I rubbed my tired eyes as I groggily sat up in bed. I turned to look at Asami, who was still fast asleep.
"What was I thinking? I'm not used to sharing a room with someone, especially not with a girl." I whispered to myself.
Just then, Asami stirred and slowly opened her eyes. She looked over at me and gave a small smile.
"Good morning, Atsu."
"Morning. Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, I did. Thank you for letting me stay here."
"Of course. I couldn't just leave you with that man."
"I appreciate it. But, are you okay with this arrangement? I don't want to cause you any trouble."
"I'll be fine. It's just a bit strange for me, that's all."
"I understand. Let's go make breakfast."
"Yeah, let's do that."
We headed to the kitchen to make breakfast together. Although we were still getting used to each other's presence, they were both grateful to have found a safe haven.
...
I was having lunch with Keita, trying to ignore the bags under my eyes from lack of sleep. But Keita wasn't letting it slide.
"Dude, what's up with you? You look like you didn't get any sleep last night." He said with a concerned look
"I didn't, I was really nervous sleeping in the same room with a girl."
"Hahaha! You're such a wimp. I can't believe you're letting a girl get to you like this."
"It's not like that, it's just been a long time since I had someone else in my home." I tried to defend myself to no avail.
"Oh, I see, so you're saying you're nervous because you're starting to develop feelings for Asami?" He said teasingly
"No, it's not like that at all." I blushed a little.
"Sure, sure. I can tell you're blushing, man."
"Okay, okay, you got me. I'm just not used to this, but I'll get used to it soon."
I sighed, "I know. I just don't know what to do. I can't let her go back to that house and I can't keep her here forever."
Keita nodded, "We need to come up with a plan. Have you talked to the police?"
"I've thought about it but Asami doesn't want to involve them. She's scared of what her stepfather might do if he finds out."
Keita looked thoughtful, "Well, we have to do something. We can't just let her suffer."
Atsu nodded, "I know. I'll talk to her and see if she has any ideas."
We spent the rest of lunch talking about possible solutions, but they still had no idea what to do. They knew that they needed to act fast before Asami's situation got any worse.
...
After school...
"Asami, can you go back by yourself? I have a part-time job today." I asked her as I give her the keys to my apartment. I couldn't help but feel embarrassed as if we were like a married couple.
"Are you sure, Atsu? I don't want to impose," Asami said as she looked down at the keys in her hand.
"It's fine, Asami. You'll be safe here," I replied with a smile, trying to hide the blush on my face.
Asami nodded and left the apartment. I couldn't help but feel nervous as I headed to my part-time job. What if her stepfather came back and something happened to Asami? I shook my head, trying to push those thoughts out of my mind.
My part-time job was at a convenience store near my school. I took up the job to support myself and to be able to pay for Asami's food and shelter. I had been working there after school hours for a few months now and was familiar with the routine and the customers. Despite the long hours and tiring work, I enjoyed my job as it gave me a sense of responsibility and independence.
As I walked into the convenience store where I worked part-time, I felt a sense of unease wash over me. My manager, Mr. Kimura, seemed to notice and he asked me what was wrong.
I hesitated at first, but I eventually told him about Asami and her situation. I explained how I had taken her in to protect her from her abusive stepfather and the difficulties we were facing.
Mr. Kimura listened carefully and nodded in understanding. He told me that legally, Asami's stepfather still had rights over her since she was still a minor. I felt my heart drop at the news, knowing that we were in a tight spot.
But Mr. Kimura didn't offer any grand solution. He simply patted me on the shoulder and told me that he was proud of me for being a good person and trying to help someone in need. He said that I could take the rest of the day off if I needed to, to figure things out.
I was grateful for his understanding and support, but as I left the store, I couldn't help but feel a sense of worry about Asami's future and mine as well. I headed back to the apartment to talk to her and see if we could come up with a plan together.
...
As I entered the apartment, I was greeted with a warm smile from Asami. "Hi, Atsu," she said. "How was your day?"
"It was okay," I replied. "How about you?"
"I was okay," she said. "By the way, do you want to take a bath first?"
"Oh, yeah sure," I said, feeling a bit surprised by her offer. I went to the bathroom and started to prepare for my bath. As I was getting undressed, I couldn't believe that I was living with a girl. It was such a strange and new feeling for me. I shook my head, trying to get rid of the thoughts. I took a quick shower and got dressed. When I went back to the living room, Asami was there waiting for me.
As we sat at the dinner table, I couldn't help but feel grateful for having Asami here with me. We chatted as we ate, talking about our day and what we wanted to do in the future. I felt a sense of peace and comfort being with her, something that I haven't felt in a long time.
Asami smiled at me, "Thanks for having me over, Atsu. I feel like I can finally relax and be myself around you."
I smiled back at her, "It's my pleasure, Asami. I'm happy to have you here. We can take care of each other from now on."
We continued our conversation and finished dinner, it was a great start to a new chapter in our lives.
...
As I lay on the couch in the living room, I was fast asleep. Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I woke up and saw Asami standing beside me.
"Atsu, are you awake?" she asked, softly.
"Yeah, what's up?" I replied, rubbing my eyes.
"Atsu, I'm sorry to have bothered you like this," Asami said, looking at the futon she was sitting on in the living room. "I feel like I'm just a freeloader here."
"No, Asami, you're not a freeloader. I'm happy to help," I replied, trying to reassure her.
"But still, I don't want to be a burden to you. You've been so nice to me and I feel bad," she said, looking down at her hands.
"Asami, you're not a burden. And you don't have to worry about it," I said, trying to comfort her.
"Well, if it's okay with you, I was thinking maybe we could sleep together in the same room. You have a spare futon, right?" she asked, looking up at me with a small smile.
I was taken aback by her proposal, but at the same time, I didn't want to make her feel bad. "Of course, if that's what you want," I said, trying to hide my nervousness.
Asami smiled, looking relieved. "Thank you, Atsu. I feel much better now," she said, getting up from the futon.
I nodded, trying to calm my racing heart. I couldn't believe I was going to be sleeping in the same room as a girl.