Chapter 6

My sister walked out of her room and saw that Fumiko and I standing in the living room.

“Eh?? Kiyoshi, who is that? Why do you have a girl here?” My sister screamed.

“Keiko, it’s not what you think.” I said, facepalming.

“Why are you shirtless?!”

“Because I’m sweaty and—I’m not shirtless, Keiko. I just took off my uniform.”

“Oh, I see. You still haven’t told me who this girl is that you brought into our apartment. She could be a robber or a burglar or something.”

“She’s not a burglar.”

“Maybe she’s a prostitute.”

“She doesn’t sell her body.”

“Oh, okay. I still don’t trust you, missy.”

Keiko hid behind the couch, hoping that Fumiko didn’t see her. Even though it was completely obvious that she was hiding behind the couch.

“Keiko, your dog hoodie is still visible.” I said.

Keiko took her hood and laid down behind the couch, “Now you can’t see me. I know it.”

“Whatever you say, Keiko.”

Fumiko walked behind the couch and kneeled down towards Keiko, “Hi, Keiko. It’s nice to meet you. My name is Fumiko Ahmya. I am a close friend of your brother. He invited me to stay with you both for a few nights.”

“Wait, what? A few nights? Since when?” I exclaimed.

“Since right now,” Fumiko smiled. “You won’t dare let little ol’ me to rot out there in those dangerous streets, would you?”

I looked away from Fumiko with my face blushing, yet again. Why was she so good at tugging at my heartstrings and getting me to cave into her demands?

“No, I wouldn’t. You know where you’ll be sleeping at. And no, Keiko. We’re sleeping together.”

“How did you know I was going to ask that question?” Keiko asked, in complete disbelief.

“Because who wouldn’t ask that question when their brother walks into their house with a girl that they have never seen before? It’s also like second nature to ask a question like that. You did ask if she was a prostitute. So, that question was sure to come up.”

But Fumiko and Keiko gave me a disappointed face and a neutral face, respectively.

“Try to go back to sleep, Keiko. You have to be up in the morning.” I said, breaking the silence that felt like forever.

“Okay, no sex.”

“What the--?”

“Aww, why not?” Fumiko asked.

“Don’t encourage her!”

Keiko stood up and walked into the kitchen and grabbed a banana and went back to her room and closed the door.

“Go ahead and take your stuff into my room,” I said. “I’ll grab you some pillows and a blanket.”

“Why can’t I just use your pillows and blankets?” Fumiko smirked.

“Because I need to wash them.”

“You really let that sail over your head, didn’t you?”

“…No. But at the same time, you don’t want to smell my sheets. I haven’t washed them in a few days.”

“That’s fair, I guess.” Fumiko said, taking off her uniform. “Where’s your shower?”

“First door on the left where the bathroom is.”

“Wanna join me?”

“Just go take a shower!”

Fumiko laughed and walked over and gave me a kiss and smiled as she walked towards the bathroom.

I couldn’t believe that I had let some girl that I had never met in this life into my home and let then let that same girl sleep in my bed and use my shower. I wasn’t scared or anything. It was just like a “what the hell is going on?” kind of scenario.

I pulled out my phone to call Aki to see what input he might give me.

“Do you know what time it is, Kiyoshi?” Aki said, groggily.

“Yes, it’s 1am PST.” I said.

“What can I help you with? Also, did you finish our presentation?”

I felt my heart sink into my stomach, “Umm… two answers.”

“I think I know the answer to the second question.”

“Need I say more?”

“Nope, we’ll take a late grade on it and get maybe a B or some shit. So, what question do you have?”

I felt the sweat dripping down my face at the fact that I completely forgot about the presentation, “Do you remember that message I sent you about that girl at the Space Needle?”

“I remember you sent me a picture of the Space Needle, but I did not see any girl.”

“Well, did you ever recall me mentioning a girl named Fumiko Ahyma?”

“Nope, sorry.”

“Oh, alright. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow at school.”

“Make sure to actually show up in the morning this time.”

I hung up the phone and called my other friend, Emica.

“Kiyoshi, do you know what time it is?” She said, agitated.

“1:24am PST.” I said.

“Yes, so why are you calling me so late?”

“I need your help?”

“With?”

“A situation with a girl.”

“And what number girl is this again, 27? 28?”

“Spare me the trouble, please. I’m desperate.”

“Isn’t that a common occurrence with you, though?”

“Whatever, anyway. Do you know a girl named Fumiko Ahyma?”

“I believe so, wasn’t she some famous musician from Tokyo? Why do you ask?”

“Apparently, she knows who I am.”

“How is that even possible? You are literally a nobody. How does someone like her know you even exist?”

“It’s a long story. I just need your help. Can we meet up tomorrow to discuss this situation?”

“I guess, sure.”

“Thanks, goodnight.”

“Whatever.”

I hung up the phone with Emica and realized that Fumiko finished with her shower, “How is she already done?? What the hell? She just got in there?”

“Umm… Kiyoshi. Does your sister have any underwear that is a medium and clean?”

“…”

“I’m going to take that as a no,” Fumiko frowned. “I need some underwear. I can sleep in the same clothes, but I refuse to sleep in the same underwear. Unless you want to let me use yours.”

“You can use mine—wait, what?” I asked, hoping that she said something else.

“You heard me. Either we go and get me some or I just use yours for the night.”

“You can use mine for tonight and we can go get you some in the morning. I don’t know if any stores are open that sell underwear.”

“Surely, a store is open that sells underwear. What about one of those convenient stores like in Japan?”

“Convenient stores here don’t sell underwear. You will have to go to a store like Target or Walmart. Or go to a mall. But all three of those places are closed tonight.”

“Are you serious?”

“As serious as a heart attack.”

“Fine, I’ll just use yours. Do you have any ramen?”

“There are ramen noodles in the cabinet. Help yourself when you’re done in there.”

“Thanks.”

I threw my clothes in the hamper and sat down on the couch, and waited for Fumiko to get done in the shower.

I couldn’t help but ponder on the shit that had happened. Meeting Fumiko at school, seeing her at the arena and then seeing that crazy dreamlike scene where she killed herself. I didn’t know that she had the ability to do something as crazy as that. I needed to talk to Emica and see what the reason behind all of this craziness was.

“Hey, Kiyoshi.” Fumiko said, shyly. “Does your underwear make my hips too small?”

I couldn’t help but turn red at the fact that Fumiko was wearing my underwear of the things she could’ve been wearing, “No, it looks great on you.” Why did I just say that?

“Oh, you think so?” She said, trying not to blush.

She actually liked that??

“I’m glad you like it and I’m glad that they fit comfortably.” She said proudly.

Fumiko walked over to the couch and sat down next to me, and scooted closer to me.

I couldn’t help but remember what Emica said about Fumiko being some kind of famous dancer and singer from Japan. Surely, she wasn’t really that famous. Because if she was as famous as Emica said, then people would’ve ranting and raving just to get a look at her. What gives? Something didn’t feel right.

“So, where are you from?” I asked, breaking the silence.

“I’m originally from Japan, but I moved to Washington a few months ago. I’m still not used to the sights and sounds around here. But it’s always nice to meet people that look like you and that are from the same place you are.”

“How can you be sure that I’m from Japan, too?” I asked, challenging her beliefs. “I could Japanese American. Or some other ethnicity that’s not Japanese, you know?”

Fumiko giggled and smiled, “Maybe you’re right. You could be something that’s not Japanese. Maybe you could be a figment of my imagination, living in a simulation. That’s the way the world is going, is it not?”

“Well, when you put it like that… it sounds pretty dark.”

“I wouldn’t say dark necessarily. But more melancholy in a way, you know?” She said. “Almost like you know that your time is near, and you want to make the best of it while you still have it, you know? You only live only, so might as well make the best of what you have.”

“Well, can you give me an example of what you mean?”

“I mean, I guess I could try to.”