It was a peaceful Saturday afternoon, and Naveen was lounging on the couch in his small apartment, watching anime to pass the time. The cool breeze drifted through the open window, and the soft glow of the afternoon sun made the room feel cozy and calm. The familiar sounds of animated characters' voices filled the room, and for the first time since his arrival in Japan, Naveen felt at ease.
Across the hallway, in the apartment just opposite his, Hayase was enjoying her own Saturday afternoon. She had settled on her couch, wrapped in a blanket, binge-watching her favorite drama. With a bowl of popcorn in one hand and the remote control in the other, she was completely absorbed in the story unfolding on her TV screen.
Everything was calm, until…
CRASH!
A loud noise echoed through the walls, followed by a sharp scream. Naveen sat up straight, his heart racing as he paused the anime. The scream was unmistakable—it was Hayase.
What the heck? Naveen thought, throwing off his blanket and quickly darting to the door. Without even thinking, he rushed out of his apartment and knocked frantically on Hayase's door.
"Hayase! What happened?" he called, his voice filled with concern.
There was a long pause before the door creaked open. Hayase's face was pale, her eyes wide with panic. In her hand, she held a piece of tissue, and her eyes darted nervously around.
"I… I need help," she stammered. "There's a... a cockroach in my apartment!" She pointed dramatically to the ceiling as if expecting the creature to appear again at any moment.
Naveen raised an eyebrow, trying to suppress a smile. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "A cockroach?" he repeated, incredulously. "You screamed over a cockroach?"
"Not just any cockroach!" Hayase insisted, her voice rising in pitch. "It fell right into my face!" She shuddered at the thought, her expression a mixture of disgust and embarrassment.
Before Naveen could say anything else, Hayase suddenly leapt forward and landed in his arms, her body pressed against his as she let out a small, dramatic cry. "Please, take care of it for me, Naveen!" she pleaded, her voice filled with desperation.
Naveen, still stunned, instinctively caught her in his arms, his mind struggling to process what was happening. She had jumped into his arms like a princess in a fairy tale, her small frame now cradled in his grip. He felt the warmth of her body against his chest, and for a moment, his heart skipped a beat. What in the world is going on?
"Uh, okay, okay," he stammered, trying to regain his composure. He glanced around, looking for something to deal with the cockroach. His eyes fell on his trusty cheppal—a simple sandal—lying by the door.
"Just stay here for a second," he said, pushing Hayase gently back as he grabbed the sandal. "I'll take care of it."
Hayase, still clinging to him slightly, nodded. "Please, hurry! I can't even look at it."
With a sigh, Naveen walked toward the living room, where he had heard the screech earlier. As he peered around, he spotted the cockroach scuttling across the floor. Without hesitation, he raised the cheppal and squashed the cockroach with one swift motion. The sound of the crunch echoed through the room, and Naveen let out a satisfied sigh.
"There," he said, turning back to Hayase, who was still standing by the door, her eyes closed in horror. "It's gone."
Hayase opened one eye cautiously, and when she saw the squashed cockroach on the floor, she let out a relieved breath. "Thank you!" she exclaimed. "I couldn't have done it myself."
Naveen couldn't help but laugh. "You Japanese girls," he said, shaking his head in amusement. "Back in India, if a cockroach falls into a girl's face, she'll kill it herself—no problem. My mom's like a big pack of muscle, and she'll smash it with a sandal without thinking twice."
Hayase blinked at him, still not fully recovering from the shock. "Wait, your mom kills cockroaches with her hands?"
"With a sandal," Naveen corrected, holding up his own sandal as a demonstration. "It's a cheppal—works like a charm."
Hayase stared at the sandal for a moment, then looked back at Naveen. "Your mom sounds like a superhero."
Naveen chuckled. "Oh, she definitely is. And I have to live up to that, too. I'm not afraid of cockroaches or anything else. In fact, I think I'm ready to handle anything Japan throws at me."
"Well, you're definitely brave when it comes to cockroaches," Hayase said with a small, teasing grin. She took a step closer, and suddenly, Naveen became aware of how close she was. She had moved in such a way that now, she was standing just inches away from him. Her body was still warm from the jump earlier, and he could feel his face heating up.
"Hayase," Naveen said awkwardly, his voice wavering. "Can you, uh, maybe… get off me?"
Hayase blinked up at him and, for a brief moment, there was silence. Then, her face turned a bright shade of red, and she quickly stepped back, her hands clutched together in front of her like she was caught doing something wrong.
"Oh my gosh," she muttered, her eyes wide with embarrassment. "I didn't realize I was still... uh, leaning on you like that." She quickly turned her head away and pulled her hair over her shoulder to hide her face. "I'm so sorry."
Naveen, equally embarrassed, rubbed the back of his neck. "No problem, really. It's just… a little awkward."
"I didn't mean to—" Hayase started to say, but Naveen quickly cut her off.
"It's okay, really!" he blurted out, trying to make the situation less tense. "I mean, I'm used to… you know, being jumped on by people."
"By people?" Hayase looked at him, her eyebrow raised.
"Just my mom," Naveen quickly corrected, realizing how weird that sounded. "I mean, not like that, but... she's always there when something goes wrong."
Hayase, who had been holding back laughter, suddenly let out a small giggle. "I think that makes more sense. But seriously, if you tell anyone about this, I'll kill you."
Naveen stared at her, his eyes widening. "What?"
Hayase's face was serious now, though there was a hint of mischief in her eyes. "If you tell anyone about me jumping into your arms... I'll find a way to make you regret it."
He blinked, taken aback by her sudden, playful threat. "Wait, are you threatening me?"
"Yes," she said, pointing a finger at him with a fake scowl. "And I'm very serious."
Naveen raised his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay! I won't tell anyone. Your secret's safe with me."
Hayase smiled, satisfied with his response. "Good. Now, can we pretend this didn't happen?"
Naveen couldn't help but laugh. "Sure, we can pretend. But I'll never forget this."
As he walked back toward his apartment, he couldn't help but shake his head. Well, that was definitely an interesting Saturday, he thought, smiling to himself. I'll never look at a cockroach the same way again.
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End of Chapter