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 Three: Sumimasen
(Subtitle: Episode Three: I'm so sorry)

    "Tadaima..." Toru whispered as he entered his room. He turned towards the door to close and lock it. When he turned to face the room, he found Shinobu hovering about a foot above the bed on her usual folded legs sitting position.
    "Okaeri nasai, Toru-sama." she replied softly, bowing slightly.
    "N-Ne..., Shinobu-chan..." Toru started to say as he walked towards the bed. "Can you drop the -sama tag? I'm not your master or anything."
    Shinobu looked up to him, smiling, but not replying.
    Toru sighed. He dropped to a crossed-legs sitting position, laying his back on the clothes shelf. Shinobu flew and landed in front of him. Toru looked at the partially see-through entity in front of him. "Ne, you're a ghost, right?"
    Shinobu chuckled. "Can I be anything else?" she asked back.
    Toru grinned, realizing his stupid question. "It's just that...To my knowledge...Well, aren't ghosts supposed to be...well, ethereal?"
    Shinobu frowned a bit, not recognizing the modern word. "Ethereal?"
    Toru scratched his head. "Well, you seem to be solid enough to tuck the sheets into the bed."
    Shinobu's frown disappeared, replaced by her usual smile. "I have been dead for quite a while. I have learnt how to harden my form for several moments so I can keep the room clean."
    Toru gulped. He looked at her, remorse evident on his eyes.
    Shinobu realized it instantly. "It doesn't matter anymore. As I said, I am used to being dead."
    Toru looked down. Involuntarily, his eyes fell on her ghostly hands. Slowly, he reached to touch them, but his hands went through. He shivered. Running his hands through her ghostly form sent a very cold chill throughout his body.
    Shinobu smiled. She held her right hand up for a moment, then lowered it onto his. This time, it didn't fall through.
    Toru was ultimately surprised to feel the solid hand. It was still deadly (heh) cold, but it was solid. He softly rubbed her fingers.
    "Da-Dame, yo, Toru-sama..." Shinobu suddenly said, as she quickly retrieved her hand. She held it to her chest, looking down.
    "A, go-gomen nasai..." Toru choked. He suddenly realized that his fascination could be mistranslated as something else, especially by a maid of the earlier days of Japan. But then he frowned. "Hey, what did I tell you about that -sama tag?"
    Shinobu didn't look up. Instead, she turned her head aside, avoiding his eyes. "I...I cannot drop it. That would be against my nature."
    Toru sighed. He looked around, and his eyes fell on the bed. He turned back to Shinobu. "Ne, Shinobu-chan, um, about tonight...Um, can I use the bed? I need my rest tonight. I promise I'll help make it tomorrow."
    Shinobu didn't reply for a while, then she giggled. She looked up to him in her usual smile. "Of course," she said, "You don't have to worry, I'll make it. I was, still am, and will always be a maid."
    Toru frowned. "B-But...last night...?"
    Shinobu giggled again. "It was my routine haunting." she replied. "I did it to all the previous tenants who tried to stay in this room." Her stare softened substantially as she continued, "But you were the only one who understood. I finally found someone who understand."
    Toru smiled. "So...it was actually just a test?"
    Shinobu nodded.
    "Thank God..." Toru sighed. "The thought of having to sleep on the floor forever is terrible."
    Shinobu giggled.

    Toru sighed as he snuck under the thick blanket. The bed was very soft, a complete opposite to the floor. The refrigerated cold was replaced by a soothing coolness of fresh sheets. He began to get sleepy almost instantly. He had time to wonder where Shinobu sleeps, or even if she sleeps, but a strange odor emanating from the sheets made him even sleepier. With a last sigh, he fell asleep.
    Shinobu was hovering nearby. After making sure that Toru was really asleep, she floated high towards the top of clothes shelf and took something from above it. A paper, yellowed by age. Shivering, she opened it.
    しのぶちゃん、私お313の部屋の中に待てください。愛しっている。びく。
    (Subtitle: Shinobu-chan, watashi o 313 no heya no naka ni ma te kudasai. Aishitteiru. Biku.)
    (Subtitle: Shinobu-chan, please wait for me in room 313. I love you. Biku.)
    Shinobu brought the paper to her chest, looking down. An observant reader might see tears swelling on her eyes.

    "Toru-sama, okite kudasai."
    Toru mumbled something about five minutes as he turned under the blanket.
    Shinobu fumed. She touched the blanket and it disappeared.
    Toru hummed as the cold air of a beautiful spring morning assaulted him.
    In a last attempt to wake Toru, Shinobu ran her ghostly form through him.
    "HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Toru woke up with a scream. "T-T-T-That's c-c-c-cold!" he said, assuming a sitting position.
    Shinobu giggled as she slowly landed on his pillow. "It's seven thirty." she said. "You told me to wake you up no matter what."
    Toru fumed. Shivering, he swiveled and stood up, grumbling about sadistic ways of waking people up. He then went to his clothes shelf. "W-Well, I'll be going to school today, so I'll be gone all day." he said, still a bit shivering as he took two sets of change of clothes. He turned back to the bed and was a little surprised to see it already made. "Wow, that's fast."
    Shinobu smiled, hovering a foot above the bed.
    "Anyway, um, I trust I can leave you alone?" Toru asked.
    Shinobu giggled. "I've been alone for quite a while, Toru-sama. You need not worry."
    Toru scratched the back of his head. "Oh, yeah..." He then took his bath equipment. "I'll be putting my clothes in the public bath locker so I can go straight to school from there. Also so that after school I can go straight to the bath before coming here."
    "You're very organized." Shinobu commented.
    Toru smiled. "A habit I have since my early childhood." he said as he double-check his equipment. Finding it all there, he nodded. "Ja, ittekimasu, Shinobu-chan." he said as he walked to the door.
    "Itterasshai, Toru-sama."

    It was not until lunchtime at the university that Toru remembered what Asuka told him the night before, about how Shinobu died.
[FLASHBACK]
    Toru and Asuka were sitting on the carpeted floor, stacks of papers were all over the place.
    "Here it is." Asuka said, pulling a bundle of papers. She fixed her glasses as she began to read, "Ghost of Room 313, known only as Shinobu the Maid."
    Toru nodded. "So her name is Shinobu." he said, feigning recognition.
    Asuka continued reading for a while before finding what she was looking for. "Ah, here. Frozen to death in room 313. Seems like she was cleaning the room when suddenly the door was locked from the outside. This happened on a winter day, right before an evacuation of some sorts. She was the last person in the building, so nobody could hear her scream. She was found dead the next morning, frozen solid on the bed."
    Toru cringed. "Uh, poor her." he said.
    Asuka frowned, then began to flip the pages of the bundled paper. "Hmm, nothing is written on how did the door was locked. Was it an accident or...?"
    Toru recalled Shinobu saying that she was murdered. He couldn't possibly tell Asuka that. "S-Say, is there a picture of her? Just in case I accidentally 'met' her."
    Asuka huffed, smiling as she looked up to him. "Impossible." she said. "Apparently, all records about her is lost due to a fire accident just a week after her death. Either she didn't want anyone to remember her or her murderer wanted to deter investigation. Either way it worked. The cops stopped searching, the case was closed under 'accident'."
    "Is that so..." Toru hummed.
    "Oh, here's an interesting trivia." Asuka said as she fixed her glasses. "The son of the owner of the building when Shinobu was working, Misato Biku, was rumored to have a relationship with the maid. A romantic one."
    "Oh?" That sparked Toru's interest. He stood up and went to sit next to Asuka. "Let me see that."
    Asuka shoved the bundle a bit. As Toru leaned towards her, she pointed as she read, "Misato Biku was questioned, but he was too shocked to reply. Records show that he later committed suicide. Hmm, doesn't say when or where, though."
    Toru hummed. He frowned as he scanned the page.
    A moment later, Asuka realized that her face was only inches away from Toru's. She blushed, but didn't move. Stealing glances from the corners of her eyes, she noticed that Toru wasn't affected. He was looking at the page intently. Avoiding possible conflict of interest (in her part), she gave the bundle to Toru as she stood up. "U-Um, I might have something else over there. Matte, ne." she said as she went to a bookcase.
    "Ah, thanks." Toru said as he continued to read the page, now freely turning over the pages.
    Asuka gulped as she stood in front of the book case, her back on Toru. She put a hand on her chest, calming herself. 'Bikkurishita...' she thought.
[END FLASHBACK]
    Toru tilted his head. 'Asuka is quite nice.' he thought. 'Lina and Sakura were wrong about her.'
    "Yo, Toru-kun!"
    Toru immediately stood up and walked away.
    "Hey, hey!"
    Toru sighed. He turned around. "I'm not paying for your lunch." he said to the incoming Shun.
    Shun grinned. "You know me that well, eh?"
    Toru grumbled. "Yes, I do."
    "Relax, I just ate." Shun said. "I found a free-lunch ticket."
    Toru gave him a side look. "Where did you find it?"
    "In my friend's bag." Shun replied.
    Toru sighed. "Yappari..."
    "Ne, I heard you scream this morning. What's the occasion?"
    Toru gulped. "U-Um, it...it was..."
    "Don't tell me, the ghost?" Shun asked.
    Toru almost fell off his chair.
    Shun laughed. "So you didn't really vanquish her, huh?" he asked. "Then how did you survive two nights there?"
    "I, uh..." Toru decided not to reveal the fact. "N-Nah, there aren't any ghosts there, Shun-kun. I just fell off the bed."
    It was Shun's turn to give him a side look. "Hontou?"
    "Ho-Hontou desu."
    Shun continued his side look, making Toru sweatdrop, but then shrugged. "If you say so."

    "Mou, I didn't think they'd cancel classes just because there aren't enough students present." Toru mumbled as he walked to his room. It was in the late afternoon, but the sun was already halfway to setting. Toru unlocked his room and went inside. "Tadaima, Shinobu-chan." he said.
    No reply.
    Toru frowned. He closed the door behind him and went to the bed. The environment remained silent. 'Where's Shinobu-chan? I thought she said she's confined in this room.' he thought. He shrugged. 'Maybe she's sleeping. I don't know if ghosts sleep, but if they do, I bet they sleep in the day.'
    He then went to the clothes shelf. As he was about to take a shirt, he tapped his head. 'Ah, I have change stored in the public bath.' he thought. 'Should I change now or later?' he thought, looking up. He noticed something sticking out. It looked like a piece of paper on top of the shelf. Frowning, he jumped and easily took it. 'What's this? I thought Shinobu-chan takes care of the garbage here...'
    He slowly opened the delicate paper and read the contents. His heart raced. He recognized the name. 'Biku!' he exclaimed in thought. 'So Shinobu-chan was in this room not because she was cleaning it, but she was called by him. So...does this mean that he...killed her?'
    Just then, the last of the sun's rays disappeared. Toru sighed. He went to the bed and sat on it.
    A moment later, Shinobu appeared, hovering in front of him. "Ara? Toru-sama, you're home already?" she asked.
    Toru looked up to her. "N-Ne, Shinobu-chan, do you know Tsutsume Asuka from room 405?"
    Shinobu frowned. "Um, I can't go out, so I don't know much. But I've heard of her from the people passing by."
    "She's been researching ghosts, particularly you." Toru said. "I asked her about you, how you...died."
    Shinobu smiled. "You could have just ask me."
    Toru shook his head. "There's no way I could ask anyone, living or not, how they were...murdered, moreover set up."
    Shinobu frowned. "Set up?"
    Toru sighed. "Who locked the door?" he asked.
    Shinobu hovered away slightly. "I...I don't know."
    "You have accusations, right?" Toru asked. "Could it be...Biku?" He showed the paper.
    Shinobu's eyes widened. "T-That's mine!" She flew and harshly snatched it from Toru's hands. "You have no right to meddle into my past!" she exclaimed, her voice began to crack.
    Toru gulped, feeling pity. "Shinobu-chan..."
    "Go away." Shinobu said, turning around as she hovered to the corner where the clothes shelf was.
    Toru stood up and went to her. He tried to put a hand on her shoulder, but it went through. He clenched his fist. "Sumimasen, Shinobu-chan. You're right. I have no right to snoop into your past like this. I'm sorry. Next time I'll just ask."
    "Toru-sama," Shinobu's voice was hoarse, "Ever since I died, I have yet to experience anger, until this moment."
    Toru gulped, taking a step back. Was Shinobu about to use her ghostly powers to...kill?
    "So...please...Please go away for a while..." Shinobu said. "I...I need to be alone."
    Toru took a big breath. He nodded, although she was facing the other direction. He then went to the door. When he took the handle, he said, "Hontou ni, Shinobu-chan, hontou ni sumimasen..." With that said, he went outside.

    Toru woke up with a start. He resumed a sitting position, crossed legged in front of room 313, laying his back on the wall. The chilly wind of early Spring flew past, making him shiver. Toru sighed. 'Although Shinobu-chan told me to go away, I...couldn't. I know she couldn't have done anything harmful, she's already dead, for God's sake, but I...I just can't...' He took a look around. The corridor was empty. He twisted his head to see the sky. Dark. 'Man, it must've been quite late.' he thought. He was about to stand up to warm himself up when he saw the door handle move.
    Then, the door opened, slightly at first, then it flung open. Behind it was the ghostly form of Shinobu. She looked surprised to see Toru still there.
    Toru looked up to her, a remorseful look evident in his eyes. He then took a folded legged sitting position. After taking a breath, he bowed deep, touching his forehead on the floor in front of Shinobu, shocking the ghost. "Shinobu-chan, hontou ni sumimasen." he said.
    "To-Toru-sama..." Shinobu was at a loss of words. She was about to touch him, but an invincible barrier on the door frame prevented her from leaving the room.
    Toru noticed it. He stood up and went inside, closing the door behind him. Looking down, he sighed. "Sumimasen..."
    "M-Maa, daijoubu yo...I'm alright now, Toru-sama." Shinobu said. Her voice had returned to its sweet, soft tone.
    Toru looked up to her. He held out a hand.
    Shinobu smiled. She solidified herself and was about to put a hand on his, but she couldn't. Reason being that Toru had already hugged her. She was ultimately shocked. "To-Toru-sama!"
    Toru held the cold body, pressing it into his hug. He figured if she didn't want it, she could just return to her ghost form. He brushed her back-length hair. He softly whispered into her ear, for the umpteenth time that night, "Sumimasen..."

Next on MRG: After that night, Toru and Shinobu got close. They're roommates, of course they should get along. That weekend, Lina, Sakura, Asuka, Ayami, and a newly introduced tenant of room 310, Hikari Gaoka, sneak into room 313 when Toru is away. They are planning a one-week-stay-in-the-cursed-room party for him. Shinobu can only watch in horror at what the guests do to her speck clean room.