Chapter 36 - Marimo and Hikkikomori
Saturday.
After staying up late thinking about various things and taking a short nap, it was already past noon.
As for Marimo, she wasn’t answering my call, wasn’t checking her LINE messages, and hadn’t even marked them as read.
Put to a cheerful tune, it would make for a heavy dose of reality.
But there's no running away from me, especially when I know where her house is.
I threw on a backpack, got on my bike, and quickly set off.
In just a few minutes, I was in front of Marimo’s house.
When I rang the doorbell, her mom answered.
“Oh, Kou-chan! Welcome.”
To me, the Kamino household is practically a second home, and I can come and go without any formalities.
“Hello. Is Marimo here?”
“Sorry, dear. She’s still sleeping.”
Even though it’s already 1:30 in the afternoon.
What a late sleeper.
Not that I can talk.
“May I come in?”
“Of course, dear. We’ve got some manju someone gave us. I’ll make some tea.”
“Thank you. Excuse me.”
Now then, time to head to Marimo’s room.
Her room is right at the top of the stairs.
But even between close friends, one must be a gentleman.
I knocked lightly on the door and called out.
“Hey, Marimo! You in there? Can I come in?”
“……”
“Huh? Hey, you’re there, right? Marimo!”
“……”
Could it be that she went out without her mom knowing?
“Marimo! I’m coming in!”
“……”
No response, and the door didn’t budge.
Wait a second.
I just remembered something important.
There’s no lock on this door!
“Hey! You’re in there, aren’t you!? You’re pulling on the doorknob, aren’t you!?”
“……!!”
“Come on, let’s just talk, okay!? I’m not going to eat you or anything!!”
“……!!”
“Gahhhh!!”
Still won’t open.
Just so you know, it’s not because I’m weak.
Marimo’s the one who’s a cheat character here.
Well, if I actually tried, I could break the door, but I’d rather not.
So don’t go thinking that I lost in a strength contest with her, okay?
“I’ve made some tea,”
Her mom called out.
Hmph. Time for a tactical retreat.
But I want to make it clear—this is a strategic withdrawal.
“Has she been like that all morning?”
“Yeah. She hasn’t eaten anything! Do you think it’s a diet? Girls her age are always wanting to slim down, you know?”
That carefree attitude, that complete lack of concern—just what I’d expect from Marimo’s mom.
She probably thinks Marimo’s just lying there, munching on sleep instead of food.
“By the way, did she have dinner last night?”
“Now that you mention it, she went straight to bed as soon as she got home. It could be that diet, you know?”
She hasn’t eaten since yesterday!?
Good thing I came prepared.
It's always best to be over-prepared.
Excusing myself from her mom, I returned to Marimo’s door.
“Hey, Marimo. You must be hungry, right? I brought you some CalorieMate! It’s your favorite—chocolate flavor!”
“……”
No response, huh?
That’s fine.
This is all part of the plan.
“I’m leaving it by the door, okay? I’ll be downstairs, drinking tea with your mom! I’m heading down now!”
“……”
Just as I said, I descended the stairs, making sure to be as loud as possible so she’d hear.
Then, I waited a bit at the bottom of the stairs, staying quiet.
Suddenly, I heard the door creak open, and a familiar hand reached out. In the next moment—
Zip!
The CalorieMate was swiftly snatched into Marimo’s room at lightning speed.
“Well, at least she’s got an appetite. That’s good.”
Now that she’d taken the bait, I had my next move ready.
Sorry, Marimo.
That CalorieMate is a trap!
You may be starving from staying cooped up in your room, but there’s something far more urgent, right?
——Aren’t you thirsty?
Trying to eat a dry CalorieMate with a parched mouth is going to be tough.
I’m not proud of it, but I can be a little cruel.
But forgive me, Marimo.
This is all so I can get you to come out of your room and talk to me.
Don’t worry, once you’re out, I’ll give you the Pocari Sweat I brought in my backpack.
That refreshing drink is going to feel so good on your dry throat—
Wait a second.
Where did I leave my backpack?
I spotted my backpack sitting abandoned at the top of the stairs, looking dejected.
But it was too late.
Zip!
Tragedy struck. Marimo had swiped the whole backpack.
It was packed with snacks and drinks.
Why on earth did I leave something so important right outside her door?
What was I thinking with that whole “I can be a little cruel” bit…
The problem isn’t that I’m cruel. It’s that I’m an idiot! What a blunder!
I can’t believe I ended up helping Marimo fortify her position.
“Oh, Kou-chan, you brought Marimo some snacks? That’s so sweet of you.”
“…Yes. Not at all… Ahh! Snacks!”
But then, a flash of inspiration hit me.
I may be down, but I’m not out.
“Excuse me for a moment. I need to… pick some flowers.”
I excused myself with a borrowed phrase, then hurried off to the restroom, where I swiftly made a phone call.
“Hey, sorry to bother you on your day off! Are you free right now?”
And just like that, my reliable savior agreed to help me out.
This year’s “Nicest Guy in Japan” award goes to him.
Several minutes later, the doorbell rang at the Kamino house.
“Who could that be?”
her mom wondered.
“I’m pretty sure it’s for me,”
I said, standing up.
“Oh? Is it?”
“Probably.”
I opened the door, and there he was.
“Hah, b-b-pleashe to meed you! Vegoroooo! Excuse me. My name is Onigawara!”
“Sorry, man. I know you’re nervous, even though it’s just a friend’s house.”
“N-not at all! I mean it! Vegorooo!! Sorry, but this is an emergency concerning Marimo-senpai!”
“Ah, Auntie, don’t be surprised. This is Onigawara-kun. He’s a junior of mine and Marimo’s. He may look rough, but he’s really mild-mannered.”
Her mom just smiled pleasantly.
“What a wonderful voice! Are you interested in joining a choir?”
“Eeh!? Uh, um!? W-well, actually!!”
While Onigawara got recruited into her mom’s local choir, I grabbed the goods and dashed upstairs.
I’ll save you later, Onigawara! Sorry!
“Hey, Marimo! Onigawara-kun’s here, and he brought you some treats! Look, there’s macarons, cream puffs, and… oh! Isn’t this that thing you mentioned once? Galette des Rois, right?”
“……!!!”
I could feel her reacting from behind the door.
She must be in a panic.
But I won’t push it.
I know she’s fine, and that’s enough for today.
Even if she doesn’t want to see my face right now, that’s okay.
“I’ll leave these here.”
“And I’m heading out. Just let me check one thing.”
“We’ve got that orienteering event on Monday. Think you can make it?”
“If not, don’t worry about it. I’ll cover for you.”
“But if you think you can come, just… lightly knock on the door, okay?”
After waiting about 30 seconds—
*Knock*
I heard a faint, small signal.
“Got it. See you then!”
I collected Onigawara-kun, said goodbye to her mom, and left the Kamino house.
“Now it’s just a waiting game…”
I muttered, watching cars pass by through the window of a family restaurant, treating Onigawara-kun to an apology fruit parfait.
That’s how I spent my afternoon, thinking only of Marimo.