Disclaimer: I don't own this anime; if I did I would much richer!

Daily routine

I woke up to the sounds of birds out my solitary window. My western style pillow had somehow fallen off of the futon and my head was starting to fall of the bed as well. Sigh… It was early. The birds were singing but the sun was being slow to answer their call. Daylight was just breaking; the sky was only a lighter blue, with touches of pink and an almost yellow touching the clouds. I am lucky that my apartment faces trees and the sunrise.

I live in a small apartment. In Japan a small apartment such as mine is common. It is only a room (considered an efficiency in America) but it is smaller than those. There is the "common area" where the straw mats are. There is small table that I eat and do homework on. This is pushed to the side at night and I roll out my futon. Every morning I roll my futon and stow it way into the sliding cupboards. In the cupboards I stow my clothes and books. I have a small kitchen. Really it is a sink with two cupboards up above and two down below. Counter space is on each side of the sink and one of those counters is devoted to the rice cooker and the small oven burner.

The bathroom is down the hall. A community bath/wash business is down the street. Every other night I make a point to go there and bathe and get my clothes washed.

It sounds small and cramped, but it is just me after all. This was all I could afford; living on my own at fifteen. I have scholarships and they are what keep a roof over my head and school books and uniforms in my closet. But it isn't easy. Often I scrimp on food and eat the cheapest meals I can. Lots of rice and miso, tea and rice sandwiches for lunch, dinner is often ramen with vegetables and eggs stewed in. But now that I have a job things have changed. I still study hard for school for the scholarships but now I can afford better day clothes and food. It's nice.

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The last bell for school has rung; it is time to go to work. I have realized how much I enjoy work. It gives me a sense of well being to contribute to my life; to have a place that is expecting me after school. I arrive in the office.

"Hello! I am here!!" I call cheerfully!

"Mai, tea."Sigh… no good afternoon?

The office smells of black tea and the cookies I brought yesterday. The sun is streaming through the window and I can hear the sounds of Lin typing away at the keyboard in his office. I am home.

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It is perhaps just me but does anyone else notice that when things are going good they suddenly become bad???

I was handing the green tea over to Naru when the door bell rang signaling a customer. The precise moment he stepped into the office, I heard the sound of a feminine scream and a soft moaning plea to stop; his was a presence so strong I spilled the tea on the desk and floor and promptly collapsed; the sound of screaming and moaning accompanying me into the darkness. The distorted and surprised look on Naru's face the last image I saw.

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When I woke up, I was laying on the couch of the office; a blanket kept for overnight guests of the office (read work- aholic Naru) and cold days. My hand that had held the tea was throbbing the heat and intense pain reminded me of how hot the tea had been and how delicate my hand really was. My head pounded in tempo with the pain in my hand and I honestly had to stop and remind myself where I was and what time of day it was. I turned my aching head to the side and looking at the shadows from the fading sun I have lost a few hours. The movement of my head had caught the attention of the rooms' occupants.

"How are you feeling?" A feminine voice asked quietly and gently.

Ayako… When did she get here?

"We were really worried! What happened??" Male, strong with an almost surfer quality… Bou-san.

I sat up, slowly and with great respect for my pounding head. Two pills and a glass of water appeared before my swimming eyes.

"Arigato Ayako. " I whispered softly.

Once I got myself under control I looked around the room, everyone was there watching me. Naru was strangely intent.

"What did you see?" He asked.

"I saw women, many women, crying pleading moaning … They were all in such panic and pain. Anger and humiliation was there too… so much … I can't…"

I didn't know how to describe what I saw but there is one thing that I knew beyond a sliver of doubt; all of them had been raped and all of them murdered.