My New Neighbor Is Hellishly Cute!

The street outside the station is silent tonight. There's only a few people walking, and the cars go slowly through the narrow way. I can hear some TV shows coming out from the apartments, at a very low volume. Like every night, I walk slowly towards my building, carrying the plastic bag with the instant noodles and the energy drink I'll be consuming in a few minutes.

Nothing out of the ordinary you could say. Being a 28-year old salaryman in a massive city, working from 9 to 5 six days a week like almost everybody here, living in a small, crowded apartment in a quiet residential area. All things you could call common or ordinary. The most exciting thing I do regularly is to go trekking to the mountains once a month, but nothing else.

And like most people, I seem to be expecting for a special thing to happen. Maybe an alien invasion, time travel or amnesia (well, maybe not that one). Something that can actually shake a person's life.

And like most people, I spend everyday doing the same mundane things, and nothing happens.

Well, maybe tonight something is happening. A truck is outside my building, starting its engines just when I'm getting home. Maybe a postal service or moving truck, who knows. Whatever it is, it's a bit strange, since it's not working hours for those jobs, and I don't know any truck driver in my neighborhood. Not that I know many people here either.

I climb up the stairs while I search for the keys on my pocket. I don't see anything unusual around though. I don't know what I was expecting to see either.

Maybe I wasn't expecting to see something, because I heard a noise. A loud banging noise, like crystal breaking. This place is usually dead silent, so any noise is heard by everybody. It's a pretty common situation in any residential area here, so I'm not surprised.

-Is everybody OK?- I ask, while leaving the plastic bag on the floor. I think the way I said that sounded pretty silly

-Yeah, ouch...-A soft female voice comes from next door. There wasn't anybody living there lately, so probably the truck that was here a while ago was a moving track.

I move towards the door, it's slightly open and the light is on. I guess I should have noticed that before.

Excuse me...-I say while I push the door a bit. In other context, I wouldn't do this, but it seems this person needs help.

When I enter I find a girl sitting on the floor with a lot of boxes all around her, and an open box at her feet, filled with what seems to be a tea kit. One of those expensive tea kits.

-Are you OK?- I say, although I had already said it a minute ago

-Oh, it's not a big deal. Just clumsy me.-She said while rubbing her head softly with her left hand in an embarrassed way.

She looked really cute while doing so, she was really cute indeed. Short light brown hair, a sweet expression on her face, wearing a red sweater that was really tight on her big chest. I try not to look too much, I don't want to be disrespectful to her, but it's hard not to.

I extend my hand towards her to help her get up. She takes my hand then. It feels so soft and warm, like, something I can't really explain.

-Thank you- she says -I thought I could do everything on my own, I was wrong.

-I can help if you need. I just came from work-I really don't know why I mentioned that, but I did.

-If it's OK with you...

-Yeah, don't worry. I wasn't doing anything important.-I say while laughing. Maybe I'm giving too much information. Wouldn't really want her to see me like a loser or a weirdo. But she looks so sweet...

-I'd need some help on sorting those boxes out. Some of them are a bit heavy.

We start lifting the boxes from the corridor that leads to the living room, and taking them to an empty room inside. The place is filled with boxes and packages, as well as furniture. Nothing out of the ordinary of course. Whenever there's a heavy box, we coordinate and lift it together.

-We make a great team it seems.-she said smiling in a very sweet way. I feel like melting inside. I haven't felt this way in a long time. Almost all boxes are already in the room.

Haha, yeah, we finished very quickly!-I laugh nervously. I shouldn't feel nervous I guess, but I really can't help it.

-I haven't asked your name yet-she says

-Ahh yes, guess it was all very sudden. My name is Umemura Kazuki. Nice to meet you.

-No need to be so formal-she says smiling softly.-I'm Ichinose Ai. Nice to meet you too. And thanks for helping me Kazuki-san. Seems we will be neighbors from now on. I'm looking forward to seeing you again.

-I'm looking forward for it too.-I answer trying to look confident. I guess it doesn't work much.

I start walking towards the apartment's exit, while she walks behind me.

-Bye, see you soon- she says while standing on the door.

-See you- I say while lifting up my hand to say goodbye. She closes the door and I walk back to my apartment (just 3 meters ahead, I make it sound like I went to a far away place). I open the door and get ready to eat my dinner. The energy drink is warm already, after all.

I turn on the TV just to have a background noise. I don't watch much stuff lately. The news are showing a security camera footage taken in my neighborhood. It's strange, as nothing ever happens here.

The images show a strange silhouette moving super fast on the street. Like inhumanly fast. The shape of whatever that is seems vaguely human. I haven't seen anything weird lately, so maybe things just happen when I'm not looking. But that's just the way it has always been.

Still, I can't complain. I can't help thinking about the new neighbor. She's so sweet, I'd say she's definitely my type. Sweet, loving, caring, with that mature and modest look. And the boobs. She's the kind of girl most guys would call "wife material". I mean, it sounds silly, but probably I'm thinking that too.

But she's probably out of my league too. And probably married or dating a guy. Wouldn't be surprising. After all, she seems like the kind who would be on a long-term relationship. Or maybe I'm thinking too much.

Maybe it's because nothing ever happens in my life, that a 10 minutes encounter with a girl makes me feel like something great is waiting for me.