Chapter 3:

A Simple Day

Ghost of Memory

Yuki feels very lonely when Anis leaves for the office. There's nothing for her to do. She rearranges the neatly arranged wardrobe. She dusts the wicker sofa in the living room with a duster. She polishes the bedroom floor with a wet rag until it shines, but the time still won't pass. Eventually, she goes and sits on the third-floor balcony. She really likes the small balcony of this house. The railed balcony is circular. From here, she can see a long way. There's a girls' school right in front. It's so much fun to watch the girls at playtime! Yuki sits on the balcony for almost the entire afternoon. She doesn't like sitting alone in the house. It feels like her breath gets caught. She also feels a little scared.

Of course, as the afternoon turns to evening, that feeling of dread fades. In the evenings, the landlord's two daughters sit in their inner garden, having fun with their tea. They laugh heartily as they drink. Some days, their father joins them.

Yuki had met the younger girl a few days ago. What a girl! Very smart. And beautiful, too. One afternoon, Yuki was sitting on the porch when the girl appeared, a smile playing on her lips. She was holding some kind of book. She came right up and said, “I've come to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“Why do you sit on the porch all day?”

“All day? I just sit in the afternoon. There's nothing to do, and I get lonely.”

“Right. Can I sit here? I didn't go to college today. I had a botany practical.”

The girl sat down very casually. Within an hour, she had talked a lot. Then, as she was leaving, she suddenly said, “Can I ask one more thing?”

“Go ahead.”

“Why are you so beautiful? I don't like anyone more beautiful than me.”

Yuki didn't know what to say.

The girl laughed and said, “You know what the girls in our class think? They think I'm the most beautiful woman in ██████████. I'll bring them over one day and show them to you.”

“Alright, bring them. Sit down for a bit. Would you like some tea?”

“No, I don't drink much tea. Drinking too much tea makes your skin dark.”

The girl left as suddenly as she had arrived. Yuki liked her. She was really starting to like the new apartment. Even though it was in ███ █████, it was quite peaceful. It wasn't like the apartment in ████████. There was no breathing room there. Trucks and cars were going by day and night. Terrible! This apartment was set back. The landlord is a very nice man, too.

On the very first day, he told Anis, ''I don't need to rent out my house. A house is for money, and I have enough of that. Still, I keep two rooms rented because it doesn't feel right to have such a big house with no one in it. It starts to feel like a graveyard. But I don't rent to just anyone. I'm renting to you because I like you.''

The rent is very low, too. Only a few hundred yen. It's a stroke of luck to find a house this big with three rooms for a few hundred yen. Yuki felt a sense of relief when she came here. The bathroom was her favorite part. A big, sparkling bathroom. Yuki really liked the house.

When Anis asked, “So, will you take it? Do you like it?”

“Yes.”

''Think it over carefully before you say yes. If you decide you don't like it in two days, I'll be in a tough spot. The house in ████████ was good. I changed it for no reason.'

''This place is nice too.''

Yuki happily decorated the new apartment. She bought curtains herself and sewed them all night. She was full of enthusiasm.

"Listen, Yuki, you have to get along with everyone. Go over to the other tenants’ places. It's not good to be so isolated. Will you go?''

''I will.''

“You know, when you live alone, all sorts of problems can crop up. You'll have to be friendly with all the tenants.”

“There's only one tenant.”

“You'll go there. You'll also go to the landlord's house.”

''Alright, I'll go.'

But Yuki didn't go anywhere. She doesn't feel like it. She can't mingle with others the way they do. She feels awkward in front of other people. She'd rather just sit in the wicker chair on the porch.

The afternoon is just so hard to get through. Once it's over, it feels like a relief.

But today's afternoon is long. It just won't pass. She doesn't feel like sitting on the porch either. For some reason, the girls' school is closed. It's quiet all around. So empty. What if she lies down for a little while? The inside of the house felt strange. Yuki went inside and drew the curtains. It got much darker.

Darkness and silence. And then, a clear voice called, “Yuki, Yuki.” For a few moments, Yuki didn't move. She waited. But the one who had called didn't call a second time.

In the midst of this all-encompassing silence, a disembodied voice called out to Yuki. She had heard this call countless times. Who was it? Where did it come from? Yuki whispered, “Who?” There was no answer.

“Who are you?”

The window curtain was just trembling. It was getting late in the afternoon. Yuki let out a small sigh and stepped out onto the porch. In the garden below, the landlord's older daughter was walking.

Her name was Niloo, I think. This girl was nothing like her sister. Serious. She hardly ever talks. Still, whenever she sees her, Yuki feels that the girl is very good. A sweet girl.

Yuki saw the girl sitting alone. She felt like going down and talking to her. But she didn't go.