A/N: Hello, everyone! I'm so sorry for the wait, I have been really drained lately, with college and my voice acting work. I've been working small bits at a time, but it hasn't been that much. I got a major boost in energy though way back when I was suddenly suggested to do the Phantom Awards by @LAXH1107. I don't consider this chapter finished by my own standards, but honestly? It would be a really really long chapter if I finished it all the way through. So, might as well cut the chapter in half- for both my sanity and yours. Thank you all for being so patient with me!
OH BTW! I had to do math with this chapter. Yes, that's right. M-A-T-H. UGH. Be grateful, mortals.
I also received a score of 82.5% from the Phantom Awards! I am very proud of myself for my accomplishment.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Sunday, August 7th | Early Noon...
"Huh? You're sold out?" I repeated, blinking in surprise as I felt a bead of sweat roll down my jaw. Standing in front of the large, rather lizard like owner of Shiroku, I felt a wave of uneasiness and unfathomable heat ghostly caressing my exposed arms. After deciding to buy Mimi a new Love-Line umbrella, I spent the entire evening rummaging through my belongs for every yen I could find. Thanks to the expensive medication for my recent wounds, the money in my wallet has practically vanished overnight. With luck and determination, however, I managed to find 1,689.46 yen. It amazes me that I was able to find a majority of the money in the pockets of my clothes.
"I'm sorry sweetheart, somebody bought the last one yesterday. I'm not expecting another load until October" the shopkeeper explained, her round face flapping with sincere apology. I glanced to the empty Love-Line umbrella box, the tingling sensation of anxiety teasing me.
"O-October...? Well, isn't there anything I can do?" I asked, returning my gaze to the owner.
"Nope. Sorry" she replied bluntly with a shake of her head. Rather taken back by her blunt reply, I opened my mouth to try and reach an understanding, only to purse my lips together. The owner, despite her kind and peaceful personality, with her black hair tied in red polka dot scarf, I felt rather intimidated by her brown eyes that hid behind her small circular glasses. Perhaps it was the fact that she wore a red kimono with a blue apron and light yellow socks with wooden sandals, a rather traditional Japanese outfit, that I felt so intimidated by her.
Not wanting to cause any trouble, I calmly exited the store, the summer heat quickly splashing me with humidity. I hadn't realized it, but the store was surprisingly cooler than the outdoors. I let out a sigh of exhaustion and strapped on my helmet. It was thanks to this very same heat that I had decided to take my scooter out and drive here instead of walking, so that the light sweat covering my body would fight with the rather chilled breeze.
Since Shiroku is sold out of the umbrella's, I need to go to Coco's Fur in Okina City. Hopefully the young cashier there would be more open to a negotiation... After awkwardly prompting my scooter up, I got on and carefully drove my way out of Inaba.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
"Excuse me..." I called out softly, the door of Coco's Fur closing quietly behind me.
Due to the summer break quickly ending, there was a lot of traffic on the highway on my way here. I couldn't help but feel nervous with the numerous cars around me. To step inside the store with a powerful air conditioner, I couldn't help but let out a loud sigh of relief. Although, I wasn't sure how to feel with the overwhelming pink walls...
"Hello, welcome~" a young voice chimed, catching my attention. The young cashier from the last time I visited was here once again, her fashionable summer clothes flashing as bright as her smile at me. Walking up to her, she quickly recognized me and flashed an even wider smile. I couldn't help but feel a bit shy, slightly startled by the almost inhuman smile.
"Hi, I'm looking for a Love-Line umbrella...? I heard that you had them" I explained.
"Oh, I'm sorry! We're sold out... Those things were pretty much sold out the day I put them on the shelf. Word spreads like wildfire up here with the kids!" the cashier chuckled. I tilted my head to the side, sighing in disappointment.
"You too, huh? Isn't there anything I can do...?" I asked. If I were to return to the Dojima residence tonight knowing that I didn't even try to get a new umbrella, I wouldn't be able to even look at Mimi's in the eyes... The cashier hummed for a moment, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Hm... Well, I can probably get an early shipment for you! Although, it'll take a while and will come with a heavy price" the cashier warned in a whimsical tone. My head jerked back to its original position, leaning forward in eagerness.
"I-I'll take it! How much is it?" I asked, slightly nervous. The cashier giggled nervously as she pulled out a calculator and pulled up a few things on her computer. The sound of buttons being pushed filled the room, my pounding heartbeat silently accompanying it's melody.
"Well... For an early ship on such a popular item, it'll be about 64,000 yen" the cashier hummed, showing me the numbers on the calculators.
"Eh...?!" I couldn't help but exclaim. The money I had on me at the moment was nowhere near that large number. Heck, I even wasted 4,000 yen for gas on the ride over here. Anxiety filling me, I pursed my lips together as sweat began to drip from my jaw. There was no way that I could pay for 70,00 right now... Maybe, if I'm extremely lucky, I'll have the option to pay for the total price once the package arrives. I can't give up here... I have to get that umbrella for her...!
Gulping, I nervously exclaimed, "I-I'll take it...!"
"Great! Will you pay now or later when the package arrives?" the cashier asked, smiling brightly.
"L-Later, please..." I replied, shortly letting out a sigh of relief as sweat continued to roll down my face. Do most of her customers bring that much money for clothes...?
"Okay! It'll arrive on August 23rd, Tuesday. I'll only keep your order for about a week, but then after that, I'll be selling the umbrella to others" the cashier explained with a calming smile.
"I understand!" I replied, bowing shortly. The cashier giggled and waved goodbye as I turned around and left. Once the humid summer heat hit me once again after closing the door behind me, I let out a long sigh. I was able to get the umbrella, somehow, but how on earth am I going to save up 64,000 yen in 19 days? Running my hand through my hair, I let out another sigh as my tired feet made it's way to the parking lot where my scooter sat. There is only one thing for me to do in this situation...
"...I need a job" I muttered to myself in defeat.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Driving on my way to the Dojima residence, I decide to take a new way back to Inaba in an attempt to avoid the traffic. Much to my surprise, I soon realized that the path I had taken was on the same path to Nise's neighborhood. I slowed down the closer I reached Nise's home, memories of the birthday party shortly flashing in and out of my mind.
Approaching the side of his house, I noticed a blue and white scooter sitting beside his parent's car. I couldn't help but blink in surprise as I continued forward, not wanting to be seen, wondering when he got the thing. If that really is his scooter and not a friend's, then I guess that means he's been studying and finally got his license. I recall him talking about that for a while during his birthday dinner... But I wasn't really paying attention. Now that I think about it... Didn't Yukiko also say something about passing something?
"...Hm?" I hummed, noticing a creature sitting on the road. Much to my surprise, I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't even realize I had arrived to the central shopping district. As I got closer to it, the creature began to take shape, forming into a rather cute fox with a red handkerchief wrapped around his furry neck. Blinking in surprise, I slowed down, shortly stopping a good two feet away from it. The two of us stared at one another for awhile in silence, as if waiting for the other to speak up.
"...What do you want?" I asked, tilting my head slightly. The fox said nothing in reply, simply walking up to me with a small wooded sign in its mouth. Blinkin in curiosity, I extended my hand to which the fox dropped the wooden sign in.
"Hey... it's an ema" I hummed, examining the sign. The wish written on the sign read "God, please give me friends".
"Why are you giving this to me?" I asked, looking up at the fox. The fox said nothing once again, simply staring at me. I blinked, something clicking inside my head. "...Oh, do you want me to try and make this wish come true?" The fox yipped in reply, as if confirming my thought. Whether it was from the heat or simply the fact that I was talking with a fox, I felt a drop of sweat roll down my jaw.
"Well, alright, but... I don't even know who this is or where to find them" I pointed out. The fox yipped at me in reply, making its way down the street. Still sitting on my scooter with its engine purring, I couldn't help but stare dumbfounded into space. With a short sigh, I slowly drive after the fox. Out of all the things that would happen to me today, I certainly did not think that I would be talking and following a fox around...
The fox soon stops in front of a bulletin board between Aiya's and Souzai Daigaku. Turning off the engine, I prompted my scooter at the side of the road and read the multiple pieces of paper on the board.
"Oh... Hey, there's some jobs here!" I gasped, surprised. Gee, this would have been nice to know beforehand... I wouldn't have had to spend so many days studying! The fox suddenly yipped at me, standing on its hind legs and pawing a notice for a tutor. Blinking in slight surprise, I scanned through the contents. To my surprise, the job was only for four hours and paid a good amount of 5,000 yen per hour. Pulling out my iPhone, I quickly pushed in the number and waited.
"Hello, Nakajima speaking" a rather intellectual, womanly voice spoke up.
"Um, about your ad regarding a tutor..." I began, looking at the requirements on the paper once more.
"Oh, uh-huh?" the woman hummed, sounding excited and hopeful. I blinked in slight surprise and looked at the fox, covering the microphone.
"Way to go, fox. You are good..." I whispered. The fox yipped at me in reply.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Evening...
Standing in a traditional, clean boy's room, I found myself standing nervously besides a woman while also in front of her son. The woman whom I had spoken to on the phone earlier was rather desperate for a tutor-- and when I mentioned that I was a high school student attending Yasogami, she practically gave me the job right there. It was... Rather startling to all of a sudden be told to head for a stranger's house.
There was a long pause of silence as the three of us stared at one another. Kikyo Nakajima, the woman who was on the phone, and I stared at her son while the young boy stared at me. Well, "stare" was a polite way of saying it. It felt to me as if the boy was inspecting me with his eyes, as if trying to determine whether or not I was suited for him. It almost felt like the table had turned: I was the child and he was the menacing teacher, glaring at me to set authority.
"...I'm Shu Nakajima. Nice to meet you" the boy finally introduced, breaking the silence. His voice was nazily and rather high pitched, truly showing his age. Hearing it, I felt my body relax, finally breaking free from his intimidation. It was then that I started to notice his features: straight, short brown hair, relaxed brown eyes hiding behind blue rectangular glasses. He was wearing a blue-collared shirt with folded short sleeves, black pants, and plain white socks.
Nakajima chuckled somewhat awkwardly, swatting her hand gently to catch my attention, and began to ramble: "I'm sorry, he's just a shy boy. But he's so smart, you know? He got the highest score in his class on his last test, and the teacher--"
"Mom!" Shu suddenly whined, interrupting his mother. He bore a face of exhaustion and frustration, showing signs that this wasn't the first time his mother had spoken so fondly about him in front of other people. He didn't necessarily looked embarrassed, but based on his tone, I can safely assume that he was. "...E-Enough of that. We're going to study now, so get out."
"Oh, of course, dear. I don't want to bother you while you're learning. But still..." Nakajima began. Not wanting there to be any more tension between Shu and his mother, I turned to her and bowed my head slightly.
"Don't worry, Nakajima-san. I'll do my best to help Shu-kun" I said with utmost care. Looking over at Shu, I slipped in an introduction.
"Hitomi-chan, was it?" Nakajima hummed, sounding a little grateful by my manners. "I hear Yasogami High's scores are starting to climb up there. Shu's already in his second year of middle school, so we need to start thinking of applying to high schools. Well, knowing him, I'm not worried about getting into a good school. But, when it's time for college..." I nodded, understanding where she was coming from. If Mimi does a good job in her classes, it's only natural that I start looking for exceptional middle schools.
"Mom! That's enough, I said...!" Shu suddenly squeaked, the embarrassed tone finally revealing itself.
"Oh, my. I guess you're right. Well, then, Hitomi-chan, please make sure you teach him well" Nakajima instructed with a smile. I nodded in reply. "Study hard, Shu-chan, okay?"
With that, Nakajima left the room, closing the door quietly behind her. Officially, the tutoring session had begun. However, Shu seemed to show no interest in learning anything from me. Not that I would blame him... After all, I didn't even bring a single study book with me.
"...Just so you know, I have no interest at all in trying to get into Yasogami High School. You're just the only tutor I can find who could start right now, okay?" Shu growled in a clear voice, returning to his once intimidating nature. "...Do you have a problem?"
I shook my head, muttering,"No, I... Just listening. Don't want to miss anything." Shu sighed, as if disappointed in my response.
"Man... I really hope you're not gonna suck at this. You'll need actual brains, lady, not just looks for this job" Shu remarked, glancing at me once again. I felt a little twitch tickle my face, a little offended by his comment.
"I won't let you or your mother down" I replied firmly, lowering my head slightly to appear somewhat intimidating. I was the adult figure in the room at the moment and I deserve respect from someone several years my junior!
For a moment, there was a look of surprise etched on Shu's face, before he glanced away with a 'hmph'.
"Then, what should we start with? I don't have any subjects that I'm particularly bad at" Shu asked, sounding rather cocky. I twitched once again, but in a different way; a bead of sweat rolling down my face. I didn't have any subjects planned because I didn't even know how old the student I was going to be tutoring was!
"Um... How about English?" I suggested, thinking that the subject would still be rather difficult for this intellectual manchild. And... it was the only one I had confidence in teaching- even without a book.
"...Fine" Shu sighed, sounding somewhat serious for a change.
Despite the small attitude Shu seems to have, he really is a smart kid. He grasps the concepts quickly and answers the problems I have for him in no time at all. Before I could even comprehend it, the two of us became rather comfortable and managed to move onto different subjects.
"...That's enough for today. It's getting late" Shu suddenly announced, putting his pencil down.
"Huh?" Blinking in surprise I pulled out my iPhone to check the time. It was 9:25 pm. "Oh, you're right...!" Feeling rather embarrassed, I brushed my skirt and stood up properly, no longer leaning over Shu's shoulder.
"We'll continue next time" Shu hummed, looking over the amount of paper he filled out during our four hour session together. I nodded, typing a note to myself on my cellular device.
"You were a good tutor. It was easy for me to understand what you were talking about" Shu admitted, causing me to blink in surprise and look at him. Facing towards me, his face flushed and glanced away. "...I'm sure my natural intelligence had something to do with that as well, of course. You're more than welcome to come again whenever you have the time. I'll keep working at my own pace, as well. So, uh...Please come teach me again."
I blinked in surprise, a little shocked that he was comfortable with me. I was honored, of course, but he seemed to show no sign of growing close with me the moment I stepped into his room. Perhaps... I misunderstood him. Underneath all that talk of being a high intellectual, he is just a kid trying to get used to other people. I feel like I understood Shu a little more, creating an almost visible bond...
"Of course. I look forward to working with you in the future" I replied politely, keeping things professional.
"Cool. So... Goodbye" Shu hummed, glancing away sheepishly. I felt the corner of my lips twitch, something tickling in my throat. With that, I exited Shu's room, bid farewell to Nakajima, and made my way to the Dojima residence.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Over at the Dojima's...
3rd POV
Nanako was eating her dinner with her father, all the while watching her favorite anime, "Love-Line: The Magical Detective!". Despite spending some time with her father, Nanako couldn't help but feel rather... Uneasy, for the lack of a better term. Eating dinner late at night, in silence, while watching television was something that Nanako used to do in the previous years. But this year has been different. There was a new addition to the family; an addition that Nanako was very fond- and worried- of. Her older cousin, Hitomi Narukami, for whatever reason unknown to her, was out rather late tonight. Nanako couldn't help but fidget as she ate, glancing over to the clock in the living room. It was almost 10 pm, and still no sign of Hitomi.
Noticing the discomfort the girl was unconsciously displaying, Dojima tried to think of something to talk about it. After all, he was with his beloved daughter. He then recalled the text message he got from Hitomi the other day, saying that Nanako came home drenched form the sudden summer downpour.
"I, uh, heard you came home drenched yesterday. What happened to your umbrella?" Dojima asked. There was a soft tone of authority in his voice, one that made Nanako tense up. Fidgeting, she poked at her dinner, mustering up the courage. It was so easy for her to admit that she had lost the thing when telling Hitomi. Whether it was because Hitomi was much more understanding than her father or because she was a girl, Nanako did not know.
"Um... I think I lost it" Nanako mumbled, trying to avoid aggravating her father.
"Aw come on, really? We just bought that thing for you" Dojima sighed, sounding upset. Nanako's tension vanished and was replaced with guilt.
"I know, sorry..." Nanako mumbled her appetite suddenly vanishing. The room seemed rather gloomy, like before in the past...
"Hey there, I'm back..." a familiar voice called out, causing Nanako to spring up in glee. Running over to the front entrance, Nanako smiled happily at the sight of Hitomi taking off her shoes with ease.
"Yay, you're home!" Nanako chirped, grabbing hitomi's attention. Hitomi walked past nanako, petting her head as she walked by, stopping shortly at the sight of Dojima.
"Well now, you were out late" Dojima remarked, raising a brow. Hitomi blinked, her expression blank as usual, before humming a tune that almost sounded like realization.
"Yeah... I was" Hitomi mumbled, making her way upstairs to her bedroom. Nanako stared after Hitomi, sadness and disappointment pinching her heart. She was hoping to talk with her older cousin to ease the tension between her and her father. But it seems that she will have to endure it tonight...
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Monday, August 8th | Early Evening...
After a long day of working on summer work and tending the garden, Hitomi found herself excusing herself from eating dinner with Nanako after preparing a meal and heading to Aiya's Chinese dinner. Sure, Hitomi would love to eat dinner at the Dojima residence with her beloved cousin, but time was running short for her to prepare Shu's lesson. Since Nanako didn't want Hitomi to be in her room all day, she kept asking her to do stuff with her. An innocent gesture, but sadly caused some problems with Hitomi. Hitomi could still remember Nanako's disappointed and worried expression as she entered the restaurant. But that memory soon vanished when two familiar people caught Hitomi's undivided attention. The lighting wasn't as powerful as at the front of the restaurant, but Hitomi could tell who's head of dark blue hair it was anywhere.
"Kou-chan, Chou-chan. Didn't think I'd see you two here" Hitomi called out, walking over to their table near the back of the room. Kou looked over at Hitomi and smiled, looking excited to have another familiar face. Chou on the other hand... Looked somewhat different. Although, Hitomi couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was.
"Hey, it's Hitomi-chan! Wassup, girl?!" Chou greeted loudly, surprising Hitomi a bit. It wasn't like Chou to be so... aggressive when greeting people.
"Nothing much... What's up with you? You're acting all funny" Hitomi pointed out, glancing over at Kou who had a worn out but entertained expression.
"PSH! Me? FUNNY?! No way, girrrrrrrl!" Chou suddenly shouted, her words slurred a little.
"Man, to think that you'd be a fun drunk, Chou" Kou chuckled weakly, sounding almost sarcastic.
"Huh? Chou-chan's drunk?" Hitomi asked in surprise, taking a seat next to Kou.
"No I ainnnn't!" Chou argued, her face finally revealing her red color from the alcohol.
"She totally is" Kou sighed, rubbing the back of her head. "Aki said that there was this dish they serve here for a limited time during the summer. He said something that sorta set her off competitively, and now... This happened. It was funny at first, but watching Chou after a while becomes kinda tiring."
"Was there alcohol in the meal?" Hitomi asked, wanting to make sure that her friend didn't just straight up drink alcohol.
"Yep-- something that Aki didn't tell us. Thank God that I didn't order it too..." Kou sighed, worried that she'd become one of those "bad drunks".
"I don't know what you two IDIOTS over there are talkin' about, but I AIN'T. DRUNK. It's against my FUGGIN' RELIGION" Chou snapped, slamming her hand down on the table. Despite being right in front of her friends, she somehow couldn't comprehend everything that they were saying.
"Chou, you don't have a religion..." Kou pointed out in a deadpan tone. Chou groaned, as if in disappointment, causing Hitomi to wonder what that dish was.
"Jesus, I can hear you all the way in the bathroom, Chou..." a familiar voice grumbled with a sigh. Hitomi turned around and blinked in surprise, a little stunned to see Aki Ebihara.
"Aki-kun...!" Hitomi gasped, softly. Aki blinked in surprise at the silver haired girl before flashing a bright smile.
"Hey, long time no see! What are you doing here?" Aki asked happily as he took his seat next to Chou who squirmed like a dancing snake.
"Well, I'm working as a tutor for this boy, but I can't let my relatives know. So after cooking dinner, I excused myself to eat here while I prepare the lesson" Hitomi explained, cutting out the unnecessary bits and pieces.
"Huh? You're working?!" Kou exclaimed, catching Hitomi's attention. "Augh, I'm so jealous! I still haven't finished my homework, so Chou won't let me out of the house! The things I would DO for a job right now!"
"Oh, really now~? Would you do anything...?" Aki cooed seductively, resting his chin in the palm of his right hand. Kou blinked in surprise then blushed a furious red.
"Sh-Shut up, you! When you say it like that, it sounds all gross! Idiot! Pervert!" Kou snapped, grabbing the salt shaker next to her.
"Well, it was your fault for sending mixed signals like that in the first place..." Aki booed, a little hurt that Kou called him all those mean things.
"No, it is not! You're just a pervert!" Kuo snapped again, causing Aki to smile with tinted pink cheeks.
"You're cute when you're angry~" Aki chuckled, causing Kou to gasp.
"Sh-Shut up!" Kou squeaked, shaking the salt shaker in front of her. Aki laughed before looking over at Hitomi who was observing the events as silent and poker face as usual.
"Anyways, how much are you making for this tutoring job of yours, Hitomi?" Aki asked. Hitomi hummed in thought when Akira suddenly walked over to them with a bowl of noodles that had a rather sweet yet tangy smell. Hitomi could feel herself becoming lightheaded as Akira placed the bowl in front of Aki before leaving.
"Um... I think 10,000 a lesson" Hitomi finally replied, shaking off the distracting smell.
"I feel like a 10,000 bill right NOW!" Chou squealed, throwing her head back. Kou and Aki groaned, Aki pushing the bowl towards Chou.
"Okay you, just keep eating so you can stop screaming..." Aki sighed, Chou eagerly taking the chopsticks and began eating.
"Why are you even working in the first place? Did something happen?" Kou asked, the thought suddenly crossing her mind. Kou suddenly gasped, her face paling as she grabbed Hitmi by the shoulders. "Do you need money for meds? I can totally give you some right now if that's the case!"
"N-No, no, that's not it..." Hitomi replied, a little surprised by Kou's offer. Once Kou and Aki- who had already pulled out his wallet to help Hitomi, for he too knew about Hitomi's recent incidents- calmed down, Hitomi explained the situation with Nanako and the Love-Line umbrella.
"I see... So that's all it was..." Kou sighed, relieved.
"Gee, you sure are putting a lot of effort into this kid. Just wait until Shiroku restocks them" Aki suggested with a rather bored look on his face. Aki was an only child and despite the fact that he has a large number of younger cousins and nephews, he wouldn't go through so much just to make them happy. Then again, that was one of the things he rather liked about Hitomi.
"No way. Mimi was so happy when she got that umbrella! To see that smile again on her face..." Hitomi began, her words trailing off as her heart throbbed in sadness, images of a crying child flashing in her mind. "I'll do whatever I can for my little sister."
"Okay, now that's how you properly tell someone that you'll do anything for a reason that does not include sexual activity" Aki pointed out, breaking the once serious mood.
"Shut up, Aki!" Kou snapped. "I personally think that you're an awesome older sister for doing this. But there's no way you can get 63,000 yen with that job alone!" Hitomi sighed, nodding knowingly. Hitomi was so startled by the fox and the demand to start working right away that she didn't even look at the other job offerings.
Kou, noticing the rather gloomy atmosphere surrounding her friend, she smiled and patted Hitomi's back, saying; "There's a Daycare nearby where all the little kids go when their parents are busy and can't afford a sitter-- the pay is pretty good. Let me call them up, see if one of my friends can get you a job, and then I'll call you." Hitomi perked up instantly, her body filled with new found hope.
"Oh, that would be great, Kou-chan! Thank you so much!" Hitomi squeaked cheerfully, despite her usual blank expression. There were times when Aki and Kou couldn't help but wonder if their silver haired friend was secretly an alien. Or if she secretly wore a face mask all the time. It was amazing to them at how easily Hitomi's voice could reveal her inner emotions and yet not express it...
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Tuesday, August 9th | Evening...
The day had gone by quickly for our silver haired protagonist. She had kept herself busy with Nanako and her summer homework, excusing herself once again when dinner rolled around. She was rather lucky that Dojima would arrive sometime later after she left to begin planning, otherwise... Hitomi would find herself in a troubling position.
"With regards to Question Four, here: why does it use this formula?" Shu asked, pointing at a problem on Hitomi's problem sheet she created for him. Looking at the problem then over at her study book, she leaned over and pointed at the numbers.
"Well, it's because it's easier to apply the numbers like so..." Hitomi began, connecting invisible lines between the numbers. Shu hummed in thought, quickly connecting the process. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Hitomi and Shu looked over, the door opening to reveal Shu's mother.
"Knock knock! I brought some desserts to fill you two up after working so hard" Nakajimi hummed, flashing a smile. Hitomi looked over at Shu. He sighed and nodded, Hitomi returning her attention to Nakajima.
"That's very kind of you, ma'am" Hitomi thanked with a nod of her head.
Nakajima, Shu, and Hitomi all day around Shu's coffee table at the center of his room. After setting up the cushions for them to sit on, Nakajima placed the pre-sliced cheesecake down in front of everyone. Thanking the food, the three ate in silence. Hitomi was used to eating in silence, so it didn't really bothered her. Shu was pretty used to the room being silent, mainly because Hitomi was such a quiet person. Nakajima on the other hand wasn't used to three people eating in the same room. Especially in a quiet room.
"Isn't this cheesecake delicious?" Nakajima asked, breaking the silence. Hitomi nodded, finding it to be rather exceptional. Nakajima smiled and continued, "I bought it from an online shop that's all the rage these days. It's been the top-ranked store for 15 weeks straight. Just like Shu-chan! First place in everything!" Hitomi glanced over at Shu, just in time to notice his grip tightening around his fork.
"...Stop it" Shu mumbled, sounding upset.
"But you're my pride and joy...!" Nakajima protested weakly, sounding a little shocked to have been sassed by her son. Shu didn't reply, causing Hitomi to become slightly uncomfortable.
"So, Hitomi-chan, about Shu... Do you think he could make it into Tokyo University?" Nakajima suddenly asked, noticing Hitomi's discomfort. "I don't want him to ever have any hardship. And once he's in a good college, he's 'set,' right? Everyone has a natural talent. Shu-chan's just happens to be how smart he is! I just want him to go to a good college so he can get a good job, then buy a good house and find a good--"
"Mom!" Shu interrupted, slamming his fists on the table. Noticing the atmosphere he created, Shu forced a small, reassuring smile.
"Don't you worry about me, Mom. I'm always on top. I am right now, and I always will be" Shu added with a rather weak voice. Hitomi picked up on the tone, wondering what could be bothering Shu.
"That's right! He really is the perfect child..." Nakajima sighed, unphased by her son's sudden actions. The three of them continued to eat the cheesecake with Nakajima rambling on about Shu and her husband who works a night shift at the shipyard.
Once they had all finished eating, Nakajima gathered the plates and excused herself to clean them. Hitomi and Shu sat quietly in the room, still sitting around the coffee table. Hitomi didn't want to suddenly suffer going back to work, so she waited for him to say something.
"...If I get into a good college... Am I really 'set'?" Shu suddenly asked, his head casted down. Hitomi took a minute to chose her words.
"...I'm not sure. I personally don't think so" Hitomi replied.
"...How would you know? You're not even in college yet!" Shu snapped, sneering at her. Hitomi nodded in agreement, not affected at all by his tone of voice or attitude. Shu sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"I don't really need to be 'set' just yet. I don't really know what that's supposed to mean, anyway" Shu mumbled, much calmer than before. "...Well, I need to study. There's no point in asking about college unless I'm really smart." Shu is looking down, hiding his expression from Hitomi. Shu didn't know why, but he really appreciated Hitomi's silence. It was much easier for him to express how he felt, despite the fact that she was a stranger and his parents both stayed home during the day.
"'Raison d'etre'... Do you know what that means?" Shu suddenly asked, absentmindedly.
"Of course I do" Hitomi replied confidently. It means "purpose" in French, a word that Shu came across while reading an advanced textbook.
"...I'm surprised. Well, it makes sense, since you're three grades above me" Shu admitted with a nod, as if confirming his statement. "...It's irrelevant. I only have Mom, and the guys at school are all kids..." Hitomi stared at the boy, taking in his words. It seems that Shu has opened his heart to her, if only a little...
Suddenly, a soft beeping sound began, surprising the duo. Hitomi pulled out her iPhone, ending the beeping sound.
"Huh... Time's already up. We were still in the middle of that last question..." Shu grumbled, pouting a little.
Noticing this, Hitomi spoke up, saying, "I'll stay and help you, if you want." Shu blinked in surprise before averting his gaze, blushing sheepishly.
"I don't think you'll get paid overtime if you work after our time is up" Shu chuckled softly, shaking his head. "...But thank you for offering to do that for me." Hitomi nodded, comforting Shu in a way. Once she packed up, she bid farewell to Shu and Nakajima.
On her way to the Dojima residence, Hitomi decided to go through the central shopping district this time in order to find some extra jobs. Suddenly, her iPhone rang. Pulling it out of her pocket, Hitomi gasped softly with eagerness and quickly answered the call.
"Hey, Kou-chan!" Hitomi greeted, sounding a little more cheerful than usual.
"Hey, Hitomi! I have some great news~" Kou sang, causing Hitomi to swallow in suspense. "I managed to get you that job over in the Daycare Center!"
"R-Really? Thank you so much, Kou-chan!" Hitomi squealed, surprisingly ecstatic to have another job. She was used to being a busy body back in the city, working part time jobs to avoid returning home.
"No problem! It turns out that they're short on staff and want you to start tomorrow morning" Kou explained.
"Alright, I'll be there!" Hitomi chirped, shortly ending the phone call. She let out a sigh of relief, glad that she was going to be able to earn more money and hopefully be able to earn just enough money for that umbrella.
As Hitomi walked down the poorly-lit sidewalk, passing by the stores, a hot pink scooter caught the corner of her eyes. Looking up at the building it was parked next to, Hitomi couldn't help but blink in surprise. The scooter was parked next to the Marukyu tofu shop. Hitomi couldn't help but wonder if it was Ryo's scooter and when he managed to get one. Gradually, her steps began to slow down, her feet feeling a little heavier. It had been a while since she properly hanged out with one of her friends... Hitomi felt incredibly lonely and missed hanging out with everyone. The saddened girl couldn't help but sigh in the warm summer air, rather disappointed that summer break would soon end...
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Wednesday, August 10th | Morning...
Hitomi woke up bright and early the next day, eagerly getting ready for her new part-time job. She greatly enjoyed spending time with children- Nanako could even be proof of that. After cooking a hearty breakfast, Hitomi bid farewell to her cousin and drove off to the daycare center on her scooter.
Upon arriving, Hitomi was greeted with many older women and men wearing similar looking aprons. The employees thanked her for working on such short notice and was even more thankful when she turned out to be so young. The daycare supervisor quickly gave Hitomi a schedule that consisted of numerous activities meant for young children that were around Nanako's age. Once she was given her own apron, it was time to start the day.
"Alright children, gather around. I have someone here I'd like you all to meet" the daycare supervisor sang, the young children eagerly running towards him. Once all the kids were present, the supervisor gestured towards hitomi and smiled. "This is Hitomi Narukami. She's going to be working here as a caretaker assistant. Be nice to her, alright?" Hitomi bowed her head, causing the supervisor to smile in gratitude and leave to help out some of the other employees.
Hitomi didn't move, stiff from all the eyes staring at her. It seemed that the children were extremely interested in her rather blank expression.
"Hey lady, do you have a boyfriend?" one boy asked, causing the kids to laugh.
"W-What?" Hitomi stuttered, a little taken back.
"Don't ask her that, you creep!" a girl snapped, several other girls humming in agreement.
"Let's play tag, lady! You're it!" another boy suddenly shouted, the kids cheering with excitement. Filled with energy, Hitomi nodded and pulled out a hair-tie, not wanting her hair to give her a disadvantage.
"Alright, but let's make sure that we're playing safely by the rules" Hitomi instructed, the kids all shouting "Okay!" in unison. The kids then scattered, some heading towards the arts and crafts table to show that they had no interest in playing.
Hitomi ended up playing a good hour of tag, managing to capture each and every child that ran from her. Instead of playing normal tag, were someone else had to be the new chaser, the kids that were tagged would simply sit down and cheer Hitomi on as she chased after the others. Hitomi didn't necessarily mind, especially since she didn't have to tutor Shu that night.They all seemed impressed and gained instant respect for their new caretaker, giving her the title "Big sis". Hitomi was rather pleased by the outcome, understanding that since all the other employees were much older than she was, no one before her had tagged all the children.
After Hitomi had rested up and the children were fed their lunch, the girls asked Hitomi to play with them. They first played house with hitomi as the mother before moving on to a fantasy game. However, the game was cut short when they lacked a crown for the princess. Hitomi made the suggestion of making a flower crown. The girls have never heard of a flower crown before and immediately demanded Hitomi to show them how to make one. With her careful and slow instructions, the kids watched as if mesmerized by her hands, slowly forming a crown using only flowers and their stems.
"...There we go. One flower crown" Hitomi hummed, revealing the final product. The flower crown consisted of many different small wild flowers ranging from many different colors.
"Wow, it's so pretty!" one girl exclaimed in awe.
"Hey, go on and put it on, big sis!" one boy suggested, blushing. The girls nodded and begged Hitomi to put on her creation.
"Oh, I don't know... My hair will make all the pretty colors disappear" Hitomi replied with a sad tone. She was sensitive about her hair and didn't like putting pretty accessories on it. Thus the reason why she had avoided the hair clips Dojima had given her. Looking at the girl who exclaimed earlier, Hitomi extended the flower crown to her.
"Why don't you wear it?" Hitomi offered, earning a surprised gasp from the child.
"R-Really?" the girl, stuttered. Hitomi nodded in reply, earning a smile. The girl gently grabbed the flower crown and placed it on top of her head, the colorful flowers almost shining like jewels on her head of lovely black hair.
"How do I look?" she asked.
"It looks great" Hitomi replied, the other kids shortly agreeing and complimenting the girl.
"Look, you broke it!" a voice suddenly shouted, causing the kids to hush.
"Did not!" another voice argued, causing Hitomi to stand up. Scanning the field, Hitomi quickly found two boys standing quite a distance away, their faces scrunched with anger.
"Boys, what's going on here?" Hitomi asked with a firm voice, running over to them. One boy, whose name was Kaneko Kobayashi, had straight black hair, an unfortunate case of front buck teeth, blue eyes shaped like quail eggs. He was dressed in rather formal clothing, his white collar puff shirt with red bow tie making him look more mature, but his black shorts with a brown belt, long white socks with light black lines, and black shoes showing a much more childish side. The other boy, Yuuta Minami, had short brown hair, brown eyes. He was wearing a blue shirt with thick white and big red stripes, brown short pants, and black shoes.
"Big sis, Yuuta took my Neo Featherman and broke it!" Kaneko quickly explained, pointing at Yuuta. Yuuta gritted his teeth and growled.
"It's not broken! Look, I'll show you!" Yuuta snapped, grabbing hold of the robotic-like action figure in Kaneko's hand.
"W-Wait, stop! If you two continue pulling on it, then it'll just--" Hitomi began, wanting to stop the situation before the toy met a terrible fate...
SNAP!
...But she was too late.
The two boys stared at the now confirmed broken toy in shock. Hitomi stared at the two of them silently, unsure of what to do or what one of them would do next.
"Y-You broke it! You really broke it!" Kaneko stuttered, shocked.
"No, you broke it! You should have let go!" Yuuta barked, his face slightly red with embarrassment and anger. Tears began to well up in Kaneko's eyes as he growled.
"I'm telling on you!" Kaneko shouted, quickly running towards the crafts table where the other caretakers mostly chatted. They didn't usually sit around all day and talk with one another, but all the kid were practically glued to Hitomi or went to her for help, giving them more free time.
"Hey!" Yutta shouted. But Kaneko didn't stop.
Staring after Kaneko as he caught the attention of the caretakers, Hitomi muttered to herself, "...Well, that happened."
"...I didn't break it" Yuuta mumbled under his breath, cheeks puffed out. "Big sis, you saw what happened! You know that I didn't break it!" Hitomi sighed softly and nodded.
"I know, I know. You didn't break it. Don't worry, I believe you" She reassured him. "...But even so, it did break. Which means that both your parents are going to be called here to settle things..."
"P-Parents...?" Yuuta repeated, looking a little pale. Noticing this, Hitomi blinked in surprise.
"Hey, it's alright. I'll be right there with you, okay?" she reassured, petting his head. Yuuta's eyes narrowed in relief and fear, nodding in reply. He was grateful that she would stand besides him, but the fact that his parents were coming... it wasn't a good sign.
Just as Hitomi said, the father's of Yuuta and Kaneko shortly arrived after being called. It was slightly amusing and somewhat scary to see how well the two children represented their respective father. Like Kaneko, his father had rather unfortunate feature such as a large stomach, straight black hair styled in a bowl haircut and fairly small eyes. Dressed in a traditional kimono, he practically breathed wealth. Yuuta's father on the other hand was a rather handsome gentleman with light brown hair slicked back, revealing his hazel eyes. His lean body was tucked in quite nicely in his formal suit that made him appear almost humble, unlike Kaneko's father.
"I am so sorry about this" Yuuta's father apologized with a bow after hearing the situation from one of the supervisors. Hitomi stood besides a pouting Yuuta, feeling a little nervous that no one had asked her what happened, despite it being known that she was the first-hand witness.
"Augh, it's beyond repair!" Kaneko's father groaned in frustration, holding the broken toy in one hand as if it were nothing but garbage now.
"I'm sure he didn't mean to..." Yuuta's father muttered, appearing and sounding very weak. Kaneko's father clicked his tongue and placed a hand on his hip.
"I hope you know that I'm expecting you to replace it" he growled.
"Of course we will..." Yuuta's father replied, his eyes downcast. Hitomi was surprised at how... passive the man was.
"But... I didn't break it...!" Yuuta mumbled, angrily. Yuuta's father glanced at Yuuta before bowing once again.
"Look, once again, I'm very sorry--" he began.
"Please wait" Hitomi suddenly spoke out, catching the men's attention. "I will pay for the new figurine."
"What?" Yuuta's father exclaimed softly, sounding surprised.
"I'm the one who broke it-- it wasn't the children" she explained, glancing at the two boys. They both looked rather surprised by my claim, but Yuuta seemed also a bit happy that she was basically standing up for him.
Turning her attention to Kaneko's father, she bowed slightly, asking him: "So, tell me what I owe you." Kaneko's father stared at Hitomi for a moment, bewildered by her determination to pay. But he shrugged, shortly pulling out a calculator. After a moment, the silence creating suspension, he showed Hitomi the result: 68,000 yen. There was a small pause as Hitomi stared at the numbers.
"Alright, I'll be sure to pay you back in full as soon as I can" she replied as calmly, despite the nervous sweat pouring from her skin.
"You better. These kinds of things are very expensive... The longer you make me wait, the higher the price will go!" Kaneko's father threatened.
"I understand, sir" Hitomi replied firmly. However, she was actually shaking deep within her soul. So much so that her persona's probably felt her shaking.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Evening...
Over at the Dojima residence, Nanako watched her favorite quiz show as she usually did during the evenings. However, she had a hard time focusing on the questions, fidgeting once again as she sneaked several glances over at the clock. It had gotten late again and Hitomi had yet to return home. Nanako let out a soft sigh as the quiz show went into commercial break, her mind fogged with worried thoughts.
Suddenly, the sound of the front door opening rang in Nanako's ears and immediately, she jumped up. Looking over at the front hall, Nanako saw Hitomi holding a textbook in one arm as she removed her shoes.
"Yay, you're home!" Nanako cheered as she ran over to her older cousin. Hitomi nodded and patted Nanako's head, continuing forward to return to her room for the day. Nanako felt a little tug inside her chest, worry building up inside her.
"There's dinner, uh, do you want me to warm it up?" Nanako suddenly asked, wanting Hitomi to stay downstairs and spend time with her. Hitomi stopped in her tracks and looked at Nanako with her usual blank face.
"Thanks, but... I already ate. Sorry" Hitomi replied, sounding apologetic. Nanako pressed her lips together and lowered her gaze to the floor in disappointment.
"Oh... Well, okay then" Nanako mumbled. Hitomi felt a little bad to leave Nanako in the dark like that, but she didn't have much choice. She began to walk up the stairs before suddenly stopping.
"...Hey, Mimi? Have you ever heard of Neo Featherman?" Hitomi asked, catching Nanako's attention. There was that name again. Mimi. Nanako felt a bead of sweat roll down her jaw, nervous to say anything about it. She didn't want what had happened last time to repeat itself again... It frightened her just to think about it.
"Huh? O-Of course, everyone knows him" Nanako replied, sounding as if nothing had bothered her.
"They do, huh? Heros these days sure aren't what they used to be..." Hitomi mumbled to herself before continuing upstairs. Nanako watched Hitomi from the living room, pressing her lips together once again. She had so many questions to ask... Who was Mimi? Was she someone important to Hitomi? Why all of a sudden has she sticked to calling her Mimi?
Nanako didn't mind when Hitomi called her Mimi the first few times, since she would go straight back to calling her by her actual name. But now... It seemed as if Hitomi was trapped and couldn't escape... Like her brain had stopped processing reality.
Big Sis sure is acting strange, lately..., Nanako thought to herself. With a disappointed sigh, she turned back to the table and made her way back to watch the quiz show. It was a very lonely, and quiet evening for Nanako.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Thursday, August 11th | Evening...
"This forms a circle here, with a radius equal to the base of the triangle... and the height is... uh..." Shu hummed, lost in the math equation Hitomi had written for him.
"You're on the right track, Shu-kun. Remember the previous problem? It sort of applies to this one as well..." Hitomi began to explain, pointing at the previous problem. Shu hummed in thought, slowly writing out equations and numbers that he thought would work. However, for the first time since the beginning of the tutoring sessions, Shu actually struggled to put two and two together. Hitomi couldn't help but feel victorious, knowing something that Shu didn't. However, it was her job to teach him, which she did. Within a few minutes, Shu had gotten the jist of the problem.
"...Hey, Shu-kun? What's school like for you?" Hitomi suddenly asked, wanting to take a small break.
"Huh? Why do you care?" Shu asked, sounding a little annoyed yet happy.
"Well, I'm only a transfer student over at Yasogami. I attended most of my school years over in the city" she explained, painful memories of those years resurfacing.
"Oh... You're a transfer student, huh?" Shu hummed. He then gasped, continuing,"Speaking of which, there's a transfer student in my class. He looks down on everything here and says we're all a bunch of hicks living in the boonies. Everyone ignores him..."
"Well, it is the countryside... A friend of mine sorta had a similar attitude when he moved here-- although, I'm pretty sure he kept it to himself." Hitomi felt a warm feeling wash over her at the thought of her friend, Yosuke. It had been a while since they last hung out -- properly that is -- and missed him dearly.
"Haha... I guess that makes sense" Shu chuckled softly. He was rather interested in the transfer student- not that he would admit it out loud. "I guess being out here is like being the proverbial 'frog in the well.' Oh, uh...That's what he said. That he was the frog because he, uh...That he's from the city, and out here is the country, and, uh..."
"I get it, there's no need to explain" Hitomi reassured, Shu's face gradually turning red with embarrassment. "Now, let's return to that earlier problem you were struggling with."
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Friday, August 12th | Evening...
Hitomi's POV
I sat nervously in my room, two small vanilla envelope holding my first payment from Nakajima and the Daycare Center. I felt my hands clam with sweat, my left eyebrow twitching. This was it... The moment of truth...
Slowly and with the utmost care, I began to open the envelopes and pull out the money from inside; counting them and stacking the respective bills on top of each other. My hands began to shake as I continued to pull out more and more, the money flow soon coming to a stop.
Counting the total up, I felt my entire body beginning to sweat, my pajamas starting to stick to my skin.
"...This is it?" I mumbled to myself, staring at the relatively short stack of cash.
I was in shock. You have got to be kidding me... Both my pay from tutoring Sho and working at the Daycare center add up perfectly to 38,000 yen... Even if I put what money I have left, I'll still have to work for a couple more days before I can pay off Kaneko's father!
Letting out a groan of exhaustion, I threw my head back, letting it rest on my couch cushion. At this rate, I'm not going to be able to pay for the umbrella!
Curse you... Neo Featherman! It's not heroic to steal money from the poooooooorrrrr....!
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Saturday, August 13th | Evening...
I let out a long and heavy sigh as the sound of my own footsteps echo in the humid, summer night air. My legs ached and was heavier than usual, just like when I helped out Kou and Chou before the summer, thanks to my hard work at the daycare center. It was a little difficult today, thanks to Kaneko attempting to blackmail me in playing with him more to keep the debut I owed at the minimum. Of course, Yuuta felt guilty and started acting as my bodyguard... Things didn't go well from there. I'm rather grateful to my supervisor for allowing me to leave early while still being promised to receive full pay.
Approaching the Dojima Residence, I notice that Dojima's car was parked. I couldn't help but shiver, feeling nervous about my pain relievers being discovered by Dojima. I'm not sure how he'll react to the whole ordeal, but I'd rather not find out...
With a hesitant hand, I unlocked the front door and opened it, weakly calling out: "I'm back..."
Upon hearing me, Mimi immediately ran over to me and smiled. I nodded at her and patted her head. Together, the two of us walked to the living room where Dojima sat in front of the couch as usual.
"Hey, welcome home" Dojima greeted with a smile, looking over at me. I nodded, shortly noticing something- or rather, someone- sitting opposite of where I usual sat. Popping his head out for me to see, I couldn't help but blink in surprise.
"Adachi-san...! It's been a while" I exclaimed. Adachi smiled, looking rather pleased with my greeting.
"Haha, it sure has! Glad to know you haven't forgotten about me" Adachi laughed, half-jokingly. Mimi suddenly pulled on my arm and ran over to her seat across the table and Dojima, bouncing happily.
"Look, Big Sis! Daddy brought home a big catch!" she giggled, bouncing one last time before settling down like a mature adult. On the table was a rather big, elegant, black circle case filled with sushi varying many different types. The white rice seemed shinier than usual, practically sparkling like pearls alongside their fishy companions which had a nice, crystal-like glaze to it. I never understood how restaurants managed to make their food look so much more appealing than what they actually taste... Well, not all of them, at least.
"Oh, sushi, huh?" I hummed, growing somewhat hungry. The display of fatty tuna reminded me of my Aiko figurine in my room. It must be a special occasion today...
"What's with the bag?" Dojima suddenly asked, snapping me back to reality. I raised my left arm, fully showing the white Junes bag I was carrying. After working today at the daycare, I decided to make another visit to the bulletin board with numerous job offerings and their contact information. Working those two jobs alone wasn't going to get me the right amount of money that I needed. But I won't be able to work outside the Dojima residence with how late Nanako stays up and with the possibility of encountering Dojima. Luckily for me, as if it was placed there by God, I found two jobs where I could simply work at home for a low pay: translating things from Japanese to English and making envelopes. It was easy cash depending on how hard I worked and it would certainly give me the boost I need in order to pay off both Kaneko's father and buy the special Love-Line umbrella.
"Oh, this... They're just some things I need for my summer homework" I explained, making sure that every words I said was firm and didn't reek of a lie. This wasn't necessarily a lie as translating will certainly help me for English class and making envelopes can help my diligence... Somehow. Dojima seemed to have bought it, humming and nodding in reply.
"Have you been doing your summer homework too, M i m i?" Dojima asked, his voice for some reason sounding scratchy... and almost inaudible to my ears when he uttered Mimi's name.
"Mhm! Sometimes Big Sis even helps me out with it!" Mimi replied happily. Dojima smiled, possibly pleased that Mimi was doing such a swell job taking care of herself.
"Well, isn't that nice of you" Adachi pitched in, flashing me a goofy grin. I can tell that he meant well when he said that, but for some reason, I felt a hint of menace hidden within his voice. As if... Almost as if he was unhappy by my actions.
Feeling a bit awkward with my Junes bag, I bowed slightly and muttered, "If you'll excuse me, I need to put this away." Dojima and Mimi nodded, Adachi handing out different cans of drinks. The one he kept and the one he gave Dojima are most likely alcohol...
I quickly went upstairs and placed my Junes bag on top of my coffee table, too tired and lazy to properly take out its continents and store the plastic bag somewhere for future use. It has been rather exhausting lately... But maybe it's just because of the pain relievers.
Closing the door to my room, I quickly returned to the living room, hungry for the splendid sushi. Much to my surprise, the two grown men were already bright faced with, Dojima drowning out the current can he held... Much to my surprise, there were already three empty canned drinks besides him. He's drunk already? Whatever this celebration is for, it must be something really special... Or Dojima reallllllllly wants to have a good time. Not wanting to keep them all waiting, I quickly sat down, acting as a trigger for Mimi and I to give thanks to the food and start eating.
"Wow, what a great spread! I've never seen so many pieces of fatty tuna!" Adachi sighed, drool already forming at the edge of his mouth as he picked up his chopsticks. I nodded in agreement, taking a yellowtail sushi from the container. Taking a bite, I was immediately hit with a reasonable amount of wasabi, giving the yellow tail a nice partner that really unravels the freshness of the ingredients. I'm beginning to wonder where Dojima bought this... and how much it costed.
"Now what's this I hear? Is it true you've been coming home late all the time?" Dojima asked loudly, pointing his can at me. Surprised, I quickly swallowed the food and blinked in surprise.
"Uh, w-well... Yeah, it is" I replied, nervously. Dojima made a face accompanied with a strange grunt, almost as if he was surprised to hear my admit my guilt. Glancing away, I ate the rest of my yellow-tail just as Mimi suddenly flinched, tears welling up in her eyes. Dojima grunted, asking her what was wrong.
"My last bite... had wasabi in it" Mimi whimpered, sniffling. Dojima laughed in reply, finding the whole commotion amusing.
"Uh-oh! Did you forget to wipe it off first? Silly, here I'll do it for you. Which one do you want?" Dojima asked, smiling brightly. It was a rather unusual sight for me, seeing Dojima smile so wide, especially with his face so red from the alcohol. Glancing over at Adachi, I noticed that he didn't look as bad as Dojima. Although, his cheeks were slightly pink... but I'm assuming that just form the alcohol.
"Halibut!" Mimi chirped.
"Excellent taste, M i m i-chan! I'm telling you, you're like a grown up!" Adachi sang, his eyes carefully scanning the sushi. I couldn't help but blink in surprise. Again, just like Dojima, when it came to Mimi's name... "Now, I'm taking... this one!"
Adachi suddenly grabbed the lonesome uni piece, raising it high above the table as if it were a lion cub about to be crowned prince.
"What the hell?! They only gave us one piece of uni!" Dojima barked, slamming his now empty can down on the table. It was rather interesting to see Dojima display such upstaged behavior... Especially since he hadn't even picked up his chopsticks yet.
"Hey, don't get mad at me! First come, first serve" Adachi laughed victoriously, proudly shoving the uni into his mouth. Dojima, possibly finding Adachi's words a treat and picked up his chopsticks, grabbing a piece scallop.
"Careful, rookie!" Dojima growled, shoving the food into his mouth. Mere seconds later, as if he had swallowed the whole things, turned to me and asked: "Now- back to you! Why have ya been acting so weird lately?" I felt sweat roll down my jaw, hoping that -even when drunk- Dojima would stay clueless when it comes to teenager and their activities. "Don't tell me you got yourself a boyfriend? After all that crap you went through with the first guy, you go and break the promise we made about tellin' me first?!"
...Well, I suppose that clears things up.
"I don't... have a boyfriend" I replied in a rather monotone voice.
"Ease up there, Dojima" Adachi remarked, his joyful and rather carefree tone replaced with one that sounded weak but serious. "Look, I'm glad the case is solved too, but lay-off the booze."
"Hey, you!" Dojima barked at me, ignoring Adachi who couldn't help and sigh at his treatment. "If it isn't some boy, then what is keeping you out so late?" I let out a soft sigh, pondering on what to say. I want to surprise Mimi with her new umbrella, but I don't want to lie to Dojima again... If I say anything about the daycare, Dojima might suddenly sober up and scold me.
Coming to a decision, I took a deep breath and explained: "...The truth is, I met this fox and it told me to become a tutor. It's caused a lot of problems..."
...There was a moment of silence, nothing to be heard beside from the TV which played an infomercial about a health product. Maybe... I shouldn't have mentioned the fox?
"Pft--HAHAHAHAHAHAH! You're a real riot, Hitomi, I never knew that about you!" Dojima suddenly roared, laughing violently. I stared at the man blankly, a little... hurt maybe that he simply laughed at my genuine honesty. But I'll just... pin it as a drunk response.
"He's right! Man, you're freaking hysterical!" Adachi added, smiling. I think that Adachi actually somewhat believed me... Which I'm grateful for.
"I don't get it..." Mimi hummed, sounding unsure. At this, I finally cracked and felt my face heat up in embarrassment.
"Just... forget I said anything..." I muttered, picking up a tuna. Adachi chuckled at my response, Dojima finally losing his breath and calming down.
Adachi suddenly gasped and took a drink, pointing at the T.V and exclaiming: "Oh hey, it's about the case!" Blinking in surprise, I turned my attention to the T.V just in time to see a familiar news anchorman appear on the screen with a picture of Mitsuo Kubo in the upper right corner.
"'I didn't care who it was', 'I was pissed off.' 'I wanted to be famous'" the announcer began. "The suspect was often heard saying these things...The young suspect has confessed to being the culprit behind the recent cases, but he's shown no remorse so far. Because of several inconsistencies in the boy's deposition, some have called for a mental examination to be carried out. Until then, the police will be continuing their investigation to shed light on all the prior incidents."
So that's it, huh...? Kubo confessed to the killings, just like in that weird dream I had. He even admitted that he was the one behind it all... Pursing my lips together as I swallowed the bits of rice and raw fish, I began to wonder: was I wrong in the end? Could my theory about Morooka's death being nothing more than a copycat killing be wrong? I would be relieved if I was wrong- honestly, I would. But... At the same time, people's lives have changed after these killings. Like Yosuke's and Naoki's... I don't want them to be in pain. To only find out that who they put all the blame and hate for their loved one wasn't the real person. That it was just a puppet being pulled by another. But I... also don't want to persist on it. After all, it may seem like I actually enjoy all this stuff. Sighing silently, I rubbed my forehead before taking another sushi. I can't think about any of that stuff for a while... Not with my worn out mind.
"It was actually really tough to make a case out of this" Adachi suddenly began, causing me to nearly drop my crab meat sushi. "All we had was the suspect's confession and some circumstantial evidence. But the lab found the perp's prints on the victim's clothes, so we made it stick after all."
"Prints...?" I repeated softly. That's new... fingerprints, huh? It's been awhile since I've seen the previous victim reports, but I don't think that...
"Man, isn't crime scene investigation something? Who would've thought you could get viable prints from cloth?" Adachi suddenly chuckled, distracting me. He suddenly looked at me and smiled, causing my body to shiver and glance away. Something felt... off about that smile. Actually... Hasn't Adachi been smiling at me a lot this evening? But maybe that's part of my imagination...
"There's no more scary stuff to worry about. You're safe now" Dojima reassured Mimi, sounding almost sober. Mimi smiled back and nodded, looking happy that things have finally settled down.
"Man, that guy was twisted. A high schooler committing multiple murders and leaving the bodies like that... He was over the edge. Good thing we caught him!" Adachi hummed as he happily ate. "Now I can stop seeing suspects in every shadow! If the killer was still on the loose..."
"Enough, Adachi! If you keep running your mouth, the sushi's gonna dry up!" Dojima barked, causing Adachi to flinch.
"Oh, you're right. Sorry!" he apologized quickly, grabbing another piece of sushi and shoving it into his mouth. I stared at Adachi for a while, taking in his words before eating as well. It's been awhile since dinner has been this lively...
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Monday, August 15th
3rd POV
Nanako Dojima stood nervously in the middle of her room. She was staring at a boxed package, once containing a costume, that she is now wearing. A blue and black sherlock-holmes hat, a pink shoulder-length cape, a brown sweater, black gloves, a pink skirt, and pink shoes. It was her favorite anime character, Magical Detective Love-Line, costume. She managed to get her dad to buy it for her last night without asking any questions. It was only a rental for a few days, anyway, so the price was fairly cheap.
Nanako felt a little silly wearing her outfit, but at the same time felt rather brave. She was worried about her older cousin, who have been acting very strange lately. First, calling her "Mimi", then coming home late. She used to stay home all day and do work with her... But now, she goes out early in the morning. She's been acting suspiciously... And Nanako thought it was time to find out what's been going on. Taking a deep breath, she striked a pose similarly to the character- holding up the large magical magnifying glass that seemed almost like a dog, to which was named Assistant Sherlock Bow-Wow in the anime.
"I think it's investigation time! I'm the magical detective, Love-Line!" Nanako cheered, pushing the button of Sherlock Bow-Wow's bow, causing a catchy jingle to play and for his eyes to glow.
"We're on the case!" it cheered, a poor British accent coming from it. Nanako beamed at Assistant Sherlock Bow-Wow, giddy with excitement. She then charged out of her room and rushed to the front door- carefully closing it and locking it after her. She then peaked out to the road leading downhill, where she can see Hitomi casually walking in the far distance. Nanako couldn't help but instinctively feel concerned upon seeing her older cousin's silhouette. She barely ate breakfast earlier and slowly made her way out the house, as if heavy chains were locked to her ankles and slowing her down. Even from afar, she almost looked like a zombie from the movies with the way her head slowly shifted from side to side. Nanako shook her head and began jog down the hill to try and catch up with Hitomi. She had to focus!
Reaching the bottom of the hill, Nanako managed to catch up to Hitomi- a good 200 feet away in distance- and decided to hide behind a residential area fence. Poking her head out from behind the fence, she watched Hitomi walk with intensity- one that would seem almost terrifying on an adult. But it was rather cute coming from such a small child with big, brown eyes.
"Oh, hi! What are you doing there, Nana-chan?" a chipper voice loudly asked, startling Nanako and earning a yelp. She turned around and saw Berry, dressed in her casual outfit. Berry looked up from Nanako and noticed Hitomi, her face beaming with excitement.
Waving her hands in the air, she called out, "Hey, Sen--!"
"Be quiet, Berry!" Nanako shushed, pulling Berry to the side, the fence blocking the two from sight.
Berry blinked in confusion. "Be quiet? What for?"
"Because I'm tailing her...!" Nanako replied with a soft voice, putting a finger to her lips- indicating that Berry should speak softly as well. "Big Sis has been acting really weird for a while... But now, she's being extra weird and won't even play with me. I gotta find out what's going on!"
"Oh, okie-dokie!" Berry huffed with a determined nod, feeling "pumped up"- as Nise would have said- from Nanako's serious attitude. Berry sniffed the air like a dog before pointing over to the left with a look in her eyes. "Ah! She went this way! My sniffer never leaves me astray!"
Nanako blinked and pointed behind her with a thumb, shyly stating, "But we just saw her go that way..."
"Nope, this way! Trust me!" Berry reassured, grabbing Nanako's hand and leading the two towards the direction she pointed. After a bit of walking, the two found themselves at the North Central Shopping District. Berry gasped and rushed towards the Souzai Daigaku, practically smacking her face on the display shelf that presented freshly cooked skewers of different varieties.
"Ohohohoho! I think I'll have to grow myself an extra stomach if I want to put a dent in all this!" Berry giggled, excitedly.
"Where's Big Sis?" Nanako asked, nervously. She was a bit embarrassed to be seen in her costume by an adult- the shopkeeper- who looked rather startled and just as nervous as her by Berry's ramblings.
"Berry... Come on..." Nanako whined, tugging at Berry's skirt. But Berry was too busy rambling about her savings and determining how much she should spend on the food. Nanako sighed, knowing that she had lost Hitomi by now. "I think we lost her now... We'll have to try again tomorrow."
After eating some steak skewers with Berry, who paid for the meal as an apology for not really helping this time, Nanako went home for the day.