Trapped Behind Words: InuOkko

Chapter 2: Toge

"Sounds like Gojo," Inumaki said.

Toge felt a twinge of pain in his eyes - a dry reminder that he was wearing contacts. They weren't necessary by any means; rather, they were just fun to wear and disappear into the role of a violet-eyed wonder. Though most people didn't notice.

"Glad I'm not the only one," Yuta said.

Inumaki kept the bathroom rather clean. The theming in his apartment was a bit all over the place. That's what most people said. His living room felt cozy, like an American traditional plantation home, but the kitchen was entirely Japanese with a sliding door to save space and some dolls his mother had made propped atop the refrigerator.

Most people had a fit when they saw the bathroom. With only one in the unit, it felt appropriate to cater to anyone who could see it. However, the issue was in the color scheme. The walls were the same soft Swiss cream color, but the accents he chose were a cool pinkish-mauve that contrasted with the warmth of the home.

Bathrooms are where people are at their most vulnerable - not that there were many visitors. Inumaki's philosophy was to keep the bathroom as neutral as possible. Minimal decor adorned the tiny cleaning facility. Other than a candle and a few mirrors, it was barren.

He pulled the violet film from his eyes and placed them in a contact case half-filled with saline. The store said to use a contact solution, but they were basically the same thing. Plus, saline was cheaper.

"Do you have any plans today?" Inumaki asked.

He didn't know what to do with Yuta. There was another empty chair, yet Gojo sat him in the one next to Okkotsu Yuta - a suicide survivor. Toge knew it was a matter of time before Yuta's curiosity would have him ask about his mutism. In light of that seemingly prophetic knowledge about human nature, Inumaki pushed the conversation away from the topic.

"Today? Not really. It's already kind of late," Okkotsu replied.

"Nah! It's early evening, still time to hang out with friends or something," Inumaki responded.

"All of my friends are work friends," Yuta said.

"Really?" Toge replied.

"Yeah, haha," Yuta confirmed.

Inumaki knew the guy had to be lonely, but he didn't realize it was so severe. The awkward movements made more sense. It was all kind of hard to imagine for Toge. His anxiety had affected him since he could remember, and his parents weren't much better.

"Would it be weird if you came over? I can bust out my Switch or something," Inumaki felt his eyes warm.

"No, it's fine! I'll stay in for the night," Yuta replied.

Inumaki wrinkled his nose, "If you don't come, I'll come to you."

There was a brief pause before Yuta said, "Okay, fine. I don't have a bike or anything, so it will be a while. What's your address?"

"Nah, you're not walking. I'll send you an Uber. What's your address?" Inumaki smiled, knowing Yuta would have some company.

"No, you don't have to! It's fine! I'm used to it!" Yuta replied.

"If you don't tell me, I'll just ask Gojo, then maybe he'll break in and carry you out. Haha," Inumaki laughed to himself.

"Please don't do that. I need to get my locks changed. Haha," Yuta said.

Soon after, a silver three-year-old sedan was on its way to pick up Yuta. It wasn't much trouble, but what would be troublesome was trying to communicate with Okkotsu. Inumaki periodically checked his phone to make sure the driver was on his way while preparing the living room for company.