Lonely Rock for the Blind

“…What is it?”

Yamada Ryo asked.

"Guilt."

"?"

Yamada Ryo tilted his head in confusion.

Nekayashiki Haru continued to speak to himself.

"Of course it could be something else. I can't read minds, but Hong Xia's current behavior seems abnormal to me."

"So you distance yourself from her?"

"I'm just trying to keep our distance as close as possible, Yamada-kun. If I approach Nijika now, regardless of the lingering memories she holds of me from the past... wouldn't that be taking advantage of her situation? Using this vague remnant of the past to lock Nijika's heart in?"

"... "

Yamada Ryo said after a moment of silence.

"Maybe you're thinking too much?"

"That means there's a chance I'm right, and that might be enough."

Nekoyashiki Haru stood up from the wall.

"Even if I really want to be with Hong Xia, I should wait until this unknown obsession with the past disappears. Before that, I shouldn't do anything that crosses the line."

Yamada Ryo suddenly felt his mouth dry, licked his lips and asked.

"So not joining the band?"

"It has something to do with Hong Xia."

“…You think too much…”

“This is my shortcoming, but sometimes I also think it’s an advantage.”

Nekoyashiki Haru walked past Yamada Ryo and reached towards the stairs in front of the apartment with his blind stick.

"Thank you for giving me a ride. I wish you a good dream tonight."

"... "

Yamada Ryo didn't look back, but just stood there.

After a long while, he turned around and looked at the apartment door behind him.

There was no one there anymore, and the voice-activated light was dimmed because no one was passing by and making any sound.

The darkness seemed to be crawling out of the apartment and moving towards the street lamp.

Yamada Ryo narrowed his eyes slightly.

"...You're really lazy and arrogant, but I don't hate you."

Chapter 23 Weekend

It's the weekend.

Sitting up from the bed, Nekayashiki Haru was stunned for a while as usual.

What do you do on the weekend? Just kidding… [Fanxing] is open every day.

You can go at night though.

When Nekoyashiki Haru thought about how he was forced to ask dozens of questions by those two losers during the Truth or Dare game yesterday, he suddenly lost the mood to go to [Fanxing].

"... "

But what's the point of doing this... so boring...

Practice the piano for a while?

No... never mind...

Now that things have come to this, I might as well go get some bread.

Thinking of this, Nekoyashiki Haru finished washing up and walked towards the kitchen.

Then he suddenly remembered what Ichichi Hongxia had told him.

"…Ugh…"

Sighing, Nekayashiki Haru took the bento out of the refrigerator and put it into the microwave.

Ding~

As the heating was finished, Nekayashiki Haru carefully took out the lunch box and walked towards the table.

【camera】

Turning on her noisy phone, Nekayashiki Haru took a picture of the bento and sent it to Ijichi Nikka.

After a while, a message came from the other side.

Putting the phone aside, Nekayashiki Haru ate his lunch while listening to the sounds coming from the phone.

[Hongxia sent a message: I'm eating well, not bad.]

The message sent by Ijichi Nikka was broadcast, and Nekayashiki Haru casually replied with an emj emoticon.

"Haa ...

Nekoyashiki Haru said softly.

These were not done by Ijichi Hongxia, so he could say them so frankly.

He ate one bite after another, unable to tell what the food in front of him was or what shape the food in front of him was.

I just stuffed it into my mouth, and it was a little too hot.

Did you heat it for too long?

Hongxia sent a message: "By the way, did you buy it at the convenience store? How about I bring it over to you, or if you have the ingredients I can just cook it there? I'm pretty free today."

Nekoyashiki Haru took off his sunglasses, revealing cracks on his purple eyes as if broken glass windows. As he listened to Ijichi Kouka's message, his hand crawled towards his cell phone.

Then I started typing slowly.

However, before he could finish typing a sentence, another message came.

[Hongxia sent a message: Why aren't you talking? Didn't you hear me?]

"... "

After deleting the few words he had typed with great difficulty, Nekoyashiki Haru replied with one word.

【without】

Then continue typing.

[Hongxia sent a message: Is typing too slow? How about I just call directly?]

"... "

The words that had just been typed were deleted again, and Nekoyashiki Haru clicked on the emoticon.

【Open emj emoticon and select the ok gesture. 】

Then I replied with an "ok" emj.

Soon, Ijichi Kouka called and Nekayashiki Haru answered the call.

[Ah, it's connected... Good morning, Kitty.]

"Good morning…"

Nekoyashiki Haru said a little listlessly.

[I don't have the energy to talk. Didn't you sleep well last night?]

"No, I've always been like this."

【It wasn’t like that before! 】

"How long ago was that..."

Nekoyashiki Haru said helplessly, and Ijichi Nikka continued to ask.

[So, do you want me to bring you lunch? At noon?]

"No need, I have my own lunch."

[Hey~ Do you prefer the convenience store bento to my bento? ]

"Then yours must be delicious, but I don't want to trouble you so much."

Nekoyashiki Haru replied.

[Okay...see you this afternoon, Kitty.]

"See you in the afternoon."

After the call ended, Nekayashiki Haru sighed.

"Ah... I'm so tired."

I feel tired even though I haven't done anything.

Just sleep during the day...

Ding ding ding!

The cell phone rang again. Nekayashiki Haru originally thought that it was Ijichi Kouka calling again, but the voice broadcast the next moment made him stunned.

【Kita called.】

"... "

at this time?

After answering the phone, Nekayashiki Haru waited for the other party to speak.

[Ah, Senior, I'm outside your door! Come open the door!]

"?"

Nekoyashiki tilted his head, then quickly put his sunglasses back on from the table before walking towards the door and opening it.

"Good morning, Senior!"

A voice full of energy suddenly rang out, and the sudden increase in volume made Nekoyashiki Haru's heart tremble even though she was prepared but still frightened.

“…keep your voice down.”

"Ahh! Sorry."

Kita Ikuyo clasped her hands together and apologized.

"So what's the matter? Come to see me this morning..."

Nekoyashiki Haru walked into the house, and Kita Ikuyo quickly followed, closing the door behind him.

"Hey, I'm free to check on you, Senior."

"... Kita, you should have a lot of friends, right? Your weekend schedule should be packed. How can you have some free time?"

"Ah, I've been seen through... Well... I'm not idle, I came here specially to see you, Senior!"

Kita Ikuyo's voice was filled with laughter as she walked to the sofa and sat down.

“…Then thank you…”

Nekayashiki Haru thanked him, then walked towards the kitchen, took a glass of juice and placed it on the coffee table in front of Kita Ikuyo.

"Senior, it seems so easy to move around here."

"It's my own home after all."

Sitting down two body lengths away from Kita Ikuyo, Nekayashiki Haru answered.

Kita Ikuyo looked at the lunch box on the table next to her, then shifted her gaze to Nekoyashiki Haru.

"Were you eating just now? Senior, did you listen to Ijichi-senpai's words?"