[C] Confide

Wallet? Check.

Keys? Check.

Train pass? Check.

Lunch for Natsuki and Mikoto? Check.

Lunch for Nao? Check.

Okay. Time to go.

“Where are you headed?” Natsuki’s voice came from the kitchen.

“To see Nao,” I replied as I shifted the bags I was holding so that I could open the door.

She poked her head out in order to see me, “Again?”

“I promised every week. I can’t break my promise with her,” I admitted sheepishly. “You know I’m still working on earning her trust.”

“I’ll be the first to admit that I had a difficult time trusting people, but Nao makes me seem easy-going with the hoops she’s making you go through. Why do you insist on being the one to help her? What do you see in her anyway?”

“A very sad and lonely person, Natsuki. You know firsthand what it’s like to have no one you can trust, but you had a mission to occupy your mind with. Nao doesn’t have that. This is her reality every day as she floats around aimlessly. At the very least, I want to help her find purpose.”

“You didn’t answer my first question,” she pointed out.

“I--” I stopped myself when I realized I didn’t have an answer for her. “I-I don’t know... I just feel like... this is something I have to do. I’m sorry for cutting this short; I have a train to catch.”

Natsuki wasn’t wrong. I couldn’t count the number of times Nao has pushed me away when I tried to help her, or the number of times when I thought she was letting me in only to find that I was wrong. When I first started, I knew that earning her trust was going to be long and arduous, but I severely under-estimated just how much.

But it was odd. No matter how often she shut me out and kicked me to the side, I just couldn’t find it in me to give up on her. She was harsh and cold and stubborn. She would never thank me for seeing her or bringing her food, yet I still do it. Not just because of the promise, but because I wanted to. I didn’t know why or how or what I was thinking, I was just going with the flow at this point.

When I arrived to the correctional facility, I stated my name and showed them ID as usual. When they asked me who I was visiting, I would provide them with Nao’s name and age.

“I’m sorry, miss. Yuuki is not permitted to have visitors today.”

“What? Why?” I asked, more shocked than angry.

“She’s in solitary confinement.”

“Well, when can I see her then?”

“She’ll be out by next week, assuming she doesn’t get herself into more trouble.”

I thanked the woman behind the counter and left to catch the train back to my apartment. It wasn’t like I thought Nao would magically start behaving when she was in juvy, but the way the guard spoke told me that she had a knack for getting in trouble, which was definitely not a good thing.

When I arrived back to my apartment, Natsuki was sitting in the living room, playing a videogame as Mikoto slept on the couch.

“That was quicker than usual,” she said without taking her eyes off of the screen.

“I didn’t... see her,” I replied absently.

She paused her game before turning her attention to me. “Wait- what?”

“She’s not... she’s in solitary confinement. Apparently, she’s not allowed visitors right now because of that.”

“That girl...” she growled.

“What should I do, Natsuki?” I asked as I sat down next to her, feeling lost. “All I know to do is nag her and constantly force my presence on her. I don’t actually know what I’m supposed to do to help her.”

“It’s enough, Mai,” she replied. “She might not appreciate it now, but the time will come when she realizes how much she needs your presence. I’ll let you in on a secret,” she grinned. “She already needs it. She just doesn’t realize it yet.”

“How do you know?”

“I’ve noticed that she’s more irritable the less she sees you.”

“No, that’s just... she’s just...”

“I wasn’t born yesterday, Mai. Trust me on this. Just keep doing what you’re doing.”