Author's Notes: This story completely belongs to me, although ideas, character names, and events may be influenced by a number of animes I've seen. I will also try to minimize the use of Japanese in this fic, but some phrases can never sound good when translated, so..., go to www.oocities.org/storymasterq/ADDict.htm for translations. You can also mail me at storymasterq@softhome.net if you have further questions, suggestion, praises, or even flames.

My Roomate's a Ghost

Episode One: Shizureishimasu!
(Subtitle: Episode One: Excuse me!)

    The sun was shining mildly upon Tokyo on a fresh Spring Sunday. Ice cones were still melting on the trees, but the birds were already out, singing to their hearts' content. One bird flew and landed on a window sill. With its small beak, it began to knock on the glass.
    "Hnnn..."
    The bird began knocking harder. Then again, and again, and again, until...
    The window was thrown open, surprising the bird. A woman stuck her head out and yelled, "Urusaiiiiiiiiii!" Her yell surprised all the birds in the area, and they flew away. The woman grumbled as she scratched her head. She sleepily went back to her bed. Just as her head touched her pillow, another knock was heard. This time, on her door. She moaned. "Mou..." She pulled herself out of bed and went to the door. "Dare?" she asked sleepily.
    "Good morning, Suzuhara-san. I'm here for the empty room..." a male reply came from outside.
    "Empty room...?" the woman fumbled through her memories.
    "Yes, um, may I come in?"
    The woman blinked slowly. She seemed to be very sleepy, maybe even drunk. "Hai...A, matte, ne..." She was about to let the man in, but realized that she wasn't wearing anything but her underwear. She hurried to her closet and snatched a loose shirt.

    "Room 313?"
    The woman and her guest were sitting with their legs in a kotatsu in her room. She looked at her guest with a strange stare. The man had short black hair, white skin, slits for eyes, and too much smile. A typical Japanese. He seemed to be around 20, maybe younger. "Who told you that the room is available?"
    "My friend Kunawari Shun in room 305." he replied.
    "Kunawari...Ah, that one." the woman sighed. "He talks too much."
    The guest frowned. "You seemed reluctant to give me the room." he said. "May I know why?"
    "Well..." The woman looked at him, expecting his name.
    "Yaisu, Yaisu Toru." he bowed a bit, restricted by the kotatsu.
    "Well, Yaisu-kun," the woman, being around late 20s, called him rather informally with '-kun', "have you heard the stories about room 313?"
    Toru frowned, but smiled. "The ghost stories? Come on, Suzuhara-san, do you still believe ghosts exist in this modern world?"
    Suzuhara Ayami, the manager, sighed, shaking her head. "That's what the last dozen said..." she muttered. "They left the room after the first night."
    Toru shook his head. "I don't believe in ghosts." he said.
    Ayami nodded. "So said the last five."
    "I'll pay in advance."
    "So did the last three. I still have their deposits."
    Toru frowned. "Will you give me the room or not?"
    Ayami sighed. "Well, paying in advance will only benefit me, so, okay. How long would you like to rent the room?"

    Toru smiled broadly as he put his suitcase on his right and inserted the key to room 313. The door opened with a creak. Toru expected a dusty and scary-looking room, but room 313 was well-maintained. The windows were open, letting the sunshine in. A wooden clothes shelf was on a corner of the room, a bed with a clean sheet on the other corner. The gray, stone-tiled floor was sparkling. There were no dust nor spider webs in sight. "Whoa, if there are ghosts here, they're quite the homemaker." he commented as he took his suitcase. But his right hand took nothing but air.
    Frowning, Toru looked to the right of his feet. His suitcase was gone. "Huh?" he asked himself. He looked around and found it on his left. He frowned. "What...? I'm sure I put it to my right." he said. "Masaka...t-the ghost...?" he asked himself. He gulped as he took his suitcase.
    Slowly, he entered the room, looking around the room for signs of more ghost activities. "Shi-Shizureishimasu..." he whispered timidly.

    Toru sighed as he put the last of his clothes in the clothes shelf. He had finished unpacking. He closed his suitcase and put it next to the shelf. He looked around the room again. There were no sign that the room was haunted. In fact, it looked like it's been really taken care of. He almost felt guilty intruding into a such a clean room. He felt like he's ruining the excellent work just by being there and breathing the air.
    Toru went and sat on the bed. It was a simple wooden bed with a very soft mattress. He tried poking it to find out the filling, but he soon gave up. He took another big breath. "Wow, even the air in here is clean." he said. He was still awed by the cleanliness of the room, but his stomach was protesting. He sighed. "Well, better go eat." he said as he stood up.
    Walking towards the door, Toru heard a slight rustle behind him. He turned around instantly, but found no one. He frowned. 'What was that?' he thought. 'The ghost?' He scanned the room again. It was just like when he went in, except for his suitcase. Everything was well-maintained. Even the bed sheet was neatly tucked, without any trace of having been touched. Toru shook his head, 'Naah,' he thought, 'it couldn't be. Ghosts don't exist.' With that thought, he turned around and went out the room.
    "Hey, Toru-kun."
    Toru turned to the voice. "Ah, Shun-kun."
    "I see you got the room." Shun said, pulling Toru's neck in his arms.
    "Ah, yeah." Toru said, trying to get himself loose. He did it after several tries. "I wonder where they got the ghost stories. The room is great."
    "Desu ne?" Shun smiled. "I peeked into it once through the windows. It was the most well-maintained room the this whole building. Even better than the girls'."
    "Girls?" Toru asked.
    Shun grinned. "You don't know? There are also girls in this building. Why else would the kanrinin be a girl?"
    Toru's eyes widened. "Hontou? No wonder you dragged me here." he chuckled.
    Shun chuckled in his suit. A moment later, he stopped as he looked at his watch. "Hey, it's time for dinner. Come on, I'll show you a good place."

    "Irasshaimase!" a cute waitress greeted Shun and Toru as they walked into a cafe.
    "Yo, Lina-chan!" Shun greeted back.
    "Ara, Shun-kun ka?" The waitress went to them. "Eating here again tonight?"
    "Of course." Shun grinned. "With a waitress as cute as you, who can resist?"
    Lina chuckled, blushing slightly. "Mou, Shun-kun, yamete, yo...Ah, who's this?"
    "Ah, this is my friend. Yaisu Toru. Toru, this is Kitahara Lina. She's in room 403."
    Lina raised her eyebrows as she offered a shake. "Oh, are you in our building too, Toru-kun?"
    Toru blushed a bit, shaking her hand. "Yes, room 313."
    Lina's eyes widened. "Hontou? Ahaha, ganbatte, ne, Toru-kun. But I suggest you start finding a new room, just in case."
    "Lina! Chatting with customers! Cut salary!" a middle-aged Chinese man was shouting from behind a busy-looking counter.
    Lina cringed. "Ack, better get back to work. My boss is quite strict at these times."
    "Sure, sure. We'll find ourselves a table." Shun said.
    "I'll get back to you with the menu in a while, 'kay?" Lina said, winking. She then hurried to the counter.
    Shun looked around and found a nice spot near the window. "Come on, Toru-kun."
    "She seems to be a nice girl." Toru said as they sat.
    "Lina-chan? Yeah, I've known her since she moved into the building last year." Shun said.
    Toru turned to the crowd and easily spotted her. She was quite a radiant girl. He returned his look to his friend and saw him grinning. "What?" he asked.
    "You like her, do you?" Shun asked.
    Toru blushed. "H-How can I? I just met her!"
    Shun chuckled. "Better forget her. She isn't worth chasing, except maybe for discounts...Ow!"
    Next to him was Lina, holding two menus. She had hit Shun's head with them. "Yeah, I should've known your intentions were nothing but food."
    "Are you two..." Toru began, but didn't finish the sentence.
    Line growled at Shun. "Not anymore."
    "But we're still good friends, aren't we?" Shun asked, leaning himself to her like a cat.
    "Stop that!" Lina exclaimed, chuckling.
    "Lina! Flirting with customer! Cut salary!"
    "Dammit, Shun-kun, you're going to make me work for nothing." Lina said, shoving him off her. She put the menus on the table and reached for a notebook in her pocket. "Order now or later?" she asked.
    Shun raised both shoulders. "Ah, well, might as well have them now. You know my usual, right?"
    Lina jotted down 'Shun's usual' on her notebook. She turned to Toru. "And you, Toru-kun?"
    "Um..." Toru looked at the menu.
    "Just have what I have, Toru-kun." Shun said. "You won't regret it."
    Toru thought about it for a while. "Okay."
    Lina added 'x2' to her note. "Coming right up." she said as she took the menus and left.

    Toru sighed as he inserted the key to his room. Shun had asked him to pay for their meal, which left him without breakfast money for the morning after. Feeling depressed, he went back to his room, leaving Shun and Lina chatting. She'll get her salary cut again, but to his eyes, she didn't seem to mind.
    Toru opened the door and found the room dark. He closed the door and ran his hand on the wall, searching for the switch. He found it and switched it on. But the room remained dark. "Huh? That's strange. The room is well-maintained, but the lamp's dead?" he asked himself. He sighed as he walked to his bed in the dark. Just then, the room went bright. The lamp on the ceiling was turned on.
    Toru turned around, but no one was in the room. He gulped. "P-Playing with me, huh...?" he muttered. He began to understand why earlier tenants leave after one night. "Hmm, maybe the light needs to warm up before turning on..." he mumbled. "Y-Yeah, that's got to be it. That's why it didn't turn on immediately." he said as he sat on the bed. He immediately felt it.
    The bed was cool. Not cool like it's unused, but cool like it's refrigerated. Toru shivered. "M-Must be because it's not used during the winter." he tried to reason.
    He then noted that the windows were all closed except the one above the door. He frowned. "Who...?" He shrugged. "Probably the one who kept the room so clean." he said. He took a big breath before laying on the bed. Once again, he noted how fresh the air smells. It's so...intoxicating. So...fresh...So...sleepy...

    Toru's room was dark. The lamp had been turned off. Moonlight was shining into the room through the open window. The environment was silent, almost eerie. Toru was sleeping soundly on the bed. Suddenly his eyes flung open. He thought he heard something.
    Slowly resuming sitting position, Toru tried to enhance his hearing. There it was again! A sound of a muffled cry. Toru gulped. He scanned the room, but it was empty. He suddenly noted that the light was off. 'Who turned off the light?' he asked in thought.
    Suddenly, a hazy figure appeared next to his bed, in front of the clothes shelf. It was a figure of a person, sitting with folded, not crossed, legs, a position most ladies of earlier Japan use in a daily basis. The clothes were fuzzy, but the shoulder movements seemed to indicate that the figure was crying.
    Toru gulped again as he stared at the hazy figure. "W-Who's there?" he boldly asked.
    The figure turned in surprise, then disappeared like a fog dissipated into air. Toru didn't have a chance to see its face.
    Toru swiveled on the bed quickly as he was about to stand up, involuntarily messing the sheets badly.
    "Iyaaa! Dame!" a female voice was heard, surprising him.
    Toru jumped to stand and ran to the light switch. He switched it on, but the room stayed dark. "Damn this light!" he exclaimed.
    In the dark, Toru heard frantic rustling from the corner where the bed was. He tried to enhance his sight, but it was too dark to tell what's going on.
    Finally the lamp turned on, illuminating the room. Toru scanned it once again. Nothing. The room was still like he first saw it, with the exception of his suitcase next to the clothes shelf. The bed was made, the sheets were neatly tucked...Wait a minute!
    Toru's eyes widened as he realized something. He went to his bed and ran his fingers on the sheet. It was cold, refrigerated cold. He was just on the bed, and he was sure he pulled the sheets halfway off the bed, but now...it's tucked back in. He looked around, but didn't see anyone.
    Toru hummed. He fell into deep thought for a while. He then hit his palm with his fist, determined.

    Toru sighed as he turned the lights off. He then went to the emergency bed he made from his clothes, next to the neatly made bed. He used a bunch of clothes for a pillow. Sighing again, he laid on the 'futon'. The hard stone tile was...well, hard, but it was the cold that was most irritating. It's almost like sleeping outside. He shrugged and tried to sleep. The fresh air helped quite substantially.
    Moments later, he's asleep again. He involuntarily shivered to keep his body warm. For a while, the environment was still.
    Then, the hazy figure reappeared next to Toru, sitting in a folded legs position. The figure sat there, watching Toru sleep. It cupped a hand on its mouth as it noticed him shivering. It then put a hand on his head, brushing him slightly.

    Toru woke up the next morning with a sore back. It's to be expected, sleeping on the floor all night. His emergency 'futon' didn't help one bit. As he resumed sitting position, he noticed a thick blanket was on him. He tilted his head aside. 'I didn't remember putting on a blanket.' he thought. Then it hit him. 'The ghost!' He jumped to stand, scanning the room. As usual, it was empty. The bed was still neatly made. The only difference with the night before is that the windows are all open, letting the sunshine in, and some warmth.
    Toru held the corner of the thick blanket tightly in his hand. He smiled. "Arigatou," he said softly. He then continued to fold the huge blanket.
    It wasn't easy to fold a huge, thick blanket. He had to figure out just where to fold so that the end result is anywhere near neat. Just as he finished folding, he put it on the bed, carefully so that the sheets didn't get too messed up. He then turned to fold his clothes, only to see the last of his folded clothes flying into the shelf. "W-What the...?"
    Toru went to the shelf and found that all of his clothes he had used the night before as an emergency bed were neatly folded, and looked even cleaner than when he brought them. Suspicious, he turned to the bed and once again surprised to see the blanket gone. He grumbled. "Mou, if I had known I wouldn't have folded it." he said.
    To his surprise, he heard a slight giggle echoing through the room. Instead of being afraid, Toru smiled, then chuckled himself.
    Just then, his door was knocked. "Hey, Toru-kun, you haven't run away, have you?" It was Shun.
    Toru went to the door, opening it with a smile. "Nope, I'm alright."
    Shun smiled even wider. Next to him was an amazed Ayami. "Congratulations, Yaisu-kun," she said, "you got the room."
    "Arigatou, kanrinin." Toru said.
    "Come on, let's have a party." Shun said. "It's the first time anyone stayed for one full night in the room."
    Ayami frowned at him. "Party, eh? Who's going to pay for all the food?"
    Shun scratched the back of his head, then got an idea. "Hey, how about the deposits from all those people before Toru?"
    Ayami's frown deepened. But then she raised an eyebrow. "Hey, that's not bad. Okay, for today only, the beverages in the public bath is free!"
    "Yay!" Shun exclaimed. "Come on, Toru-kun, let's go."
    Toru sweatdropped. "W-Well, okay. You go on first, I'll get ready. Where's the bath?"
    "The entrance is just next to my room." Ayami said.
    "Okay, I'll be right there." Toru said, closing his door.
    Toru then went to his clothes shelf and noticed the bed. On it was a bucket, filled with his bath equipment, from toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, soap, and small towel. Next to it was a change of clothes. His clothes. He looked around. "I don't need help on this one, but, thanks." he said.
    He took the prepared stuff and went for the door. He opened it and went outside. Just as he was about to lock his door, he opened it again, tucked his head inside and said, "Ittekimasu."
    He wasn't all that surprised to hear a faint reply, "Itterasshai."
    Toru smiled. He pulled his head out and locked the door.

To be continued...

Next on MRG: Yaisu Toru begins to understand the ghost in his room of 313, and decided not to share the knowledge with the rest of the tenants, not even the manager, Suzuhara Ayami. Little by little, he begins to get to know the ghost better. If he's going to live there, he should get acquaintanced with everyone, right?