The warm rays of the sun filtering through the window hit my face directly, waking me with their brightness. It was already morning.

I looked at the clock hanging on the wall above the desk: it was ten o'clock. The doctor had told me to rest, so I hadn't worried about going to school. The alarm on my phone, set specifically to ring at seven every morning, hadn't gone off. The night before, I had forgotten to turn it off, so why hadn't it rung? Strange. I picked up my phone to check and noticed it was dead.

I tried to turn it on, but nothing happened; it showed no signs of life. It must have broken during the accident, and I hadn't noticed.

Resigned, I went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. On the table, I found a note with a message from my aunt:

-Good morning, remember to rest today.-

I started having breakfast with milk and cereal. Since I had the chance, I decided that morning I would take things slowly and enjoy the day. Meanwhile, I thought that I absolutely needed to buy a new phone; I couldn't be without one. Not that I had many people to talk to or many saved contacts—actually, since I never went out except to go to school, I only had my aunt's contact saved to call her in case of emergency. But I couldn't go without my evening readings; they were like a drug to me. Every time I wanted to distract myself or pass the time, reading was my only anchor. So buying a new phone was a must.

Given the nice weather and having nothing to do, I decided to go make the purchase that same morning.

After finishing breakfast, I got ready quickly. I took some clean clothes from my room—blue shorts and a pink t-shirt—put them on, and tied my hair into a ponytail with a hair tie.

I liked to dress simply, without inventing overly complicated or flashy combinations.

The main problem was money. My aunt worked a lot to allow all three of us to live well, and I didn't feel right asking her for money; we always tried to avoid unnecessary expenses. I would have to dip into the small savings I had set aside over time, even though I wasn't sure they would be enough to buy a phone. I didn't need an overly sophisticated or latest-generation one, so I took the money and hoped for the best.

I put on my shoes and left the house, locking the door behind me.

On the street facing our small apartment building, a truck from a transport company was parked, and some people were hurriedly unloading packages. I only remembered at that moment that recently the apartment next to ours had been put up for rent. Evidently, someone must have rented it and would start living there from today.

I walked down the stairs slowly, curious. I wanted to see what kind of people our new neighbors were. I crept closer to get a better look, but suddenly I heard a voice behind me.

"Hey!"

"Ahhh!" I exclaimed, startled. I turned around and found myself facing a stunningly tall girl with long blonde hair and sky-colored eyes. Her peach-colored lips were also beautiful and delicate. She had a mature air about her; she must have been older than me. At a rough guess, I'd say she was about twenty.

"H-hi."

"Hi, I'm Nakagawa Chika. I'm your new neighbor. I hope we can get along."

"The pleasure is mine. My name is Maeda Ayame."

"Hey, could you tell me a bit more about this neighborhood?"

"Sure, it's a very quiet neighborhood. I've lived here for a while and nothing has ever happened. Plus, we're just a few steps from the center, so getting around to particular places isn't a problem."

"Ah, I see. That's good. It'll make my errands easier."

"So... did you move here for work?"

"No. Let's just say I have some issues to sort out, so we moved here."

"Oh, s-sorry. I didn't mean to pry."

"Don't worry about it."

One of the workers came toward us carrying a package. The bottom of the box broke from the excessive weight, causing some books to fall to the ground.

"Ah, what a disaster. I'm sorry," said the mover. They both bent down to pick up the books. I also decided to help, and as I picked them up, I saw many books and manga that I knew, including some of my favorites.

"Wow!" I exclaimed in surprise. "This volume is rare—you can't find it anymore. And this is the limited edition printed for only a few months."

Seeing all those special volumes, my eyes started sparkling, and I completely forgot about the presence of other people.

"Pfft. Ahahahahah." Nakagawa-san started laughing.

"Ah, sorry. I got carried away," I said, embarrassed.

"Don't worry. Do you like this book too?"

"Yes, very much."

"They're my brother's. It seems you have the same taste," she said, smiling.

"You have a brother?"

"Yes. He should be about your age. What grade are you in?"

"Second year of high school."

"Him too. What a coincidence. I think you'll meet soon; he should be arriving shortly."

From a distance, one of the two workers signaled for the girl to come over. Maybe he wanted instructions about some package.

"I have to finish up here and see what those moving company guys are up to. Have a good day. It was nice meeting you."

"Oh, the pleasure was mine."

So I continued on my way, leaving Nakagawa-san to her business.

A neighbor my age? That was new. The building was mostly inhabited by elderly people or singles. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have someone my age who didn't know me and hadn't yet been influenced by others' rumors. Maybe it would be a great opportunity to meet someone I could get along with, who would finally see me as a person, not as a means of entertainment by playing pranks on me or disrespecting me.

In all this, however, I didn't get distracted from my real goal. I started looking around the area for stores that might sell a phone at a good price. But all the stores had more or less the same models and consequently the same prices—too high for me.

I had tried all the stores I could think of, and during my search, I found myself, without realizing it, in a shop near the hospital where I had been taken after the accident.

It wasn't a specialized phone store, but from the window display, you could tell it sold all kinds of electronic items.

I went in to check if there was actually something that could meet my needs.

"Good morning," I said once I entered.

"Good morning to you too," the store employees replied.

I took a quick look around. Judging by the displayed merchandise, they sold many electronic items, including phones. But the models and prices were the same as what I had seen in other stores.

"Can I help you?" a female employee asked, coming toward me.

"Hello, I was looking for a phone, but these are all a bit too expensive for me."

"Over there in that part of the store is the section for used or repaired phones. They cost less there. You can take a look if you want," she said, pointing in the direction.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. If you need anything else, feel free to ask."

I went toward the direction the clerk had indicated. Indeed, the devices in that section had a lower price than the others. If she hadn't told me they were used, I might not have even noticed. They only had slight dents, but other than that, they looked new.

I took a quick look until I found a phone I liked. Its price was within my budget, and apparently it was even better than the one I had.

Lucky! I thought.

"I'll take this one!" I said confidently.

But at the same moment, I heard the same phrase spoken by the person next to me.

"I'll take this one!" said the boy. He too had decided to buy the same phone I intended to buy. Once I turned my gaze, I was stunned. The face of the person in question was that of the young man who had saved me yesterday. The question I asked immediately after, with surprise painted on my face, came naturally.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice perhaps a bit shrill.

"Well, that's a bit of a stupid question. I came to buy a phone. Mine must have broken yesterday while I was busy saving an ungrateful person who literally yelled at me."

"Yes, I know... I mean... never mind," I said, embarrassed and slightly irritated. He had decided to rub salt in the wound, and I didn't know how to respond.

"What a temper. You had a similar reaction yesterday too. Nice way to talk to the person who saved you."

"I already thanked you for that. Listen, let's pretend we never met," I said coldly. I didn't want to be so distant with him, but when I saw his face, the conversation we had in the hospital came back to my mind, and it irritated me. I just wanted him to go away so I wouldn't have to see him again.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to call the clerk. I need to buy this phone."

"Calm down, I was about to buy it. I was going to the counter to ask if they could give it to me."

There was a quick exchange of glances for a few seconds, then we both started running, racing to see who could get to the counter first.

"I'd like that phone, please!" We shouted in unison at the employee behind the counter.

"I got here first!"

"What?! I got here before you!"

In the end, we did nothing but disturb the entire store. For this reason, the clerk, irritated by our behavior and excessively loud voices, kicked us out of the store.

"It's all your fault," I shouted at him.

"My fault?! You're the one who got upset the moment you saw me. And now because of you, I couldn't buy the phone."

"I was about to buy it. I saw it first."

"But I got to the clerk first. If he hadn't kicked us out, I would have bought it."

"What are you talking about? I got there first. He would have sold it to me."

"Why can't I have a normal conversation with you? Yesterday ended the same way, with shouting and yelling."

"It ended that way because you proved to be the type of person I hate most—those who judge without knowing."

"But you don't even know me. You could at least try to answer more politely and not seem like a crazy gorilla."

"Are you saying I look like a gorilla?"

"Let's end this conversation here. Whatever I say, you'll find a reason to argue. Goodbye."

"Goodbye. I hope I never see you again."

So he walked away from me, and our bizarre conversation ended there.

Not knowing what to do and not wanting to go home, still empty in the morning, I decided to enter a café next to the electronics store I had been kicked out of and get something to relax a bit after the heated conversation from earlier.

"Hello."

"Hello."

I went to sit at a table, and after a few seconds, a waitress came to take my order.

It was a fairly large café with many tables and a large window facing outside. It wasn't overly crowded, and I preferred it that way. I hated places that were too crowded and full of people; I preferred quiet, silent ones where I could enjoy my food in the best way possible.

"What would you like?"

"A croissant and some tea. Thank you."

"Coming right up."

My mind kept going back to the coincidence from earlier. Seeing the boy from yesterday had irritated me, and the phone issue and the scene outside the store had only made things worse.

"What a strange guy," I muttered, sighing.

"You're not one to talk either."

I heard his voice again and turned around, this time annoyed.

"What, are you following me?" I said, raising my voice again.

"Don't shout before they kick us out of here too. I'm only here because you're the only person I 'know' that I can ask for directions. I'm new in town and wanted to know more about the popular spots and this area. I only know a few streets. I would have used my phone's GPS, but my phone is broken."

Meanwhile, the waitress arrived with what I had ordered. "Sorry for the wait, here's your order. You just arrived. Would you like something?"

"Yes, thank you. A slice of cake with cream."

"Coming right up."

After ordering, without even asking me, he sat down at my table. He didn't care at all that it might bother me.

"So after we finish, can we go around?" he concluded his speech.

"What makes you think I'll help you? I dislike you, and I can't stand you."

"Consider it a way to repay me."

"You said I wasn't in your debt."

"Yes, but I changed my mind."

What an annoying guy...

Meanwhile, the waitress returned with his order.

"Here you are."

"Thank you."

He picked up the fork and used it to cut his piece of cake. As he inserted it inside, you could see how soft the dough was. When he put the first piece in his mouth, I paused to watch his expression of pleasure and joy. He looked like a child who had just been given candy.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he said with an irritated air.

"Nothing. You just looked like a child."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Listen, if I act as your guide, will you leave me alone afterward?"

"Yes, promise."

"Ah, fine," I huffed.

We finished our orders, paid, and went outside to start the guided tour of the area. The day planned for rest ended up becoming the day I would act as a guide for my savior. I showed him everything: from convenience stores to the best sweet shops, from the least crowded places to the most popular ones for kids, like karaoke, arcades, and movie theaters.

There wasn't a bit of conversation between us; I just accompanied him everywhere, waiting for that day to end. And I hoped it would end as quickly as possible.

When sunset arrived, we saw a square with a fountain and decided to rest on a bench nearby. In the end, I had spent the whole day with him, as he tried or bought anything he saw on the street. During all those hours, I reconsidered his character; at first I thought he was a particularly calm and quiet person, but he turned out to be excessively eccentric and hyperactive, and maybe also a bit impulsive. Exactly the type of person I couldn't stand—a simpleton who enjoyed every little thing. I preferred calmer, quieter people.

"I really had fun today."

"Good, I showed you the main spots. Now I think you can find your way around better. It's time for me to go home," I said, getting up from the bench.

"Yes, thank you. I should go home too."

"Well, goodbye."

"Goodbye."

As much as I hate to say it, the story wasn't over yet. On the way home, I noticed he was still just a few steps behind me.

We had met too many times that day: at the phone store, at the café, and the fact that he wasn't going away made me feel uneasy. And then fate would have it that he was at that exact intersection at the time of the near-accident. Strange thoughts flashed through my mind. What if he wanted something from me? What if he was a creep? What if all these encounters weren't coincidences?

"Why are you following me?" I shouted at him, agitated.

"I'm not following you. My house is this way. While you were showing me around the city, I more or less figured out the streets to take to get home."

We continued walking in silence until we arrived near my apartment. I noticed my aunt and Hiro talking with Nakagawa-san. Evidently, they had met and were now exchanging the usual pleasantries.

Once I arrived, I greeted them with a wave.

"Oh, sweetheart, you're back," my aunt said.

"Oh, there you are at last. I was waiting for you. You could have called me," said Nakagawa-san, turning to the boy who had never left my side.

"Sorry, big sis, but I had some complications."

"...Sister?"