My neighbour, as much as I can tell, is weird… as far as I know, he spends most of his time at his computer doing something or having a cigarette on his balcony (there's about two or more foot between our balcony's.)

Him having a cigarette didn't bother me, it's his heath after all, but the fact that he would spend hours a day sitting at his computer with headphones on baffled me. And to what I saw, he didn't have any visitors.

Granted, I never meant to peep on him, but when studying law, I found having my desk near my balcony doors most relaxing.

My first encounter with the guy was when I was sitting on a chair on my balcony as I was reading one of the law books that Sis had given me, it was too hot to sit inside anyway and I had opted for a loose white blouse and a pair of black shorts.

I could hear him singing before he showed up at his balcony door wearing a pair of black shorts, a grey t-shirt, a washcloth around his neck and go glasses (it was strange to see him without them on,) with a cigarette and lighter in hand. He sounded nice.

He must not have seen me when he stepped foot onto his balcony and started to hum as he lit his cigarette. It was only after his cigarette was lit did he notice me sitting there.

"Sorry." He said as he looks at his cigarette then back to me before reaching over to an ashtray.

"No need, smoke as much as you want, it's your health after all." I said as I went back to my book.

"Oh… er… thanks, I guess." I heard him say before hearing a squeak of his chair.

The silence between us didn't bother me at all, but out of the corner of my eye, I could see him taking brief looks at me.

"Can I help you?" I asked as I turned to the next page.

"Just wondering why someone of your age is studying law." He said flicking some ash off into the ashtray.

"It's a family thing I'll have you know and I'm twenty-five for your information." I said placing my bookmark in and closing the book with a harsh clap before standing.

"I didn't mean to offend you, Senpai." He stubs his cigarette out. "Anyway, I've got work to do. See ya."

I waited till he was farther into his apartment before letting a heavy sigh out. "What an arse."

My second encounter with him was a couple of weeks after the first one.

The heat in Tokyo had cooled enough to warrant some more clothing but not enough for it to be too cold to sit outside. And with it being late in the day and it weekend, I had treated myself to Yakisoba fried noodles and a glass of wine.

I did find it annoying that Kohai had set his computer up in clear view from the balcony. Why? I never knew. I tried my hardest to focus on the sounds of Tokyo, but when I saw him take his headphones off and walk into the kitchen, my eyes didn't leave where he disappeared to.

When he came back into view carrying a plate and a cup, he stops and looks out of the balcony door and at me before looking back at his computer and then walks over to the balcony door and opens it after he places his cup down.

"Good evening, Senpai." He said placing the plate of curry down on a small table and then reaching for his cup.

"Good evening, Kohai." I couldn't help but let some coldness enter my speech.

"Your fried noodles smell great." He said as he sat down and lifted a fork full of curry… I have to say, it smelt great.

I didn't reply so I could focus on eating as I still didn't trust the guy. He did try and make small talk and I only replied as best as I could with short response.

Apparently, he is a quick eater as he had cleared his plate before I could get anywhere near the bottom of my bowl.

"Anyway, I best get back to my stream. Have a nice night, Senpai." He said as he made his way back inside with his cutlery and closed the door.

"Stream? What does he mean by that?"

I didn't hear nor see him for a couple of months after that and frankly, I was grateful for it. It let me focus on studying.

By the time I saw him next, it was November and the weather had started to turn too cold for spending too much time outside without thick clothing on. What I wasn't expecting was to see Kohai waving his arms about on his balcony when I stepped out of the kitchen. The idiot wasn't wearing a coat.

"What the hell does he think he's doing?" I said as I placed my cup of hot chocolate on the counter and walked over to my doors.

"Thank god, I didn't think I could get your attention." He said as soon as I opened my doors.

"What do you think you're doing?" The cold wind was like a slap to the face.

"I was having a smoke when I realised that I had locked myself out." He said and the cold must have started to set in as he started to rub his arms.

"And what do think I can do to help?"

"I was hoping that you'll let me." His teeth started to chatter.

"Let you in?" I brought a hand up to rub at my temple. "You do realise that there is a gap between us."

"I… know… it's about… about three foot across… I can make it."

He gestures for me to stand aside, which I do as I watch him push his chair up against the railing before he takes a couple of steps back and then using the chair as some form of a springboard to leap across the gap and landing just within my balcony door. The warmth from my apartment was already affecting him as his glasses steamed up and a flush was spreading across his face.

"That was inscribable stupid, Kohai." I said before I rushed off to grab one of the spare blankets I had in my bedroom.

It didn't take me more than a few minutes to return to him with a blanket in hand and when I got back to him, I find him leaning up against the counter that was part of my kitchen. With a small thanks from him, I hand him the blanket and set about making another hot chocolate.

I pull my desk chair out and sit down as I watch him bring his knees up and sip at the hot drink. "Thank you… I'll go when I've warmed up enough."

I nod before remembering what he said the last time. "You mentioned last time about your stream. What is that?"

He looked up at me at just the right angle so the light obscured his eyes. "You don't know about Twitch?" I shook my head. "It's a platform where people can broadcast themselves playing video games or real-life stuff, like cooking or podcasts."

"Oh, and you stream video games?" I glance at my laptop that sat open but off on my desk.

"Yeah, me and some friends play games together on there, whenever we are free that is."

"If you are younger than I am, shouldn't you be studying and doing your homework instead of playing video games?"

"Oh, we do… well, I can't say anything about Skull and Panther." He downs the hot chocolate and sets the mug down next to him.

"Who?" I raise an eyebrow at the mention of clearly fake names.

"We are using fake names at the moment for security reason, but they are a couple of friends I know in real life and seeing as they go to different universities, this was one of the more easier ways of keeping in touch."

"Huh… that actually sounds nice."

"It is," He straightens his legs out and stretches before standing up. I follow suit. "Thank you for your hospitality, Senpai."

"It's no problem, Kohai, I'm sure you would have done the same for me." We walked over to the door.

It was only when he stepped out into the hallway did he pull the blanket off his shoulders and hands it back to me. "Oh, if you want to see what streaming is all about, search for Joker on Twitch."

"I will do."

Christmas came faster than I had planned as the most I had shorted was a tree that was slightly decorated and I few decorations around the apartment. The only reason I could come up with why there was so few decorations was that Sis had to work over Christmas week.

Honestly, I had gotten used to being by myself so the fact that Sis was working was over the holidays didn't faze me at all.

I ended up watching a lot of Jokers streams as I studied or had it playing in the background whilst I read a book that wasn't to do with law and I could see the appeal of it, you got paid to do something you enjoyed and got to have a laugh with friends or with chat about whatever happened in-game.

I was taken aback by the fact that Panther was female and sounded younger than I. It did make me wonder on numerous occasions what the deal was between her and Joker, I had to shake my head at those thoughts… yes he was somewhat good looking and had a way to smooth of voice for his age, but that still didn't warrant those kinds of thoughts.

Skull sounded like an idiot most of the time, but it seemed like he knew Joker the longest given how they talked to one another and then there was Oracle, another female, but she sounded years younger than Joker, Skull and Panther but it seemed that she was the most competent at most games they played with Joker in second.

With a glass of wine in hand, I looked over to the balcony door and passed the snow to Jokers apartment and noticing that the lights were off. "Must be nice having a family to go to during these times."

I grabbed the T.V. remote and flipped through the channels till I stopped on an old Christmas film before leaning against the counter. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice the light turn on across the way before a blurry Joker set about doing something.

"Huh, would have thought that he would have gone home to family."

It didn't surprise me when I heard a small tapping on my door about half an hour later and when I opened the balcony door, Joker was standing there (wearing a coat this time) retracting a stick.

"Merry Christmas, Senpai."

"Merry Christmas, Joker."

"I take it you've got no family to go to then?" He said as he propped the stick he used in the corner.

"Sis is working the all this week." I said and I could tell that he wanted to ask about my parents by the way his eyebrow rosed above the frame of his glasses. I was glad that didn't ask. "What about yourself? Surely you have family who would want you over."

"I do." He said as he brought a hand up to twiddle a lock of hair that hung down. "But with how bad the snow as gotten; Tokyo is at a near standstill."

"It's gotten that bad has it?" I asked as I felt a chill run through me.

"You best get back inside before you catch a cold, senpai."

"Agreed," I hug myself. "Merry Christmas again."

"Merry Christmas."

I closed the door and grabbed a blanket before wrapping myself up and sitting on the couch, residing myself to another Christmas alone. "Maybe I should have invited him around…"

About twenty minutes or more must have passed as before I knew it, there was a series of heavy knocks on the front door and in my slight sleepy state, I got up and looked through the peephole only to see Joker standing there panting.

'What the hell is he doing here?'

Upon opening my door, I also noticed that he was carrying a carrier bag of what looked like ingredients and a bottle of what I could only guess was wine, red wine to be exact.

"What are you…"

"I thought… thought that I could make us some curry for dinner… it's no KFC, but I think it's perfect for this weather." The smirk he wore made my heart beat faster… it was probably the glass of wine I had that did that as I am what most people would call a lightweight when it came to alcohol.

I moved aside to let him in. "Just don't think you can get me drunk and have your way with me, my Sis is a prosecutor with the SIU."

"I'm a gentleman through and through, senpai." He said as he strode past me and into the kitchen.

"It's… it's Makoto, Makoto Niijima." I said as I followed him but stood on the opposite side of the counter.

"Ah, so the beautiful women has a beautiful name." He smirks again as he takes a knife out of one of the draws and starts to crop some of the ingredients. "I'm Akira Kurusu, a pleasure."

It was like watching a magic trick when you were younger as I watched Akira work in the kitchen and he never seemed to mind me asking questions about what he was doing or how he came to become a marvel to watch in the kitchen.

He learnt his craft at a young age through a family friend who runs a café and yet he was studying coding, which really did confuse me, but the curry that he was making was a closely guarded secret. It would explain why he didn't want me in there… a small apart of me was happy that he let me open the bottle of wine.

I have to say that the curry smelt divine and I couldn't wait to try it. I did learn that normally; he would serve a cup of coffee with the curry but the wine should work… according to him it should work.

By the time the curry was ready to eat, I was pouring myself my third glass and a second for Akira and when I took my first bite of the curry, I was stunned at how delicious it tasted. I will admit that I might have consumed the dish in an unladylike fashion, but I'm putting that on me being a lightweight and forgetting to have any form of lunch.

That was the last thing I can remember of Christmas,

Boxing day, I woke up on my couch with the same blanket I used yesterday and to the smell of curry slowly boiling away.

I forgot about the slight hangover I had when I realized that Akira only made enough curry for the two of us the first time so that meant that he must have made it and set it going. 'That's sweet of him… wait…' Then it dawned on me that I passed out with a total stranger in my home.

I sat up and threw the blanket off me only to find a note sitting on my coffee table. He was true to his word and was a gentleman and had left a full pot of curry for me to eat.

"A gentleman through and through… and a handsome one at that."

I never bothered with Valentine's Day before as Sis has always told me that I should on my studies… granted, I did get quite a bit of chocolate in my teen years, but the art of making chocolates was lost to me as I grew up and focused on studying.

Even with the internet at my beck and call and enough ingredients to make about one hundred chocolates, I could never seem to make it taste nice.

It was hitting seven o'clock by the time I had finally made somewhat decent chocolate, I wish I planned on doing something special with them instead of just using simple chocolate moulds that I somehow manage to find whilst buying the ingredients… still, I just hoped he liked them.

Of course, I was nervous as I made my way to his apartment and I wished that the time it took to get there took longer, but before I knew it, I was standing outside his door with a small red box with a black ribbon.

After several deep breaths, I steadied my nerves and knocked on his door and waited. And after what felt like a lifetime, I heard some commotion from inside before the door opening a jar. With a dishevelled look, Akira looked at me before opening the door fully.

"Is everything alright, Akira? I heard some commotion just now."

I watch him wipe his brow. "Yeah, I was playing a spooky game and your knocking was well-timed with what happened." He stepped aside to reveal his chair (that he uses for his PC,) on the floor. "Can I help you in any way?"

"Y-yes." I hold the small box out towards him. "Here… I made these for you."

He looks at it then back to me before reaching over and taking it. "Right, today is the fourteenth." He undoes the ribbon and opens it up before picking one up and eating it. "Milk chocolates, one of my favourites."

"I'm glad you like them." I said with a blush as tucking a few strands of hair behind my ear.

I froze when he brought a hand up to my cheek and runs his thumb along a couple of before retracting it and licking his thumb and giving a satisfied hum. "Drack chocolate, my other favourite."

He takes another chocolate and starts chewing on it before picking one up and othering it to me. "Want one?"

"Thank you." I said and as I reached for it, he places the that one in his mouth before closing the gap between us. "What are you…" Before I could even finish, he kisses me and all attempt to push him off fades as I felt an arm come to rest around my waist.

I melted into his kiss and touch like a schoolgirl getting her first kiss and it took me a second to reciprocate. I couldn't help but let an eep out when I felt his tongue request permission to enter and of course, I let it only to find the chocolate side in instead.

'So that was his intention… god, how is he such a good kisser?'

When he pulls away, I was half tempted to pull him back but with the chocolate now in my mouth, I swallow it before slapping him around the face.

"I deserved that." He said bringing a hand up to cheek.

"You did… and you deserve this as well." I grab his shirt and pull him back into another kiss.

I was dreading White Day now that Akira and I were dating and I was expecting something big was going to happen… and it happened before I even left my bedroom.

"Makoto!" I heard Sis shout as I finished buttoning up my white blouse.

Sis was always an early riser, part of the job she said and even on the days off she had off, she would still wake up kinda early.

"Yes, Sis?" I asked as I closed my bedroom door and walked into the open apartment to see Sis standing next to someone holding about four dozen white roses.

"Care to explain why the guy from across the way from us is holding an absurd number of white roses?"

'It's very sweet of you to get them Akira, but couldn't you have brought them later?'

"I already told you, Miss, I work part-time at Rafflesia in the Shibuya Underground Mall and was asked to deliver these here today."

"I know you work there Kurusu; the question is why are you bring my sister roses today?"

"We can explain, Sis."

"We? I think I already know what you're going to say, but go ahead."

"Akira and I… we're dating."

The tension grew in the room to an unbelievable level.

"I forbid it." Sis said as she grab Akira by the arm.

"What?"

"Sis, you can't!"

"I can, you remember what I told you." Her stern eyes bore into me.

"I do, but you can't expect me to go through life living like that can you?"

Her grip on Akiras' shirt loosens till she finally let's go. "I'm sorry Makoto… It's hard not to see the little girl who loved Buchimaru so much that she cried for days on end because they stopped making his show."

"You love Buchimaru?" Akira asked as his head appeared around the side on the roses.

"She hasn't told you?" Sis said looking at Akira as he shakes his head. "Just wait till you see her Buchimaru collection."

"Don't make it sound like I'm weird Sis!"

Authors Notes

I can't remember where the idea for this came from, I'll chalk it up to watching Twitch streams nearly every day.

Some information about some of the dates used:

On Christmas, it has become a tradition to have a KFC for dinner.

Anyone who has played a Persona game should know about Valentine's Day and the art of chocolate giving.

White Day, which is held on the fourteenth of March, is when people give reciprocal gifts to those who gave them gifts on Valentine's Day.

If you do like my work and you have an idea for a story that you want writing, then please, feel free to comment/review and I'll see about writing it as some point.

Walk Tall and Be Fierce, my Friends.