My Demons

Chapter 7: The Past

Chapter 7: The Past

            I stayed by Misaki’s side that night while he was sick. He was better the next day and I went home. He promised me that he would talk to Takahiro about staying with me when he and his wife moved to Osaka. It seemed that he was really thinking about taking me up on my offer.

            A few days later, I received a call from Takahiro. I was expecting it, so when I heard the phone ringing I rushed downstairs immediately. I was working on my newest novel, a tragedy set during the end of World War II, when America dropped atomic bombs in Japan. It was poetically tragic and was sure to be a hit. Both myself and Aikawa-san thought so.

            “Yes?” I answered into the telephone.

            “Usagi, thank you for taking care of Misaki while I was away,” Takahiro answered back. “It seems you two have become good friends!”

            I smirked. “He has really grown on me, Takahiro.”

            “I see… He seems to really look up to you, Usagi. So much so that he believes he can live with you while he goes to school. I tried to tell him that you don’t like others in your space, but he won’t listen to me. He keeps insisting that you told him otherwise.”

            “I did. I made him the offer to live with me while he studied at M university.”

            “But he won’t be able to pay any rent until he gets a job!”

            “I know. I told him not to worry about the rent. In exchange for room and board, he can help me with the housework. And from what you’ve told me, he’s an excellent cook and you know I can’t cook for myself. Really, Takahiro, I think having Misaki stay with me would be beneficial for all three of us.”

            He paused for a few moments, probably thinking. “Are you sure about this, Usagi?” he finally said.

            “I’m positive,” I answered without hesitation.

            He sighed happily. “Thank goodness. I was getting worried there for a bit. You’ll let me know if he does anything to trouble you, right?”

            “He won’t do anything to trouble me, Takahiro.”

            And then we settled it: Misaki would come to live with me when Takahiro and Manami-san left at the end of the month. The overprotective man told me at least 5 times that it was only temporary and that he wouldn’t let Misaki live as a freeloader off me forever. No matter how many times I told him that it was alright, he didn’t listen.

            Nevertheless, Misaki moved in with me at the end of the month. Takahiro and Manami-san brought him over and helped him carry in his bags. They were in a rush to get to the train to move into their new place themselves, so they left rather quickly. Misaki stood in the middle of the living room, glancing around at everything. It was certainly odd behavior considering he knew almost every room in the place already from when he had tutoring sessions here.

            I cleared my throat to get his attention. “So, Misaki, let’s take your bags up to the room you’ll be staying in.”

            Without meeting my gaze, he picked up some bags and started walking up the stairs. I grabbed the other bags and followed. I directed him to the guest bedroom. It was small compared to the other rooms in the house. It only had a bed, a desk, a lamp, and an empty closet. Before Misaki came, it had been filled with some of my stuffed bears but I cleared all those out for him.