Katsuki Ayumi

Ayumi and Eito finally release their grips on my arms, providing some relief from the pain i was experiencing.

Ayumi hurried into the school, leaving me behind in a rare display of anger. I knew I had to follow her.

"Thank you, Akiyama-kun." I grabbed my bag from him and dashed after her, calling out, 'See you later!'

I swiftly caught up to Ayumi and gently halted her.

"Ayumi, please, let me explain everything first."

"Why did you yell at me? He was also grabbing your arm!"

"I didn't mean to; it just hurt so much that I reacted without thinking. My right arm is throbbing with pain for some reason."

"Did you wake up with injuries again? How many times has this happened before?" Ayumi sighed and added, "Chizuki, you really should get it checked out."

"I will later, but you're not angry with me anymore, right?" I gave her my best puppy eyes.

"You still haven't explained why you were walking with that silver jerk. Did he threaten you to walk with him?"

"No, actually, he said he'd walk with me to school for a month as an apology."

"What kind of apology is that? It feels more like torture," Ayumi remarked with a disgusted expression.

"It's not for me, okay? You know I have feelings for him."

"I still don't understand what you see in him. Jun is way more handsome, and he's not a jerk," Ayumi remarked.

---

*School bell rings*

"Thanks, Ayumi. I don't know what I'd do without you," I said as Ayumi handed me my lunch tray.

"So when are you going to the hospital?" Ayumi asked as she sat down in front of me at the table.

"I'm not going," I replied firmly.

"Are you still scared of hospitals? The pain could be something serious, you know," Ayumi expressed her concern.

"I've had worse injuries than this, you know. Like that time when I woke up with my knuckles all cut open and bleeding," I recalled.

"Just what do you do in your sleep?" Ayumi asked, as though she hadn't asked me this a million times before.

"I've already told you, I don't do anything. I go to sleep fine and end up waking with them," I explained.

"But you don't even sleepwalk, and when you stayed over at my house for a week, you were perfectly fine," Ayumi pointed out.

"I don't know either. I even went to see a therapist when I was young for this reason. They said I might have a split personality or I'm just delusional, but they eventually gave up when they couldn't find any more answers," I explained.

"It really is a mystery. Maybe I should just ask my parents to adopt you."

"What do you mean? I'm not a kid anymore; I'm 18 years old. I don't need a guardian," I asserted.

"Chizuki," Ayumi gasped dramatically.

"What?" I replied, puzzled by her dramatic reaction.

"What if you're haunted by a spirit? I've seen it in movies where a ghost is attached to someone, and that person wakes up with random injuries and bruises," Ayumi pondered aloud.

"But I don't experience nightmares, and besides these injuries, nothing else unusual happens."

"Is it waiting for the right moment?" Ayumi speculated, her voice filled with a hint of unease.

"Don't scare me for no reason. I'm sure it's nothing serious," I said, trying to ease her or maybe my own concerns.

"If something happens, make sure you call me, and just run to my house. I'll take care of that ghost for you," Ayumi promised with a determined look.

"That's pretty reassuring, thanks," I chuckled, feeling grateful for Ayumi's support.

"Ayumi, you were so cool yesterday when you sorted out Eito's hair. It was so satisfying," a random boy passing by began a conversation with Ayumi.

"It was pretty satisfying for me too," Ayumi replied with a grin, sharing a moment of camaraderie with the boy.

"Keep up the good work," the boy gave Ayumi a thumbs up before departing.

"Who was that?" I inquired, curious about the boy who had just spoken to Ayumi.

"I don't know. Strangers have been coming up to me since yesterday, saying I did great for confronting Eito," Ayumi explained.

"I didn't know Eito had haters too. He is pretty popular in our school, so I guess it's natural to have people like that," I remarked, considering the dynamics of popularity.

"I should start a new club for them, and I would be the president of that club," Ayumi said with a mischievous grin, embracing the idea of Eito's "haters" club.

"I'm sitting right here, Ayumi."

"Forget about him already. He doesn't deserve someone like you, Chizuki."

"It's not like I have a switch for it. I just like him, no matter what," I admitted how strong my feelings for Eito are.

"Ugh, someone's in love," Ayumi teased, poking fun at my romantic predicament.

"Just you wait until you fall for someone," I responded, turning the conversation back on Ayumi.

"There is no one in this world who truly deserves me," Ayumi stated with unwavering confidence.

"Right, you're determined to stay single for the rest of your life," I replied.

---

4:00 PM.

"Would you like me to accompany you back to your dorm? I'll carry your bag for you," Ayumi offered kindly.

"You've been taking care of me all day; you should go home now."

"Are you sure? Your arm still hurts, right?"

As we reached the school gate, I noticed Eito standing there. Perhaps he is waiting for someone.

"Chizuki, hello? Are you there?" Ayumi called out, trying to get my attention.

"Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking about why Eito was standing there," I replied, refocusing on the situation.

"Your obsession with Eito is even more concerning."

My eyes met with Eito's, wait why is he coming over. Did he notice me staring at him?

"I was waiting for so long; you really are slow," Eito commented.

Is he was talking about me?

"Me?" I questioned, seeking clarification from Eito.

"Who else do you see here?" Eito responded, implying that he was indeed referring to me.

I glanced at all the students around us and gestured toward Ayumi, indicating that we are not alone in this place.

"Why do you keep coming for her? I told you to keep your distance from her," Ayumi confronted Eito, her tone firm and protective.

"You're not even worth talking to. Just give me her bag."

Looks like Eito has given up on defending himself.

"Why? Are you walking her back too?"

"Yeah, so just give it to me. I want to go home too," Eito responded, seeming eager to leave.

Ayumi hands him my school bag and he leaves without me.

"Akiyama-kun, wait for me! Bye, Ayumi, I've got to hurry!" I exclaimed as I rushed to catch up with him.

"I didn't expect you to walk me back as well," I said as I caught up to Eito.

"You were the one who said I had to walk with you as an apology, so drop the innocent act."

"When did I say that?"

"Just yesterday. How can you forget something from just a day ago?" Eito replied, slightly incredulous.

As I pondered Eito's claim, doubts began to creep in. Did I really say that to Eito? I couldn't recall such a conversation. However, he didn't seem like he was lying, and I couldn't fathom a reason for him to make it up. Perhaps he is just unwilling to admit that he is walking with me willingly for some other reason.

"What did you do to your arm?" Eito's question interrupted my thoughts, redirecting the conversation to my injured arm.

How do I tell him this? Let's be honest.

"I woke up with these injuries on my arm, and I'm not sure how they happened. It's been a bit of a mystery."

"I shouldn't have asked," Eito mumbled to himself.

"Whatever, here you go. The dorm building is right over there, so I'm going home," Eito said, handing back the bag as we reached the dorms.

"Thank you for carrying my bag for me Akiyama-kun!" I shouted to Eito, even though he had already walked off.

As I watched Eito walk away, I couldn't help but wonder. His house was in the same direction as mine, but he'd always been picked up and dropped off by a car. I found it curious why he had chosen to walk today and yesterday instead of taking his usual transportation.

---

"It's time for the best part of my day," I said with a smile as I pulled out my diary, ready to document the day's events and thoughts.

[Dear diary,

Eito and I will be walking together for a month, with him picking me up from my dorm and dropping me back. It feels like a dream come true. He's adorable, trying to hide the fact that it was his idea by saying it was mine, all for the sake of it. How can I not like him when he acts like this? Ayumi just doesn't know about Eito's cute side.

I was pretty bothered by my arm today, but Ayumi and Eito helped me so much that it feels like a reward. Nonetheless, it's still challenging to write because my hand also hurts. I wonder what happened to it; perhaps I just slept on it in a weird position, and now I'm making a bigger deal out of it than it should be.

I also need to buy new shoes, but I can barely manage my living expenses with the scholarship money. Ayumi would buy them for me if I ask, but I don't want to burden her further. She already buys me a lot of snacks and covers expenses whenever we go out. I can't help but wish I could become as financially comfortable as Eito...

05-10-2022 ]

"After I said I wouldn't write this stuff in my diary, I end up writing it anyway. Sigh."

"Don't worry, I'll only write the good things in you from now on," I said to my diary, putting it back in the drawer.

"It's a bit early for me to go to sleep, but I don't have anything else to do, so I'll just turn in," I decided, preparing to rest for the night.

---

12:00 AM.

She wakes up and leaves her dorm room.

6:00 AM.

She comes back and goes back to bed again.

---

7:00 AM.

I woke up as usual, and my arm is still aching, though it does seem to be better than before.

I couldn't help but think that maybe I should have taken the situation a bit more seriously. As I examined my reflection in the mirror, I noticed a cut on my cheek covered by a bandage that didn't even fully conceal it.

Not my face.

I've woken up with various injuries before, but I've never bothered to treat or cover them up. Putting a bandaid on this one, however, feels unusual because I genuinely can't remember anything from last night.

I washed up and replaced the bandaid on my cut with two new ones as I prepared for school.

"I can't find my shoes anywhere. Where could they have gone? I always leave them by the front door since I wear them every day," I wondered aloud, growing increasingly perplexed by their disappearance.

I noticed a shoebox in an unusual place.

"What's this shoebox doing here? Did I put it here?"

I opened the shoebox to find brand new shoes inside. But that wasn't all; they were the same shoes I had been showing to Ayumi recently. They were not just pretty but also expensive.

They're exactly my size too....

The eerie feeling I'm experiencing right now is quite unusual. I've never paid much attention to it before, but this situation feels incredibly strange and unsettling.

I assumed Eito must be waiting for me outside. I quickly put on the new shoes and headed out to meet him.