Kayako hugged Komuro in her arms and reluctantly returned to her home.
It was a detached house in Tokyo's North District. The entire building looked old, like something built in the 1960s or 1970s, and it was falling apart.
The whole place carried a dark, decaying atmosphere, just like the impression Kayako gave.
Because Japan has many earthquakes, houses, especially detached ones, were often built entirely of wood.
Over time, wooden houses suffer damage from woodworms and other issues, and living in them eventually becomes dangerous. There is even a risk of collapse.
Normally, homeowners would have to spend money to repair the house.
But the Kawamata family had no money at all. They could not repair anything. Kayako could only live in this house that creaked with every step, as if it could collapse at any moment.
As soon as she entered and changed her shoes in the entryway, she heard her Mother and Father arguing upstairs. All sorts of vicious curses spilled from the mouths of those irresponsible parents.
It was fortunate the house was in a remote location, with the nearest neighbors some distance away. Otherwise, the police would probably be called daily.
Kayako had long grown used to this.
Since she became aware of the world, her memories were full of her parents' endless arguments. When they got angry enough, she became the target they took it out on.
In her memories, the only person who had ever been kind to her was her Grandpa, who had passed away long ago. That warm memory felt so distant that Kayako sometimes wondered if it had been an illusion.
"Bang."
The lights suddenly turned on, startling her.
Her Father stormed out of his room. The moment he saw Kayako tiptoeing toward her room, he glared and cursed:
"You little slut, coming back so late? Just like your Mother, both of you are ungrateful wretches. Who knows how many men you're fooling around with outside."
"If it weren't for me, you wouldn't even have a place to live. You still don't know how to be grateful. All you do is piss me off. One day, I'll throw both of you out. When you're homeless, let's see what you do then."
Kayako shrank her head, not daring to respond. She expected him to slap her a few times like always, but tonight he surprisingly did not hit her. He went straight to the door, put on his shoes, and prepared to leave.
Before stepping out, he glanced at Komuro in Kayako's arms and snarled, "Keep an eye on that cat. If I ever see it in the living room breaking something, I'll strangle it."
Kayako hugged the cat tightly and whispered, trembling, "Komuro is very well-behaved. It won't break anything."
"That is a cat. It doesn't understand human language. Of course it will break things."
He snorted and slammed the door shut.
Kayako finally breathed a sigh of relief. She had managed to escape a beating today.
It must be because I met Fujiwara-kun. Fujiwara-kun must have brought me good luck.
She thought happily to herself.
She turned off the light, walked through the darkness, and carefully returned to her room.
The only advantage of a detached house was the number of rooms. Even Kayako had her own.
Her Father was uneducated and unskilled. He had been a delinquent in school and never worked after graduating, living off his parents instead.
Kayako's Grandpa and Grandma tried to discipline him, but nothing worked.
Back then, he played pachinko every day or drank with sketchy friends.
He was not a good person, but at least he did nothing extremely harmful to society. There were no serious crimes.
Her Mother had been a bar hostess. Her Father met her while drinking. They were both the type to fool around. They got together and, without precautions, had Kayako.
At that time, Kayako's Grandpa had already passed away, but her Grandma was still alive. Young Kayako was raised by her Grandma.
If she had been raised by her parents alone, Kayako might not have survived her childhood.
Unfortunately, her Grandma also passed away when Kayako was still young, leaving her Father the house and an inheritance.
Once he gained control of the property, he and her Mother began spending extravagantly. Within a few years, all the money was gone.
Fortunately, he had at least kept the house. Otherwise, the family would have been homeless.
Her parents had gotten together because they were playing around. After marriage, naturally, there were constant fights, and they vented their frustrations on Kayako. Her life was miserable.
They did not divorce because her Father knew he was incompetent, and having a wife at least gave him someone to vent on.
Her Mother, already aging, felt it was better to stay and have a place to live. If she divorced, she would have to pay rent.
So the three of them continued living like this for years.
In her room, Kayako put Komuro down. She looked at the bread and items Toru bought for her, dazed for a moment, then said to the cat, "Wait a moment, Komuro."
She searched the house for a bowl, poured some cat food into it, and put it in front of Komuro.
Having lived in a junkyard before, the cat had never seen real cat food. Smelling the aroma, Komuro immediately started eating enthusiastically.
Seeing Komuro so happy, Kayako finally smiled.
This is great. Komuro does not have to starve with me anymore. This is all thanks to Fujiwara-kun.
Thinking of Toru made her heart pound again. There was still some bread left. She planned to take it to school tomorrow.
She opened the drawer of her old cabinet and took out a notebook.
She had the habit of writing a diary.
"March 20th, Sunny."
"Today is the luckiest and happiest day of my life. I was sitting by the roadside holding Komuro, worrying about what we should eat, wondering if I should pick up trash again. Komuro has suffered so much with me, and I felt so sad."
"A deity descended. His name is Fujiwara Toru. He is very, very handsome, the most handsome man I have ever seen."
"His smile is so gentle, like the bright sun in the sky. His voice is pleasant, like the wonderful music on television."
"He did not dislike me. He cared whether I had eaten, and he told me some profound things. I did not fully understand them, but I know he is right, and I should listen."
"He said he hopes I will keep going there in the future, and he will help me and give me food until I become an adult."
"Suddenly, I do not want to become an adult. He must be the deity I have been longing for."
"What a wonderful day. This is the first time I have written that. Today is truly amazing."
Reading her diary, she seemed like a completely different girl. Unlike her gloomy appearance, her writing was lively and cheerful, filled with the brightness of a blooming flower.
After finishing, she closed the notebook and put it back into the drawer.
She glanced at Komuro, who had finished eating and curled up on the floor, ready to sleep. She took out her bedding and prepared to sleep as well.
Once she woke up, it would be tomorrow, and she would be one day closer to seeing Fujiwara-kun again.
(To be continued.)