Draw Again

Chapter 18

I don't know what I was expecting from Totsuka's apartment. Maybe a room completely full of his strange hobbies strewn about, or perhaps walls plastered with photos of Mikoto. Neither was what I walked into. Totsuka's home was simple, clean and everything in its place, but it didn't feel like a home. It was like stepping into a store model of a perfect looking home, uniform and nice, but no hear or warmth. It didn't feel like Totsuka's home.

When we arrived Totsuka set to work in the kitchen with the bags of groceries he bought on our way, while I was left sitting on a tan couch fiddling with my phone texting Fujishima about playing The End tomorrow. Listening to Totsuka whistle a relaxing tune as he cooked I sunk further into the cushions like I was waiting for my order to arrive. Which didn't hold well with me, so getting to my feet I abandoned my phone on the coffee table and joined Totsuka in the kitchen.

"Hey, can I help with anything?" I asked.

Lifting his head from the sizzling pan where I could smell chicken frying. He gave me a courteous grin as he turned for a cutting board loaded with veggies.

"Do you know how to cook?" Totsuka inquired.

His hands gracefully setting to work on dicing the greens while the kitchen filled with the heavenly scent of home cooking. Homra usually had this smell by the end of the day from him, and his love of cooking. The familiarity almost gave life to the apartment, almost though.

Leaning against the adjacent counter I stared at the fridge as I crossed my arms. "I know the basics I guess. Anything I learned in high school I've probably forgotten, so I can at least cut something or wash and peel," I replied.

Totsuka chuckled.

"Or not," I muttered.

Swiveling around he said, "Oh Nao-chan, that's not what I meant. I'm grateful for your offer, but I'm all set. We'll be able to eat shortly."

"Okay," I sighed.

Pushing off of the counter I stepped back to the living room where I scooped up my phone and flopped back onto the couch. I was prepared to answer any reply Fujishima may have given, which he did, but my attention was captured by the other message I had received. I had completely forgotten I had his number, let alone he had a phone at all. He never used it, not even for news. So seeing a text from Mikoto sent up all the red flags.

At first I couldn't wait to read the message, but with my finger halfway to clicking it the excitement was replaced with gloom. What if he was upset about that afternoon? Was it hate mail? I was walking a fine line of curiosity and anxiety.

Slowly I tapped on the message as I swallowed the bubbling nerves blocking my throat.

'Set an alarm'

I stared at the three words for probably far too long before I burst into laughter. I had worked myself up for nothing. I should have expected Mikoto to send a short blunt text like that, anything else just wasn't his style.

"Nao-chan?" Totsuka called from the kitchen. "What's so funny?"

Sitting up I quickly replied to the message as I said, "Nothing, just something I read."

"Oh, well dinner's done," he said.

"Great, I'm starving," I smiled.

'Good to know'

Three words for his three.

***

Sitting down to dinner with Totsuka wasn't much different than eating at the pub except that it was just the two of us chatting. We discussed his latest photo hobby, he scolded me about my reckless actions that day, and I picked on him about a lock of hair that just didn't lay right. By the time we finished eating my face hurt from laughing and Totsuka was wiping tears -of amusement- from his eyes.