The Beginning of Summer

Part 4 - Getting To Know Each Other (#1)

"Dude!" Kaito shakes my body as I hold the paper bag of food. "What happened to you?"

I noticed that we were at the front door of my house. I don't know why I randomly remembered that memory. I completely didn't realize that we're here.

"Ah, nothing," I shook my head and grabbed the keys from the pocket of my school uniform coat. 

I inserted the key to the door and turned the doorknob. We removed our shoes and the others sat on the couch, while Hajime and I dropped the food in the kitchen.

"We'll set up the console!" Takeshi yells from the living room. "Can you guys prepare the snacks?"

"Sure thing!" I yell back. "Hajime, want to help me set up?"

"Sure thing!" He drops his bag on the side of the kitchen counter. "Where are the bowls and cups?"

"Right there next to the sink," I reply as I unload the stuff from the paper bag.

"Ahh, thanks," He makes his way across the small kitchen to grab the bowls and cups. "Your house seems nice. It's not that big but not that small too and it feels comfortable."

"Yeah," I reply. "Thank you!"

My house looks pretty modern and traditional at the same time. The furniture here is modern while the floorings, the walls are more traditional Japanese. And yeah, it's not that big but it's not that small either. I can fit a few people here and it would still have space. Being alone in this house could be pretty lonely, but I'm used to it. The only time I'm not alone here is if my uncle decides to stay over.

"Though," He stands next to me and puts down the bowls and cups. "If I live alone in a house like this, I would get pretty lonely."

"Yeah, I get that," We each grabbed a bag of chips and poured it on the bowls. "But I have lived alone in this house since I was 6, so I'm used to it."

"Oh, so none of your relatives were concerned about you being alone?"

"My uncle lived here with me until that age. At that age, he taught me everything about living alone. Cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, ironing my clothes, all that stuff. Once he thought that I'm responsible enough to live alone, he asked me if I could manage myself alone."

"And you were okay with it?"

"I mean, yeah. I was scared and confused at first. My uncle comes over every day to check on me and at night, waits for me to falls asleep. As I age, I got used to being alone up to the point where he stopped checking. Until now, he checks on me once a week and stays over."

"Can't he just take care of you in his place?"

"My uncle's place isn't really a good environment for raising a child. At least, that's what he told me."

"Ahh I see, I see," He replies.

I noticed that we got through all of the bags. I put all the bags inside the paper bag and threw them in the trash.

"I'm sorry if I kept asking you questions," Hajime stands as he waits for me.

"It's fine," I grabbed the bottles of soda and cups. "It's a good conversation for you to get to know me!"

He chuckles. "This isn't really a topic for a conversation when you're just getting to know them."

I also chuckle. "I guess so."

He grabs the two bowls and we made our way to the living room.