COMING OF AGE | Nishimura Riki

012 | abandoned factory

nishimura riki
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After attending school, I learned to live a more spontaneous life than when I was homeschooled. Being spontaneous, doing activities all of a sudden that are not planned or arranged, is something I'm still getting used to. I'm still not used to having Nicholas, Hinata, and Kenji dragging me around during breaks.

An example is the day before yesterday. During a break, Kenji decided it was a good idea to sneak into the art classroom to borrow a pen. For some reason, Kenji thought the better option was to sneak into the art classroom instea of asking our classmates to borrow one of their pens.

It felt like we performed an illegal action when we sneaked into the art classroom and stole one of their pens. I was so scared of getting caught and being scolded by my teacher for misbehaving.

Not only was I scared of being caught and scolded by my teacher, but I was also scared of the headmistress finding out and therefore would call His and Her Majesty. No one likes to be scolded and receive a negative reaction about your actions that have led people to feel disappointed in you.

Yet, I decided it was a perfect idea to spend a whole day with Mai. To be honest, I believe His and Her Majesty would be more furious and mad at me for spending time with Mai than stealing.

I am aware of my image; It is something I must be very careful with, or else I could potienally be kicked out of the Monarchy. I am scared of getting caught and being recognized while I'm with Mai.

I like what we have and I don't want to lose it. If I didn't feel this way, I would never ever agree to spend time with Mai after school. She makes me do things I would never even consider doing.

As I said, I like what we have and I don't want to lose it. I don't want to lose Mai.

Mai had already arrived at our meeting spot. She is sitting on the sidewalk, stretching out her legs while enjoying the silence.

"Hey, celebrity!" Mai said with a smile when she noticed me.

"I hope you didn't wait too long" I replied.

"Just a few minutes" Mai responded as she stood up.

"Anyway, are you scared of being recognized? You are dressed like a real celebrity today with that mask and cap" She added.

"I thought you didn't know anything about celebrities nor had any interest in them" I stated with a smile and crossed my arms.

"Whatever" Mai muttered as we started to walk.

"However, the ones we are meeting today are like me, not connected to the internet nor have any interest in media. Being recognized by anyone should be your least concern" She added.

I nodded and decided to listen to her. I took off my mask and cap, defying my fears. I do believe society is more interested in public figures like actors, singers, and politicians than in the royal family. But, I still don't trust the media.

Media have a tendency to exaggerate stories by mixing true information and false accusations. I would personally not define myself as one of Japan's most headlining public figures, but that doesn't mean I'm not qualified as a victim of media.

I thought our meeting spot was hidden and closed from the public enough, but it feels like Mai is taking me to a forbidden area. The only sight of living beings I have is me and Mai. We entered a building that looks like an abandoned factory. While walking inside, we heard the sound of talking and laughter from a distance.

We headed toward them, a group of people who seems to be the people Mai mentioned earlier. The group of people stopped talking and looked at us suspiciously.

"You didn't inform us about your company" One of them said teasingly.

"I prefer to surprise" Mai replied.

"Your company is very good-looking. How come he is with you?" Another one asked Mai, causing the rest to laugh.

Mai pretend like she was going to hit her and then shrugged it off. I can see that the shell around Mai is starting to break. She seems more comfortable here compared to our school area.

Mai's purpose in taking me along to a day in her life was to show me her lifestyle and an example of life in her social class. However, I believe I'm going to learn more about Mai today than her social class.

"Enough about Mai's good-looking company, you are here for the package right?" One of them asked Mai.

She nodded. The guy signaled us to follow him. He brought us to a small spaced room, filled with boxes and dust. He took down a package from one of the shelves and handed it over to Mai.

"Do you have more pills?" Mai asked him.

"Only if you give me a kiss" The guy answered with a smirk.

My eyes widen and my heart stopped for a second. Mai let out a chuckle and gave him a slight slap in response. The guy rolled his eyes afterward and gave Mai another package. After that, she grabbed my wrist and walked out of the room.

"Is he always like that?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Yes, unfortunately" Mai answered.

Mai brought me along to a skate park that is located inside this abandoned factory. We sat down and opened the packages. Inside them were small cans with pills and powder, as well as a bundle of small plastic bags.

"You can take the pills. Each bag consists of two pills, got it?" Mai asked and I nodded.

"Are you here often?" I asked as I started to fill the bags.

"Is that a genuine question or are you hitting on me?" Mai replied teasingly.

My eyes widen and my heart stopped for a second, again. I felt taken aback by Mai's sudden comment, causing me to remain silent while trying to hide my embarrassment. Mai smiled at me before she decided to answer my question.

"I'm here at least a month, sometimes two depending on stock" Mai answered.

"And you? Are you here often?" Mai asked back with a smirk.

"No, it's my first time actually?" I said with a chuckle.

"Oh, I see. But, do you like it so far?" Mai replied to play along.

"I do. It's always pleasing with good company" I said with a smile.