"I'll go get the medicine now, so wait here..."
"No, no, no! I want to go with Mi-kun. I want to go together."
She clung to my waist. I patted her head, accepting her plea.
I carried Mayu down from the bed, holding her childish hand, repeatedly reassuring her that everything was okay. I slightly regretted not practicing how to fake a smile.
Heading to the living room, I took a paper bag with medication from my bag's pocket. Holding the bag in my mouth, I quickly went to the kitchen. Making Mayu stand on her feet, I fetched a glass and filled it with water.
"Here, take this. It'll make you feel better."
It's not a prohibited medicine. I took two pills from the bag and placed them on Mayu's shaky palm. As I tried to hand her the glass, her anxious gaze darted around.
"Ah!"
She jerked suddenly, causing the glass to be knocked from my hand. It floated momentarily, catching on a chair before falling to the floor. The glass shattered, producing a dull sound as large fragments scattered.
"Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry!"
Mayu frantically apologized. As she bent down to pick up the shards with her bare hands, I stopped her, embracing her gently to comfort her.
"It's okay. No one is mad at Ma-chan."
I felt the spilled water seep into my toes. Making sure not to step on any shards, I gently tapped Mayu's fragile shoulder. I left the pills on the floor, fetched new ones, and made her hold them. Then I got another glass and filled it with water.
"Put the pill in your mouth."
Guiding Mayu's hand, I opened her thin lips and placed the pill on her pinkish tongue. Then, holding the glass to her quivering lips, I tilted it slowly. She gulped down the water, and only after ensuring she swallowed did I let go.
"Good girl."
She pressed herself against me, burying her face in my chest. I discarded the water in the sink and placed the glass down. Then, I led Mayu to the couch in the living area of the 3LDK to comfort her.
"Shall we watch some TV? I'll stay up with Ma-chan until you feel sleepy."
Looking at the screen, the advertisement for the onion slicer had already ended, and now they were promoting golden pearls.
"Mi-kun, Mi-kun."
Her call was desperate, devoid of any levity. Silently, I responded by stroking her hair.
"You won't bully me, right, Mi-kun?"
"I won't. Because I'm on Ma-chan's side."
"That's right, Mi-kun is on my side... Mi-kun is on my side..."
She repeated it like a mantra. I didn't interrupt.
"Mi-kun always helps me. You saved me from a bee in kindergarten. You saved me from a mean teacher in elementary school. You've always been there for me. Always, always on my side. So Mi-kun won't bully me, you'll always be with me, never betraying me, never lying..."
"...It's okay."
I responded vaguely. Because, about that last part... "Let's go to the doctor tomorrow."
She shook her head like a small animal, refusing. It was quite Chihuahua-like, and even in such a situation, her beauty made me smile inappropriately.
"It'll be okay. I'll go with you. And after that, let's have a date."
It felt like persuading a child who dislikes injections. Mayu latched onto a single word and mulled it over.
"Date?"
"Yes, a date. Don't you want to hang out with me?"
Again, she shook her head, this time even more weakly.
"I want to play with Mi-kun."
"Alright. We'll go wherever Ma-chan wants and have fun."
There's only really a park nearby. The limited options are the annoying feature of living in the countryside.
"So, we'll go to the doctor, right?"
Although there's no logical connection in that statement, Mayu nodded. She got hooked easily, like a tiny fish.
"Yes, I'll endure it. I'll meet the liar. You'll come with me, right, Mi-kun?"
"Of course," I confirmed strongly. Perhaps finding comfort in that, Mayu slumped, sprawling on the sofa like an overwatered plant.
Then, we silently watched an infomercial about a walking exercise machine that claims to burn an hour's worth of fat in just thirty minutes. Eventually, she closed her eyes. Without a sound, she seemed to power down, like turning off a machine.
I turned off the TV as well. I let Mayu lie on the sofa and went to the bedroom. I tore off the dirty sheets, folding them as I had first seen them. Then I took the futon I had been using, which hadn't been vomited on, and returned to Mayu. After covering her with the futon and briefly watching her sleeping face, I greeted her as I always do before sleep.
"Goodnight."
As usual, there was no reply from Mayu. I turned off the room light.
This might be stating the obvious, but Mayu and I share the same sleeping space. Naturally, all that happens there is sleep. It's a truly wholesome relationship, far from anything R-rated.
The chilly room air. The cold floor felt like the shadow of winter. Deciding to leave soon, I pondered where to sleep. As I was about to leave the room,
"Excuse me..."
Kouta's soft voice came through the sliding door. I turned and stepped onto the tatami mat. Pulling the cord hanging from the low ceiling, I turned on the fluorescent light.
The two of them were sitting wrapped in blankets. They looked sleepy, rubbing their eyes frequently.
"What happened to that mess?"
"I stayed up all night on a merry-go-round while hungover. More importantly, did I wake you?"
"Oh, I'm fine. I'm used to it."
"Used to it?"
It was a peculiar remark. Perhaps realizing their slip, Kyoko muttered "stupid Kouta" and pinched Kouta's side. Kouta grimaced but laughed it off. Again, I felt like something was being piled on, some illusion trapping me. I was almost convinced that I was beginning to see the calamities that had befallen them. No matter how much I dislike prying, I wish they wouldn't hint so much without explaining.
I needed to divert the conversation. A slight shift in topic to avoid the main issue.
"It's surprising that with all that noise, you weren't asked to leave the place..." A realization struck me, as if a lightbulb had lit up in my head.
"Big brother?"
I finally noticed the discrepancy. It didn't match my own experiences, which is why I couldn't identify what was right in front of me. It was a measure that hadn't been taken against us, precisely because our situations were different. "Why is that?"
To the question without a clear subject, Kouta looked puzzled. Anzu showed no particular reaction.
It's simple. These kids are talking to me. In other words, their mouths aren't covered. If Mayu's frenzy didn't cause any complaints or issues, does it mean that the apartment's soundproofing is perfect?
But furthermore, while their feet are bound, their hands are free. They could pound on the walls, scream, and make noise with all their might. Surely that would resonate to the adjacent rooms. If an investigation was conducted within the room, the shackles would become undeniable evidence, and we'd probably end up in handcuffs.
"Wow, it's full of holes."
What sloppy planning and precautions. While it wasn't about Mayu from earlier, I felt the urge to tear my hair out. I don't want to face reality.
"You guys..."
Again, I paused. Asking them directly why they were quietly staying in this room made me feel like I was opening a can of worms.
Upon my suspicious behavior, Kouta stared at me with wide eyes. Perhaps he was waiting earnestly for me to speak. On the other hand, Anzu's expression was sleepy and less stern than usual.
"Hey," Anzu muttered drowsily. "That woman..."
"Not 'woman'. It's 'big sister'."
I corrected her a bit sternly. What's with 'that woman'? Show some manners. She's my girl. That's a lie, though. Whether Anzu felt intimidated or was just too sleepy to argue, she corrected herself.
"Is that big sister's head screwed on right?"
Her observation was straightforward and unambiguous. I felt no urge to refute or challenge her statement.
"Anzu, you shouldn't say things like that."
It's just the way she said it, not the content, that's problematic.
"Well, it's okay. Given her behavior, I guess anyone would think she's off for a karaoke competition or something. Her screws should be in place, though."
I affirmed Anzu's words. But I don't have a negative stance towards Mayu. I find some allure in those aspects of her. While her emotions may be imbalanced, that very imbalance gives her a unique perspective that the average person wouldn't possess. Whether it's eccentric or exceptional is hard to determine.