A Mark That Lasts Forever

Roommate | 何者 section 4

Sunlight slowly fades from my room while I finish typing out a document due in Commerce tomorrow. I read over it once before saving it and closing my laptop. I sigh, realizing that tomorrow is the last day of my second week of classes. I'd managed to quickly get the hang of my school routine despite things being a little bit awkward with Koki. Things are awkward at home too, with Shun sticking his nose up at me every time we run into each other. I should just refer to my entire Tokyo life as "Awkward." At least Shun's tricks seem to have stopped.

When my stomach begins to fight for my attention, I get up and wander toward the kitchen. Junichi and Daiki are at the table leaning over plates. The room smells of fermented soybeans and soy sauce.

We greet each other and they ask me if I've gotten used to life in Tokyo. I tell them about my school while I reach for my bag of rice in an overhead cupboard. Junichi is in the middle of saying something when I open the bag and freeze. Among the white pellets is a dark brown oval with spiky legs and antennas.

I shriek and toss the bag onto the ground, grains of rice spattering across the wooden floor. I back away until I'm stopped by a wall.

"What's wrong?" Junichi calls out to me.

"Th-there's a cockroach!" I point to the disaster on the floor.

"A cockroach?" Junichi grimaces.

Daiki gets up from his chair, approaching the unfortunate pile of rice cautiously. Keeping his body as far back as possible, he reaches a hand out to snatch the bag away. As its remains spill out onto the floor, the revolting brown object exposes itself. I shudder at the sight of it, but Daiki appears hardly fazed.

"How did it get in there?" Junichi ponders.

"Hm?" Daiki bends over and picks the thing up with his bare hands, making my heart stop. He approaches me.

"What are you doing?!" I quiver as I try to back further into the wall.

"There's your cockroach." He grins and holds the dark brown object up to me.

Its spiky legs look soft and rubbery as they wobble in Daiki's hand. I grab it to examine it up close. It's squishy and inanimate. Junichi and Daiki roar with laughter. Looking back down at my rice on the floor, I can't even force a snicker.

I stampede down the hallway, stopping in front of the door across from mine and knocking on it hard enough to make my knuckles hurt. When there's no answer, I knock again. The door creaks open slowly, just wide enough to expose Shun's face.

I hurl the fake cockroach at him. It bounces off his chest and onto the ground.

"You did this, right?" I say sharply.

He looks down at the toy with no words or change of expression.

"Didn't I already apologize to you?" I demand.

He remains silent, his head permanently pointed downward like he's avoiding eye contact with me. He must be ashamed of himself. He should be.

"You can try all you want. I'm not moving out. If it's so unbearable to live with me, then you should leave," I advise.

"I'm not leaving," he snaps back, now looking up at me with knitted brows. "You're gonna have to keep dealing with me."

Determination gleams in his eyes. I close mine and sigh, reminding myself not to explode at him again. Even just looking at him exhausts me. I don't want to do this anymore. Is it time to throw in the towel?

"What do you want me to do?" I tilt my head back in defeat. It's not worth it to try and fight anymore.

His scowl fades as he bites his lower lip. I catch a split second of what almost looks like hurt in his eyes before they dart away from me. Why does he suddenly look weak?