Kimi no Na Wa Afterstory

5: Taki

(I personally like the BGM but do not listen to it if you find it distracting or not suited to your tastes!)

...Hello? It's been a while! Truthfully I've been busy with life more than anything, but I'm making myself (try to) finish what I started. I really do love this movie, and I'm proud of what I've written so far. So here I am, sitting in my bedroom with earbuds on and blasting through my playlist to get myself motivated. Hope it doesn't disappoint :)

     Life went on. I failed two interviews, including the one I barely made the day I met Mitsuha again. But the third one was the charm and I found myself staring at the mirror for far too long in the mornings, frowning because my shirts and pants were never wrinkle-free. I ironed them regularly enough, but there were frequent lapses where I came home, changed out of my clothes and tossed them on the chair, effectively forgetting about them until the next day.

I woke up and rolled out of bed Monday morning the same way I had been doing for weeks. The blinds were drawn, the bed was made, and the faucet ran for a short bit while I brushed my teeth. A few minutes later, I forced myself awake with a warm shower, taking care to use ample amounts of my longtime favorite apple-scented shampoo.

Thirty minutes after I had gotten out of bed, I was standing in front of the mirror with a tie hanging loosely around my neck and a hastily ironed pair of dress pants. I sighed in defeat, eyeing the tie disgustedly. How was it possible to lose ties in such a tiny apartment? I had grown up breathing city air and accustomed to strict school uniform codes, yet I still can't keep tab of important pieces of clothing as a fully fledged adult.

     Now I was stuck with this badly gifted olive green tie. Some people loved this shade. I didn't. It just didn't suit my complexion, and for all the fussing I've done to try to incorporate the tie into my wardrobe, the silky tie eventually landed at the bottom of my drawer. I thought it would stay there to rot until I moved out of this apartment or something, but today was its lucky day.

     I had run out of ties to wear. I made it a point to cycle through my clothes religiously, but never had I anticipated the rigor to which the cycle would be put under when I found a job. Morning meetings and frequent run-ins with my direct boss meant that my every move was under scrutiny. I didn't even know if he was a man peculiar about details in the attire of his employees, but I did not want to find out through slanted gazes.

     Better stick to impressing through action and tidy clothes.

     Swallowing my dislike, I tightened the tie around my neck, turning my head left and right before dropping the assessment. Why bother preening when the only eyes of appraisal would be from male coworkers? In terms of looks, I was not a tempting first choice. None of the ladies at work would bat an eyelash towards me—not that they would, considering that most were far above me in age or already satisfied with a partner of their own.

      ...You have Mitsuha. A devilish voice reverberated in my head.

     I physically grimaced, scowling at myself. Leaving the house, away from the privilege to be alone with my thoughts, sounded like a good option right now. My hands reached for my brown work bag, then scrambled to put on shoes before they mechanically opened and locked the door.

     I closed my eyes as I faced my apartment door, not caring if I attracted stares.

      Those thoughts....not now, I thought hard to myself, but at another time when I have peace and quiet.

     When you have time to stare longingly at your short list of contacts, thumbs hovering over the send button, you mean? My mind maliciously laughed at my anxieties.