She's a stressed and struggling student in Osaka, living alone and barely managing to pay off her debts to keep herself off the streets. But an encounter with her used-to-be favourite utaite, Mafumafu, might change all of that!
Waking up in my bed, all is peaceful. It's a bright morning, no clouds in the sky at all. It looks like a good day. Suddenly, there's a bitter aftertaste in my mouth from yesterday afternoon. Mafumafu and I argued and made up, but I still feel like I should keep my distance. After having my shower, I dress, prepare my stationary for the day, and head to the dining room to have breakfast.
As I head into the dining room, I notice that Mafumafu is quieter than usual. I guess he's still sensitive about yesterday too. Hearing me come in, Mafumafu turns his head to me. He's a sight, he has dishevelled hair, and tired, sad eyes. Managing a broken smile, he gives me a small nod and says in a soft voice "Good morning, ###-chan". Nodding, I take a seat at the breakfast table. Breakfast's the same as usual. Picking at my rice, I take tiny bits of it at a time. The rice tastes empty in my mouth, an unsavoury, cold grain of rice. Mafumafu doesn't say anything, and stares down quietly. I've never seen him look so melancholy. As soon as I finish my breakfast, I head to the living room, to the entrance door. "Well I'm off, Mafumafu-san", I say, giving him a half-hearted smile. He returns my smile, and nods. "Bye, ###-chan" says Mafumafu, pulling out his phone. I wave, and head out into the cold morning air.
Pulling out my phone, I turn it on, preparing to type in my password. Not long after I log in, a notification pops up on my screen. Dismissing it as spam mail, I move my finger to swipe away. But suddenly, the headline catches my eye. Reading that line of text, I gasp and drop my phone.
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Entering school, I'm in an anxious mood. What'll happen when I go home? Will Mafumafu be okay? Striding towards the entrance of the university, I notice a group of other girls my age whispering and looking in my direction. I wonder what they're talking about? Suddenly one of them, an anxious girl with closely cropped hair, approaches me nervously. "U-um, are you ###-chan?", she asks shyly. "Yeah, that's me. What do you want?", I reply. "W-well..." stutters the girl. "Oi, Ichika-chan, show her. ", another girl with hair in a high ponytail nudges the other with a phone, presumably Ichika-chan. Ichika steps forward, holding her pink phone in her hand. She has chest-length brown hair, and a concerned look on her face. "###-chan, have you heard the rumours?" she asks, and I shake my head. "What rumours?", I ask, a bit afraid to know the answer. Ichika sighs and shakes her head. "###-chan, I think you should see this", says Ichika, handing me her phone. Taking it, I read the headline. I gasp in horror, and shakingly cover my mouth.
"POPULAR UTAITE MAFUMAFU SUSPECTED OF KIDNAPPING ### YAMAMOTO"
"N-no...", I whisper. "This isn't true, oh my God...". Ichika looks at me, concerned. "Are you okay, ###-chan?, asks Ichika, gently. Before I can answer, I hear Daichi-kun calling me. "Hey! ###-chan!" he calls, waving over from the bike stands. I turn to Ichika and her group of friends "Sorry, I gotta go", I say. Ichika nods "I'll let you know if I find out anything else", she says. "Stay safe, okay Yamamoto?", asks Ichika. I give a quick nod, and quickly walk over to Daichi-kun. "Were you talking to Ichika Kobayashi?", he asks cheerfully. "Yeah, is that her name?", I ask in respond. Daichi-kun smiles "Yeah, it is!". "Interesting", I reply. Walking inside, the chilly air conditioner envelops us. "By the way, what were you guys talking about?", he asks innocently. I hesitate, maybe it's not such a good idea to tell him. "...Uh, fashion tips?" I say, trying it out as an answer. Daichi-kun laughs. "You were taking fashion advice from Ichika Kobayashi? She doesn't seem that all important, she just wastes all her time on that pink phone of hers, taking selfies and nothing else.", he says, his tone darkening slightly at the end. Slightly chilled by that, I choose to ignore it. "Really? Ichika seems like a nice person, and she seemed concerned about me.", I say. Daichi-kun looks a bit surprised, and the shadow on his face melts away as he gives me a slightly sick sweet smile. "Of course you would think that, ###-chan!", he says brightly. "Now, let's hurry or we'll be late to Science! I wouldn't want Yugi-sensei to get mad at you", says Daichi-kun. "Yeah...", I say faintly as Daichi-kun cheerfully pulls me along to the classroom.
...Was it my imagination, or was there something slightly off about Daichi-kun in that moment?
