My Ambitions

Trial 1: Introduction

Oh boy. I'm already ashamed that it only lasted 1 month while my first lasted 8...

... Huh? You're asking me who I am?... Pardon my rudeness.

My name is Kabuto Narugumo, from Tōkyō Metropolis, Japan... As a native could tell - my name combination isn't really common, I come from an obscure - and yet dying - family line. Even the kanji combination is obscure. I kind of find my own name ironic due to "Kabuto" usually being a pet name, yet my parents named me that...

They say that because it's after the Japanese Helmet - Kabuto, it's supposed to symbolize protection... But I kind of like it anyway. Helps me establish a clearer identity with my internet friends; I'm kind of attracted to the hikikomori lifestyle. But not so immersed as to pull away from real-life activities.

I live alone in my apartment. The reason for that, is simple though.

My parents... have both passed away.

I never really gave any thought to how they improved my life, they simply cooked food and guided me with school work - they never really cared about bonding with me and making me happier, and yet, I never really cared about that any way. I was fine living my own life without my parents trying to cut in with my own activities.

For this sole reason, I don't know much about our family lore - though all I know is that I'm the last member of the Narugumo house. My father died in a traffic accident while my mother passed away fighting a disease at the hospital seventeen months later. This all happened when I was only 14, and at this point I'm already 16 years old.

As for how I've managed to live alone for nearly 2 years, it's because it is legal here over in Japan to live alone, as long as a person at the age of 20 or older - such as a guardian - pays the rent and all the other bills. I've grown accustomed to my own apartment as of the time my parents died. If I were to continue living there, it'd mean I'd need to seek out someone that qualifies as a guardian.

Luckily, I took advantage of this by telling my situation to one of the neighbouring girls, Moriko Ikushima, who was a 21-year old college senior at her time, at which she accepted my request and helped be my "guardian", occasionally visiting my house and every time I call her to help me pay my apartment rent, by making her go to my house and letting her have the rent money to cover me for the month... I also give her 5% more than the rent originally costs to show my gratitude for being a guardian, which is really becoming a moniker over the past two years. Moriko lives in her own apartment, only 2 floors below me. (My own apartment is located on the 4th floor of the whole complex.)

I liked Moriko better than my own parents. She actually felt like a bigger sister--or even a mother figure--whenever she occasionally visits me without me calling her for things like monthly fees and rents for my home. I never had any biological siblings, I was an only-child in the Narugumo family. Though I feel Moriko helped me experience what a close sibling would feel like.

This made me realize what it'd feel like if I emotionally interacted with my parents when I got the chance, instead of letting them die before I could get to them... Yet, it took their death to understand how important they would have been for my life, as I wouldn't have asked Moriko to be my guardian otherwise.

With this was only the brief explanation of my lifestyle and how it remained like that for almost two years. I hope that next time I'll enlighten you on my day-to-day experiences, I know that it isn't as impressive to read for it being the first chapter... Or "Trial", as I call it. I will see you next time, then.

Take care.