They suddenly found themselves teleported to a completely different place, though they could tell they were still in Japan due to the houses that surrounded them. The location appeared to be a small countryside town, with the bright city of Tokyo shining on the horizon as night began to fall.
"Maybe that explains why they shut down the factory," Seiji muttered to himself, scanning the area. Hideaki did the same, unfamiliar with the place, but as they inspected their surroundings, their gazes met.
Seeing an opportunity, Hideaki quickly got up from the ground and bolted. Seiji lunged at him, pinning him down before he could get away.
"Stop running away!" Seiji growled, holding him firmly as Hideaki thrashed in his grip.
"Let me go!" Hideaki snarled, trying to break free.
Suddenly, the nearby house's doors swung open, revealing a general store. A young woman appeared from behind the door, looking irritated. "Um... Excuse me, could you keep it down? I'm trying to clean my shop in peace."
Both of them froze at her interruption. Seiji turned to the woman, her voice striking a chord of familiarity. As he looked closer, he recognized her, his eyes widening in surprise.
"S-Sekiguchi Seiji?? Is that you?" she asked, her expression shifting from irritation to surprise.
Her name was Miyuki Arata, an old high school friend.
Seiji stood up, dusting himself off, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, it's me. Hi, Arata-san."
He straightened up, trying to appear more presentable. "Sorry for the mess in front of your store... I mean, your parents' store."
Hideaki, still fuming, snapped, "Oi! Don't just ignore me, you idiot! We're in some unknown place!"
Seiji sighed and lightly flicked Hideaki on the forehead. "Calm down. We're safe. And this is your fault, anyway."
"My fault!? It's your fault too!"
"No. You started this," Seiji said flatly, meeting Hideaki's irritated gaze with a calm stare.
Miyuki watched their exchange, weariness on her face but curiosity in her eyes as she gazed at Hideaki. 'Why is that guy in a bloodied hospital gown...?' she wondered but didn't ask. Instead, she politely excused herself, "Well, I'll get back to cleaning my shop. It was nice seeing you again, Sekiguchi-san."
"W-wait, Arata-san," Seiji called out. "Could you tell us when the next train to Tokyo leaves?"
"To Tokyo?" she echoed. "I think tomorrow morning. The railway just finished repairs today."
"Tomorrow!?"
"Yeah, they said they'd reopen the line tomorrow. Why do you ask?"
"We need to get back to our apartment... but it looks like that's not happening tonight," Seiji replied, rubbing the back of his neck.
Miyuki thought for a moment. "Maybe you could stay at your parents' place?"
"My parents...? I'd rather not show up unannounced this late, especially with..." he trailed off, casting a sharp glance at Hideaki. "...my roommate."
"Oh, I see," she said, nodding thoughtfully. Then, with a warm smile, she offered, "How about staying here? I have a spare room since my parents aren't around anymore."
Seiji opened his mouth to refuse, but Hideaki cut in, yawning dramatically, "I'm exhausted... We should take her offer."
Seiji shot him a glare. "I said we don't want to trouble her, especially with your behavior."
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...
