Quit

"Strange."

"I thought I locked the door when I left."

When Souta reached his apartment and tried to unlock the door, he was surprised yet confused to see that the door was already unlocked. He didn't panic because the door looked exactly how he'd left it, and he doubted whether someone was or had been inside.

He frowned, pushing it open.

"I'm home." He muttered, crossing the threshold and taking off his shoes before heading further.

He didn't notice that another pair of shoes was sitting on the genkan because at the moment, he had other things to focus on.

***

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

"Souta-kun, you're back already?" A person seated on Souta's futon asked as they tapped their phone screen.

"Yeah, I had to come back early be–" Souta replied without realizing it, but he had to cut himself after realizing that there wasn't supposed to be anyone in the apartment.

"Wait, Sato-kun?" Souta uttered, surprised. "What, what are you doing in here? No, how didn't you even get in?" He asked.

"I used the door, dah." The man said, shifting his body to face Souta as the pale glow from his phone left his face.

"Didn't you notice my shoes at the door?" He asked.

Apparently, the man's name was Moriyama Sato, and he was the friend Souta had borrowed money from before he went to Taito Ward.

"Your shoes?" Souta muttered, glancing back at the genkan, but from where he was at the moment, he could barely take a peek at his own shoes, making it impossible for him to glance at Moriyama-san's shoes, since they were sitting closer to a shadow.

"Anyway, how's your research going? Found any Kaiju in Tokyo?" Moriyama-san asked with a soft chuckle.

“Yeah… no. But I’m pretty sure I’m close to finding one,” Souta replied with a smile. He knew Moriyama-san was making fun of him — and not even trying to hide it — but Souta didn’t mind. They’d been friends for as long as he could remember.

"That's what you always say, and every time you always come up empty-handed."

"Alright, Sato-kun..." Souta said, loosening his tie as he walked toward Moriyama-san. "I know you didn't come here just to make fun of me." He stopped in front of him. "So spill it. What was so important that you had to barge into my apartment without waiting for me?"

Moriyama-san stayed silent for a moment, looking at Souta with an amused smile. Then, a second later, he stood up, placing his smartphone aside.

"You're right, I'm not here for a chat. So, I get right up to business." Moriyama-san said, his expression turning serious.

Souta swallowed, looking at Moriyama's seriousness.

"There's a rookie in my office, and as you already know, it's your job to handle training them. But since you were absent yesterday, I had to tell the rookie to come again on Monday,

so you need to be at work on Monday, or your ass will be cooked if you're absent again."

"That's it?" Souta blinked, taken aback by Moriyama-san's revelation; he wasn't expecting him to say something like that.

"What do you mean, ‘that’s it’?" Moriyama-san snapped. "Your life depends on the very job you’re trying to throw away. And don’t forget—your landlord’s breathing down your neck because you owe him a fortune."

"You're right, but then again, I have another open choice I haven't tried yet," Souta said with an awkward smile. "And I guess for it to work... I'll just have to quit my job."

"You're kidding, right?" Moriyama-san asked.

"Maybe, or maybe not." Souta replied softly.

Moriyama-san let out a soft sigh, rubbing his right temple with frustration, before a moment later, shifting his gaze to the door.

"You're a lost cause." He muttered, stepping toward the door, he knew that there was no way to talk Souta out of whatever he was planning. At that moment, Souta could only watch his friend as he stepped closer and closer toward the door.

Moriyama-san stopped at the genkan and began putting on his shoes. As he did, he spoke softly, just loud enough for Souta to hear.

"Just get to work on Monday." He paused for a second, pulling one shoe to fit perfectly. "And... I handled all your living expenses for the day. I also took care of that Kaiju drawing you asked me to draw." He straightened, then added.

"Also, I left some Udon in your freezer for you."

***

Some moments later, Moriyama-san left.

Souta couldn’t wait to try the udon. He quickly set everything down on the wooden floor, hardly taking a breath, and rushed to the fridge. He pulled the container out and immediately started digging in, savoring the steam rising from the noodles. The udon was still a little warm, which was a relief; he didn’t want to risk an upset stomach, but at the same time, he knew it would taste even better if he warmed it up properly. Despite that, he couldn’t resist starting right away.

He wasn't excited because of the udon itself, but he had been holding his hunger, so hearing about the udon and seeing it, he couldn't resist.

"..."

Meanwhile, as Souta was eating, he could hear the neighbor in the lower apartment scream as if she were excited about something.

'What the hell is going on down there?' Souta couldn't help but wonder.

sh-sh-sh-sh-shake!

Suddenly, his room began shaking violently, rattling the furniture and causing him to drop the udon halfway through his bite.

"An earthquake?" he muttered, his eyes wide. A second later, he scrambled to his feet, glancing nervously at the sealing before moving toward the door.

He was trying to get out of the apartment—the building never felt stable enough during tremors, and this was a habit he’d developed from every previous earthquake. Just as he reached for the door, however, the shaking abruptly stopped, leaving the room eerily still.

'That was quick?'
'It usually takes longer for them to stop completely... I guess it was just passing through?'

Souta wondered, looking round and making sure that nothing was wrecked.