Nightingale

Adachi was stuck at home with what he hoped was just a twenty-four-hour bug, at least that's what he told the station that morning when he called out of work. Calling out sick wasn't a big deal. As long as he didn't call out too often, he'd be fine. Unfortunately, the lie had its disadvantages. He couldn't go out and risk getting seen by any of his coworkers, so he was stuck in his apartment with nothing to do but watch television and think. He preferred being shut in his apartment over sitting at his desk, typing out the same types of reports, and listening to Dojima's griping.

Yet, as the day went on, and he couldn't sleep anymore, the reality started to set in: he had nothing to do. The TV ran soaps for housewives; the news was terribly dull; no movies were running. After spending an hour watching some nonsense, he just shut it off; after several more hours of reading, cleaning, and playing with Saki's hair, he had finally run out of things to do. It was barely afternoon. He started to wish that he could watch those brats to kill a few hours. He thought for a moment: maybe he could after all.

Adachi pulled Yua's contact up on his phone: Souji Seta; he wasn't stupid enough to keep the phone number of his boss's niece under her real name. He still wasn't sure what she thought when she gave it to him. He flashed back to the night she had punched it into his phone, grabbing it without permission. He might as well put it to good use. He glanced at the clock. The school would be releasing students for after-school activities, primetime for her and her friends to cause trouble. If he called, maybe he could mess with them and stave off his boredom for a moment longer. He decided to take his chance and pressed the call button.

"Hello?" Her voice sounded different over the phone.

"Hey, Narukami, it's me." He greeted.

"Adachi-san?"

"Yeah, you gave me your number the other day, and I figured I'd give you a call. What's up, by the way? Are you just getting out of school?"

"Yeah, I just got out."

"How's that project going?"

"Project?" He could hear the strain in her voice. It was easier to pick up what she thought when he didn't have to deal with her stare.

"You know, the one you and" he mumbled something resembling a name and hoped that she wouldn't pick it up, "were talking about."

"Oh! It's going great! Yeah!" Yua paused for a moment. "Hey, Adachi-san, it's not that I don't want to talk to you. I'm glad you called, but aren't you at work? I wouldn't want to keep you from your job."

"Oh." Crap, he forgot he was supposed to be sick. He coughed and lowered his voice to a hoarse whisper. "Actually, I had to call in sick this morning, so I'm at home right now."

"You're sick?" She sounded worried.

"Yeah, but it's not—"

"I'll be over in thirty minutes." With that declaration, the call ended.

"What the hell?"

Adachi stared down at his phone for a moment, trying to wrap his head around what had just happened. He never thought that she'd invite herself over to his place only on the notion that he was sick. It was disturbing. More than that, how did she know where he lived? She had to have been nosing around in his business again, that bitch. She could have at least asked, so it wasn't so obvious! His phone buzzed with an incoming text.

What's your address? I forgot to ask.

Oh…

Was he really about to let this girl invade his privacy and snoop around his place? He supposed that if she was with him, she couldn't collect her pals and explore the TV. That was probably the only good thing about it, besides the fact that he could do a little digging himself if he allowed her to come over. He sent the address.

If she was going to come over, it wouldn't hurt to try and sell the sick act a bit. Adachi grabbed a box of tissues and crumpled a few into a wastebasket which he pushed over to the couch. He examined his handiwork. What else… Oh! He went to his medicine cabinet and pulled out an old bottle of pills he had from when he had actually been sick. He set the bottle out on the kitchen counter next to a half-empty glass of water. Satisfied with his work, he wrapped himself in a blanket.

He didn't have to wait long. True to her word, Yua showed up on his doorstep in thirty minutes. He glanced at her through the peephole before pulling his blanket tightly around his shoulders and opening the door. Yua stood in front of him out of breath, toting several heavy-looking grocery bags; she beamed up at him despite her apparent fatigue.

"How are you feeling?"

Adachi coughed into his elbow and reached up to massage his forehead, "I've been better, but, you know, you really didn't have to come all the way over here. I wouldn't want you getting sick because of me." Another cough and a sniffle.

"I won't get sick, and I figured I had some time to check in on a friend." Friends? Oh, yeah, they were friends now. What a load of crap. "Besides, I wanted to make you some soup!" Yua held up her grocery bags proudly like he hadn't already seen them.

Soup though? Sure, he was sick, but who shows up uninvited at a sick person's house to make soup? He swore he'd never understand her, not that he wanted to.

"I hope you don't mind me using your kitchen," Yua commented, shifting the weight of the grocery bags on her arms.

"Oh yeah, sure. Go right ahead." He reluctantly stepped to the side, allowing her entry into his apartment.

Adachi watched her as Yua worked hard to take her shoes off with her hands full. He realized he could have offered to take the bags from her, but watching her struggle was more entertainment than he had experienced all day. He was disappointed when she finally did manage to remove her shoes and stepped further into his residence with an inquisitive glace here and there. He didn't think there was anything serious about her curiosity, but, still, he'd prefer she didn't go sticking her nose where it didn't belong. He followed her into the kitchen, where she set down her heavy grocery bags with a thankful sigh.

"Do you have a big pot?"

God, this was going to be a headache.

Yua glanced curiously at her new surroundings. The apartment was small, a single room, really; she could see everything from her place at the stove. The girl wouldn't exactly call it a cozy abode. There was a water stain on the ceiling, and the off-white paint chipped on the edges of the walls. A television was placed against one wall while a couch that was just a bit too big for the room sat facing it. Yua also noticed a distinct absence of pictures or artwork. There was nothing that made the place his own. Something about that made her sad. A little help from Adachi on finding her way around his kitchen was all she needed to begin her preparations for the soup. It shouldn't take her too long to get it on the stove.

She turned to reach for one of the grocery bags but jumped when she realized he was standing behind her. She backed up into the counter. He raised an eyebrow. He was so close. She shuffled nervously.

"It'll be a while until the soup is done." Yua's words were rushed. She grabbed the grocery bag and turned towards the counter, trying her best to ignore how close he was. "You should go to bed and get some rest. I'll let you know when it's done."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to be a bad host."

"You're sick," Yua nodded. He had backed away a little, and she felt at ease again. "You don't have to play host to me." She needed to get his attention off of her for a moment, some more space. Maybe the place was making her feel a bit claustrophobic. She needed to focus on preparing the meal.

"I don't know. I guess I could lie down on the couch again." Adachi sniffled. Yua watched with relief as he turned and hobbled to the couch, which she assumed he had been resting on earlier that day, judging by the wastebasket that sat next to it brimming with tissues. Without Adachi's hovering presence, Yua began chopping away at vegetables.

Adachi sneaked a peek at Yua as he settled down on the couch. Get some rest? Not a chance. He wasn't stupid and refused to let his guard down with her around. This "friendship" was just an excuse for something else. She was after something whether she knew his secret or not. Why else would she insist on hanging around? She had to be up to something. Maybe it was the same reason she hung around so many other people. But what was there to gain?

Adachi needed to relax. It was only a matter of time until Yua noticed his nerves, if she hadn't already noticed with his obsessive hovering earlier in the kitchen. He had let the enemy into his home. It wouldn't be easy, but Adachi forced himself to lay back on the couch. The only sounds in the apartment were the occasional chops of a knife on a cutting board or the scrape of a pot being stirred. It wasn't working.

He spared another glance towards the kitchen. Yua wasn't doing anything suspicious as far as he could tell, but he couldn't help checking in on her every so often. He was sure she wouldn't notice.

Yua glanced back over her shoulder from time to time. Sometimes, she didn't see anything, but more often than not, she caught a glimpse of Adachi staring over the back of the couch at her. Whenever she caught him, he'd duck down and sneeze or groan.

The last time she noticed him peeking out at her, Adachi rolled over and buried his face in the couch, mumbling about his headache the entire way. He was really overdoing it. Yua had to hold back the laughter that threatened to escape her pleasant smile. Who knew Adachi would be such a bad actor?

Of course, he wasn't sick. Yua had tried to avoid the first day of a new school because of a fake cold or flu or stomach-itis. Then again, she was an elementary student when she attempted those feats. She just never expected that a grown man would resort to such tactics to take a day off work. Even the way he glanced over the couch seemed like a little kid. Maybe that's why he got along so well with Nanako.

Yua smirked and reminisced as she periodically stirred the soup. She was glad that he called her over; he had been on her mind a lot recently—ever since she gave him her number. He did seem like a gentle, kind soul. That part of him seemed even more apparent now that he was in a more relaxed environment; she realized she had never seen him in a casual t-shirt before. Although he was pretty hopeless and kind of lazy, she still felt that he was someone she could admire. He worked a tough job, helped the community, and apologized for his mistakes. He had handled that kitten so gently, been so patient with it. It made her grin in amusement just thinking about it clawing through his hands.

She looked back to see one of the few times he wasn't looking over at her. She was confused, and her smile wavered. She liked seeing that duck-and-retreat routine. Instead, she focused on the back of his head, which, with the size of his couch, awkwardly hung over the arm. His hair was more disheveled than usual; his hair was either slicked to his head with sweat (or, more likely, water) or stuck out at an unusual angle. Again, a smile reached her lips. Such a mess. She needed a comb to fix it. Maybe she could use the one in her bag. Then again, she might as well give him a proper haircut. Bangs like hers came from training—and a large bowl.

As Yua mused about the idea of a haircut, her mind started to drift. A part of Adachi seemed hidden to her. Maybe a haircut was the best way to get him talking. She admitted it was a silly idea, but at least he couldn't excuse himself in the middle of it. She wanted to know what was eating away at him; she wanted to fix it. That slap was from some pain he had experienced. She hated seeing her friends go through such trials. Unfortunately, Adachi didn't have a clear shadow that she could beat up. She just wanted him to know that it was ok, that he could tell her anything. Yua wanted to help heal whatever was broken. She wanted to see him smile, a real smile. She wondered if his gray eyes would light up at that moment like she'd seen so many others do. She imagined he'd look handsome like that. And—

Her heart was beating out of her chest, which seemed to fill with warm yet tight pressure. Handsome, that word made everything so clear. Panic spread through her as sudden realization hit her. She shook her head to relieve the stress.

She felt like she was stuffing away her thoughts as if they had begun to pour over onto the floor. No—no, she—she couldn't think about that! She shouldn't think about that. Despite it all, she felt her cheeks flush. She was not getting flustered or thinking about her uncle's partner like that. Handsome. So silly. She shouldn't. . . Could she...? No, she couldn't, right?

Yua glanced over at him again. Handsome. The feeling returned. She tried to think about other things, think about helping him. It was like a gnat: it wouldn't leave her alone. The more she tried to ignore it, the worse it became. So, she decided to reach out and touch the feeling.

What do you want to happen?

Well, he was, to her, kind of handsome, she admitted. So, she liked being alone with him and talking, even more, just the sound of his voice. He seemed so sad, and when he brightened up, she just felt so good. She wanted to feel his hair between her fingers, for him to say kind things about her, to wrap his arms around her so that she could feel his warm embrace, and then they'd…

Her heart was thumping in her ears again.

"Hey," She jumped at the sudden words and whirled to see Adachi's head poking over the back of the couch. "I don't think it's supposed to do that."

"Huh?" The sound of water erupting into steam brought her attention back to reality. "I got it!"

Adachi watched Yua calmly take the pot off the burner and clean up the mess she had made. It was unlike her: she was usually so perfect it made him nauseous. As Yua did so, she glanced over her shoulder at him. When their eyes met, she politely glanced away.

He sighed, not this again. Something was wrong—he'd learned that much from the last time Yua wouldn't stare at him. Maybe she felt a strain on their "friendship." That was no good for him. He decided to make her comfortable with the visit, just in case. It would be harder to suspect a "friend," right?

"Adachi-san, it's ready."

Despite its boiling over, the soup was good, and Yua's taste test confirmed that it was ready to serve. Adachi rolled off the couch and shuffled his way to the table while cloaked in a blanket. He made sure to sniffle once or twice as he sat down on his cushion.

"It smells great," He smiled up at her as she slid the bowl in front of him. Butterflies erupted in Yua's stomach. She did her best to push the fluttering feeling away.

"Careful, it's hot," She pressed a spoon into his hand before retreating back to the kitchen. Yua tried to calm the blush that she felt rise at the sensation of her fingers brushing his palm. She decided that cleaning the counters was a good excuse for keeping her distance.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Adachi called while blowing the steam off of his soup. He added a cough here and there.

"I'm going to eat with Nanako when I get home. I don't want to ruin my appetite." She replied. She looked up from the counter to see Adachi watching her. He looked worried.

"You should at least take a seat." He patted the cushion next to him. "You've been standing this entire time."

Yua hesitated. She didn't know if she could handle it. She didn't want to fight these feelings at a time like this when they were so new and unexplained. But, she came to help Adachi, and she shouldn't let this get in the way of that. She gathered her nerves and walked over to the couch, steeling herself for whatever might come.

"The soup is delicious," Adachi complimented as she sat down.

"Thank you," She sat stone-still watching as he took another sip of broth from the spoon that she had given him.

"You know, you didn't have to go so far."

"Hm?" The statement caught her off guard. "What do you mean?"

"I mean you coming over here, making soup. I guess I don't really understand why you're doing all of this." Adachi set the bowl on the table and looked at Yua curiously. "Why are you doing all of this for me?"

"Well, we're friends, aren't we? It's just what friends do." Yua knew she couldn't very well explain social links to Adachi. His expression told her he didn't believe her.

"You have your other friends to think about. I see you guys hanging out around town. Shouldn't you be out with them right now?"

"Adachi, you're my friend too." She cleared her throat. "I want to help you."

"Help me?"

"Yes." Yua nodded. She hadn't expected to be questioned about her motives. It only proved how in need of a friend Adachi truly was. "I've talked about this before, why I want to be your friend. I just want you to know that you're really important to—everyone." Yua's heart beat wildly in her chest again. It wasn't supposed to be like that. This was meant to be a kind gesture from one friend to another. That was all it was. Part of her felt like it was a perversion of what should have been a normal conversation.

Adachi smiled, "Well, thank you then. It was really thoughtful for you to come do this for me."

Yua beamed at his thanks. She watched happily as he continued to eat, and they fell into a pleasant conversation for the next half-an-hour.

"I've actually been curious about this for a while," Adachi said in between mouthfuls of his second bowl of soup. "What is it you and your friends do? There can't be that much to do in Inaba. Don't you get bored?"

"No, there's a lot to do in town!" Yua shook her head emphatically. There was a lot to love about the small town.

"Like what?" Adachi laughed and squinted at her. "Don't tell me you all go around hunting down bullies and taking care of stray cats all the time? That doesn't exactly sound like fun to me."

"Sometimes we do that, but we also go swimming. We eat at Aika's sometimes, and we hang out at Junes and—" Yua stopped herself. She couldn't tell him about the investigation team's quests into the TV. "We do community work."

"Community work? Like for credit or something?"

"No, it's just nice to do, and it's really fun with friends."

"Maybe I should join you guys sometime then." The suggestion sent a jolt through her.

"Oh, uh, sure!" Yua made a mental note to plan something he could join them in.

Meanwhile, Adachi finished his soup.

"That was awesome," he set the bowl down and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "You're an excellent cook."

Yua felt her skin heat again as he said it, "Well, I had to learn to cook or eat TV dinners. My parents usually weren't home in time for dinner." She decided to change the subject; it was souring the mood. "How are you feeling?"

"A little better. It's getting late, though," Adachi muttered, glancing at the clock on the wall.

"Oh! I'm supposed to help Nanako with her homework!" Yua stood suddenly. She was happy to return to the kitchen to put the leftover soup away and rummaged around in his cabinets for a container to put it in. Her talk with Adachi had helped her calm down and regain her focus. Being a friend to him was the highest priority. However, that didn't stop her from feeling her heart pounding in her chest while sitting next to him. She needed to get these feelings under control quickly. Yua sealed the remaining soup in a container and opened Adachi's refrigerator.

The contents of the man's refrigerator were abysmal. One shelf seemed solely dedicated to beer while a wilting head of cabbage sat on the shelf below. If this was the state of the refrigerator, she shuddered to think of what the freezer might hold. Yua glanced back at Adachi, who was busy looking at his phone. How was this man still alive? She looked at how thin his shoulders seemed now that she wasn't seeing him in his full suit. It twisted her gut in a knot.

"Adachi-san," she found herself saying.

"Yeah?"

"Um, would you—would you like to come over to Dojima's house more often? To have dinner?"

"More often? Nah, I can't barge in on you guys like that. Dojima would accuse me of freeloading."

"Then—" she thought of something to say. "Then let me bring you a meal every once in a while."

"You sure? I mean, I don't need donations. My neighbor already throws leftover food at me, but she doesn't cook as good as you. It'd be a little expensive."

"Don't worry. I can do it!" Yua offered and swung her fist dramatically.

His lips puckered in amusement, "I'd have to be stupid to turn down free food."

"And you're not stupid."

"You're right," he shrugged. "Sure, if you have the time. Having a girl cook for you is any man's dream."

A warm feeling wriggled its way into her heart. It touched her cheeks for a moment, but she turned away so that he couldn't see.

"Alright then, I'll see myself out," she grabbed her school bag on the way to the door and turned back to face him. "I hope you feel better," Yua winked. "You are very sick after all."

"I—I will," he insisted. He coughed into his sleeve for the first time in thirty minutes. He looked at Yua with watchful eyes, checking if she believed him.

She waved and smiled at him, and he returned it. With that, Yua slipped out the door, trying to keep her heart in her chest and her mind anywhere but Adachi.

The door clicked shut, but Adachi kept up his pathetic smile. He shuffled to the door, discarding the blanket, and locked it. Only then did he feel safe enough to slip his mask off. He stared at the door handle for a moment before retreating back into the apartment.

The first thing he went to was the fridge. He found the leftover soup and was tempted to dump it down the sink, but the smell of it blocked that idea from his mind. His budget was tight that week, he reasoned. After that, he looked back out to his apartment, and it suddenly felt very alien.

The girl had wrecked his afternoon. She walked around like she owned the place and touched his things. She opened his fridge, pulled out his pots, and rubbed her hands over his plates. She asked him questions about himself, wanted to know more, and he really couldn't figure out why. She was friendly and all, but it was more than that. There had to be more to it. He realized the mistake of letting her in and felt strangely violated by her stay as if he had been robbed with kindness. She was in too deep, knew more than anyone else about him at this point; he hadn't even let his boss in his apartment.

Adachi wasn't sure how to resolve the feeling, so he chose an old remedy.

Adachi pulled the box from his closet. It felt like the only things that had remained unseen by Yua's prying eyes and untouched by her inquisitive mitts. He opened it up, and the thought of it helped forget his unwelcomed visitor. Instead of Saki, he went to Yamano. He selected the best picture—a promotional photo of her at her desk—and started to remember, mulling over the feeling of his fingers around her neck, strangling the scream for help. He closed his eyes, trying to recapture the moment—the moment when she couldn't reject or betray him.

Yamano was easy to push around. She was so skinny, and her arms were like toothpicks. The only thing she could do was scratch at him, like all cornered animals. Her manicured nails dug into the flesh of his arm, drawing blood, but he couldn't feel it. The unknown power consumed him, and he made her stumble back towards the TV. Her knees buckled under her, giving him leverage. Her hands left him, and she tried to balance herself as she fell towards the TV. Adachi looked up to see the fear in her eyes. Piercing gray eyes.

Adachi snapped out of his fantasy with a jolt, and he growled.

Goddamnit! Could he not even have a fantasy without this girl invading it!

He tossed Yamano's picture back into the box and placed it in its spot. He ground his teeth and wondered why she was so ever-present, why she seemed to still linger in his thoughts when she was gone.

Adachi didn't know why, but, looking down at the box, he came to a decision.

He'd add Yua to the collection soon.