The Kaijou Affairs

Encounter I: Awkward Neighbors

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Encounter I: Awkward Neighbors

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The streets of Kanagawa felt reminiscent as I strolled along its sidewalk with a suitcase in one hand and my cellphone in the other. I glanced around at the familiar scenery, recalling memories from a year ago. The laughter of students passing by me seemed identical to my younger self's and another. My gaze suddenly landed on my suitcase—the very same suitcase that I had ran off with a year ago is now the same suitcase that I am returning with today. I wondered how my former host family would react upon seeing my return.

I cross the street, walking up towards the apartment complex. “Let's see...” I muttered to myself while looking for the door number that would match with the address on the sheet of paper I had. “Ah, here it is.” I stopped in front of a plain white door. As I pulled my keys out of my pockets to open the door, a loud crashing echoed from the apartment unit next to mine. I dropped the keys, startled by the noise. “What the heck...” I knelt down to pick up the keys.

When I looked up, I saw a tall blond man standing in front of me. “Ah!” I lost my balance and fell back in surprise. “Ow!” The palm of my left hand fell on top of the jagged edges of the house key. I quickly pulled away. Red fluid oozed out of the fresh wound.

“A-Are you alright?” The man knelt down on his knees. He took my left hand examining it. “I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to startle you!” he said in a panic. “You're bleeding!”

“W-Well... Yes. I fell on my keys and they cut me; therefore, I am bleeding.” I slipped my hand out of his grasp, but he grabbed my wrist, pulling me up with him. “Ah, hey!” I tried to protest, but he ignored me and continued to drag me over to the house unit next to mine. “Where are you taking me? This is kidnap—” The doors were unlocked. He must have just came out of there.

He led me over to the sofa. “Wait here! I'll be right back!” He dashed off, disappearing into one of the many rooms.

“What's going on?” I said to myself, sighing. I glanced down at my bleeding palm then quickly back to the room the man had just ran into. I was about to call out to him when a slender woman who was barely dressed walks out of another door.

“Ryouta! We're out of shampoo!”

“Oh my god,” I unintentionally said out loud in horror. I was caught in that sort of setting at the moment. I should have never doubted the suspicions I had for that strange man! Why hadn't I escaped when I had the chance to—no. Oh, no. Oh, no! Worst of all, I realized, he and I are neighbors!

“Oh,” the woman said, slightly startled by my presence. “Who might you be?” She pushes a strand of her still dripping wet hair behind her ears.

“Mi-Mikasa...” I stuttered.

“I see.”

“I found it!” The man emerged from the room he had disappeared into earlier. He walked over, carrying a first aid kit in his hand.

“Ryota,” the woman said, addressing the man, “Who is this?”

“Oh,” he replied, “I... I, uh, I don't know, actually.”

“Interesting.”

“We're not like that!”

My god... Am I... Is this the start of a lover's spat? Am I caught in between a lover's spat? Wait, am I the cause of this lover's spat? Please, no!

“I am so sorry for intruding—please, under no circumstances should the two of you mind me. Don't let me further disturb the two of you and your affairs. I-I'll see myself out—” I say immediately and red in the face.

“Wait, no! We,” he gestures from himself to the woman and back with his index finger, “are not like that either!”

I couldn't look at either of them in the eyes. “No, no! You don't have to explain to me!”

“I am still in high school!”

“IT'S PERFECTLY NORMAL TO START YOUR SEX LIFE AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE! W-WELL, NOT REALLY—BUT T-THAT'S OKAY! I DON'T JUDGE!”

“N-NO! YOU'VE GOT IT ALL WRONG!”

I had started screaming in the heat of the moment and shortly after, he followed suit. The situation had become so awkward to the point that I was trying to sprint to the door while he was shifting left and right to block my movements, trying to explain to me details that I wish to not hear. Then, I heard snickering.

“Oh... Oh gosh...” the woman says in between her fits of laughter. “You two are made for each other.” She made a motion as if to wipe tears from her eyes. “I'm Kise Nazuna,” she says, “His older sister.” She points to the man in my way.

Her words strike a sudden blow to my mind. I feel myself at a loss for what to say and cover my burning face in embarrassment. “O-Oh. I... I see,” I say awkwardly. “I'm Hamasaki Mikasa.” With nothing left to say, I introduce myself.

Wait...

I take a glance back over to the man who had led me into this house. His facial features begin to look familiar to me. My gaze shifts over to his sister as I try to recall what she had called him when I had first entered this apartment.

Ryota—she called him Ryota. She is his sister and her last name is Kise...

My gaze slides back over to the man as the puzzle pieces begin to fit and I begin to feel... idiotic. With a dumbfounded expression, I say, “You're Kise Ryota.”