I'm Just Trying to Help!

The ride back to the city was enveloped in silence. After our departure from the beach, the taxi driver dropped us off at a towering apartment building nestled in the heart of Tokyo. As the city lights bled into the evening sky, the quiet solemnity of our trip filled me with unease.

"Thank you for your help, Sir. Sorry to bother you," I said, stepping out of the cab.

I waved goodbye to the taxi driver, his parting words a sincere whisper, "Please, take care." His taxi, our fleeting refuge from the world, blended back into the bustling cityscape.

The apartment complex, our destination, stood stoically amidst the urban chaos. A mechanical ding signaled our arrival as we stepped off the elevator and into the labyrinth of her living quarters. Her apartment bore the marks of a life in transition - boxes strewn around, impersonal and void of familiarity.

Upon entry, she wasted no time in collapsing onto her bed, the exhaustion evident in her every move. The place still felt foreign, devoid of the personal touches that turn a house into a home. Her evident vulnerability stirred something within me, anchoring me to her side.

An insistent vibration from my phone sliced through the quietude, Yuki's name flashing on the screen. A flush of guilt colored my cheeks as I remembered our plans. The phone trembled in my hand as I accepted the call.

"Ah, Yuki!" I began, apologetic. "I’m really sorry!"

The concern was palpable in her voice. "Are you okay?"

"Ah, yes! I'm okay," I replied, glancing at the girl sprawled on the bed, her eyes closed and peaceful. "Are you still at the cafe?"

"Yeah…" Her voice held a note of anticipation. "Are you still coming?"

"Sreeet…" The sliding balcony door protested as I tried to find some semblance of privacy. "About that…"

"I don’t think I can make it tonight.” My heart ached at the confession.

“So, the thing is—“ I was cut off by the sudden movement of my elbow. My heart skipped a beat as a small pot teetered on the edge of the balcony rail, then toppled over, its contents scattering as it crashed to the ground below.

"Yuki, I'll call you later, okay..." I hastily disconnected, leaving Yuki's confusion trailing behind.

"Goodness, I'm such a klutz," I sighed, pressing the elevator button with a resigned sort of impatience. The gentle 'ding' rang out in the expansive hallway, a lone sound that seemed almost to mock my clumsiness. I stepped into the elevator, the day's exhaustion weighing heavily on my shoulders, and listlessly jabbed at the button for the ground floor.

Upon reaching the ground floor, I bolted out of the elevator, my gaze immediately drawn to the splintered shards of the cactus pot scattered by the poolside. It looked like an abstract mosaic of my blunder, the sharp edges of ceramic a brutal testament to my carelessness.

As I crouched to collect the pieces, a rogue cactus spine burrowed into my skin, eliciting a surprised hiss from me. This unexpected sting, more than pain, offered a fleeting distraction from the turmoil within me.

My actions drew the attention of a looming figure—a resident or a security officer perhaps—who cast an elongated shadow over my hunched form. His stern eyes were fixed on the chaotic aftermath of the cactus pot incident.

"Hey!" he barked, annoyance lining his features, "So you dropped this cactus pot? Almost hit my head, you know!"

"Er- I'm... I'm sorry, sir," I stammered, taken aback by his harsh tone.

"Please be careful. That’s dangerous and it could hurt someone!" He reprimanded, his brow furrowed in disapproval.

"I—Yes, sir," I replied, nodding frantically. "Do you happen to have a plastic bag? To clean this up."

With the plastic bag now containing the sharp remnants of my accident, I offered a small, apologetic smile to the resident before returning to the elevator. The ascent back to the twelfth floor was marked only by the soft whispering of the plastic bag in my hand, the deafening echo of my heartbeat, and a fear-laden anticipation for what awaited me upstairs.

After having dealt with the mess downstairs, my hand still smarting from the prick of a cactus spine, I reentered the elevator and punched in the number for her floor. As the elevator ascended, a growing apprehension consumed me, what the night this had been.

As I stepped out onto the 12th floor, the muffled silence of the hallway greeting me, my heart hammered in my chest, a rhythmic reminder of the dread gnawing at the edges of my consciousness.

With a few quick strides, I reached her apartment and there she was, standing at the edge of her balcony. My heart stuttered in my chest, a chilling panic seizing me. Was she thinking of jumping again?

Without a second thought, I rushed towards her, my voice rising in a mix of fear and urgency, "Hey! What are you doing?!"

Caught off guard, she turned towards me, surprise etched across her features, "What are you doing?" she echoed back, the question hanging heavy in the air between us.