Context is important, guys!

As a child, I was taught not to judge things by their appearances. After all, looks can be quite deceiving. My parents always told me to look at things objectively, and consider every aspect surrounding the thing before making a decision.

But unfortunately in this earth that we live in, many people judge others just because of their looks and behavior. People can never truly understand each other unless they actively try to. I guess I'm partially influenced by this unspoken rule. I find myself being so quiet during the day, and yet I talk so much with Yuta and Mayu, it makes my whole life so far seem contradictory. I'm not a talkative person, but I do admit that I find it necessary for me to make a statement whenever someone says something, because otherwise that would make me feel inferior. I guess it's some sort of inferiority complex. Then again, I love making snappy comebacks, because it makes you feel powerful and relaxed.

But THIS...

"What the hell? Who are you? What the fuck are you doing in my home?"

Heading back from school, today I was supposed to quickly head out again to fulfill my work as a late night cashier. The 7-11 won't run itself, after all.

Yet there sat on my couch, a girl who looked like Natsuki from Doki Doki Literature Club. The 2 person couch was already quite large for my apartment, and there she was, lying down on it as if it were a bed.

"Aaahh! Don't scare me like that!" said the young girl, who still sat on my couch as if nothing happened.

Furious and panicked, I grabbed the fork that I left in the washroom sink. For the first time in forever, I was glad that I didn't put it back in the cabinet after washing it, and I was praising my cousin Itsuki and his friend for renting an apartment that had its toilet close to the front door, cause I think I'd throw up in fear anytime now.

"Answer me... NOW!"

"Oh god Okay okay! Put the fork down, first!"

"I ain't putting shit down unless you answer to me and tell me who you are!"

"My name is Satsuki! First name Satsuki, Last name Murasaki! Now please, put the fork down!"

"Where are you from? What are you doing in my apartment? How did you get in? I'll call the cops if you don't explain!"

"I'm from Japan, and I go to your school as well! I'm in class 10B... I wanted to be friends with you, because you always seemed lonely, so I wanted to leave a letter here! Although, you left the door unlocked... I was curious as to what your place looked like, so I helped myself!"

"And so you're telling me, that a video-game-character-looking ass like you just waltzed into my home like it was nothing? You know how illegal everything you did was, right?"

"I'm sorry! Please, can you calm down so we can peacefully resolve this? I'll explain everything!"

This better be worth my time.

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Satsuki Murasaki. No shit, but this girl is known to be very bold and daring at times, even though she's one year younger than me. From what the rumors told me, she was also quite the troublemaker. I wonder about what bullshit she dragged me into this time.

She seems to have trouble getting along with her family as well. From her stories, I could see that her parents weren't exactly great people. I also spotted faded scars on various parts of her body, such as her forehead and left arm. Poor girl must've been brought up in a harsh manner. Yet, she's so carefree and reckless. I find myself guilty for how I threatened to harm her and how she had a horrible upbringing, but I also remind myself that this kid barged into my living environment and disrupted my peace and quiet, yet I was also jealous of how she was acted so nonchalant. I kind of have mixed feelings now. I shouldn't think too hard about her behavior pattern.

"First of all, you should really go get help if your family is abusing you." I said to Satsuki, in a very strict manner.

"They don't do it anymore. These days, they only neglect me. They realize that I can't be broken, no matter how much they try to break me. They feed me now, and I don't suffer from my horrible upbringing anymore. I study hard, and I play hard! That's my motto, and that's how I think it should be for everyone." Satsuki replied, easing my worries a bit.

Ah, what a carefree youngster.

"If that's the case, I guess I can't do much to help."

"Of course you can't! You're nothing but a boring and isolated fool."

Wow, hurtful.

"Yet I find myself... Deeply drawn to you, Yoshimitsu."

Wow, surprising. I don't get it.

"I don't understand. Please elaborate."

"I head to the counsellor's office every now and then. Since it's on the third floor, I'd pass by your classroom every time I went to the office, and most of the time, I'd see you looking out the window, while quietly sitting on your seat. You looked bored all the time, and I thought to myself, that someone needs to accompany him. Yet, as the days go by, you continue to sit there with a bored expression. It's as if you don't care about the world around you, that you only pretend to, in order to survive in this society we live in."

"Satsuki, I will tell you two things right now: One, you are only half correct. The fact that I'm bored all the time is probably due to my indifference. Two, don't secretly analyze people like that. What you said just now unsettles me. I'm gonna have to face the school hallway the next time I look out the window."

I've grown accustomed to the isolation by now. It's why I look bored all the time, and enjoy looking at scenery. I didn't have to face the judgement of other people at school whenever I looked out the window and take in the sights. The empty classroom makes it so that I wouldn't conform to the class, allowing me to fully accept myself. 

I believe that everyone has insecurities. This is the way I deal with mine. By accepting everything with a neutral opinion, there would be no love or hate from other people, but it really does make you lonely every once in a while. To rid of this vicious cycle of inferiority, I've chosen to interact more, which brings me here to where I am today.

"Let's be friends, Satsuki. I'll help you out, and you can come visit my home anytime. Knowing you, even right now you're probably not welcome in your household."

"You're so unreadable you know; one moment you're ready to beat an intruder to death and the other moment you're trying to make friends with her."

"Are you still referring to yourself as an intruder? If so, I'd like more questions such as how you found out where I live."

"I followed you. Teehee!"

"Don't Teehee me you stalker girl!"

"But I'll gladly take up your offer. I've always wanted to know you more, Mr. Lonely upperclassman!"

"You certainly have a way with words, don't you..."

"Anyways, I see that your parents aren't home with you. Are they not back yet?"

"No, it's just that I live alone. My cousin and his friend rented this place out for me."

"Then I'll visit as much as I want!"

"No, please don't do that."

Knowing how much trouble you are, I think it'd be better if you only came once or twice a year.

"Aww! But I wanted to get chummy with you!"

"Don't make insensitive jokes like that."

"No matter what you say though, I'll definitely visit more now! This place of yours really gives me the otaku vibes, you know?"

"Yeah, okay, whatever."

We talked a bit more about each other respectively and before I knew it, Satsuki soon had to return to her harsh family environment.

"In all seriousness, don't be shy coming back here." I said to her, even though it sounded kind of embarrassing.

"I definitely will come back here, don't worry!" Satsuki replied with a sly expression.

Just as I felt like the day was over, I looked at the clock and a realization hit me. I was late for work. My manager is a very scary person, and suddenly I find myself panicking all over the place.

"Oh shit! I'm late for work! Better go now! Satsuki, please watch after the place!"

That was the quickest conclusion I could jump to. Before she could reply, I gave her my phone number and went out with my uniform, leaving her in the home. It took me 30 minutes after my arrival at my job to realize that I left a girl that I met today in my apartment.

"OH GOD NO"

Opening my phone, I was ready to call her, but then I realized that she didn't give me her phone number, making me panic even more. Just as I was going to mentally collapse, I received a message from Satsuki, and I regained my composure.

"Hi Yoshimitsu! I'll take care of the home for now. In exchange, let me stay here once in a while. My parents don't care about where I go anyway. Hehe, maybe I'll be a pretty good wife!"

It seems that I've got nothing to worry about.

"alright please don't break anything while I'm gone"

I returned the message and left a heavy sigh. While working mindlessly, I wondered about how I ended up in that predicament. It's probably something that only happens under very, very specific conditions. I'm glad that I was able to resolve it though. Besides, I've obtained yet another source of entertainment in my life, so I wonder about all the wacky things that's to come.

After a hard night's work, I returned home to find the place tidier than ever. A note was also left on the table, wishing me a good night's sleep. Satsuki really is a nice person, even if her brash behavior makes her seem like she isn't. I guess this was her way of saying sorry for intruding my home. After all, different people would have different preferences in repenting.

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"Are you serious? Yoshimitsu, you do realize how messed up your ordeal was, right?"

"Relax Mayu, it wasn't that big of a deal for us anyway."

"I'm telling you it is, Yoshimitsu!"

Lunch break arrived and I found myself discussing what we did yesterday with Mayu. Apparently, she told me about how unsociable I was, and that she would teach me to develop confidence in myself. Hence, she'd meet up with me for lunch every other day, and we'd talk about many things. Today, the thought of how Satsuki shook me up yesterday was all that I had in mind, so I told Mayu about what happened. It's kind of traumatic you know? When someone you completely don't know breaks into your home, but then you go to sleep knowing that you know her now, and then you realize that all the soda had been finished by her, and then you find out that she actually stayed at your place, and did your chores for you.

She sat there dumbfounded, and hence a heated questioning session began.

"What if you succumbed to your desires? What if you did something indecent, Yoshimitsu?"

"Like I said, I'm not into that kind of thing! You know I'm not, so calm down!"

"Okay, okay... What was she doing in your home though?"

"See, she's got family issues, and she's kind of like an admirer of mine I guess?"

"It's weird for someone to admire a loner like you."

"Wow, hurtful."

"In any case, she's a good person, and she can do chores at home."

"Now I just really want to meet her!" Mayu said, while showing excitement.

"I'm telling you she's also quite a handful... of trouble, that is."

"It can't be that bad, right?"

Oi, Mayu. You're forgetting that she broke into my apartment.

"I guess I'll introduce the both of you to each other."

Just as I finished that sentence, Satsuki approached our desk in our classroom.

"Speak of the devil, and she shall appear."

"Who are you to refer to me as a devil? Stupid Yoshimitsu."

"Doesn't matter to me. Mayu, this is Satsuki of class 10B. I hope you'll become good acquaintances."

"This disrespectful brat is Satsuki? Yoshimitsu, you shouldn't be friends with someone like her!"

"This goody two shoes is Mayu? The Mayu that you talked about yesterday? Damn, she looks annoying."

As soon as the both of them appeared in front of one another, the atmosphere around me grew uneasy. It was a battlefield. Before the argument could reach any further level and expose me to violence, I left quietly while they were bickering.

Yes, I'm a coward, and I can't be bothered to waste my time over this.

Or so I thought. After half an hour, I came to check up on them, and they had become 'besties'.

"Oi oi Mayu, what the fuck happened while I was gone? One moment you were at each others throat and now you're best friends? What the hell happened?"

"I was getting sick of the negativity, so I started talking about things I liked! Sure, our attitudes are worlds apart, but we shared many interests, and that's what matters!"

"Just as cheery as ever, aren't you?"

It's surprising to see how Mayu can actually turn the tables around in a social situation. Sure, her academics may not be the best when it comes to deep shit, but in some ways, her social skills and basic understanding of things makes her stand out, not to mention her charisma. Her positivity overflows and she ends up being able to befriend 87% of the people she meets.

I envy her talent. Social skills play a big factor in life, and I envy her for being able to perform so well in talking to other people. I easily tire out after talking for so long, and even as we speak, I'm really, really tired. I wish I could go to bed all day and not wake up. I'm pretty sure we all do.

"Well the next period is coming up. I'll see you tomorrow, you airheaded philosopher!"

Sheesh Mayu, did Satsuki influence you?

Also, what were they talking about, to get her this indulged? Whatever it is, it's not my job to find out, so I'll just forget it. It's easier for me to cope this way.