"RING.. RING.. RING" I heard my phone start buzzing repeatedly, it was probably Hiro wondering if I am ready or not, so in my three-fourths asleep state, I answered the phone.
"Hello," I said drowsily.
"Kyo, did you just wake up? It's 11:30 am already, get out of bed!" I am heading over right now.
"Mhmm…"
"Don't just 'mhmm' me, get up!"
"Getting right on it," I yawned and was two-thirds awake by this point. As he heard that the phone call came to an end. I didn't think packing my things up last night would take this much out of me, oops. As I had begun to fully wake up I got dressed in a simple gray shirt, a dark blue thin jacket, and black loose-fit jeans, I then pushed my longish black hair to the side, I still look like I had just woken up though. I peered outside my room to see if anyone was home, but it seemed like the coast was clear. The walk from Hiro's place to here was only seven minutes so given the timing of everything I went downstairs to unlock the door. Sure enough, just a few seconds later I heard knocking.
"Come in," I said before the door lightly cracked open.
"Is it safe?"
"Yes, we are home alone, for now."
I heard a sigh of relief before he said "what all are we grabbing?"
"Books, school supplies, clothes, and smaller items are all I can think of."
"I forgot that you're a minimalist Kyo."
"Hard not to be when I wasn't allowed to do anything but music and studying."
"At least it will be a one-way trip."
"A bonus really."
As we went up to my room and gathered all the boxes I packed, there were only three in total, one with clothes, one with books, and one with daily needs like a toothbrush, shampoo, etc. Once my belongings were accounted for we went downstairs, and out the door. I was carrying one box as I still needed to lock the door, while Hiro had the other two.
"Last time I get to come here, goodbye old creepy house, you won't be missed," Hiro said as I closed and locked the door.
I was only fifteen, but it was the house I grew up in for my entire life so all I could say was "Thank you," before turning my back. We began heading to the train station. Heading from my mother's place to my aunts was a forty-minute walk, ten minutes past Hanabari, but we were carrying items that we would rather not take that far, and the station was only a couple of minutes walk away, so we figured that would be the best idea. It was Friday afternoon at this point, so there were quite a few people, but Hiro and I managed to find good seats for the forty-five-minute trip. We sat in silence and just watched the scenery for pretty much the entire time. I was almost falling asleep in my seat, but once our destination was announced we both got ready, it would still be another ten-minute walk from the station to my aunt's place. We chatted about how nice an area this is, it had been a while since we came over to my aunt's place, and since it was next to a great private school it was pretty well kept for being in the center of Tokyo. After ten short minutes, we arrived at my aunt's apartment complex, the Sleepy Motif. Hiro set his two boxes on the ground and knocked on apartment number "001." Not long after my aunt opened the door.
She had short black hair, she was wearing a nice necklace with matching earnings, a nice red watch, plenty of makeup that added to her glamor, and she was wearing a long grey dress with exposed shoulders. To many people, she looked stunning, she was thirty-eight years old but didn't look a day past twenty-seven.
"Oh, Hiro, it's nice seeing you again."
"Miss Kokoro, it's a pleasure, I am just helping Kyo move is all." He said flustered.
"I see, thank you for your help, Hiro," she said with a smile. "Kyo, you will be in apartment number 003. The door should already be unlocked."
"Right, thank you," I said.
"Are you going somewhere?" Hiro said, picking the boxes back up.
"Oh no, I am just here to help with the move-in process, I just like dressing up for special occasions such as this. I do hope you like everything Kyo."
As we went into the building, two doors down from aunts, there was a light breeze from the AC unit in the apartment. There was a walk-in area for shoes, and a small hallway leading to the kitchen. Past the kitchen was the living area, it was rather small but for a one-bedroom one-bathroom complex it was rather big, enough to fit about four people comfortably. Leading from the living room were three doors, the two on the left wall in order was a bathroom and then a closet. The door on the far right led to a small bedroom. The back wall was a window, which had an amazing view of the park and glips of a lake. This is the best living space anyone, (especially in my case), could ask for.
"That white look on your face, means that you like it?" My aunt asked.
"Yes, I really really like it, it's amazing, thank you so much." I bowed my head to her.
"No worries, I am just pleased you like it." She said with a smile.
"Kyo, I am so jealous, first you have a rich hot aunt, and now you get to live in this nice place. When I am old enough to move out I will come here." Hiro couldn't hold back his jealousy and started blurting stuff out.
"Haha, well then I will leave one of my rooms open for you, Hiro." My aunt said, She just wanted another customer, and if it was someone she knew it would make life easier, so those two had just made a mutual agreement that I bet will come true in three years or so.
"Thank you, Miss Kokoro!" Hiro said with glee. "Right then I need to get going, I have a team meet-up happening today so I will leave you two to it," Hiro said with newfound motivation.
"Thank you for your help Hiro, I owe you one," I said.
"Likewise." My aunt said.
"Hehe, Nah it's fine, really, well see you two later." He began to sprint out the door.
"He sure is a lively one isn't he?"
"Yes he is, but he's my best friend so that's just part of what makes him so great."
The time was now 2:30 pm, I still had to unpack everything, but I really had my own place. I looked around the room one more time, happy, but also a feeling I can't quite describe, leaving the only place you knew at 15 years old really does feel unreal.
"Are you okay?" She asked me.
"Huh? Oh yes, I am fine, it still doesn't feel quite real."
Those words must have annoyed her as I sounded like a broken record, she hugged me from the side and pulled me into her, she said "If you want this to remain real, please stay on track at least to the end of high school."
"Don't worry, I promise I will play it perfectly for three more years," I said with a half-hearted smile. I wanted to say I had gone through enough to stay here for life, but I knew that wasn't true, I knew this was a gift that could be stripped from me. So I promised both Aunt Kokoro and myself that I will do all that I can.
"Thank you, I am sure you will do great." Take the next few days to get settled in, and unpacked. Oh right, I went down to the school and grabbed this."
I was handed my school uniform. A black over shirt, a white button-up, a tie, black slacks, including a pair of black indoor shoes.
"My uniform, it's really here."
"Congratulations Kyomeowta!" she said as she hugged me again
"Would you stop it with that stupid nickname!?"
"Haha, nope, it's way too cute."
I was forever grateful to my aunt, and at that moment I wanted to cry, but I chose to distract myself by unpacking my stuff instead. She had to take care of business stuff, so it was just me, my uniform, and a blank apartment building. I couldn't ask for any more than this.