So Strange

Home, Sweet Ugh

Chishiya's POV

  After what felt like months but was really mere days, I'm finally back in my tiny one bedroom apartment. I've never realized how essential this bare-bone box has been to my human condition. This chaotic, malevolent, superficial world is easy to remove myself from in the sanctity of my own private property.

  Despite my apartment being made of little more than the essentials, I came to realize how essential they really are. The bed I slept on in the hospital was terribly uncomfortable. The food was bad too, but I had already expected that.

  Maybe I should start a petition to upgrade the quality of inpatient care. Patients that lay in those things for months must be in even more agony. If that were me, I might just request assisted suicide. But it's all other, now. I'm not planning to be hospitalized again any time soon.

  The moment I enter my bedroom, Satou lifts her head from my comforter. Her speckled fur is matted after all this time without being brushed. I would have had Giang do it when he came to check on her, but Satou doesn't like strangers.

  Now that I'm thinking about it, she was probably quite bothered by a stranger entering the house at all. She's spent a week without me, and the first face she saw since the comet strike that sent a shock wave through Shibuya was that of a stranger. How unfortunate for the anxiety ridden feline. But I'm here now.

  I sit on the edge of my soft, supported mattress and hover my hand above Satou's head. She nudges into my palm with surprising force, and I take it as permission to pet her.

  I find it interesting that Satou holds such a resemblance to myself. Not only in physical appearance—her whispy white, gray, and brown fur pattern along with her sharp gray eyes. Her phlegmatic yet knavish personality also resembles mine to a certain extent. And Satou has acted this way since I found her, so it isn't a case of behavioral mimicry. Our similarities are purely coincidental.

  While sifting through the events of the past week, my phone vibrates vigorously in my pocket. I lazily pull out the disruptive device while still keeping my fingers buried in the ball of fur next to me.

  There's a text from an unknown number. Well, I'm almost positive that it's just spam, but there's a change it could be one of my patients who somehow got my personal number. It's a surprisingly regular occurrence.

  A~nd it's a link to a porn website. I don't believe I've ever gotten spam like this. As I'm swiping to delete the number, another message pops up.

Unknown:
Hey, I know you live near me. So, if you're interested, just click the link above to become a member. Once you're a member, you can come on over, and we can watch movies.😏
11:02 am

  I'm confused. I've heard of spam messages like these, but the text doesn't read like it's generated. The grammar is perfect, and it sounds more casual than uncanny.

  Whatever. I'm going to delete the number anyway. That should be the end of it.

  I put my phone on my matress, but immediately, it vibrates again. The sound makes Satou's ears perk up from her otherwise relaxed position. I open my phone again and find another message from the same number.

  This is certainly out of the ordinary. Usually, if you don't reply to a bot, it won't continue sending messages. But when I actually open the message, I understand.

Unknown:
hey did you fall for my little joke?bet you did
11:03 am

  There is only one person who could be texting me right now. I'd be irritated by this discovery if I didn't have the foresight to expect it. Niragi is too persistent. Possibly his most undesirable trait.