"Knock, knock, knock!"
On the second floor, Linzhi Nohara took a steady breath and knocked on the door. This was the first neighbor he was visiting. The room inside was quiet at first, but soon he heard footsteps, and with a soft click the door opened. Standing there was a girl with mid-length pink hair. She was strikingly pretty and had a calm, gentle air about her.
Linzhi blinked, then held the box of sweets in both hands in front of him. "Hello. I'm the new tenant upstairs—my name is Linzhi Nohara. Nice to meet you." He bowed slightly and offered the gift with both hands in a perfect, polite manner.
"Ah… ah…" The girl didn't take the box right away, nor did she speak. Instead she made a strange noise. Linzhi frowned and looked up at her. She was nervously looking at him, pressing her lips together and twitching her fingers. Her hands were slender and pale, like delicate scallions.
Confused, Linzhi studied her for a moment. The girl pressed her lips together again, pointed to her mouth and to the hearing aid in her ear, then suddenly retreated into the room and came back with a drawing board. She began writing on it. Watching her, it gradually dawned on Linzhi what was going on.
When she finished, she turned the board to show him the words. "I'm sorry. My name is Nishimiya Shoko. I can't speak."
Linzhi blinked. "Sorry?" He felt a little taken aback and watched the nervous girl with sympathy. For some reason he remembered what the snacks vendor had said earlier: "What a gentle person…" That thought lingered in his chest. Maybe this kind of gentle presence really was the definition of kindness. He bowed again, then looked up apologetically. "No — I'm the one who should be saying sorry."
He held the gift out once more. "Please accept this."
Nishimiya Shoko glanced between Linzhi and the box, then nodded and took it. She made a small hand gesture. Linzhi didn't understand, but guessed it was sign language—probably a thank-you. He tried, asking, "Are you saying 'thank you'?"
"Ah… ah…" Shoko looked surprised and delighted, chirping softly as she signed, then seemed to realize halfway through that Linzhi couldn't follow. A shadow passed across her face, but she quickly smiled again like sunshine breaking through clouds. That smile felt soothing; in an instant Linzhi felt his mood lift.
Footsteps sounded on the stairwell just then. Before Linzhi could turn, they quickened, followed by a sharp, guarded voice: "Who are you?!"
A figure darted in with a swoosh and positioned herself protectively in front of Shoko. Linzhi sized up the youngster with curiosity. She was shorter than him by half a head—an androgynous-looking girl with short black hair and deep blue eyes that bore into him with steely intensity. She had a fierce, watchful glare.
Who was this? Linzhi glanced toward Shoko. Shoko was flustered and gestured frantically at the girl. After a beat the newcomer narrowed her eyes at Linzhi. "You're the new tenant upstairs?"
With that, she swept Shoko back inside, then leaned on the doorframe and raised an eyebrow at Linzhi. "Well, if you're done visiting, goodbye."
"Bang!" The door shut, leaving Linzhi standing in front of a closed door, feeling bewildered. Wow—this girl was rude. He rubbed his nose, a bit downcast. Why did every neighbor seem so strange? He still had to visit the "martial arts family" upstairs—was that going to be just as awkward?
Just as he was about to turn away, the door swung open again. Shoko stepped out, bowed apologetically to Linzhi, while the short girl crossed her arms and scowled. When she noticed Linzhi looking at her, she shot him a fierce glare. Shoko wrote on the board again, shaking nervously, and held it up for him.
"I'm terribly sorry. She's my sister—Nishimiya Yuzuru. She didn't mean any harm."
"I know," Linzhi said with a small smile. "She was only trying to protect you." Yuzuru's rough exterior made more sense now; she was brash but protective of her sister.
"Hmph!" Yuzuru's cheeks flushed and she snorted, turning away. Shoko's face brightened like a sunny morning; she reached out and lightly ruffled her sister's hair despite Yuzuru's protest.
"I still have other neighbors to visit, so I'll be off. Goodbye!" Linzhi said cheerfully and took his leave. Shoko stared after him for a moment, dazed, her eyes a little far-off.
"Bang!" The door shut. Yuzuru gave Shoko one last displeased look. "What's so interesting about him?"
Shoko smiled at her sister and, ignoring the scolding, squeezed Yuzuru's head affectionately.
On the fourth floor, Linzhi's expression had tightened. This was the "martial arts family" he'd seen the night before. He recalled that scene—yes, he admitted he'd been a bit intimidated. But he mustered his courage and rang the bell.
"Knock, knock, knock!" He waited. No answer. Maybe nobody was home? He tried again.
There was movement next door instead: a door opened and a neighbor popped out. "The Takanashi sisters are out. They haven't come back yet. You should come by later if you want to see them."
"Oh—thank… thank you," Linzhi said gratefully. But mid-sentence his face froze; a bald head peeked out from the next doorway. The head was smooth as if it had just been peeled like an egg, and the eyes staring at him were lifeless, fish-like—vacant and a little dopey.
What a weirdo! Linzhi's gaze went blank for a moment as he mentally catalogued the apartment's eccentric residents.
He straightened up and stuck to his plan, determined to greet the neighbor properly. "Hello. I'm the new tenant downstairs—my name is Linzhi Nohara. Nice to meet you."
"Oh—so you're the new one downstairs. I'm Saitama!" The bald man scratched his non-existent hair and stuck out his hand. Linzhi shook it and handed over the box of sweets.
"Saimura's confections, huh… But weren't those for the Takanashi sisters?" Saitama hesitated, then glanced back toward the vacant doorway.
"No, I'll bring theirs next time," Linzhi replied with a smile.
Saitama couldn't very well refuse then, so he accepted the gift. "Well then, I'll take it. Thanks."
"Please take care of me," Linzhi said politely.
And thus one more awkward, oddly warm greeting was added to Linzhi's growing list of strange, memorable neighbors.
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T/N:
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