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Chapter 4
During the past two weeks, Mei and Yuzu had been slowly becoming adapted to and content with their new life. In the mornings, they'd eat their scones and a slice of pound cake, in the afternoon, they'd work for several hours with a small break to eat their lunch, then they'd return back to their motel and wait until it was time to eat dinner, shower, and sleep. They had also received their weekly payments in cash, so not only would they use some of their money to shop if they were low on food, but they'd also use the money to wash their clothes in a local laundromat. Additionally, because of Mei's inexperience with the knife, she'd sometimes cut herself by accident during work, so they also had to buy a first aid kit.
Recently, the news stated that the two assailants who broke into Yuzu's apartment were detained. While the news of their arrest pleased Mei and Yuzu, they were also left unsatisfied when the reporters stated that the police were unable to obtain answers after the interrogations. As a result, Mei and Yuzu agreed that it was still better for the both of them to remain in the old town and to continue working for money.
Everyday at work, while Mei was usually silent and simply focused on cooking and getting used to the work environment, Yuzu would cheerfully try to engage in conversations with her, asking if she needed any help. Whenever this would happen, Mei would always turn down Yuzu's assistance, saying that she now knew what to do. This became their routine, and life seemed to be going just fine...at least for awhile for Mei. Lately, while she was either cooking or cleaning the countertops, she'd always notice how her other coworker in the kitchen would sneak glances at Yuzu. Mei would then look towards Yuzu to see if she was aware, but she seemed completely oblivious to the glances. Mei didn't know why, but she'd always feel threatened and alert whenever the other cook looked at Yuzu.
Today, Mei and Yuzu entered the restaurant for their shift. After putting on their aprons and settling in, they waited for the first customer. While Yuzu tried to include Mei in a conversation with the lead cook, Mei just simply stared at the man, analyzing his behavior and facial expressions. Mei couldn't make anything out of him, but something about him just kept gnawing at her.
The first few customers came in. While the cashier was busy taking orders, the three cooks would be busy preparing the various kinds of meals. As Mei was busy handling the buns, fries, and various other orders, she glanced at the lead cook to see that he was once again sneaking looks at Yuzu. Feeling restless, Mei decided that she would confront him later on when she got the chance.
It wasn't until around 2 p.m. when the number of visiting customers decreased. Since she wasn't busy at the moment, and deciding it was finally time for the confrontation, Mei began walking in the lead cook's direction. However, the man had already started a conversation with Yuzu, and before she could step in and have a word with him, Mei noticed his hands sliding towards his pocket. Fear started to set in, and Mei could only watch as the man, who stood a foot away from Yuzu, reached into his pocket for something.
"Do you think we can exchange phone numbers?" Mei heard the man ask timidly. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him take out a pen and a notepad.
"Sure thing!" Yuzu replied exuberantly as she accepted a note with his number, then took the pen and wrote down her own number on his notepad.
Mei's heart began to slow down into a normal pace. She had originally suspected that her coworker was hostile, but thankfully, he seemed friendly and harmless. Seeing that she no longer had to question the man, she proceeded to clean the countertops with a towel, and she occasionally drank some water from a bottle she had brought.
A few more customers arrived as time went on, and when it was 3 p.m., Mei and Yuzu said their goodbyes before leaving the restaurant. Shortly after arriving at their room, Yuzu received a few text messages from their coworker. While Yuzu enthusiastically messaged her coworker - how she felt about work, plans for the future, and many other things - Mei was finally able to enjoy the silence and peace of the room, as Yuzu would normally try to talk to her and end up agitating her.
Throughout the rest of the day, while Mei kept herself busy watching the TV, Yuzu texted away on her phone. Eventually, when it was time for dinner, Mei and Yuzu kneeled down by the table and ate. For the most part, they ate in silence, but when Yuzu's phone lit up, the blonde halted her eating and took the call. It was her coworker, and they chatted straight away.
Mei glanced at Yuzu and felt something strange deep within herself. Yuzu had been talking on the phone for about five minutes so far, and even though Mei had originally liked being left alone to be with her thoughts, something was nagging her. Soon enough, Mei unconsciously slowed down on her eating as she tried to pinpoint why she felt so distressed and confused.
"Aihara-san, is there something wrong?" Yuzu asked, snapping Mei out of her thoughts. Mei noticed that Yuzu was finished with her phone call. "You weren't eating, and you had a troubled look on your face."
"I...I'm fine," was all Mei said. Yuzu knew that wasn't the case, but she didn't want to pry into Mei's life and end up bothering her. They continued eating, and after finishing, they took turns in the shower.
Standing still under the rush of the warm water, Mei reflected on what had happened at dinner. From that brief exchange with Yuzu, Mei had suddenly felt better, though she didn't completely understand why. The only logical idea Mei could think of was that she had become too accustomed to Yuzu's constant blabbering to the point that once Yuzu stopped giving her attention, Mei felt different and anxious. Bothered by this idea, Mei clenched her fists and tried to convince herself that there was no way Yuzu could have this influence on her. As Mei constantly told herself that, she finished showering and changed into her nightwear. She left the bathroom to see Yuzu look towards her with a smile. Not wanting to believe that her restlessness was due to Yuzu, Mei looked away from her and headed towards the futon.
"Aihara-san, what's wrong?" Yuzu asked with a concerned look, watching as Mei got under the covers and faced away from her.
"Nothing," Mei grunted, though Yuzu knew that was a lie.
"Aihara-san, if there is anything that's bothering you, I want you to tell me," Yuzu asked with a soft voice, but Mei refused to tell her. Knowing that it was hopeless to keep pestering Mei, Yuzu turned off the lights and settled in next to Mei on the mattress. Yuzu turned her head to look at Mei's backside, then whispered, "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," Mei replied back, and Yuzu felt somewhat relieved that Mei was at least talking to her instead of remaining silent and ignoring her. As Yuzu turned her head to look back up at the ceiling, Mei had her eyes open and stared at the wall next to her. The raven-haired woman couldn't get Yuzu out of her head, as she can only think about how enthusiastic Yuzu was while texting and when she was talking on the phone. Becoming more and more agitated, Mei growled to herself since these pestering thoughts refused to leave her mind.
Yuzu turned her head towards Mei again upon hearing her growl, but because Mei didn't make any more noises, Yuzu simply closed her eyes and tried to sleep. In the back of her mind, Yuzu couldn't help but feel slightly concerned about Mei, for she noticed that Mei looked depressed for most of the day. Yuzu simply prayed that Mei would feel better in the morning, and she eventually drifted into her slumber. Unfortunately for Mei, since her emotions were giving her a headache, it took her a much longer amount of time to fall asleep.
Yuzu looked at Mei with worry as they walked on the streets toward work. She had thought that whatever was bothering Mei would have disappeared in the morning, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Uneasiness and confusion were written all over Mei's face, and even though Yuzu tried to talk to her about it, Mei would deny that anything was wrong. Sighing in defeat, Yuzu walked in silence, wishing that Mei would eventually talk to her about it instead of keeping her problems to herself.
Inside the restaurant, Mei and Yuzu walked into the kitchen and greeted their coworkers. After settling in, they waited for the first customers of the day. To keep herself busy, Mei took a clean wet towel and wiped the countertops and tools, even if they were already clean. Wanting to get closer to Mei, Yuzu decided that she would help her out, so she got her own towel and started cleaning with Mei. Mei gave Yuzu a weird look after noticing that Yuzu was inching closer and closer to her as she wiped the surface of several equipments, and Yuzu simply gave her a grin. Mei focused her attention back on cleaning, while Yuzu silently thanked her for not telling her off.
Later on, since they had nothing to do, the lead cook struck a conversation with Yuzu. While they tried to include Mei in their discussion, the silent woman declined. She stood awkwardly to the side while looking at her nails, and Yuzu chatted away with the other coworker. Yuzu would occasionally glance at Mei to see if she was alright, but she couldn't read her expressions.
Mei walked over to a nearby counter and rested her head on her elbows that were on the table. While it looked like Mei was just minding her own business, she was listening to every detail of her two coworker's conversation, and as she heard constant giggling and the cheerfulness in their voices, Mei couldn't help but feel upset and a sense of betrayal. She knew that Yuzu wasn't obligated to talk to, care about, or have anything to do with her, yet she felt emptiness as Yuzu continued to converse with another person. Mei unconsciously clenched her fists and her teeth, and she felt her heartbeat quicken in response. She rarely felt this way, but for some reason, it felt just right to behave like this.
The sound of laughter caught Mei's attention, and she turned to look towards the source of the sound. She was met with the sight of Yuzu and the lead cook laughing together, and the instant she saw him wrap an arm around her shoulder, Mei panicked at the thought that he was about to hurt or possibly kill Yuzu. However, that wasn't the case, as he was simply patting her and laughing with her, and Mei felt her anxiety fading away before being replaced by anger. The way they enthusiastically interacted with each other aggravated Mei, and feeling as if she could no longer stomach looking at the two of them, Mei excused herself to use the restroom. She ignored the worried eyes of Yuzu as she made her way past her, and she shut and locked the bathroom door behind herself. Sitting on the lidded toilet seat, Mei took the time to control her breathing, and after about two minutes of deep breathing, she felt her heart rate slow down. When she felt that she had calmed down, Mei stood up from the toilet and walked over to the sink, where she splashed water on her face. Feeling refreshed, Mei left the restroom and went back to her station.
"Aihara-san, is everything alright?" Yuzu asked as Mei made her way back to the kitchen.
"Yes. I only needed to relieve myself, that's all," Mei replied, causing Yuzu to raise an eyebrow.
"Okay, then...I guess I'll just leave you be…" Yuzu said hesitantly, not sure why Mei was acting so strangely lately.
For the rest of their shift, Mei and Yuzu felt an unbearable tension between one another. While the latter would try to start conversations, Mei would give short and simple answers or statements to end the conversation then and there. Knowing that it was hopeless to try to speak to Mei, Yuzu would work silently unless being spoken to by the other cook in the kitchen, which would happen every now and then.
When it was 3 p.m., Mei and Yuzu hung up their aprons and took their water bottles with them. Before they could leave, their acquaintance stopped them, asking for Yuzu to wait for a moment. Curious about what he wanted, Yuzu and Mei stood still and waited for him to collect his thoughts.
"Um...Okogi-san, would you...would you like to join me for dinner tomorrow?" he timidly asked, causing Yuzu and Mei to widen their eyes in surprise. As Yuzu tried to process what was happening, something snapped inside Mei; almost as if on autopilot, Mei grabbed Yuzu's arm and led her out of the restaurant, leaving the lead cook dumbfounded. Outside, Mei continued to drag a complaining Yuzu away from the building and through the streets, weaving in between the few pedestrians here and there. Frustrated by how Mei was acting, as well as how she refused to tell her what was going on, Yuzu broke free from her grasp.
"What the heck are you doing? Why did you suddenly pull me away like that?" Yuzu asked with a raised voice, but Mei remained silent as she was at a loss for words. "First, you act all distant and depressed, refusing to let me help you, and now here you are, ignoring me once again while rudely interrupting a conversation!"
"I...I…" Mei felt her rage beginning to dissipate along with her resolve. She herself didn't know why she had suddenly acted aggressively, and now that Yuzu was confronting her about her behavior, Mei was speechless and felt a sense of guilt.
"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" Yuzu asked with her hands on her hips. Unable to find her own reasons, Mei avoided eye contact with her and looked at the ground. Seeing that Mei wasn't responding, Yuzu sighed and walked away of her towards the motel, leaving the raven-haired woman behind to drown in her thoughts.
Mei found herself unable to move a single muscle within her body. The shame was too great for her to bear, and she ended up losing track of time because of how excruciating her feelings were. After some time standing still on the walkway, with some passing citizens giving her strange looks, Mei managed to move her limbs and slowly trudged her way back to the motel, never tearing her eyes off the ground. Once she arrived at her room, Mei noticed that Yuzu was on her phone with a serious face, and when they looked at each other's eyes, Yuzu exhaled loudly and set down her phone.
"I told him that I agreed to join him for tomorrow," the blonde said. "It's just a friendly little dinner that's going to take place nearby, and I promise I won't take long, if that's what you're worried about."
Mei looked like she wanted to say something, but then gave up. She sat down on the floor facing away from Yuzu, and she looked down at her lap in silence. Yuzu leaned her body toward the side so she could somewhat see Mei's face, and after observing how troubled she looked, Yuzu couldn't help but feel a little empathetic towards her.
"You know...the dinner invitation probably wasn't directed towards me alone…" Yuzu said, but Mei still looked away from her, "...he probably also meant for you to join us, so that means you won't be alone for dinner!"
Despite how hopeful Yuzu seemed, Mei still had a perturbed look on her face. Eating alone was the least of her worries, since she usually liked the peace and quiet of being by herself. The problem she had, however, was something she didn't quite fully grasp. While it seemed promising to dine with Yuzu in a place outside of the boring motel room, Mei also didn't want to eat with their coworker, who was hosting. She didn't know why she felt such contempt towards her coworker, and she also didn't know why she felt hatred and displeasure knowing that he and Yuzu were getting along.
"I"ll have to decline. I'd rather eat by myself for tomorrow," Mei said quietly.
Upon hearing her response, the hopeful expression on Yuzu's face turned into that of frustration, and the blonde growled loudly in annoyance. Displeased by Mei's answer, Yuzu picked up her change of clothes and headed for the bathroom to confine herself in. After slamming the bathroom door shut, Yuzu sat down on the lidded toilet seat and made fists with her hands. Feeling incredibly antsy, the blonde gripped onto her shirt with both hands and started to pull it in opposite directions, nearly causing it to rip. Grunting profusely, Yuzu stood up from the toilet seat and took off her clothes, then stepped into the shower. She turned on the flow of the water, and she furiously scrubbed her hair and body.
Stupid! Absolutely ridiculous! You don't make any sense! Why are you so secretive and avoidant? Why won't you tell me what's going on instead of being the stubborn person you are?!
Outside the bathroom, Mei could hear the sounds of frustration resonating. Deciding that she wasn't in the mood to stay up, Mei set up the futon and lay down on the very edge of her side. She faced the wall so she wouldn't be able to see Yuzu's agonizing expressions after she was finished with her shower, and Mei tried to force herself to fall asleep.
After about twenty more minutes, Yuzu stepped out the bathroom door. She noticed that Mei was already tucked into bed, and after she realized that Mei was skipping her shower, Yuzu felt a bit concerned about her. Yuzu's anger slowly started to fade away, but since a part of her was still frustrated with Mei, she turned off the lights, lay down on the very edge of her side of the bed with her backside facing Mei's, and decided not to wish her "goodnight." Meanwhile, Mei, who was still awake and had her eyes wide open, waited for Yuzu to say those exact words like always, but after realizing that tonight was going to be a wordless night, Mei felt even more despondent. And so, both women tried their hardest to fall asleep, but it didn't come very easily.
Mei and Yuzu had the day off from work today, and even though they should be enthusiastic about finally taking a break from work, there was a cloud of dread that surrounded them. Yuzu had managed to calm herself down and mentally forgave Mei for her stubbornness, but Mei, who struggled to deal with her own mental state, still wore a dejected look. Breakfast was eerily silent, and when it was time for lunch, Yuzu decided that she would be the one to break the tension.
"Aihara-san, I was thinking...it's probably for the best if I cancelled the dinner invitation and instead give you some company for tonight," Yuzu said, causing Mei's interest to peak. "You see...I'm really worried about you, and I really don't want you to feel left out or depressed."
"Th-thank you for your concerns, but...but are you sure you want to skip out on dinner with your friend?" Mei asked quietly.
"I'm one-hundred percent sure. I consider you my friend, and I don't want you to feel bad," Yuzu said with a sincere smile.
Mei was speechless after hearing Yuzu's last statement. Coupled with how genuine Yuzu seemed about caring for her, Mei couldn't help but feel a tug on her lips as they begged to curve into a smile. Instead, Mei's stern expression softened, and after brushing her hair behind her ear in timidness, Mei shook her head no.
"Thank you for your consideration. While I am thankful for how much you care about me, I also don't want to hold you back from being with your other friend for dinner," Mei said sincerely, causing Yuzu to look surprised.
"Are you sure? Are you sure you're fine with just eating by yourself tonight?" Yuzu asked.
"Yes. I'd feel guilty if I caused you to cancel your dinner," Mei replied, though unbeknownst to Yuzu, she felt very conflicted about the dinner plans and how Yuzu was going to be with someone else.
"If you're absolutely sure, then okay. I promise I'll try not to take too long eating, and I promise to try to come back to you as soon as possible," Yuzu said, while Mei was silently hoping that Yuzu would stay true to her word.
As the hours wasted away, with Mei and Yuzu watching the TV or engaging in small conversations, the light of the afternoon faded away into the darkness of the evening. Checking the time on her phone, Yuzu realized that it was time for her to leave, and so she got her wallet and prepared to leave. Before she exited the room, she looked back at Mei, who wore a somewhat worried expression, and Yuzu patted her on the shoulder.
"Don't worry. I won't be long." Yuzu smiled, and Mei nodded her head in silence. They waved goodbye to each other, and when Yuzu left the motel and was out of sight, Mei closed the front door. The moment she shut the door, Mei felt a wave of concern and anxiety surge within her body, and after trying to ignore these emotions for a few minutes in the room, she felt she had enough. Unable to help herself, Mei turned off the lights, opened the front door, exited the building, then made her way down to the streets.
Mei wandered through the darkness as she tried to find Yuzu. Walking beneath a few light posts and past a few parked cars, she knew that she had taken too long to start following Yuzu to the restaurant, so Mei tried her hardest to remember if the blonde had mentioned the location or name. Sitting down on a nearby bench, Mei closed her eyes and rubbed her temples as she attempted to recall their past conversations, but a minute of reflecting turned into anguish. Mei groaned in frustration, for all she could recall was Yuzu saying that the restaurant was very close by. In the end, because of how desperate Mei was to see Yuzu, she decided to just scan the immediate vicinity, so she stood up from the bench and started wandering around.
Approaching the window of a small cafe, Mei tried to look inside as discreetly as possible to avoid being mistaken for a troublemaker, but after she scanned the few faces in the building, she sighed in disappointment. Realizing that Yuzu wasn't here, she moved onto the next possible location. Next, Mei neared a bar, but since the blonde didn't seem the type to drink, as well as how the place didn't seem to serve any food, she crossed out the bar from her list. For the next five minutes, Mei scoured the nearby buildings for Yuzu's face, but each and every time she peered inside a building, she couldn't find her.
"Where are you?" Mei wondered aloud, feeling herself boil in dissatisfaction. The only logical idea now was that she had to expand the search radius, so she walked further away from the motel in hopes that she would eventually find Yuzu.
Straying further down the walkway, Mei walked past several apartments, clothing stores, and a police station. As she continued to walk, Mei feared that she was taking too long to check up on Yuzu and her coworker, so she picked up her pace and jogged in search of more diners and cafes. Eventually, she neared a small restaurant with a noodle sign hanging above the doorway, and when she peered inside the building, her eyes widened as she laid eyes on the face she had been looking for. Wasting no time, Mei entered the building. She was immediately greeted by the host, and when asked to follow him to her table, Mei prayed she would be seated just close enough where she can keep an eye on her, but hidden so Yuzu wouldn't be able to notice her. Fortunately for Mei, she was seated in a two-seater a few tables away from Yuzu and her coworker, with Mei being able to hide behind the customers seated between them.
Mei brought the menu to her face, covering herself except for her eyes so she can observe Yuzu's expressions and her actions. Squinting her eyes as she looked past the customers in front of her, Mei saw how jovial Yuzu looked laughing and grinning with the lead cook. Once again, her feelings of anger and confusion resurfaced, and the longer Mei watched them dine together, the more she became upset.
"Hello, may I start you off with a drink?" a waiter asked, snapping Mei's attention.
"Uh, I'd like some water," Mei replied as she tried to sneak glances at Yuzu.
"Very well. Do you still need time to look over the menu?" the waiter asked.
"Yes please," Mei replied, and the waiter left her table to fetch her a glass of water. Mei immediately focused her attention back on Yuzu's table, and when she saw how Yuzu's friend was attempting to feed the blonde his noodles, a spark of outrage awakened within Mei. Barely holding back a growl, Mei continued to watch as her hands started to shake uncontrollably. Without realizing, because her hands were still holding onto the menu, an obnoxious rattling sound was emitted as the menu constantly hit the wooden table.
"Hey, could you please stop making that noise?" a few nearby customers asked, but their complaints fell on deaf ears. Fortunately for Mei, she was just far enough from Yuzu to not grab her attention with the rattling.
The waiter returned with Mei's water, causing the raven-haired woman to tear her eyes away from Yuzu. Mei was asked if she had decided on something to eat, and Mei randomly chose an item from the menu, as her dinner was the least of her worries. The waiter left after collecting the menu, and Mei resumed watch over Yuzu. Mei noticed how the man was still attempting to feed Yuzu, but Yuzu waved his offer off with her hand, causing Mei to barely hold back a grin.
After a minute had passed, Mei noticed that Yuzu and her friend were finished eating and were waiting for the waiter to clean up their table and bring them the check. As Mei continued to watch over them, another man hobbled over to Mei's table and sat down across from her. Mei gave the man a confused look, but he stared back at her with a toothy grin while his upper body wobbled from side to side. Realizing that the man was under the influence, Mei cleared her throat and looked the drunkard straight in the eye.
"Excuse me, this table is taken. Please find another seat," Mei stated, while the man chuckled and tried to control his balance.
"Hey, you look like…like you need a good time. What say you come with me to this bar nearby and get a few drinks, then we can go to my place?" the man said drunkenly.
"No thanks. Please leave me alone," Mei said sternly, but the man remained seated.
"Come on! We'll have a hell of a time! I promise!" the man said as he burped loudly.
"No. Please leave," Mei repeated herself, feeling more and more agitated by his stubbornness.
"Yo, please reconsider! You're missing out on…"
As Mei stared in boredom and annoyance at the persistent man, her eyes were suddenly drawn to something on his waist as he stretched his arms over his head, causing his shirt to lift up a little. Hanging on his waistband was a sharp, glistening object, and as the sudden realization hit Mei, her eyes widened in panic. The man sitting across from her noticed her gaze, and he suddenly lunged across the table with his hand reaching for his knife. Mei was barely able to catch his swinging hand, with the knife a mere inch away from her face, and she tried to push back the hostile man with all her strength. Unable to plunge the knife into Mei, the thug grabbed onto Mei's hand that was holding him back with his free hand, then tightened his grip in an attempt to make Mei let go. Mei screamed in agony, and as the death grip tightened with every passing second, she felt her strength quickly diminishing.
A punch was thrown at the criminal, and several nearby customers held back the thug and secured the knife. The customers pushed the thug onto the ground, separating him from Mei, and they managed to hold him down on the ground.
Mei felt someone grab her wrist and pull her away from the table and out the door. Feeling her senses coming back to her after somewhat recovering from the trauma, Mei realized it was Yuzu who was pulling and leading her.
"Come on! Let's quickly get back to our room and grab our things so we can get out of this town," Yuzu shouted. Mei barely nodded her head in response, and together, they ran in the darkness without stopping to catch their breath. In record time, they approached their room and stuffed as many things as they could in their bags, and soon enough, they were sprinting out of their room onto the streets.
Mei and Yuzu didn't have a clue about where to go from here, so they just decided to keep running in a single direction. In sweat and tears, they ran through the town, and when they approached the outskirts, they saw the many trees out in the distance that were illuminated under the light of the moon. Without wasting a second, Mei and Yuzu sprinted through a vast field of grass towards the trees, praying that they would find safety within the forest.