Sitting near the end of the hallway was a girl sloppily wearing some slacks and sweater. She had shoulder-length brown hair and was intently looking down at a smartphone.

Nara Takagi.

“Hm? Oh, Arata,” Nara casually said while looking up.

She was sitting next to Katsumi's front door with a cellphone in one hand and a loosely held cigarette in the other. To accompany this, she had been building a collection of empty bottles around her.

After a moment of looking at Mayumi, she noticed who was next to her. A grin grew across her face.

“Oh, and Katsumi too! I see ya’ve’ met yer’ new neighbor!”

Mayumi turned to Katsumi, giving him a look of disappointment, which made him quickly break eye contact with her.

“Nara, why aren’t you inside the apartment?” Katsumi asked.

“I ran back to my place to grab a few more beers, an’ when I got back the door was locked.”

“You didn’t have the spare key?”

“Nah, forgot it inside.”

Katsumi paused for a moment before becoming aware that she dressed a bit nicer than usual. “I thought you didn’t want to come to class, what’s with the clothes?”

“Oh, ya’ see, I was considerin’ comin’ today, but I decided that it was simply a waste of time.”

Mayumi interjected herself. “H-hold on. You comment on her being a bit more dressed up? Making it sound like something extraordinary, but not the fact that she is smoking cigarettes and drinking outside of your apartment? And what’s all of this about a spare key?” Her eyes were wide open as she stared into Katsumi’s.

After holding it for a while longer, she broke her contact and marched over to Nara where she plucked the cigarette out of her mouth and threw it onto the ground—flattening it beneath the sole of her shoe.

“C’mon! I wasn’t finished with that,” Nara said in a joking tone. All the while, she was reaching for her pocket.

“It’s bad enough that you hang around Takagi. But at least you don’t do anything like I've heard.“ Mayumi turned back towards Katsumi.

The instant she did, Nara pulled out the carton and began lighting another cigarette with a mischievous grin on her face.

What is this? She’s so fired up. I never thought she’d be able to show this much emotion… Well, it’s like she’s fired up but still has that same vacant look on her face… I don’t get her. But why is she treating Nara like that? She approached Nara like they know each other. Even though Arata is strange, she doesn’t seem like someone who would do that to a stranger.

“Murakami, you don’t do anything like I’ve heard. RIght?” Mayumi pulled Katsumi out of his thoughts.

“Well… how do I put this…” Katsumi trailed off.

Nara, now standing, took the cigarette out of her mouth with two fingers and put an arm around Mayumi’s shoulder—blowing the smoke in front of her face. This caused Mayumi to let out a few little coughs while trying to disperse the smoke.

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“Ya’ see, Katsumi here—”

Mayumi pulled away from Nara and glared at her. “I don’t want to hear it.”

Nara continued anyway. “Some mornings' when he wakes up he doesn’t even remember that I came over ‘cause of how much he drank. He still always acts surprised when he wakes up and sees me on his couch.”

Even though Mayumi’s expression didn’t seem to have any serious emotion in it, Katsumi felt as if she was freezing the hallway around her.

“And I’m surprised he hasn’t tried anythin’ on me yet, know what I mean Arata?” She said this with that same mischievous grin plastered on her face.

“Nara, don’t say dumbass things like that,” Katsumi commented.

“Haha, calm down, I was just jokin’ around. Anyways, toss me yer’ keys so I can get in.”

“Oh yeah, sure.” Katsumi reached into his pocket, and tossed his keys to Nara. However, they never reached their intended target.

Mayumi snatched them mid-flight and put them into her skirt pocket.

“Hey what’re you doin’?” Nara took a step towards Mayumi.

For a second time, Mayumi plucked the cigarette from Nara’s mouth and threw it to the ground. Once again squishing it with the sole of her shoe.

Nara quickly reached into her pocket, bringing out the entire carton of cigarettes. She waved them in front of Mayumi’s face.

“Murakami, she’s obviously a terrible influence, you need to get your priorities straight.”

“Whad-ya’ mean I’m a terrible influence? I’ve only been helpin’ him relax and enjoy himself a bit. He used ta’ be so up-tight, like you are now.”

“Maybe that version of him was better.”

This comment from Mayumi prompted a back-and-forth between the two girls. While this was going on, Katsumi moved over to where Nara had been sitting and started collecting the various bottles she left lying around.

“He used to be an upstanding student, the top of his class. And now he has difficulty getting to classes on time. I don’t think you’re helping him in any way, he’s changed… for the worse."

“An’ what would you know ‘bout change Arata? Have ya’ put in an any effort at all?” Have ya’ tried talking to anyone but your one friend since high school?”

“...Y-yes.”

“Oh? Then who might I ask?”

“...Murakami.” Mayumi’s face was turning a bright-red.

“Aw~ look at you, still tryin’ ta’ achieve your goal from high school. It’s a bit funny, cause it don’t take a phycologist to figur’ out what kind of person Katsumi is. Of course he’d accept you inta’ his life, you think yer’ special for that?”

Mayumi had no response to this.

I’m completely lost… what are those two talking about? We went to high school with Arata? Her goal? I’m trying to recall seeing Arata as well, but I can’t… She clearly knows me and about my… falling off. Man I did kinda fall off. It’s not terrible though, I mean I’m still attending university… sorta.

Nara put the carton of cigarettes and her smartphone in her pocket. She threw her hands up behind her head while she casually made her way down the hallway. “Arata’s bummin’ me out, so guess I’ll catch ya’ later Katsumi. Looks like your mom is mad at you.”

Nara gave a parting wave and disappeared into the elevator.

It was now just a confused Katsumi and a Mayumi with a very menacing aura about her.

“…”

“I expect to see you here first thing tomorrow morning, got it?”

What’s up with her? She didn’t react as intensely when I made remarks... But once Nara got involved she got all worked up. What they were saying sounded so… personal. I’m going to have to ask Nara.

Mayumi stepped on Katsumi’s foot quite hard because he was being unresponsive.

“Ow! Sorry, sorry”

“It’s for your own good.”

“Okay I get it… but why do you even care?”

Mayumi crossed her arms and opened her mouth. For a moment it seemed that she began to say something, but cut herself off.

“Alright… tomorrow morning, right? I’ll be here.”

Katsumi sensed he asked something Mayumi would rather not answer at this moment. However, to him, it was currently one of his most important questions. He wanted to push it and find out her reason, but he dropped it.

Katsumi opened the door to his apartment and stood in the doorway—but he just couldn’t walk away and curiosity pulled him back out.

“Arata?”

“Hm?”

“What was that conversation between you and Nara about?”

“...” Mayumi stared off blankly into space.

“Arata?”

“I rather not talk about it… not right now at least.”

Not wanting to make Mayumi feel uncomfortable, Katsumi dropped the topic and stepped inside his apartment.