This was his fourth morning in Hummingbird, a modest inn which felt like home due to the hospitality of its owners, who treated their guests like their own family members.
This might sound a bit stupid, but Kei actually felt a bit jealous. Every day, he watched his father greet and talk with the guests so familiarly, and Kei felt that was a bit unfair. He was his father's son; shouldn't his father treat him better, just like his father treated Uncle Kikugawa?
It wasn't that there wasn't any effort from his father. His father talked to him, and Kei always replied, but there was still awkwardness between them, as if they had never talked before. Kei could only lower his head whenever he saw his father lean his head toward Uncle Kikugawa's, and they talked so intimately in that way. Or they laughed together. Or when his father said he'd go out for a while, and Uncle Kikugawa only smiled knowingly and understandingly. Or when they looked at each other, and it was like they already knew what the other had in mind.
However, he didn't get to think about all that since yesterday because his father successfully distracted him with a big task at hand.
"Tou-san, I have to do this alone?" Kei glanced at his father standing behind him, holding a bucket full of cleaning supplies and tools.
"What? Have any problems?" his father said, pushing Kei's back to enter the room.
They were currently in the attic. From outside, one could see there was a round window on the inn's roof, and now Kei knew that it was a window of this attic. It seemed like the attic was used as a storeroom.
Since the weekend was just around the corner and Hummingbird was fully booked, Kei couldn't stay in the room he was currently staying in. Staying with his father and Uncle Kikugawa at the living quarters at the back was also out of the question since it would be inconvenient for everyone. Uncle Kikugawa suddenly remembered that their attic was only used as a storeroom. If they cleaned it, it could be used as a temporary bedroom for Kei. Kei didn't have any objection. He was aware his sudden arrival didn't give them time to prepare a space for him.
His father then brought him to the attic, and they spent the entire afternoon cleaning up. Kei was amazed that the attic was actually quite spacious that even after they divided it into two spaces without sacrificing too much. This morning, two carpenters from town came to put a partition to divide the space and to make a proper enclosed room for Kei to use. Kei could smell the fresh varnished wood scent. The round window was opened to clear out the air.
Kei's father put down the cleaning supplies near Kei's feet. He also looked around the room, then nodded with satisfaction at how the room turned out. "Well, bear with it for a while. When spring comes, we'll expand the building at the back so you can get a proper bedroom."
Kei looked at his father. Uncle Kikugawa did say this was going to be his temporary bedroom, but Kei thought that maybe Uncle Kikugawa was just being polite and didn't want to make a bad impression by directly saying that there actually was no space for Kei except the attic. He wanted to tell his father that he was fine with this, but his father was speaking again.
"In the meantime, you have to clean this place by yourself." His father checked his watch. "I have to go and pick up a guest in a moment, and drop something at your grandpa's. After that, I'll go to town and get you a bed and other furniture. Naoki-kun can't help because of his asthma. Is that okay?"
Kei immediately stopped his father. "Tou-san, there's no need for a bed. I'm fine with a futon. I saw one in the cupboard near the laundry room the other day. I can just use that. Also, I only need a small wardrobe. I don't bring a lot, anyway. As for the rest, I'll get it myself–"
His speech was stopped because his father slapped the back of Kei's head. Kei was stunned. He reached out to touch the place his father just hit. It stung, but it didn't really hurt. He was just shocked.
His father crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking at Kei unhappily. "Who am I?" he asked with an almost indifferent tone, and that made Kei even more shocked, and guilty.
Kei lowered his head. "Tou-san," he answered weakly.
"So why are you being so polite with me? The one who wants to stay here is you."
Kei didn't know what to reply to that. He was very aware of that. That was why he didn't say anything about this bedroom arrangement. Even if he had to live in the attic for good, he wouldn't complain. He had caused a lot of trouble for his father and Uncle Ubukata. They were busy already, and Kei didn't want to add to their troubles, and made them think that he was troublesome. His mother gave him money before he left, so he planned to use that money to buy the things he needed.
He heard his father sigh, followed by his father's footsteps coming closer towards him. Next, he felt a hand placed on his head, gently patting. His father's palm was big, and there was a warmth seeping through his scalp, then spread through to his heart. Suddenly, Kei felt the tip of his nose a bit sour.
"Gomen, Tou-san," Kei whispered, voice slightly shaking.
His father patted his head once again. "I'll send some pictures from the furniture shop. Make sure you check your phone later."
Kei nodded. "Okay."
He watched as his father waved his hand and left. After a moment, Kei took a deep breath, calming himself down, and he looked around the room again. The room really was so spacious, especially with the round window opened. The slightly cold wind made the room's temperature to drop. Kei walked towards the window and tried to close it. The hinge was a bit rusty, but it was no matter; with a spray of rust cleaner, it should be good again. He then decided to leave it open. The room still smelled strongly of new paint and varnish. Not to mention, he would feel hot once he moved around, so the fresh air, even though cold, would be much welcomed.
He first tackled some webs on the ceiling, holding the long handle as far away from him as possible because Kei actually hated insects. He then sprayed some bug repellent around. Then he wiped the round window, sprayed the hinge with anti-rust solution, and only after that did he sweep and mop the floor.
His phone chimed from inside his pocket. Thinking that it was his father, Kei quickly took it out and tapped to unlock his phone. But the displayed message wasn't from his father, but from another name, which he had been meaning to contact but always decided against.
[Minamoto Wataru: Is it so hard to say something? It's not like I never read your message?]
Kei bit his lip as he stared at the message. He looked up to the last conversation they had. It was from last week, and it was short. Kei hesitated even more. He was determined not to contact Wataru for a time in order to give himself some space and time. He knew that this was unfair for Wataru, but Wataru was the other main reason why he decided to live with his father in this small town. After a long moment, he put aside the rag he's been holding, then used both hands to type a reply.
[Me: I'm sorry. Please give me some time.]
Kei let out a shuddered breath, then pocketed his phone again. He still had a room to be cleaned.
*****