A Semi-Permanent Situation

RING, RING, RING

"Meeeeegumi time to get up!"

Wait what? What was my mom doing here?

WHAM!

All of a sudden I feel a crushing weight on top of me and get a glimpse of a headful of bright red hair that smelled faintly of cigarettes.

Kana...

"How do you keep managing to get in here after I swear I lock the door every night before bed?"

I push her off of me and roll over to turn my alarm off before getting up and stretching.

"Oh I have my ways... Anyway, that's not what's important! It's finally Saturday which means no university for you and no work for me. Let's get out there and partaaaaay!"

She grabs my arm and commences dancing us around laughing. 

"It may be the weekend, but I can't party Kana. I have a big exam coming up on Monday that I really need to study for."

I pull away from her and start my daily routine for the day. 

"Exaaaaactly! You have all weekend. It's only Saturday you little university nerd. Saturdays are for partying and Sundays are for studying. It's like a universal law."

Teeth brushed? Check.
Hair brushed? Check.
Favorite grey sweatshirt paired with my matching grey sweatpants? Check.

"Hello?! Earth to Megumi?! Fine we won't go partying tonight, but we are going shopping and I have just the place I'd like to stop by first!" 

She smirks as she wraps one of my t-shirts that was laying on my bed over my eyes and ties it tight. 

Oh god- this is never good.

"Kana... Where are we going?"

I feel as she leads me through my apartment and out the door slowly down the stairs. 

"It's a surprise silly or else you wouldn't be blind-folded. Duh!"

We walk for several minutes before Kana stops us suddenly. All I can get from this point is a strong whiff of cigarettes and booze.

"We're heeeeeere!" 

Suddenly Kana whips off my blindfold and my heart immediately drops.

Oh...my...god...

"Isn't it great? They just opened a few weeks ago and I've been dying to get some ink! Now I knooooow you aren't the biggest fan of needles, but you don't have to watch! Just close your eyes!"

As she attempts to drag me inside I freeze up. 

A tattoo shop?! Kana dragged me to a tattoo shop for real?! Knowing that I have an intense fear of needles and anything related to them?

"Megumi, look... it's really not all that bad. They have a really chill atmosphere and there's this really cute-"

"Kana I don't care! This isn't the first time you've been here?! First of all, this is on a really crappy side of town as you can see. Second of all, yes you do know how I feel about needles and  how both of our families feel about tattoos. I say we turn around now and just go clothes shopping. You're always telling me how I need to update my wardrobe."

Just as I'm gesturing towards my sweats, Kana swiftly jerks me inside.

"I know this side of town isn't the best, that's why instead of going alone again I decided to bring you with me. My family can't stand cigarettes either and as you can see that isn't stopping me from smoking. Plus you really need to learn to get over your fear of needles, and this is the perfect place for that! It's not like you're getting any ink."

"But Ka-"

Just as I'm about to protest some more, a tall young guy about our age with full sleeves of tattoos and dyed purple hair approaches us. 

"Kana! Glad to see you're back! We missed ya! This time you brought a friend with you eh? A cutie too." He reverts his gaze from Kana to me, checking me out.

"Hey I'm cute too y'know!" Out of jealousy Kana stamps her foot down onto his.

Must be the cute guy she was going to tell me about. Yeah he's not bad looking. Tall, pretty blue eyes, it's just the tattoos and hair that's throwing me off.

"Okay, okay, you're cute too. Anyways, Shin is waiting in the back for ya." He points towards a dimly lit room in the back.

"Aww you're not tattooing me? Fine, Shin is cool too I suppose. I'll be back in a little while Megumi. Don't freak out while I'm gone."

As she walks away my anxiety immediately starts to rise. Everywhere I looked there were needles it seemed like. 

"You want some ink too?" The tall purple haired guy asks as he walks towards the nearest chair and buzzes one of the guns.

"EEP!" Immediately I flinch and duck down out of fear.

What was Kana thinking by bringing me here?!

"Ah not a fan of needles huh?" he says as he sets down the gun and walks back over towards me, sitting down in one of the chairs.

Well no duh. Not like I didn't just flinch and duck down or anything.

"No, I'm not. Nor am I fan of tattoos either. I don't know what you did to convince my friend to come here and get a tattoo, but you're wrong. Tattoos are only for those part of the yakuza and delinquents." I cross my arms and huff as I whip my head upwards to avoid eye contact.

"So you're one of thoooose. Only for delinquents and yakuza members huh? I mean I was a delinquent when I was younger. Used to steal and deal, but after discovering I had a talent for drawing and thought tattoos were cool I thought I'd give tattooing a shot. After I became a tattoo artist back in the states, a buddy of mine got me into anime which caused me to fall in love with Japanese culture and move here. I get some people with tattoos have a bad rep, but not everyone who decides to get one is a bad person. Plus Kana came here on her own accord begging to get a tattoo, but we were booked that day so we scheduled her for today."

I watch as he pulls a pack of cigarettes from out his shirt pocket and lights one, purposefully blowing the smoke in my direction. 

Ugh he smokes too. Typical bad boy. He just admitted to being a delinquent and he likes tattoos. Most people associated with tattoos like him are just nothing but trouble. I must keep Kana from coming back here and talking to this guy.

"Kinda weird that you enjoy sticking needles in other people's skin and having the same done to you. Also, you just admitted to being a delinquent as you're sporting a whole array of tattoos. Once a delinquent, always a delinquent, so whatever you say doesn't matter. Tattoos are bad. You won't change my mind."

I huff again as I sit in the chair next to his. 

"Whatever you say Ms. Sweatpants in Nearly 80 Degree Weather."

Who does this guy think he is?!

After we spend the next hour or so arguing back and forth. Kana finally comes out followed by a short old man covered head to toe in tattoos.

"Like my tattoo? It's really not that bad Megumi, you should get one too so we match!" She flips her wrist over towards me showing off a small purple butterfly. 

"Yeah, no thanks. We're leaving now." I drag her out the door, shooting the purple haired guy one last dirty look.

"Geez what happened? Never seen you so mad before. Did you and Alex get into a fight or something?" 

Alex. So that's his name.

"He's a delinquent obsessed with needles Kana. You really need to stay away from him and that shop. He's nothing but trouble."

"Nothing but trouble? Just because he enjoys tattooing and has tattoos of his own? Does that make me a delinquent too since I smoke and have a tattoo now? I get being scared of needles, but you shouldn't judge someone off their appearance. Alex is actually a really cool guy." 

Cool huh? Not the kind of cool I want you hanging around with.

"Let's just continue shopping, and promise not to go back to that shop and talk to that Alex guy again okay?"

She just nods as we start our trek back towards our side of town.

After an eventful day shopping I was absolutely exhausted. Just as I'm walking up the stairs to my apartment, I see a dark hooded figure attempting to use keys to get into the room next door. 

Huh? I didn't think anyone lived there. 

"Excuse me sir-"

Just as I'm attempting to figure out who my possible new neighbor was, their hood falls.

"What are you doing here?!"