"Is that all?"
Yuka responded as she looked absentmindedly at the sky. She seemed so calm, that it made me think I dreamed whatever happened back then and we were just getting out of the car.
"Yeah… pretty much."
"Good, I'll go grab my bag."
"Wait, just like that."
She was not even surprised at my proposition, has everyone gone crazy inside this house? I ran here after Makiba went upstairs, going over this conversation inside my head a hundred times trying to figure out the best way to explain it without looking suspicions. Yet, she just listened to the whole story, minus the part about the free rent, and did not ask a single question.
"I just want to go back home kid."
I was half expecting her to oppose the arrangement; it was my last hope at getting out of this situation without feeling bad about it.
"Doesn't this sound weird to you?"
"Absolutely, I get creeped out thinking I was in a car alone with someone this weird a few moments ago."
She just crushed whatever confidence I had left inside my poor heart.
"But, this is a great deal for me too. Look, I have no intention of badmouthing Shinji and his wife today of all days, I'm not that evil. I won't tell you all the details, but just know that that girl is the cause of a lot of misery for my family, even if she doesn't know it and even if it isn't her fault."
"I'm confused."
"That's because you did not let me finish. If you take her home and something happens, I don't really care, I'll just blame the other weirdo. This week will give me the time I need to fix everything else regarding this accident and Makiba-san will arrange the meeting with the lawyer for me. That is all there is to it, I just want to go back to my life before I remembered Shinji existed."
My heart sinks even lower after seeing her take this situation as just another task that needed to be completed. As if other lives were not involved in her decision.
"Was he really that bad?"
Yuka genuinely smiled for the first time tonight before responding.
"Adults are scary kid. We must make decisions thinking about ourselves before anyone else if we want to keep moving in life. I must continue moving, the same way Shinji decided back then."
More than answering, she seemed to be talking to herself.
"I won't accept her and I won't forgive her. You can tell that to Makiba-san and move on like me or take her home and feel like a hero for a few days, either way I'm going back to Hasuda now."
Yuka starts walking back into the house and stops right by my side before continuing, with a voice charged with sadness.
"I'm sorry you had to meet me today, Shinji's girl will bring misfortune to one more person because of that."
Without knowing how to respond, I stand here looking at the stars. Wondering why is the world so persistent in wearing my heart down.
"We are here Akari-chan. I know this is nothing like your home, but we are going to take good care of you."
Makiba parks right outside his grandmother's apartment building and the three of us start going out of his car. Somewhere around fifteen minutes after Yuka went back inside, Makiba came out with Akari and a big suitcase. I did not feel comfortable telling him what Yuka answered in front of Akari, so I just said she was okay with everything and the three of us went inside his car.
The whole ride, Makiba tried to start a conversation with Akari, but she just nodded in response to whatever he was saying. I think I dozed off at some point, because I cannot even remember how we got here so fast.
"Is your grandmother still awake?"
"Yeah, she should open the door in a second. I will introduce her to Akari-chan, you can go to your room and make it look decent."
"What is that supposed to mean."
"You know, hide everything a little girl shouldn't see."
"I don't have anything like that!"
My reputation seems to sink lower every second.
"Better make sure of it… Oh, hi grandma! Sorry to bother you this late. Come on Akari-chan, let's go say hello."
Makiba ignored me the moment the old lady opened the front door and started walking towards her, leaving the big suitcase behind for me to carry upstairs. I decided to stop arguing and began walking the stairs towards the three apartments, mine being the one further left. Unsurprisingly, I have no idea who my two neighbors are.
Two old chairs and a kotatsu table that no longer works welcome me at the entrance, the only furniture I own and that I got as payment for helping a Senpai from my first job moving out. I walk towards the kitchen, full of cup ramen and empty bottles, to open the small window there and let a little bit of air enter the room.
"I need more than a few minutes to get this place to look decent."
Feeling slightly disgusted, I go inside my room to get the futon ready and leave Akari's suitcase there. Various CD's and old books stand in my way and I shove everything into a corner. This room is pretty much an empty space with a closet, half of it I use to sleep and the other to pile up my belongings.
"I think this is first time someone else is going to enter this place."
Exhausted, I sit down right by the door and, once again, go over the events that happened today. Deep down, I still want to believe this is not happening.
"Taoyama-san are you still alive? We are coming in."
It seems I lost track of time and Makiba finished talking with his grandmother before I noticed it.
"Go ahead!"
My legs went numb from sitting on the floor and I struggle to go meet them up at the living room. When I got there, Akari was standing behind Makiba timidly holding a red bag, while he was trying to lay an old futon right by the entrance.
"Sorry, my grandma loved Akari-chan and did not want to let her go. She gave you guys some leftovers in case you want to have dinner. She is going to sleep now, but if you need anything just ring the bell downstairs."
"Thank you."
"You should thank her tomorrow. She said you should go speak to her as soon as you finish working."
To be expected, she is not going to act as if this is perfectly normal. She probably wants to scold me preventively tomorrow.
"Alright Akari-chan, I must leave now. You have my phone number already, so call me if anything goes wrong. That goes the same for you, my grandma already gave me your phone number. I'd be calling you constantly so you better answer."
"What are you, my girlfriend?"
"I will swing by whenever I have time off from work. Please take good care of her."
"I will do my best."
Makiba whispered something to Akari and bowed before leaving the apartment in a hurry. Leaving me as confused as the poor girl standing in front of me.
"Was he okay?"
...
"Well, let me help you with that first. Whoa, Makiba's grandmother really went the extra mile. Do you want to take a shower while I heat dinner? By the way, I don't own a proper bath just the shower, sorry about that."
...
"I left your things inside my room, you can use it however you want. I am going to sleep here for the time being, so don't mind me."
...
"Anyways, just make yourself at home I will…"
My phone ringing from the other room finally saved me from the awakeners that was about to kill me. I have never been a great conversation starter, but seeing Akari's soulless body in front of me made it ten times more complicated.
"Let me pick that up, just do whatever you want I'll back in a minute."
I rushed to the room to find my phone. No one ever sends me anything, so it was probably just a notification from the delivery app telling me about great savings in my area, but it was still a great excuse to retreat for a little bit. Upon picking my phone, the screen told me I had a message from an unknown number.
"Sorry to leave you like that, but if I sat down I would have stayed there the whole night. I already explained to Akari, but just be there for her. Really, you don't need to do anything else for tonight."
"This guy is something else. I guess you need to have this kind of personality to be a counselor."
The Boss, Yuka's words, Makiba's determination and my own feelings. Everything that piled up on my shoulders this night; was there anything else I could do about it but be here and endure it? I left the phone in the room without answering and returned to the living room, immediately going towards the old fridge sitting at the back.
"I'm sure grandma's cooking is top notch, but this moment calls for something else."
I picked the last can of beer from my empty fridge, filled a pot with water and left it heating up on the stove.
"Come on, sit down. Nothing beats a curry cup ramen and a beer when you are feeling down, although you will have to do without the beer."
Tears began running through my cheeks.
"I can't say I know how you are feeling, but I'm sure hungry is among those emotions."
Akari sat down in front of me, covering her face with both of her hands. As much as she was trying to suppress her wailing, it reasoned in the empty rooms of my apartment.
"I don't know how to say this Akari-chan, but… it's, you know, not your fault… this is just… not our fault…"
"Th… ank… you…"
Unable to even speak, she uttered two single words with the only strength left on her weakened body. Over a cup of cheap ramen, the both of us cried our hearts out for a second time.