Neighborly Affliction

3

"Another boring day," Senji complained to herself. Class was over, and night had fallen over the city. The humidity made walking from the station unbearable. The dark-haired girl was at a nearby convenience store, mentally preparing to get some booze and mildly-okay dinner. There were few options left by this time, but she took her time deciding anyway. 

"Whatever."

She picked up a pork bowl and a few rice balls. She plopped her items on the counter and fished out her wallet. The cashier attempted small talk, but Senji just didn't have the energy to bother. Items paid for and bagged, she nodded to the worker and left. 

"Of course."

She hadn't noticed while inside, but it had started to rain. A heavy, cold rain. And of course she had no umbrella. She pulled her hood up and trudged toward Villa Rosa. The streets were largely empty, traffic lights blinking meaninglessly. The dreary atmosphere perfectly fit her mood. Spotting the light in her neighbors' window, she paused. Even in this miserable rain, she could hear Ashiya hounding Urushihara about some pointless thing or another. 

They had purchased an old laptop recently, and accessories. The newest member of room 201's cast didn't do much for the household though. He was by all definitions a shut-in, and incredibly lazy if Ashiya's complaining was anything to go by. 

I can hear you guys from halfway down the street.

Senji sent a message to Urushihara, who had somehow gotten her email. Using mobile data for something so trivial might seem silly, but she desperately wanted some peace tonight. Her own whirlwind thoughts had already driven her to breaking point. And it all started up because of one stupid phone call two days ago. 

"Fuck, this blows."

PING!

The notification went off, and the woman reflexively checked her messages. 

Ashiya said he needs help with something while Maou's out. You free?

Senji sighed, and headed up the stairs. The man's ranting was still going strong inside. She contemplated leaving and saying she'd missed the message, but her hand was already knocking on the door. A bit more bickering, and the door opened. Ashiya looked at her with an awed expression.

"Oh. I guess he did contact you. Come in," the man opened the door and invited her in. She took her shoes off and left them by the door.

"Dude, you're soaked!"

"Started raining on the way back."

"I see that, but still-"

"Do you need a moment to change?," Ashiya interrupted the mooch in the corner.

"Hm, nah. Forgot laundry today, so this's really all I have right now."

"A towel, then? You'll catch cold like that," the ever-dedicated house husband handed her a folded towel. She peeled off her jacket, and sponged most of the water out of her clothes. Her long hair was a lost cause, so she just threw the towel over it and tousled it a bit.

"What'd you need help with?"

"Oh, right. Well," he eyed the trashed corner where Urushihara lurked, before turning back to her. "I can't really ask you to help with that filth, but.."

Senji smirked at said filth, who flinched and pouted at the new nickname. Her focus on him distracted from the other man's obvious nervousness. 

"Well, we've had some trouble with the sink draining. Ms. Shiba said to ask you about repairing it before calling a plumber, you see. So, um," the man was clearly flustered. No doubt, her own deadpan stare wasn't helping.

"I can look at it I guess. Let me get some tools first," she shrugged. She slipped her shoes back on and quickly retrieved a small toolbag from her closet. Even in that short span, the bum managed to get Ashiya riled up again. It sounded like an argument over noise, probably from whatever he did on the computer all day. Senji grabbed an old pair of earbuds on her way out the door.

Returning to 201, she tossed the headphones over to Urushihara. He started to mouth off, but got confused when he actually inspected the projectile.

"Just tired of hearing you guys bitch all day," was Senji's half-assed explanation. She turned her attention to the unwanted task before her.

"Tried any drain cleaner?", she asked, hoping for an easy fix.

"Hm? I don't think so, no. It's only been like this for a few days."

"Alright. Can't do that right now, with the rain."

She opened up her bag, fishing out a heavy wrench. The pipes were easily accessible through the cabinet, but it was incredibly uncomfortable to work there for long. The light dust that collected there made her sneeze, but the rest of the work went smoothly. The pipes were a lot looser than she thought they'd be, for one. Just as she made one more turn with the wrench, a foul, stale smell filled her nostrils. She carefully slid out from under the sink and pulled a piece of clogged pipe out. She quickly carried it outside and sat it on the ground, scanning the yard.

"Could've sworn-ah! There it is."

Right beside the building were two buckets, which she collected quickly. She returned to her room, happy that the rain had stopped. The woman-turned-repairman retrieved two bottles from under her own sink, then went back outside. She could feel a set of eyes on her back, likely from a curious Ashiya, as she placed the pipe in one bucket and poured a hefty amount of something in with it. The substance had a much more potent smell, even after she diluted it with water from the garden hose nearby.

She then headed  back to room 201, with the second mystery bottle and bucket. She carefully placed the bucket beneath the opened pipe.

"Do you have anything you can cover the sink with?"

"Hm, I don't think we do. Why?," Ashiya answered slowly.

"I'll put some of this drain stuff in, and let it work overnight. You'll have to keep the window open and cover the sink, though," Senji gave a brief explanation, ignoring the groan from across the room. "Do you have any aluminum foil, or something like that?"

"We have some of that plastic wrap. Would that work?," Ashiya still looked perplexed while he retrieved said plastic wrap from the cabinet. He handed it to Senji, and she got back to work. She closed the cabinet tight, and poured some drain cleaner into the sink. Moving quickly, she spread some cling wrap over the sink and used some extra tools to secure it in place. She made sure the window was open, then headed for the door.

"Leave that to work overnight. I'll be back tomorrow sometime to put it back together," she spoke back turned while she put her still damp shoes on. Her head ached from the volley of odors she'd been exposed to, and her back groaned with every move.

"Oh, thank you. Um," Ashiya fidgeted behind her, making her look toward him. "How much do we owe you?"

"Huh? Oh, no charge. I've got a thing set up with Ms. Shiba for this sort of stuff," Senji covered her yawn as she blurted that out. She did have an agreement with the landlord, but it was supposed to be kept quiet. Woops. She grabbed the doorknob, then paused.

"Oh, and don't put grease in the sink. It clogged your pipes up pretty bad," she called over her shoulder. 

"Grease? But I wouldn't-yes. We understand."

Feeling another argument starting, Senji took her leave. She passed Maou going down the stairs, who must have felt the tension from room 201 as well. The two tired adults gave quick, mumbled greetings as they passed each other, wearing worn-out expressions.

Senji stumbled into her room, kicking the door shut behind her. She tossed her damp hoodie over a chair, and peeled off her clothes. She washed off the dirt from the day and slid on a loose tank-top and shorts. She sat down at a low table, picking at her room temperature dinner while shuffling through a pile of documents. The noise from upstairs was much less than she had expected, but still irritated her headache. 

"Fine, I'll call it a night," she grumbled to the empty room. She quickly scribbled down a short to-do list for the next day. Once that was done, she plopped onto her futon and drifted into a restless sleep. Or tried to at least.