A Lingering Touch (Junjou Romantica)

[11]

Hiroki wiped down his new desk with a lemon scented cleaner and then placed his supplies back onto their place. He grew used to having to deeply clean his home every Sunday. Otherwise, the dust set onto the furniture, and it was more trouble to clean it. Besides, he liked keeping the house up to date on everything. The state of the home was his top priority. He brought in a plumber and an electrician to check the interior of the home. So far, nothing seemed out of place and no replacements were required.

He set aside a good percentage of his check in savings before he bought more furniture and any essential items. His parents taught him to save as much money as possible in case of emergencies. Despite his lavish upbringing, they brought down the realities in life. Nothing stayed guaranteed and he needed to think up ahead. Due to his dismissal, his savings proved helpful in setting him up for life in the countryside.

The thought of his coworkers finding out about his new living area brought a snort out of him. They all saw him as a city boy. Where he had no idea how to survive in the countryside and he'd suffer from his new surroundings. A big miscalculation on their part. He spent his summers and free time with his grandparents in their home. His knowledge in handling this home came as second nature to him.

Tossing the rag into the bucket, he stretched his arms above his head. He went downstairs and checked up on Nowaki whose attention stayed on tv. In the morning, Nowaki went on another patrol which lasted an hour. When he returned, Nowaki greeted him again and plopped in front of the tv. Eagerly awaiting another recommendation on a new show to watch.

Nowaki let out a bellow of giggles, he turned to stare up at Hiroki. "It's too bad this is the last season of this comedy. Are there any more like this one?"

Hiroki scoffed. "You are entertained through anything." He rolled his shoulders and rubbed his muscles with his hands. "I'm sure there are reruns which have premiered on that channel. I can always research the listings online. Good thing I finished my writing quota for the day, so I don't mind researching on my free time."

"You don't have to spend so much time searching for results." Nowaki fiddled with the bangles on his wrists. "Anything you recommend to me will be fine. I enjoyed the shows I watched so far."

"Alright. Don't blame me if I end up picking something that's not good. I'm usually bad at recommendations. These last few shows were pure luck." He went inside of the kitchen. "Ugh...I'm always cleaning around here." Hiroki hauled the bucket in his arms and placed it underneath the sink. "No wonder I loved living in an apartment. I didn't have to worry about dust collecting on larger surfaces. I never had a need to bring in company to my place."

"You don't have to keep it so spotless. It looks amazing and no dust gathers on the furniture. Besides, your grandfather won't rise from the spirit realm due to negligence. He passed on through the light without any trouble. I watched him leave with your grandmother. She waited for him. He died without any regrets."

"You're just trying to get me reprimanded." Placing his hands on his hips, Hiroki huffed. "You have never gotten hit by a rolled up newspaper. He's ruthless when he's pissed."

Nowaki smiled. "Here I thought you were not so spiritual."

"Well, I can see you just fine. I had some inkling feeling ghosts roamed about, I just never saw them." Hiroki coughed into his hand. "Any sign of that dark apparition you told me about?"

Nowaki answered. "Not at all. All my patrols have given me nothing. Everything is normal. In my opinion, it seems this spirit passed onto another town, or it receded from where it came from. Why? Are you worried it would come back?"