All of Katsumi’s classes were over and he stood in the doorway of the school. A cloudy sky, but not an overcast one that signaled rain. Just one covered enough to not let much sunlight through.

He started walking down the steps, only making it a few down before he heard someone call out to him. .. The last person he wanted to call out to him.

“Murakami-kun,” The voice was defiant and sharp.

His name being called out caused him to momentarily pause. However, he decided to not acknowledge it and kept walking.

“Hey! Don’t just ignore me!”

He kept walking.

“I know you can hear me!”

Nope, I can’t.

Footsteps rapidly approached from behind him.

I don’t hear those either… Please say it’s just someone… going for a run or something…

The voice came from right behind him this time, “Murakami-kun!”

He stood still, and slowly turned, “Oh, Akito-san. Can I help you?” 

Saki scoffed, “Don’t give me that.”

“What do you want?” He said bluntly.

“I— I need your help.”

“Oh? You? Akito Saki, need my help.”

She gave a long, drawn-out sigh, “Yes…” She finally responded in a small voice.

Katsumi instantly responded back with, “Sorry, I’m busy.” He turned away from her and started walking again. 

“You couldn’t have started off with that!?...”

Really couldn’t have.

Saki didn’t chase after him anymore.

 

 

“Hey Nara.”

“Huh?” She was lounging on his couch, while he was relegated to the floor.

Katsumi set down his bottle and turned towards Nara, “Someone asked me to help them today. It was really weird.”

“What’d ya’ mean?”

“You know Akito-san, right?”

“Akito Saki? Ya I’ve heard of ‘er.”

“As I was walking home she was calling out to me, then asked me to help her.”

“Ya’ know what it was?”

“No, I just kinda… walking away.”

This caused Nara to let out a laugh, “That’s too funny! No way!”

“I just wanted to go home. Besides, it could’ve been something really difficult that would take up all my time.”

“Very wise Katsumi.” She commented sarcastically.

 

“I’m going to ask him again.”

“Really? With the reaction he gave I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

That sounded like Akito-san and Mai… Katsumi had his airpods in, listening to music. He vaguely overheard a conversation that sounded alarms in his head. Man these drugs are messing me up, I’m hearing voices now… Surely that’s not them. Please…

“I’ll ask him during lunch break.”

I gotta get outta here the second break starts…

 

“Alright everyone, make sure you have these to me on thursday.” Hasegawa-sensei said while straightening some papers.

Alright, the operation to avoid Akito-san has commenced. 

Katsumi peered towards her seat, she was gone.

This is perfect— wait no… what if she’s out in the halls? Coming back from the bathroom maybe… She’ll be headed right for the front door.

He turned his attention to the door.

I’ll have to be quick.

Katsumi poked his head out of the doorway and looked left-to-right. She wasn’t in sight. He stepped out and started walking down the hallways. 

“You know it was really hard for me to come ask you for help yesterday.”

Katsumi winced.

She was now standing in front of him, blocking his way forward. Other students filed around them, all headed away from their classrooms.

“It couldn’t have been that hard… Am I really that repulsive to look at?”

“Ha, you know, I’d actually say that’s part of the reason now that you mention it.”

Katsumi sighed, “What do you want, Akito-san?”

This threw her off for a moment, “U-uhm— Like I said, I need your help.”

Katsumi began walking off again.

“Hey! You can’t just walk away again!”

“Let’s talk in the library, we’re blocking everybody.”

 

Katsumi ran his fingers across the spines of a few books. The colors on many of them had been faded by time. Dust had been settling on the shelf for a long while, giving it a thin coat. 

They were in one of the back most sections of the library, a place where not many people looked anymore. The science-fiction section.

“W-why are we here?” Saki was obviously nervous.

“You’re acting like I’m a strange man who’s just taken you off the street.”

“It feels that way…”

Katsumi frowned, “I’m here for a book.”

“You can read?” She sounded surprised.

If I couldn't, how'd I be in the same class as you!? “I do sometimes.” 

“What book are you looking for?”

Katsumi stopped his finger on a book with a purple and white spine, “This one.” 

“What is it?”

“It’s called Station Eleven, it’s an American science fiction book. Some guy online recommended it to me.”

“Online? Like those weirdo NEETS?

Katsumi grabbed onto one of the shelves, “I’m going to tip this entire bookcase over onto you.” 

“Okay, okay, there’s nothing wrong with reading. I’m sorry.”

The two made their way to one of the many tables set throughout the library. Sitting opposite from each other once they got to one.

“What do you want, Akito-san?”

“W-well…” She paused for a while, seemingly collecting her thoughts, “Brad mentions sometimes how you’re… interesting, or something. And my friend said that you’d be able to get to know him easier…”

“Easier than what?” She’s stumbling over all her words. But I think I know where this is going… 

“Easier than I could.” She said in a small voice.

“Oh?” Wait, this might be good… I could soon hold all the cards.

“That’s why I need you. So you can get to know him… And—”

“But why would I need to do that? Aren’t you two already together?” Katsumi smiled.

A look of shock washed over her face. Then after some silence she said, “No…”

“So what you’re saying is: you need me to get to know him and tell you what he likes. So that you can make him fall in love with you?”

Saki’s face turned a crimson red, “You don’t have it say it like that!”

“Isn’t that exactly what it is though?”

“...So will you help me?”

“No,” Katsumi replied curtly.

‘Ha–? You sit through me explaining it all just to say no!?”

“Yup.”

“You’re impossible!”

Katsumi shrugged and stood from his seat. 

Did she really expect me to help her with this? I mean seriously, she insults me then expects me to help with her love life. She’s delusional.

The girl at the front counter used a scanner to check out Katsumi’s book, “It’ll be due in two weeks, so the twenty-eighth. Have a good day,” She smiled.

“Thank you.” 

Really, what would I even get out of this? Helping someone that hates me find happiness? That’s like a government giving weapons to a group that wants to kill them? Noone’s that stupid.

“Wait.”

“Hm?” Really? She’s not done?

“What’s your price?”

Does Akito-san want this, this badly? She must be really desperate. The problem is though, I don’t want to. “I don’t think you could afford my price.” Just say something random, hopefully it’ll discourage her.

“I can afford it.”

Katsumi raised an eyebrow to this, “Is that so?”

“Name your price.”

What’s something insanely expensive that I want… A car? A plane? A flat in Tokyo? Maybe not that extreme. How about— “A new T.V.”

“A T.V? That’s what you want?”

“The one my parents gave me is almost ten years old now. I’ve been thinking about a new one for a little bit.” That should seal it, there’s no way—

“Alright.”

“What!?”

“What do you mean what?”

“I—I’m just surprised you agreed.”

“Why? I told you I can afford it for this reason.”

She must be really deep in her own head about Brad… It’s incredible she actually agreed to that.

“So do we have a deal?” Saki asked.

I could just take the money… I’m broke as hell after… the trip. No… I couldn’t do that. Even if it’d feel really good. I mean come on, she’s so deep down the Brad-rabbit hole. She’s practically begging on her knees right now for me to help… “No, we don’t have a deal.”

“What!?”

“You don’t have to give me anything... I’ll… help you.”

Her eyes widened, “Seriously?”

Katsumi nodded.

“You’re not just messing with me?”

“No, just save your money for something with Brad… I’ll help.”

“That… That’s actually really kind of you. I didn’t think you had it in you to do something like this.”

“You think I’m just some emotionless monster?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

Katsumi gave a drawn-out sigh and turned away from her. As he took his first step out of the door she commented one more thing.

“Seriously though, thank you Murakami-kun. This means a lot.”

He paused in the doorway for just a brief moment, then left.

I always assumed that her whole personality was an act, but is it really that shallow? Has that front she put up for all those years been so easy to break?