~ {05} ~ {Aniki}It's dark now already. I'm laying on the bed and zap through the infamous Japanese TV programs. Sayu sits on the other side of the bed and stares outside the window. She's been doing that the whole day. After that frightening storm we stayed inside for the rest of the day. I was still trying to understand everything myself and kept on asking her questions, but she was clearly depressed about something. I'm not sure whether that's my fault or not, but she won't answer me that either. One time she started to talk out of nowhere, saying, "I shouldn't have talked to you like that. I'm nothing more than your guide and should assist you without showing any own emotions." I tried to tell her that I'm fine with what she said, but she kept on blaming herself and telling me that this is now how she is supposed to react. My understanding of the whole situation obviously still lacks some major points and therefore I have no idea how to talk with her.
So we've been staying in the room for the whole day, not talking or even looking at each other, on her side at least. Meanwhile I looked through the room to find out more about that person whose body I've stolen, but he doesn't have a lot of personal belongings in here. On top of a large cupboard I found some photo books from various idols. I knew some of them myself, he even had one from Takahashi Ai. It's a small world, I thought, forgetting that I'm in Japan right now. Anyway, it was only a small but nice collection he had, nothing compared to real fans like myself, not to mention the wotas. I know that it's a stupid thing to think about, but I'm wondering what's happening to my photo book collection now.
Man, nothing really interesting on TV at the moment. I guess it's still too early for all the crazy stuff I've seen in the Internet. What time is it anyway? 09:00pm. I'm not really tired yet.
Back to my though I had just now. My photo book collection. This brings me to another question. What happened to my body? I already know that we didn't swap the bodies with each other, so does it mean that it's just a lifeless body lying somewhere in Italy?
"Sayu, I realize that you must have something else on your mind right now, but can I ask you one question?" I try my luck again.
"What you want to know?"
Woah, she actually talks with me again, but now to my question. "What happened to my body, my old one I mean? Is it still..."
"Dead." She answers quite frankly.
As I thought, everyone will think that I'm dead as soon as they find me, or maybe they already did? "Does my family already know?" I ask her.
"I don't know."
I wait a moment in case she wants to tell me a bit more, but there doesn't seem to come much more out of her mouth. What a pain, didn't she just say a few hours ago that she's my guide or something like that? I don't really feel guided her sitting on this bed and watching TV while unsuccessfully trying to get a few simple answers out of her. Geez, what have I gotten into. Maybe it's because of my karma? Was I such a bad person up until now? I don't know, everything is just fucked up.. somehow.
About 2 hours later my eyes start to feel heavy while I keep on staring at the TV. I'm nodding off for a moment, but because I was lying in a position where my hand is holding my head, I immediately wake up again. A bit to the right I can see that Sayu is staring at me.
"What?" I ask her.
"You finally fall asleep?" She asks with an expecting voice.
"Why do you care?" I say with a yawn.
Sayu gets mad and turns around again. I really don't get this girl, ghost or whatever she is. "Do you want me to fall asleep?" She won't answer that question. "Why? Do you want to do naughty things to me while I'm asleep?" I ask jokingly.
"Idiot."
Oh well, whatever is going on in her mind, I'm starting to become really sleepy now and before I know it, I'm fully asleep.
-
The next moment I wake up it's already bright outside and I'm still in Japan. I'm still unknowingly hoping to wake up and everything is normal again, but it just won't happen. Sayu is also still here and still sitting on at the other side of the bed, a bit further to the right, maybe. "Good morning." I say, but she's still as moody as last night. I rub my eyes and sit up on the bed. The TV is still running, 7:23am it says on the top right of that morning news program. Since when have I become an early riser? Must be because of that body, I guess. I stretch myself, make a big nice yawn and want to ask her whether she slept as nice as I did, but..
*RIIING RIIING* *knock knock knock KNOCK KNOCK* *RIIING RIIING*
...somebody suddenly rings and knocks at the door.
"YOSUKE!? YOOOSUKE!!!!???" Some man shouts through the door.
"W-Who's there?" I ask a bit terrified.
"What the...!? Did you drink last night or what? Don't you even recognize your older brother's voice anymore?!"
Oh crap, a relative?! What am I supposed to do now? I turn to Sayu, but she looks like she couldn't care less about that problem.
"Why don't you open the door?" She asks me with a completely innocent expression.
"Haaa?"
"YOSUKE!!?? OPEN THE DOOR!" The older brother keeps on shouting.
I'm in a bit of a panic, but I guess that I really should open the door now before he starts to break through the door. Huh? Amazement on my face. From his voice I expected some scary looking Yakuza or similar, but instead he's standing there in a nice gray suit and a black briefcase. He sniffs on my breath and makes a doubting face. I haven't yet said a word myself, afraid that he could hear that I am not his younger brother. All of a sudden he grabs my face and pushes me back inside so that I fall on the floor.
"I can't believe that you would oversleep on your first day! When did you start to become that unreliable?"
I keep silent.
"Come on, stand up!" He orders me. I better do what he says and stand up, when he grabs me by my neck and drags me into the bathroom. He turns on the water at the tap in the sink and pushes my face into the cold water. He pulls me out again and asks, "Are you awake now?" I still keep silent, getting a slap in my face as a result. "SAY SOMETHING!!" He shouts.
"Yes, yes! I'm awake! Okay!? I'm awake!!!" I shout back and hold my mouth right afterwards. Did he notice? He did, didn't he? What now? He looks at me in a suspicious way, but then he lets go off me and walks out of the bathroom. I'm carefully following him and see that picking clothes out of the cupboard.
"What have I gotten myself into now." He says to himself. "You know that it was me who recommended you for the job, right?" He looks at me reproachfully.
I just nod and hold the cheek he slapped. From the cupboard he takes a black suit and other clothes, and lays them down on the bed. Just now I notice that I can't see Sayu anywhere anymore.
"Don't worry, I'm always with you." I hear her voice inside my head, making me look around the room for her like some idiot.
"What are you doing?" That older brother of mine asks. "Anyway, put on those and hurry!"
I'm still not sure what really happened, but I did put on that suit right after he told me to do so. We then both left the flat and headed for the next train station. The trains were as cramped as I heard they would be, it really was a torture for somebody as unexperienced in the daily Japanese life as me. Some woman even looked at me with an angry face, because I happened to get pushed against her bottom with my hands. Somehow that reminded me of some perverted things I've seen in the Internet and grinned once I got out of the train. Though, luckily she didn't accuse me of anything I didn't do.
And now I'm here, walking along a street in the business district of Tokyo, or so I guess, no clue where we are going or what am I supposed to do. Job? Work? I remember he said something about 'my first day' and that he 'recommended me for the job'. We stop in front of a building and he turns towards me. "Nervous?" He asks with a smile.
"Err.. what's my job again?" I ask and act embarrassed.
"Haha, you really are funny, huh? Don't worry, you'll be fine." Apparently he thought that I am joking.
"No, really, where.. are we?"
"You still must be a sleep, huh? You really didn't drink last night? Hm.. but I smelled nothing in your breath." He looks at my completely clueless face. "Just look at the sign over there, I'm sure you will remember."
I turn around and look at the sign of the company that's residing in this house.
"Up-Front Wor..."
Oh... my... GOD!