A Sketchy Neighborhood

I stepped off the bus and stretched in the bright sunlight, glad to finally be back in Obihiro. The city was already bustling, and I fell into step with the crowds, content to just aimlessly wander for a bit.

To be honest, it was nice to finally have some time to myself. The last few days spent putting up with the antics of my family had left me feeling drained rather than reenergized, after they had dragged me around all over the place. This was the first time since I had awoken from my coma that I was really, truly, on my own, and it was now that I began to wonder what I would’ve been doing, if I’d never lost my memories.

I’d probably be spending time with Ruri, I reasoned, letting out a heavy sigh as her face flashed through my mind for an instant. I was really hoping that at least some of my memories would’ve come back by now. As if trying to figure out what my friends and routine were like isn’t bad enough, I have no idea how I’m supposed to act around her! She’s basically a stranger to me, now, even though I know we aren’t…I can’t just act like nothing’s happened.

A buzz from my pocket roused me from my introspection, and I retrieved my phone to find a message from my mother, which read, I hope your trip back to Obihiro went well, Takashi! If you need anything, don’t be afraid to reach out to us. We’re always here for you!

A smile came to my lips in spite of myself as I told her that I had arrived safely. As overbearing as they might be, it’s only because they care so much, I reminded myself. Then, I tabbed over to the map I had saved, and changed course towards my destination; my apartment.

I retreated inward as I walked, getting lost in my own thoughts while I followed the map on my phone as though on autopilot. Without realizing it, the streets around me gradually became emptier and emptier, the buildings more run-down and neglected. When I finally came to my senses, I had to double-check to make sure I was still going the right way. This entire part of town screams sketchy, I thought with a shudder.

My body on high alert, I quickened my pace, making sure to keep my eyes solidly on the road in front of me. I saw only a few others along the way, and made sure I avoided eye contact at all costs. Soon enough, I rounded a corner and found my target dead ahead, a two-story apartment complex that was in as good a state of repair as any of the surrounding buildings; which was to say, it looked a bit rough.

A short, wiry-looking woman with her grey hair tied up into a tidy bun stood out front, spraying some bunches of tiny blue flowers in raised beds with a hose, her wrinkled face set with an unwelcoming frown. I fervently scanned over my map to make sure I had the right place, and watched as a little girl idly skipped past me, probably having just gotten out of elementary school.

On her way by where the woman worked, the girl must have strayed too close, and seemingly without a second thought, the woman turned the hose on her! The girl stood there for a moment in shock, water dripping from her pigtails and the hem of her skirt, before she burst into tears and ran away, the old woman making a loud, ‘harrumph!’ as she watched her go.

This is definitely the place, but…I don’t know, this doesn’t seem right at all! Would I really choose to live somewhere like this? I was about to turn around, wanting nothing to do with the woman who had just soaked an innocent child without provocation, but before I could make a move, she spotted me.

Immediately, her weathered face split into a grin the likes of which I never would have believed possible, and she waved familiarly to me, gesturing for me to come closer. I hesitated for a moment before walking over, figuring that the worst she could do was soak me, too.

Instead, she greeted me warmly, her voice raspy with age, “Ah, Mr. Miura! Welcome back, kiddo! How are you feeling?”

I scratched the back of my head and slowly explained, glancing around at the discolored moldings and cracked bricks, “It’s good to be back? Sorry, I’m afraid I sort of lost my memory, so I’m not even sure that I have the right place…”

Her eyes went wide as she exclaimed, “Amnesia, is it? I’d heard about your little accident, but my, I can’t say I’ve ever known anyone that’s experienced that firsthand. Must be hard for someone as young as you. Well then, allow me to reintroduce myself! My name is Mami Kai, and I’m the owner of this building! And yes, kiddo, you’ve got the right place.” She hooked a thumb over her shoulder, pointing towards the staircase, and added, “Yours is the third room on the second floor.”

“Thank you,” I replied, bowing respectfully, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

She huffed, waving away my words with a dismissive hand, “You’ve always been a polite one, that’s one of the things I like so much about you. Listen, why don’t you go get some proper rest for now, yeah? Oh, and don’t worry about the rent you owe, you can get it to me as soon as you’re settled. I know you’re good for it, unlike that no-good hooligan neighbor of yours. If you see him on your way through, send him down, would ya? I’d like to have a word with him.” Her previous scowl returned and her face darkened as she spoke about this mysterious neighbor of mine, and I laughed awkwardly as I sidled over to the staircase and started to make my way up it.

“Sure, if I see him,” I assured her, without even knowing who, exactly, I was looking for, and quickly bounded up the stairs to the second floor. There, I paused to take a deep breath. She’s quite a character, I thought, only to be greeted with a sight that made my blood freeze.

A tall, thin man wearing a wrinkled suit was leaning against the railing up ahead, idly puffing on a cigarette while he overlooked the street below. He was sun-tanned, with shaggy black hair and a short beard to match. The word gruff seemed to describe him perfectly. More shocking than that, however, was the tip of tattoo that poked up on the side of his neck, barely visible past his collar. I swallowed hard as every fiber of my being screamed that this guy was bad news.

The man immediately noticed my presence, and stood up straight. When he spoke, it was with a lighthearted tone of familiarity, his voice deep, but rough and raspy from years of smoking.

“Oh, Mr. Miura. Welcome back!” He paused and gave me a critical look from head to toe, before whistling softly. “Damn, you must be tough as nails. When I didn’t see you for a while, I figured you musta wandered too deep into enemy turf or somethin’. I was about to start lookin for ya when the old bat told me the news. Hit by a truck, huh?”

Old bat? I wondered as I responded measuredly, “Yeah, that’s right…Sorry, but I sort of lost my memory from the accident. Do we know each other?”

The man’s eyes showed no sign of surprise at my words. Instead, he merely crossed his arms and nodded. “That’s rough, buddy. Bet your broad’s pretty pissed about that.” My…broad? Wait, does he mean Ruri? Before I could process his words properly, he held out a hand and continued, “Well, in any case, my name’s Kenji Nakamura, and you can call me your neighbro; that’s, uh, short for neighbor, bro. In any case, I got your back, my man. Been guarding your turf for the last coupla weeks.”

“Oh, ah, thanks,” I said, and genuinely meant it, as I shook his outstretched hand. He certainly looked intimidating, and sounded the part too, but I was starting to think that, just maybe, he wasn’t a bad guy after all.

He shook his head, chuckling. “Hey now, that’s just what best friends are for, am I right? And speaking of which, now that you’re back…” His expression suddenly hardened as he leaned closer, the smell of smoke on his breath nearly enough to send me into a coughing fit, “Why don’t we go ahead and figure out who the bastard was behind the wheel and pay him a little visit, yeah?”

I spluttered at his words, unsure of how to respond. In the end, I exclaimed, “I’m not going to let you whack the guy who hit me!”

“Huh?” Kenji grunted, arcing an eyebrow and scratching his chin confusedly. He appeared to be seriously considering it. “That’s hard as hell, brother. Sure, it’s an option, I guess. It’d be easy enough to find him; we could even make him cough up a few bones for all the trouble he’s caused, if you really want. But I just meant that the guy would probably like to know that you’re okay. After all, that sort of thing can have a pretty life-changing effect on people, or so I’ve heard.” He eyed me up again, adding, “And remind me to stay on your good side.”

“Ah…right…” I said weakly, confused by the entire interaction. His words sound bad, but he seems to mean well? And I guess he does have a point. Noticing that Kenji was staring at me, I shook myself and added, “Well, I’ll think on it. For now, I just want to relax for a bit.” Shuffling past the man, I fumbled my key out of my pocket and held it up to the light to see the number ‘2-3’ engraved upon it. As the key turned and the door opened without issue, I heaved a sigh of relief. To Kenji, I said, “Hey, ah, thanks again.”

Turning around to flick his cigarette into the street below, the man slowly blew out his last puff of smoke and shrugged. “Yeah, don’t mention it. I owe ya big time, after all.”

“Yeah, of course,” I said slowly, and remembering my interaction from earlier, added, “Oh, that’s right; Mrs. Kai said she wants to talk to you downstairs.”

Immediately, the man’s face darkened, and he grumbled to himself, “Damn it, what’s the old bat want this time? I already told her I’d get her the dough…Well, whatever. Guess I’ll go talk to her. See ya around, Mr. Miura.”

Returning his wave, I shut the door behind me and fell back against it as the strength left my body. How did I ever get involved with a guy like that? He looks, talks, and acts so scary! And he made it sound like we were good friends, too.

I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm myself back down after the encounter, and thought, Well, that’s a question for later. Right now, I just want to relax.

However, my brain had other ideas. No more was the thought complete than a white light flashed behind my eyes, bringing with it a barrage of memories, and a vision of a time long-past.