleaned once in your life?¡±

    She comes over here and barges in unwelcomed. And like I expected, is just here to nag me about my lifestyle.

    ¡°Have you never been happy in your life?¡±

    Hearing this, her lips curled upward ever so slightly, forming a smile. And as quick as they did, she covered her mouth with a hand to try and prevent a laugh from slipping out.

    Katsumi looked at her with a sense of disbelief that she almost just laughed. However, this sensation quickly went away. ¡°Yeah yeah, whatever. Let¡¯s just go¡­¡±

    Mayumi got up and began re-navigating her way to the front door. ¡°We need to do something about this.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯d you mean we?¡±

    Mayumi didn¡¯t respond, instead, she looked around the room carefully as if she were planning something out. Then her gaze met Katsumi¡¯s. ¡°Alright, after classes let out we are going to be cleaning your apartment.¡± Mayumi looked up at Katsumi with a hint of determination in her expression.

    "Once again, what do you mean we?"

    He followed after Mayumi¡ªthe two walked through the apartment building and exited before Mayumi chose to answer his question. ¡°You¡¯ve been asking so many obvious questions.¡±

    Katsumi took a few quick steps. Now walking side-by-side with her, he said. "That lazy comeback isn''t a response to my question. What do you mean we? You can''t decide stuff like this on your own."

    "It''s for your own good. Just like getting you up and to class on time."

    Katsumi grumbled and turned his focus off of Mayumi. He looked up towards the sky¡ªa bank of dark clouds on the horizon was coming in from the west

    ¡°I can clean myself¡­¡± Katsumi mumbled to himself.

    ¡°Then why does your apartment look like that?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡ª well that¡¯s because¡­ I simply choose not to clean it.¡±

    ¡°I think it will be good for you. A clean living space can lead to a better mindset.¡±

    I guess it couldn¡¯t hurt to have a clean apartment. If I don''t let her do this I have a feeling that she''s just gonna keep nagging me about it. But more importantly, what does she know about ''my own good''? She¡¯s acting like she knows what¡¯s best for me. I¡¯ve gathered that we went to high school but I don¡¯t recall a single time we spoke, so what does she know about me?

    Katsumi thought back on a few times he had some one-off conversations with girls that had black hair, but none of them were anything special. Usually relating to homework or maybe a passing word from a mutual friend.

 A Guiding Hand: Part One

    The rest of the walk, for the most part, was silent apart from a few comments being made here and there.

    After navigating across the campus and through the corridors, they reached their classroom¡¯s door.

    Mayumi hesitated in front of it.

    She took in a deep breath and slid it open.

    A girl with a brown ponytail sitting in the front row of desks took her eyes off of her smartphone and brought them over to Mayumi. ¡°Good morning Yumi!¡± She sounded overjoyed to see Mayumi.

    ¡°Yes, good morning Yui¡­¡± Mayumi seemed to be slightly irritated by this girl''s loud exclamation this early in the morning.

    The girl making such loud statements got up and walked towards Mayumi. ¡°Hey, who¡¯s with you¡ª¡± Mayumi stepped inside the classroom revealing, ¡°Oh, Murakami¡­¡± Yui gave him a half smile, ¡°Good morning to you too Murakami.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ morning.¡±

    ¡°Here, Yumi look, there¡¯s something I wanna show you!¡± Yui grabbed Mayumi by the hand and pulled her over to her seat. Mayumi didn¡¯t resist at all and followed along.

    Katsumi looked on at the two with disinterest before he moved to his seat and set his backpack down. He laid his head on top of it and shut his eyes.

    There was a little bit of hushed chatter between the two girls, followed by Yui looking over at Katsumi then back at Mayumi.

    ¡°Hmm? Is that so¡­?¡± a faint smile formed on Yui¡¯s face.

    After a bit more whispering, Yui raised her voice back to a normal tone and asked, ¡°So Yumi, are you free after classes today? I was wondering if you wanted to check out that English style caf¨¦.¡±

    ¡°That would be nice but I can¡¯t, sorry. I have plans with Mura¡ª¡± Mayumi cut herself off.

    ¡°Huh? Who do you have plans with?¡±

    ¡°...M-Murakami.¡± Mayumi broke eye contact with Yui as the latter¡¯s expression lit-up.

    ¡°Really?¡± Her pink lips began to grow into a devilish smile. ¡°Are you¡ª¡°

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing really¡­ I¡¯m just helping him get his apartment in order, you know?¡±

    ¡°No, I don''t know. Please spell it out for me.¡± Yui was attempting to force an answer out of Mayumi.

    ¡°Well¡­ uhm¡ª¡± The normally collected Mayumi was now stalling, trying to find the words to explain herself.

    Hearing Mayumi stutter like this, trying to think of what to say was even unexpected by Yui.

    ¡°You see his apartment is nearly, well, uninhabitable? So I decided to help him get it back into a livable state.¡±

    Mayumi and Yui locked eyes for a moment whilst a faint grin was on the latter''s face. ¡°Ah, I see¡­ Well good luck with that, some other time then we have to check out this caf¨¦.¡±

    ¡°Sometime this weekend works for me.¡±

    ¡°Works for me too! Don''t forget and go make plans in place of ours, alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes yes, I won¡¯t.¡±

    With that conclusion to their conversation, Hasegawa-sensei stepped into the classroom and the first period began.

    While always dreading the idea of sitting through a long lecture, in reality they never took very long. At least, it felt that way. As Katsumi had the incredible ability to daydream for hours on end, resulting in hour long lectures feeling like mere minutes.

    He joined the sea of students exiting the hall but quickly split of from the crowd. After a bit of aimlessly walking, he found himself in the same seat at the campus caf¨¦.

    Two girls walked past him while in the midst of some idle chit-chat. Others around the caf¨¦ were talking in small groups, eating lunch, and some were by themselves, mindlessly fiddling on their cellphones.

    ¡°Are you not going to eat anything?¡±

    Katsumi heard a voice next to him, but automatically assumed that the question wasn¡¯t directed towards him. The next time the voice called out however, it was undeniable that the question was directed at him.

    ¡°Murakami?¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡± Katsumi lazily raised his head from his hand to find out the source of the question. Sitting at the table behind was Jackson opening a lunch box.

    ¡°Do you not have anything to eat?¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­? Oh, I guess not. I don¡¯t normally eat anything.¡±

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°Kiki has been telling me that you always need to eat three balanced meals a day. And well, that doesn¡¯t line up with the diet I¡¯m on. Yet she keeps insisting and making me take these meals. I can¡¯t really say no, and I don¡¯t wanna waste it, so here, you can have this.¡±

    "You think giving it away is better than just throwing it out?"

    "How do I say this... It''s better that someone enjoys it than no one, I guess.."

    ¡°You guess..."

    "I insist, take it."

    ¡°Really, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°...Alright, have it your way.¡± Jackson broke apart his chopsticks, said thanks, and began eating quite fast. He was eating so fast it almost seemed like he was in Katsumi''s situation and hadn¡¯t eaten much at all in the past few days.

    ¡°Speaking of Akito, won¡¯t she be upset if she sees you talking to me?¡± I probably won¡¯t be spared from her annoying wrath either.

    ¡°Yeah I suppose. I asked her about why she said I shouldn¡¯t talk to you," Jackson said in-between mouthfuls. "She told me about how you used to be back in high school. She got all worked up over it and started turning a little red¡ª¡±

    Don¡¯t talk with your mouth full¡­  Katsumi picked up his head a little bit more and began listening a little more intently.

    ¡°¡ªBut she told me about this Nara Takagi girl you started hanging out with, and how that¡¯s the reason you stopped coming to school your senior year.¡± He paused. ¡°And that got me thinking¡­ She¡¯s so cute when she¡¯s angry.¡±

    ¡°That''s all that made you realize? Nothing else?"

    "Well¡ª"

    ¡°Jackson!¡±

    Looking over Jackson''s shoulder, Katsumi saw an angry brown haired girl rapidly approaching.

    Speak of the devil. Katsumi put his head back on his hand.

    ¡°What did I say? Normally I don¡¯t care about who you talk to¡ª¡°

    I seriously doubt that. Katsumi retorted in his head

    ¡°¡ªbut Murakami is an exception. He¡¯s a terrible influence on people.¡±

    Katsumi attempted to defend himself, but like every other time, he was cut off.

    ¡°Remember what he did to that country girl that transferred here.¡±

    ¡°Hold on. Aren¡¯t you changing your narrative? Because before you said that she ruined me?¡±

    ¡°What? You really think I¡¯d do that? Right Jackson, remember what I told you?¡±

    ¡°Mm, I suppose I do.¡±

    Katsumi sat there staring into Saki¡¯s brown eyes, giving her a dumb-founded look¡ªunsure if she was being serious or not.

    ¡°Hmph, anyways, come on. Yui is waiting for us in the cafeteria.¡± Saki latched onto his arm and began pulling him away.

    Jackson picked up his food and turned around, mouthing the words, I¡¯m sorry as they walked away.

    God she¡¯s awful, what does he¡ª no, what does anyone see in her? conceited bitch...

    Katsumi watched as Saki and Jackson got stopped by a group of people with whom they began chatting with energetically. Even Jackson seemed to be enjoying the conversation.

    Katsumi scoffed and pulled out his smartphone and earbuds, putting one in each ear and turning the volume to near max.

    Third and fourth hour classes came and went¡ªhe barely paid attention the entire time. His mind focused on only two things only: Cleaning his apartment and Mayumi.

    With each passing period his dread only grew.

    I¡¯m a firm believer in choosing your own destiny. You know, not having other people come in and decide how you¡¯re going to live. That¡¯s why there¡¯s been uncountable revolutions throughout history, and I think I¡¯m carrying on this tradition. I¡¯m not going to let Arata decide that I have to clean my apartment. I¡¯ll do it on my own time by my own will. It¡¯s what any of the great enlightenment thinkers would¡¯ve wanted.

    Katsumi was desperately attempting to devise a plan to keep Mayumi away.

    ¡­I have no idea. I¡¯m drawing a blank¡­ I could injure myself like people in the military do. ¡°Oh no I¡¯m sorry Arata, my legs¡¯ broken. I can¡¯t clean, sorry, you¡¯ll just have to go home.¡± That could work¡­ But do I really want a broken leg over this?

    Katsumi tilted his head so that Mayumi was in his vision.

    No¡­

    She adjusted her head which slightly startled Katsumi. He cleared his throat and refocused on Hasegawa-sensei.

    This drew attention from some of the students nearby, including Hasegawa-sensei.

    I just need to start staying home¡­ "Uhm, excuse me..."

    ¡°Please try to pay attention, Murakami,¡± Hasegawa-sensei said, pushing up his glasses. He turned back around to the board and continued with his lesson.

    Shortly after, Katsumi realized that with the will power Mayumi possessed there was little to no chance that he could avoid her. The final plan he came up with was to let her do some light cleaning around the apartment, freshen it up a little bit, then afterwards go back to his usual routine as if it never happened.

    ¡°Alright that¡¯s all for today, have a good day everyone.¡± The professor said, looking up at the classroom¡¯s clock.

    Some students instantly turned around and started talking to the person behind them. Others packed their bags and left the classroom at a pace that made it seem like they had somewhere to be.

    Some were making plans, while others complained about studying and homework. A few students put their heads down on their desks and tried to gather their thoughts before heading out. This included Katsumi.

    Mayumi finished putting away her things and stood. She walked up to Katsumi and looked down at him¡ªthen at herself. She brushed off her hoodie, then her skirt, and quietly walked away.

    ¡°Kami¡­ Murakami.¡±

    He slowly picked up his head.

    ¡°Murakami, were you sleeping?

    ¡°I¡ª Yeah.¡± What is Nakagawa still doing here?

    ¡°More importantly, don''t you have plans with Yumi?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­ I was just about to lea¡ª¡± Katsumi, now more awake, looked past Yui and out the windows. Everything was painted in a golden yellow, the sun being almost entirely hidden by the buildings on the horizon.

    ¡°I did have plans¡­ Nakagawa, if you don¡¯t mind me asking, why are you still here? It¡¯s getting pretty late.¡± And also, how did she know that I had plans with Arata?

    ¡°I just got done with my club and was passing by here when I noticed you. Thought I¡¯d help out.¡±

    Yui wore their university¡¯s volleyball jersey and black gym-shorts.

    ¡°Ah, well t-thank you. I appreciate it a lot.¡±

    ¡°Mm, no problem. I gotta get goin¡¯, my friends are waiting for me!¡± Yui jogged towards the door and grabbed onto it to help her make a sharper turn. Then from down the hallway came, ¡°And don¡¯t fall asleep again!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    Well that¡¯s a nice change compared to Nara and Arata. I could get behind happiness like that.

    Katsumi picked up his bag and stood up a little straighter than he usually did.

    Oh¡­ but I¡¯m still going to have to deal with Ms. Deadpan. She¡¯s probably going to say something like ¡®What took you so long? I thought you might¡¯ve got hit by a car¡­ But it still looks like you did.¡¯ And she¡¯s gonna have that expressionless face while saying it.

    Katsumi was almost at the main doors when a voice came from behind him.

    ¡°Enjoy your nap?¡±

    He let out a sigh, ¡°You could¡¯ve just waited at your apartment and came over. Why¡¯re you still here?¡±

    ¡°Well, I was waiting outside for you. Then I decided to come back to the classroom but you were still sleeping. So I watched Yui¡¯s practice for a while.¡±

    Katsumi started walking again, now doing his usual slouch. He looked over to his left at Mayumi. ¡°Have you ever tried showing more expression when you speak?¡±

    ¡°I think I show plenty of it.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ You¡¯re overflowing with it.¡±

 A Guiding Hand: Part Two

    I haven¡¯t seen Nara since yesterday? Or was it the day before¡­ Doesn¡¯t matter. I just haven¡¯t been able to ask her about that conversation with Arata. I really have no clue why she¡¯s doing this for me. The old Katsumi might¡¯ve been able to figure something out.

    Mayumi and Katsumi Stood in front of their respective doors. Katsumi quietly sighed and grabbed the apartment key from his pocket and unlocked his door.

    I¡¯m not being dense or stupid. She doesn¡¯t like me... I mean it hasn¡¯t even been a week since this semester started. She has no reason to be interested in me¡­ It¡¯s self deprecating to admit, but I don¡¯t think any girl would have a reason to be¡­ Maybe Nara?

    Katsumi¡¯s mind flashed back to random moments of Nara from the past few months. Her lounging around his apartment with messy hair, being half-dressed, and generally not caring about her appearance is what came to mind.

    Definitely not Nara¡­ Also I''m pretty sure Arata is incapable of feeling that emotion anyways.

    While Mayumi was unlocking her door she said, ¡°I¡¯m going to get changed into some old clothes and then I¡¯ll be over in a bit. I recommend you do the same.¡± Mayumi leaned to the side so she could view the interior of Katsumi¡¯s apartment. While peering in she added, ¡°It is probably going to get¡­ messy.¡±

    Katsumi gazed into his apartment along with her to see what might¡¯ve made her tack on that comment. He turned to Mayumi while trying to think of a comeback. Instead of saying anything however, the two locked eyes with Katsumi saying nothing.

    About ten minutes later, Katsumi heard his front door open followed by a female voice announcing itself. ¡°Pardon the intrusion.¡±

    This is the second time she¡¯s done this now. Who does she think she is? barging into my apartment like this.

    Mayumi had hauled in a somewhat large vacuum-cleaner along with a bucket containing a variety of cleaning supplies. Her ¡®old clothes¡¯ had given her a completely different vibe. It was a stark contrast from the nicer outfits she wore to class. A loose white T-shirt and jeans that were cut very short with resewn hems¡ªseemingly a home done job.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to stop doing that, it just isn¡¯t right,¡± Katsumi said in reference to Mayumi¡¯s barging to his apartment.

    ¡°Well last time we were supposed to meet you didn¡¯t answer the door. And even though you were awake this time, you still might have not answered.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re probably right about that,¡± Katsumi quietly said to himself.

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°Nothing at all.¡±

    Mayumi disapprovingly looked at Katsumi while he attempted to avoid eye contact.

    She turned her focus to the mess at hand, scanning over it and concocting a plan as to how they were going to enter this warzone.

    ¡°Alright, got it.¡° Mayumi pulled a few plastic trash-bags out from the bucket and handed one to Katsumi. ¡°We will begin by picking up all of the bottles and containers. Then we can move onto laundry, vacuuming, and finally scrubbing the floors¡­ Also we should try to make the air breathable.¡±

    What does she mean? The air is perfectly fine in here.

    Mayumi moved around Katsumi and into the living room, where she headed straight for the windows. ¡°First thing we need to do is get some fresh-air circulating in here.¡±

    Yes-yes I get it, my apartment apparently smells bad.

    Mayumi attempted to unlock the door to the balcony but the latches were stuck. For a little bit she pushed at it without any luck. Katsumi looked at this scene and sighed, he made his way through the living room to Mayumi.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    ¡°Here, let me do it.¡±

    ¡°Hm? You can get it?¡±

    In response, Katsumi gave a smirk that said I know I can.

    Mayumi stepped out of the way to let him have a go.

    Despite his best efforts, it led to the same result. This time Mayumi was the one smirking while Katsumi stood there trying to avoid any more embarrassment.

    ¡°Fine, maybe I can¡¯t get it¡­¡±

    Mayumi didn¡¯t show any sign of wanting to help. She just glanced at Katsumi then back at the latch.

    ¡°I¡ª¡° Want to die right now¡­ Katsumi turned his attention towards the latch once again and cracked his knuckles. ¡°I can do it, I just wasn¡¯t really trying.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see you try then.¡±

    Katsumi took in a deep breath, knowing that he would most likely prove to be worthless in yet another way. He put both hands on the latch and with all his might, which wasn¡¯t very much, pushed at the latch. After a moment of struggling, the latch started to give.

    ¡°It was just a little unused, It¡¯s starting to give now.¡±

    The latch finally gave, but because of the amount of force Katsumi was exerting on it he stumbled backward a few steps. This wouldn¡¯t have been an issue if he was capable of keeping his apartment clean, but that wasn¡¯t the case.

    Katsumi tripped over some miscellaneous clutter and found himself heading straight for the hardwood floor.

    A thud followed by silence.

    When he looked up, it was Mayumi that filled his vision. She wore her usual expressionless face, accompanied by a sigh.

    ¡°Murakami, take all of the dishes to the kitchen and wash them, then do the laundry. I¡¯ll start scrubbing the floor.¡±

    Some grumbling followed by a drawn out, ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± came from Katsumi.

    He began stacking some plates and cups. After a few seconds he picked one up that was half full and gave it a quick sniff.

    It¡¯s beer.

    The sound of scrubbing had stopped and Katsumi could feel eyes staring daggers in the back of his head.

    ¡°For now on, no more doing¡­ that¡­ with anything. Just empty everything and throw it out¡­ please.¡±

    ¡°I¡ª sorry¡­¡±

    Mayumi gave him a disapproving scowl and returned to scrubbing.

    All of the wrappers, bottles, and miscellaneous items made their way into garbage bags over the next half-hour. The clothes were next and soon found themselves in the washing machine.

    With the press of a button, the machine began to whir and rattle. The sound somewhat relieved Katsumi, taking a moment to relax he let out a sign and sat down next to it. Out of his pocket he produced a carton of cigarettes and a lighter.

    ¡°Haa~ this is pointless¡­ Why does Arata insist on doing this? It¡¯s probably going to be messy again in a few days anyways.¡±

    ¡°Then make an effort to keep it clean¡ª¡° Mayumi was opening the door to the washroom holding a basket of laundry when she froze in the doorway. ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I take my eye off of you for one moment and you go right back to smoking. ¡± While talking she came up and crouched in front of him, plucking the cigarette out of his mouth.

    ¡°Hey¡ª¡±

    Mayumi put a hand on her forehead and closed her eyes. She sounded slightly more agitated than she did during the window fiasco. ¡°Here, you take the laundry basket and I¡¯ll be taking the rest of those.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Mayumi emphasized what she said by reaching out her hand and motioning for him to hand them over.

    ¡°No way, These are mine. I bought these and¡ª and what are you even doing here? Who do you think you are telling me what to do like this?¡±

    ¡°Please just listen to me. Smoking is awful, you¡¯ll get cancer. Give them to me.¡± At this point Mayumi sounded very agitated.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way.¡± Katsumi reached for another one.

    ¡°Stop that!¡± Mayumi reached forward even further to grab them. However she leaned too far forward, falling onto Katsumi.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing!?¡±

    Mayumi didn¡¯t respond to this and began trying to grab the carton. Katsumi pushed against her trying to get her off and extended his arm so they were well out of her reach.

    ¡°Give them! It¡¯s for your own good, please!¡±

    ¡°Hell no!¡±

    ¡°Ah! Come on!¡±

    Katsumi kept desperately jolting his arm around to keep them out of her reach. He looked and acted like a wild animal protecting his food.

    ¡°No! Get off of me! What¡¯s your problem!?¡±

    ¡°Come on! Just¡ª¡°

    ¡°Get off me!¡± He tried pushing her off, but during the past year Katsumi had become noticeably more frail, so he was barely able to make her budge, let alone get her off. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you! You¡¯d think someone like you would be more respectful! Why¡¯re you even here? Your¡ª you''re just to make yourself feel better! Did you look at me and think now''s my chance to save someone!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to¡ª¡°

    ¡°Ah! Get the hell out! Now! What are you doi¡ª¡°

    ¡°Katsumi!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡ª I¡¯m trying to help you¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Katsumi had quit struggling against Mayumi. Now motionless with his arm extended, the two locked eyes. Mayumi reached out and grabbed the carton.

    ¡°Please¡­ let me help you. I¡¯ve seen what¡¯s happened to you since high school. I don¡¯t want you to continue like this.¡±

    Katsumi managed to push Mayumi off and scrambled to his feet. ¡°You¡­ you don¡¯t know anything. I don¡¯t even know you¡­ What gives you the right to think you know what¡¯s best for me?¡± He stormed out of the washroom mumbling to himself.

 A Guiding Hand: Part Three

    <div>

    ¡°We¡¯re almost done, we just have to scrub the hallway floor then it¡¯s over.¡± Mayumi peeked her head over the back of the sofa and looked down at the collapsed Katsumi lying on it.

    ¡°I¡¯ve done enough¡­ I can¡¯t be bothered.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve done that much really.¡±

    Katsumi looked at her with a blank expression for a moment before rolling over onto his stomach.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it later, you can just head on home now, it¡¯s getting pretty late.¡±

    Mayumi walked around the sofa and stood in front of Katsumi, motioning for him to get up with one hand and the other on her hip. ¡°Will you really? You should never do half a job.¡±

    She reached over and grabbed Katsumi¡¯s side,  rolling him off of the couch onto the, now spotless, hardwood floor.

    Katsumi remained dormant as Mayumi continued to urge him to get a move on.

    Once I finish she¡¯ll finally be gone¡­ It¡¯s just a bit of scrubbing. Plus Nara is probably coming over later¡­ so I guess today won¡¯t be all that bad¡­ She¡¯ll get a kick out of this too.

    ¡°Muraka¡ª¡°

    ¡°Yeah I¡¯ll finish it up¡­ It¡¯s getting kinda late now so you should head out, I got it from here.¡± Katsumi got up and brushed himself off.

    Mayumi was moderately surprised by this.

    ¡°And uhm, thanks, for helping me today. I guess my apartment looks much nicer now.¡±

    ¡°No problem. Living next to this mess would¡¯ve given me some anxiety so I guess you could say this helped me too.¡± When Mayumi said this she seemed to have a hint of happiness in her tone compared to her usual traitless speaking. Even punctuating her sentence with a small smile.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Katsumi attempted to respond with similar energy but only managed a half-baked smile.

    He made his way over the cleaning supplies and picked up a bucket filled with water along with a rag. He began heading towards the hallway and glanced at Mayumi out of the corner of his eye.

    Before Katsumi could get to the hallway, a question from Mayumi stopped him in his tracks.

    ¡°I was thinking¡­ I could make us something for dinner tonight. Does that sound alright?¡±

    No, that doesn¡¯t sound alright. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯ve already done more than enough for me, I¡¯ll be fine tonight.¡± I¡¯ll be even better if you go home.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Looking at the empty containers and wrappers I¡¯ve thrown away I believe you¡¯ve eaten a proper meal in months,¡± Mayumi said.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Am I wrong?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ But¡ª¡°

    ¡°Alright then. Having a healthy diet will make you happier and help you live longer.¡± After Mayumi said this, she moved into the kitchen.

    I feel like her excuse is always, ¡®it¡¯s good for me¡¯.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be using your ingredients too of course¡ª well, I suppose if you don¡¯t have something I could use mine.¡± She put a finger to her chin and drifted her gaze across the kitchen, figuring it out and seeing what she had to work with.

    Ha, ingredients? I don¡¯t think there has been any fresh produce or cooking ingredients in this apartment for months¡­ Hopefully that discourages her from actually going through with this.

    ¡°Arata, I think I don¡¯t have anything to cook with. It''s probably not worth the trouble.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ yeah I kind of gathered that. You barely have any utensils and you don¡¯t even have an apron. I guess you really have not had a good meal in the last few months.¡±

    What? You didn¡¯t even believe it when you said it yourself?

    Mayumi shuffled around the kitchen, looking in drawers and cupboards. She didn''t look to be judging the state of it, but once again making a plan.

    ¡°Alright. Murakami, could you go clean the floor the hallway and I¡¯ll head over to my apartment¡ª¡°

    ¡°And stay there?¡±

    ¡°Huh? No, and see what ingredients I have along with getting my apron.¡±

    Sadly what I expected.

    Mayumi departed back to her apartment and Katsumi got down and dirty. His floor was covered in a fine layer of what was an unknown filth. It seemed to be a combination of many different foods, dirt, and dust.

    God, after seeing what my floor actually looks like when cleaned, this is horrible. Y¡¯know, maybe she had a point about this cleaning.

    In ten minutes he revealed around two-thirds of the actual floor. Katsumi took a moment to check his progress when there was a knock at the front door.

    ¡°Huh? Oh, it¡¯s probably Arata.¡± I¡¯ll just finish up the cleaning then I¡¯ll have a home cooked dinner. Not how I planned to spend my evening but not the absolute worst. Katsumi contemplated these things as he stood and walked to the front door.

    Instead of being greeted by short black hair, Katsumi was facing a head of long, unkempt, brown hair.

    It was Nara, and was sloppily dressed as usual. Wearing a loose cardigan and slacks that somewhat fit.

    ¡°Heya Katsumi!¡± With a big smile Nara greeted him. In her arms was a cardboard box, the flaps of which were opened slightly, not enough to see the contents of it however.

    On Nara there were black straps going over each of her shoulders, these held the backpack she was wearing, which looked to be full.

    ¡°Sorry Nara, it seems like the plans kinda changed.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯dya¡¯ mean?¡±

    ¡°Uh, well¡­ I¡¯ll explain later, but basically I have dinner plans, I guess.¡±

    ¡°You guess? It¡¯s either you do or ya¡¯ don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°...Yeah, I do have plans.¡±

    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s this? And with whom may I ask?¡± Nara changed her accent to speak more properly, mainly as a way to further tease Katsumi. ¡°Oh, it must be parents. I didn¡¯t know they were in town. Ya¡¯ know, you should really introduce me to ¡®em. It¡¯s ¡®bout time.¡±

    ¡°No they aren¡¯t in town. And even if they were, there¡¯s no way in hell I would.¡±

    ¡°Aw~ you¡¯re too mean¡­ But seriously, who?¡±

    This question made Katsumi break eye contact and turn his head away. There was a silence between them.

    Nara raised an eyebrow. ¡°Hey, is it a girl?¡± She pressed her shoulder up against Katsumi and gave him an ear-to-ear grin. Katsumi backed up and Nara got closer again. ¡°Just kiddin¡¯!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­ You got a date?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Haha! Oh my god, no way! You''re at university for how many days? And you meet someone!¡± Nara hugged the cardboard box tightly to her chest, pretending to be girly. ¡°So~ who is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a date... But it¡¯s¡ª¡°

    ¡°Murakami?¡±

    <div>

 A Guiding Hand: Part Four

    <div>

    ¡°Ah! No way!¡±

    Standing at the front door of the apartment next to them was a girl wearing a white crop-top with a not fully zipped-up sweatshirt over it. To contrast these lighter colors, she had on black leggings.

    ¡°No-no-no, it¡¯s not like that. She¡¯s just been¡­ helping me clean.¡±

    ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± Mayumi interjected. ¡°And Murakami, have you finished scrubbing the floor?¡±

    Nara then interrupted with her own comment on Mayumi¡¯s question. ¡°Finish scrubbin¡¯ the floor? Oh my, Arata. What have ya¡¯ two been gettin¡¯ up to?¡± To try and sell her sarcastic surprise, Nara covered her mouth with a hand.

    ¡°T-Takagi, what are you talking about? We¡¯d never do something like that. That¡¯s just absurd¡­¡± Mayumi sounded extremely flustered.

    Finding the faintest hint of red in Mayumi¡¯s cheeks, Nara began to push her even more.

    ¡°Well, makes sense. Knowin¡¯ Katsumi'' here, he¡¯s probably gonna die alone and a virgin. I mean really, the guys harmless. Even though I know you¡¯ve been hopin¡¯ for it for years, he won¡¯t do anythin¡¯ to you.¡± Nara took one hand off the box and put it around Katsumi¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°H-hey now¡­¡° Mayumi stuttered.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, don¡¯t get butt-hurt over the truth,¡± She laughed.

    ¡°...Enough of this. Murakami, we already have prior plans. Finish up so we can go to the grocery store. Takagi, we¡¯re busy, so could you leave please?¡±

    ¡°Aw~ is there no room for a third in your twosome?¡± Nara chided.

    Mayumi looked at her with her mouth slightly agape. She then closed it along with her eyes and began tapping her temple with her index-finger.

    Nara continued. ¡°It can be jus¡¯ like high school again¡ªKatsumi and I hangin¡¯ out and you starin¡¯ us.¡±

    Mayumi balled her fists.

    ¡°Alright alright, really, I¡¯m done. I was just droppin¡¯ some stuff off.¡± Nara pushed the box she held into Katsumi¡¯s arms with a smile.

    Katsumi gave her a look back that said ¡®not right now¡¯, and pushed the box back into Nara¡¯s arms. He leaned closer to Nara¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°Just swing by around ten or whenever I message you on LINE.¡±

    Nara nodded in response.

    Mayumi had her arms crossed and any hint that she was once flustered had dissipated. ¡°What is in that box?¡± She asked sternly.

    Nara propped the box up under her right arm. ¡°It¡¯s been nice talking to you two.¡± She glossed right over Mayumi¡¯s question. She strode past the two and towards the elevator.

    As the elevator doors closed, an uncomfortable silence settled between Mayumi and Katsumi.

    The latter of which was left utterly and completely baffled at the conversation he just over heard. In his mind it was already established that he attended high school with Mayumi even though he had no memory of her. He also was aware that Mayumi and Nara had some sort of past together. But now, it seemed like their past went much deeper.

    What Katsumi was most caught up on was what Nara said.

    ¡®Even though I know you¡¯ve been hopin¡¯ for it for years, he won¡¯t do anythin¡¯ to you.¡¯

    At this point Katsumi¡¯s curiosity was reaching a boiling point. He felt he needed to confront Nara about this sooner rather than later.

    After lingering in silence for a minute, Mayumi¡¯s calm words cut through it. ¡°That was interesting. Come on Murakami, let''s go.¡±

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    The sun had long set behind the buildings. No stars were visible in the sky because of light-pollution¡ªleading to a clear dark sky. A few cars passed the pair as they walked. Their way lit up by streetlights and those coming from the skyscraper windows.

    The two strolled down the street in the direction of  nearby grocery-store. Katsumi walked two paces behind Mayumi with a noticeable slouch.

    Why does she walk like that? It looks incredibly uncomfortable¡­

    Katsumi took his hands out of his pockets and placed his right hand on top of his left¡ªputting them in front of his chest. He curled his fingers slightly like he was holding the strap of a handbag, mimicking what Mayumi was doing.

    This is stupid¡­ I can¡¯t understand how someone can walk like this¡­ Murakami you¡¯re an idiot,  Murakami it¡¯s for your own good

    Katsumi twirled imaginary hair with one hand like he¡¯d seen Mayumi do a few times.

    They passed in front of a large store-front window and he noticed that Mayumi¡¯s reflection was looking at the window too. Her eyes had been tracking him as he mimicked her.

    He instantly stopped what he was doing and Mayumi returned to looking straight ahead.

    Katsumi found his eyes drifting towards Mayumi as they often seemed to. Before he knew it, he was full on staring at her. After a moment he quickly realized this and pulled his attention straight ahead.

    Despite her nagging, she is kinda pretty. I haven¡¯t really noticed before¡­

    ¡°You know, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to put a little more effort into your appearance,¡± Mayumi spoke.

    ¡°I¡¯m always at home so it doesn¡¯t really matter.¡±

    ¡°Well that¡¯s on you¡­¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°It really does help. Getting out and meeting people that is.¡±

    ¡°Meet new people¡­?¡± What person is gonna want to meet me in this state?

    ¡°It helps.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve established that¡­ But how?¡±

    ¡°It gives you more perspective.¡±

    ¡°Perspective¡­¡± If I remember correctly, didn¡¯t Nara mention something about you never meeting any new people¡­ except for me, was it?

    ¡°Those people can help bring you up and help you make better choices. So you don¡¯t turn out like¡­¡± She glanced up at Katsumi. After a moment Mayumi added on, ¡°But you need to meet the right people.¡±

    With that the pair entered the grocery-store and efficiently made their way around, picking up all the ingredients Mayumi needed, mostly in silence.

    The two finished shopping and returned home.

    Mayumi was already in the door and taking her shoes off when she looked back at Katsumi who remained motionless outside. ¡°It is your apartment you know, you can come in.¡±

    ¡°Yeah it¡¯s just¡­ it feels like an entirely new place.¡±

    With a drawn out breath Katsumi entered his home and took off his shoes.

    Mayumi entered the kitchen and set down the groceries on the kitchen island. ¡°I will start preparing dinner, could you set the table?¡±

    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s all you want me to do? I could help with more.¡±

    ¡°Ah sorry, it¡¯s just¡ª¡°

    ¡°I¡¯ll get in the way?¡±

    ¡°Thank you for understanding.¡±

    After setting the table Katsumi went and fell onto the sofa. Calmed by the distant sounds of clattering dishes accompanied by the sizzling of food¡ªKatsumi shut his eyes.

    ¡°Kami¡ª Murakami.¡±

    Katsumi shifted on the couch and slowly opened his eyes. ¡°Mom¡­ What¡¯re you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Murakami.¡±

    ¡°What¡­? Arata?¡±

    After looking into Katsumi¡¯s eyes for a second, she said, ¡°You fell asleep, dinner is ready. I made a Mongolian dish.¡±

    I just called her mom¡­ I¡¯m so glad she¡¯s overlooking that. You know, even with how annoying she is, I gotta give it to her, she can be kind. I don¡¯t want to tell her that though, I think her ego is big enough already.

    The two went into the kitchen and they moved the dishes into the dining table. They sat across from each other and said thanks for the meal.

    Katsumi took his first bite. ¡°Arata, your cooking¡­ it¡¯s amazing.¡°

    When Mayumi said it had probably been a long time since Katsumi had a decent meal, she was right. This was his first time in almost a year having something fully home cooked. As even during the latter half of Katsumi¡¯s last year in high school, his parents weren¡¯t around. They were either off in another part of the country or somewhere abroad¡ªleaving him to build terrible eating habits.

    Mayumi looked up from her plate. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t expecting such praise.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done a lot for me today¡­ I¡ª I really appreciate it. Thank you¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I''m glad I could. Your apartment looks so much nicer.¡±

    The two ate in silence for a minute, but all the while something grew in Katsumi. It was like an itch on his brain that he needed to scratch.

    ¡°Why are you trying to help me?¡± Katsumi broke the silence.

    Mayumi looked off into the living room. ¡°Why? Well¡­ someone I know is struggling and in need of help.¡±

    ¡°Someone you know? We just met didn¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re neighbors. It¡¯s the right thing to do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not that unaware, Arata¡­ I overheard the conversation with Nara. I want to know why.¡±

    Mayumi went silent.

    Arata seems like the wrong person to ask¡­ I should¡¯ve just stuck with my plan of asking Nara.

    ¡°It¡¯s not right.¡± Mayumi whispered.

    ¡°What¡¯d you mean it¡¯s not right...?¡±

    ¡°From cleaning your apartment I¡¯ve seen how you live, Murakami. You are going to live a hard life if you continue like this. ¡±

    ¡°W-what? What¡¯re you saying? That¡¯s the most bullshit I think I¡¯ve ever heard.¡± I know that¡¯s not the only reason¡­ It¡¯s just, I don¡¯t know what that other reason is.

    ¡°I¡¯m not lying¡ª¡±

    ¡°What is this?¡± Katsumi met Mayumi¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, but why won¡¯t you listen? I¡¯m trying to help you.¡±

    ¡°Why should I believe you?¡±

    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­ because I don¡¯t get it.¡±

    ¡°There is no trick. I¡¯m not hiding anything¡­ I do not know why you¡¯re confused.¡±

    Katsumi didn¡¯t respond to her this time.

    She sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s finish eating.¡±

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