Wonderland Bites

My Mom and My Mentor

My Mom and My Mentor

In another alternate timeline...

-Shuhei-

I used to live in Japan. That country is now dead due to the virus. I live in Thai with my little sister and grandparents. We're all struggling to survive in this new world. From what I hear, my family and I are better off. Those who went to Korea have a miserable time there. They are treated lower than garbage. Thailand is a little more forgiving here. The people here won't talk to us Japanese. It's more like they tolerate us. Some of them don't want us here. But what can they do?

I don't have time to let that get me down. I have to take care of my family. However, I don't really relate to people. However, I do have one friend.

Ryugamine and I stood in a booth in a noodle restaurant. Where do I begin about him? Ryugamine could be described as a man from nowhere. I have seen him around the city with a young woman with long red hair and a little boy who looks like him. Other than that, Ryugamine is usually alone. He keeps to himself. I don't really know anything about him. All I know is that Ryugamine is Japanese like me. I have tried to ask about him, but he shut down fast.

I met him when I started working at a local garage. (I won't tell you where.) I don't know what drew me to him. He wasn't here to have any car maintenance done. Honestly, I don't what he was doing there. I was closing up at the time when I noticed someone standing outside. A confused look came over my face. We were about to close for the day. This guy stood out too. It was summer and he had on a long black coat. I walked out to him.

"Excuse me?" I asked. "Excuse me, sir?" He turned his head. A cigarette hung from the side of his mouth. I froze for a moment. There was a stoic look on his face but it gave me chills. I put up my hands.

"Look, I don't want any trouble," I said. This guy cocked his head to the side.

"Trouble?" he asked. I stood squinting at him.

"You're not here to rob or kill me?" I asked.

"No..." he said. "Why would I do that?"

"I don't know," I said. "You're not supposed to be here. We're about to close." He didn't respond. Damn it, the manager already went home for the day. I was just stuck. Then he asked me something that threw me off.

"Would you like to get something to eat?" this guy asked. I looked so confused.

"Huh?" I asked.

"Do you want something to eat?" he asked me again. What the hell? What the fuck was this?

"Listen, I don't know what you are playing at," I said.

"I'm not," he said. I could feel my right eye twitching. He said it so seriously too. I started looking around for cameras. Was I on a prank show?

"No, this isn't a prank show," this guy said. I about stumbled backward.

"Geez, will you just calm down?" he asked. "Yes, I heard your thoughts. It's something that I can do." From there, I became confused.

But I didn't stop running into him. I still haven't figured out what it is about him. When I am with Ryugamine, I feel... intrigued by him in a way. He doesn't ask me for anything in return. Sometimes, we meet up in restaurants and just talk. Ryugamine-san always looks so sad when I see him.

Ryugamine-san flicked out his cigarette.

"So how is school going?" he asked.

"Good," I said.

"And work?" he asked.

"Good," I said again.

"I see," Ryugamine-san said. I never know what to say to him. Something about him is overpowering me. I don't think that he means to. It's just...