Those Days in Tokyo

Happy

The water from the shower cleaned her creamy skin and made her feel so good and warm that she never wanted to get out. She took her crème bath soap and massaged her skin with it, making it smell like vanilla and apples.

Mikan sighed.

It was a long day.

Her work at the Cafe was cool and everything, but running from one table to another for a whole day can make you tired. Her feet hurt and her arms felt heavy from carrying around full glasses and plates. It was exhausting, but she knew that, although, she is complaining, she would never quit the job.

Her boss Sumire was quite nice, although grumpy most of the time; and her co-workers Ana, Nonoko and the cook Koko were the happiest people she has ever seen. Not only that they made the customers welcome, but they also tried to get on well with her. They talked to her, invited her to hang out and most importantly, they made her lough.

Not many people were that nice in Tokyo.

So she was very glad to have taken this job offer. True, it was not her first choice – being a physics major gave her hopes for a job with a higher salary – but Tokyo is cruel; and having a diploma or doctorate meant nothing nowadays, so she just accepted what she could after a year of sending applications to different companies without success.

It was her six-month anniversary of working in that Cafe today. Her co-workers prepared a surprise for her; Ana backed a huge chocolate cake for her and Koko made her drink two glasses of sake – which she actually never drank before.

So she was a little tipsy. So what?

It was after work!

And the celebration ended as soon as Sumire, who drank a few glasses more than her (make that 19), ended up sleeping at one of the tables. It was not like the others were in a better shape (if not worse) but they managed somehow to bring their boss home, Koko apologizing for his fiancées quick end, and went separate ways.

It was not even that late.

The clock in her apartment showed just a minute after ten when Mikan arrived. And it was not like she did not appreciate what her friends prepared for her – she just wanted to stay longer.

She was lonely.

Tokyo was just too big.

And it was not like she did not like to walk to her apartment; it was just that – every day she went down the same street and saw the same people, and they always seemed so passive. There was no life and no will.

And she missed that.

The loud screams of greetings and running around without being looked at as if she was crazy. The village she came from was such a happy place that she missed it every time she had such pathetic thoughts.

But when she was eighteen and full of enthusiastic plans for her future, she insisted to go to Tokyo and study physics. Now, six years later, she just wished that she stayed there, became a teacher and went out with a local.

But yeah, whatever…

She was here now.

The future looked so much brighter when the city was out of reach.

Now when she was here, all she had were sore feet and pain in the arms.

She sighed and stopped the water. After she opened the shower door, she took her big blue towel and wiped herself in it. Then she wrapped the towel around her figure, knowing she forgot her pyjamas in her room and stepped to the washbowl and brushed her teeth.

She still had her hair clasped in a bun so it would not get wet, but she let it free as soon as her teeth were clean.

She took her comb and started to comb her long brown hair; she opened the bathroom door and walked out while humming a melody. Her apartment was tiny, which is why the kitchen, dining room and living room were all, well, one room; and she had to go through to come to her bedroom.

But when she walked into the living room, she noticed the TV running and someone sitting on her couch.

''Oh, hey, Natsume.'' She greeted the black haired man, who made himself at home in front of her TV. He glanced at her, his eyes widening, when he saw her only in a tower. She on the other hand just ignored his embarrassment and walked past him to her bedroom.

''Yo.'' Was his only response. His eyes followed her smooth creamy legs up over the blue towel, hugging her perfect figure she had no idea she had. But he knew. And he was enjoying the view.

''Have you finished your painting already?'' Mikan asked him, while she was changing in her room. She did not bother to close the door behind her; she knew that, although Natsume might have a perverted mouth, his acts proved that he was far from a pervert. She never met a nicer guy than him – she even suspected that he was just gay, but she was happy that her neighbour was him.

''Nah… Still working on it. Tokyo from the roof looks bigger than it actually is.'' He told her, referring to his painting that he was currently working on. He was an art major who owned a gallery down the street. Mikan never asked him how he was able to be so successful at age 24. Most people at their age were still in college or looking for a job, but yeah… They were lucky.

''Why am I not allowed to see it? You're working on it for weeks already.'' She wanted to know, while she put on her T-Shirt and Shorts. When she walked out of her bedroom, Natsume was already eating the cookies she baked yesterday. She took the majority of them to work where she gave them to her co-workers as thanks for having her for six months. The cookies that she left home where those she wanted to eat herself and offer them to Natsume when he would pay her a visit. But it seemed as if he already took what he wanted.

''Hey! These are mine!'' she exclaimed when she sat down next to him but did not snatch the bowl away – she brushed her teeth already; she did not want to brush them again.

''What? You promised to give some to me. And you'll see the painting when it's done.'' He shrugged his shoulders and took a bite from the cookie. Mikan watched him with envy, but she really had enough sugar for today. Ana's cake was just heaven…

''And anyway… Seeing you dancing around in just a towel made me… try and suppress my hunger with cookies.'' He smirked at her and brought out a laughing ''ouch!'' when Mikan gave him a slap over his head.

''I was not dancing around. I just went to my bedroom where I forgot my PJs. And I did not know you were here!'' she exclaimed with blushing cheeks and a slightly higher voice. She knew he was just teasing her, but it was enough to make her embarrassed.

Never in her life did she imagine that she will meet a guy in Tokyo who will become her best friend. They became neighbours when she started living in this apartment and for a good year they were not able to communicate as normal people. It took Mikan a long time to get used to his blunt and sometimes harsh words; his perverted mind did not help at all – but seeing each other every day made them talk and accept each other as they were.

Natsume had to get used to her extreme mood changes; she was a cheerful person at nature, but sometimes she could become the epitome of pathetic-ness – and he was the only one who knew how to deal with it.

And here they were today, having each other's apartment spare keys; coming to visit whenever they wanted to; and empting each other's fridge. Mikan actually asked herself why they had a wall between their apartments. They should just become roommates and the problem with paying bills would disappear.

But yes…

These were just her thoughts.

Natsume liked privacy, although he never said it out loud.

And living with each other would seem strange to other people. They would have to be a couple in order to do that. Which they were not. And Japan was just not America or Europe. Girl-guy friendships here were just a too delicate theme.

''Whatever you say…'' he grinned at her and turned his head towards the TV.

''What are you watching?'' she asked him and pulled her legs up, her head resting on her knees.

''Gokusen. But it's gonna end in like fifteen minutes.'' He told her and munched at the cookie he playfully pushed under her nose to make her sniff the heavenly smell and then quickly snatched it away and put it into his mouth. He loved to tease her, but that got him a punch on his shoulder.

''Meanie.'' She mumbled and sighed at the dramatic scenes on TV.

They were silent for a couple of minutes, comfortable in each other's company.

''Hey, you drank sake!'' Nastume suddenly brought up and looked at her dramatically.

Mikan blinked at him and scratched her nose. ''How do you know that?''

''I smell it.'' He grinned cheekily and laughed when she breathed into her hand and sniffed at it.

''You liar! I brushed my teeth!'' she was about to punch him again on his shoulder when he caught her hands and squeezed them. She looked into his ruby eyes in surprise and tried to calm her heart down. It would be not wise to show too many signs of attraction – especially when not being sure if he felt the same.

He was lost for a moment too, but then his expression became serious and he let her hands go. ''I saw you coming home. You seemed slightly tipsy – you were actually swaying drunkenly, while walking.''

Mikan blushed and turned her head towards the TV again. ''I just had two glasses.''

Natsume watched her from the side. He knew she did not usually drink, but seeing her like that… ''You were walking alone. Were these six years in Tokyo not enough to know that this place is not that safe?''

''Yeah, I know. But I'm still kickboxing at weekends…'' she mumbled, not looking at him.

Natsume sighed, his hand going through his silky hair. ''Yeah… But you're still a girl…''

Mikan finally looked at him and noticed the worry in his eyes. Of course he would be worried. She was his best friend. But it still made her feel good to know that.

''I'll call you next time.'' She smiled at him and made him blush slightly.

''You better…'' he mumbled and turned back to the TV.

He threw his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. Mikan made herself comfortable and leaned her whole body into his, enjoying the warmth radiating from him.

She could feel her heart beating faster, and she could feel his heart beating faster. She sniffed at his boyish smell and sighed in content. She was so happy to have him here. She was so happy to have him as a best friend, although she gained some pretty nasty looks from other girls who saw them hanging out.

She had a hunch that he felt the same for her as she felt for him. Well, it was more than a hunch, but she will give him and herself time. There is no need to rush. As long as he would stay with her, she was happy as it was.