Episode 1: A Boring Morning

The same morning came again today.

Like always, I feel sluggish.

I look at my phone while lying on the bed with a pink comforter laid out.

No one has sent me an email yet today.

Even though it’s already ten….

I don’t have work today either.

I usually work about five days a week at a fast-food place, but it’s not particularly fun.

My boyfriend works at the same place.

Everyone says things like, “It’s nice you two get to be together all the time,” but it’s not like that at all—if anything, it’s just annoying.

When I got up from the bed to go wash my face, my phone rang. On the screen it said, “Naoki”

It was my boyfriend. (What a pain…) Thinking that, I answered the phone.

“Hello…?”

Maybe because I’d just woken up, I couldn’t get my energy up. But Naoki was cheerful.

“Heeey?! Aika? You’re off today, right?”

“Mm… I’m off, but…?”

Honestly, it was annoying.

It’s not like I hate Naoki, but we’ve been going out for a year now, and I see him practically every day at work, so I want him to leave me alone at least on my days off.

I’m already twenty-two.

I’m tired of that innocent, student-like kind of romance.

“Then, hey, wanna hang out from now? I’m, like, super bored.”

This is the kind of thing I don’t really like about Naoki.

He’s always pushy and never asks about my schedule.

“Sorry, I made plans with my mom today. Let’s do it another time, okay?”

“Seriously? Since when were you close with your mom?! And lately, we haven’t really been seeing each other on our days off. You got some other guy or something?”

That made me snap.

“Are you an idiot?! I’m not like you, you bastard! Don’t screw with me!”

I said that and hung up without waiting for him to say anything.

Why am I even dating a guy like that…?

The answer is just that he’s good-looking—nothing else.

To be blunt, he’s selfish, spoiled, full of himself.

Before we started dating, he was really nice, and I was an idiot for thinking he was actually a pretty good guy.

My friends tell me, “Then just break up with him,” but even having that conversation feels like a hassle.

I’m aiming for things to just fizzle out naturally, but he keeps annoyingly contacting me.

It’s not like I have someone else I like, so maybe it’s my fault for still seeing him just to kill time.

Now I got an email. It was Naoki again.

“What are you mad about? You can’t even tell I was joking?”

How would I get that? This guy seriously pisses me off.

I tossed my phone onto the bed and left my room.

My parents bought a ridiculously expensive condo last year, so now we live here.

My dad is the president of some fairly well-known food company, so he probably bought it for appearances.

Anyway, I brushed my teeth and went to the living room.

My mom was sitting on the sofa reading a magazine.

I told Naoki I had plans with my mom, but that was a complete lie.

When my mom noticed me, she closed the magazine and looked over at me.

“Good morning. Do you have work today?”

My mom smiled gently.

“Yeah… I’m off today. Hey, I’m hungry. Is there anything to eat?”

Saying that, I headed to the kitchen. Mom followed after me.

“There are some sandwiches—are those okay?”

“Yeah. As long as I can eat, anything’s fine.”

“Sit and wait.”

My mom said that while rummaging through the fridge.

I did as I was told and sat down in a chair in the living room. Then I happened to glance toward the balcony.

Such nice weather…. Maybe I’ll go out somewhere….

After I ate the sandwich, my mom set out for me, I went back to my room to change.

Alright, what should I wear today?

I peeked into my closet.

I like that ‘older-sister’ style, so I have nothing but clothes like that.

Maybe I’ll do my makeup first…When I sat down, leaning back against the bed, I noticed my phone’s light blinking.

“Is it Naoki again…?”

When I checked, there were two missed calls.

I wasn’t out of my room for long, so who could it be? When I looked at the call history, an unfamiliar name was displayed.

“Huh? What is this? I didn’t register a name like this!”

It showed a corny name like “Dream Time.”

I checked the “Ta” row in my phone’s address book.

“No way…?”

It was definitely registered.

And the phone number was something like 123456, which makes no sense either.

Not knowing what was about to begin, I called Naoki.