"I'm already looking forward to it," I tried to brush off the topic about Satoru and my crush.
"Me even more. And no, don't worry. Of course I won't embarrass you. You know me. I get my info faster than they realize they're already eating out of my hand."
"Well, let's see if that works on Satoru. You know – smart."
"Sure, challenge accepted. Gonna be a tough one. And you know I love that! Worked on you too, goddess of poker faces."
I could practically hear her winking through the phone. No doubt, I was terrified of this meeting, but I also really wanted to see it happen. Desperately!
"I won't keep you any longer, Tomi. I'm already looking forward to seeing you again and going out to eat together."
"Same here! And if you ever need someone to talk to again, you know where to find me. Love you to Saturn and back. Talk soon, fluffball."
"Right back at you, bunny. Love you more. Catch you later."
And with that, I happily let my phone sink slowly against my chest and mentally ran through the call again.
This meeting could only end in a total disaster, right? God, did I really want to know how it would go down? Shouldn't I have just backed out while I still could? Honestly – no. I wanted to see my Hitomi again! Satoru would just have to deal with it since he decided to come along.
I sighed and allowed myself another smile.
This was going to be an intense weekend. Emotional rollercoaster deluxe, special edition. Black tracks and in the dark.
Finally someone who can challenge you.
If only you knew, Hitomi. If only you knew... What we just experienced in the bathroom yesterday... And how he challenges me – almost painfully so.
Still, Hitomi's bright and melodious voice had been exactly what I needed after today. My calm anchor, bringing me back down to earth. Or, well, the opposite. Okay. A mix of both, but at least she helped get my thoughts and emotions back where they belonged, instead of partying wildly all over the floor.
I placed my phone back on the desk and turned my back on the spacious room before heading into the laundry basement. Here I did the same with my uniform as I had earlier with Satoru's jacket. I put it in a salt bath to soak.
In the meantime, I turned my attention to the washing machine and immediately noticed that it was already done and also... emptied?! Confused, I looked into the empty drum and mentally retraced everything.
I hadn't been the one to empty it. I'd been fast asleep. So someone from the guys must've come and grabbed the laundry?!
I shrugged my left shoulder and looked again for dark clothes so I could wash them together with my uniform.
Once again, I wrung out the bloodied clothing like I did earlier, threw it into the machine with the other clothes I found, and left the laundry room once the machine started its cycle.
My next stop was the kitchen. Not only had my empty stomach lured me here, but probably the others' too. Once there, I was immediately surrounded by the fine aroma of delicious food. I was just about to grab a pot from one of the lower cupboards when I spotted a small note next to the stove.
Hungry? I already cooked for us so you can rest.
Check the oven.
Kento
I frowned slightly but instantly started to grin. When I opened the oven, a warm and deliciously fragrant wave hit me. God, that was good! I didn't have to worry about cooking anything, nor did I have to wait — I could dig in right away.
This shared-apartment life I'd faked for Hitomi and secretly never wanted had definitely paid off. As I prepared a plate, I heard familiar footsteps approaching, so I glanced toward the door.