Chapter 5 Chapter 4 Apricots

So far, Kyoko's family has two families living together.The grandmother and two grandchildren who are the owners, and Masami Tanaka and her son, who are renting the room on the second floor.Kyoko feels that there is almost no difference between the two families, and they eat or buy things together.Kyoko admires Zhengmei as her older sister, and the other party seems to regard her as her younger sister.Washing clothes is also included, and Kyoko sometimes rubs Zhengmei's shoulders after returning from work. Not necessarily the person who cooks.Most of the time it is grandmother or Kyoko who cooks, but there are also times when Zhengmei prepares, or brother Junyi cooks.

Grandmother and brother, as well as Masami who lived on the second floor, seemed rather disturbed when Yemu was left to rest at home at first.It may be a natural reaction to have someone of unknown origin staying at home.Kyoko felt sorry; however, the days went by without any problems.When we first met, Yemu's expression was like that of a dead person.But on the next day, although half of his face was covered by bandages and he couldn't see it clearly, he could feel that his complexion was much better. Yemu spends most of his time in the room and rarely goes out on his own initiative.In addition, he will not actively chat with anyone.Kyoko thinks it's not because Yemu hates people and doesn't want to see people, on the contrary, he looks like he can't get close to people even if he wants to, and stays in the room with a sad face.

Everyone seems to have a different opinion about this strange-looking man.But everyone agrees that helping someone lying on the side of the road is a commendable act. When Kyoko explained to her elder brother Junyi and the tenant Masami about the fact that Yemu fell halfway, Junyi folded his arms and showed a displeased expression.Jun-il works at a fruit shop a short walk from home and has just returned from get off work. "It's not picking up kittens and puppies. Is that guy really okay?" "He's got bandages all over him. Is a man like that dangerous?" "Did you call the doctor?"

Kyoko told her brother that Yemu refused to see a doctor.The elder brother looked even more suspicious, but in the end he followed Kyoko's advice and asked him to rest at home for the time being. "But, that person's origin is unknown, right? It makes people worry." Masami Tanaka said.Her husband disappeared several years ago, and currently the mother and son live in Kyoko's house.She doesn't wear makeup and is a plain person.To support her family, she worked in a fiber factory during the day.She just came back from the factory and was about to pick up her son Abo who stayed at home.

"Will it harm Abo?" Kyoko couldn't answer.After talking with Yemu, Kyoko didn't think he was a person who would hurt others.But it can't be concluded that it doesn't matter. "Hey, what's the matter?" Grandma interjected from the side, asking Zhengmei to rest assured.Grandma is the only one who supports Kyoko's good deeds. Kyoko and grandmother shared the housework, and they were already trusted by everyone, so Ye Mu was not driven away mercilessly.Everyone treats Yemu as a guest at home. After Yemu walked around the house with his whole body in bandages, everyone who saw him frowned.

"Is that Yemu really all right?" The older brother whispered to Kyoko with an expression as if he saw a murderer. However, the only strange parts of Yoki are the bandages covering his face, hands and feet, and the strange atmosphere emanating from his shadow.As long as you talk to him for a while, you will know that he is a person with a good heart. Once, Kyoko heard the conversation between her grandmother and Yemu.Grandma asked Yemu about his birthplace and other questions, but he was full of vague words.When grandma talked about the memory of a certain event twenty years ago, Ye Mu also described the scene at that time as if she had witnessed it with her own eyes.But he really doesn't look like he's over twenty years old.

Kyoko asked her grandmother's impression of Yemu. "Looks like some evil in the world took form," said Grandmother.However, she then added this sentence: "But in fact, it's quite ordinary when we talk about it." But if he is ordinary, Yemu's actions are too strange. "Let me help you change the bandage." Kyoko asked this question, but Yemu refused.Maybe I still don't want to be seen under the bandages. His expression when he refused was not a stern look of blaming Kyoko for being nosy, but a look of gratitude from the bottom of his heart.For some reason, Kyoko felt sad.

The people around Kyoko are all those who accept the insignificant kindness that can be seen everywhere with a natural attitude.But Yeki is the complete opposite.He hesitated about every word Kyoko took for granted, and even acted as if he didn't have that right.Has he never been treated kindly by others so far?It can be seen from this that his unfortunate life has made him feel very happy about a little trivial thing. One evening, when Kyoko came back from school, she saw Tanaka Masami's son Abo walking into Yemu's room.Abo is a child who has just turned five years old. When Zhengmei went to work in a fiber factory, his grandmother acted as his daytime playmate.Kyoko thinks that Abo is like a younger brother who is very different in age.When Kyoko was about to open the paper door of Yemu's room, she heard the voices of two people coming from inside.Abo seemed to be asking Yemu questions incessantly.Why is it in a bandage?Why are you in this home?Yemu was answering these questions, but Abo's head seemed to be full of endless questions, and he couldn't finish asking them.

Kyoko quietly opened the paper door, and saw Yemu sitting in the room with a face of embarrassment, being watched intently by Abo.When he saw Kyoko, he showed an expression that the rescuers had finally arrived. "Hey, Abo, you can't ask so many questions to make people worry." Kyoko originally wanted to say this, but gave up. "It's great that big brother plays with you." She said this to Abo in this way, which further fueled his questioning offensive.Yoki, feeling overwhelmed by being approached by a child, looks amused.Kyoko wants this state to last a little longer.She left the two of them in the room, and left in disbelief.Abo doesn't seem to have any hostility or disgust towards Yemu. Can't he feel the ominous atmosphere that Kyoko feels from Yemu?Later, Kyoko asked Abo about it.The child's words are very abstract, and it takes time to understand, but he seems to clearly feel Yemu's different atmosphere from ordinary people.

"That man is like a grave," said Abo, and added, "It smells like a dog." "Oh, how is that possible? He took a good bath." Even if Kyoko said that, Abo just smiled and shook his head. After taking in Yemu, the dusk of the fourth day. On the way home from school, Kyoko saw Yemu by the river.The small river passes between the houses, and finally flows into the wide river in the suburbs.Looking down from the embankment, there is a large reed field about as high as a person.There are factories on the other side of the river, and the smoke is slowly exhaled from the side-by-side chimneys. The clouds and smoke in the sky seem to be connected together.Occasionally, depending on the direction and strength of the wind, smoke from the factory would blanket the entire town.In addition, the fine dust like sand from the factory will also come by the wind and stain the clothes to be dried.

Yeki seemed to just stand and look across the bank.Kyoko called out to him, and he showed a momentary alertness, but once he confirmed who the voice was, he lifted his alertness.Kyoko thought, how did this person come back to life?Does he live in one of those sad places where he has to shake his shoulders whenever he's stopped?The reed field was filled with the sound of insects.A low metallic sound came from the factory on the other side, intermittently vibrating the atmosphere that was beginning to turn red. "I bought bandages." Kyoko showed him the package in her hand.Going to the store to buy things on the way after school is against the school rules, but Kyoko doesn't follow the rules rigidly. "I do not have money." "do not worry about it." According to the original agreement, Yemu should leave home tomorrow.But Kyoko suggested that he stay as long as he wanted.Maybe my brother would be reluctant, but my grandmother seems to have a good impression of Yemu, maybe she will agree. "But I can't pay the rent." Kyoko nodded.Kyoko's family is not rich, and it is impossible for Yemu to live for free all the time.She herself once thought about whether she wanted to go out to work like her friends. Kyoko tells Yoki about her friend who works at a bar.The store was located in the center of the city street, and she also told Yemu the name of the store and the clothing of the staff in detail. "How about Yemu also work there?" "The service industry is a bit..." Kyoko looked at Ye Mu's bandage again. "Let's find a place where you can work together." Yi Xingzi explained to him.Among my brother's friends is a rich young man named Qiushan. His family has several factories. If you ask him, he should be able to place a job for Yemu. Yemu was confused.Although he said he was very happy, he looked like he didn't know whether he could accept this proposal. "I think everyone wants Yemu to stay longer. Even if you leave our house, there is no place to go, right?" Yemu nodded desolately, the long dark hair that he hadn't noticed for several years was fluttering in the wind.At this time, Kyoko saw his slender shoulders.It was completely incompatible with the strange black shadow possessed by Yemu, and it was still a boy's shoulder. When Yemu accepted Kyoko's proposal, Kyoko herself unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.She felt a little reluctant to part with Yemu.When talking with him, there is no sense of distance when talking with friends.Yemu doesn't look down on anyone, he looks like he loves everything.In other words, he is like a person who is declared to be dying due to terminal illness, cherishing every day as a valuable thing.In his actions, there is a feeling of sadness everywhere, which makes people serious. The two chatted and walked home.Yemu doesn't like to talk about his own affairs, so Kyoko is the only one talking.Her references to estranged parents and being with her mother on her deathbed were all sombre topics. "Shouldn't it be better to say something pleasant?" Kyoko asked concerned. "No, darker topics are better..." Yemu said so, so Kyoko confidently shared the memories of being bullied when she was a child.For some reason, Yoki is a good fit for this unfortunate topic. The two passed the road when Kyoko met Yeki a few days ago, and at this time Kyoko was talking about the horror experience of her childhood.That was about the weeping Kyoko being thrown into the forest at night by her father. A wild dog appeared in front of him.It is a brown short-haired male dog, and Xingzi usually strokes it. Kyoko approached it, intending to scratch its neck; but today it looked unusual.Usually it would always squint its eyes, looking happy, but now it looked at the two of them warily.To be correct, it is staring at Yemu.It lowered its weight and began to growl. Kyoko was surprised what happened to it, and took a step closer.Seemingly unable to take it anymore, the dog rolled over and ran away.At that moment, the dog appeared terrified as if being chased by a powerful beast. "It usually speaks very well." Kyoko murmured dumbfounded, and looked at Yemu.She gasped. Yemu faced the direction where the dog ran away, showing gloomy eyes.Kyoko couldn't ask the reason, because she felt that part of Yemu was like a wound that refused all contact and was dug open.