Help me Help you - A Togafuka story

[1]

I approached the apartment cautiously, I was always told to be extra careful in these types of situations.

I checked the crumpled slip of paper in my hand again, room 207 this was it.

I took a sharp breath in and promptly knocked on the door. I stood for a few moments until I heard a muffled "come in."

I gingerly opened the door and immediately wrinkled my nose in disgust, the smell in here was just putrid.

I scanned the cluttered apartment briefly: rotting food, smelly clothing, old dusty books, and some old black sheets covering the windows to top it all off.

I certainly have my work cut out for me.

Just then out of a pile of dirty clothes emerged a frail girl, she was fairly pretty for a hikikomori. She had long dark hair that looked like it needed some serious attention, big framed glasses, and tattered clothing. She looked very afraid but had a glint of curiously playing in her dull eyes.

"A-are you the man that's s-supposed to help m-me?" She stuttered, still wrapped in her pile of dirty laundry.

"Yes I am, my name is Byakuya Togami and I work with a company that helps people like you." I replied with a calm tone hoping she'd feel less nervous around me.

"So s-shut ins..?" She glared at me.

"You could certainly call it that, yes." I rubbed my temple.

"Do what y-you want, then g-go away, I'm tired." The girl pouted, sinking deeper into her pile.

"Can I have your name please?" I prodded gently.

"No." She stuck her tongue out at me.

"Oh come on I'm trying to be polite!" I groaned, breaking my work facade. She sighed and got up from her nest of clothes.

"Toko Fukawa." She said, shaking my hand once before dropping it starting to go back to her previous position.

"Pleasure to meet you Fukawa, but I really think we should start on getting those clothes washed." I grabbed her wrist.

"Why? I-I sleep here." She said plainly with less of a stutter.

"Because we're going to get you a mattress instead, and these are for wearing not sleeping in."

A small smile crept onto her lips.

"A mattress huh? Never had one of those." She articulated perfectly.

"Does your stutter come out when your nervous?" I questioned. The girl nodded.

"I'm feeling better now, you're alright I guess." She huffed.

I threw my head back in a dramatic sigh earning a giggle out of Toko. She was going to be a cocky one I could already tell.

"Let's get to work!" I shouted.
_________________________________

We started by picking up pile after pile of dirty laundry and driving them over to the laundromat nearby, well I drove it over. Toko insisted she better not go outside.

The apartment looked a lot nicer after that.

It had already been 3 hours since I'd begun working and I could tell Toko had something on her mind.

"Togami may I ask you something?" She cocked her head.

"Mhm."

"Am I messed up in the head?"

I was taken aback by her sudden and very serious question.

"No, I meet a lot of people like you. You just struggle with certain mental challenges that keep you from being able to complete everyday tasks by yourself. You're not currently medicated and have nobody here with you so you have not been able to function properly for the last few years." I read her diagnosis notes off a sheet.

"I have clinical depression and severe PTSD." She listed off with a big smile.

"Yes I can see that on your sheet."

"Meds are gross." She babbled on.

"But you really need them-" I protested.

"You're not firm enough, everyone else that visits me forced me to take em' i threw up every time." She grinned again.

"What the hell? I'd never do that! I'm here to help you not force you to do things your uncomfortable with!" I grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look me straight in the eye.

"You're going to get through this Fukawa I swear to you, we're going to do it together."

Her eyes widened as she nodded enthusiastically. Giving me a hug.

"I like you lots and lots." She whispered.

I immediately could tell she was tired, some people go into a drunk-like state when sleepy.

"I- like you too..." I blushed, trying to pull away from the hug.

But Toko was already asleep.