“Heehee, I hope we can be friends at school too,” Shizuka said, bowing politely again.
“So, Landlord-san, did you need something?”
“Oh, right, I almost forgot.” Shizuka clapped her hands together, then pointed to the window behind Koutarou and Kenji. “I actually happened to see the moving van leave a little while ago and figured it was about time to help.”
“From the window?”
“Yes, Mackenzie-san. I actually happen to live in the room above this one.”
“Jealous yet? I’m sharing a roof with a cute landlord.”
“Oh my...” Shizuka’s eyes opened wide for a moment before she smiled. “You flatter me, Satomi-san.”
“Of course you’re sharing the same roof. This is an apartment building.”
“It’s a matter of perspective.”
“Teehee, the two of you sure get along well... Oh, that’s right, I came to lend a hand. With all the heavy lifting done, I should be able to help now.”
“That would be great, Landlord-san. Kou’s good at breaking stuff and making a mess, but he’s bad at putting things together and cleaning up.”
“Hey, Mackenzie! Don’t talk about me like that!”
“It’s the truth, isn’t it? Do you have any idea how much trouble you cause me?” Kenji let out a heavy sigh as he pushed up his glasses.
“Then you’re always the one stuck cleaning up, Mackenzie-san?”
“Yes, I have a terrible time of it.”
“But I’m grateful for it.”
“...Not that I’d ever know. Oh, but there’s something I wanted to ask you, Landlord-san.”
“Oh? What is it?” Still smiling, Shizuka nodded her head.
“Why is the rent for this room only 5,000 yen?”
“H-Hey, Mackenzie! Don’t just ask something like that all of a sudden!”
Koutarou, who was already aware of the circumstances, began panicking.
“But I want to know. With a great room like this and a reliable landlord, I don’t see anything wrong with the place.”
“This apartment was left behind by her parents and—”
“I don’t mind, Satomi-san.”
Koutarou was worried about angering Shizuka, but she simply smiled calmly and shook her head.
“Mackenzie-san’s right. Besides... Heehee, can’t you tell that he’s worried about you, Satomi-san?”
“Landlord-san...”
“It’s not like there’s anything I can do about it anyway.”
“Y-Yeah...”
Koutarou nodded apologetically as Shizuka turned back towards Kenji.
“Actually, it appears in this room.”
“Appear? What does?”
“The rumors say it’s a ghost.”
“A gh-ghost?!” Startled, Kenji hastily looked around the room in paranoia.
“I’ve never seen it myself, but every tenant that’s moved in here has... Because of that, no one ever stays for long.”
“A ghost, huh? I find that hard to believe...”
“I did too. But every tenant has said the same thing when they moved out, so it must be the truth.” Shizuka smiled weakly and drooped her shoulders as she looked at the perplexed Kenji.
“Leave it to me, Landlord-san. I’m not going to let some ghost scare me off.”
“I’m counting on you. Please stay long enough to get rid of any rumors about ghosts.”
“You bet!”
“But to think there’s a ghost in here...” Still unconvinced, Kenji took another look around the room.
“Nothing will come from thinking too hard about it, Mackenzie. Landlord-san’s here to help out, so let’s start unpacking.”
“...Y-Yeah, let’s.” At Koutarou’s behest, Kenji vigorously shook his head to snap himself out of it. “I’m sure you’d be fine even if a ghost showed up, considering how thickheaded you are.”
“That sounds awfully spiteful, Mackenzie.”
“That was intentional.”
“Figures... Well, let’s get started, Landlord-san.”
“Sure thing, Satomi-san... But you two really do get along well.” Shizuka started laughing as she looked at Koutarou and Kenji.
“You think so?”
“Landlord-san, please don’t say such revolting things.”
“Mackenzie, you really don’t have to put it like that, do you?”
Koutarou and the others began milling about, unpacking the boxes one at a time. With Kenji and Shizuka’s help, room 106 was cleaned up enough to be perfectly livable before dinnertime.
“I’m going home now, but don’t forget about work tomorrow. Keep the unpacking to a minimum and get to bed early, okay?”
“I know, I know. I can’t afford to oversleep, right?”
“You saying ‘I know’ like that is the least convincing thing ever.”
Kenji sighed as he put on his shoes that had been tossed to the side of the front door.
“Then I’ll take my leave now as well, Satomi-san.”
“Landlord-san, you don’t have to call me Satomi-san. We’ll be classmates the day after tomorrow.”
“Okay, then... Satomi-kun.”
“That sounds better.”
“Okay, Satomi-kun it is then.”
Shizuka flashed a radiant smile as she put on her shoes that she’d left neatly arranged by the entrance. Kenji opened the front door for both of them.
“Thanks a lot for today, Landlord-san,” Koutarou said, watching Shizuka and Kenji step outside.
“Don’t even mention it. I was happy to help.”
“What? No thanks for me?”
“You’re more of a give and take kind of guy.”
“That’s not how I see it...”
“Well, goodbye for now, Satomi-kun.”
“Goodbye, Landlord-san.”
“Hurry up and get to sleep.”
“I know, I know.”
Kenji and Shizuka departed room 106 as the door shut behind them.
Being left alone, Koutarou continued unpacking after he finished eating the bento he’d bought at the convenience store.
“Hmm... What to do with this bat...? I can’t treat it like any old bat after all, and I can’t just leave it in the umbrella stand either...”
Koutarou was holding a bat in his hand, trying to think of a place to put it. This was no ordinary bat, you see. It was one of Koutarou’s prized possessions: a bat used and signed by a legendary slugger known as “the god of batting.”
“All right, I’ll get a stand for it. The corner will have to do for now.”
Koutarou put the bat down and got to opening up another box.
“What was in this one?”
Peeling back the tape on the box, Koutarou peeked inside.
“Ah, more memorabilia...”
Trophies, certificates, commemorative plaques, and his beloved glove. They were all keepsakes from Koutarou’s middle school days.
“Whoops. I put this in here too?”
There was one thing in the box that didn’t fit in with the rest of his baseball treasures.
“I better set this aside...”
Koutarou held in his hands a half-knit sweater. He neatly wrapped some packing paper around it, and carefully tucked it inside the suitcase in the wardrobe.
“And that’s that.”
Koutarou clapped his hands together as he stepped away from the wardrobe. That was when the cellphone he had left charging in the corner of the room started ringing.
“Hmm? My old man?”
There was only one person with that ringtone among Koutarou’s contacts: Satomi Yuichirou.
The name of his father flashed on the small screen. Koutarou picked up the phone, answered the call, and put it against his ear.
“Hey, old man.”
“Oh, there you are, Koutarou.”
As expected, the voice coming from the other side was none other than Koutarou’s father, Yuichirou.