From the Beginning: Part Two

Saki’s attention also shifted to the target as well. All the pressure was now on her—with the two girls staring at her expecting a response.

With an ice-cold glare she snapped at Saki, “If you’re suggesting that I’m doing drugs with Murakami, I don’t want to hear that shit from you.”

Saki and Yui stared at her with widened eyes.

“I—I’m sorry… That wasn’t what I was implying… I just wanted to know why.” Saki’s accusative demeanor had vanished.

“It’s—” Mayumi paused for a moment. “I’d rather not talk about it right now.” She looked up, revealing a faint smile.

With a sigh, Saki said she understood and didn’t push any further. Despite looking like she’d explode if she didn’t know the answer.

Why’s Akito being so understanding? Didn’t think she had that capability in her.

Saki noticed the strange look Katsumi was giving her and added on, “But I don’t really care what Murakami does anyway, he’s a bum. As long as you don’t get hurt, Yumi.”

There it is.

Katsumi felt a tingling sensation in his right ear, the warmth of someone's breath. He darted his eye to the right and his vision was filled by Mayumi’s face.

“We’re going to have a talk later,” Mayumi whispered. Her comment was then followed by his foot being harshly pressed down on.

“Ow—!”

“Something wrong, Murakami?” Saki asked sarcastically.

“N-no, I’m fine.”

She pushed her brown-hair behind her ear. “I’m seeing Jackson soon, so I gotta leave. Yui, Yumi, hopefully we can see each other sometime without any interruptions. Murakami, awful seeing you as always. Bye-bye!”

The two girls waved as Saki walked to the front door.

“Actually, I’m gonna go with her, my sisters wanted to go shopping. I’ll see you later,” Yui said. “I-I guess I’ll see you in class, Murakami.” With a small nervous laugh she waved and went to catch up with Saki.

A frozen atmosphere settled over Mayumi and Katsumi. They sat next to each other, both vacantly staring ahead.

After a full minute of silence, Katsumi spoke up. “Are you leaving too, Arata?”

Mayumi remained like a statue—unmoving.

“Arata?” Katsumi turned his head to face her.

“...Yes. I am.”

She grabbed her bag and without saying a word walked out of the café

Katsumi sat at the table alone.

The sound of falling rain filled his mind. A wall of noise to drone out the thoughts that were swirling around his head. The drops were tapping on the window as if they were asking to be let in. A sound that reminded Katsumi of his cheerful mood from this morning.

“Hey kid, what’s wrong?”

Katsumi broke away from his thoughts. “Huh?” He looked up to where the voice came from. The source was a woman with brown hair that looked like she came straight from her office job.

…Who is she? Wait, that’s the woman that called me handsome when I walked in… Is she going to try and hit on me!? How old is she…?

The woman waved her hand in front of Katsumi’s face. “Hello~?”

“Ah— Uhm, hi… Nothing’s wrong. Thank you for asking.” Katsumi refocused on the window.

The woman let out a small laugh. “I overheard what Akito was saying. I know something’s wrong.” The woman invited herself to take a seat opposite of Katsumi.

A few more painfully quiet seconds passed when the woman said. “Come on, I won’t bite.”

Katsumi remained silent for a moment longer. “Why’re you talking like that?”

“It doesn’t hurt to try and sound cool. I’m getting older, so I guess you could call it a mid-life crisis,” The woman said.

“How old are you?”

“I’m in my forties.”

“That’s not an exact age.”

“It’s rude to ask a woman her age. You should feel honored that I even told you that much.”

The rain once again filled the silence, accompanied by the occasional clank of dishes being cleaned in the kitchen.

“...I messed up last night… I messed up really bad.” Katsumi hung his head.

“How could you get all three of those girls mad? Did you cheat on one of them?”

“I wish it were something like that.”

They quietly stared at each other.

The woman rested her chin on her hand. “What’s your name?”

“Murakami Katsumi.”

“Hirano Kaede.”

“I didn’t ask for your name.”

Kaede took in a sharp breath. “You know Katsumi, I think I see your problem.”

He glared at Kaede. “No, you don’t.”

“When you’re as old as me you pick up on a lot of things.”

“...But you’re not even that old.”

“Oh? Are you hitting on me?”

Katsumi curtly replied, “No.”

“Aw~ no fun.”

“What do you want, Hirano?”

Kaede smiled. “I was curious.”

Why are so many people just ‘curious’ about me?

“It really is that simple, I’m just curious.”

She might actually know what’s wrong, because it seems she can read minds…

“You really got those girls really riled up, especially Akito. Seems like a hard thing to do.”

“Not for me. Two of them hated me already.”

“I can probably tell one of those two is Akito. But who’s the other? Nakagawa?”

“Arata.”

“I don’t think that’s true.” Kaede’s tone was trying to be as soothing as it could. Which in reality, it wasn’t very.

“Then you don’t know Arata.”

“I think I have a pretty good idea what she’s thinking.”

This line caught Katsumi’s attention. He picked his head off his hand and looked at Kaede. “And why’s that?”

“I’m related to her.”

Oh… I see it. Now that she said that, they do look really similar… Just older. Oh no, is that Arata’s mom!? Wait… Then why is her sir-name Hirano…?

Katsumi thought for a moment and the correct answer came to him. “You’re her aunt?”

“Yep. What took so long with the response? Think I was her mom?” Kaede smiled.

An ever-so faint hint of red grew on Katsumi’s cheeks.

“...You’re an interesting kid Katsumi.”

“How’d you gather that? This is the first time we met and we’ve talked for what? five minutes?”

"You’re right. And yet you’re talking with so much honesty to such a beautiful woman that you’ve only just met. Not giving a care in the world about what I’d think.”

“A woman with such a big ego as well.”

“Oh come on, it’s just a joke. But I am gorgeous, you have to admit.”

Katsumi looked her up and down then turned his head towards the window, making a small noise in the process.

Kaede burst out laughing.

“What…?” Katsumi sounded unamused by this older woman’s reaction.

“You’re funny too.” Kaede stood up from the table. She straightened her blazer and adjusted her skirt slightly. “It was nice meeting you Katsumi, but I have to get back to work.”

“You have a job? Even though you act like this?”

Kaede smirked. “Oh calm down, I was just messing with you. Of course I act like an adult at my job.”

“That seems impossible.”

Kaede walked past Katsumi and ruffled his hair. She called out and said good-bye to Leon, grabbing a dark-blue umbrella from the wooden bucket while doing so.

She produced a carton of cigarettes and a lighter from her blazer-pocket. She put one in her mouth and clicked the lighter once—holding the flame up to the end of the cigarette it began to burn. A light cloud of smoke came out of Kaede’s mouth as she took the cigarette out.

As Kaede stepped out she opened the umbrella, giving a final smile and wave to Katsumi before turning away.

A few minutes later, Katsumi said a brief thank you to Leon and swiftly departed.

The majority of Katsumi’s evening was spent lying on his couch, wishing for something to happen. He really had no idea what that something was, but he still hoped.

The television played in the background—on it, a boy with glasses working at a family diner had just seen who looked like his crush with a boy he didn’t know.

Katsumi picked up the remote and muted it. He rolled over on the couch and was now lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

“I think I watch this show too much…” He trailed off his sentence and slowly shut his eyes.

I have class tomorrow so going to sleep is probably a good idea…

Katsumi’s breathing became deeper and steadier.

“...”

“Murakami.”

Katsumi jolted awake.

I swear I heard my name…

The voice came again, this time asking if he was awake. It was in an odd, muffled half-whisper.

What is this…? That sounds like Arata’s voice…

Some light taps came from the wall that separated his apartment from Mayumi’s.

Katsumi came up to the wall and hesitated for a moment before answering Mayumi’s question. “Yeah, now I am.”

“I want to talk…”

Mayumi was blunt with her question, yet her tone was passive. This must be the ‘talk’ she planned on having with Katsumi.

For a moment Katsumi wondered how her voice came through so clearly while talking through a wall. Then after looking down, he saw the hole. It instantly clicked with him—Mayumi was sitting next to the hole.

“That’d be alright…” Katsumi sat facing the wall.

Just as Mayumi began talking, she went silent.

“Arata?” Katsumi asked.

“...Come to school tomorrow please”

“...A-alright.”

He ran what Mayumi had whispered in his ear earlier that day through his head. ‘We’re going to have a talk later.’

This couldn’t be all she wanted to talk about, right?

After another brief moment of silence Mayumi spoke up again. “Goodnight, Murakami.”

“...Goodnight.”