The sun was about to set at the horizon. Kaito was returning home from school. It was his first day at this new school. However, there's no lack of trouble even on his first day.
He heaved a sigh and looked over his shoulder. That girl was still following him. He knew that the girl had something to say to him from the way she was throwing cursory glances in his direction and every time, she looked directly into his eyes. It was as if she wanted to know something from just looking at his eyes.
For a moment, he decided to confront the girl and ask her what she wanted. But he dismissed the idea. What if, on confrontation, she denies that she had been following him. If she denies it outright, he had no way of confirming it. It might even backfire.
So, he just decided to wait and see how things progress.
While thinking all these, he had already arrived at the front of his apartment, to which he had moved just yesterday.
The apartment was a six-story building with four flats on each. Just by looking at the exterior, one can easily say that it was expensive. It had a modern curb appeal. It was a concrete building with a lobby and elevator. It also had a sort of park with some benches and a small area for children to play.
Just before entering, he again looked over his shoulder and the girl was still approaching him. It was becoming more troublesome. He decided to confront the girl but stopped again. There were a lot of people around here so if he were to confront her they may attract attention. So he decided to go and if she followed him all the way up to his room he will do something about her.
He entered the gate and went straight for the stairs. He didn't like to take the elevator.
After about passing two floors, he looked down to check if that girl was still tailing him. After seeing no one, he heaved a sigh. But he still wanted to know why that girl was following him.
Since the girl wasn't around anymore, he thought that there was no need to dwell on the matter anymore.
He ascended the stairs and reached his floor. Exactly at that moment, the door to the elevator opened.
"Huh….?"
That girl was there!
He was staring at her, agape. She also looked at him, however, shortly. Even at that brief eye contact, Kaito could sense her curiosity leaking from her eyes. He knew that she wanted to know something.
What if she knew something about me? About my past?
No, no, no.
He shook his head. It wasn't possible. He had come here precisely because no one knew about him here. So, he ruled out that possibility.
Since she had come following him all the way up to his apartment, Kaito finally decided to ask what she wanted and why she had followed him. When he was just about to ask her, she turned around and......
"Huh…..?"
This was the second time Kaito had said that word.
She took out a key from her bag and opened the door to room 201 which was next to his room i.e. 202.
When she found that Kaito was staring at her, she turned around and asked, "What?"
"Oh. No. Nothing."
"Is that so?"
After that short reply, she went inside and he could hear the sound of the door lock from inside.
Then he finally realized that she was not following him. That black-haired girl, who he thought was following him, Ichinose Kei, lived next door. She was not actually following him. She was just going home and they just happened to live at the same place.
He was overthinking. But given the situation at that time, it was the most plausible conclusion.
Heaving a sigh, for probably a third time, he walked over and opened the door to his room. He put his shoes in the rack and made his way inside.
The apartment was quite spacious. It even had a spare room in addition to the bedroom and main living room. It was quite an extravagant dwelling for a person living alone. The apartment was quite near to the school and they had also insisted, so Kaito had decided to live here.
He threw his bag on the sofa, changed into a T-shirt and a track, and took a bath.
After then he fiddled with his phone for a bit and thought of what to eat for dinner.
He opened the fridge and took an energy drink.
"This will do, I guess."
He then went to the balcony. The apartment also had a balcony and Kaito often liked to spend his time there alone, especially at night.
Drinking the energy drink, he gazed at the starless night sky. The wind ruffled his hair.
"Is that your dinner?"
He could hear a voice. He turned around to see who was the owner of that unexpected voice.
There she was, Ichinose Kei, his neighbor, on the balcony. The wind blew her long black hair.
She was placed so beautifully against the night scenario, that he almost had the urge to take a picture. But, of course, he didn't.
Finally coming back to the current situation, he looked at the girl and said, "Yes."
"Don't tell me you always have that for your dinner? You don't cook?"
"Most of the times."
It wasn't that he was a bad cook. Actually, cooking was something he was good at. But he was lazy. So most of the time, he always settled for these drinks or other snacks.
"A boy of a growing age should give priorities on eating habits and make sure to eat a balanced diet on a daily basis."
"I know that."
Everyone knows that. He was just lazy.
Anyway, why was this girl lecturing me on my eating habits like I'm her son or a brother? We had just met today and this girl was talking to me as if she was familiar with me.
Kaito couldn't think of why she was trying to speak to him in the first place. They were as good as strangers.
While he was having those thoughts, the girl turned around to go back to her room.
Just before she went inside, she looked at me.
"Good night."
With that parting remark, she went inside.
He also finished his drink, threw the can inside the bin, and made his way towards his bedroom.
It had been about ten minutes after their conversation at the balcony when he heard the sound of something breaking from the room next door.
Did something happen? The sound definitely was of a glass breaking. He thought of going to her room to check on her.
He stood up from his bed and was about to make his way to go and check what had happened when he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
The girl wanted to know something from him. She had that curious look in her eyes whenever she looked at him. And she was also trying to act familiar with him. Before coming here, he had made a promise to himself that he won't get too involved with others, especially if the person was someone of the opposite sex.
He returned to his room, turned off the lights, and made himself comfortable on his new bed.
If something serious did happen, what should I do? Help her? But that means I will be getting involved with her, right? So, I shouldn't help her and just feign ignorance, right?
But he knew that if he didn't help her and something did happen to her, he would probably feel guilty.
"Damn it"
He clutched his blanket a bit tighter.
"I guess I will have to wait for tomorrow to see what I would do."
With that, he went to sleep.
***
The next morning, he woke up as usual. He took his shower, had a glass of hot milk as breakfast, and got ready to leave for school.
He locked the apartment door and was gazing at the morning sky when he heard the door next to his room open.
His neighbor, Ichinose Kei, came out and was locking her door.
"Good morning."
"Huh? Oh. Good morning."
He replied a bit late as he didn't expect someone to greet him early in the morning.
When he looked at her, she wasn't wearing her black tights today that she was wearing yesterday but short black socks, and she had a bandage on her right leg just above her socks.
"Oh."
Then he again recalled the sound of the glass breaking that he had heard yesterday.