This chapter just started, and I already see Rin's face buried on Kyu's tum-tum.
It's been a week since we came back from that short trip in Japan, and sometimes I think to myself if I could actually get jealous of a cat.
By the way, this is Gin.
Haku doesn't really care seeing Rin clinging so much on our little guy unless it's to a point where he judges that she is going a liiiiittle overboard with all the pampering. There was at least one time—and by that, I mean yesterday—where Haku had to literally lift Rin away from her upper arms as thought it was a parallel to how long a cat looks when carried behind their forelimbs. How the tables have turned, I thought.
But it just goes to show that while I see him completely as a cat, and he is not conflicted on what he is, it's pretty much evident that he acts like a parent to his kitten.
Feline fawning aside, it really seems like the graduation of my friends are closing in. I keep hearing talks in the Akanami household that Rin would be taking a break from her work that was once her internship to focus on her graduation preparations that is coming sooner than the others as she would be the first to hopefully take her diploma.
I don't know what that entails for the two cats since she will have a bit more free time with work aside, but at least she get to keep the car.
It feels weird that things are moving quite busily around me that it is also making me just a tiny bit antsy although I'm literally doing nothing different from my work.
"Giiiiin, I'll probably be out until night."
"Oh, sure. But give me a ping if you'll be out really late."
"Got it."
I suppose the busyness would also apply for Nagi. He's also taken a step back on streaming with only 3-4 broadcasts a week as he's stepping out of his office a lot more most likely to finish his reports and complete a thesis proposal he started in his third year, and working on it bit by bit even in the midst of his contract with his agency.
Come April and he stopped putting out schedules with last minute guerilla streams that occupy his streaming work as he got busier outside of it. I could only assume how difficult making a paper could be vicariously by hearing Rin's experiences while she finished her lecture and lab courses on her first three years.
It was to the point that things have turned around for him where he suddenly started holing up more in his office rather than doing a lot of errands in the past few weeks, and coming out of his room frail and all from the stress.
So, since seeing him in his current state, I gradually stopped asking about his work and just made him feel at ease as much as he could when he is out of his room. It just made me realize again how much help he has given me when I was on my worrying amount of dark times, so I figured I ought to do as much as I can to make him de-stress.
But then at an idle off day for me, I found myself catching up to my social media on my phone with a kitten sleeping on my stomach while I lie down on the couch. I noticed Nagi slowly going down the stairs in such a way where even I probably wouldn't even notice him if I wasn't looking with how quiet he was.
Without even looking at me, he filled an electric kettle with water that he then immediately took upstairs, nary a word.
In those brief, few minutes, I was watching him as I had his avatar's social media pages opened…
With their last activity dating four days ago, unprompted, as though his accounts are suddenly on a blackout.
▪ ▪ ▪
An unexpectedly different ringtone suddenly rang on my phone.
Despite my sudden spike of online activity over the past year, my Dischord has never found its frequency of use whether it be in my phone or computer. But suddenly, I heard a call coming from the app with the caller's username in Japanese.
Two days have passed since I took notice of something that was mildly concerning then, and now I am receiving a call Nagi's manager rather than leaving me a chat message.
"**Hello, Mane-san? It's been a minute since we last talked. Thank you for the hard work."
"**Likewise, Capy-sensei. I'm very sorry for calling you so abruptly, but is this a good time?"
"**This is fine. Do you need me for something?"
"**Actually… If I recall correctly, sensei, aren't you acquainted with Kajima-san?"
"**I… am."
"**Are you… perhaps in contact with him right now?"
"**Forgive me for the conjecture, but is this related to his inactivity by chance? I'm assuming the management couldn't get ahold of him?"
"**How did- Well, yes, that is the case…"
"If people are starting to talk about him suddenly going MIA, then I guess a small part of this has to do with PR too, huh."
"**I can't guarantee anything, but I'll try to do what I can. Thank you for reaching out to me. If I ever have news, then I'll relay it to you."
"**Thank you very much, and I'm also very sorry that we're asking you to do this despite having your work."
"**It's totally fine. Well then…
…
This has definitely turned into a bit of a problem…"
As possibilities started to run around my head, I once again placed my phone to my ear, this time waiting for Shiro on the other side of the line.
"Hellooooo, Shiro. Am I interrupting something?"
"Nope, not really. What's up? For me, it's the sky."
"It's a ceiling for me right now. Anyway, have you been talking to Nagi these days?"
"Yeah, from time to time? It's not like we got in a fight. But we've both gotten busy and sometimes he replies later. I was thinking of visiting once we both get freer and…
Actually, can I stay over again if that's not a bother?"
"Just give me a specific date, but not in the coming week or two."
"Got it~ Anything else?"
"That's all. Was just wondering if something's up with his work right now."
"Well, he really didn't tell me anything…
But if anything comes up, please tell me, Gin."
"Will do, will do. Alright, I'm going to bounce."
It suddenly started to feel like something was already amiss, and perhaps I'm a bit too dense to only realize these things keeping in mind the reprimands I get from Rin about myself and my surroundings. So, before anything else, I started by asking my parents how I was when I was a kid from a different perspective other than mine.
It doesn't get less painful hearing how much of a shitty brat I was time and time again, but I found out about patterns that I used to do when I was more of a shame incarnate in the form of a human instead of a human per se, and it seems that a few of those coincides with what I have been seeing from Nagi.
Then I let a few days pass if there was anything more noteworthy to observe.
"Man… I used to just get in the meat of things immediately in the past. What changed…"
Unfortunately, not to my surprise, the situation got a little worse to the point that I don't even see a shadow of Nagi anymore despite being on the same roof.
At mornings, I would usually wake up at seven or eight depending on my schedule at work, and I would usually sleep in on my days off. At night, I would usually go to my room at nine to eleven and then go to sleep.
Why am I telling this, you might be thinking. It is because I learned from those different perspectives that my actions in the past were very calculated… and the same goes for Nagi.
I take my time before getting up in the morning, and I would usually hear a very faint sound of a door opening and closing after a few minutes. When I leave my room, it feels like nothing even happened. Then at evenings when I have returned to my room, I would hear the same things.
I was not understating when I said that I don't see Nagi anymore.
Reflecting on those actions, I used to do the same thing. The reason why there are little to no sound from my movements probably stemmed from childhood habits… where I absolutely hated being seen by others, and that there was not a day where I didn't mumble to myself, "I am not bothering any of you, so just think as if I don't exist."
The way I see it now, the times Nagi leaves his office are calculated moves where he wouldn't be seen, not even by Haku. And even when I have a holiday, I just never get to see him.
From someone who used to think like that, I assumed that the only time he felt he was truly free was when I am not around. He probably feels invigorated that there are no eyes around him, so at those times, he would probably do his laundry, take out his trash, and maybe even buy non-perishable food. But well, he still has a mini fridge.
Am I upset with how he's be acting recently? I should be, but I am not, and that's on me.
These are all conjecture as I haven't even heard anything from the man himself, but it seems like Nagi has turned into a shame incarnate in the form of a human for some unclear reasons. His confidence in his self has probably hit rock bottom and that led him to how he is now, afraid of being seen or being heard so he literally hides himself so as to not be judged from the failure that he thinks of himself, and that he would do it in the expense of his health if it means satisfying the twisted logic that he has shaped to be his norm.
Maybe that's reason why I got gastritis very early on.
But admittedly, most of that was me projecting, but I do not know how close or far I am from the mark.
"I better stop by a hardware store."
▪ ▪ ▪
Letting a few more days pass by to solidify my suspicions, I finally decided to break the ice.
"Sorry to make you do this, but can you go look if you can see anything from Nagi's window?" I requested of Haku as I whispered outside, seeing him nod.
As silently as possible, he climbed a ledge outside my house and then to the window of the mentioned room.
Like clockwork, he then jumped down and landed perfectly on my shoulder.
"Meow. (I could only peek from a small opening between the curtains, but it doesn't look like he's on his desk.)"
"That's good enough. You get a treat later."
"Meow? (What about Kyu?)"
"He needs to earn it."
Thus, I gave Nagi a message as if nothing has happened in the past few weeks, apart from asking if he minds if I come in. As I expected, it only got read.
After letting half an hour pass, I knocked at his door a few times with no response, again, as expected.
"Hey… Nagi. I kind of guessed that you're going through something, but I want to know if there's anything I can do to help.
…
Sorry for what I'm about to do… but this is still my house in the end."
In a single turn, I got the doorknob to open, although not smoothly, as it slowly came apart from the slowly opening door.
And that's why I had to go to a hardware store. It was hard to find a doorknob that was the most identical to the one that came with the house.
At first glance, I couldn't even see him, as if Nagi wasn't even in there. The computer on his desk was completely turned off, his phones are on the floor, one of which with a crack, and most of the floor could not be seen as the mix of clothes and trash have occupied it.
I picked an almost empty trash bag and shoved any and all trash that I could find without going to his line of sight. All I could see between the desk and the bed was a glimpse of a silhouette surrounded by a blanket on the floor, trembling.
"Better make this fast."
With the floor partially cleared out, I slowly approached Nagi and sat on the floor. The trembling quickly got worse and his shortness of breath had gotten audible.
"Please… just… get out."
Within, I hear his emotions welling up, his tears falling down.
"I'm not going to do anything. I think I know that you don't want to be seen right now, and that's totally fine. I want to hear you out, so I'm going to stay here until you feel like you can talk to me.
Don't close off your blanket, though. You might suffocate.
Anyway, I don't want you bottling up your feelings, because I know firsthand that it would just lead to a distortion, and I really want to avoid that.
You've helped me out a lot, so let me help you, yeah?"
The next hour and some felt like a blur. I sat beside Nagi without even so much of a movement. I listened to as he cried nonstop.
While the pain in his voice was also finally starting to get to me, I could still hear a car stopping downstairs outside with the footsteps of Rin following that, rushing to the doorway of the room with urgency painted on her face.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
I gestured to keep herself quiet as I turned towards her, and she nodded, slowly and silently walking away…
Only to return with a kitten on her arms, and left again upon handing over the little one to me with a confused frown while she pointed at the broken door. But then, Kyu leaped from my hands and laid down on the blanket over Nagi despite disliking loud sounds, and for a moment, Nagi pacified.
Truly, cats have an innate ability to calm you down and give comfort, and it was especially noticeable from the cat beside me as I have never heard a voice from him, nor do I wish to.
When my legs fell asleep, I would stretch them out. When Kyu's paws adorably hit against me, I would play with him. And when I look at Nagi once more in the same way as earlier, I would wish he could see this small, but healing moment.
"Maybe I should just order some hot chicken for dinner and see if he'll eat with me."
"You… really stayed…" a very frail and almost inaudible voice emerged from within the blanket.
"I sure did. I should probably get you some water or you'll dehydrate."
"…"
Who would've thought that the first thing I would see of him in ages was his arm pointing towards his mini fridge, thus I opened it and found a bottle of water.
"Sorry… I don't think I can face you yet so please turn around."
And so I sat with my back facing him. I waited, hearing the bottle cap twist open and close. In a few moments, I felt the weight of Nagi's back against me.
"Hahh… I feel like shit…
But… Thanks for putting up with me, Gin."
"I'd gladly take time off from work since I'm not such an insensitive prick to just leave you alone, especially when you were all here for me when I was in this kind of situation many times…"
That being said, the thought that this problem could have been handled faster and better nagged at me, and that no matter how much I think I have improved myself, there are still many flaws in me that needs work. It makes me question: if someone was in my position, perhaps there was a better way this could have been solved than my peculiar means.
"…And you really should have just postponed transferring your rent to my account."
"You almost had me… but you started talking about money, you dumbass."
"Well, it's good that we can still banter like this. I hope you're feeling better even if just by a tiny bit."
"…
Ever since coming home from our trip, I just felt extremely miserable.
I tried to get my mind out of it, but when I finished all the work I had, I have nothing to divert myself into… and it all came crashing and burning.
Gin… do you really believe I deserve all of this? I went into this just because, I was assured of success to some extent just by bearing the name of the company, but these past few months just felt completely irrelevant all of a sudden, I realized.
That convention was amazing… and painful for me. I was watching those people who have dedicated years of their lives and sacrificed things for their dreams. I was watching people who put so much hard work and passion…
We're from different agencies… but it didn't matter once I was finally able to understand the challenges they face from the start. Meanwhile I suddenly appeared with a halfhearted motive, got into this work without much difficulties and even reached milestones I never would have thought of getting.
Am I really allowed to do this…?"
I would imagine that being thrown into this work with only a month of preparation, regardless if he confidently agreed to it or not, and somehow achieving success to some extent had put him in this bitter situation.
Despite the questionable amount of time allotted for preparations, things have gone well for him, his two classmates that were in for the ride, and the other two members in their batch. The only problem is that Nagi went into this most likely the least motivated, yet he kept pushing in strides and getting used to the work as a streamer.
But the concert that we had attended probably reopened his eyes with a different perspective that held understanding in the field he is in right now. Right in that concert hall, he was watching people behind those avatars that have been in the industry for six years, some who started from zero, some who struggled with growth, some who felt they were not doing enough, or some who have considered quitting many times over… and yet they were performing on a stage in front of thousands of people.
Meanwhile, Nagi has been, frankly, spoonfed with the initial resources that were the foundations of the career he is currently in, with six months and counting, six digits already in his subscriber count, and a supportive following.
But all this coming from a normal life, if we are to still consider this industry a niche. And now he doubts whether he deserves all the good things that have happened to him, lost his self-confidence, and wallowing on the anxiety that is probably of self-awareness that he has cut off contact with other people and work, feeding himself the thought that he has turned into a failure.
"Do you wish to quit, then?"
"…"
"No… I should rephrase that. Have you covered the hours required by your school?"
"I have."
"Then… do you wish to quit?"
Once again, I did not get an answer.
"It's not like there isn't precedence of mutual termination of contract in this industry, so I don't think they have much to say on that…
But it seems to me that despite saying you don't deserve any of this, you don't want to stop. I know this because you're living here. You said that you suddenly just popped up without much passion but that just sounds like you don't see the things that you've done that made your success validated.
Who's the one that made do so many retakes to get the perfect shot that you had in mind? Who's the one that would make a questionable rig to fit a filming camera so that you would get the quality that you want other people to see?
You say that you're not completely into this, but I saw you firsthand putting so much time into planning and putting your all to where it counts.
This is just my opinion, but it seems like you're enjoying this time where you have a less restrictive creative outlet, much like the film you made with us in high school. You had the face of someone who was waiting for the moment to burst in creativity, and you finally got it again.
Personally, I just find the things you're doing now to be really cool."
Nagi remained silent. And so, with no words expected, I stood up.
"Go take a bath so I can fix the door. I'll be downstairs so don't worry.
I'm glad that this happened under my roof. I know full well that people would think about this in a harsher way since they probably wouldn't understand what you're going through, but I still have to say that you have to get a grip soon and confirm your feelings otherwise the situation could get worse, but I'll be here to help.
"…
Thanks. But please give me a bit more time… for everything. And don't tell anything about Shiro yet."
"I got you."
▪ ▪ ▪
Going MIA is especially very dangerous in this branch of streaming, and especially so since this is without notice which would be very bad for Taiyou's PR. Without communication with their member, they opted not to announce anything unless they get confirmation that the member is going to pause their activities.
In this case, damage has been done. Online communities have long started speculating in the lines of Michelo Azuria is suspended, having contract disputes, graduating or retiring, fired from the company silently, some other insane theories… and even to the point that a vocal minority has pretty much gave up and assumed that he is dead.
While Nagi still hasn't made a decision, he has opened his computer and logged back in to his socials, but I advised him to keep things at a minimum when browsing Witter, and ultimately avoiding Leddit for the time being as baseless theories have begun shaping up to become their fallacious fact. Still, he is yet to talk to his management, so I have been in touch with them, but his condition is slowly improving.
…
Sunday, 1pm.
"Man… I really hope things will work well."
After glug of water and a few deep breaths, I sat on my desk nervously.
Right in front of my eyes is a microphone at the very foreground and a badly drawn animation of a capybara looping at my monitor screen… with a "start streaming" tempting me to press it right here and now.
"I'm really going to do this now, huh…"
It feels incredibly bizarre that with one click from my mouse and I'm now literally being broadcast live in front of *checks* exactly 382 people.
All I could muster with my own abilities was just a really slow fade-out transition to switch my scenes towards the main streaming screen that would put me to the view of my painting software behind an image of a capybara wearing a cap and holding a cup of tea on the bottom right corner of the screen. Still, I know full well that some people understand the quality and humor of being janky, which was why I intentionally made a bad animation.
"**H-Hello? Good morning? Evening? Can anyone hear me right now? I don't want to be muted on the very first time I'm doing this. Ahahaha…"
[Eh?]
[*Capysan good afternoon]
[**Cute… your voice really suits the avatar www]
[**He really is streaming]
"**Ehh… you really think my voice goes well with the design? Thank you, thank you."
As if I'm actually using my real voice. I may have a modulated voice but if I were to use it together with small, puntable capybara character, it just wouldn't work. It's like putting a deep voice to dub over Kyu's thoughts if anything.
No, hold on. That might be cute in its own way.
But instead, I used the same technology I used to do voiceover for Dino's videos… or I'm just using a voice changer simply put. This time, I configured it to sound like how I would think a typical Japanese man sounds like, and I went with a higher pitched voice in the border between a baritone and a tenor.
[**Thank you for the hard work, sensei]
"**Likewise. Before I even forget to introduce myself briefly… Hello, I am Capy_nina. I am an illustrator, a capybara and a potato. Thank you for tuning in to my first stream.
**Now, please let me translate that in English…"
[why did you start streaming capysan?]
"**I guess… just because? I get very subtle hints from friends that I should try this out, but I wasn't really interested. And even on Witter I get asked this a lot. But my honest reason is that I really just want to try and experience it now that I had a change of perspective. That said, I don't really know how frequent I will be streaming since I still put illustrator work as a priority, but I might go live here and there to have a chat with you all."
[**Dear Capysan, I just tuned in to your first livestream and went to the donation button, but it wouldn't let me. Would you kindly turn on monetization so that I can throw these 4000 yen at you?"
"**Don't say that so easily, hahaha… I don't really have plans on accepting donations, so maybe use that to buy yourself a really nice dinner tonight!
**Anyway… I've just been talking here when I have a large canvas in front of me. I just want to doodle today and take it easy while chatting with you. If you have any questions, you can type it in the chat and I'll try to answer them."
[**How old are you?]
[*Hi Capy_nina, aren't you Michelo's illustrator?]
[*Is your teacup single]
[*what things would you like to stream sensei?]
[**Are you a dog or cat person?]
[*do you have any idea why Michelo is gone?]
[**Hi sensei, seeing as you interact with fellow artists on Witter, would you be willing to stream with them?]
"**With other illustrators, huh… Well, what I can say is that it's certainly an option.
**On the other hand, I didn't really grow up playing much games since I didn't own a console when I was a child, but I don't think it's too late. I'm also interested with Ap*x so I might try to learn live. But if there is one game I'm good at, then it would probably be Leap King since I can clear it in seven minutes."
[Ayo?]
[*that's fast lol but not speedrun levels of fast]
[*capy-sensei have you been to sawcon?]
[*how tf do you even play that game]
[*do you watch a lot of anime capysan]
"**Anime… I do watch a lot of them. I have probably watch at least less than 400 titles, but I haven't really watched most of classics and old ones.
**As for manga, I've been recently very picky of what I r- PFFT…"
[capysan?]
[**what was that?]
[**Did sensei just laugh?]
"**Sorry, sorry… I just saw something funny from my window. Anyway, if you have any drawing request, I'll try to do them on the spot."
Ever since I moved here a few years ago, I have never really moved my workspace around, so the quirky desk I bought has remained in the same place by the window of my bedroom…
Which is why I'm currently seeing a lady from the window next door giving me a death stare, who looks like she just woke up, considering the mess of her hair.
And yes, I am indeed live streaming.
I know that Nagi had teased me about doing it in occasion, but even I never thought that I would actually do this. But I suppose part of this is to try and see even a fraction of what is in front of Nagi's eyes. Sure, it is not exactly the same in some technical ways, especially when I'm just a PNG at the corner of my screen and I don't ever plan to do a karaoke of some sort, but I hoped that the sentiment comes through.
But by the minute, this thing started to become a bit fun. I was surprised that a single tweet minutes after I went live got me more than a hundred concurrent viewers, so I had company as I mindlessly doodled. I got to talk about things that I wouldn't usually talk about with friends, or even Rin; including some unhinged things, but I guess now she knows the cursed knowledge I have if she was watching my stream.
But beyond that, a certain feeling has come upon myself recently while I watch Nagi and even Yuuga on the things they are doing now… and that is the fear of missing out, which is probably more of a reason why I'm doing this since I apparently have the means to do so.
~ ~ ~
Two hours later, Rin immediately crawled through my window right after I ended the live stream.
"Wh… What was that about…"
"Turns out I'm not yet done trying out new things…?" I simply shrugged as I watched her step out of the room with an unconvinced look.
By the time we reached the kitchen, her voice lowered significantly in the midst of hunting this house's lunch leftovers.
"Has… Nagi been coming out?"
"Thankfully, he is. Seems like he isn't bothered by me anymore, but he really changed drastically. I still don't know how he'll respond when seeing Shiro. He seems to be having a harder time talking to people he knows well."
"I hope his anxiety isn't going to be too bad. I really just want Shiro to give him a big hug."
"Don't tell her yet, though."
"I won't."
▪ ▪ ▪
Time is of the essence, however.
I knocked on his door and opened without breaking the doorknob this time, and I could see Nagi staring blankly at his monitor.
Without me even saying anything, his head and back slumped and turned his chair towards me.
"I think I still need… a bit more time. I'm really sorry, Gin."
"I see… then can you pack… maybe a week's worth of clothes? Actually, maybe a bit more than that."
"U-Uhh…"
"Don't put in jeans. Just take what you're comfortable with. Doesn't matter if they're your house clothes.
Also, maybe something to kill time with."
"What exactly are we doing…?"
"We're going to time travel."
…
Exiles' Underground Base.
"Just before we go in, have you made sure you haven't forgotten anything?"
"I-Is this what I think it is…?"
"Yeah? We're probably thinking the same thing.
But just to remind you… we'll be cut off from the world in the duration we'll be in here. Honestly, we could easily bring a generator with us, but we don't have internet there anyway.
In any case, I think two months will be enough."
"Wait… didn't you say that gravity in that room increases every month…?"
"It's just for a month. I'll guide you on how you won't stress your body inside and the first month would make for a good exercise, but if you really can't take it, we can just cut it short.
Ah, crud. I should be asking you first if you're fine with this. It's not too late to back down and just try living with the Exiles, you know, but this is a good chance to turn off your brain."
Right in front of the outer door towards the accelerated room, I found myself waiting for a decision from Nagi. Admittedly, I was kind of abrupt and forceful with the way I did things, and maybe there are a myriad of way that are much simpler to ease him from his feelings, but the decision would still depend on him, in the end.
Sheepishly, he scratched his head with a frown on his face, but surprisingly, his words said otherwise.
"Is it… really fine for me to go in?"
"Why won't it be?"
Before he even knew it, he could hear a very loud reverberation of a door closing, and finding himself in a large white room.
"This is… bigger than I thought."
"And more livable compared to my first time here."
I pointed to one of the corners of the room where a bathroom has been fitted into with a sink, a shower, and a toilet. As for the water, there is a tank and a pump that takes from an underground water source. I used to believe that everything that goes in this place would eventually disappear, but it turns out that this room still holds so much mysteries.
Still, I'm a little upset that I didn't have those in the first two years I spent here. I had to sleep in a far corner just to not smell you-know-what. No wonder I've become unhinged.
"That said, we'll still be a bit more primitive in how we'll make our food and laundry, so it's not that different from how I used to live here.
Anyway, this will feel extremely weird but we'll be spending two months in this place, but for the outside, we'd only be gone for three hours. We will have so much time in our hands here, and we would have barely spent a day."
"You really spent two years in here, huh…"
"Call me a veteran. But well, take it easy for now. Seeing only a completely white room would probably drive you insane down the line, so you have to bear with it. Though I'll have you do exercises and weight training so that it would be easier for you to adapt to the change in gravity.
Be wary that you'll probably have a hard time readjusting to the outside when the time is up, though.
In the meantime, don't think about anything else, and live in the moment… whatever this moment will be for you."
It's been a while since I have trained someone in this room. The Exiles have a lot of craftsmen and engineers that I had to watch over in this very room to reduce the time of problem solving and trial-and-error into research of AMM and future proofing to keep the base structurally sound for more years to come.
At this point, I might have already spent at least five years inside the Room in total which probably makes me 27 or something years old in reality. At least I still look quite youthful(?) if no one ever points out anything from my appearance.
~ ~ ~
Remember the first sentence of this chapter? I open the door of my house seeing the same thing on my couch while it looks like the poor kitten is trying to jump out.
"One of these days Kyu is definitely going to hate you for being so clingy," and so I snatched Kyu from Rin and looked at his face. "It's weird that two months passed and you didn't grow up, little guy."
"Welcome back."
On the other hand, Nagi rushed to the dining table immediately opening his laptop and typing out a tweet after confirming that he could do so upon a call with his manager with a whole lot of apologies on the way back home.
Meanwhile, my face got pulled almost a little too close towards Rin's as though she is closely inspecting my face, and then she met eyes with Nagi who did not seem to be that fazed anymore when looking at her, but there were still a showing of anxiety coming from him.
"He looks like he's doing better?" Rin whispered.
"Yup."
"Did you two get a haircut?"
"Well, my hair grew out for two months."
"Oh… that explains the big bags with you.
Wait, two months?! Are you sure you're fine, Nacchi?!"
"Huh, what were you two talking about?" he looked at us as if there was a visible sheen on his face.
"I think you got your answer."
I then got a nonchalant "I see" look and the kitten was taken away from my hands.
"I'll give Kyupi a bath then I'll start making dinner. Mom and Dad will be coming home late so I'll crash in until then."
"Ah, then please thaw the chicken thighs. I'll go buy some cayenne and buttermilk."
"You want me to make fried chicken?"
"We haven't had anything fun to eat for a while, so I want them homemade rather than the delivery ones."
"Got iiiiit."
…
"Thanks, Ringo," once Gin left for his small errand, Rin suddenly received an expression of gratitude.
"I didn't do anything, though… or were you talking about the fried chicken?"
"I think it's because of you that he's the man that he is right now. He helped me so much this time so I owe it to both of you."
"Have you… decided on what will be your next step?"
"I'll still retire once my contract is over. But I'm probably going to come back in some other form. The pressure I put myself on was self-destructive to say the least. As much as I appreciate Taiyou's leniency, I think I'm better off doing things on my own."
"I see. But whatever it is you'll take, I'm rooting for you.
And also, Shiro is still in the dark here. Don't make her sad or I'll bonk you on the head on her behalf!"
"I really should treat her to a nice dinner."
"Hey, you have the money from your superchats, so why not get one of the special courses in Claude? I might be on leave but I'll definitely appreciate it if you-"
"Skip ad."