The Right Direction: Part Six

A ray of morning light found its way through a crack in the curtains, its trajectory being Katsumi’s face. After a moment of his face being bathed in the light he began to twitch, then, he slowly opened his eyes. Putting a hand in front of his face in an attempt to block the light, he felt around for his phone. However, his hand only felt the couch.

Katsumi blindly felt around in hopes that it didn’t happen. After another moment of feeling around, a look of dread washed over him.

“Damnit.”

A couch cushion flew across the room, shortly followed by another, then a third. Katsumi furiously ripped apart his couch, jamming his hands in all of the couch’s crevices searching.

He dropped to his hands and knees and pressed his cheek against the cool, hardwood floor. Peering under the couch he couldn’t discern anything as it was too dark.

Katsumi stopped focusing on finding his phone, but continued to lay on the floor.

It was cold.

“This feels familiar…”

The chirping of morning birds sounded distant. The light shining through his curtains was momentarily blocked by a passing cloud. Katsumi pushed himself up and blankly stared at the couch.

The front end of the couch was lifted into the air revealing nothing to be under it. Katsumi was struggling to hold it up, his face turning somewhat red. He started to lower it but by halfway his arms gave out and the couch hit the floor with a loud thud.

When did I become so weak…?

He turned around to go pick up the cushions, but when he did the first thing he noticed was his phone sitting nicely on the table.

Katsumi snatched up the phone and instantly thought of throwing it. He got in position to whip it at the wall—yet he refrained.

The display read: ‘6:07 AM’.

“Oh how nice! I can get a nice early start to my day! It’s gonna be great!” His grip on the cellphone tightened, “Yep…” He stared at the device with widened eyes. Katsumi brought the hand with the phone in it back then launched it. The cellphone sailed across the room and smashed against the wall.

“Wooo! Yeah! Good day!” Katsumi had a huge smile on his face, “I could just jump off this balcony! Make this day even better!” He stood motionless in the center of his living room, staring out at the balcony

“...”

With a blink all the sounds of the city simultaneously came rushing to him, the air pressed around him and he stepped backwards.

“Ahah… ha… hahaha… oh— I’m gonna make some coffee…”

An electronic crackling sound came from the machine, a familiar sound that made Katsumi comfortable. A drop of black liquid fell into the pot and hit the bottom with a sizzle—followed by another, then a third. It soon turned into a constant stream and the pot began steadily filling.

What’s been going on with me? Ever since she came around a few days ago I’ve been feeling weird. Even I can tell that much…

He looked at the coffee in the pot slowly filling up, passing measurement lines one by one.

No… I think she’s the one that’s been acting weird. Seriously, who goes out of their way to reach out to someone like that?

Katsumi reached into his pocket for his cellphone but found nothing there. He paused for a moment then looked into the living room where it was shattered on the floor. He rubbed his forehead with his palm and sighed.

He reached back into the same pocket but this time produced something out of it—A carton of cigarettes. After a few clicks of his lighter he inhaled, then blew out smoke.

I’m acting like a burnt out middle-aged salaryman… He glanced around his apartment then looked down at his cigarette, “If someone saw this they’d probably think I’m forty…” He smothered his cigarette in an ashtray then slank to the bathroom.

“Hello Mr. Mirror, still broken today?” Katsumi greeted the shattered mirror as he flicked on the light switch. One hundred broken and misshapen reflections met his gaze, silently staring at him.

Humming a theme song he recently heard on T.V, Katsumi walked into the kitchen drying his hair with a towel.

It’s a new day… the weekend. It’ll be a good day… I’ll go out, maybe do something with Makoto.

A sudden wave of good-spirits washed over Katsumi. Sadly however, his good demeanor was short-lived.

He heard someone say ‘Pardon my intrusion’, followed by his front door opening.

Absolutely not, “Don’t come in, I’m… Naked right now.”

“I’m going to assume you’re lying.”

“...Alright, suit yourself.”

Mayumi walked in and entered the kitchen to be greeted by a fully clothed Katsumi.

“See? I knew you were lying.”

Katsumi grumbled to himself and turned to get a cup of coffee, “Well what if I wasn’t?”

Without changing her tone, Mayumi responded, “Then I would have screamed ‘kyaa~’ and turned red.”

She set her handbag down on the kitchen island and then took a seat in front of it.

While sipping from his coffee, Katsumi stared at Mayumi with an annoyed expression. However she didn’t see this because she was busy fiddling with her phone.

Hold on, why is she dressed like she’s going— Damnit, don’t tell me… “Why are you dressed like you’re going out somewhere today?”

“How perceptive…” She set down her phone, “We are going to Tokyo today.”

Katsumi momentarily choked on his coffee, “Tokyo?”

“Please don’t be so dramatic. You’re acting like you never went there on a day trip with your family.”

“I haven’t.”

“Well… It’s roughly only twenty minutes by train, so it’s not far at all.”

Sitting in silence for twenty minutes next to her? I really rather not. And I thought it was further away? “Why do you even want to go in the first place?”

“It’ll be good for you.”

“Good for me?”

“That’s right. I think you’d really benefit from meeting and talking to some new people. Also I wanted to do some shopping so I thought I’d combine the two.”

Katsumi stared at Mayumi with a blank expression. Damnit, I really have no choice… Going on a trip with her is the last thing I wanna do. But it's not up to me… for this weekend at least. If only Nara had been more careful with that box... Whatever... I don’t wanna look homeless again. I guess I’ll have to find something decent… Y’know Arata is actually pretty fashionable. I mean I look like I’m homeless most of the time… Man… I have to go all the way to Tokyo.

“Mu—”

“Yeah, sure,” Before Mayumi could even finish saying his name, he cut her off.

“Hm?”

“I’ll go… make myself presentable, then we can go.”

“Thank you.”

Katsumi walked into the kitchen from his bedroom. “Alright Arata, I’m ready, let’s go.”

He was looking at his wallet checking how much money he had, so when no response came he looked up and saw Mayumi with her head resting on her arms.

He remained still and after listening closely for a moment he heard faint rhythmic breathing synonymous with sleep.

She isn’t that annoying while she’s asleep… Shame I have to wake her up.

“Arata,” Katsumi said in a soft tone.

No reaction came from her.

Katsumi moved closer to her and brought his hand up to her shoulder. He hesitated for a moment, then tapped her. “Arata.”

This time she shifted her head, then she slowly raised it.

“Oh, Murakami...” She looked him up and down and then added, “Not bad.” Mayumi picked up her bag and headed to the front door leaving Katsumi in the Kitchen.

“What the hell? ‘Not bad’? What’s that supposed to mean…?” Wait, was she checking me out? Katsumi's face turned slightly red and his thoughts began to spiral.

He quickly tried to shake them from his head and went to catch up with Mayumi, who was already past the door.