Chapter 21: Intermezzo

Hiyori was back at the office, laying on the couch, watching the ceiling while outside a storm was raging on violently for hours on end by now. The wind was trying to come inside, pushing against the window, scraping against the glass but remaining fruitless in its endeavors of breaking in. Every few seconds a bright streak of lightning lit up the interior of the room, as if nature was showing its displeasure in being kept out of it, just like a kid throwing a tantrum. The office itself was unlit, the fireplace was cold and Hiyori only had a thick, fluffy blanket over herself, holding onto it with all of her ten fingers. Under it she wore nothing more than a loose, white undershirt and a similarly colored panty, enjoying the warmth coming from her blanket, ignoring the outside world and its unfriendly weather. 

 

For the past weeks she barely left the office, refusing to even go home, only feeling safe here. Everlong did not even bring up any argument against it, letting her stay unconditionally. She even had full access to his cabinet of drinks and was permitted to order food via the landline phone, connected to the office. It was her first time operating a rotary phone, only seen in old TV shows. She couldn’t help but feel herself time traveling back into the 60s. Still, it was a really fun experience she did not mind at all! 

 

Since coming here, she finally felt like being alive once again. Experiencing joy, fun, even if it is just from playing with an old phone, feelings she already forgot they were available to her too! Not to mention, she could sleep. Truly sleep, without depending on pills! Once or twice she even got drunk after Everlong left and she helped herself to a good time under the blanket, finally relieving a lot of pent up stress inside of her, for real this time. It was bliss itself for both her mind and body. For Hiyori it did not matter if she was confined to this small office room, being alive once again was true happiness, something that eluded her for more than a decade by now. 

 

“I don’t even care what happens next…” murmured, letting out a soft sigh, thinking about all the things that happened to her throughout the years. Now, knowing why, she had time to come to terms with it. As to how easily she found herself doing it, it surprised even Hiyori herself. “Maybe I’m sick in the head?” turned to her side, facing the fireplace. “Or maybe I just went insane and all of this is in my head.” chuckled, lifting up the blanket to her face, taking a deep breath “Well… his smell is pretty real…” She barely said it out loud when the door opened to the office, making her flinch as Everlong walked in, turning up the light.

 

“Yo!” greeted her, watching her sitting up on the couch as he was placing his drenched coat onto the hanger, standing in the corner. “Damned weather!”

 

“I like it… but only from the safety of a room.” replied Hiyori, still covering herself with the blanket, hugging it as she watched him from the couch like a stray kitten.

 

“Everyone likes it from the warmth of their homes!” laughed, lifting up the bag in his hands. “Brought some food, pizza rolls and such, want some?”

 

“Sure!” nodded, hopping off from the couch, wrapping the blanket around herself, shuffling towards the big chair before his desk as he put the food on it. It was clearly evident, she already acted as someone who was living here permanently. 

 

“When was the last time you took a bath?” raised his eyebrows, watching the still thin, petite girl as he leaned against his desk, crossing his arms before his chest. 

 

“Yesterday? I guess.” replied, tilting her head, munching on one of the pizza rolls. “I wash myself in the bathroom! Don’t worry, I’m putting the towel I use to the side, so it won’t get mixed up!”

 

“Haahh…” shook his head. “You can’t live like this forever, you know!” 

 

“Why not? It is fun being a NEET. I should’ve become one earlier!” grinned, grabbing another bite. 

 

“Because it is unhealthy!”

 

“Meh, health is overrated! Besides, I could die in a few days anyway!”

 

“It is going to depend entirely on you… and on your mental state.” focused his eyes on her before continuing “After you ate, I’ll take you to a bathhouse. Go and soak a little, wash yourself soundly and relax in a proper bath!”

 

“Will it be a coed one?” asked looking up at him with a full mouth. 

 

“I don’t know if there is any like that in town, so no.”

 

“Tsk. Fine.” leaned back after the third roll, feeling full already “You sound like my mother!”

 

“And you sound like my unruly daughter!” retorted quickly but Hiyori only stuck out her tongue.

 

“Just so you know, I am turning 30 today!” 

 

“And I am already 200+! But yes, I know.” nodded Everlong “That is why you are going to get a bath, then I’ll take you to a hairdresser that you missed visiting for years! After that we are going to get you some clothes! I do not mind if you want to go full naked here, tiptoeing around in your birth clothes but going outside I can’t let you be labeled as a pervert!” 

 

“Look who's talking!”

 

“I’m a closet pervert, mind you!” replied Everlong with a proud expression as both of them started laughing.

 

“Hey…” spoke up Hiyori, after a brief moment of silence between them.

 

“Hm?”

 

“Thanks!” said softly, filled with sincerity and an honest, innocent smile.

 

“Happy Birthday…” whispered Everlong, rubbing her head gently.

 

…

….

…..

 

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“No fucking way!” blinked Hiyori, watching herself in the mirror of a clothing shop. Her fair, porcelain-like skin was almost sparkling after a good soaking. She almost fell asleep in the bath that Everlong took her to! Next was a pretty expensive hair salon where her hair, that resembled that of a haystack, was finally straightened out, wearing it in a ponytail now, tied up with a white scrunchie, letting her bangs slightly lean forward onto one side of her face. She looked like a completely different person then the time she arrived at his office! Not just that, but now she was wearing a fashionable, black skirt, with a tucked in, white blouse and a black, velvet vest on top of it. She simply refused to recognize herself in the mirror after Everlong dressed her up like a doll. 

 

“Here!” came back the man in question, holding a red tie, crouching down, tying it around her neck, then tucking it into her vest with a satisfied expression, not minding touching her at all, not even as Hiyori’s face was turning redder by the second. “Maybe you should try wearing some kind of stockings too? Especially if your legs get cold easily.” thought out loud, gently touching them, feeling if they were cold or not.

 

“Pervert…” whispered under her breath, looking down at him but he did not hear her mosquito-like voice. “I’m good.” scratched her throat in the end, looking back up at herself in the mirror “Damn… I can look like this?”

 

“Yeah. Pretty good, eh? Lucky for you girls, you can wear almost anything and you can look good in them!”

 

“Hehe…” laughed softly, turning completely shy as she did not hear words like these for a long time! It was that moment she felt a piercing gaze on her back. It was filled with hatred, jealousy and anger, more dangerous than anything she ever felt before! Looking into the mirror, she could see a black smudge, a shadow in the distance, hiding outside of the shop, in the mall, amongst the flow of passers by. “It is here…” said as she shook a little but then steeled her mind and her look turned much more serious. Yet as soon as she blinked she could not find it anymore, not even if she turned her head towards the entrance. 

 

“Of course. She never left. She can’t.” smiled Everlong, rubbing her back “Ignore her! Now, let’s get you some new shoes!”

 

“O-okay…” gulped, gently slapping her own cheeks before returning to her previous mood “Please… let it be something flat… and not high heels!” moaned, looking at him with a pleading expression.

 

“Sure!” laughed Everlong, leading her to the cashier, buying everything with ease, going towards another shop where they spent a good hour, picking out the perfect pair of leather loafers. 

 

“Can we go now?” asked with a tired voice, collapsing onto a bench in the mall “This is almost like a nightmare for me, you know! I hate crowds and I am not used to… things like this at all!” 

 

“Take it as a training regiment, Hiyori!” said, giving her a big cup of bubble tea he just bought for themselves.

 

“What, ghosts like going out and shopping for a full day? Do they have a beauty salon they can plop into and chit-chat about who cheated on who and what a bitch their friends are that they are about to meet an hour later to go window shopping? And repeating the cycle?” 

 

“Er… no? What kind of imagination do you have in there?” tilted his head, looking into her eyes. 

 

“A twisted one.” replied, slurping from her tea through her straw.

 

“Makes sense.” nodded, taking it at face value “I thought girls are up for times like these!”

 

“I’m not your average type of girl! Didn’t you notice?” said jokingly. 

 

“Usually those who say that are the most average ones. But in your case? I’ll make an exemption! Anyway, after this I’m gonna take you to a dinner of your choice, anything you want?”

 

“Not really… I’m not a picky eater as you can see, so you choose!”

 

“Hmmm… okay, I know a great Italian place nearby, I love their food!”

 

“Fine by me!” giggled, standing back up and as they started walking out of the mall, to the parking lot, she couldn’t help but ask. “Hey, is this a date?”

 

“If you want it to be.” replied calmly.

 

“Do you date all of your clients?” tilted her head as she slurped up the rest of the tea in her cup.

 

“Some.” thought for a little “Depends on the circumstances.” 

 

“Oh. Well… I was never on a date before. So this is a first for me.”

 

“Well, I hope then it isn’t going too badly~” chuckled Everlong, arriving at the car, opening the door for her. “Especially because it is also your birthday!”

 

“I stopped celebrating it, you know…” said to him after he got into the driving seat. “A few months ago I decided that I was going to end it today…”

 

“Then I really hope it is a truly enjoyable date so far, so you won’t do it!” reached out, gently caressing her face, wiping off a few tears that were rolling down the side of her cheek.

 

“Um!” nodded, quickly getting a tissue out, cleaning up her expression, smiling at him with pure bliss “I won’t!” 

 

“Good~” nodded, returning her smile “Come! I completely have the munchies so we are going to feast tonight!”

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