The Devil in My Room, Pt. 2

The walk back to the dorms felt longer than usual.

Maybe it was the warm breeze brushing through the maple trees lining the path. Or maybe it was the low hum of students chatting in the distance, winding down after a long day.

Couldn't tell.

Earlier, just before I made it to my apartment complex, I had stopped by a local shop to pick up a light snack for Megumi — a salmon onigiri. It was between that and sushi, but I didn't know whether or not she liked raw fish.

When I reached my building, I swiped my keycard and stepped inside. The familiar beep and click echoed as the door swung open. Then, I was met with a strange stillness.

Quiet.

I kicked off my shoes, dropped my bag on the floor, and closed the door behind me. No smell of food. No clanging from the kitchen. Just the distant hum of something electronic coming from the living room.

That's when I saw her.

Megumi was sitting on the couch with her back facing me, shoulders relaxed, one knee pulled up while the other dangled off the edge. She had my headphones on — those noise-cancelling ones I never used because they felt too bulky. Her phone was in her hands, and from where I stood, I could catch the glow of rapid-fire reels flashing across the screen.

"Hey. Megumi, I'm back."

No response. Just how loud is she blasting the music? I could be an intruder, and she'd never even know I was here.

I walked a little closer, just enough to see the side of her face. Her eyes were locked onto the screen, but her lips were curved into a small, content smile.

I froze.

That expression — it didn't match the chaotic, razor-edged girl I'd come to know. It was calm. Warm. Like she wasn't thinking about anything dangerous or dramatic or complicated. Just… watching random vlogs, or some chef flipping an omelet.

And for a split second, I thought the same thing I had that night when she fell asleep right behind me.

She's… pretty.

"Hah. Goddammit."

I gave up on trying to get her attention and stepped closer. Balancing the plastic bag on the tip of my fingers, I dangled it in front of her face. She glanced up like a cat who'd just spotted a red laser on the wall, then turned around and pulled the headphones down.

"Shohei! Welcome home!"

That bright smile on her face froze me right where I stood.

"I... H-hey."

She pointed at the bag.

"Is this for me?"

"Yeah. Go on. And turn the music down. I can hear it all the way from here."

"Ah! Oops."

After lowering her phone, Megumi pulled the onigiri from the bag. With the excitement of a kid unwrapping a prize, she peeled the wrapper back and held it up like a sacred object.

"What are you doing?" I scoffed, settling onto the other end of the couch.

"Savoring this moment."

"For what? It's just an onigiri."

"You wouldn't understand, Shohei. I always see these on my feed, but I never got to try one myself."

"Really? They're everywhere. Just walk into a convenience store."

"Like I said... You don't get to make your own decisions when you become someone like me. Not even small ones. Not even — let's say… an onigiri."

She took a bite, and her eyes instantly brightened. A soft blush spread over her cheeks as she pressed a hand to her face.

"Mmm~! It's so good! Shohei, you have to get me more. Maybe different fillings. Like, um... Many beef? Pork? I don't know what else—"

Her voice drifted into cheerful rambling, but all I could hear was the article repeating in my head.

A series of failures. From the photos I'd seen online, she was so... lifeless. Almost like a doll. Yet, the person sitting in front of me was a completely different person.

What happened?

"Hey, Megumi..."

She glanced at me with a mouthful, blissful and unguarded. And just like that, the question I wanted to ask died in my throat.

"I'm... gonna take a walk. Need to get some photos for my photography class. You wanna come?"

Surprised, she paused mid-bite. Even like that, I could see the smile tugging at her lips.

"Finally getting used to me, Shohei?"

"No. Not even close. Keep making jokes like that, and I'll never bother inviting you out again."

"W-wha—"

That was all she could say before I stood. Snatching my jacket off the countertop, I hastily rushed outside and pushed my back against the closed door.

"Fuck..." I sighed. "This is dangerous."

Later, when Megumi finished eating her onigiri and getting ready, she met me across the street from the apartment complex. There, a decently large park was sprawled out.

"Yo! Shohei!"

I turned to see her wearing, of course, my clothes. But there was something different. She was now wearing a black cap and mouth mask.

"...Did you steal those from my closet?"

"Yep!" she said a bit too proudly. "I needed to! If I'm gonna be out and about in public, I need to hide my face. Anyway, what a cool park. Didn't even know this place was here."

"Oh. Yeah. This is where I usually go to take photos, relax, and go on jogs."

"Jogs? You exercise?"

"What's that supposed to mean...?"

"Hehe~ Nothing insulting. I'm just surprised. That's all. Whenever you come home from your classes, you usually laze around or study. Last thing I'd expect from a weirdo like you is to stay in shape."

I crossed my arms and stared at her, deadpan.

"You know, you're still living under my roof. I can kick you out whenever I want."

She gasped as if she'd just discovered fire for the first time.

"But you haven't made my curry bread yet!"

"...That's what you're most worried about?"

"Of course. Back when I was a model-slash-actress, I was never allowed to eat what I wanted. Had to keep a strict diet to look good for the camera, you know?"

"No, I didn't."

"Well, now you do. Onward!"

My first stop was a small pond under a maple tree, where a pair of ducks, along with their little ducklings, swam in pure bliss. Every so often, one of them would turn and look directly into my camera lens, which resulted in the cutest photo.

Behind me, Megumi was skipping and jumping around in the grass. Then, she stumbled on her own footing and fell. With a subtle scream, she landed face-up next to me.

"Oh,"—she pulled down her mask and grinned—"Hi there!"

"...Hello."

"Watcha doing?"

"Taking photos."

"Can I see?"

"No."

"Aww, boo... Why are you being so stingy? You invited me out, yet you've only been taking photos."

I snapped another shot, this time of the whole duck family.

"I mean, that's why I decided to go out to begin with. And pull up your mask. Someone's gonna recognize you."

"Just a few~ more seconds. I need to breathe. And besides, I changed up my style a lot — way more than I ever had — so I doubt anyone's gonna recognize me that easily. You've seen me online before, right?"

"Yeah. Didn't you have blonde hair a bit ago?"

"Mhm. I also wear a ton of makeup whenever I'm in front of a camera, so people wouldn't be able to notice me very easily. I mean, you didn't recognize me till I said my name, remember?"

"That's true, I guess. Well, just in case, be extra careful. If you get caught, you're on your own. I don't wanna get involved in a celebrity scandal."

"Ho~?"

Still sprawled out in the grass, Megumi flipped onto her stomach.

"Well, you should've thought about that before inviting me back to your place, you creepy weirdo."

"What the... I didn't even know it was you when I made the offer. Like I said, I was vaguely familiar with you, and that's only because a friend of mine was a fan of yours. Speaking of which..."

I glanced down at Megumi and immediately regretted it. Her chin was propped on her hands, her elbow pushing against the ground. She was swinging her legs in the air with a smile that wiped away my train of thought.

"Um... I... N-never mind."

"Oh, come on~ You can't leave me hanging like that. What were you gonna say?"

"Nothing."

A while later, I knelt next to a patch of flowers. The sun was just beginning to set, marking the start of the golden hour. During this time, the sun's light is soft and indirect with easy shadows, making for some of the most beautiful photos.

One snap. Then another. The camera shuttered. And the next... was Megumi's face.

"W-what the?!" I yelped, stumbling back.

"Bahaha~! No way, dude. And here I was thinking you were just pretending not to notice me."

"Can you not...? My grades depend on these photos."

"Oh, really? Well, good thing you've got a model right here! I guarantee that if you snap a few shots of me and turn them in, you'll get perfect marks."

"You're insane, you know that?"

"No, I'm not."

She threw up a peace sign and grinned at me.

"I'm just the right amount of crazy. Anyway, when's it time for curry bread? I'm hungry."