"Yuudachi, your room really doesn't fit such your image..." Haru... it felt--...
"... It is embarrassing hearing you say that Haru..." I... looked around at my room, it... Was it always this dirty?
Maybe it just seemed that way because I never cared about anyone coming here... Though now that someone has come here, it... The crumbled up pieces of paper on the floor, my clothes, and even some empty store-lunch boxes...
I--... "I was... depressed! I... never thought it would matter to clean up when I eventually..." I... thinking of killing myself was... sad, a time... a sad time, but--, "But Haru... Haru, you will help me, right...?" I... asked as I looked at Haru.
"Well, of course, I can't let my cute girlfriend look like a messy girl." Haru proudly said... something inside felt embarrassed, yet so happy by what he said.
"Your apparent liking of romance is quite obvious--, was this what kept you together Yuudachi?" Romance...
I... couldn't... say anything...
"I shouldn't have said anything, well, it is fun to read... from me as well..." Huh--?... Ah, I, well... knowing Haru's past, I guess.
I looked over at my desk in my room, the room we cleaned up first... I... really should have cleaned it up normally, we ended up with a massive bag of garbage. I looked at a book... "I... can't help it, it just seems so happy, it gave me a ray of hope... And--, I'm glad I did keep to it." I looked down at my chest... I... was so close that day, everything could have ended if I didn't...
Hesitate... Was I... subconsciously afraid of dying, even if everything was so terrible? I... guess I was still thinking, even if my emotions broke apart and ran wild.
"Well, I did seek a peak into some of the crumbled up pieces of papers here--..." Haru--!? "... We'll prove to everyone, one day, that you aren't a cursed girl... You are cute, beautiful, and a wonderfully kind person... Always be one Yuudachi." I--...
... remembered what I wrote on them... 'Sorry, sorry, sorry...' 'I want to die... why is everyone so mean?' 'I can do it... I can do... go Mahiru...' I... really was desperately clinging onto my life... Remembering it makes me... miserable, sad, and a little angry... Envious, envious of those who had friends and bullied me to who I was.
I return the embrace Haru gave me, wrapping my arms around Haru. "Thank you... I--, thank you so much... thank you for appearing... thank you for coming to me, for forcing yourself on me, thank you for everything Haru..." I gently squirmed myself out and held Haru's hands... I didn't hold back my tears, my smile, I left everything vulnerable to Haru to see.
We returned to a soft gentle hug again... even though I know it lasted a few minutes, it felt like an eternity of embarrassment, yet warm comfort. It really does feel nice to be with someone...
I left the hug... "I--..." I... what to say, me!... "Um, we... still have to clean up my other rooms Haru..." I decided on that as my excuse to get out; I felt like any more and I would burn myself from the hot stuffy feeling coming from my chest.
Haru looked dazed...? "Ah--," He... looked a little cute being embarrassed, "Ahem--, of course... Apologizes Mahir--, Yuudachi." Hehe~, it really did look wonderful to know even he got embarrassed. From his usual loving, serious kindness. An embarrassed Haru who gets overly formal... "Let's go."
We headed to the common room... and I was reminded how much of a messy person I was--... no, am... I never took it to clean up myself, only when it was absolutely, absolutely necessary. I, as a high school student with excellent grades, managed to get our university, Lanta University of Engineering, Science, Language, and Modern Arts, to allow me to come in as a student for free under the terms I kept my grades up. Even though I topped the classes, due to our scores being private, no one knew anything... No, that may have made me seem like an even gloomier student as I sat alone taking notes. This apartment complex was more of a distant dorm that few picked, but I choose it because... I felt worried, and I wanted to remain somewhere close to where I used to live at my previous high school.
It... really was a massive change... I struggled so much before, school, work, getting bullied, being tired and depressed...
"Yuudachi...? Yuudachi to earth?" Ah--, was... I spacing out? "If you want to take a break, we can try to see what we can make in the kitchen. Or we can go to the supermarket to get some groceries to make dinner tonight." Ah, cooking...
I... "Yes--... sure..." I... just... Wait, why did I say yes? "We... can go to the supermarket Haru... Though--..." I... glanced away... My cooking skills were basic at best, dangerous at worse. I was glad I never had to take a home-economics class, it was the only class I wouldn't do well in. "... I can't cook well, I... just want to tell you." I decided to push through my embarrassment and say it...
"Well, that is fine, we'll just combine our cooking skills together to make a nice dinner." Haru said--, I... would love to eat something we made together.
"Yeah!" Hearing Haru say this made me forget everything, of course I would help Haru cook.
We came back to my apartment room with countless bags. I only carried two bags, yet... besides me, Haru carried 6 bags, with ease. I... guess the difference between a girl and a... man... Haru was so much stronger than I was, it... Seeing his strength, it really made me scared of other men, yet thankful that... I never crossed the line, that Haru didn't force himself on me during my desperate pleas.
I quickly forced myself back to reality... "You--..." I than realized the kitchen would need some cleaning... Notibly the stacked up dishes, the oven top, and the somewhat dusty counters. "Actually--... can we put the bags in my room for now, and clean up?" I decided that the groceries I bought with Haru shouldn't be put on dirty floors and grounds of my house.
"Well--... I suppose, we'll need to clean up your kitchen before cooking anything. I just hope we won't be having your instant noodles for dinner tonight." Haha--... I wish I could laugh to the joke, but Haru might be correct, as sad as it sounded.
We both hurried to put the bags in my room on the floor - there wasn't any other place to put it besides the bed - before heading to clean the kitchen.
I looked at the... kitchen... A... knife, that same thin long knife... It held a bright red handle... No, forget it, it did nothing, I'll be careful with knifes from here on, I'll never point a knife at myself ever again.
I washed the somewhat tall mountain of dishes while Haru cleaned off the oven top and counter. As I finished half of the dishes, more came as the ones I littered on the counter came to the sink. Even though washing the dishes was boring, it was still nice to be able to talk to Haru.
From our baseless mindless chatter, even if we spoke of nothing important, every moment with Haru was wonderful.
"I--... never heard you; what... do you like doing Haru?" I... despite meeting Haru two months ago, I never knew what he enjoyed doing... "I... met you two months ago, and I known you for a month, yet... I know almost nothing about what you enjoy, and you know so much about me--, it's so unfair~!" I know it wasn't his fault, but I felt it was unfair that he knew me so much better.
"Haha, that?" Huh--? Don't laugh at me--, "I enjoy creating models, and any type of non-intrusive music. I dislike... well, people who stick to others by looks, and that's about it. I'm usually open to anything." Models, and music? "So... listening to your beautiful voice was really wonderous, it awestruck me when I first heard you." Hearing Haru say something like that...
"I--, eh... thank you... Haru..." I... focused on scrubbing a little harder... How could he say something so embarrassing?
After a bit longer, we finished cleaning the kitchen enough to cook something with the cleaned dishes, cleaned countertop, and generally a cleaned environment. We both looked around and inspected the kitchen...
"Looks good." "It looks so much cleaner than I ever had it!" We both verbally express our approval of our work.
Now was the cooking...
"I--... will be in your care, Haru..." I glanced at my room with the small outcrop from the kitchen... Haru took my hint instantly.
"Same here." Haru replied.
As we walked to my room to bring the bags back, we both knew that the resulting dish today would either be the start of our amazing kitchen, Kitchen Maharu, or the start of our instant noodle dinner.
... ... ...
Of course, we weren't like all the anime, manga, and novels I read... We knew and had some basic skills... Haru and I could cut, we could heat things on the oven, and we knew the very basic of what burnt and cooked looked and smelled like... albeit, by basics, I did feel a little worried around knives, and I felt like every pan and pot I carried was about to drop...
"It smells and looks so good~!" I... felt my mouth water as I looked hungrily onto our cooked dish we made together... It was a simple chicken stir-fry with various vegetables - green beans, beansprouts, carrots, mushrooms, and a hint of pepper. A side of rice and - the only thing I could ever feel proud of being able to make - onigiri sat on the side.
"You lied about your cooking skills Yuudachi. You obviously hold the potential." Haru--? Huh...?
I... my cooking skill wasn't good, not--,
"You know... real life and fiction are different Yuudachi, this is a great homemade dish that anyone would love to have when they come home." Haru's praise... it felt embarrassing, yet... it struck at my heart, I felt love drawn to the praise. It... was childish, but his praise felt so nice, nice in unexplainable ways.
Cooking for Haru. "I--... thank you Haru... Of course I would do my best for you, that's why it is so nice." I would never not give my all for him.
We both looked in awe of our dish...
I could proudly say the mastermind of the dish was me!... I thought of stir-fry, bought with the money from Haru and strength of Haru. I dealt with the cooking and condiments for the stir-fry, while also making the rice and my specialty onigiri. Haru cut the meat and vegetables, as well as watched the cooking of the stir-fry to ensure nothing went wrong past my eyes.
Opposite of me Haru walked to the kitchen. "I'll get our plates and water cups."
I slumped myself down at the dinning table... ah, I'm tired... I just want to eat and sleep...
We finished eating and finished cleaning up the dishes from dinner together. With the sun quickly falling, we had to clean up the common room. As much as I hated to do so due to my approaching sleepiness, I forced myself to do so with Haru.
Cleaning the common room was so much worse... It took so long for a room this large. By the time we were done, it was already dark outside.
"I'm--... tired..." I looked at my room... "Um--..." I... just realized... "... Eh... Haru, I... don't have a place for you to sleep..." I... glanced away and considered the possibilities...
I could:
1. Have Haru sleep on the couch.
2. Set up some blankets and pillows to make a makeshift bed.3. Have Haru sleep in my bed.
Obvio--, Obviously I--,
"Well, we could just sleep together." Haru--!?
"I--, I mean--, Of course--! Yes--no, wait--?!"
"I was joking..."
... ... ... I--... ah, a joke... ... ...
"I mean--, unless you really do want to sleep together?" Huh--?
"Haru, you idiot!" I ran to my room and shut the door...
... in the end, I... decided to take my first step and allow Haru to sleep next to me... Nothing happened, we were both tired so we laid down together peacefully...
