“We’re almost done, we just have to scrub the hallway floor then it’s over.” Mayumi peeked her head over the back of the sofa and looked down at the collapsed Katsumi lying on it.
“I’ve done enough… I can’t be bothered.”
“I don’t think you’ve done that much really.”
Katsumi looked at her with a blank expression for a moment before rolling over onto his stomach.
“...”
“I’ll do it later, you can just head on home now, it’s getting pretty late.”
Mayumi walked around the sofa and stood in front of Katsumi, motioning for him to get up with one hand and the other on her hip. “Will you really? You should never do half a job.”
She reached over and grabbed Katsumi’s side, rolling him off of the couch onto the, now spotless, hardwood floor.
Katsumi remained dormant as Mayumi continued to urge him to get a move on.
Once I finish she’ll finally be gone… It’s just a bit of scrubbing. Plus Nara is probably coming over later… so I guess today won’t be all that bad… She’ll get a kick out of this too.
“Muraka—“
“Yeah I’ll finish it up… It’s getting kinda late now so you should head out, I got it from here.” Katsumi got up and brushed himself off.
Mayumi was moderately surprised by this.
“And uhm, thanks, for helping me today. I guess my apartment looks much nicer now.”
“No problem. Living next to this mess would’ve given me some anxiety so I guess you could say this helped me too.” When Mayumi said this she seemed to have a hint of happiness in her tone compared to her usual traitless speaking. Even punctuating her sentence with a small smile.
“Yeah…” Katsumi attempted to respond with similar energy but only managed a half-baked, forced smile.
He made his way over the cleaning supplies and picked up a bucket filled with water along with a rag. He began heading towards the hallway and glanced at Mayumi out of the corner of his eye.
Before Katsumi could get to the hallway, a question stopped him in his tracks.
“I was thinking… I could make us something for dinner tonight. Does that sound alright?”
No, that doesn’t sound alright. “It’s okay, you’ve already done more than enough for me, I’ll be fine tonight.” I’ll be even better if you go away.
“Looking at the empty containers and wrappers I’ve thrown away I believe you’ve eaten a proper meal in months.”
“…”
“Am I wrong?”
“No… But—“
“Alright then, it’ll be good for you. Having a healthy diet will make you happier and help you live longer.” After Mayumi said this she moved into the kitchen.
I feel like her excuse is always, ‘it’s good for me’.
“I’ll be using your ingredients too of course— well, I suppose if you don’t have something I could use mine.” She put a finger to her chin and drifted her gaze across the kitchen, figuring it out and seeing what she had to work with.
Ha, ingredients? I don’t think there has been any fresh produce or cooking ingredients in this apartment for months… Hopefully that discourages her from actually going through with this.
“Arata, I think I don’t have anything to cook with. It's probably not worth the trouble.”
“Hmm… yeah I kind of gathered that. You barely have any utensils and you don’t even have an apron. I guess you really have not had a good meal in the last few months.”
What? You didn’t even believe it when you said it yourself?
Mayumi shuffled around the kitchen, looking in drawers and cupboards. She didn't look to be judging the state of it, but once again making a plan.
“Alright. Murakami, could you go clean the floor the hallway and I’ll head over to my apartment—“
“And stay there?”
“Huh? No, and see what ingredients I have along with getting my apron.”
Sadly what I expected.
Mayumi departed back to her apartment and Katsumi got down and dirty. His floor was covered in a fine layer of what was an unknown filth. It seemed to be a combination of many different foods, dirt, and dust.
God, after seeing what my floor actually looks like when cleaned, this is horrible. Y’know, maybe she had a point about this cleaning.
In ten minutes he revealed around two-thirds of the actual floor. Katsumi took a moment to check his progress when there was a knock at the front door.
“Huh? Oh, it’s probably Arata.” I’ll just finish up the cleaning then I’ll have a home cooked dinner. Not how I planned to spend my evening but not the absolute worst. Katsumi contemplated these things as he stood and walked to the front door.
Instead of being greeted by short black hair, Katsumi was facing a head of long, unkempt, brown hair.
It was Nara, and was sloppily dressed as usual. Wearing a loose cardigan and slacks that somewhat fit.
“Heya Katsumi!” With a big smile Nara greeted him. In her arms was a cardboard box, the flaps of which were opened slightly, not enough to see the contents of it however.
On Nara there were black straps going over each of her shoulders, these held the backpack she was wearing, which looked to be full.
“Sorry Nara, it seems like the plans kinda changed.”
“What’d ya’ mean?”
“Uh, well… I’ll explain later, but basically I have dinner plans, I guess.”
“You guess? It’s either you do or ya’ don’t.”
“...Yeah, I do.”
“Oh? What’s this? And with whom may I ask?”
“W—“
“Oh, it must be parents. I didn’t know they were in town. Ya’ know, you should really introduce me to ‘em. It’s ‘bout time.”
“No they aren’t in town. And even if they were, there’s no way in hell I would.”
“Aw~ you’re too mean… But seriously, who?”
This question made Katsumi break eye contact and turn his head away. There was a silence between them.
Nara raised an eyebrow. “Hey, is it a girl?” She pressed her shoulder up against Katsumi and gave him an ear-to-ear grin. Katsumi backed up and Nara got closer again. “Just kiddin’!”
“…”
“There’s no way… You got a date?”
“...”
“Haha! Oh my god, no way! You're at university for what, two days? and you meet someone!” Nara hugged the cardboard box tightly to her chest, pretending to be girly. “So~ who is it?”
“It’s not a date... But it’s—“
“Murakami?”
“Ah! No way!”
Standing at the front door of the apartment next to them was a girl wearing a white crop-top with a not fully zipped-up sweatshirt over it. To contrast these lighter colors, she had on black leggings.
“No-no-no, it’s not like that. She’s just been… helping me clean.”
“What are you two talking about?” Mayumi interjected. “And Murakami, have you finished scrubbing the floor?”
Nara then interrupted with her own comment on Mayumi’s question, “Finish scrubbin’ the floor? Oh my, Arata. What have ya’ two been gettin’ up to?” To try and sell her sarcastic surprise, Nara covered her mouth with a hand.
“T-Takagi, what are you talking about? We’d never do something like that. That’s just absurd…”
She’s flustered from that?
Finding the faintest hint of red in Mayumi’s cheeks, Nara began to get even more excited.
“Well, makes sense. Knowin’ Katsumi' here, he’s probably gonna die alone and a virgin. I mean really, the guys harmless.” Nara took one hand off the box and put it around Katsumi’s shoulder.
“H-hey now…“
“C’mon, don’t get butt-hurt over the truth,” She laughed.
“Yeah-yeah.” But come to think of it, I’ve never seen you talk to a guy other than me… So you of all people shouldn’t be saying anything.
“Enough of this. Murakami, we already have prior plans. Finish up so we can go to the grocery store. Takagi, we’re busy, so could you leave please?”
“Aw~ is there no room for a third in your twosome?”
Mayumi looked at her with her mouth slightly agape. She then closed it along with her eyes, and started tapping her temple with her index-finger.
“It can be jus’ like high school again—Katsumi and I hangin’ out and you starin’ us.”
Mayumi balled her fists.
“Alright alright, really, I’m done. I was just… dropping some stuff off,” She pushed the box into Katsumi’s arms with a smile.
Katsumi gave Nara a look that said, not right now, and pushed the box back into Nara’s arms.
He leaned closer to Nara’s ear and whispered, “Just swing by around ten or whenever I message you on LINE.”
She nodded in response.
Mayumi had her arms crossed and any hint that she was once flustered had disappeared. “What is in that box?” She asked sternly.
“...”
“I’ll catch y’all later!” Nara made a brisk getaway down the hallway. “Have fun on your date!” The elevator door slid shut and Nara was gone—leaving her comment hovering in the air.
“That’s—” not what it is.
A silence settled between them, leaving the two to stare at the closed elevator doors.
After lingering in it for a minute, Mayumi’s calm words cut through this silence when she said, “Come on Murakami, let's go.”
