Moving Back

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Loud thudding sounds filled the air, disturbing Yuki from her sleep. Yuki's eyes weakly fluttered open, squinting against the strong glare of the sunlight. Yuki pushed her body off the ground and sat upright, rubbing her tired eyes as she glanced around her, noting the cans of beer littered on the floor. Yuki rubbed her pounding head, grimacing at the throb of pain each thud brought.

"Who the hell is that making so much noise?" growled Yuki as she stumbled towards her door.

Yuki could faintly hear an anxious voice calling her name over and over, as the pounding on her door became more urgent. Yuki opened the door and upon seeing Emina, her best friend's anxious face, she sighed heavily.

"What is it? Why are you trying to destroy my door?"

"Destroy your door? Look at you! You look like sh*t!" Emina shrieked as she barged into Yuki's apartment. "Ryota said that you and Naoki broke up. I guess it's true, looking at the state you're in… What happened? Are you ok? I mean, I never did like him and always felt that you could do better, but he was still you first boyfriend after all…" Yuki ignored Emina's rambling as she went to the toilet to freshen up.

"Hey, are you listening?" Emina pouted, slightly hurt that Yuki was ignoring her.

Sighing, Yuki replied, "He went to a fuuzoku with his friends and got a blow job, during his graduation trip to Taiwan. I found out and we had an argument. I got really mad and broke up with him."

"Huh? You broke up with him over a simple blow job? You're so innocent. I've had exes that have done a lot worse. Well anyway, now that you've gotten rid of that loser, let me set you up on a blind date. I know of this pretty cute guy, I'm certain you'll like him. When are you free?" Emina babbled, taking her phone out as she looked at Yuki expectantly.

Yuki could feel the onset of a headache, brought on by Emina's high-pitch voice and her continuous chatter. Sighing, Yuki closed her eyes and pressed her fingers against her temples. "I'm not going to any blind date whatsoever. I'm in no mood to look for someone new. By the way, I've filed for a leave of absence from school. I'm also terminating my lease on this apartment and will be moving back to Saitama this weekend."

"WHAT? Wh-" Emina's shriek was cut off as Yuki covered Emina's mouth with her hand as she glared at Emina.

"No, I'm not stopping my studies. I just want to take a break..." muttered Yuki. "Saitama's far from here, so I definitely won't see his face until I'm completely over him. Anyway, it's been a long time since I've gone back, and my grandparents are getting really old. I want to spend time with them before it's too late."

Hearing the conviction in Yuki's voice, Emina calmed down. "Alright, if you're sure you know what you're doing. If you ever need me, just give me a call. I'll fly to your side, no matter where you are."

Filled with gratitude, Yuki gave Emina a tight hug as tears leaked out of her eyes. Patting Yuki's head, Emina gently said, "You'll be alright, don't waste your tears over someone like him. You'll definitely find someone better. Make sure you keep yourself busy when you're back home, okay? Don't dwell on memories of him. Enjoy your time with your family. I'll miss you… I'll definitely go find you when I'm free. Take care of yourself, alright?"

Hearing the genuine concern in Emina's voice, Yuki smiled slightly and nodded. Seeing Yuki finally smile, Emina was flooded with relief. Emina gently wiped away Yuki's tears. "Alright, let's play hooky today! Go change your clothes. I'll help you pack your things once we have some food in our stomachs," said Emina cheerfully.

The days flew past and the weekend soon came around. With Emina's constant companionship, Yuki barely dwelled on thoughts of her ex-boyfriend. Glancing at her empty apartment from the doorway, numerous memories of the time spent with Naoki in the house flashed through her mind, bringing with it a fresh wave of hurt and sorrow. Taking a deep breath, Yuki squeezed her eyes tight to prevent tears from leaking out. Standing straighter, Yuki resolutely turned her back and exit the apartment with her luggage in hand, determined to leave the memories the apartment held, behind.