SLAM.

Miyu was woken up by the sound of a door swinging shut. She didn’t think much of it and just rolled her way out of bed.

Sitting on her bedroom floor with wild hair and a sleepy face, she yawned and allowed her eyes to adjust to the sunlight streaming in through her tiny bedroom window.

Suddenly, she heard a woman’s voice calling out to someone.

Huh?

Did that come from the crack?

She scooched and rested her ear on her bedroom wall.

“Kaito!” called the woman. “You’re going to be late for school!”

“I know! I’m busy getting dressed right now!”

It took Miyu a couple of seconds to realize that Kaito was probably half-naked, only a few feet away from her, and when she did, her face turned blood red as she blushed. She turned her back against the wall and clasped her face with her hands. She couldn’t help but giggle at how silly she was being.

Again a door slammed and then it was silent.

I guess Kaito is off to school.

Miyu glanced over at her clock and gasped when she saw what time it was. She immediately got up, dressed up, and ran a brush through her hair as fast as she could.

“MIYU!”

“On my way, Papa!” said Miyu while making her way downstairs.

“There you are! Now, apologize to Doctor Eito for making him wait!”

“Oh, that’s not necessary!” said the doctor. “I’ve hardly waited long at all.”

“Nonsen—”

“What do you say, Miyu? Shall we get on with it?” Doctor Eito cut in.

“Yes, Sir,” said Miyu as she laid down on the couch. “I’m ready.”

“Such a brave young girl!” the doctor remarked.

It was difficult for Miyu to look forward to visits from the doctor; on the one hand, she was excited because not only was the doctor a kind and friendly man, but he was also another person she was able to interact with, besides her father and Kaito.

After her regular checkups, the doctor would always have a private word with her father and then leave the house with a worried look on his face.

This time, too, the doctor had a word with her father while Miyu started preparing breakfast.

“I’ve got good news, Miyu,” said her father as he sat at the dinner table.

“What is it, Papa?”

“Doctor Eito has prescribed new medicine for you,” he replied, waving a piece of paper at her, “I’ll have to go and pick it up this afternoon.”

“Can I come with? Please, Papa!”

“Now Miyu, you and I both know just how easily you can have an episode when you get too excited.”

“But, Papa, please! I just wan—”

SLAM.

“NO!”

Miyu jumped as her father slammed his hand on the table.

“Now that’s the last of it! Do you understand me?” he fumed.

“Yes… Sir,” she sighed.

“I’ll go see if the caretaker girl can look after you while I make a trip into town.”

“That really is not necessary, Papa! But maybe…” Miyu hesitated.

“Hmm?”

“I was wondering, Papa… For moments like this, maybe I could… have a phone? You know, just so I could call you if I ever need to!”

“What are you talking about, Miyu? You have three house phones with emergency buttons!”

“I know! It’s just… I really want a cell phone, Papa, like all the other kids…”

Her father mumbled something, but it wasn’t audible enough for her to hear. She thought he would just ignore her request, but then he said something she never expected:

“I will look around when I’m in town. Maybe I can find one that’s not too expensive.”

“Papa!” Miyu jumped across the kitchen and hugged her father as tight as she could. The smell of alcohol struck her, and she tried her best not to be sick on his shoulder.

Has he been drinking this morning?

Or maybe… this is still from last night?

Her troubled thoughts were quickly pushed aside by her excitement. Miyu gave her father a goodbye kiss and skipped her way to the sink where she washed the dishes.

She wasn’t sure why, but the only thing she wanted to do at that moment was telling Kaito that she was getting a cell phone.

I’ll just wait till he gets home from school!

Maybe now we can get to know each other even better…

Without thinking about it, she was standing on her toes, and her face lit up again.

Wait…

What if he asks me to send him a picture?

Phones can do that, right?!

Oh no! I look horrible!

Miyu ran upstairs and dashed into her room. She rummaged through her closet, trying to find something to wear that doesn’t look downright awful.

Sigh.

This is what you get when your father is in charge of buying your clothes!

A few moments later, she pulled out a silky, white summer dress from underneath a pile of clothes.

Mama bought this for me!

Back then it was too big, but now… it might just be perfect.

She slipped into the dress and finished off her look with a smile and a special little blue hair clip.

Perfect!

As she twirled around in her little white dress, her excitement had finally caught up with her, and Miyu suddenly felt drained.

She laid down on her bed, tilting her head from left to right and back again, smiling from ear to ear. She waited the entire afternoon for Kaito to return home.

Tap tap tap.

“Miyu, are you there?”

Huh?

I… fell asleep? Oh! Kaito!

“Y-yes, I’m here!” she jumped off her bed and sat against the wall.

“Hey! How are you?”

“I’m doing great! Especially when the neighbor boy’s door slammed shut early in the morning woke me!” she said, trying to sound as serious as she could.

“Wha— Uh… Oh! I’m so sorry! I didn’t know…”

“Just pulling your leg, silly!” Miyu giggled. “Were you this gullible in Tokyo as well?”

“I’m not gullible! You’re just…”

“I’m just?”

“I don’t know, okay! You’re just… different.”

Different?

Is that a good or bad thing?

“Anyways! Miyu…”

“Hmm?”

“I know you said that you can’t really go outside… but I was thinking… See, I… Um...”

Miyu giggled at Kaito struggling for words.

“I want to… you know…”

“Hmm… Nope, I don’t know!” she giggled some more. “What do you want, Kaito?”

“Fine! I want to see you… and I thought, maybe you’d want to see me?”

Miyu was beaming with joy, and it took a few moments of silence for her to gather herself and tell Kaito about the conversation she earlier had with her father.

“That will be awesome! But I thought of another way we could see each other!”

“How?”

“I think our apartments are exactly the same, only mirrored, so if that’s the case, the main bedroom should have a small balcony?”

“Oh, wow! Kaito, you’re right! There is one in my dad’s bedroom!”

“My aunt has one in her—”

But before Kaito could finish his sentence, the two of them jumped up and ran out of their rooms.

Papa isn’t home yet, so he won’t even know if I go in there!

Miyu ran across the hall and barged into her father’s bedroom.

EWW!

His room was filthy and smelly, but she didn’t care at that moment. Miyu made her way over to the sliding door, slid it open, and jumped onto the balcony.

“Kaito!”

Out of breath, she lifted her head and moved the hair out of her face.

“Kaito?”

Nothing. The closest balcony to Miyu looked like it was at least two apartments away.

Seriously…

She sighed and made her way to her room.

Kaito’s voice came from the crack in the wall: “I guess the apartments aren’t mirrored. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be!” Miyu tried not to sound too disappointed. “We’ll just have to wait for my dad to come back with my new cell phone!”

“That’s gonna be so cool! Then I can annoy you whenever I’m bored at school!” Kaito teased.

I’d like that silly…

“Hmm! Maybe I’ll need to rethink giving my number to you!”

“Aw, that’d be mean—”

Suddenly, a door swung open, but Miyu was sure it came from Kaito’s side.

“Who are you talking to Kai-kai?” a little girl asked.

“N-no one! Get out of my room, Yui!”

“But Aunty said I needed to come get you because we need to eat, and you’re probably sleeping again!”

“Well, I’m not! I’ll be downstairs in a moment, now go!”

The door slammed, and Miyu thought she could feel Kaito bump his head against the wall.

“What’s the matter, Kai-kai?” she asked.

“No, not you as well! I’m never getting rid of that nickname,” he sighed.

“But it sounds so cute! Kai-kai, I like it!”

“Well, I’m glad you like it… but I have to go. Would you let me know when you get your cell phone?”

“I’ll think about it,” teased Miyu. “Bye-bye, Kai-kai.”

A few minutes went by before Miyu caught herself daydreaming with a massive smile on her face.

Get a hold of yourself!

Another door slammed shut. Without a doubt, that came from downstairs.

Papa!

Finally! It’s already night time!

Miyu ran downstairs, skipping as many steps as she could. “Papa! You’re back!”

Her father wobbled his way into the house. He was carrying a paper bag, which he dropped on the floor before making his way to the living room where he almost tripped over his own feet.

Miyu ran over to help her father. A mixture of alcohol and vomit smells radiated from him.

He’s drunk out of his mind…

“Papa, are you okay?” she asked as she helped him to the couch.

“M-meeyu! Did you f-finish your homework?”

“I didn’t have any today, Papa…”

“D-don’t talk back to me, girl! Go to b-bed!”

“But, Papa… Did you get the cell phone?”

“Papa?”

His head dropped back, and snoring sounds came from his open mouth.

He passed out…

Miyu fetched a blanket and tucked her father in. She flicked her fingers in front of his face, checking to see if he indeed was fast asleep, then she eagerly picked up the paper bag he had dropped earlier.

It’s just my new medicine…

No cell phone…

Miyu made her way back upstairs, drew her curtains, undressed, and got into bed. She was neither sad nor angry, just disappointed in her father, as well as in herself for still believing in him.