I Don't Regret It.

“You said that she is experiencing some confusion, and is acting abnormally, but we couldn’t find anything that could cause that.”

“Doctor, I saw her do things that she would never do. Things she’d never say.”

“That may be the case, but I’m afraid there is nothing we can treat her for. From the symptoms you described, it could be partial memory loss. The tests found no signs of chemicals that might alter her mental state, so perhaps she experienced some form of trauma, but again, we found no signs.”

“So, there is nothing we can do?”

“You could try to let her rest. Maybe a few of her usual activities might jog her memory. Beyond that, I can’t tell you.”

It seemed that Meiko was arguing outside of the room. I told her I was fine, but this only proved it. There was nothing wrong with me. The doctor entered the room soon after and looked at me.

“Please stay calm. I am afraid that I must inform you that we found some unusual lumps in your skull. Now, these lumps seem benign and are not affecting you in any way, but we recommend that you receive a check-up every few months to monitor the lumps and ensure they are not growing.”

What? I know I heard him say that there was nothing wrong with me. Why was he telling me this?

“Beyond that, we found nothing unusual, so you are free to go.”

“Doctor, didn’t you say that you found nothing?”

“Sorry, I didn’t realize you were listening. I should have been clearer. We found nothing related to the symptoms you were brought in for, but do not worry. The lumps should not affect your life in any way. We just want to perform regular check-ups to ensure that they remain that way.”

Nothing too much to worry about then. I was a little worried there that they actually found something wrong with me. Lumps were bad, but if the doctor wasn’t worried about it, I didn’t have a reason to be either.

“So, I can leave now?”

“Yes, that is fine. Your friend already paid the bill.”

I would owe her for that. I looked at the time and it seemed that it was quite late. We probably would only barely make it back before the library closed. I gave a quick bow before leaving.

“Ayaka, you are okay, right? You should go home. I can go back and help Kaede close up.”

“Okay.”

I needed to go to the bookstore and pick up my book anyway, so I agreed. We got on the subway together, but when I got off with Meiko, she gave me an odd look.

“Ayaka, this isn’t the stop for your house.”

“It is fine, I have a book to pick up.”

“Oh, that is great! I’m really glad.”

I don’t know why, but Ayaka looked really relieved and smiled all the way to the library. We chatted quite a bit about various topics like Peko.

“I hope you’ll let me come over and meet Peko sometime. I still can’t believe you got a pet though. I always thought you would marry a book someday.”

“What are you talking about, there is no way I could marry a book. That is silly.”

“Maybe. Ayaka, take care. When you get home, text us so we know you made it safely.”

“You are worrying too much, but I will.”

I waved to Ayaka as I continued down the road to reach the bookstore.

As I entered, I noticed that the bell didn’t ring. I looked up and the bell was still there. Odd, maybe I just didn’t notice. A few steps in, I noticed the floor seemed strangely spongey. Maybe I was a little sick after all. I looked around and saw a little bag with a note, “For Ayaka. Happy birthday.”

Was Grampa out? I know this neighborhood was safe, but he really should have locked up if he was going out. I looked inside the bag and noticed quite the number of books. I couldn’t just leave the shop unattended, so I went to the corner and sat down at one of the tables and began a session of reading.

I don’t know how much time passed, but when I finally set down the last book, I noticed the dark sky and lit lamps on the other side of the window. I took out my phone to check the time and saw the notification. Over a hundred missed calls and messages. I felt bad, so I quickly sent both Meiko and Kaede texts that I was okay and just lost some time reading. They both seemed so relieved to hear that I was reading.

Odd that Grampa wasn’t back yet though. I guess I’d lock up for him and return the key tomorrow. I went behind the counter and lifted up one of the potted plants. Twisting the hidden knob, a compartment slid out from the pot and revealed the key. Another turn closed the compartment and I was ready to go. As I opened the door, I noted that the bell rang as normal.

After locking up, I walked back home, though it felt like something was staring at me the entire time. Every time I turned around, I saw nothing there, but it still creeped me out a bit. Just in case, I went up an extra floor and then went down another set of stairs to go to the fourth floor. Of course, nothing showed up even after doing that, so the feeling of being watched was probably just me being jumpy.

I opened my door to find Peko smiling.

“Oh, were you waiting for me?”

I guess he really was excited to see me, he even had the talisman at his feet. Did I regret buying Peko? Not even the slightest. I enjoyed feeding him, it was just so calming like all my worries were being gobbled up. Just look at his cute face. His wide mouth. Being around him was so calming.

Peko was just waiting for me for so long that once Peko noticed me enter, he leaped at me.