Three flights of stairs, 12 stairs to a flight. Thirty-six stairs in all.
These were among the first things Yuki learned about his apartment. He had also learned that his apartment was the third door on that floor, and had tied a rope around the doorknob, and that it took twenty-five normal sized steps to get from one end of the main room to the other. At the far end were two doors, one leading to a very small kitchenette and the other to the bathroom. He mostly stayed in the main room.
He figured it was rectangular, but wasn't positive as most of the furniture was pushed against the walls. He slept on the couch. The landlord had said it pulled out into a bed and that there was a latch somewhere to do this, but Yuki had never found it and had decided not to bother. He didn't need that much room anyway; he wasn't exactly tall and he knew it, after all, Mayura had been able to put her arm over his shoulder without stretching up.
Shrugging off his blazer, Yuki sat down on the couch with a sigh. It had taken three hours for the rain to let up, and it had started again before he had gotten home. He leaned back and pressed a hand to his forehead.
"I better not get sick…" he muttered to the empty room.
That would be just what he needed. It had taken him three months to convince his teachers and doctors that he was smart enough and well enough to be put into regular classes. If he were to fall ill after his first day he'd certainly fall behind. He could already tell he was going to need help in math. How the hell was he supposed to do those equations in his head?
Of course, that wasn't the only problem he knew he was going to have. Not if Narugami was whom he sounded like. And not with all the jeers he knew he was going to get, especially if any of the other students realized he wasn't 17…
Neither was Narugami, if Yuki's instincts were right, but then again, Naugami would be rather comfortable acting that age.
Frowning, Yuki put his arms behind his head, blowing on a strand of damp hair that he knew was in his face, whether he could see it or not. It wasn't like it was obstructing his vision; it just gave him something to do. The only homework he'd had was history, and he'd finished that at Loki's.
He stopped playing with the strand of hair.
"Loki…" he murmured.
He had known Loki was here, he just hadn't been expecting to run into him. Especially not so soon. And Loki had seemed overly depressed, too. That was new. When was the last time the trickster had been depressed?
Last time everyone thought you were dying…
Yuki dismissed the thought. That was in the past. He could block those memories out now. Sure, he'd never really escape the past, as long as he was waking up to darkness every morning, or had to be overly cautious around anyone who might even have a cold, but he could still put the past behind him.
"There's no reason for me to dwell on a place that doesn't want or need me," he spoke to the emptiness. "I don't need a family that wishes I had died in infancy, and I don't need people who think I'm useless. This is earth, I can do something here…" his voice faltered.
Oh…that boy. Yes, he's the new one. I've no idea what's wrong with him…something about brain damage…and some sort of birth defect or another, just like most o f the others. Not down's though. Maybe some sort of coordination issue? It doesn't matter. He's just another defect the government pays me to make useful…not that any of them will ever be useful. Did you know he wants to go to classes with the healthy children? I don't know how he would manage…They'd have to put him in primary school. Can you imagine? A 19year old in primary school. And blind ,too. Ha. Poor deluded soul…
Yuki shut his eyes against the voice. That was in the past too. After all, he was in with the 2ndyears. He was sempai. Not just some stupid child. He was in classes with 17 year olds, not toddlers. How dare she judge him?
It didn't matter. He had proven her wrong.
But if an adult whose job was to help those with difficulties could be so callous…then what of his peers? He had already felt their stares on him…they would never accept him…
Except Mayura…she seemed decent. There had been no cruel vibes from her.
Still…
Yuki closed his eyes and sighed, his hands falling to his lap. He unrolled the cuff of one sleeve and gently ran his fingertips over the scars.
"Sometimes…" he whispered softly, a tear rolling down his cheek. "I wish…"
Outside the rain continued to fall.