JUST A CRASH - BUTTERFLY CROSSING

5. Tangly

The orange stands close to Shuji and the two set a distance together. From here he realized that Shuji was quite tall. Usually he just needs to lift his eyelids, now he has to look up.

'It's like this.' Jingga sighed and wanted to invite Shuji to eat.

But the man had already secured himself and sat down at the dining table.

"...." the pleasantries he prepared were no longer needed, Orange held her lower lip and moved to bring a pair of cutlery to the table. Usually he enjoyed his days at home, but that time he prayed that the rain would soon be over and Jingga could return to activities.

Shuji did not seclude himself and took the rice so calmly. It feels like home.

"... You.." in the middle of the meal, the orange opened its mouth. "You have an intention to do something?" the question left Shuji's chopsticks floating for a moment before moving again. The man's eyes did not switch from the rice bowl. With his voice still nasal he answered slowly.

"Something how?"

"Something, for example, the intention to clean your apartment and so on." Doesn't he think that place needs to be cleaned? Could it be.. Is that how he lives? The orange does not say the last sentence and just keeps it to itself.

"..Ohh..," Shuji's tone at the end was slightly dragged as if relieved of something. "Of course you want. Only now there's no time." Shuji raised his eyes to meet Jingga. His usual black eyes looked dim it showed a twinkle.

"Just relax, I won't eat here forever." For real reasons, only Shuji knows.

'I mean he's glad he's no longer dealing with me, right?' The orange feeling this time was just flat, with no ripples at all. Even if Shuji says something hurtful, the orange will think of it as the last wind.

The short chat broke a bit of the awkward atmosphere between the two. They could eat the two quietly like this, as if giving the orange the illusion that their relationship was good. With pleasure he opened his mouth.

"But why wait for time?" that is, can it be done alone now?

"...I can't do everything myself."

"....Why?"

Fortunately, Shuji did not raise his contemptuous gaze and just focused on eating. "It's better to rely on a professional person" Shuji said briefly.

It doesn't take long for the orange to finish its meal. At work, rest time can only be used to eat and pray. It can be said that eating fast is not a good habit. Oranges will eat slowly if they are at home or outside of work hours. But maybe he was too cheerful with the presence of others who ate with him—forget that this afternoon he was still trembling in fear.

Orange glanced at Shuji's half-filled rice bowl, then glanced at his plate.

With a slow motion, Shuji slashed the tempe and bit it. His movements were too relaxed, like tv commercials. It's just that his bruised face makes the whole picture comical.

"You always eat like this?" ask Orange wonder.

"Why is that?"

Orange memicing wonder. Why was he so enthusiastic about talking this time? Orange still remembers that the person in front of him is storing the word as precious as gold. But he was not good at guessing and speculating, so he stopped thinking.

"Taste you good." Banalities. Of course, Shuji originally thought that this was his taste. Not immediately because of the good orange cook.

"really?" Jingga was hesitant about Shuji's praise, as it was a rare thing to hear. But he still feels happy. "Menu what do you like best?"

"Hm." Shane thought for a moment. "I think I like mushrooms.." Either because of hunger or it's delicious, Shuji remembers first eating, until his container he licked. Remembering it, Shuji wanted to bury himself.

"Gochisous." Shuji ended his meal by finishing off the water until there was nothing left. "Your water tastes good, why?"

"uh? Ah, did you use water straight from the faucet?"

"Hm. Why the hell?"

"Maybe it's a habit. In my place I used to drink from separate water." Orange pointed the gallon in the corner of the room. On it sits a small cactus pot with a sweet ribbon. "She said, in some areas, tap water is not so good..Maybe that's why?"

"...why?" It makes sense, because not all water sources in every place will be the same quality. Shuji nodded before getting up to the door.

"Wait." Orange opened the door first and checked the situation in the corridor.

"All right, you can get out."

Shuji made no comment and walked out obediently, returning to his apartment.

The next day the wind rain news finished filling the TV, and the activity gradually recovered. The orange finally breathed a sigh of relief. Tomorrow he starts to return to work, Orange can stop making a meal menu. Between happy and sad, hm, Orange does not want to think about it deeply.

After this they may only be neighbors who if they meet just nod each other. Think of them eating together again in the future.... Orange can't imagine it, okay. Because from the beginning of the interaction both occur under the pressure of circumstances.

- Next day

The envelope contains one hundred thousand yen Orange take with the dinner menu, an hour before the usual meal time.

Orange pressing the bell. Maybe because it was strange that someone pressed the bell at this hour, the door was opened a bit long.

"Huh, now is not the time." murmured Shuji who was surprised to see Orange standing at the door.

"It's dinner. And this," Orange did not continue his words.

"What's this?" Shuji turned the letter. "Love letter?"

The orange took a breath, holding the irritated veins on the forehead. "That's your money,"

"Money?" Hearing that, Shuji peeked at the contents of the envelope with one hand. "This is the money I gave you, right?" the man frowned.

"Don't misunderstand me. From the beginning who gave the money unilaterally was you." The orange said calm. "Tomorrow I'll go to work again. So this is the last day I'll cook for you."

"Wait, what do you mean by tomorrow work again?"

"You don't know? It's on tv."

"....."

"Ah...," recalling the masterpiece in the middle room of Shuji's apartment, Jingga shut her mouth and did not continue.

".......Hp?"

"......"

Orange nodded, but Shuji did not answer anything.

"It's okay, a lot of people who prefer to read the newspaper rather than play mobile." The orange comforts Shuji, trying not to offend him. Especially if you provoke...

"My HP is broken." Said Shuji quickly.

"Oh, so." Orange nodded. "Just that's it." Orange opened his mouth but he did not continue. "Here, yeah."

Orange actually wants to take back the food container, but given Shuji's reaction the first time...

Jingga tried to give up her food container with her chest and returned to her apartment. The woman was silent briefly near the door and checked before breathing a sigh of relief after being sure it was locked. Aware of his behavior, Orange laughed satirically.

'Oh, Orange. You're acting like a good man and a hypocrite.' There is still fear in him.

The orange dragged his feet into the kitchen and began to eat dinner. The TV is turned on just to fill the void. His eyes moved to the dining chair in front of him and started to worry.

"Obviously he's in trouble...." The orange started talking to itself while playing its rice. "Maybe I'm just parno and so on. but..." But this was the first time he had seen a depressed person.

Orange realized maybe he was too deep. Sometimes we wonder, what does God mean to show this? He's fine if he doesn't know. Orange can only interpret it little by little according to his limited understanding.

Maybe just be more careful and stay away from her.

Register with a self-employment visa. All he did was himself from a skill course to a down call. That's why he doesn't have many acquaintances. This apartment is close to the workplace, but there he is also the only foreigner.

Faced with this situation, in addition to the loneliness of these few months, Orange could not hold back her tears.

Only, his sadness lasted for a moment.

While washing the dishes used to eat, Jingga encouraged herself. "What is sad? Your salary is okay, your work is light like no other, you have a place to stay, you can pray too!"

"Why is your neighbor a little weird? He does not scorn you.." Orange's voice shrinks before it hardens again. "But he doesn't gossip you, and.., and..," Orange has trouble thinking about what good his neighbors have.

"After all, what about depression? Precisely at this time I have to help, let him be excited again." of course Orange will not deliberately approach, as long as he can help why not?

The usual five-minute dish washing was only completed twenty minutes later because Orange worked on it while narrating.

--------------*****---------------

Both return to their activities. Orange with his work, Shuji with his debate—whatever it is. Even if the two cross paths, the orange will only nod as a form of greeting. Of course Shuji did not reply to her, just staring at the sharp orange for no apparent reason.

Could I have made another mistake? Orange murmured in the heart.

But it was soon forgotten because the frequency of the meeting was really low.

Contrary to their 'coincidence' meeting earlier, they parted like two different worlds.

Oranges buy yoghurt and juice after work. Approaching the area of the building, he saw an orange cat and was silent for a moment before recalling. Isn't this the cat Shuji caught back then?

Orange smiles inwardly, *even depressed people love cats. *

"....Oh," Orange smiled wryly, why was he thinking about that person again.

"Hi, how are you?" The orange squatted and stroked the orange cat lying near his feet. "You're tame, too, huh?" how could he claw Shuji so hard?

Crisp snores sounded like they were responding to the words of Orange, making him unable to help but laugh.

"You're so funny, baby my apartment can't keep animals."

After playing for a few minutes, Orange woke up and said goodbye to the cat.

Upon entering the building, he meets Shuji.

"Oh, hi, what a coincidence." said Jingga without thinking long—basa stale that he used to throw.

"What coincidence? It's still one building, it's only natural to meet." said Shuji flatly with the intention of grumbling.

"...." yeah. The two do not decide to be together, but due to the unidirectional, Jingga follows Shuji to the elevator.

Orange glanced at Shuji who was discharged from the outside, with a plain white T-shirt and knee-length shorts, backpacking behind him like he was out of travel.

Orange can not resist his curiosity. "Where are you out of?"

"....walk around."

"Ohh?" given that some time ago Shuji was still depressed, Jingga was happy to hear her neighbors doing activities. Traveling can reduce stress, right.

"Do you have any intention of going for another walk? How about XX and XXX? Holiday time I go there and the place is very good." continued Jingga.

Carried the atmosphere, Shuji recorded the name of the place that Jingga called in his mind. "You ever been there?" Shuji wondered if this woman went alone, with a foreign friend, or with a local...? But he can't ask that.

"Yes, the first time I came, I was curious so I went around a lot."

"Hm."

Ting.

The elevator opened and both came in.

"On that..." The orange hesitated.

"What's? Just tell me." Shuji interrupted while pressing the floor button.

"Ah, yes. About your house....,"

"The house was tidied up a week ago" Shuji replied slowly. "That time you were working so you didn't know."

"Oh, so." Orange breathing relief.

Mercifully. This time the orange could finally be completely calm. When he reached the destination floor, Jingga did not wait for Shuji and volunteered to go out first. Given that Shuji is a quiet person, Jingga is afraid of disturbing herself.

"Then I go first, bye."

Shuji exited the elevator a few steps later, but not directly down the road. He quietly observed on the spot until Orange stepped far away and entered his apartment room.

***

Shuji opened the door of his apartment and breathed a sigh of relief as soon as he inhaled the familiar scent of the house. If Jingga saw the contents of Shuji's current apartment, she would be shocked. Because the contents of the furniture and its layout are 70% similar to the apartment of Orange. Even gallons of water have the same cactus.

Shuji feels that the design of the Orange apartment is quite comfortable, why don't he just follow? No one is banning it either, let alone copyright?

Unfortunately some rooms still use the same layout, because Shuji has never thoroughly traced the contents of the Orange house.

Shuji's backpack puts it nicely in the room, before he takes a shower and goes to the kitchen. Unlike the previous situation, Shuji's apartment is now neat as new. Even the knife he used to hide was now put on the counter bravely.

Shuji makes samosas, discards the ingredients he hates and reduces the seasoning that smells pungent. It still tastes good but he feels like something is lacking.

'Could it be because of the ingredients I changed a little?' but what was changed was only by-products, not staples. It shouldn't be much different. Shuji has already cooked, has made a suitable atmosphere, let alone one lacking?

'Maybe I have to eat with someone else?' he eats in public places when traveling, around him there are many people, but it feels ordinary.

Actually Shuji is stuck in this state—not a new case. At first he was still fumbling and decided to explore his new interest in food. But he always felt there was less. Shuji decided to set the trial time. After passing from the time he set, he now realized that the lost feeling was not just a premonition.

"What did she put in my food?" Shuji asked himself. His suspicion increased every time he met with an orange. Feeling that there was an unfamiliar pleasure, Shuji could not describe what this feeling was.

"...deplores." Shuji bribes his samosas and washes the dishes.

Following Jingga's advice, Shuji's apartment is cleaned and rearranged. He spends his activities in the apartment, when he feels depressed, he will travel.

This time he was able to think clearly, and admitted that the times of yesterday he was really unwell.

Shuji wanted to try chatting with Orange again, but imagining his chaotic figure yesterday-yesterday, Shuji had no face to begin with.

After eating together last time, Shuji glazed over. He was very shocked by her swollen and chaotic face. He wondered, how could the orange bear to eat and sit with him? His face at that time completely eliminated his appetite.

"Of course I'm no longer that ugly," Shuji rubbed his chin and looked at his appearance in the mirror. "It's supposed to be like he's changed, right?"

She brushed her hair back. Shuji did not lie, in the days of his golden career, he was a popular man who always got a call from his female colleagues every time he came home from work.

"Time for a routine mask." Shuji unwrapped the mask and put it on his face carefully. After doing this routine for days, he has been an expert in applying skin care and the like.

His already good face was so even more shiny after careful treatment.

One regrettable, the cost of facial care is not cheap. He had to quickly find an income, otherwise, he had to quit mascara forever.

"I need to start looking for work... It's a pity, but what else? It's part of the life cycle." Shuji spoke to himself. He has no intention of going back to his old job, maybe he could be a food blogger and the like?

The next morning, Shuji sports the morning by walking around the park. Half an hour later, Shuji went to the nearest bakery for breakfast.

"Oh, you... the young man who lives in the apartment, right?" a middle-aged woman made a sudden noise. Shuji turned his head and did not answer directly.

"Young people, this is how it should be. Go out, go for a walk, don't be grim all day." the mothers told him. Shuji put on a dry smile and uttered 'hi, arigatou, sumimasen' half-heartedly.

The mothers left first after buying breakfast. Shuji guessed the mothers seemed to still be apartment dwellers. In his heart he hoped he would never meet again...

"Hi."

That familiar voice instantly stole Shuji's attention.

"Hm." rigidly Shuji replied. The orange that passed, turned to buy breakfast as well. Due to Shuji's reaction, he wasn't offended at all. "I saw you talking to those mothers."

"Hm." **neh? He has a mouth.

"I didn't know you could say sorry."

Shuji was humiliated to hear that comment.

"Oh, I mean, this is the unusual side." For Jingga, it was the first time she had seen Shuji so polite to someone that she said sorry and thank you. Maybe his cynicism is only focused on Orange.

"Keep me what? Ignored it?" Shuji.

"Em.not really. I think that was good."

"Hgm."

"Ah, Jingga-san." from afar came a voice.

Shuji ignores the voice, until he hears Jingga speaking and the two engage in a conversation. In hindsight, the name of the woman was orange. But all Shuji remembers is just 'Sweet'. Sweet Orange.

Seeing the woman chatting so familiarly with a man that Shuji was unfamiliar with, made him frown involuntarily.

'Who? They look so familiar.' Shuji watched in his place. So detailed that he realized the man blushed his cheek when praised.

'Refiling.' Shuji forced to shift his gaze and immediately left from there. But the cool orange shadow chatting with the man did not disappear from his mind.

'Isn't she always alone? Who is that man?' Arriving at his apartment, Shuji immediately throws his breakfast at the table and moves to the window. From the floor of his apartment, he could only see two lines standing side by side: Orange and the stranger. Shuji glanced at his watch and counted.

When the two parted ways, Shuji felt angry for what reason. But he was too angry to think about the reason.

'Fifteen minutes!' Shuji turned around but immediately returned to the glass. 'What did they say for so long as 15 minutes!!'

Shuji glared angrily at Orange who went to work. Until his figure disappeared into the stop area, then he withdrew his gaze.

'Who is that man...'