Close Call

Kagari melts into thought as night falls, lying with his eyes fixed on the ceiling.

There's something about this girl, and what she's doing to me. I have this constant feeling of danger when I'm next to her, but that sparks my curiosity even more. This is not love. But there's some type of chemistry. She said it herself.

Though I don't know why she's coming onto me. Where was that same courage a day ago? Things don't add up. I don't want to think about it too much either, but I need to be careful.

Raindrops start hitting the windows.

I need to take a walk.

Kagari slips into a jacket, hood over his head, and steps out.

It's colder than usual, despite no wind.

He pulls out his phone and checks the weather.

It's... two degrees warmer than yesterday. I'm dressed the same. Weird, but whatever.

As he continues his walk, he notices a shift in perspective.

I've been doing this to clear my mind, but it seems like thoughts fly around this time. What changed? Maybe I didn't get enough sleep. Yeah, must be it.

Then, a car slides by and shatters his monologue. High-speed, loud honk. Kagari hears multiple laughs as a puddle sprays him.

These fucking losers. Too bad for them, I don't mind being wet. That's the point.

His phone buzzes. Could it be?

He checks it. Oh, it's mom. Wait, did I just? No, nevermind.

Call goes through.

"Kagari, guess who I've run into on my way home!"

He freezes in place.

"We'll be home soon!"

He remains silent, and the call disconnects.

No, this is not right. I need to go.

He starts sprinting home in hopes of stopping them.

He arrives minutes later, exhausted.

Two figures appear in the distance.

They approach, waving at Kagari.

Alright, I gotta think of a good excuse.

As they meet near the entrance, Kagari speaks.

"Mom, I-"

"Kagari! We got some takeaway for the three of us! I'm soo hungry!"

Shit, of course. Now I can't say no.

Kagari is drenched, but that's nothing unusual.

As they walk up the stairs, with Emika leading the way, Kagari stays in the back, watching Sakura closely. She looks back, as his eyes shift away.

"I can sense your eyes. Pervert."

She starts chuckling as he keeps silent, their steps echoing through the building.

As they make it inside the apartment, Kagari remains uneasy, and Emika notices.

"What's wrong, sweetie?"

"I think Sakura's lying."

Did I just say that out loud?

Sakura frowns, while Emika gets confused.

"What do you mean?"

"It's nothing, forget it. I'm just really hungry, too."

Emika raises an eyebrow. "Alright, don't tell me. We'll wait while you shower."

Kagari enters the bathroom, undresses, and throws his wet clothes in the washing machine.

He steps into the shower and tweaks it hot. This is his ritual.

Dry after wet, warm after cold. Discomfort is worth it for the reward.

His shower thoughts are more chaotic than usual. There's a certain someone that keeps infiltrating his mind.

She can't be near us anymore. I conceded to mom this time. There won't be a next.

Am I being unfair? Paranoid? That can't be it. Not to this extent. I'm not the type.

There's something wrong with her.

I don't know what, but I can feel it. She might be bad news.

He finishes the shower, puts on some fresh clothes, and heads to the living room.

Sakura and Emika chat away, getting friendlier by the minute, which brings Kagari a sense of discomfort.

"Finally, there he is! Let's eat!"

Emika pulls out three takeout containers and lays them on the table. "We got your favorite."

Sakura's eyes light up. "Miso ramen?"

Wait... how does she know that?

"Yeah. Do you like it?"

"It's my favorite!"

"She's so much like you, Kagari!"

Yeah, right.

They each take a seat. Fermented salt, pork fat, and garlic rise in the steam, heavy against the cold. The scent hits them hard, warmth lingering in the air.

Sakura smiles and puts her hands together. "Let's dig in!"

They spend half an hour munching and chatting away. Snarky remarks. Laughs. Closeness. Taste.

As they finish eating, Emika's curiosity makes her push again.

"So, Sakura, are you in love with my boy?"

Kagari stops mid-chew, while Sakura blushes a little. "I... I don't know. I just know I'm attracted to his gravity. I also know he keeps pushing me away."

Emika's glare stabs Kagari. "Why are you treating such a sweet girl like that? I know I didn't raise you to be a bad person."

Sakura interjects. "No, it's okay, it's not his fault. He has his reasons. There are some things you don't know. He'll come around, though. I hope."

Kagari unclasps his necklace and shows it to Emika. "This."

Emika's confused. "What about it?"

Sakura replies casually. "That's what I'm here for. I'm an agent sent by the government to pick the necklace up. Everything I did was to fulfill the mission."

Kagari's stomach drops. The temperature gets cooler. Raindrops begin hitting the windows, this time more violently.

Silence. Awkward. Uncomfortable.

Emika goes from frozen up, to breaking off into laughter. "That's a good one. You seemed pretty scary for a second."

Sakura turns to Emika, eyes full of certainty. "It's not a joke."

Emika's smile fades.

Room gets colder.

Kagari's blood, too.

The moment feels longer than it lasts.

As Kagari breaks into a sweat, his view blurs away as he finds himself jolting up.

He's in his bed. Sweating profusely. Breathing chaotically.

He looks around the room.

It was a nightmare.

Not this shit again...

He calms himself down, relief taking over.

Thank fuck it wasn't real. Am I going insane? I need some water.

He sits up and begins walking out.

As he gets closer to the door, volume increases. It's coming from the living room.

The sound gets clearer. Laughs and chatter.

As he takes the first step into the room, relief gets shattered.

Dread makes its way back into his psyche.

He can't believe what he's seeing.

There's two people on the couch.

One is Emika, and...

The other is...

Sakura.