Tokyo, 1994, starting with medical training

Chapter 57 Passing By

Saionji Mina slowly raised her hand.

Her hands were trembling, her fingertips less than a centimeter from the cold iron door.

Just keep hitting it.

Just ask one question.

Even just chatting is fine.

She raised her hand, clenched it into a fist, and held it about five centimeters in front of the door.

Just a little bit more forward.

knock knock.

With just two soft clicks, the door will open.

However, her hand stopped, frozen in mid-air.

People will probably think I'm crazy.

I'll probably be disliked.

They'll probably be seen as a troublesome neighbor, and people will avoid them whenever they see them.

Besides, it's already strange to knock on a single man's door so late at night, isn't it?

Fear surged up like a tide, instantly drowning out that momentary impulse.

The ingrained humility and cowardice once again prevailed.

If you don't knock on the door, nothing will happen, but nothing will change either.

If you knock on the door...

The consequences are unknown.

And she, Saionji Mina, is most afraid of the unknown.

She was afraid of losing control, afraid of being rejected, and afraid of her little secrets being exposed to the light of day.

The hand, suspended in mid-air, began to tremble slightly.

My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of my throat.

No.

Can't do it.

How could I possibly knock on that door and touch that man who looked like a flame?

Mina Saionji bit her lip until she tasted the rusty, metallic taste of blood.

"call……"

She withdrew her hand.

As if burned, she quickly pulled back to her chest.

"waste."

In the darkness, Saionji Mina muttered a curse to herself as she spoke to the air.

Let's go back.

We've been doing this for so many years, it's nothing special.

She planned to turn around, run back to her room, and hide in the gutter like a rat.

However, before they could even take a step...

Snapped!

The motion-activated light above my head, which had been malfunctioning, suddenly lit up without warning.

The narrow corridor was filled with dim yellow light.

Saionji Mina's body stiffened, her disheveled figure, which was preparing to escape, now looked as if it had been placed under the sun to dry.

"What's up?"

A flat voice rang out from the direction of the stairwell.

Saionji Mina felt as if all the blood in her body had frozen.

She mechanically turned her neck, her movements like a puppet.

Kazusuke Kiryu was standing on the last step of the stairs.

He was carrying a Lawson convenience store plastic bag in one hand and had his other hand in the pocket of his black wool coat, looking at me with a puzzled expression.

When did he come up?

Why is there no sound at all?

Were they so focused on their inner struggle that they didn't notice the footsteps coming upstairs?

"Ah... that..."

Saionji Mina was speechless, her face instantly turning bright red, all the way to her ears.

Was discovered.

The foolish way he stood at someone's door, wanting to knock but not daring to, was seen by everyone.

"I...I..."

She was incoherent, wanting to explain but unable to find any excuse.

Kiryu Kazusuke glanced at the door of room 302, then at the panicked Saionji Mina.

"If you're asking to borrow soy sauce, I don't have any."

He waved the plastic bag in his hand, which contained two cans of beer and some fast food snacks.

This is considered giving her a way out.

"No, that's not it!"

Saionji Mina quickly waved her hand.

"Um...light..." She pointed to the light under the door, "Um, Kiryu-san, weren't you...were you not home just now?"

Normally, Saionji Mina would never ask such an offensive question.

But now, the over-frightened brain has lost its ability to filter information and directly voices its doubts.

Kiryu Kazusuke glanced through the crack in the door, following her finger.

"Oh, that one."

"I don't like opening the door and being faced with a dark and cold room."

"So I always turn on the lights before I go out."

As he spoke, he walked forward and stood at the door of room 302.

In 1994, when there were no smartphones, no social networks, and communication between people relied solely on phone lines and face-to-face meetings, loneliness was a tangible ailment.

This is especially true for young people living alone.

Whether it's Tokyo or Maebashi, the brighter the city's neon lights flash, the more amplified one's sense of loneliness becomes.

Kazusuke Kiryu clearly understands the significant psychological influence of the environment.

Returning home to a dark room causes the brain to release cortisol, increasing stress levels and making him feel like a wandering ghost in the city.

A simple lamp can provide dopamine and a sense of security.

Electricity is cheap, but mood is expensive.

Saionji Mina was stunned, a strange feeling of bittersweetness welling up inside her.

She knew the feeling Kiryu-san was talking about.

Because I am the same way.

Every day after returning home, fumbling for the light switch in the dark, those few seconds of loneliness are often more unbearable than the grievances suffered at the company during the day.

"Is that so..."

Mina Saionji murmured to herself.

"Nothing else?"

Kiryu Kazusuke turned the key, and the door lock clicked.

"I'm...I'm sorry!"

Saionji Mina suddenly snapped out of her daze and hurriedly bowed.

"I was just passing by, just passing by!"

"I'm going back now!"

After saying that, she hurriedly ran towards her room, 301.

So embarrassing.

Not only was he caught red-handed lurking suspiciously at his neighbor's door, but he was also asked stupid questions.

Kazusuke Kiryu was speechless.

That's such a lame excuse. Who would pass by someone's house in the middle of the night?

But he didn't say anything, shook his head, and prepared to go inside.

However, just as he was about to push the door open, he pulled the doorknob outward and closed the door.

"Wait a moment."

Suddenly, Kazusuke Kiryu's voice rang out.

Saionji Mina stopped in her tracks, turned around, and looked somewhat pale.

Sure enough, I'm going to get scolded, right?

Or should I warn myself to stay away from it in the future?

My hand was already gripping the doorknob; I only needed to press down one more centimeter to squeeze through…

"Kiryu-san... is there anything else?"

"I wanted to ask you, is there anything else to do tonight?"

Kiryu Kazusuke leaned against the doorframe of his house.

This timid neighbor's voice is so low that it's almost drowned out by the draft in the hallway if you don't listen carefully.

"Huh?"

Saionji Mina's shoulders hunched slightly.

This question is beyond the scope of the curriculum.

If Section Chief Yoshino asks this question, it's a signal that overtime is mandatory.

If a former classmate from Tokyo asks this question, it means they want to borrow money or are trying to sell insurance.

No, no.

"No, no, there is, there is!"

"I want to watch... I want to watch a rerun of the finale of 'Tokyo Cinderella'!"

Saionji Mina first shook her head and then nodded vigorously.

This drama has just finished airing and was extremely popular; it was one of the most popular Japanese dramas of this fall season.

For an ordinary girl like her, struggling in this depressing era, it was the only spiritual opium.

Having found a reason, she turned around again and turned the doorknob.

"We can record the TV series and watch it tomorrow." Kiryu Kazusuke leaned against his doorframe. "Want to come somewhere with me?"

Saionji Mina's hand slipped, and the doorknob made a hollow "click".

Go somewhere?

Now?

Nine o'clock at night?

(End of this chapter)