*Alarm clock noise*
Dizzy light from the screen’s covering the eyes just makes me want to sleep a little bit more. Now is just 5:00 AM. Outside the window curtain is nothing but a pitch black colour embracing opaque lampposts.
“Ughh~Uhm! My hair is all messy~”
Light from bathroom ceiling reflects on the mirror. Warm water is flowing slowly from the tub. Is it always this warm... I wondered... Maybe it’s already June. My soaking wet face appears infront of the mirror. Does it always look like that? And my hair... That dream has been showing up in my mind recently but since when did it start? How strange it was... Those voices, where do they come from?
“And for you, who would you be?”
The question keeps logging in my head. Whose voice is he? Tears run on my cheek. I’m crying?
“Wha-Why am I...?”
*Frying pan sound*
“Morning mom~”
“Mornin- Oh la la~ Well look who it is! This isn’t the sleeping worm Misaki-chan, is it? Why wake up so early today? Sleep a lil’ more! Usually you sleep ‘til 8 or 9 don’t you?”
“Mom you’re so rude! I’m not a sleeping worm. Just a lil’ bit overslept...”
“Oh really? Just take a look at this, dear Schlafen-de-Prinzessin! Here’s the proof!”
My eyes’re looking forward at ultra-lighting screen.
《Zzzz... Da yum! Delicious! Zzzz...》
Showing on the phone is me rolling left and right on the bed sheet.
“Aa! Aaa! Mom you sneak-filmed me!! Hand over me that!!”
“Nah ah~ See! A 17-year-old maiden, rolling on the bed like a caterpillar, snoring and drooling all over the pillow! Luckily for your head haven’t kissed the floor! Whom man on this planet’s gonna marry you young lady?”
“You’re so weird! Whose mother would film her own daughter while sleeping?”
“This one right here of course! Hehe!”
“It’s called intruding a person’s privacy you know!”
“Like I care~ What ‘cha gonna do to me? Already waken up? Then take your breakfast then schooling all aboard!”
Grumpling... So impolite! Sigh...
I take a deep sigh then take the seat. There are cups of rice and miso soup on the table. One, two...
“Has papa gone out to work already?”
“Yeah, today’s morning he has jam-packed schedule so apparently has gone out. He looks lil’ bit rushing, must be some appointment. But why so worried about it, have your meal and go to school or else you gonna be late.”
“Right away mom.”
*Tap tap*
After having taken on the shoes, I gently open the door.
“I’m leaving. See you soon.”
“Misaki! Wait me for a minute!”
Now what?
“You forgot your lunchbox. Have fun at school!”
“Yes I knew it. Bye mom!”
Sigh...
Where I’m living in present is a small a apartment locating in 6th floor at residenthood number 3 at Shibuya district. The first name of the householder is Shinomiya, who is my father. The condition isn’t so bad, it’s quite reasonably bearable, at least that is what people said...
“What’s your business woman? I’ve given to you all of my salary this month, so what do you want?”
“Explain what is this stain on your collar!”
Here we have a brawling couple in the next door.
“Ah yes! Deeper!! Aahhh! Inside me!!”
“Can’t take more longer! I’m gonna-!”
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Let’s not talk about this one, shall we... Yep, what can I say, neighbourhood! Still standable, isn’t it?
Having taken the elevator down, I take a step through the automatic door. Shining sunlight in the morning’s all on my summer uniform. So warm~ But it’s gonna be an oven in highnoon. God bless today has swimming class, but those boys in class mostly perverts, always peaking at girl bodies.
Cicadas sing along the sun while hiding those bushy leaves like shinobi from Heian era. The heated air is flowing on layers of fabric, dancing on tips of hair, rolling on pink-hotted skin. Breathes, carrying with water mist of sweats running on the forehead. The summer’s humid air is now full of life force from creatures inside it.
《Breaking news! Britain archaeologists have found an ancient building in Australia-》
《A bank robber has escaped in this morning! We-》
Reporters’re speaking on displayed TV’s screens behind glasses in the shop. My shoes lightly step on stiff road, foot to foot, one by one. Ringing bells from middle school kids’s bicycles passing through my sight, the hasten delivery guy dashing in tiny alleys, those old cats walking gently on the walls, some lazy ones sleeping on the trash can. The circle of life keeps continuing without a rest. Walking along these familiar, run-of-the-mill streets makes me self-asking:
“The day is always like this, isn’t it?”
*Ouch*
Suddenly it’s dark all over the place, do I hit something?
“Ow! Ah sorry about that! Are you hurt?”
“Uhm...”
The man graps my shoulder then gently wipes my cheeks. All in sudden his ocean blue eye canthuses appears drops of tear.
“I’m sorry... for taking you so long...! Forgive me!”¹
He’s whispering something. English?
“Who are you?”²
“?!”
Maybe he doesn’t understand Japanese, I think. If that’s the case...
“Who are you?”³
Jeez!! Curse my Japanese accent!! I wonder if he understanded...
“I, I- Nevermind. Wrong person.”
So it’s just wrong person. He looks surprised although his face’s hiding somewhat sadness and pain, something sorrowful and agonizing. He makes a small nod then turns face over to leaving.
“Farewell, my dearest one...”
That man has quitely good height and owns a slim physique. Outside him is a black hoodie with sleeves and hat in white colour. At the arm wrists and waist is red stripes on green ground, a black pair of pants and white Nike shoes. He was covering whole of his head with back hat and facemask so I wasn’t really sure about his appearance but consider his jawline, he must be quite young, no more than his 20s. He looks suspicious, maybe...
《A bank robber has escaped in this morning!》
Ah!
“Wait! Hold it right there!-”
Apparently when I turns my head back, he has disappeared, like vaporized in the air. A drop of water’s running on my cheeks, maybe it just sweat- Tears? My eyelids have been full of tears no purpose when I wasn’t on attention. It happened without any explaination.
“Wait, wha- Am I... crying?”