From the Beginning: Part One

Katsumi opened his eyes and a warm, soothing feeling quickly enveloped him. The sound of the rain combined with the soft comfort of his blanket gave him a new sense of contentment.

He felt refreshed.

Katsumi sat up in bed and stretched—breathing in the fresh air that filled his apartment from the open window.

He stood up and looked down, realizing that he was now wearing different clothes than yesterday. It was odd, Katsumi had no recollection of changing.

The bathroom door opened and Katsumi flicked the light-switch. He looked into the mirror expecting to see an image of himself, but what he saw was hundreds of little Katsumi frowning back at him.

The broken mirror still wasn’t fixed. Of course it wasn’t, because it was his apartment, and he was the only one that could.

WIth a long, drawn-out inhale followed by a short exhale, he turned on the shower.

“Schneider, your coffee's the best!” Yui said, cheerfully sipping from her cup.

“I’m glad. It would be pretty disappointing if I couldn’t make good coffee after all these years.”

Lectures had let-out about twenty minutes ago and the three girls—Yui, Saki, and Mayumi—were seated at a table next to a window in Leon’s Cafe. Each enjoying a coffee while rain pattered against the large windows.

“Yumi, how do you know Schneider anyways?” Saki asked.

“He’s a long-time family friend. I think he used to hang out with Aunt Hirano during university.”

Kaede Hirano, who was sitting at the counter, turned around. “That’s right. And before he met Shoko he even asked me out.” She sounded as if she was bragging.

“Did you say yes?” Saki asked.

“No, I had a boyfriend at the time so I couldn’t… But it was very tempting.”

“You know Kaede, I have a few single friends, I could set you up with someone.” Leon leaned on the front counter.

“Oh— no-no, I’m fine with being single right now. It gives me more time to work on the things that I want to do.”

“Really?” Leon sounded suspicious.

“Of course not! I’m alone in my forties!”

Leon gave a wry smile and sighed in response.

Kaede grumbled while averting her gaze from Leon. “Fine, set me up on a date.” she crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I just don't want a creep…”

“All my friends are nice people. One of them is even German.”

“...It could work.”

“Don’t pretend you’re not excited, I know you.”

“Was my acting really that bad?”

“You never act that timid. You’re always the loud one.”

“Haa!? What’re these accusations!?”

Leon covered his ears. “You’re gonna ruin my hearing. You’re so loud!”

Kaede frowned back at Leon.

Yui turned back towards the other girls sitting at the table. “They seem like they would’ve made a great couple.”

“Maybe,” Saki replied. “But Schneider looks very happy with Shoko.”

The two girls turned their attention to the third, who was silently peering out the window at the rainy city.

Yui poked Mayumi in the stomach, prompting a response from her.

“Ah—! sorry… Yes, I think they do look very happy.”

“Oh, you were listening, good. You should really try and keep your mind off Saturday night. What happened, happened… There’s no point in thinking about it.”

The café’s door opened and a bell rang.

The man who had stepped in closed his umbrella and set it with a few others that were in a wooden bucket set next to the door.

He wore a nicely fitting pair of khakis and a loosely fitting crew-neck. His hair was styled in a familiar middle-part and his face was washed. However, that same face held a worn-out expression, one that looked unwelcoming.

“Murakami…” Mayumi said, making direct eye contact with Katsumi.

Leon, Kaede, Saki, and now Yui looked up towards the front door to see Katsumi, standing there, staring back at them all with his vacant expression.

Katsumi let out another sigh and dragged himself across the café. He stood over the three girls at the table. The only open seat was next to Saki.

She glared up at him with a look that said, ‘Don’t you dare’.

“Uhm, excuse me, Nakagawa, do you mind if we trade spots?” Katsumi managed to ask.

Yui, reading the atmosphere, quickly nodded in agreement and got up. She moved next to Saki.

In the background Kaede leaned over the counter and whispered a question along the lines of, ‘do you know what’s going on?’ To Leon.

Leon offered a shrug in response and shook his head no.

Saki’s brows furrowed and her lips pressed into a thin line. “What was that?”

“What was what?” Katsumi muttered, averting his gaze.

Saki cleared her throat and uncrossed her legs—she reached into her bag, grabbing her cellphone. After tapping it a few times she turned it towards Katsumi. On the screen was a picture of a boy covered in streaks of blood, his eyes stuck open looking off to the side. The hardwood floor around him was stained in the same blood that was coming from his face.

Katsumi leaned in towards Saki. “What the hell is that?”

“It’s you.” Saki set her phone facedown on the table. “Murakami, do you remember anything from last night?”

Katsumi opened his mouth but no words came out.

“Well?”

I can’t— I can’t remember anything past nine’o-clock! I remember letting them all in my apartment. We were in the living room for a while… Then Kenshi and Makoto went to the kitchen and… “No… I don’t really remember anything.”

With a waver in her voice Yui asked, “What was that last night Murakami? Why were you like that?”

Katsumi didn’t respond to her, he kept his gaze downward at the table.

Saki leaned forward, peeking at Kaede and Leon to see if they were listening. The adults were busy having their own conversation, so Saki answered Yui’s question. “He was high on drugs.”

“Hm? Drugs? Like medicine?”

“No… Like substances.”

Yui kept staring at Saki with a puzzled look on her face.

“...Cocaine, marihuana, fentanyl.” Saki listed quickly with a scowl.

“Eh!? Seriously!? Yui’s yelling attracted the attention of the two adults at the counter.

Saki quickly came up with an excuse. “Sorry, sorry, Yui just got some exciting news.”

“Kiki, what do you mean?”

“It’s exactly what I said.” Saki glared at Katsumi.

“No— w-what? How— how does he even get that. How do you know that Kiki?”

“Well it’s just a guess, but I saw that stuff in a Netflix documentary.”

“...I don’t understand.”

“It’s straight forward. He’s a drug addict.”

“I still don’t understand.” Yui kept denying that she really did understand.

“I don’t know what to tell you, it’s just as I said.”

“T-then why are you around him so much, Yumi?” Yui targeted Mayumi with this question.