I woke up with a start as my phone rang. I rubbed my eyes and answered, trying to sound as awake as possible.
"Hello?" I said.
"Atsu, it's your landlord. A man just tried to barge into your room with some police officers," my landlord's voice came from the other side of the line.
I sat up, alarm ringing in my head. "What? Is everything okay now?"
"Yes, I stopped them and told them that you were not there. But I thought you should know," my landlord explained.
I thanked him and hung up, feeling worried and anxious. I turned to Asami, who was still sleeping beside me, and gently shook her shoulder.
"Asami, wake up. We have a problem," I whispered.
Asami rubbed her eyes and sat up, looking at me with confusion. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"My landlord just called. A man with police officers tried to barge into my room," I explained.
Asami's eyes widened in fear. "That must be my stepfather. He's trying to find me," she said.
"But why would he do that?" I asked, feeling more and more confused.
"Because I ran away from home," Asami explained, her voice trembling. "I couldn't take it anymore, the way he was treating me. So I left."
I felt a surge of anger towards Asami's stepfather, but I pushed it aside. "Okay, we need to figure out what to do next," I said, trying to sound calm.
Asami shook her head. "Atsu, you're in enough danger already. I don't want to put you in any more danger," she said, her eyes filling with tears. "I think it's best if I return to him."
"What? No, Asami, we can't let him hurt you again," I said, my voice rising in frustration.
"But he's endangering you, Atsu. I don't want to be the reason you get into trouble," Asami argued.
I sighed, feeling torn. I didn't want to let Asami return to her stepfather, but I also didn't want to put her in any more danger.
"Let's talk to Keita. Maybe he has an idea," I suggested.
I stood there, feeling helpless after the call from my landlord. Asami was standing next to me, looking worried. I turned to Keita and asked, "Keita, do you have any idea on what we should do now?"
Keita rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "I can try to contact my dad and see if he has any connections that can help you guys," he said.
Asami quickly interjected, "No, we don't want to involve anyone else. We don't want to put anyone in danger."
Keita sighed. "Okay, if that's what you guys want. Let's just lay low for now and maybe go to a nearby park. It'll be safer there."
I nodded in agreement and the two of us made our way out of the house and towards the park. Asami and I held hands, feeling scared and unsure of what the future holds. But at least for now, we were together and that gave us some comfort.
Asami and I walked out of Keita's house, feeling grateful for his help but also not wanting to put him in any danger. We started talking about where we could possibly spend the night.
"We can't go to any hotels, Asami," I said, "they won't allow us to stay there since we're minors."
"Then what should we do?" Asami asked, looking worried.
"We could try a hostel," I suggested, "it's our only option at this point."
We eventually found a hostel that allowed us to stay for the night. It wasn't the most luxurious place, but it was enough to keep us safe for the night.
Asami and I went to our room and locked the door. I sat on the edge of the bed, feeling worried and unsure of what the next day would bring. But, I was determined to keep Asami safe and help her in any way that I could.
I was lying next to Asami on the bed in the hostel room. She was fast asleep, her breathing slow and steady. I couldn't help but look at her face and realize how beautiful she was. I felt a warmth spread in my chest, a mixture of love and protectiveness. I couldn't imagine how I could have ever let her go.
But at the same time, I felt so useless. I couldn't protect her from her stepfather's abuse, and now I couldn't even provide her with a safe place to stay. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't even realize when I fell asleep.
I rubbed my eyes and sat up in bed, feeling a little groggy from the uncomfortable bed in the hostel. That's when I saw Asumi's face close to mine, and she smiled as soon as she saw me wake up.
"Good morning, Atsu," she said sweetly.
"Good morning," I replied, still a little groggy. "What's up?"
"I was thinking," she began, "since we're not going to school today, how about we go somewhere far away?"
Her suggestion caught me off guard. I never thought of Asumi as the type to skip school, but maybe this was just what we needed. "That's a great idea," I said, "Let's do it."
So we got ready, checked out of the hostel, and headed to the train station. We picked a random train and got on, not knowing where it would take us. It was a spontaneous and exciting feeling, being free from our worries and responsibilities.
I was sitting next to Asumi on the bullet train. The atmosphere between us was still a bit awkward even though we had spent the night together. I was trying to think of something to say when she spoke up.
Asumi: "So, where are we headed to today?"
Me: "Kyoto, I was thinking, maybe we could just go somewhere far away and enjoy the day."
Asumi: "That sounds like a good idea. It'll be nice to get away from all the stress for a bit."
We continued to chat about various things as the train traveled on. I was still a bit nervous, but it was nice to be able to talk to Asumi like this.
As I stepped off the bullet train with Asumi, I took a deep breath and looked around. Kyoto was such a beautiful city and I was excited to explore it with Asumi.
"Let's go visit a shrine," I said to her, "I've heard that it's a must-visit in Kyoto."
Asumi nodded in agreement, "Yes, I've heard that too. Let's go see it."
Asumi and I arrived at the shrine and stepped inside. The quiet and peaceful atmosphere made me feel at ease, but at the same time I felt incredibly nervous being next to Asumi. I couldn't help but steal glances at her every now and then.
"Atsu, what are you wishing for?" Asumi asked, breaking the silence.
"Oh, uh... just for everyone's happiness," I replied, feeling a blush creeping up on my cheeks.
"That's a good wish," she said, smiling. "What about you, Asumi? What are you wishing for?"
"I'm not sure," she said, looking down. "I guess... I just want to be happy and find my place in life."
I nodded, not knowing what to say. The silence hung between us again, and I felt like I was walking on eggshells. I didn't want to ruin this moment, but I also didn't know how to make conversation.
As we walked away from the shrine, Asumi said, "It's nice here, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is," I agreed, feeling relieved that she had broken the silence again.
We continued walking, making small talk about the different shrines we visited. Despite the awkwardness, I was having a good time just being with Asumi and I was grateful for this day trip.
As I walked out of the shrine with Asumi, I couldn't help but feel a little bit nervous. I mean, we were both still getting used to each other and here we were, taking a trip together. Asumi was the first one to break the silence.
"Atsu, is it okay for you to leave your part-time job behind for this trip?" she asked, looking up at me with a concerned expression.
"Oh, it's fine," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. "I don't mind taking a day off, especially since it's for a good cause." I paused, taking a deep breath. "Besides, I think it's a great opportunity for us to bond and get to know each other better."
Asumi nodded, a small smile appearing on her face. "I agree. I'm really grateful that you're willing to spend time with me, Atsu. I don't have many friends, so this is really special to me."
"Of course, Asumi. I'm happy to be here with you too." I gave her a warm smile, feeling a sense of comfort wash over me.
Even though we were still feeling a bit awkward around each other, I was grateful to have Asumi by my side. I was determined to make this trip a special and memorable experience for both of us.
...
As the sun started to set, I suggested to Asumi that it was time to head back for the day. She agreed, but as we walked she suddenly pointed out that there was a fireworks festival being held that night.
I was a little hesitant at first, but the excitement in Asumi's voice was contagious and I eventually gave in to her request to go.
"Atsu, are you sure it's okay for us to go to the festival? You have work tomorrow, right?" Asumi asked me, concern etched in her voice.
I rubbed the back of my neck, thinking about it for a moment. "Yeah, it's fine. I think it'll be worth it to see the fireworks with you," I finally replied with a smile.
Asumi's face lit up and she took my hand, leading me towards the festival. Despite the awkwardness still lingering between us, I was grateful for this moment and the chance to make new memories with her.
As we walked through the festival, I could feel the excitement in the air. People were laughing and having a good time, and I felt grateful to be able to share this experience with Asumi.
"Wow, this is amazing," Asumi said as she looked up at the colorful fireworks lighting up the night sky.
"It is," I agreed, feeling a little nervous as I took her hand.
We strolled around the festival, trying different foods and watching different performances. At one point, we stopped to take in the view of the fireworks. Asumi leaned against me, and I wrapped my arms around her, feeling a warm flush spread through my chest.
"This is so beautiful," Asumi said softly.
"Yeah, it is," I replied, feeling awkward but also content.
We stood there for a few moments, watching the fireworks in silence. I was about to say something when Asumi suddenly turned and gave me a quick peck on the cheek.
"Thank you for bringing me here," she said, a blush spreading across her cheeks.
I felt my own face flush as I stammered, "N-no problem."
We continued to enjoy the festival, but now there was a new energy between us, a sort of nervous excitement. I wasn't sure what the future held, but I was happy to be experiencing this moment with Asumi by my side.
"Atsu, I just wanted to say how grateful I am to have met you," she said, her voice soft and filled with emotion. "You've been there for me even when I was running away from my problems, and I'm so lucky to have you in my life."
I felt my cheeks warm at her words. "Asumi, you don't have to thank me. I care about you and I'll always be here for you, no matter what."
We held each other's hands, watching the fireworks in comfortable silence. Despite the uncertainty and problems we were facing, I felt a sense of peace and happiness being here with her.