A Stranger Is Probably a Source of Pretty Good Advice

The topic of Hikaru's parents was widely ignored because it clearly made both him and Hortensja feel bad. And neither of them had any idea what to do to improve the situation. A week later, they were resting. The girl was reading a manga that they recommended to her when she asked an employee about something about the game, the basics of which Seiji Nishikawa had taught her. She didn't think they'd meet again anytime soon, but she decided she'd try to learn a little more and verify whether she understood the rules correctly. She would like to play a game with him sometime, even if she was considered completely untalented.

Hortensja was lying on her beloved's lap, who was playing something on the console. She was asking him about a word of which she wasn't sure when they heard the doorbell. Hikaru was surprised because he wasn't expecting anyone, but the sight of Akira didn't surprise him at all. She often dropped in on her older brother Tadao, making sure he didn't overwork himself, even though it seemed impossible at times. She had the most say in the matter, though, because she worked at the publishing house that handled his manga. Akira treated Hikaru as a friend since they were the same age. She was grateful that he kept an eye on her brother, so she went in as if it were her home, as she was a frequent guest there.

“Tadao's completely gone mad,” she announced in a joking tone, taking off her shoes. “He told me that you have a girlfriend who helps him draw and pays her for it, and you supposedly asked him to talk to me about finding a position for her at our publishing house. He came up with a good story, didn't he?” she continued, heading to the living room.

Hortensja stood up at the sound of a woman's voice and the lack of any response from Hikaru. She heard the mysterious guest enter. She was waiting for a meeting with her. Akira was speechless when she saw the Pole, and then she shouted something incomprehensible. She looked in disbelief at the man, and then at Hortensja, for a moment, her eyes darted from one to the other.

“This is my girlfriend Horteni,” Hikaru sighed heavily. “Horteni, this is Akira, Tadao's younger sister.”

The Pole stood up and extended her hand to greet her. She remembered that their neighbor had indeed mentioned siblings several times but never went into details. A broad smile appeared on Akira's face. She grabbed Hortensja's hand and looked at her closely, not paying attention to personal space.

“You're beautiful,” she assessed and led her to the couch, as if she wanted to talk to her like friends. “Now tell me your secret.”

“What secret?” Hortensja got lost in the situation.

“How to win the heart of a Japanese man, of course.” Akira stared at her with hope, waiting for an answer.

“Akira has had a crush on Matsuo for a long time.” Hikaru came to help, placing cups of coffee on the table. “But I don't know if you can help her.”

“Do you know Matsuo as well?” Hortensja nodded in response.

“So, you see what a difficult situation I'm in.” The charming, energetic Japanese woman made a desperate face. “And Hikaru doesn't want to help me.”

“You expect impossible things from me,” the man muttered, taking a sip of coffee and wondering if he shouldn't just disappear. He wasn't sure if he wanted to be involved in girl talk.

“You see what I have to deal with.” Akira glared at him. “What do you think of Matsuo?”

Hortensja tried to get a better idea of the situation. Hikaru sat unmoved, as if he was used to the behavior of his neighbor's sister, who was still holding her hand, expecting help. The Polish girl tried to recall all the meetings with her boyfriend's friend and organize the impressions and information she had gathered then into some kind of whole.

“Matsuo is not very expressive, but I know that he cares a lot about the people close to him,” she began. Akira nodded in agreement that someone had also assessed the object of her love well. “It seems to me that he only intervenes directly when it is really necessary and does not show any initiative on his own. He has armor on him that he will not easily get rid of.”

“So, what should I do?”

“The first step?” Hortensja suggested. “He is busy. I doubt that he himself thinks about dating when he does not have much free time.”

“And what if he rejects me?” Akira seemed terrified by this prospect.

“At least you'll move on and won't waste time on feelings if nothing comes of it. Of course, I'm not saying you should give up on them right away, but if you feel that way, then maybe it's worth looking for someone else.”

“I'll think about it,” the girl sighed, disappointed that she hadn't received any magic recipe on how to win the heart of her dream boy.

A moment later, Akira found an excuse to disappear, and the couple left in the apartment and started preparing a meal. Hortensja couldn't tear her thoughts away from the girl's situation and cut herself and threw a few curses, which initially surprised Hikaru, but a moment later he seemed amused by it.

“I can't stop thinking about Akira and Matsuo” the Pole mumbled, putting a plaster on her finger.

“I don't think it makes sense,” Hikaru announced, pointing her to the table, where she was supposed to just wait for her meal.

“Why? They don't suit each other? Do you know how Matsuo approaches this matter?”

Hikaru sighed heavily. He knew that Hortensja's potential involvement only stemmed from concern and a desire to help. However, he himself believed that romantic issues were too delicate to interfere in if they did not concern him.

“Just because we are friends does not mean that I always know what he thinks,” he tried to explain it as delicately as possible. “And I know Akira well enough to know that she will not do anything, so please do not get involved in this unnecessarily.”

“Too bad,” Hortensja gave up initially. “I do not know if they are a good match, but they could try to go on a date or something,” she pondered, as if trying to remember something. “We also haven't been anywhere for a long time. I would love to go to a museum. What do you think?”

Of course, Hikaru agreed, but when the girl brought up the subject, his heart sank. He breathed a sigh of relief when he did not hear regret in her voice. She only stated the fact and suggested changing the status quo. He thought bitterly of the hidden notebook, where he had many such institutions on the list, when he had promised himself that he would not make the same mistakes as Hortensja's ex. She smiled radiantly, excited about the approaching date, and he had the impression that by doing so she was sticking thousands of needles in his heart.