“You’re really annoying, did you know that?”

Haru begged and pleaded with me over the phone. I’ve successfully avoided his calls for a week under the pretense of work but he’s too persistent to ignore. I shuddered at the thought of him showing up at my door if I continued to blow him off.

“Please Shiki! It’ll just be for a month, I promise! He’s harmless, he’s quiet, and you’ll hardly even notice he’s there! It’ll be like having a fish in a bowl except the fish can also do housework and chores!” Haru cried over the phone. Whining was second nature to the man.

The thought of sharing a living space with someone did little to please me. I ran by fingers through my hair frustratedly, knowing how the whole situation would inevitably turn out. Haru was my roommate from university and I suppose something of a close friend. Could you call him a close friend? He was a daft young man with an unproportionate amount of drive and energy when you compare it to his rather small stature. The years spent together with him in our university days weren’t bad I suppose. His plucky attitude really does grow on you when you have no choice but to listen to it for 4 years. I really see no reason as to why I need to do him a favor, not like I owe him anything in particular. In that case it shouldn’t be any problem to just reject his-

“Do I need to remind you about how I looked after you in university? If it weren’t for me, you’d be starved and buried under piles of dirty laundry and cigarette butts! And I did that for three whole years, the least you could do is let my brother crash at your apartment for a month. It’s not like I’m asking you to adopt the man, I’m moving in with my wife’s family and his contract doesn’t start for another month!”

Well there goes that argument. I let out a sigh. People like Haru are prepared to argue and badger you for days on end until they get what they want. I hear Haru take in another deep breath on the other end of the line, preparing for yet another string of words intended to guilt me into letting him have his way. I mentally stab myself in the foot.

“Fine. One month.”

“Did I ever tell you how much I love you Shiki?”

I could almost hear him grinning though the phone and I found myself grimacing on reflex.

“Go tell your wife that you asshole.”

I quickly end the call and head out into the terrace for a smoke. As a let out a deep breath, I try and remember the last time someone came over to my apartment, much less stayed over. I guess it can’t make much of difference if someone stays with me seeing as I’m in my room all the time anyways. I’ve been living in Tokyo for over 6 years now. What began as frequent trips to the city to visit my publishers office soon became a permanent residency for the sake of convenience. It didn’t make much of a difference I suppose, I just holed myself up new room in a different city. I took a final drag before stubbing out my cigarette onto the ashtray.

I drag myself back into my room and settle back into my chair, which may as well be a cast of my body at this point, seeing just how many hours I spend in the same spot. I let out a yawn and get ready to put myself to work again. I stretch out my fingers and get to work.

My doorbell rings, breaking my train of thought. I readjust myself to life outside of my computer screen to realize the sun is already setting, the orange sky streaming into my room in short bursts through the fluttering of my office curtains. Who could it be? My editor isn’t supposed to drop by for another week. I stand up and quickly stretch out my body before making my way to the entrance of my apartment. I check the camera to be greeted by an unfamiliar face.

“Who is it?” I ask, unable to recognize the face outside my door.

“Ah, is this Ushijima-san’s house? I’m Akiyama Haru’s younger brother. He told me that you’d be expecting me…”

The tall and lively man outside my door spoke in a baritone voice through the intercom. I didn’t expect to see him this quickly. I check my phone only to see Haru’s message to me from 5 hours ago.

He’ll be coming over later this evening! Maybe if you picked up my calls more often and stopped hanging up before I finish I could tell you in advance but oh well~

His message was followed by a series of freakishly annoying stickers of an overweight rabbit and another string of emojis. I let out a sigh and scratched my head, not mentally prepared for the energy expenditure required to interact with someone new, especially he ends up being anything like his brother.

I open the door to be greeted by a young man. His hair was light and curly but well kept and his eyes brimmed with vitality, something I hadn’t seen in my day to day life, otherwise filled with fellow writers lacking a will to live as I do. His eyes had the same brightness as his brother but where his brother faltered in his small stature, the younger brother stood at eye level with myself. Maybe even a little taller.

“Pardon my intrusion, my name is Akiyama Aoi. You must be Ushijima-san!”

I step back into my apartment making way for Aoi to come in.

“Just call me Shiki. I don’t do formalities.”

“Ah okay, Mr. Writer!” he beamed back at me, his eyes narrowing to a close as he smiled.

You know the feeling you get after taking a nap and waking up to the sunlight directly hitting your eyes? Aoi’s bright personality was a violent shock to my otherwise dim and demure day. I could feel myself deflating just trying to carry on a conversation with him. I let out a silent scream, mentally surrendering myself to the days to come.

I sighed to myself as I realized just exactly what I had agreed to.