[ Week later ]
Over the next week, Seiji got hit by his bullies again. Touga wasn't lenient on him, doesn't matter if it had just been Christmas. At work, she humiliated him, made fun of him, and mocked him for his lack of Magic Ability - as usual. Seiji was getting tired of it more and more, especially that every time he tried to defense himelf, it didn't got any results.
As he left the work he let out a loud sigh. 'I don't know how long I could take her taunts towards me... Sometimes I regret that back then, I didn't just go on the top of that building and jump off...' he thought, his mind drifting darkly for a moment. He glanced at the date on his phone. 'New Year is coming. I would have to clean my apartment. Hideaki's living there too; might as well contribute. I'll just have to make sure he doesn't find some excuse to avoid it'
***
Convincing Hideaki to help with the cleaning turned out to be exactly as challenging as Seiji expected. As soon as he mentioned that they needed to tidy up, Hideaki curled up in a blanket on the couch, firmly cocooned and glaring at him from beneath the folds.
Seiji let out a heavy sigh. 'Of course.' Walking over, he yanked the blanket with enough force that Hideaki was forced out of his hiding place and stumbled onto the couch cushion. Just as quickly, Hideaki scrambled to reclaim his fortress of blankets, but Seiji stood his ground.
"Hideaki," Seiji said, crossing his arms. "You live here too. That means you're cleaning up too."
"Tch!" Hideaki hissed, shooting him an irritated look. "I don't feel like it."
"That's not an option," Seiji replied, undeterred. "Get up and help. We have an entire apartment to tackle."
Hideaki rolled his eyes, pulling the blanket tighter around him. "I said I don't feel like it."
Seiji pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath to keep his calm. 'Great. Exactly what I needed,' he muttered to himself. Finally, he leveled his gaze at Hideaki, lowering his tone in a way that left little room for argument. "Either you get up and help, or I'll drag you off that couch every time you try to hide. Your call."
After a bit of grumbling, a few reluctant protests, and some half-hearted insults exchanged between them, Hideaki finally hauled himself off the couch. With a glare and plenty of eye rolls, he grabbed a cloth and started wiping down the furniture, albeit with the enthusiasm of someone facing a life sentence.
Seiji watched him work, giving a slight, satisfied nod. 'Finally'
---
As they were tidying up, Seiji's phone rang. He answered, his tone initially neutral, but his expression softened.
"Hey, Mom. Oh..? Yeah... hmm... sure, why not. Listen, can I bring someone with me? Alright. Thanks. Yeah, we'll be there. See you soon."
He hung up, turning to Hideaki with a casual nod. "Looks like we're invited to spend New Year's with my family in Saitama. You in?"
Hideaki paused, looking slightly uneasy. "Saitama? We're going back to your hometown?"
"Yeah," Seiji replied, eyebrow raised. "Something wrong with that?"
"N-no, just... Tch! Unexpected, I guess."
Seiji smirked slightly, folding his arms. "Then, what's your answer?"
Hideaki shrugged, feigning indifference. "Fine. Could be... fun."
"Good." Seiji gave a nod of approval before glancing around the room. "Alright, now let's get this place finished up. I'd rather not come back to a mess right after New Year."
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...
