Song playlist: I'll Take Everything by James Blunt* [open to other song recommendations by reviewers]

Chapter 4

Home

/həʊm/

1. the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household

2i. an environment offering security and happiness

ii. a valued place regarded as a refuge or place of origin

"Oof!"

Mika's morning began with the muffled sound of a body thudding. He slowly blinked awake at the sight of his new roommate sprawled on the floor.

He blinked again.

It was far too early for…anything. Just anything.

He very deliberately shut his eyes and for the first time since moving to the orphanage, forced himself back to sleep.

"Hey, where's Mika?"

"Wait, he's not here!"

"Oh dear, I didn't even notice he was missing because he's always so quiet at breakfast. Be a dear Yuu and go wake him up please, he's going to be late."

"Yeah, okay."

"Mika is a silly sleepyhead!" Jun's voice floated faintly from downstairs, followed by distant giggles.

Said person was lying wide awake in bed, having spent the last five minutes watching the clock and waiting for the best time to 'wake up' after 'oversleeping.' Well, being woken up late by someone else would work just as well too.

He closed his eyes, relaxed his facial muscles, parted his lips and curled himself into his blanket.

"Oi, Mika!" The sound of socked feet thudding up the stairs grew louder and louder, followed by the door slamming open tactlessly. "You've overslept. Come on, wake up already!"

"Mm…?"

"Wake up!" Yuu's voice repeated determinedly.

"Mmmm….."

"Seriously man, you're never gonna get to school on time if you spend ages half awake like yesterday."

Mika didn't reply, simply sitting up in bed and pulling on his best dazed face. He heard Yuu click his tongue in frustration before the pitcher of water by their bedside was grabbed and dumped over Mika's head.

Mika yelped very loudly.

"AAH THAT'S COLD!"

"Well you should have gotten up then!"

"I was up! Yuu, you're so c-cruel!" Mika's baby blue eyes teared up as he sat there soaking wet, chin lowered and trembling.

"H-hey, shit, don't cry, oh god," Yuu broke into nervous babbles while waving his hands in the air as if he didn't know what to do with them. "I'm sorry, just don't start crying-"

"Pfffft," Mika couldn't hold his snickers in any longer. "Just kidding! You're so cute when you're flustered, Yuu."

"Why you-"

"That was my payback, are you going to complain? What if I catch a cold later?"

"…do it again and I'll get mad for real."

"Sure, sure, well at least I'm awake now. I have to hurry," Mika sighed.

"Mika? Are you ready?" Akane called up from downstairs.

"Five more minutes!"

And what a crazy five minutes they were. Rushing around in a frenzy to wash his face, pull on his uniform and grab his bag, Mika managed to dash downstairs in the nick of time.

"Geez Mika, talk about cutting it close," Yuu grumbled behind him as Mika pulled on his shoes.

"You haven't even had any breakfast," the director fussed worriedly next to him. "You poor dear, you must be so hungry. Eating breakfast is very important, Mika."

"It's okay," Mika smiled good-naturedly. "I'll be fine. I'm not that hungry anyway."

"Make sure you eat all of your lunch, okay? I've packed extra rice for you while you were getting ready."

"Thank you!"

"Mika, come eat with us!"

"Hey, Mika already ate with you yesterday! He's going to sit at our table today, right?"

Hiruma Elementary School was a white painted public school nestled at the end of a street of shops and grocery stalls. Its wooden picket fence was painted with red and blue flowers and it had a playground with a set of colourful plastic swings and slides. Mika had only been attending for less than a week and already half the class were clamouring over who got to sit next to him.

"Sorry everyone, I've got reading homework to do. I'm going to the library this lunch."

The fence around the school protected children from wandering outside, so the older classes were allowed to eat their lunch outside the lunch hall if they wanted to. Seeing the disappointed looks blooming, Mika flashed a dazzling smile and quickly left the lunch hall before anyone could argue further.

"Mika is so smart, he can already read big books," Mika heard someone say adoringly as he walked off.

He had noticed how everyone he met seemed drawn to him like a magnet, liking him and giving him their love with alarming speed. In fact, the only other person who was the same as him was Yuu. Mika remembered how all the other children back home instantly flocked to Yuu, pulling him by his hands all the time and wanting to impress him.

To Mika, it was only further confirmation that he was right to choose Yuu as his best friend. They fit together perfectly like two halves of a whole.

Mika's thoughts wandered to how Yuu had tripped over again after he woke up that morning…

Stormy clouds were gathering in the sky as Mika stepped outside. The winter air was chilly like goose bumps on his skin. Mika stuffed his hands casually in his pockets as he strolled across the playground, straight past the library entrance and towards the dumpsters behind the schoolyard.

The playground was empty. Good.

Shuffling behind the wall and out of sight of all windows, Mika knelt down to unzip his backpack. He unwrapped his packed lunch from its smiley face patterned cloth, pried open the lid and dumped the contents into the garbage bins.

Riiiiinnnnggg!

"Well girls and boys, that's the bell. It's hometime now, don't forget to put on your coats if you're not staying for after school clubs!"

The classroom broke into loud chatter as Mika's class officially ended. Half the kids milled about waiting for their clubs to start, while the other half pushed and shoved and stampeded outside to the chargin of the teachers.

"Bye Mika!"

"See you tomorrow Mika!"

"Yup, see you!" Mika waved happily. From the open door across the corridor he could see Akane and Kagame tying each other's aprons as the cooking club members trailed in.

Soon Mika was milling along the shopping street, having an hour of free time before the girls' club ended and they could all walk home together. Crowds of people were coming and going, from little children in their yellow elementary hats to office workers in suits and ties. In largeness of numbers, faces became blurred and anonymity could be worn like a mask.

A growl rumbled savagely from Mika's stomach. A young mother with a pram gave him a concerned look. Mika smiled fleetingly, bit his lip and ducked into the shop before him.

He soon found what he was looking for. Mika dug out his wallet and counted his £5 weekly allowance from the director, as well as the bits of change he had found lying around when he was living with his parents. If he used every last yen, it could just barely pay for what he needed.

Mika's stomach voiced its protest again. There were rows of sweets and chocolates and crisps in front of the counter, calling out for Mika to curb his hunger and indulge in the luxurious taste.

He walked outside the store with a still empty stomach and his purchase made.

"Wow, this all look so delicious!"

"That's right, I cooked extra food today because Mika missed breakfast. Come on, eat up everyone!"

Everyone grabbed for the dishes of food, piling their plates up high and eating with a hungry fervour. Yuu looked as amazed as yesterday at all the food with his eyes shining. Next to him Mika wanted to be sick, but he plastered on a cheerful smile and poured himself some light vegetable soup.

"It's good! This is seriously good!" Yuu was praising the director. Mika could almost see a puppy tail on him wagging happily.

"Why, thank you Yuu. That makes me very happy. Did you enjoy the books I gave you to read today?"

"Yeah, they were nice." Mika thought Yuu looked rather relieved to have had an excuse today not the 'play' with the toddlers.

"It looks like your reading and writing needs some improvement but you'll catch up quicker once you start school next week."

"Don't worry Yuu, I'll help you too. You can sit next to me in class and with my top grades you'll find things super easier."

"Your humbleness is something else, really…"

Soon stomachs were filled, the table cleared and good nights wished as the children climbed up the stairs to their beds. Yuu yawned widely as they made the longest journey to the end of the corridor and to their bedroom. He scruffed his face with his hand and began to pull out his pajamas.

"You can change in here Yuu, I'll use the bathroom."

"That's so prudish, but yeah okay."

Mika softly shut the bathroom door and turned the lock. With a shaky breath, he knelt before the toilet and carefully tucked his blonde hair behind his ears.

He slipped his hand into to the back of his mouth and threw up.

Bang, bang!

Someone was knocking on the bathroom door.

"Mika?! Are you okay?" Yuu was calling worriedly.

"I-" Mika stopped to cough out the bile stuck in his throat. "I'm fine, Yuu."

"Really? I thought I heard you throwing up."

"It was just the toilet flushing, everything's fine, don't worry."

"Bullshit. I know the sound of someone throwing up when I hear it." Mika cursed under his breath; of all the times Yuu had to be sharp, it just had to be now.

"Open the door Mika."

"You're just imagining things Yuu."

"Open. the. door."

A stubborn pause from both sides as neither refused to give, and then, "This is all my fault. I emptied that jug of water on you this morning and now you're sick. I'm going to call the director-"

"No, wait!" Mika almost fell over himself in his hurry to unlock the door and fling it open. "Don't call her!"

Yuu took one look at Mika's pale face and the unflushed toilet behind him before turning to fetch the director.

Mika wrapped his arms tight around Yuu from behind and pleaded again, "Please don't tell her Yuu!"

"Mika…" Yuu looked painfully conflicted as they remained frozen like statues, Yuu half way to the door and Mika clinging on to him desperately.

Finally, just as Mika thought his heart was about to burst, Yuu sighed and dragged them both on his bed. Yuu had his arms crossed as he sat on the edge of the mattress, fixing Mika with a serious stare.

"What's going on Mika?"

"I…" Mika seemed to shrink in on himself, before sitting up with a determined look. "It's going to sound crazy, but…"

"I won't know until you tell me Mika. I'll listen to you. Isn't that what friends are supposed to do?"

"I think the director is drugging our food," Mika said in a rush as if a huge secret had been pushed off his chest.

"…"

"…say something. Please."

"You're right, that does sound crazy. Completely, utterly, one hundred percent crazy."

Mika groaned. "See, I knew you'd be like this!"

"Seriously? Are you actually serious? Mika, I think you have a fever." Yuu clasped his hand over Mika's forehead and frowned. "Well, it is a bit warm…That's it, you're going to bed and I'm going to get you some hot soup from downstairs."

Mika grabbed onto Yuu's shoulders tight and looked at him dead on. "Yuu, you don't understand. Just listen to me! The director has been obsessed with making sure we eat the meals they give us. On the first day you came we both didn't eat that much and it took us a while to fall asleep, right?"

"Right…" Yuu said reluctantly, looking more like he was humouring Mika for now than taking him seriously.

"But on the second day we both ate a lot of food at dinner and you fell asleep in seconds. I couldn't stay awake either, even though I could stay up till morning reading when I was living with my parents."

"Two days isn't enough time to say for sure Mika. Maybe it was just a coincidence."

"But I've been here for more than a week now and I've noticed the same pattern. Don't you think it's strange we never hear any of the toddlers wake up and cry at night? Don't you think it's strange for me to go into such a deep sleep every night when I'm a light sleeper?"

"So you think the food is drugged, then…?"

"Yes. That's what I think. There are drugs from plants that can be tasteless and easily mixed with food to put you unconscious, even after a time delay of an hour or so. I've done the research, I know what I'm talking about Yuu."

"I don't know…" Yuu looked unhappy under Mika's hard, desperate gaze. "It just all sounds too crazy and far fetched. The director is a nice person. I don't think she would do that. This place is supposed to be our home now, isn't it?"

"I see…" Mika let his hands drop from Yuu's shoulders and looked down at his lap. He said quietly, "So you're the type who trusts people easily, Yuu…"

"What's wrong with that? Anyway, is that why you haven't eaten anything today?"

Mika nodded. Yuu sighed again and reached over to grasp Mika's hands within his own.

"Mika…you can't do this. You can't starve yourself like this. Let's say it is all true and the food is making us fall asleep. What's wrong with that? No one's getting hurt. It's better to eat the food than go hungry."

"It's suspicious, that's what's wrong. The kids here are my family but I don't trust this orphanage."

"Mika…"

"One night. Just give me one night Yuu, and I'll prove it to you. Don't you trust me?"

There was no hesitation as Yuu said firmly, "I trust you. Geez fine, I won't tell the director then but as soon as it's morning tomorrow you're going to eat again, even if I have to tie you up and feed you with a spoon."

"You're such a brute Yuu," Mika teased and with that the mood lightened up.

"I'm being serious, you know...Go to bed Mika…" Yuu trailed off sleepily. Mika watched him as he climbed into his bed and fell asleep- in seconds.

Mika's chest was tight as he himself changed and climbed into bed. It felt like he had been rejected when Yuu didn't believe him, a deep rejection that made his heart feel sad. It didn't matter though. He'd get his evidence and prove to Yuu that he was right.

Lying down on his pillow, Mika reached into his shirt and felt for the device he had bought earlier. Unassuming and white, the sound recorder blended well into his white and blue striped pyjamas. It was tiny, the size of his thumb or smaller, and was clipped to an inside seam of his shirt away from sight.

Mika pressed down the record button hard and settled in for a vigilant, sleepless night.