It's really fun seeing her

EXT. EMPTY STREETS - EVENING

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

I need a bath so bad.

Walking down the familiar strip of buildings, the lights of the buildings seem to shut off as he approaches them.

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

You would think that these buildings are shutting off because of how bad I smell.

Heh...

Continuing to walk past the buildings, his grip tightens on the bag of bathing supplies dangling from his hand. Putting on a face of discomfort, he lifts his arms up to his scrunched nose to give it a sniff.

Suddenly, he snaps his arm down, becoming entirely dissuaded by his own joke in his head.

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

Wait... they’re not actually shutting them off because of me, right?

Bringing his eyes forward, he sees the bathhouse straight ahead. Hesitant, he halts his pace to wipe the sweat off his forehead.

Yeah... that’s all.

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

Okay, maybe I don’t really have everything in my bag. Let me check, and then I’ll start walking again.

After double... no... triple checking, he’s certain he’s fine to start walking again. Following through on his determination, he picks up his foot, bringing it forward, annnndddddd...

Hiroshi places his foot down firmly, putting down his bag in the process, and lifts up both his arms this time.

HIROSHI

Sh*t... I really do stink.

A tear quickly develops on each of his eyes, and just before it falls, he reaches up to clear it.

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

It’s gotta be from all those runs Mr.***** made us go on today.

Still rubbing his eyes, he continues for another moment before bringing his arms down. Collecting himself, he brings himself down to grab his bag and conjures the will to finally finish the last 30 seconds of his walk to the bathhouse.

But right after conjuring the will, his eyes turn ahead, noticing a slender figure standing outside of the bathhouse. Illuminated by the light right above the bathhouse door, her eyes are staring right at Hiroshi, and her hands lay resting on a key inside of the front door.

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

This is bad. Did she see? I think I’m good, she must’ve just gotten out here.

The girl looks from Hiroshi’s eyes to his armpits, then back at his eyes as if trying to hide her gaze. After an interaction that felt like an eternity, she now completely snaps her attention away, and turns back to the key in the door.

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

Ah, she saw... this sucks.

***

The girl pulls the key away from the door, having clicked it to lock it a second ago.

???

...Do you like smelling armpits?

HIROSHI

NO! I just...

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

Why is she staring at me like that? I’m not a weirdo, I promise!

The girl continues staring at him, awaiting the continuation of his sentence.

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

I DEFINITELY don’t! Why am I getting so defensive though? Wait... do I?

HIROSHI

NO, no way.

???

It’s fine, I don’t particularly care. I was just wondering.

The girl closes her eyes and sighs having just witnessed this confusing struggle.

SAID STRUGGLE: To love smelly armpits... or to not love smelly armpits.

Bringing her eyes back to Hiroshi’s, she holds the key up to his line of sight.

???

I just locked up for the night. You want to take a bath right?

Snapping back to reality from thoughts that most definitely centralized around SAID STRUGGLE, he looks between the girl and the door.

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

Yes. I really need to... I really... really... need to. But...

HIROSHI

No. I’m okay.

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

I lied...

The girl stares at Hiroshi with a blank expression for another moment, looking between his eyes and his armpit one last time without him realizing. Bringing her arm down, she puts the key into her pocket.

???

Okay then.

Diverting her attention off to the side, she picks up a leather bag resting next to the door. Presumably, she put it down there herself to lock it up earlier.

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

I don’t want to stop talking to her yet... normally I get more time in the bathhouse...

???

I’m going to go home... so be safe.

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

Ah... wait. Is it wrong to say I want a bath now? I already told her no, I shouldn’t inconvenience her anymore.

Turned around now, the girl starts walking away with her bag in hand. As if everything is moving in slow motion, each step she takes echoes louder than the other. Her eyelashes drop down at a pace that would normally bring tears of dehydration to the eyes, and her legs move at a pace that would be impossible to hold the balance of.

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

Something... Anything! I don’t want to be selfish... Why do I always suck when it comes to moments like this?

Creeping to the pace of being frozen in time, she continues with her distancing movement. The only thing that gradually adjusts though is her eyes. Gracefully, without moving her head too much, her eyes look back. Within lies a multitude of feelings too impossible to convey, yet the one emotion that pulls through within the one eye visible... is a sense of yearning.

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

Is this really the right thing...? Whatever. Here go—

HIROSHI

Hey!

Cutting his own mind off, he blurts out the first word that came to mind. The girl turns her body slightly, only turning enough to get her head to look at Hiroshi. Carefully, they make direct eye contact.

HIROSHI

Um... do you mind if I walk you home.

A subtle glint of light reaches into the girl’s eyes, gently flowing around, as if dancing, but not portraying anything more than that. Now turning her entire body to match her head, she faces Hiroshi completely. Immediately, her head dips down to look at the ground.

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

Sh*t, did I mess that up? First it was the armpits, now this. She probably thinks I’m a weirdo after all.

At this thought, Hiroshi also dips his head down, prepared to wallow in his idiocy. But keeping his head down, his eyes take one more look at the girl, and he’s able to see her true expression now. It’s hard to make out, but the girl’s mouth is curled so imperfectly that it can barely count as a smile. Yet, somehow, it seems more like a smile than any smile that Hiroshi has seen before.

HIROSHI

Hey, you...

The girl lifts her head up, keeping up the portrayal of the imperfect smile, but trying to hide it now.

???

You know... you never seem to actually understand how you feel. You... you really are something, Hiroshi.

The girl settles her smile now, but is still unable to remove the imperfect roughness of the shape of her mouth. The light in her eyes matches it, remaining tiny enough that it could fade at any moment, but for now, it has decided to dance.

???

Yes... you can walk me home.

Positioning her body off to the side, the girl keeps her gaze on Hiroshi and nods her head off in the direction she was walking in.

???

Come on, let’s go.

A look of confusion finds its way to Hiroshi’s face, prompting him to bring his hand to the back of his head. After rubbing his hair for a second, he lets out a light breath of laughter, and gives a light jog to catch up to the girl.

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

Somehow... This is scarier than if she had said no.

***

Hiroshi looks around, paying extra attention to the clouds that his breath creates when he breathes. Each puff comes out with thick density, each separation of the cloud piling up onto each other before it decides to dissipate. Similarly, the girl’s breath creates a cloud just as dense, yet somehow it dissipates immediately. Rather than piling to hold its thickness, it scatters immediately, giving up before it is burdened with the fight against the cold.

Staring at her breath, the phenomenon puzzles Hiroshi. He stares for another second longer, truly curious by how there could be such drastically different results from similar breaths. Actually, maybe he started staring for a bit too long...

???

Hiroshi...

HIROSHI

Ah, yes!?

Caught off guard from what he was previously... occupied with, he darts his eyes to hers.

???

You’ve been staring at my lips for a while now...

They’ve been walking for a little bit now, standing side by side. Hiroshi holds a slight distance from her, partially because he doesn’t want to make things weird... but mainly because...

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

Wow... I can’t stop smelling myself. I shouldn’t have told her I didn’t need the wash... Ah, but more importantly!

HIROSHI

Huh!? Uh, no! Well, actually yes, I was staring! But I didn’t mean it in that way!

The girl brings her attention back forwards, focusing on each step she takes into the sidewalk. Keeping her head slightly angled down with her attention, her usual smile emerges.

???

It’s okay. Again, as long as it’s you, I don’t mind.

Hiroshi also gives an awkward smile, bringing his head forward as well. He tries to match her, bringing his attention to the steps he takes.

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

Huh? As long as it’s me? There’s no way that doesn’t mean what I think it means... right?

OPERATION: Match Her Movements So I Don’t Make Things Awkward

STATUS: FAILED

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

Actually, I read somewhere that probably makes things more awkward. I should stop.

Sneaking a look over at the girl, Hiroshi changes targets from earlier. He no longer looks at her lips, but looks towards her preoccupied eyes now. Still watching her steps, the girl doesn’t say anything else.

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

If that’s how she feels, then I also want to say how I feel.

Bringing his eyes back to try and recover the OPERATION, he looks down at the sidewalk again. What he was focusing on... take a guess.

After a moment, he brings his attention forward. Sneaking a couple more glances over at the girl, he lets out one more cloudy breath.

HIROSHI

Do you mind if I come see you from now on?

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

Well... it was less me saying how I feel and more like me asking something from her again. D*mn it.

The girl looks up from her steps that had her attention up until now. Her expression changes, keeping her eyes centered on Hiroshi.

???

Sure... but haven’t you already been doing that anyways?

Quickly rushing to complete his thought, he continues.

HIROSHI

Wait! Sorry, I was actually trying to say how I feel, and I messed up.

The girl now looks at him, waiting to see what he’s talking about.

HIROSHI

Well, how I feel is somewhere in there... but I didn’t really think about that part. I just thought of the question. I think it’s fun to talk to you... I guess?

Hiroshi’s eyes shake slightly in an attempt to calm himself, but his attention can’t leave from the oppressive feeling he’s getting from the girl.

HIROSHI

If it was a weird question, just say so! I didn’t have any bad—

???

Hey.

Snapping out of his train of thought, his eyes steady onto the girl.

HIROSHI

Oh, uh, yeah?

The girl looks at him silently for a moment, not answering to his response.

???

I already said that I’m okay with it.

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

Wait, what? Since when?

HIROSHI

Oh... right. I forgot. You said I can start walking you home every day, right?

???

No... not even close... Don’t lie, you didn’t hear me, did you?

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

D*mn it...

OPERATION: Match Her Movements So I Don’t Make Things Awkward

STATUS: DOUBLE TIMES FAILED

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

Literally only I could manage to fail an operation twice.

The girl glances off to her side, this time looking over at the passing buildings rather than the sidewalk. Quickly, she returns her gaze back to Hiroshi with a sigh.

???

I told you, didn’t I...?

HIROSHI

Okay, this time I really have no clue what you’re talking about.

???

...You’re lying again.

OPERATION: Match Her Movements So I Don’t—

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

NO! I really don’t know, I didn’t fail any operation this time!

Bringing his attention back to the girl from his mental battle, like usual, he looks at her eyes first. The girl’s breath peaks up past her eyes now. Rather than dissipating immediately, it accepts the burden of fighting. It doesn’t accept all of it, as it dissipates soon after, but it definitely fights more than before. Whether it fights to reach higher, or to cover her eyes is unclear, but Hiroshi can still see her eyes past the clouds of breath. The girl’s eyes shake, maybe even more frantically than Hiroshi’s did earlier.

???

I told you... as long as it’s you, I don’t mind.

HIROSHI

Oh… right, you did say that.

Continuing to stare at the girl, Hiroshi’s eyes soften, and the curl in his mouth becomes gentle.

HIROSHI

It’s exactly because you said that that I wanted to be honest about how I felt though, so don’t worry, I didn’t forget.

The girl takes a couple of breaths, steadying her clouds of breath back to the immediate dissipation. Whether for better or for worse, it seems to be what she considers normal.

???

O... okay. I guess that’s fine then.

OPERATION: Match Her Movements So I Don’t Make Things Awkward

STATUS: MAYBE... RECOVERED?

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

Alright, alright, enough of that.

???

So... haven’t you already been coming to see me?

HIROSHI

Huh... you think so?

Dumbfounded, the girl looks over to Hiroshi with a quick breath that escapes her mouth.

???

...Aren’t you the one that’s supposed to know that?

Hiroshi looks up at the sky for a second with his hand on his chin. A little late to the party, he turns his attention from the sky back to her eyes.

HIROSHI

I guess you’ve got a point. Then yeah, I have been doing that already.

The smile appears on the girl’s face again hearing Hiroshi’s answer. Looking towards the lights that lack illumination, she closes her eyes, thinking for a moment.

???

Want to play a game real quick?

Having matched her movement, Hiroshi brings his closed eyes down from the lights to the girl. He opens them, seeing that her eyes had already been opened at some point, staring at him.

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

Sh*t, I resorted to the operation again. Old habits die hard.

HIROSHI

What kind of game?

???

Well... it’s just one question honestly.

HIROSHI

Hm... ask away then.

The girl lifts up her arm that isn’t occupied by her bag, staring at her wrist as she brings it up. Softening her eyes, she puts her arm down, and looks forward.

???

If there was somewhere you could go... where you’ve never been before… Where would you go?

Suddenly, the paving of the sidewalk grinds beneath Hiroshi as he stops in his tracks. The girl also stops, standing a few feet from him.

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

Such a random question.

Slowly, Hiroshi starts to rub the back of his head as he looks around himself. He widens his eyes and, finally, brings them back to the girl.

HIROSHI

Umm... Okinawa!

The girl parts her lips as if to respond, but only silence squeezes through.

Her gaze lingers on Hiroshi for a moment longer, searching.

???

...Okinawa?

HIROSHI

Yeah... Oh no... is that weird?

The girl continues staring, expressing a clear sign of confusion.

???

No... It’s just... Have you never been?

Both of them now share the look, tilting their heads as they stare at each other.

HIROSHI

Oh wait...

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

Wow, my memory has been failing me non-stop today.

HIROSHI

...You did say that, huh?

???

Eh... Wait... Hold on...

The girl brings her hand to her mouth now, making an effort to block it.

???

Why would that even be your answer? Even if I didn’t say you can’t have been there?

HIROSHI

Mmm... I don’t know. I went when I was younger, but it seems fun to lay down in the sun.

Satisfied with his answer, Hiroshi starts to resume his pace, doing the same motion with his head that the girl gave him earlier. Slightly dumbfounded, the girl follows his invitation to begin walking again, still holding her hand in front of her mouth.

A subtle noise starts to pick up from beside Hiroshi. Abruptly, yet steadily, it occurs in repetitions. It’s not truly loud enough to garner the average person’s attention, yet it doesn’t go unnoticed by Hiroshi.

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

I didn’t think my answer was that dumb... and who’s she to laugh at my answer!? She didn’t even give hers!

Coming to this realization, Hiroshi looks over to the girl and slightly opens his mouth as if to ask a question.

...

But the question never comes. Instead, his mouth closes. With his attention now turned to beside him, the source of the subtle, yet continuous, noise becomes apparent.

The girl is laughing.

The breaths are held back with an effort for denial, but each one delicately escapes from her lips. Tears now start to well up in her eyes, not dropping in sadness, but clinging to the corner of her eyes as she attempts to wipe them away.

???

What kind of answer even is that? We have sun here you know.

They both stand still again, with Hiroshi looking closely at the girl. Suddenly, late to the party again, he pieces what’s happening together.

HIROSHI

Oh- Well, I... Wait! Why are you even laughing in the first place!? I was serious!

???

Ah- No, sorry—

Her laughs continue, slowly dying down now as she wipes the last of her tears away.

???

—I just didn’t expect such a basic answer.

HIROSHI

...I didn’t think it was that basic...

???

No, no, don’t mind me. Sorry if I offended you.

HIROSHI

Man... You’re pretty crude, aren’t you?

Clearly surprised by this question, the girl darts her head in Hiroshi’s direction.

???

Ah, no... I mean... I guess? I really didn’t mean t—

Gradually, her words become harder to hear, lasting until the words are muffled. Shifting from his bothered expression, a gentle smile emerges on Hiroshi’s face.

Subtly and softly.

HIROSHI (VOICEOVER)

Of course I don’t mind... It’s the first time I’ve seen you genuinely laugh after all.