Chapter 45: How Have Things Been?

[Vol. 2: Start]——————————The kettle clicks, signalling the water's been brought to a boil. I cross into the kitchen area to pick it up. Careful not to touch the hot metal, I pour the water into a plastic bowl of ramen. Steam floats out from under the lid. I put the kettle back down on its stand and cover the bowl again. I check the time so I'll know when the noodles have softened.With that done, I head back into the main space and sit down at one of the cardboard boxes. I've been too lazy to think about getting an actual table. Then again, it's not like there's been a lot of time for me to shop for home decor, anyway.Midterms came and went like a storm, and in its wake left behind a campus full of exhausted students. So many of my classmates looked drained of life, with bags hanging under their eyes and backs hunched over from studying. I'd like nothing more than to collapse in bed and sleep for a week, but I can't let my guard down yet. The biggest challenge of our first year is yet to come.Thankfully, we have another couple of months before finals. Until then, it's back to studying.Ever since moving into my new place I've tried keeping in touch with Ema, but it's harder during midterm season. Neither of us want to bother each other while we're studying, and of course, it'd be weird if I showed up at her place for a visit so soon after moving out of it.An upside of moving out has definitely been having my own space. Though this building holds a lot more people it's not like I make enough noise for there to be a problem. The fact that a lot of my neighbours are students it's not much of a problem to begin with.It does feel weird not to have to time when I wake up or use the washroom. Here, I have a toilet and shower room all to myself, and I'm not bothering anyone if I wake in the middle of the night to sneak a snack from the kitchen. This space is mine alone, and I enjoy it.But it's too quiet.There's no one else here who I can talk to in between meals or classes. No one to play games with, no one to chat to or make small talk with. It's not like living with the Asahinas was the best time of my life, but it was a period of living with people in between my otherwise solitary life.I shake my head, trying to banish those thoughts. This is what I wanted, and it was for the best that I'm back on my own two feet again.We all carry on no matter what happens next, and for me, now that midterms are over there's that visit with Ema and her older brother Natsume.He and I aren't strangers anymore, but we're not close enough to be considered friends. Even so, I (accidentally) invited myself over to his place. Sure, my motive was to meet his cats to quell my lonely existence, but I still crossed a line. And by some luck of fate Natsume didn't take offence. In fact, he fully extended an invite to come over and visit his cats. With Ema, of course. Going over to his place by myself would be weird.Ema and I both like cats, so hopefully they'll be the focus of the day rather than Natsume himself. He may be the older brother of my friend, a responsible adult and not bad looking to say the least, but what are you supposed to talk about with your friend's older brother?It's different than when I was living with the other Asahinas. At least Ukyo and I could talk about cooking, and I spent most of the time trying to avoid the others. I realized too late that it was a shame Yusuke isn't coming as well. It's easier for me to be around people my own age, and we're schoolmates.I check my phone again. The ramen should be ready, so I retrieve the bowl and set it on my cardboard box. The bowl leaves a light ring, but who's paying attention to that here?As I eat I scroll through my phone, checking the school apps for any news from my professors. I've managed to keep on top with my assignments since moving, though getting used to the new route home from school and work has taken time.It's now early June and the summer heat grows more intense every day. I'm not too keen on viewing my electricity bill at the end of the month. Maybe I should invest in an electric fan. Will that be more affordable than blasting the AC?I should ask Kaasan. She's been wanting to call, but I told her I was busy finishing up the term.But before I decide anything further I need to text Ema. I send her a mail, lightly probing to see if our visit is still on. It hasn't been long enough that she or Natsume would forget it. It wouldn't be the end of the world if they had, though I admit since I got formally invited I was looking forward to seeing the cats.Flipping through pictures of Tsubaki and Azusa has offered me some respite during this busy season.Ah, Tsubaki and Azusa the cats, not the Asahinas.Natsume hasn't contacted me since I moved in, and why would he? He's waiting on Ema and me to finish midterms, and it would be weird for him to message his sister's friend first. For now, I'll wait for Ema to respond.—————"Oh. She messaged back."It's midweek and I've come home from work. My shoulders are stiff, so I stretch a few times before reading the text. Sure enough, she's mailed me with the date that works for both her and Natsume, which thankfully coincides with one of the dates I gave her.We're meeting on the weekend for a short visit after dinner. She must have figured it would be easier to schedule something outside of meals. Eating together would mean sitting down together and staring at each other for an hour. I don't trust myself not to say anything dumb when there'll be two cats there.I mean, who could hold themselves back when there are cats?I hope my excitement doesn't leak out...I message my response, trying to be calm about it, though my heart starts pounding for all the stress that's come with it. It's just a visit with a friend and her brother. Nothing bad will happen. Tsubaki and Azusa, the brothers, won't be there this time. None of the other Asahinas either, for that matter.If I'm lucky, while Ema and Natsume chat about their lives, I can slip away and play with the cats. It's a perfect plan to avoid more awkwardness.It's late now, but not so late that I can't get any homework done before bed. I change into my pyjamas and pull the shades down over the window. Taking a seat on the floor next to my cardboard box, I open my laptop and begin working through some text from class.I'm about two pages in (both pages featuring very large photographs, but who's counting?) when my phone vibrates again. I pick it up to see Ema flashing a thumbs-up emoji with a cat's face."She's excited, too, huh?" I lean back against the frame of my bed. "I guess it's been a while since we've last seen each other. I wonder how things have been?"I try to go back to reading, flipping to the third page, which features a large chart this time, when another text comes in. This time it's from Natsume."Huh?" I fumble with my phone, nearly dropping it. For a second panic surges through me.I thought we'd be chatting through Ema!I'm being silly, but getting mail from an older man you barely know, even if he is your friend's older brother, isn't an everyday occurrence, especially when we haven't talked in weeks.To my relief, Natsume's only sent me his address. Ema hadn't sent me any details, so this will probably help. But still, why didn't he just ask Ema to send the details? Doesn't Natsume have any reservations about texting a girl? I thought older men were more sensitive about this kind of thing.Jeez... These Asahinas sure are something...My brain is too fried to study anymore, so I close my textbook and begin searching the route to Natsume's place. Better that I have an idea of the route before the day so I'm not stumbling around at the station.I mark down the best route, impressed by the neighbourhood where he lives. It's a lot nicer than mine, where working adults live instead of students. The location looks like somewhere I'd like to live someday. After I graduate and start working, of course. A student can dare to dream.For now, there's nothing else I need to do, though I wonder if I should bring a gift of some kind? It would be the polite thing to do when you go over to someone else's house for a visit. Maybe Natsume would appreciate a box of snacks?"Hmm... Should I go with a gift box?" By this I mean something I can put together at the convenience store, a generic gift to be sure, but it's never failed so far.I think back to what I know about Natsume, which obviously isn't that much. I could get him the usual snack or sweet food, though I'm not sure a single man would want sweets from someone he barely knows."He looked really tired when I last saw him. Maybe something that can help him with that?"As I wrack my brain for ideas, the night draws on and soon it's time for bed. Without much work done, I resign myself to sleep, promising to myself that I'll get everything else done tomorrow.Sleep is restless, and I dream of flying cats with orange fur. Unlike regular cats, these cats have violet eyes.What jolts me awake is the realization that Asahina Natsume has the same coloured eyes.Jeez. I'm thinking about this way too much...