As we finish up breakfast and the girls get ready to leave, Maki arrives in the back room to quickly get a few bites of breakfast in. "Sorry I worried you. Didn't sleep quite right." Maki glances at me and, just as fast, looks away again. "It's okay. I was just a bit worried because you're usually so punctual and organized. But yeah, don't sweat it. Happens to all of us, every now and then." I give her a little pat on the shoulder. Suddenly, Maki's arm tenses and she drops her knife onto her plate with a loud clatter. I jump slightly at the loud noise. "Heavy, huh?" I say, trying to play this off with a joke. Maki's eyes darken as she stares at me before picking up her knife again. "...yes" She replies in a flat tone. "Aren't you gonna be late sticking around here with me? You still need to change and everything." "Oh, they won't mind if I'm a few minutes later. I just wanna make sure that you're okay and that you are gonna be in time for work." "I'm not a baby, I can take care of myself. Please just treat me as an adult and leave me be." She brushes my hands away and gestures to the door in a manner that makes it clear I'm not wanted here, for now. I hold up my hands. "Sorry, sorry. I was just worried something might be wrong. Just know that I always have time to talk to any of you. And if you're more comfortable discussing it with one of the girls that alright too, just... take care of yourself." With those words, I leave the back room and put on my coat as I leave for work. Emi and Fuuka accompany me. The two of them chat about the upcoming exams. "Ugh, I really don't wanna do all that reading. I just like to run and do fun things. Why does school have to force fun things to become unfun?" Emi exclaims in frustration. "Well, you see, those subjects might seem difficult and strange now, but I'm sure that, in future, it can help you really understand what you're doing and make the most of your running. I could help you study sometime to make it more interesting." Fuuka offers Emi a sympathetic smile. It really surprises me how much Fuuka has come out of her shell. Hard to believe this is the same shy, reserved girl who first knocked at my door all that time ago. As we arrive at the bus stop, Emi gives me a big hug.
I arrive at the factory. Glancing at my phone, I realize that I have only five minutes to get inside and change before my workday starts. With a bit of rushing, I somehow manage to get inside and to my workstation in six minutes. My colleagues are already standing at the ready as we get to discussing the work for today as well as our daily complaints about how this facility is run. After that productive start to the workday, I get back to the drill. "Another day, another batch of pipes and covers." I sigh as I put the pipe into the mould. As the tedium of the monotonous work sets in, my thoughts begin to wander, the music from my earbuds seems to fade as I retreat into my own head. I recall the events of this morning. Something seemed off about Maki today. She seemed a lot more on edge and snippy this morning. Was it just frustrations from being late or is there more going on there? Maybe there is something wrong, but she doesn't wanna bother others? Or perhaps she's embarrassed about it? Maybe I'm just overthinking this... But what if I'm not. What if there is genuinely something wrong?
A sudden screeching of metal wakes me from my musings. I had completely forgotten about the drill and now it had drill all the way through the metal pipe. "Crap!" With a quick motion, I stop the machine and inspect the damage. Where there was supposed to be just a singular hole, is now a opening straight through the whole pipe. "Well, gonna have to ask Harry if he can saw me an extra. This one is beyond saving." As I approach my colleague, I feel my steps growing heavier. Why did that happen? I shouldn't be daydreaming on the job. How many times have they told me to pay attention? If I keep drifting off like this, I might end up losing a digit or two. These are dangerous machines. Keep your head in the game. As I mentally beat myself up for my mistake, Harry takes a look at the pipe. "Hey Lucas, it's okay. These things happen. I'll go fetch you a new one." The older man gives me a gentle smile as he goes to saw me a replacement. I return to the drill and grab another pipe from the rack to continue my work. For some reason, my mind can't seem to focus properly.
Time seems to slow to a crawl during my work. It's strange since I usually don't really notice the passage of time as long as I have something to do. After what feels like an eternity, the bell for the end of shift finally rings. I had been sitting in place completely zoned out for the last five minutes. Somehow, I really can't shake the feeling that something is wrong, but I can't pinpoint what makes me so worried. "Hey Lucas!" A big hand claps me on the back and I jump in surprise. As I look back to the owner of the hand, I see Bob there. Bob is a large guy who is always up for messing with someone. At least, when there is time to do so. Because he takes his work very serious. He laughs his raucous laugh. "Hey man, you seemed really out of it. Something wrong? You're awfully distracted today." I sigh. "It's nothing, just thinking about a lot of stuff. You know, the usual." Trying to avoid the question, I give a vague answer that I hope will satisfy his curiosity.
Once I finally managed to get changed, I look at my phone. It seems both Emi and Fuuka are already home. School finished early today, lucky them. As I grab my bike, a thought crosses my mind. "Maybe I should go pick up Maki. It's not too far and it might help settle this feeling I've had all day." I shake my head as soon as I finish the thought. Maki is not the type of person who'd appreciate that. Hell, this morning she scolded me for babying her. "Going home and letting this rest for now is probably the best move." Grabbing my bike, I make my way home.
As soon as I enter the house, I can hear the sounds of amicable chatter in the kitchen. "Oh, right. Today was Emi's turn to cook." My somewhat cheery mood quickly grows worrisome again. "She's still very inexperienced. I might wanna check in just to make sure." I take a little peek into the kitchen after putting my jacket away. Emi seems to be engaged in a very lively conversation with Fuuka. Although, Emi seems to forget that the stove is on and she needs to watch the food. "Hey there, how's it going here?" I say as I walk into the kitchen, clearly announcing my presence. Both girls jump a little at my sudden entrance. "Oh heya Lucas, all is good. Fuuka was just telling me about her study and all about how electronics work and all the cool things she'll be able to do with it." Emi immediately recovers and gives me a big smile. She jumps up and down slightly, causing her prostethics to clink against the wooden floor. "That's really cool. But, are you keeping an eye on your work?" Emi's eyes go wide and she quickly looks away. "Oh no, the pasta." With a quick leap, she's back at the stove and quickly looks over her recipe, making sure she didn't miss a step and everything is still going well. Fuuka looks at the ground, her face slowly going red. "Sorry about that." "Hey, no worries, these things happen. I'm pretty sure it'll be fine." I rest a hand on Fuuka's shoulder. "Just try to remember that Emi gets distracted easily." With those words, I take my leave and go upstairs.
Once upstairs, I notice that the door to the washroom is open and the lights are on. Nia is busily hanging the freshly washed clothing out to dry. She's wearing her housework outfit today. A simple white, short-sleeved shirt under a blue pair of overalls and red shoes. "Need a hand?" I inquire, seeing her so busy. "Ah, Luke, you're back. Thanks for offering. I could indeed use a hand." She smiles at me. "You all really do your best to keep me busy, don'tcha? This place would be a right mess if I didn't keep it all ship-shape. I'm not complaining, though. Keeps me in shape." She lets out a hearty laugh as she hands me one edge of the bed sheet she was trying to put on the clothesline. "Although..." Her eyes darken as our gazes meet. "There is something I have been meaning to talk to you about."