[ Sunday ]
Seiji sat at his desk, staring at his computer screen, but his mind was far from his work. The memory of Hideaki's sudden outburst yesterday still lingered, gnawing at him. That could've gone much worse, he thought, his jaw tightening. He wasn't about to let things escalate further.
"I'll have to temper him," Seiji muttered under his breath, his voice flat, calculating. But even as the words left his mouth, doubt crept in. 'Control him? Hideaki?' That was wishful thinking. His roommate's impulses were as unpredictable as they were dangerous. 'I'm no psychiatrist,' he admitted to himself, fingers tapping lightly on the desk.
He leaned back, eyes narrowing as he considered the reality of his situation. 'I stopped him this time... but what about next time? Ken saw it. He's not safe anymore. None of us are.'
A cold, quiet anger simmered beneath the surface. Seiji wasn't one to panic. He wasn't one to let fear dictate his actions. But he also wasn't one to ignore a problem that could spiral out of control.
"I need a plan," he said to himself, voice measured. "I need to understand his triggers. If I can isolate patterns in his behavior, maybe I can predict when he'll snap... contain the damage." He paused, tension lining his jaw. "But if I fail..."
He cut the thought off, refusing to let it finish. 'Failure's not an option. It never was.'
Seiji glanced at his phone, a new thought slipping into focus. 'Today's the last day off. I promised myself to get him a phone.' He exhaled, considering the potential upside. 'If he feels more connected, less isolated, maybe it'll help. Maybe I can mitigate these... episodes.'
He stood abruptly, brushing off the doubts clouding his mind. "This could work. It has to." He walked over to where Hideaki sat, slouched in front of the TV, eyes glued to some anime.
"Hideaki," Seiji called, his tone sharp but not unkind.
Hideaki's head turned lazily toward him, eyes half-lidded with boredom. "Hmm?"
"What do you say about a walk?" Seiji asked, folding his arms across his chest. He kept his tone casual, but there was a deliberate edge to it.
"A walk?" Hideaki repeated, sounding almost surprised.
"Yes," Seiji continued, his eyes scanning the room. "You're cooped up in this place all the time. I guess the only air you get is sticking your head out of my balcony."
Hideaki blinked, then nodded slowly. "Hm. Yeah, I guess you're right."
Seiji allowed himself a small, tight-lipped smile. "Good. Plus..." he added, almost as an afterthought, "I'll buy you a phone. That way you can contact me if you need anything."
Hideaki perked up slightly, his interest piqued. "A phone?"
'I wonder why he decided to do that... It's.. really n-nice of him... I guess...' he thought.
"Yeah. And later a stroll to give some fresh air into our heads."
"A walk doesn't sound too bad. I like to walk."
"Great," Seiji replied, his voice calm, but the gears in his mind already turning. "I'll grab my wallet, and we'll head out."
"Mm. Just let me finish this episode first," Hideaki said, waving vaguely at the TV screen. "They're at the final fight."
Seiji glanced at the screen, recognizing the predictable shounen formula. He nodded. "Sure. I'll give you a few minutes." He turned away, heading back to his desk, already thinking about how he'd use the time outside to observe Hideaki in public again.
YOU ARE READING
Everyday Life with a Murderer
ActionA adult Japanese man, Seiji Sekiguchi was devastated by his life. During one rainy evening, he went to the rooftop of a building to commit suicide. Unexpectedly, on his way he meets a man, who apparently wants to kill him. Prepared for certain death...
