Chapter 4 – Room Hunting at Mecchen House

To say that Katsumi was a bit upset by the final vote of five to four to let us stay is about the grossest understatement I can imagine. She flew around like a caged feline and hissed at the other girls.

“I CANNOT believe this! This should’ve been UNANIMOUS! Fine, you want it that way. But I’ll have no part in moving them in and no part in any of them, period. I’ll only plot the demise of their manhood in one fell swoop. Don’t think I’m just bluffing. If you, all three of you, are staying, then all three of you will be wearing skirts before you know it. YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!” Her finger darted between us, and she trampled across the floor with her purse over a shoulder, put her phone to her ear, and continued up the steps.  

Ami let out a long, slow breath.

“She’s actually a rather nice person. But we are always in conflict about stuff like this. She was really rough on my male study buddy from another school. Don’t take it personally. She’s just not big on your gender. Why? I wish I knew.”

Miki rose. “She’s right. But that’s also part of her charm. I know none of us would trade her for anyone, and when she’s in your corner you better believe she’d sooner die than turn her back on you. Anyhow, we need to get you three set up with a room or rooms. Miss Ishida?”

She slid a trio of hardcover novels back on the shelf. “The room on the top floor is probably the cleanest. We also have enough futons there for you three to be comfortable. It even has a close bathroom. Nana shares that floor. And it’s got a great view. That’s one option.”

Miki put her arms behind her head. “After what just happened I doubt these three will be big on that. It’s also Katsumi and Mami’s floor. There’s an empty room on the ground floor. My neighbors are Sumi and Reiko…” Mami gave a lazy look between leafing through yen bills.

Sumi got to her feet. “Speaking of Reiko, I really should go tell her how the vote turned out. Tootles everyone. Boys… I wish you all had vaginas. But ‘till then, I hope you feel welcome and at home here.” She blew a kiss and walked down the hall and out of sight. A few seconds later, I heard a door slide open and a muddled voice speak. Then, the door shut.

Miki stretched her neck from one side to the other. “Continuing, that room is okay. But it’s got a lot of junk in it. More so than Nana’s room, and it gets really cold this time of year. So, you have to weigh that. It’s perfect for breakfast… Oh, and it’s ‘haunted.’” Miki made large air-quotes. She chuckled. “I’m not much for the legend, but it’s almost directly below Nana’s room, by two floors though. But weird stuff goes on in Nana’s room. As I said, it gets cold, which could be part of the creepy feeling. No one has actually seen a specter. It’s another reason why Kat-chan wants to ask that spirit-seeing girl to visit.”

Ami rose next with gentle grace and her hands folded neatly in front of her. “Then there’s the empty room on my level. But it has a weak floor. So, it’s probably best to be avoided. You don’t want to slip through and fall into Reiko’s room. She’s sure to kill you. Worse than Katsumi would. Maybe. She tends to just give you the silent treatment. No one has tempted fate with her yet.”

Tara jumped several times. “Oh! They can share my room! I have a big one, after all!” Ami’s hands went rigid, but she wore a good poker face. She coughed a bit and said with ‘hmm,’ “Well, that’s a possibility too. But my bedroom is across the hall from Tara’s and it’s just as big.”

“We’ll keep them both with a big sleepover! Dancing! I have so many great CDs to play!” Tara was really getting into this. She spun in place. I had to wonder if she was gonna crash hard soon or if she was powered by some eternal energy source. Ami held her hands tight again and made a classic, sweatdrop face with a smile.

Mami was still counting her money and slowly putting it away in a purse. Where were these girls getting these purses from? It was like watching illusionists at work. But then I guess it was allowable in the rules of this world. If only I could pull a way home out of my pocket.

“You also realize my floor has an entry fee,” commented Mami. Ms. Ishida, not missing a beat, patted Mami on the head with her hand. She looked up at her, then looked away as she corrected, “You’re welcome on my floor, but if you need detergent for clothes, it will cost you…”

Ms. Ishida coughed as she brought a duster across the surface of the shelf. Mami continued, “…if you buy it in the store. It’s free here, though.”

Miki looked impressed, and Tara was looking at some of the books on the shelf. Nathan rubbed his eyes. “Okay guys, what are we going to do?”

Jamie scratched his chin. “At least I don’t need to shave.” His face was still clean and fresh. With a little rub, I could feel mine was too.

Nathan folded his fingers into a pyramid. “We need to weigh our options. Haunted room, versus hole-in-the-floor, versus the girl who wants to make us female living on the same floor.”

Miki raised a finger. “Actually… Katsumi lives next door to the empty room.”

Jamie shut his eyes. “Of course she does…”

Haunted sure was winning for me. Plus, I liked the idea of living on the ground floor, no matter how much dust or clutter it meant. Anyone could deal with that for one night.

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I hacked over my shoulder. The room was a mess and even colder than I expected. Tara rolled around some of the assorted boxes and piles. “Come forth, spirits of the dark! Come and join me… For ice cream!!!” Ms. Ishida projected a giggle on Tara and used a towel on a box. Her eyes widened. “Oh my, these should’ve been tossed out a long time ago. They’re far too heavy.”

Nathan stepped forward. “Not for me.” He flashed a smile. Ms. Ishida stepped aside. With not even a groan, Nathan brought the box onto his shoulder and asked, “Where do you need it?”

“There’s an area for paper trash out front. It’s marked with green paint. Put it there, please.” Nathan strode out and was back for more before I could fully contemplate how cool that was. Miki set up camp nearby to watch and offered to challenge him in a lifting contest but couldn’t budge her box, even with a good deal of straining.

They worked together to get it to the front, though Nathan did most of the lifting. Miki came back psyched and sweaty but satisfied. She let out a primal, Amazonian yell and giggled. Tara mimicked her yell, but with more of a Tarzan flavor.

I noticed Mami standing off to the side and sipping some tea. Now, where’d she get that? Her eyes narrowed. She looked right at me and walked over. “So, your name is Kelly, huh?” I felt a bit of a draft. I guessed the first and last name arrangement was understood.

I nodded once. “Why do you ask?”

“No reason. Nice name.” She sipped once.

There had to be something coming. An offer, a challenge, something which I would have to deflect. She sipped again and said, “I’ll see you upstairs if you decide on the third floor. If not, I guess I’ll see ya tomorrow before you leave.”

Ami banged her foot loudly on a table. I turned to look. She hobbled and sat against the wall. Ms. Ishida attended to her, and Nathan drew close as well. She hopped a little and smiled to all around her. Flexing her foot, she assured us it was fine. She smiled at me. Weak floor or not, I wouldn’t mind knowing I was on the same floor as Ami.

I felt another swoop of air. Turning, I noticed Mami had vanished. Quite the illusionist. Just so long as she didn’t make any more of my money vanish into her pocket.

Tara poked Ami’s foot with a finger and then gave it a big, wet kiss. Ami squirmed. “Wha?”

“I just want to make it all better.” Tara held her hands closely in front of her. Ami smirked. “You’re so sweet, Tara. Thanks.” Miki came over and offered her a hand. “Quite a damsel in distress…”

Tara raised her arms. “And I’m your knight in shining armor!”

Ami got to her feet with Miki’s help, and her smirk spread into a full smile. “Thank you, dear knight. And thanks to your steadfast squire for her assistance.”

Miki raised an eyebrow. “Squire? Nay. I’m the dragon!”

Tara put herself in front of Ami. “Fair maiden! I will protect you! Back bad dragon! I will face you. Don’t get toasty!”

Aneko corrected, folding the dust towel in her arms, “Cozy.”

Tara raised her arm like a sword. “Don’t do that either!”

Miki and Tara matched arm-to-arm in combat with self-made sound-effects.

They were really getting into it when the silver clock on the wall struck the hour.

Miki turned. “My gosh! It’s that late? I really need to call my sister. Oh, wait! Later. First…” She grabbed Tara’s arm and pressed it against her stomach. “The brave knight’s blows broke through the dragon’s thick armor and ended the curse upon the lovely maiden who was actually the dragon.”

Tara’s eyes widened. “It’s a maiden! Not a dragon at all!”

With her voice pitched up, Miki proclaimed to Tara, “Oh valiant knight! Thank you for freeing me from that wretched form! I must journey home to my kingdom. There will be a feast on my return, and you and your lady fair are invited.”

Ami seemed just as captivated by this impromptu play as I. Jamie batted at his nose and appeared perplexed. Nathan was over by Ms. Ishida and asking what else he could do. He picked up another box for her.

Miki, Tara, and Ami galloped together, and I watched. Ami’s eyes followed me, and she coughed once. “Behold! There is a fellow traveler along the route. Gentle sir, would you care to join us, you and any others who may be seeking refuge? We are traveling with this royal princess we freed from captivity. She has prepared a hero’s feast for us, and there is plenty for all.”

I looked to Jamie and Nathan. Nathan sure fit the barbarian look, and Jamie the grumpy waif boy. What did I fit? Was I the hero sort?

I took a deep breath and said, “Sure, why not?”

Before I knew it, Tara had gathered the three of us up and we were in something of a color-flashing conga-line trampling across the floor and into the living room where we plopped onto the couch.

Miki dashed across the hall and into a door I could barely see around a wall. She emerged with a hefty, white bag. “There is Pocky for all!”

She took up one of the end cushions and held it to herself. “I have some ramen too, if you guys are hungry. I don’t know when you head to bed, but I usually take my bath in a little while and then finish up homework, since it’s gonna be a Monday. You may have seen the bath on this floor just before the kitchen. It’s nice. It has a lovely undressing area… Umm… Actually, here’s a question: do the three of you have a change of clothes?”

I hit myself on the head. We didn’t. We didn’t figure on being out for more than an hour. Stupid! I should’ve realized it before, especially when Mami made her mention about the detergent. How late was it now? Could we buy anything to wear?

Miki rolled up her sleeves. “Never fear! I shall take on this challenge. Okay. It’s seven-twenty right now. The nearest clothing store you guys would be okay with is a thirty-minute walk and closes at eight. Cutting it close. And I do need to take my bath. But it is a challenge.”

She took some notes on our sizes and color choices and rubbed her head at the mental addition. “Dang. I went there once with my sister to see what we could get for our brother. The prices run around…” Ms. Ishida offered a number. Miki nodded. “That sounds right. Just to be safe I’m gonna need a certain amount collectively. Okay. Three outfits sounds right.”

“How do you feel about girl’s clothes?” offered Ms. Ishida. “They’re pretty gender-neutral. There are some boxes of clothes from back when my mom had a clothing store in here. Also, my dad’s old clothes might fit Nathan. He was a big man.”

Miki frowned. “Aww. I was getting all ready to sprint down there.”

Nathan smiled gently. “We can’t thank you enough for the offer, but we don’t know what our cash situation is going to be. We have to be careful.”

Ms. Ishida dragged a box into the hallway. “Look through it and tell me what you think. You still have some time before that shop closes.”

There was a dusty smell to the entire thing, like sandy pepper. I shook out a blouse. It was a nice blue, but it had a smocked waist and a V-neck. Carolyn would’ve been pleased to see me wear it. It was the right size. But I naturally passed on it. The next one was black, but the sleeves were super-short and I didn’t like the pleated flourish on the buttons. It was gorgeously drawn, and I wouldn’t mind Ami wearing it, but no way it’d ever look right on me.

Nathan pulled the box over to the couch where the girls were so we could look through it. None of us had selected anything definite but I put a shirt dress aside before brushing off a navy tunic. I slipped it on over my clothes and got a mouthful of peppery dust. It fit well. The collar was stitched down like a polo shirt and wider than I was used to, and the sleeves were form-fitting but not enough to cut off circulation. It wasn’t ideal, but it was something. I started a pile with it. Tara ducked her head in and pulled out a lacy pair of panties. “Yes or no?” Then she put them on her head. “Fair lady’s bonnet!”

I got a chuckle, and so did Ami.

Ami scooted closer to me and chomped into a stick of Pocky. “If it was earlier, I could have my brother send some clothes from when he was younger.”

“You have a brother?” I tried not to sound nervous around her.

She passed some Pocky to me. I took a few sticks. “Yeah, his name’s Fuyuki. He pays for my room and board here and my needs and high school tuition.”

“Wow, that’s cool. Nice brother.” More than I could expect from my relatives.

“He’s my only living relative. He’s taken care of me all my life. I say a prayer whenever I visit the shrine that I can live up to all that he’s given me.” Ms. Ishida pushed out another box.

Poor Ami. I bit into my Pocky. “I wouldn’t feel right if you asked your brother to give even more.”

Ami blushed and glanced away. “Oh! Don’t worry about that. He’s just been looking for a way to get rid of them for a long time. Seriously, it would be no trouble.”