Kana and Jina stepped out of the elevator in complete silence. They had done this way too many times already, but there was something special about tonight. Kana could feel the girl near her, not only as a human being, but as someone who could grow to be a friend. She was not just yet, of course. That would require a massive effort on her side to grow a person and get smarter, but she was slowly getting there.

  Jina took the keys out, but then stopped right before she opened the door.

  “What happened?”

  “I don’t wanna go in.”

  “Why?”

  “We…still need to write the goddamn lyrics.” She groaned and fell to the floor, wailing and moaning about it, “I don’t wanna. Why do we need to write lyrics? Pick some guy to do it. Oh my god!”

  Kana hadn’t thought about that. It wasn’t like they had an option, to be fair. She just took the keys from Jina and opened the door herself. Giving her a pitiful headpat on the way inside, she threw the keys on the small bowl on the kitchen counter. The lights turned on by themselves using their sensors, and she stretched her arms. It was good to be home.

  She wondered about how long it had taken for her to think that. To look at this place and think of it as home. She liked it now. As large and imposing as it sometimes was, it had actually started feeling like her own place. Small memories had started to form in each corner, and their signs of life had become more obvious in the walls and the furniture.

  It was all familiar now. The dining table, especially. But beyond that, there was the couch looking out towards the pool. There was the kitchen counter connecting it to the living room. The kitchen and its oven had become good friends with her. The maple wood floor was always polished. The pool, perfectly calm. The blonde girl in the pool, resting on a floating rubber swan with sunglasses on.

  Home.

  “What the fuck!?” Jina screamed the moment she stepped inside, falling back down.

  “What?”

  “Are you…blind!?”

  “Ah.”

  The blonde girl in the pool, resting on a floating rubber swan with sunglasses on. That was not very…home. It was a bit too much home. It wasn’t supposed to be real. Kana rubbed her eyes to make sure they weren’t playing tricks on her and got closer to the girl, who was slowly waking up due to Jina’s scream.

  “Emi?”

  “K-a-na?” She yawned and took the sunglasses off, smiling as soon as she saw her. She pushed her hands outwards, trying to reach for her.

  Was she just sleepy, or drunk? Or, well, both?

  “Emi, how did you get here?”

  Kana did not think twice. Grabbing the lower half of her skirt, she immediately waded into the pool. The cold water began to tingle her bare legs, but it was somehow pleasant. She had gotten so used to the low temperatures of the Monster Dimension that even this now felt warm. Now that her clothes were all wet and clinging to her body, Emi finally sat up on the swan and yawned once more.

  “They said I can meet you…twice a week. So, I picked Saturday and Sunday.” She nodded, “Because…it’s the weekend. And you’re free on weekends.”

  “But…I’m not free on weekends. What do you mean?”

  “You have to go to work tomorrow?”

  Why was Emi still speaking like she was drunk? The thought swirled in Kana’s mind for a long time until she remembered that she was always like this. It was impossible for her to keep track of what was happening five minutes after she woke up. Right now, Kana would be getting no answers out of her.

  “Ohara, get over here and help me pull her out.”

  “What?” Jina got closer and crouched down near the pool, feeling the water, “Do you feel how cold that is? Who even is this girl?”

  “She’s…my…” As Kana pulled the rubber swan back towards the pool, she found herself unsure of what to say. Claiming Emi was her girlfriend would just be factually incorrect. But if she said that Emi was her ex, then the taunts coming from Jina would have no end.

  “I am…” Emi shook her head to try to give an answer, but she fell asleep once more.

  “Just help me pull her out. No need to get in. Grab the other side.”

  Turning the rubber swan around, Kana pushed it slightly closer to Jina. The girl grabbed it and started helping her get it closer to the floor. But then, the light shone in the exact right manner and highlighted that ugly pink wig, which Jina was still wearing. Pissed off by just the sight of it, Kana took the chance to ensure her grip was tight and then pulled the swan backwards.

  “Whoa, what are you doing?” Emi groaned, trying to go back to sleep.

  Jina, on the other hand, kept her hand on the swan’s handle and fell right into the pool. As Kana burst out into laughter and turned the inflatable around to put herself on the side of the floor, the goth bitch was enraged. Keeping her maniacal laughter up, Kana pulled the swan backwards and climbed up the stairs.

  “Are you using the swan to fight?” Emi sat up and shook her head as Jina splashed some water in her direction.

  “Don’t get it on her, goth bitch!” Kana shouted, her wet clothes pulling her down because of their added weight.

  “What the fuck did you just call me!?”

  “Can I get down? Please? I don’t want to wet my clothes any more than this.”

  Kana pulled it all the way back to the floor and fell down with uncontrollable laughter. Jina slowly climbed up like a vengeful soldier pulling themselves up from the trenches. Emi got off the swan in a hurry and ran behind Kana, using her as a shield even as she continued having her laughing fit.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  “You think you’re really funny, don’t you?” Jina asked, also being weighed down by the soaked fabric.

  “Alright, alright! I’m sorry.” Kana pushed her hands forward to stop her and stood up, “I was just…happy to see her. I…this is my friend, Emi Kitamura.”

  “You have friends? How many other lies are you gonna tell?”

  “A little bit more than a friend, actually.” Emi chimed in.

  “Oh, I thought you wouldn’t want me to share that.”

  “More than frie-” Jina gasped, “Oh, now it makes sense. Now, I see.”

  “What do you see?” Kana asked, confused.

  “Nice to meet you, Jina Ohara-san. I have heard a lot about you from all of those people in black suits!”

  “That’s why you didn’t flinch, huh?” The goth bitch was saying too much and going too far, “That’s why you were nonchalant when I saw you in the bath. Now, it makes sense!”

  “Ok, let’s not twist the story. That was completely your fault. You’re the one who walked in.”

  “KanKan, she saw you having a bath? You always refused when I asked!”

  “No, I did not permit her. It was a mistake!”

  “KanKan?” She started laughing, “Oh….KanKan. Thank you for that, Kitamura-san. Oh, that will be fun. KanKan, is it?”

  “No…one! No one other than me is allowed to say that, though!”

  “Oh, don’t worry. I won’t ever say it again!” Jina assured her with a smile, “I’ll never, never, never ever call her KanKan again. It’s not funny at all. It’s so sweet, actually.”

  “Oh, don’t you dare. You just said it.” Kana counteracted, “You heard her, didn’t you, Emi? She just said it again.”

  “Yeah, but she said it to confirm she won’t ever say it again, so it doesn’t count.”

  “I’m surrounded by fucking idiots.”

  Kana looked at both of the girls and internally thrashed around in pain. As if the pressure of writing the lyrics was not already enough, she now needed to deal with Jina knowing a bit too much about her. When Sakai had said he would allow her to meet Emi, she had expected it to be a bit more…personal. She hadn’t expected him to unleash her into the apartment.

  “Alright, everyone…calm down!” Emi raised her hands, “That’s a very cool table you’ve got there, so why don’t we all just sit down and talk like normal human beings, alright?”

  “Sure. I mean, I don’t mind.” Jina shrugged.

  “Why do we always end up having conversations on the dining table?” Kana groaned as she made her way to her usual chair, “We really should invest in another couch, or a couple of individual sofas, you know…”

  “Invest? Where’s the paycheck, you fucking idiot?”

  “Jina, watch your fucking mouth. My girlfriend is sitting here.”

  “I….uh, yeah. I am not…sure on the whole girlfriend thing again. We can figure that out later.”

  “Aw, look at that, you got rejected. Again, apparently.”

  “Jina…shut the fuck up.”

  _____________

  Kana leaned against the doorway as Emi made herself comfortable in the bed, pulling the blanket up. There was something sweetly nostalgic, and yet very painful about seeing this. They had ultimately spent way too much time introducing Jina and Emi to each other, and decided to delay the lyrics until tomorrow. Kana and Jina would work something out, somehow.

  “Good night.” Kana told her, taking a step back.

  “Stop.”

  “What?”

  Emi looked at the ceiling for a while and then groaned. Shaking her head as if still half-asleep, she pulled open the blanket to her left and gestured for Kana to get in. But she did not. She waited, and waited…for Emi to change her decision.

  “You’re not sure about that.”

  “Of course I’m not.” She scoffed, “Get in. You’re just sleeping here. You’re not allowed to touch me.”

  “Well, when you put it like that…I’ll be tempted.”

  “Kana? Shut it and get in.”

  Considering all of her options once more, she decided that this was infinitely better than sleeping on the couch. And even if it was temporary, it got rid of that hurtful feeling that had been growing in her the last few hours. She quietly walked over to the bed and got in. As promised, Emi moved backwards and made enough space for her to sleep without them coming in contact.

  She really was being honest about not being sure earlier.

  “I’m sorry.” Kana whispered, her eyes already giving up on their ‘don’t cry’ rule.

  “It’s ok.” Emi shook her head, “I was angry at you. I really, really was. But then I spent a whole week thinking about it, when I had all the information. And I’m still angry. That was a very stupid thing to do. But…I also know you could not have helped it.”

  “I’ve effectively put you in prison. Your life is in danger. It doesn’t matter…whether I could help it or not. I should have tried more. I should have known doing something like that wouldn’t end well…”

  “Yeah, well, foresight about mistakes you might commit in the future is not really one of your strong points. Never has been. Also, I can’t really do anything about what’s going on. I’m here now, so I might as well be kind to you. I’m sorry, too. They told me about all the monster stuff. It sounds horrible.”

  “Eh. It makes me feel cool as fuck.”

  Emi laughed, “Yeah, I guess it would. Nerd.”

  “I’m the nerd?” Kana opened her mouth in shock, “What do you mean? You are the nerd. You are all stupid, stupid nerds. I’m not a nerd. I just like guns and stuff. It makes me feel powerful.”

  “Yeah. Nerd.”

  “Oh…shut up. I’m not gonna fall for it. I’ve been doing exactly that to someone recently, and I should be better. I understand what you’re doing.”

  “Do you?” Emi cracked into a vile smile, “Yeah, you probably do. Nerds are pretty good at understanding stuff like this.”

  “You…!”

  Her hand moved, but Emi raised her eyebrows, and she stopped. The no-touching rule was being enacted with full effect, then. This was what she would have to deal with now. This was her reality. If she were being honest, she preferred when she pined while looking at a dark building. Now, with her lying down right here, it was way more difficult. It would be even more difficult when she was forced to leave by the end of the week.

  “I missed you.” Kana whispered.

  “Me too.” Emi nodded, “But do you mean, like, this week? Or do yo-”

  “The entire time.”

  “Me too.”

  A silence took them. Kana looked into her eyes and felt the same pressure being exuded from her. Every bit of her body wanted to lean in and hold her again. She wanted to hug her and keep her there for all of eternity. But her wish to sleep in this bed instead of the couch was a bit stronger than either of those, so she stayed.

  “Good night.” Emi ended the staring contest first.

  Kana nodded, smiling at her, “Good night.”