u/Mundane_Mongoose_371

"Hello! I rarely consume anime, manga, or light novels for fun, but I often see people online roasting certain series while praising others. I also came across a YouTuber mentioning that Frieren, Dungeon Meshi, and Witch Hat Atelier have remarkably refreshing fantasy characters. All of those series were written by women.

This led me to a question: Are there any well-written female characters created by male authors?
I’d love to hear your personal experience."

I haven't play Steel Beast since my PC belongs to early 2010 era, and it's very weak.
Still, I'm curious about this mechanics.
In older vehicles not having electric traverse gear, players have to press arrow keys repeatedly to slew the gun. The faster the tapping, the faster the turret traverses.
I'm wondering how much tap/second is required to reach the maximum hand-crank traverse speed? And does each tank have different tap/second to reach the maximum speed?

I'm new to this franchise. Just saw an official card illustration from Link! Link! Love live! and I thought it was pretty cool to have acoustic guitar

I saw a writer putting Czech dialogues in his story. I'd like to hear the translation from native and how natural those dialogues are. Apparently, the author dropped some diacritics. Here're they:

Sestro Lenko, sestro Věro, tento cestovatel by si rád uvaril něco k jídlu v kuchyni. Prosím, pomozte mu se vsím, co bude potrebovat.

Chce varit v kuchyni, matko Miloslavo?

Ano. Pomáhá nám s varením.

Muzes se ho zeptat, v cem se jeptisky na jihu lisí od nás? Docela by mě zajímalo.

Ríkal, ze jeptisky na jihu nejsou o nic vrelejsí nez my, protoze patrí k jinému vyznání.

To ríká spousta cestovatelu. Jeptisky na jihu jsou opravdu jiné nez my. Hrozne by me zajímalo, cím se lisí. Muzes se ho na to zeptat?

Ríkal, ze sám porádně neví, jak to popsat.

I'm not English native, so expect unusual phrasing or errors. And beside, the tone was intended to be minimal, plain and simple. If you have anything to say about the story, just tell me.

---

Early April, 2026

Mitsuru looked up to see the blue sky above. It was neither cloudy nor clear, which was exactly how she preferred.

To her, the somewhat quiet streets of the Nishi Ward were never boring. She had witnessed the same scenery for so long, yet she found something new every time walking by. Cracks on the ground, plants pots left unattended, faded signs.

As she passed a small café, her eye naturally drifted toward tables the behind glass windows. A few chairs were tucked beneath them, waiting in silence. She had never gone inside, though she always found herself thinking about the atmosphere every time she walked by.

Still, Mitsuru didn't let herself get carried away easily. The faint, steady thump of the wooden cane in her right hand against the concrete ground politely reminded her to keep her focus on ahead.

After all, avoiding trouble was better than dealing with it later.

Mitsuru was a good walker, especially for someone with transfemoral amputation - slightly above the left knee. Even so, tripping wasn't something she enjoyed more than anyone else.

A group of joggers appeared behind a corner. They were far enough away for Mitsuru to step aside, but as soon as she shifted slightly to the right, the group narrowed into a single line so that they wouldn't brush against her.

For a brief moment, Mitsuru watched their backs disappear down the street, damp with sweat beneath the morning light, before continuing on her way.

A nearby vending machine hummed softly as she stopped in front of it. For a few seconds, she simply stood there staring at the rows of drinks behind the plastic display. Then, without buying anything, she quietly continued on her way.

The ground started to roll down slightly. Still, Mitsuru didn't bother. Of course she was confident, but because this gentle slope was her everyday place. She still had mildly negative impression about slope, so she always went through one or two slope in her morning walk despite the fact that the way to her school had slopes too.

As she arrived at a familiar crossroad, she turned left to face a zebra crossing. The light was red, so she stood still with a small crowd of walkers.

As the light turned green, a bird chirp was emitted, signaling it was safe to cross.

Mitsuru quickly followed the small crowd. Due to her amputation, her walk speed was slower compared to average person, but she had no problem in speeding up as long as no one was on the way.

With a swift movement, she placed herself on the right side of the crossing. Mitsuru crossed the road, slightly behind the crowd.

She then proceeded toward a FamilyMart convenience store just a few blocks away from the crossroads. Mitsuru called this place her “supply node,” since it was where she sometimes bought a drink before taking a short break and starting her return trip home.

This time, she decided she would buy tea.

The automatic door opened as Mitsuru approached, playing the familiar melody of Daiseikyou. Inside, the air was no warmer than outside, which displeased her slightly. Somehow, she had expected the store to feel warmer.

She immediately scanned the store after stepping inside, in fear of any surprise bump.

She then headed straight toward the ambient shelf section and grabbed a 600ml bottle of Oi Ocha tea. The pathway between the shelves was a little narrow for her to move comfortably, but Mitsuru had done this countless times already. After paying for the bottle, she stepped outside and immediately took a sip.

“Why wait?” she thought.

She had originally intended to buy one from the vending machine earlier, but decided against it to save money. Besides, the reward felt sweeter when she resisted the urge first, didn’t it?

After silently congratulating herself, Mitsuru sat down on a nearby bench, cane placed aside. She lifted her knee-length light brown pleated skirt slightly, revealing both her sound knee and the mechanical one beneath it. From the first glance, people might not notice anything special about her left leg. The color and silhouette seamlessly blended with background, thanks to the foam and cosmetic stocking.

Quickly, she checked the prosthetic to make sure nothing had loosened during the walk.

It had started getting hot inside the socket a while ago, but Mitsuru was already used to that. She wore a grey long shirt, which felt slightly chilly for an April morning, yet walking with a prosthetic leg required enough energy to keep her body warm.

Mitsuru looked up at the sky, waiting for the cool air to creep against the skin of her residual limb before continuing on her way. She rested her right hand on top of her linen flat cap to make sure it would not fall off because of the wind — or her own carelessness.

Soon afterward, she headed toward her next destination which was her home.

Before going, she pulled out her phone from her fanny bag. It was 7:06 AM. No need to rush.

Mitsuru followed the same path, but with a few minor tweaks. This route was meant to be easy, relying on shortcuts and, above all, avoiding slopes.

"Excuse me!"

A young man wearing a mask let out a small breath as he ran toward her.

"May I ask you a few questions about your physical condition?"

Mitsuru eyed him warily. He was holding a small camera in his hand, though it was not pointed at her.

"I'm a YouTuber and an undergraduate in the psychology department. It's nice to meet you. I'm currently conducting a survey about the mental health of amputees to inform the public. Would you mind answering a few questions? It won't take much time. Also, I'll be recording this conversation and posting it on social media. You can find it from a channel called 'MudaiPsycho' on YouTube"

The college student rattled off the words so quickly that it sounded as if running out of breath had stripped away his ability to form coherent sentences.

Mitsuru looked at her prosthetic leg, then back at the guy, mildly confused by the wall of words.

"Sure. Just ask me" She nodded.

The guy happily turned on the camera and pointed it toward her

"Great! Uh... So how long have you used prosthetic leg?"

"I have been a transfemoral amputee when I was 10. It's been 7 years"

"Uh-huh"

The guy nod, trying not to let out his shock show.

"Are you okay with your current situation? I mean, do you think being amputee is... hard?"

"Yeah. Pretty much. I've accepted it for a long time. The main problem is getting around. Combined with my only left eye, it's a hell of a way to move around, you know?"

"Left eye?" The college guy looked visibly confused.

"I also lost my right eye along with my left leg" Mitsuru pointed at her right eye. "This is a prosthetic eye"

This time, the poor guy visibly struggled not to show his surprise. It was probably better to avoid such a sensitive topic.

"Don't worry, don't worry. I'm fine with that too. If you have any questions about it, feel free to ask."

"Oh. Okay..."

Realizing she had made things awkward, Mitsuru tried to ease the tension. It seemed to work somehow. The guy tried to keep the conversation professional. His face was a bit strained

"It's much better, you know? Moving around with a prosthetics leg is quite dangerous. Having one eye is dangerous too, but it's more manageable"

"I see..."

He nodded so hard that it looks like he was nodding for himself for being professional rather than for Mitsuru.

Despite feeling uneasy, the guy managed to stay calm and continued conducting the survey.

After a few more questions, the guy bowed to her, thanked her profusely, and left with a big 'thank you'.

...

Mitsuru returned home. Her older brother was standing in front of a small garden patch.

"You're up awfully early, Onii-chan."

Mitsuru grinned, leaning on cane.

"Yeah yeah. I woke up early because I couldn't sleep"

"Something happened?"

"I woke up early"

Takashi didn't look at Mitsuru as she approached. He was just staring at a random plant that had caught his eye. It was obvious he had dark circles under his eyes.

"That's rough. Having sleep deprivation and still not being able to sleep. You should take getting enough sleep more seriously."

"I'm trying. It didn't work"

"Sleep deprivation sucks. I know you understand what it can do to you, yet you decided it's acceptable. Just don't say it didn't work"

"Yeah I know."

"I know midnight is so quiet and nice, but it won't make you feel better tomorrow. Just throw the phone away before getting on the bed."

Mitsuru didn't linger with her brother. It wasn't that she didn't want to. She simply didn't have anything new to tell him. She had already shared a few tips on how to get to bed early like she did, but her brother still seemed to be struggling.

Mitsuru opened the door, stepped into the genkan and closed it behind her.

Early April, 2026

Mitsuru looked up to see the blue sky above. It was neither cloudy nor clear, which was exactly how she preferred.

To her, the somewhat quiet streets of the Nishi Ward were never boring. She had witnessed the same scenery for so long, yet she found something new every time walking by. Cracks on the ground, plants pots left unattended, faded signs.

As she passed a small café, her eye naturally drifted toward tables the behind glass windows. A few chairs were tucked beneath them, waiting in silence. She had never gone inside, though she always found herself thinking about the atmosphere every time she walked by.

Still, Mitsuru didn't let herself get carried away easily. The faint, steady thump of the wooden cane in her right hand against the concrete ground politely reminded her to keep her focus on ahead.

After all, avoiding trouble was better than dealing with it later.

Mitsuru was a good walker, especially for someone with transfemoral amputation - slightly above the left knee. Even so, tripping wasn't something she enjoyed more than anyone else.

A group of joggers appeared behind a corner. They were far enough away for Mitsuru to step aside, but as soon as she shifted slightly to the right, the group narrowed into a single line so that they wouldn't brush against her.

For a brief moment, Mitsuru watched their backs disappear down the street, damp with sweat beneath the morning light, before continuing on her way.

A nearby vending machine hummed softly as she stopped in front of it. For a few seconds, she simply stood there staring at the rows of drinks behind the plastic display. Then, without buying anything, she quietly continued on her way.

The ground started to roll down slightly. Still, Mitsuru didn't bother. Of course she was confident, but because this gentle slope was her everyday place. She still had mildly negative impression about slope, so she always went through one or two slope in her morning walk despite the fact that the way to her school had slopes too.

As she arrived at a familiar crossroad, she turned left to face a zebra crossing. The light was red, so she stood still with a small crowd of walkers.

As the light turned green, a bird chirp was emitted, signaling it was safe to cross.

Mitsuru quickly followed the small crowd. Due to her amputation, her walk speed was slower compared to average person, but she had no problem in speeding up as long as no one was on the way.

With a swift movement, she placed herself on the right side of the crossing. Mitsuru crossed the road, slightly behind the crowd.

She then proceeded toward a FamilyMart convenience store just a few blocks away from the crossroads. Mitsuru called this place her “supply node,” since it was where she sometimes bought a drink before taking a short break and starting her return trip home.

This time, she decided she would buy tea.

The automatic door opened as Mitsuru approached, playing the familiar melody of Daiseikyou. Inside, the air was no warmer than outside, which displeased her slightly. Somehow, she had expected the store to feel warmer.

She immediately scanned the store after stepping inside, in fear of any surprise bump.

She then headed straight toward the ambient shelf section and grabbed a 600ml bottle of Oi Ocha tea. The pathway between the shelves was a little narrow for her to move comfortably, but Mitsuru had done this countless times already. After paying for the bottle, she stepped outside and immediately took a sip.

“Why wait?” she thought.

She had originally intended to buy one from the vending machine earlier, but decided against it to save money. Besides, the reward felt sweeter when she resisted the urge first, didn’t it?

After silently congratulating herself, Mitsuru sat down on a nearby bench, cane placed aside. She lifted her knee-length light brown pleated skirt slightly, revealing both her sound knee and the mechanical one beneath it. From the first glance, people might not notice anything special about her left leg. The color and silhouette seamlessly blended with background, thanks to the foam and cosmetic stocking.

Quickly, she checked the prosthetic to make sure nothing had loosened during the walk.

It had started getting hot inside the socket a while ago, but Mitsuru was already used to that. She wore a grey long shirt, which felt slightly chilly for an April morning, yet walking with a prosthetic leg required enough energy to keep her body warm.

Mitsuru looked up at the sky, waiting for the cool air to creep against the skin of her residual limb before continuing on her way. She rested her right hand on top of her linen flat cap to make sure it would not fall off because of the wind — or her own carelessness.

Soon afterward, she headed toward her next destination which was her home.

Before going, she pulled out her phone from her fanny bag. It was 7:06 AM. No need to rush.

Mitsuru followed the same path, but with a few minor tweaks. This route was meant to be easy, relying on shortcuts and, above all, avoiding slopes.

"Excuse me!"

A young man wearing a mask let out a small breath as he ran toward her.

"May I ask you a few questions about your physical condition?"

Mitsuru eyed him warily. He was holding a small camera in his hand, though it was not pointed at her.

"I'm a YouTuber and an undergraduate in the psychology department. It's nice to meet you. I'm currently conducting a survey about the mental health of amputees to inform the public. Would you mind answering a few questions? It won't take much time. Also, I'll be recording this conversation and posting it on social media. You can find it from a channel called 'MudaiPsycho' on YouTube"

The college student rattled off the words so quickly that it sounded as if running out of breath had stripped away his ability to form coherent sentences.

Mitsuru looked at her prosthetic leg, then back at the guy, mildly confused by the wall of words.

"Sure. Just ask me" She nodded.

The guy happily turned on the camera and pointed it toward her

"Great! Uh... So how long have you used prosthetic leg?"

"I have been a transfemoral amputee when I was 10. It's been 7 years"

"Uh-huh"

The guy nod, trying not to let out his shock show.

"Are you okay with your current situation? I mean, do you think being amputee is... hard?"

"Yeah. Pretty much. I've accepted it for a long time. The main problem is getting around. Combined with my only left eye, it's a hell of a way to move around, you know?"

"Left eye?" The college guy looked visibly confused.

"I also lost my right eye along with my left leg" Mitsuru pointed at her right eye. "This is a prosthetic eye"

This time, the poor guy visibly struggled not to show his surprise. It was probably better to avoid such a sensitive topic.

"Don't worry, don't worry. I'm fine with that too. If you have any questions about it, feel free to ask."

"Oh. Okay..."

Realizing she had made things awkward, Mitsuru tried to ease the tension. It seemed to work somehow. The guy tried to keep the conversation professional. His face was a bit strained

"It's much better, you know? Moving around with a prosthetics leg is quite dangerous. Having one eye is dangerous too, but it's more manageable"

"I see..."

He nodded so hard that it looks like he was nodding for himself for being professional rather than for Mitsuru.

Despite feeling uneasy, the guy managed to stay calm and continued conducting the survey.

After a few more questions, the guy bowed to her, thanked her profusely, and left with a big 'thank you'.

...

Mitsuru returned home. Her older brother was standing in front of a small garden patch.

"You're up awfully early, Onii-chan."

Mitsuru grinned, leaning on cane.

"Yeah yeah. I woke up early because I couldn't sleep"

"Something happened?"

"I woke up early"

Takashi didn't look at Mitsuru as she approached. He was just staring at a random plant that had caught his eye. It was obvious he had dark circles under his eyes.

"That's rough. Having sleep deprivation and still not being able to sleep. You should take getting enough sleep more seriously."

"I'm trying. It didn't work"

"Sleep deprivation sucks. I know you understand what it can do to you, yet you decided it's acceptable. Just don't say it didn't work"

"Yeah I know."

"I know midnight is so quiet and nice, but it won't make you feel better tomorrow. Just throw the phone away before getting on the bed."

Mitsuru didn't linger with her brother. It wasn't that she didn't want to. She simply didn't have anything new to tell him. She had already shared a few tips on how to get to bed early like she did, but her brother still seemed to be struggling.

Mitsuru opened the door, stepped into the genkan and closed it behind her.

I'm not English native, so expect unusual phrasing or errors. And beside, the tone was intended to be minimal, plain and simple. If you have anything to say about the story, just tell me.

----

Early April, 2026

Mitsuru looked up to see the blue sky above. It was neither cloudy nor clear, which was exactly how she preferred.

To her, the somewhat quiet streets of the Nishi Ward were never boring. She had witnessed the same scenery for so long, yet she found something new every time walking by. Cracks on the ground, plants pots left unattended, faded signs.

As she passed a small café, her eye naturally drifted toward tables the behind glass windows. A few chairs were tucked beneath them, waiting in silence. She had never gone inside, though she always found herself thinking about the atmosphere every time she walked by.

Still, Mitsuru didn't let herself get carried away easily. The faint, steady thump of the wooden cane in her right hand against the concrete ground politely reminded her to keep her focus on ahead.

After all, avoiding trouble was better than dealing with it later.

Mitsuru was a good walker, especially for someone with transfemoral amputation - slightly above the left knee. Even so, tripping wasn't something she enjoyed more than anyone else.

A group of joggers appeared behind a corner. They were far enough away for Mitsuru to step aside, but as soon as she shifted slightly to the right, the group narrowed into a single line so that they wouldn't brush against her.

For a brief moment, Mitsuru watched their backs disappear down the street, damp with sweat beneath the morning light, before continuing on her way.

A nearby vending machine hummed softly as she stopped in front of it. For a few seconds, she simply stood there staring at the rows of drinks behind the plastic display. Then, without buying anything, she quietly continued on her way.

The ground started to roll down slightly. Still, Mitsuru didn't bother. Of course she was confident, but because this gentle slope was her everyday place. She still had mildly negative impression about slope, so she always went through one or two slope in her morning walk despite the fact that the way to her school had slopes too.

As she arrived at a familiar crossroad, she turned left to face a zebra crossing. The light was red, so she stood still with a small crowd of walkers.

As the light turned green, a bird chirp was emitted, signaling it was safe to cross.

Mitsuru quickly followed the small crowd. Due to her amputation, her walk speed was slower compared to average person, but she had no problem in speeding up as long as no one was on the way.

With a swift movement, she placed herself on the right side of the crossing. Mitsuru crossed the road, slightly behind the crowd.

She then proceeded toward a FamilyMart convenience store just a few blocks away from the crossroads. Mitsuru called this place her “supply node,” since it was where she sometimes bought a drink before taking a short break and starting her return trip home.

This time, she decided she would buy tea.

The automatic door opened as Mitsuru approached, playing the familiar melody of Daiseikyou. Inside, the air was no warmer than outside, which displeased her slightly. Somehow, she had expected the store to feel warmer.

She immediately scanned the store after stepping inside, in fear of any surprise bump.

She then headed straight toward the ambient shelf section and grabbed a 600ml bottle of Oi Ocha tea. The pathway between the shelves was a little narrow for her to move comfortably, but Mitsuru had done this countless times already. After paying for the bottle, she stepped outside and immediately took a sip.

“Why wait?” she thought.

She had originally intended to buy one from the vending machine earlier, but decided against it to save money. Besides, the reward felt sweeter when she resisted the urge first, didn’t it?

After silently congratulating herself, Mitsuru sat down on a nearby bench, cane placed aside. She lifted her knee-length light brown pleated skirt slightly, revealing both her sound knee and the mechanical one beneath it. From the first glance, people might not notice anything special about her left leg. The color and silhouette seamlessly blended with background, thanks to the foam and cosmetic stocking.

Quickly, she checked the prosthetic to make sure nothing had loosened during the walk.

It had started getting hot inside the socket a while ago, but Mitsuru was already used to that. She wore a grey long shirt, which felt slightly chilly for an April morning, yet walking with a prosthetic leg required enough energy to keep her body warm.

Mitsuru looked up at the sky, waiting for the cool air to creep against the skin of her residual limb before continuing on her way. She rested her right hand on top of her linen flat cap to make sure it would not fall off because of the wind — or her own carelessness.

Soon afterward, she headed toward her next destination which was her home.

Before going, she pulled out her phone from her fanny bag. It was 7:06 AM. No need to rush.

Mitsuru followed the same path, but with a few minor tweaks. This route was meant to be easy, relying on shortcuts and, above all, avoiding slopes.

"Excuse me!"

A young man wearing a mask let out a small breath as he ran toward her.

"May I ask you a few questions about your physical condition?"

Mitsuru eyed him warily. He was holding a small camera in his hand, though it was not pointed at her.

"I'm a YouTuber and an undergraduate in the psychology department. It's nice to meet you. I'm currently conducting a survey about the mental health of amputees to inform the public. Would you mind answering a few questions? It won't take much time. Also, I'll be recording this conversation and posting it on social media. You can find it from a channel called 'MudaiPsycho' on YouTube"

The college student rattled off the words so quickly that it sounded as if running out of breath had stripped away his ability to form coherent sentences.

Mitsuru looked at her prosthetic leg, then back at the guy, mildly confused by the wall of words.

"Sure. Just ask me" She nodded.

The guy happily turned on the camera and pointed it toward her

"Great! Uh... So how long have you used prosthetic leg?"

"I have been a transfemoral amputee when I was 10. It's been 7 years"

"Uh-huh"

The guy nod, trying not to let out his shock show.

"Are you okay with your current situation? I mean, do you think being amputee is... hard?"

"Yeah. Pretty much. I've accepted it for a long time. The main problem is getting around. Combined with my only left eye, it's a hell of a way to move around, you know?"

"Left eye?" The college guy looked visibly confused.

"I also lost my right eye along with my left leg" Mitsuru pointed at her right eye. "This is a prosthetic eye"

This time, the poor guy visibly struggled not to show his surprise. It was probably better to avoid such a sensitive topic.

"Don't worry, don't worry. I'm fine with that too. If you have any questions about it, feel free to ask."

"Oh. Okay..."

Realizing she had made things awkward, Mitsuru tried to ease the tension. It seemed to work somehow. The guy tried to keep the conversation professional. His face was a bit strained

"It's much better, you know? Moving around with a prosthetics leg is quite dangerous. Having one eye is dangerous too, but it's more manageable"

"I see..."

He nodded so hard that it looks like he was nodding for himself for being professional rather than for Mitsuru.

Despite feeling uneasy, the guy managed to stay calm and continued conducting the survey.

After a few more questions, the guy bowed to her, thanked her profusely, and left with a big 'thank you'.

...

Mitsuru returned home. Her older brother was standing in front of a small garden patch.

"You're up awfully early, Onii-chan."

Mitsuru grinned, leaning on cane.

"Yeah yeah. I woke up early because I couldn't sleep"

"Something happened?"

"I woke up early"

Takashi didn't look at Mitsuru as she approached. He was just staring at a random plant that had caught his eye. It was obvious he had dark circles under his eyes.

"That's rough. Having sleep deprivation and still not being able to sleep. You should take getting enough sleep more seriously."

"I'm trying. It didn't work"

"Sleep deprivation sucks. I know you understand what it can do to you, yet you decided it's acceptable. Just don't say it didn't work"

"Yeah I know."

"I know midnight is so quiet and nice, but it won't make you feel better tomorrow. Just throw the phone away before getting on the bed."

Mitsuru didn't linger with her brother. It wasn't that she didn't want to. She simply didn't have anything new to tell him. She had already shared a few tips on how to get to bed early like she did, but her brother still seemed to be struggling.

Mitsuru opened the door, stepped into the genkan and closed it behind her.

https://preview.redd.it/wb5t7aq7rk9h1.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=e7262548720dec7322ade2800b1b46f64af364f9

https://preview.redd.it/xoe1dhl8rk9h1.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=31e1514ce181320940852b13428577770b82a897

https://preview.redd.it/41etu2z8rk9h1.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=7e9cb6faf63afe482b8fa774099f635912e7d674

https://preview.redd.it/zu1wnkd9rk9h1.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=0796acda310bd495eb9cbc1e33110293435edef0

https://preview.redd.it/hzt6w7u9rk9h1.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=be6842e1bf06a97467f7dfcbad267eb4032fb90a

https://preview.redd.it/haqvku3ark9h1.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=56c79b57be236199ab7fbb99334092954a6a1dba

https://preview.redd.it/q8y4sxfark9h1.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=90e62c33951e8906dd6fc3840cf22f7d27f61ef7

https://preview.redd.it/0x053gnark9h1.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=ba890624f49f91222a12d6945c291929a2ce524d

https://preview.redd.it/nf86iqvark9h1.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=75f18fe750c04e9b08b999c90d9fa76c804595bb

I'm not English native, so expect unusual phrasing or errors. And beside, the tone was intended to be minimal, plain and simple. If you have anything to say about the story, just tell me.

https://preview.redd.it/xt4fqgi2qk9h1.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=ae6ac66d505db5b512e1dbd409b3c94cfdd6d415

https://preview.redd.it/odwvcpw2qk9h1.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=ca6bd49e4d821be6925e86ef5b030f7e3d99b953

https://preview.redd.it/9dpoafa3qk9h1.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=15ea0a737d145c22b7037f77c021d2036362c041

https://preview.redd.it/u00tw5o3qk9h1.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=e4ae6750d5c296c8e8536809454584de0b902171

https://preview.redd.it/o9vj4e74qk9h1.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=b7965f5691404733c0711c32d21458b6bda65d46

https://preview.redd.it/nbaetdw4qk9h1.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=3543df13bc2ec58d3d8f3e5f2261f3eb2b7fd1ef

https://preview.redd.it/6deer1u5qk9h1.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=64017c00434261cdfed0ee37ab80ce155fae0232

https://preview.redd.it/zuh8ka56qk9h1.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=b6eba0043aa4959513ce58edb7ab8544fd44e08c

https://preview.redd.it/yzy46kc6qk9h1.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=2b29a56d7dda463e43f4367d4b8ed862910abea7

I'm not English native. So expect some errors in phrasing. The tone is minimal, simple and plain, and it's intended that way.

Before reading the short story, I want everyone to know that the tone was intended that way. Clear, functional and minimal. Also, I'm not an English native so the story should have some problem with grammar or tone.

---

"That's how a gas-operated system works and how you should design one. I'd recommend tweaking the design by hand in CAD several times before asking AI for help."

"That's terrifyingly detailed. I used to think it was just gas pushing the bolt back~"

Liam stretched with a tired expression. His voice stretched along with his body.

"Anyway, why did you use the AKM as the first example? That thing is ancient. From the 1950s or something. Why didn't we start with a more modern one like the AK-12?"

"Back in my day, I had to learn how World War I rifles worked. You don't make mistakes if you understand mechanisms that were designed a hundred years ago."

"Yeah, yeah. It's not like our firm decided to use metal from forty years ago for the nostalgic experience."

"Honestly, I'm still wondering how the boss decided to hire you and expected us to teach you along the way."

Kamile looked at Liam with an expressionless face.

Liam, still getting used to her condition, felt a little defensive. Even with her flat expression, he could sense the irritation.

"Well, it's undeniable that I'm a genius and could probably work my way to a bachelor's degree on my own." He stood up. "I'm trying to learn, you know? It's way different from how I worked on my own projects."

Kamile glanced at the time displayed on the monitor.

4:09 PM.

Working hours had ended exactly 9 minutes and 31 seconds ago. Yet this young man hadn't taken the lesson seriously for at least ten of those minutes. Still, he had cooperated and learned something.

"Take my cup of tea. I don't want it."

Kamile pushed the cup into Liam's hand. She could tell he needed it more than she did.

"Is it sweet?"

"It's plain tea."

"Good. I hate sweet tea. Thanks."

Liam smiled and walked away, waving with an attitude that practically said "Finally, I can get out of here."

Kamile waved back with her usual flat expression.

...

...

...

It had been 10 minutes and 26 seconds since working hours ended.

Kamile realized she had been staring at the monitor the entire time.

She turned it off and returned to her workstation.

Taking her time, she saved her files and closed her tabs. The empty laboratory made every click sound duller and duller.

Rolling her neck to loosen the stiffness, she reminded herself to pay more attention to her posture next time.

The lights were switched off.

Kamile untied her low ponytail, signaling that she would not be returning to work mode until tomorrow.

She opened the door and stepped outside before closing it behind her. Jim would take care of security.

"¿Qué? ¿Se pelearon mi vieja y mi viejo?"

Liam paced back and forth while talking on the phone. His voice was urgent.

Kamile couldn't understand what he was saying, but she could tell he was frustrated.

"¡Bueno! Ya vuelvo... ¿Que los deje solos? Ya entendí."

Liam nodded.

"Vuelvo mañana. Te quiero."

He slipped his phone into his pocket and noticed Kamile staring at him.

With a pout, he shook his head.

"My mom and dad are arguing about where to go in the city. They've only been here a few days."

Kamile hadn't asked for an explanation, but she listened anyway.

"You know, it's their first time visiting America. I wanted them to have a good time together. I'm pretty sure the rest of the trip won't be much fun."

"I suppose so," Kamile said with a nod. "By the way, why is there a duffel bag over there? Did you bring it?"

"What bag?" Liam looked toward it. "I don't know."

"Don't lie to me. I know that bag wasn't there before."

"Nope. No idea."

"Four minutes after the shift ended, I came out to get tea. The bag wasn't there."

"..."

Liam looked at the bag, then at Kamile's neutral expression.

"Alright, I admit it. Hear me out." He spread his arms, trying to look less guilty. "I don't have anywhere to stay. My dorm is being repaired, and none of my friends have a spare bed until tomorrow. I'm temporarily homeless."

"You know Jim will throw you out."

"I know, I know. I'm not that stupid. I figured he wouldn't check the document storage room, so I planned to sleep there tonight."

Liam rolled his eyes, uncomfortable that his plan had been exposed.

"Boss won't like it."

"Then tell me what I should do! I'm not going to sleep on the street tonight."

"Come to my place."

"Huh?"

Liam squinted in disbelief. His mouth hung slightly open while one hand rested on his head. He made an unnecessary spin.

"Is this a trap?"

"How could it be a trap?" Kamile tilted her head slightly.

"I mean, you're letting me stay at your place. What about everyone else?"

"I live alone."

"Oh."

Liam let out a relieved sigh.

"I thought it was going to be way more complicated than that. Thank you. Seriously. You saved me."

"No problem."

"I won't show up until around nine. I have some things to do first."

He pointed toward the exit. His eyes seemed to say "Sorry".

"I'm usually home by then."

"Alright. Thanks again, Kamile. I owe you one."

Liam smiled.

Kamile nodded and continued toward the exit.

She watched Liam grab his duffel bag and run toward the door.

"Honest kid." she thought.

...

9:07 PM.

A sudden gust of wind swept across the suburb.

Leaves rustled, a discarded plastic bag left a trash bin to follow the wind.

...

9:09 PM.

Ding-dong.

Kamile quickly walked to the front door as the doorbell rang.

"Good evening."

Liam stood outside with his duffel bag slung over one shoulder.

"Hi. Come in"

Kamile stepped aside and gestured him to enter. Her monotone voice didn't make the greeting sound warm.

"Make yourself comfortable. I don't mind you look around. Just don't break anything"

"Okay"

Liam nodded as he entered the living room.

Kamile was doing something in the kitchen and disappeared inside.

Unsure of what to do, Liam set his duffel bag down first.

This was the first time he had ever stayed at a woman's house, and he clearly wasn't as comfortable as Kamile seemed to think he should be. His limited understanding of her condition also didn't help either.

"Alright, alright. Should I ask her where I'm supposed to sleep? Would that sound demanding?"

While Liam was in turmoil, Kamile silently emerged from the kitchen, disappeared into another room, abd returned carrying a classical guitar.

She brought a chair with her and placed it facing the backyard.

Liam watched, wondering whether Kamile had even paid attention to him.

The room was filled with soft, warm guitar sound. It's slow, a bit haunting.

For someone playing electric guitar for fun like him, this sounded strange. Liam didn't recognize the piece, but he had no intention of asking about it.

Trying to distract himself from the awkwardness, he wandered around the living room.

Naturally, his eyes began settling on different things unconsciously.

The room was tidy and organized carefully.

Before Liam realized, he had been looking around for a while

A small bookshelf caught his attention.

Curious, he picked up some books.

One book was written in Chinese, or so he thought. Another was written in a language he didn't recognize at all. He saw some strange characters like 'ą' and 'ę'.

He glanced at Kamile, wondering why those books were in her house.

However, he found Kamile staring at him.

Her face remained flat, emotionless.

This made Liam felt slightly embarrassed.

Of course she wasn't angry. If she were, she would have told him. Still, her face kept telling a different story.

"Want to ask something?"

The music stopped abruptly, replaced by her monotone voice.

"Ah... Uh... are you learning languages?" Liam smiled awkwardly, hoping she wasn't annoyed by his curiosity.

"No. I read those books before going to sleep. They're for, let's say, my family"

"Your family?"

"My father is a Japanese, and my mother is a Lithuanian. Those books you're holding are written in Japanese and Lithuanian"

"Huh?"

Liam looked back and forth between Kamile and the books in his hand. He was convinced one of them was Chinese.

"Why are you surprised? Didn't you read my full name?"

"No" He shook his head.

"It's Kamile Enomoto. Note that Kamile is pronounced as Kah-mee-lee, not Camille"

"But everyone calls you as Camille"

"It's easier if I let them do their way"

"Okay..."

Liam nodded and looked away. He didn't know what to say, instead, he let his eyes wander around again.

This time, he saw a framed photograph. A woman wearing a desert combat uniform held a rifle in cradle carry pose. She wore a sunglasses, making it difficult to see her face.

Still, Liam looked between the photograph and Kamile. Oddly enough, they looked quite similar.

"2049. Saudi Arabia. One of documentary film crews took that picture before the counteroffensive operation in Iraq began."

Liam listened the explanation with disbelief.

"Wait what? You were a soldier? How long?"

"Three and a half years in logistics, and another three and a half years as a combat soldier. Retired at twenty five."

Liam's jaw practically hit the floor.

He didn't think a quiet woman he'd known for only two weeks in a private firearms design firm had apparently served in the military — and had likely taken part in at least a war.

Liam placed his hands on his head, trying to process the information.

Meanwhile, Kamile simply stared at him with her usual neutral expression before returning to her guitar.

Liam didn't want to ask Kamile anything. Interrupting someone while they were playing an instrument was considered rude by some people.

Instead, he returned to the photograph looking for anything noteworthy. Badges, locations, unit markings.

A few seconds passed. he could not find anything at all.

Eventually, Liam gave up.

Instead, he decided to test how comfortable Kamile really was with him being there. After all, Kamile hadn't give him any specific rule beside "don't break anything". He had to test the actual boundary out.

He walked to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, grabbed a can of Pepsi, close the refrigerator.

Then he deliberately walked past Kamile at a slow pace while opening the can. He even looked at her, trying to find a slightest change.

Nothing. Kamile simply looked at him for a moment before returning to the fretboard again.

"That didn't help." He realized.

Shortly afterward, Kamile finished another piece.

"Did you check whether you're drinking caffeine-free version?" She asked.

Suddenly, Liam felt stupid. He looked at the can. It was caffeine-free version. He celebrated a small victories by smiling. He wouldn't have to spend another night unable to sleep. He had enough from yesterday.

"Let's be honest," Liam said. "Don't you feel uncomfortable with me using your refrigerator whenever I want?"

"No. I told you to make yourself comfortable, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but isn't that a little intrusive?"

"You're an honest kid. I generally trust that you won't cause any trouble. Otherwise, I wouldn't have invited you to stay here for the night."

"Ah, man. That's so embarrassing"

Liam suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious. He didn't know Kamile think of him that way.

Now, he was trapped in another problem.

How to be respectful while also being comfortable? That was surprisingly hard. He would trigger some reaction, even if Kamile didn't show any, if he decided this was his new home.

Overwhelmed by the uncertainty, he decided scrolling would be the best option.

He sat down on the couch, pulled out his phone, and opened Instagram.

Somehow, one hour had passed without any awkwardness. Only social media and faint guitar music in the background.

"I'm going to bed," Kamile said. "If you need anything, knock on my bedroom door."

"Alright"

Liam looked up and saw Kamile spreading something on the living room floor.

"What is that?" He asked.

"Futon. I have prepared some just in case"

"Futon?"

"You should try sleeping on this. It's better than a bed"

Liam knew nothing about futon, but he wasn't in a position to complain.

After brushing his teeth, he fell on the mattress with a heavy thud.

"Good night"

"You too"

After their final exchange of the evening, Kamile closed her bedroom door, leaving Liam alone in the quiet darkness.

He decided to watch a few guitar videos before going to sleep. After getting only two hours of sleep the previous night because he'd stayed up grinding a game, he was determined not to repeat the mistake.

Those two hours of sleep hadn't done him any favors at the lab. It was a constant fight of attention and desire to take a nap.

...

...

...

Liam opened his eyes.

Nothing had happened

...

"How the hell did I even wake up?"

He wondered.

He saw Kamile by the front door.

Judging by her outfit, she was about to go jogging.

Liam didn't care. He went back to sleep.

...

...

...

Liam woke up again. He immediately grabbed his phone and checked the time. 7:32 AM. That was early. He thought it was nine already.

Not wanting to fall asleep again, Liam got up and headed straight for the kitchen to get a glass of water.

His body was sore, but somehow he managed just fine.

As he left the kitchen, he saw Kamile walking out of the bathroom. She was only wearing underwear.

Despite his sleep-fogged brain, Liam successfully redirected himself toward the backyard as fast as possible, away from the direction Kamile was heading.

"The fuck? How is this even possible?"

He murmured, feeling deeply irritated by the accident. He didn't know how Kamile would think, but it didn't matter right now.

The whole thing had been completely avoidable. Liam didn't know he should blame Kamile, himself or something else.

However, something caught his eyes.

He had seen part of a tattoo.

A small section had been visible above the fabric of her underwear. It was an inverted heart shape at first glance, or rather, the upper part of one.

Now that made him felt even more uncomfortable. Liam knew people got tattoos in all kinds of places, including their lower abdomen. But it didn't mean every tattoo should be seen.

He felt gross about the fact.

Still, his mind kept trying to identify what he had seen.

He wasn't sure. He just caught a glimpse of it. His Internet knowledge was the only thing he worked with. It could be an inverted heart, a part of a symbol, a picture. It could be anything.

For some reason, though, his mind kept connecting it to a womb crest.

That was ridiculous, and Liam knew it. It couldn't be helped.. The shapes were vaguely similar, and he was being honest with himself about that.

He suddenly regretted learning so much random Japanese adult-culture trivia out of pure curiosity.

Now he found himself wondering what else he didn't know about Kamile.

Liam pushed the thought right away. He shouldn't be making assumptions about another person's private life without any evidence.

The thought came back, Liam suppressed it.

It returned. This time, he reached for his pocket out of habit, only to realize his phone was still on the futon.

"La puta madre!"

He cursed and settled for staring at the plants instead.

...

Liam waited in the backyard for several minutes, hoping there would be no further accidents by the time he went back inside.

He peeked through the doorway. Kamile was drinking coffee on a couch.

Relieved, he stepped inside. However, walking close up the Kamile, he saw she was frowning.

Again, his anxiety returned. He wasn't sure what had made her upset.

After a brief hesitation, he decided it would be better to ask directly.

"What made you angry?"

"Angry?" Kamile looked at him, confused.

"Yeah." Liam nodded, feeling confused too.

"I don't know. My chest just feels tight."

Two things Kamile had told him on his first day at work resurfaced in his memory.

Kamile has Alexithymia and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

She had emphasized that she couldn't reliably identify her emotions, not that she lacked emotions entirely. On top of that, she had difficulty expressing emotions through facial expressions because of her autism.

According to her, if an emotion was visible on her face, it was probably strong enough to show itself. Milder emotions often didn't affect her expression at all.

That was why Liam constantly thought about those facts whenever he spoke with her. Sometimes, if he was being honest, they intimidated him.

"You're frowning." He said.

"I know."

"Did something happen?"

"I started feeling this way after I was hit by a teenager. She accused me of trying to attack her. I was just passing by."

"That sucks. But when did it happen?"

"This morning. While I was jogging."

Liam had no idea what had actually happened. Still, he didn't think Kamile was the kind of who would randomly start trouble with strangers.

"So... do you know you're angry?"

"As I said, I don't know." Kamile shook her head. Her gaze remained distant.

"You're definitely angry."

"I suppose you're right."

Kamile leaned back on the couch and took a sip from her mug. She stared into empty space.

Liam didn't know what else to do, so he left her alone and continued with his morning routine.

He planned to leave soon anyway. The last thing he wanted was to become a burden.

After gathering all of his belongings, he said goodbye with a smile.

"Thank you for letting me stay the night. I really appreciate it."

"No problem."

Kamile walked him to the front door.

"How long will your dorm be under repair?"

"Maybe four or five days. I don't really know."

"Take care of yourself."

"Of course I will. I'm staying with some friends. They're nice."

Liam slung his duffel bag over his shoulder and headed down the apartment building.

Before reading the short story, I want everyone to know that the tone was intended that way. Clear, functional and minimal. Also, I'm not an English native so the story should have some problem with grammar or tone.

---

"That's how a gas-operated system works and how you should design one. I'd recommend tweaking the design by hand in CAD several times before asking AI for help."

"That's terrifyingly detailed. I used to think it was just gas pushing the bolt back~"

Liam stretched with a tired expression. His voice stretched along with his body.

"Anyway, why did you use the AKM as the first example? That thing is ancient. From the 1950s or something. Why didn't we start with a more modern one like the AK-12?"

"Back in my day, I had to learn how World War I rifles worked. You don't make mistakes if you understand mechanisms that were designed a hundred years ago."

"Yeah, yeah. It's not like our firm decided to use metal from forty years ago for the nostalgic experience."

"Honestly, I'm still wondering how the boss decided to hire you and expected us to teach you along the way."

Kamile looked at Liam with an expressionless face.

Liam, still getting used to her condition, felt a little defensive. Even with her flat expression, he could sense the irritation.

"Well, it's undeniable that I'm a genius and could probably work my way to a bachelor's degree on my own." He stood up. "I'm trying to learn, you know? It's way different from how I worked on my own projects."

Kamile glanced at the time displayed on the monitor.

4:09 PM.

Working hours had ended exactly 9 minutes and 31 seconds ago. Yet this young man hadn't taken the lesson seriously for at least ten of those minutes. Still, he had cooperated and learned something.

"Take my cup of tea. I don't want it."

Kamile pushed the cup into Liam's hand. She could tell he needed it more than she did.

"Is it sweet?"

"It's plain tea."

"Good. I hate sweet tea. Thanks."

Liam smiled and walked away, waving with an attitude that practically said "Finally, I can get out of here."

Kamile waved back with her usual flat expression.

...

...

...

It had been 10 minutes and 26 seconds since working hours ended.

Kamile realized she had been staring at the monitor the entire time.

She turned it off and returned to her workstation.

Taking her time, she saved her files and closed her tabs. The empty laboratory made every click sound duller and duller.

Rolling her neck to loosen the stiffness, she reminded herself to pay more attention to her posture next time.

The lights were switched off.

Kamile untied her low ponytail, signaling that she would not be returning to work mode until tomorrow.

She opened the door and stepped outside before closing it behind her. Jim would take care of security.

"¿Qué? ¿Se pelearon mi vieja y mi viejo?"

Liam paced back and forth while talking on the phone. His voice was urgent.

Kamile couldn't understand what he was saying, but she could tell he was frustrated.

"¡Bueno! Ya vuelvo... ¿Que los deje solos? Ya entendí."

Liam nodded.

"Vuelvo mañana. Te quiero."

He slipped his phone into his pocket and noticed Kamile staring at him.

With a pout, he shook his head.

"My mom and dad are arguing about where to go in the city. They've only been here a few days."

Kamile hadn't asked for an explanation, but she listened anyway.

"You know, it's their first time visiting America. I wanted them to have a good time together. I'm pretty sure the rest of the trip won't be much fun."

"I suppose so," Kamile said with a nod. "By the way, why is there a duffel bag over there? Did you bring it?"

"What bag?" Liam looked toward it. "I don't know."

"Don't lie to me. I know that bag wasn't there before."

"Nope. No idea."

"Four minutes after the shift ended, I came out to get tea. The bag wasn't there."

"..."

Liam looked at the bag, then at Kamile's neutral expression.

"Alright, I admit it. Hear me out." He spread his arms, trying to look less guilty. "I don't have anywhere to stay. My dorm is being repaired, and none of my friends have a spare bed until tomorrow. I'm temporarily homeless."

"You know Jim will throw you out."

"I know, I know. I'm not that stupid. I figured he wouldn't check the document storage room, so I planned to sleep there tonight."

Liam rolled his eyes, uncomfortable that his plan had been exposed.

"Boss won't like it."

"Then tell me what I should do! I'm not going to sleep on the street tonight."

"Come to my place."

"Huh?"

Liam squinted in disbelief. His mouth hung slightly open while one hand rested on his head. He made an unnecessary spin.

"Is this a trap?"

"How could it be a trap?" Kamile tilted her head slightly.

"I mean, you're letting me stay at your place. What about everyone else?"

"I live alone."

"Oh."

Liam let out a relieved sigh.

"I thought it was going to be way more complicated than that. Thank you. Seriously. You saved me."

"No problem."

"I won't show up until around nine. I have some things to do first."

He pointed toward the exit. His eyes seemed to say "Sorry".

"I'm usually home by then."

"Alright. Thanks again, Kamile. I owe you one."

Liam smiled.

Kamile nodded and continued toward the exit.

She watched Liam grab his duffel bag and run toward the door.

"Honest kid." she thought.

...

9:07 PM.

A sudden gust of wind swept across the suburb.

Leaves rustled, a discarded plastic bag left a trash bin to follow the wind.

...

9:09 PM.

Ding-dong.

Kamile quickly walked to the front door as the doorbell rang.

"Good evening."

Liam stood outside with his duffel bag slung over one shoulder.

"Hi. Come in"

Kamile stepped aside and gestured him to enter. Her monotone voice didn't make the greeting sound warm.

"Make yourself comfortable. I don't mind you look around. Just don't break anything"

"Okay"

Liam nodded as he entered the living room.

Kamile was doing something in the kitchen and disappeared inside.

Unsure of what to do, Liam set his duffel bag down first.

This was the first time he had ever stayed at a woman's house, and he clearly wasn't as comfortable as Kamile seemed to think he should be. His limited understanding of her condition also didn't help either.

"Alright, alright. Should I ask her where I'm supposed to sleep? Would that sound demanding?"

While Liam was in turmoil, Kamile silently emerged from the kitchen, disappeared into another room, abd returned carrying a classical guitar.

She brought a chair with her and placed it facing the backyard.

Liam watched, wondering whether Kamile had even paid attention to him.

The room was filled with soft, warm guitar sound. It's slow, a bit haunting.

For someone playing electric guitar for fun like him, this sounded strange. Liam didn't recognize the piece, but he had no intention of asking about it.

Trying to distract himself from the awkwardness, he wandered around the living room.

Naturally, his eyes began settling on different things unconsciously.

The room was tidy and organized carefully.

Before Liam realized, he had been looking around for a while

A small bookshelf caught his attention.

Curious, he picked up some books.

One book was written in Chinese, or so he thought. Another was written in a language he didn't recognize at all. He saw some strange characters like 'ą' and 'ę'.

He glanced at Kamile, wondering why those books were in her house.

However, he found Kamile staring at him.

Her face remained flat, emotionless.

This made Liam felt slightly embarrassed.

Of course she wasn't angry. If she were, she would have told him. Still, her face kept telling a different story.

"Want to ask something?"

The music stopped abruptly, replaced by her monotone voice.

"Ah... Uh... are you learning languages?" Liam smiled awkwardly, hoping she wasn't annoyed by his curiosity.

"No. I read those books before going to sleep. They're for, let's say, my family"

"Your family?"

"My father is a Japanese, and my mother is a Lithuanian. Those books you're holding are written in Japanese and Lithuanian"

"Huh?"

Liam looked back and forth between Kamile and the books in his hand. He was convinced one of them was Chinese.

"Why are you surprised? Didn't you read my full name?"

"No" He shook his head.

"It's Kamile Enomoto. Note that Kamile is pronounced as Kah-mee-lee, not Camille"

"But everyone calls you as Camille"

"It's easier if I let them do their way"

"Okay..."

Liam nodded and looked away. He didn't know what to say, instead, he let his eyes wander around again.

This time, he saw a framed photograph. A woman wearing a desert combat uniform held a rifle in cradle carry pose. She wore a sunglasses, making it difficult to see her face.

Still, Liam looked between the photograph and Kamile. Oddly enough, they looked quite similar.

"2049. Saudi Arabia. One of documentary film crews took that picture before the counteroffensive operation in Iraq began."

Liam listened the explanation with disbelief.

"Wait what? You were a soldier? How long?"

"Three and a half years in logistics, and another three and a half years as a combat soldier. Retired at twenty five."

Liam's jaw practically hit the floor.

He didn't think a quiet woman he'd known for only two weeks in a private firearms design firm had apparently served in the military — and had likely taken part in at least a war.

Liam placed his hands on his head, trying to process the information.

Meanwhile, Kamile simply stared at him with her usual neutral expression before returning to her guitar.

Liam didn't want to ask Kamile anything. Interrupting someone while they were playing an instrument was considered rude by some people.

Instead, he returned to the photograph looking for anything noteworthy. Badges, locations, unit markings.

A few seconds passed. he could not find anything at all.

Eventually, Liam gave up.

Instead, he decided to test how comfortable Kamile really was with him being there. After all, Kamile hadn't give him any specific rule beside "don't break anything". He had to test the actual boundary out.

He walked to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, grabbed a can of Pepsi, close the refrigerator.

Then he deliberately walked past Kamile at a slow pace while opening the can. He even looked at her, trying to find a slightest change.

Nothing. Kamile simply looked at him for a moment before returning to the fretboard again.

"That didn't help." He realized.

Shortly afterward, Kamile finished another piece.

"Did you check whether you're drinking caffeine-free version?" She asked.

Suddenly, Liam felt stupid. He looked at the can. It was caffeine-free version. He celebrated a small victories by smiling. He wouldn't have to spend another night unable to sleep. He had enough from yesterday.

"Let's be honest," Liam said. "Don't you feel uncomfortable with me using your refrigerator whenever I want?"

"No. I told you to make yourself comfortable, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but isn't that a little intrusive?"

"You're an honest kid. I generally trust that you won't cause any trouble. Otherwise, I wouldn't have invited you to stay here for the night."

"Ah, man. That's so embarrassing"

Liam suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious. He didn't know Kamile think of him that way.

Now, he was trapped in another problem.

How to be respectful while also being comfortable? That was surprisingly hard. He would trigger some reaction, even if Kamile didn't show any, if he decided this was his new home.

Overwhelmed by the uncertainty, he decided scrolling would be the best option.

He sat down on the couch, pulled out his phone, and opened Instagram.

Somehow, one hour had passed without any awkwardness. Only social media and faint guitar music in the background.

"I'm going to bed," Kamile said. "If you need anything, knock on my bedroom door."

"Alright"

Liam looked up and saw Kamile spreading something on the living room floor.

"What is that?" He asked.

"Futon. I have prepared some just in case"

"Futon?"

"You should try sleeping on this. It's better than a bed"

Liam knew nothing about futon, but he wasn't in a position to complain.

After brushing his teeth, he fell on the mattress with a heavy thud.

"Good night"

"You too"

After their final exchange of the evening, Kamile closed her bedroom door, leaving Liam alone in the quiet darkness.

He decided to watch a few guitar videos before going to sleep. After getting only two hours of sleep the previous night because he'd stayed up grinding a game, he was determined not to repeat the mistake.

Those two hours of sleep hadn't done him any favors at the lab. It was a constant fight of attention and desire to take a nap.

...

...

...

Liam opened his eyes.

Nothing had happened

...

"How the hell did I even wake up?"

He wondered.

He saw Kamile by the front door.

Judging by her outfit, she was about to go jogging.

Liam didn't care. He went back to sleep.

...

...

...

Liam woke up again. He immediately grabbed his phone and checked the time. 7:32 AM. That was early. He thought it was nine already.

Not wanting to fall asleep again, Liam got up and headed straight for the kitchen to get a glass of water.

His body was sore, but somehow he managed just fine.

As he left the kitchen, he saw Kamile walking out of the bathroom. She was only wearing underwear.

Despite his sleep-fogged brain, Liam successfully redirected himself toward the backyard as fast as possible, away from the direction Kamile was heading.

"The fuck? How is this even possible?"

He murmured, feeling deeply irritated by the accident. He didn't know how Kamile would think, but it didn't matter right now.

The whole thing had been completely avoidable. Liam didn't know he should blame Kamile, himself or something else.

However, something caught his eyes.

He had seen part of a tattoo.

A small section had been visible above the fabric of her underwear. It was an inverted heart shape at first glance, or rather, the upper part of one.

Now that made him felt even more uncomfortable. Liam knew people got tattoos in all kinds of places, including their lower abdomen. But it didn't mean every tattoo should be seen.

He felt gross about the fact.

Still, his mind kept trying to identify what he had seen.

He wasn't sure. He just caught a glimpse of it. His Internet knowledge was the only thing he worked with. It could be an inverted heart, a part of a symbol, a picture. It could be anything.

For some reason, though, his mind kept connecting it to a womb crest.

That was ridiculous, and Liam knew it. It couldn't be helped.. The shapes were vaguely similar, and he was being honest with himself about that.

He suddenly regretted learning so much random Japanese adult-culture trivia out of pure curiosity.

Now he found himself wondering what else he didn't know about Kamile.

Liam pushed the thought right away. He shouldn't be making assumptions about another person's private life without any evidence.

The thought came back, Liam suppressed it.

It returned. This time, he reached for his pocket out of habit, only to realize his phone was still on the futon.

"La puta madre!"

He cursed and settled for staring at the plants instead.

...

Liam waited in the backyard for several minutes, hoping there would be no further accidents by the time he went back inside.

He peeked through the doorway. Kamile was drinking coffee on a couch.

Relieved, he stepped inside. However, walking close up the Kamile, he saw she was frowning.

Again, his anxiety returned. He wasn't sure what had made her upset.

After a brief hesitation, he decided it would be better to ask directly.

"What made you angry?"

"Angry?" Kamile looked at him, confused.

"Yeah." Liam nodded, feeling confused too.

"I don't know. My chest just feels tight."

Two things Kamile had told him on his first day at work resurfaced in his memory.

Kamile has Alexithymia and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

She had emphasized that she couldn't reliably identify her emotions, not that she lacked emotions entirely. On top of that, she had difficulty expressing emotions through facial expressions because of her autism.

According to her, if an emotion was visible on her face, it was probably strong enough to show itself. Milder emotions often didn't affect her expression at all.

That was why Liam constantly thought about those facts whenever he spoke with her. Sometimes, if he was being honest, they intimidated him.

"You're frowning." He said.

"I know."

"Did something happen?"

"I started feeling this way after I was hit by a teenager. She accused me of trying to attack her. I was just passing by."

"That sucks. But when did it happen?"

"This morning. While I was jogging."

Liam had no idea what had actually happened. Still, he didn't think Kamile was the kind of who would randomly start trouble with strangers.

"So... do you know you're angry?"

"As I said, I don't know." Kamile shook her head. Her gaze remained distant.

"You're definitely angry."

"I suppose you're right."

Kamile leaned back on the couch and took a sip from her mug. She stared into empty space.

Liam didn't know what else to do, so he left her alone and continued with his morning routine.

He planned to leave soon anyway. The last thing he wanted was to become a burden.

After gathering all of his belongings, he said goodbye with a smile.

"Thank you for letting me stay the night. I really appreciate it."

"No problem."

Kamile walked him to the front door.

"How long will your dorm be under repair?"

"Maybe four or five days. I don't really know."

"Take care of yourself."

"Of course I will. I'm staying with some friends. They're nice."

Liam slung his duffel bag over his shoulder and headed down the apartment building.

Before reading the short story, I want everyone to know that the tone was intended that way. Clear, functional and minimal. Also, I'm not an English native so the story should have some problem with grammar or tone.

---

"That's how a gas-operated system works and how you should design one. I'd recommend tweaking the design by hand in CAD several times before asking AI for help."

"That's terrifyingly detailed. I used to think it was just gas pushing the bolt back~"

Liam stretched with a tired expression. His voice stretched along with his body.

"Anyway, why did you use the AKM as the first example? That thing is ancient. From the 1950s or something. Why didn't we start with a more modern one like the AK-12?"

"Back in my day, I had to learn how World War I rifles worked. You don't make mistakes if you understand mechanisms that were designed a hundred years ago."

"Yeah, yeah. It's not like our firm decided to use metal from forty years ago for the nostalgic experience."

"Honestly, I'm still wondering how the boss decided to hire you and expected us to teach you along the way."

Kamile looked at Liam with an expressionless face.

Liam, still getting used to her condition, felt a little defensive. Even with her flat expression, he could sense the irritation.

"Well, it's undeniable that I'm a genius and could probably work my way to a bachelor's degree on my own." He stood up. "I'm trying to learn, you know? It's way different from how I worked on my own projects."

Kamile glanced at the time displayed on the monitor.

4:09 PM.

Working hours had ended exactly 9 minutes and 31 seconds ago. Yet this young man hadn't taken the lesson seriously for at least ten of those minutes. Still, he had cooperated and learned something.

"Take my cup of tea. I don't want it."

Kamile pushed the cup into Liam's hand. She could tell he needed it more than she did.

"Is it sweet?"

"It's plain tea."

"Good. I hate sweet tea. Thanks."

Liam smiled and walked away, waving with an attitude that practically said "Finally, I can get out of here."

Kamile waved back with her usual flat expression.

...

...

...

It had been 10 minutes and 26 seconds since working hours ended.

Kamile realized she had been staring at the monitor the entire time.

She turned it off and returned to her workstation.

Taking her time, she saved her files and closed her tabs. The empty laboratory made every click sound duller and duller.

Rolling her neck to loosen the stiffness, she reminded herself to pay more attention to her posture next time.

The lights were switched off.

Kamile untied her low ponytail, signaling that she would not be returning to work mode until tomorrow.

She opened the door and stepped outside before closing it behind her. Jim would take care of security.

"¿Qué? ¿Se pelearon mi vieja y mi viejo?"

Liam paced back and forth while talking on the phone. His voice was urgent.

Kamile couldn't understand what he was saying, but she could tell he was frustrated.

"¡Bueno! Ya vuelvo... ¿Que los deje solos? Ya entendí."

Liam nodded.

"Vuelvo mañana. Te quiero."

He slipped his phone into his pocket and noticed Kamile staring at him.

With a pout, he shook his head.

"My mom and dad are arguing about where to go in the city. They've only been here a few days."

Kamile hadn't asked for an explanation, but she listened anyway.

"You know, it's their first time visiting America. I wanted them to have a good time together. I'm pretty sure the rest of the trip won't be much fun."

"I suppose so," Kamile said with a nod. "By the way, why is there a duffel bag over there? Did you bring it?"

"What bag?" Liam looked toward it. "I don't know."

"Don't lie to me. I know that bag wasn't there before."

"Nope. No idea."

"Four minutes after the shift ended, I came out to get tea. The bag wasn't there."

"..."

Liam looked at the bag, then at Kamile's neutral expression.

"Alright, I admit it. Hear me out." He spread his arms, trying to look less guilty. "I don't have anywhere to stay. My dorm is being repaired, and none of my friends have a spare bed until tomorrow. I'm temporarily homeless."

"You know Jim will throw you out."

"I know, I know. I'm not that stupid. I figured he wouldn't check the document storage room, so I planned to sleep there tonight."

Liam rolled his eyes, uncomfortable that his plan had been exposed.

"Boss won't like it."

"Then tell me what I should do! I'm not going to sleep on the street tonight."

"Come to my place."

"Huh?"

Liam squinted in disbelief. His mouth hung slightly open while one hand rested on his head. He made an unnecessary spin.

"Is this a trap?"

"How could it be a trap?" Kamile tilted her head slightly.

"I mean, you're letting me stay at your place. What about everyone else?"

"I live alone."

"Oh."

Liam let out a relieved sigh.

"I thought it was going to be way more complicated than that. Thank you. Seriously. You saved me."

"No problem."

"I won't show up until around nine. I have some things to do first."

He pointed toward the exit. His eyes seemed to say "Sorry".

"I'm usually home by then."

"Alright. Thanks again, Kamile. I owe you one."

Liam smiled.

Kamile nodded and continued toward the exit.

She watched Liam grab his duffel bag and run toward the door.

"Honest kid." she thought.

...

9:07 PM.

A sudden gust of wind swept across the suburb.

Leaves rustled, a discarded plastic bag left a trash bin to follow the wind.

...

9:09 PM.

Ding-dong.

Kamile quickly walked to the front door as the doorbell rang.

"Good evening."

Liam stood outside with his duffel bag slung over one shoulder.

"Hi. Come in"

Kamile stepped aside and gestured him to enter. Her monotone voice didn't make the greeting sound warm.

"Make yourself comfortable. I don't mind you look around. Just don't break anything"

"Okay"

Liam nodded as he entered the living room.

Kamile was doing something in the kitchen and disappeared inside.

Unsure of what to do, Liam set his duffel bag down first.

This was the first time he had ever stayed at a woman's house, and he clearly wasn't as comfortable as Kamile seemed to think he should be. His limited understanding of her condition also didn't help either.

"Alright, alright. Should I ask her where I'm supposed to sleep? Would that sound demanding?"

While Liam was in turmoil, Kamile silently emerged from the kitchen, disappeared into another room, abd returned carrying a classical guitar.

She brought a chair with her and placed it facing the backyard.

Liam watched, wondering whether Kamile had even paid attention to him.

The room was filled with soft, warm guitar sound. It's slow, a bit haunting.

For someone playing electric guitar for fun like him, this sounded strange. Liam didn't recognize the piece, but he had no intention of asking about it.

Trying to distract himself from the awkwardness, he wandered around the living room.

Naturally, his eyes began settling on different things unconsciously.

The room was tidy and organized carefully.

Before Liam realized, he had been looking around for a while

A small bookshelf caught his attention.

Curious, he picked up some books.

One book was written in Chinese, or so he thought. Another was written in a language he didn't recognize at all. He saw some strange characters like 'ą' and 'ę'.

He glanced at Kamile, wondering why those books were in her house.

However, he found Kamile staring at him.

Her face remained flat, emotionless.

This made Liam felt slightly embarrassed.

Of course she wasn't angry. If she were, she would have told him. Still, her face kept telling a different story.

"Want to ask something?"

The music stopped abruptly, replaced by her monotone voice.

"Ah... Uh... are you learning languages?" Liam smiled awkwardly, hoping she wasn't annoyed by his curiosity.

"No. I read those books before going to sleep. They're for, let's say, my family"

"Your family?"

"My father is a Japanese, and my mother is a Lithuanian. Those books you're holding are written in Japanese and Lithuanian"

"Huh?"

Liam looked back and forth between Kamile and the books in his hand. He was convinced one of them was Chinese.

"Why are you surprised? Didn't you read my full name?"

"No" He shook his head.

"It's Kamile Enomoto. Note that Kamile is pronounced as Kah-mee-lee, not Camille"

"But everyone calls you as Camille"

"It's easier if I let them do their way"

"Okay..."

Liam nodded and looked away. He didn't know what to say, instead, he let his eyes wander around again.

This time, he saw a framed photograph. A woman wearing a desert combat uniform held a rifle in cradle carry pose. She wore a sunglasses, making it difficult to see her face.

Still, Liam looked between the photograph and Kamile. Oddly enough, they looked quite similar.

"2049. Saudi Arabia. One of documentary film crews took that picture before the counteroffensive operation in Iraq began."

Liam listened the explanation with disbelief.

"Wait what? You were a soldier? How long?"

"Three and a half years in logistics, and another three and a half years as a combat soldier. Retired at twenty five."

Liam's jaw practically hit the floor.

He didn't think a quiet woman he'd known for only two weeks in a private firearms design firm had apparently served in the military — and had likely taken part in at least a war.

Liam placed his hands on his head, trying to process the information.

Meanwhile, Kamile simply stared at him with her usual neutral expression before returning to her guitar.

Liam didn't want to ask Kamile anything. Interrupting someone while they were playing an instrument was considered rude by some people.

Instead, he returned to the photograph looking for anything noteworthy. Badges, locations, unit markings.

A few seconds passed. he could not find anything at all.

Eventually, Liam gave up.

Instead, he decided to test how comfortable Kamile really was with him being there. After all, Kamile hadn't give him any specific rule beside "don't break anything". He had to test the actual boundary out.

He walked to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, grabbed a can of Pepsi, close the refrigerator.

Then he deliberately walked past Kamile at a slow pace while opening the can. He even looked at her, trying to find a slightest change.

Nothing. Kamile simply looked at him for a moment before returning to the fretboard again.

"That didn't help." He realized.

Shortly afterward, Kamile finished another piece.

"Did you check whether you're drinking caffeine-free version?" She asked.

Suddenly, Liam felt stupid. He looked at the can. It was caffeine-free version. He celebrated a small victories by smiling. He wouldn't have to spend another night unable to sleep. He had enough from yesterday.

"Let's be honest," Liam said. "Don't you feel uncomfortable with me using your refrigerator whenever I want?"

"No. I told you to make yourself comfortable, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but isn't that a little intrusive?"

"You're an honest kid. I generally trust that you won't cause any trouble. Otherwise, I wouldn't have invited you to stay here for the night."

"Ah, man. That's so embarrassing"

Liam suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious. He didn't know Kamile think of him that way.

Now, he was trapped in another problem.

How to be respectful while also being comfortable? That was surprisingly hard. He would trigger some reaction, even if Kamile didn't show any, if he decided this was his new home.

Overwhelmed by the uncertainty, he decided scrolling would be the best option.

He sat down on the couch, pulled out his phone, and opened Instagram.

Somehow, one hour had passed without any awkwardness. Only social media and faint guitar music in the background.

"I'm going to bed," Kamile said. "If you need anything, knock on my bedroom door."

"Alright"

Liam looked up and saw Kamile spreading something on the living room floor.

"What is that?" He asked.

"Futon. I have prepared some just in case"

"Futon?"

"You should try sleeping on this. It's better than a bed"

Liam knew nothing about futon, but he wasn't in a position to complain.

After brushing his teeth, he fell on the mattress with a heavy thud.

"Good night"

"You too"

After their final exchange of the evening, Kamile closed her bedroom door, leaving Liam alone in the quiet darkness.

He decided to watch a few guitar videos before going to sleep. After getting only two hours of sleep the previous night because he'd stayed up grinding a game, he was determined not to repeat the mistake.

Those two hours of sleep hadn't done him any favors at the lab. It was a constant fight of attention and desire to take a nap.

...

...

...

Liam opened his eyes.

Nothing had happened

...

"How the hell did I even wake up?"

He wondered.

He saw Kamile by the front door.

Judging by her outfit, she was about to go jogging.

Liam didn't care. He went back to sleep.

...

...

...

Liam woke up again. He immediately grabbed his phone and checked the time. 7:32 AM. That was early. He thought it was nine already.

Not wanting to fall asleep again, Liam got up and headed straight for the kitchen to get a glass of water.

His body was sore, but somehow he managed just fine.

As he left the kitchen, he saw Kamile walking out of the bathroom. She was only wearing underwear.

Despite his sleep-fogged brain, Liam successfully redirected himself toward the backyard as fast as possible, away from the direction Kamile was heading.

"The fuck? How is this even possible?"

He murmured, feeling deeply irritated by the accident. He didn't know how Kamile would think, but it didn't matter right now.

The whole thing had been completely avoidable. Liam didn't know he should blame Kamile, himself or something else.

However, something caught his eyes.

He had seen part of a tattoo.

A small section had been visible above the fabric of her underwear. It was an inverted heart shape at first glance, or rather, the upper part of one.

Now that made him felt even more uncomfortable. Liam knew people got tattoos in all kinds of places, including their lower abdomen. But it didn't mean every tattoo should be seen.

He felt gross about the fact.

Still, his mind kept trying to identify what he had seen.

He wasn't sure. He just caught a glimpse of it. His Internet knowledge was the only thing he worked with. It could be an inverted heart, a part of a symbol, a picture. It could be anything.

For some reason, though, his mind kept connecting it to a womb crest.

That was ridiculous, and Liam knew it. It couldn't be helped.. The shapes were vaguely similar, and he was being honest with himself about that.

He suddenly regretted learning so much random Japanese adult-culture trivia out of pure curiosity.

Now he found himself wondering what else he didn't know about Kamile.

Liam pushed the thought right away. He shouldn't be making assumptions about another person's private life without any evidence.

The thought came back, Liam suppressed it.

It returned. This time, he reached for his pocket out of habit, only to realize his phone was still on the futon.

"La puta madre!"

He cursed and settled for staring at the plants instead.

...

Liam waited in the backyard for several minutes, hoping there would be no further accidents by the time he went back inside.

He peeked through the doorway. Kamile was drinking coffee on a couch.

Relieved, he stepped inside. However, walking close up the Kamile, he saw she was frowning.

Again, his anxiety returned. He wasn't sure what had made her upset.

After a brief hesitation, he decided it would be better to ask directly.

"What made you angry?"

"Angry?" Kamile looked at him, confused.

"Yeah." Liam nodded, feeling confused too.

"I don't know. My chest just feels tight."

Two things Kamile had told him on his first day at work resurfaced in his memory.

Kamile has Alexithymia and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

She had emphasized that she couldn't reliably identify her emotions, not that she lacked emotions entirely. On top of that, she had difficulty expressing emotions through facial expressions because of her autism.

According to her, if an emotion was visible on her face, it was probably strong enough to show itself. Milder emotions often didn't affect her expression at all.

That was why Liam constantly thought about those facts whenever he spoke with her. Sometimes, if he was being honest, they intimidated him.

"You're frowning." He said.

"I know."

"Did something happen?"

"I started feeling this way after I was hit by a teenager. She accused me of trying to attack her. I was just passing by."

"That sucks. But when did it happen?"

"This morning. While I was jogging."

Liam had no idea what had actually happened. Still, he didn't think Kamile was the kind of who would randomly start trouble with strangers.

"So... do you know you're angry?"

"As I said, I don't know." Kamile shook her head. Her gaze remained distant.

"You're definitely angry."

"I suppose you're right."

Kamile leaned back on the couch and took a sip from her mug. She stared into empty space.

Liam didn't know what else to do, so he left her alone and continued with his morning routine.

He planned to leave soon anyway. The last thing he wanted was to become a burden.

After gathering all of his belongings, he said goodbye with a smile.

"Thank you for letting me stay the night. I really appreciate it."

"No problem."

Kamile walked him to the front door.

"How long will your dorm be under repair?"

"Maybe four or five days. I don't know."

"Take care of yourself."

"Of course I will. I'm staying with some friends. They're nice."

Liam slung his duffel bag over his shoulder and headed down the apartment building.

"That's how a gas-operated system works and how you should design one. I'd recommend tweaking the design by hand in CAD several times before asking AI for help."

"That's terrifyingly detailed. I used to think it was just gas pushing the bolt back~"

Liam stretched with a tired expression. His voice stretched along with his body.

"Anyway, why did you use the AKM as the first example? That thing is ancient. From the 1950s or something. Why didn't we start with a more modern one, like the AK-12?"

"Back in my day, I had to learn how World War I rifles worked. You don't make mistakes if you understand mechanisms that were designed a hundred years ago. They worked with different metallurgy back then, so their solutions were different."

"Yeah, yeah. It's not like our firm decided to use metal from forty years ago for the nostalgic experience."

"Honestly, I'm still wondering how the boss decided to hire you and expected us to teach you along the way."

Kamile looked at Liam with an expressionless face.

Liam, still getting used to her condition, felt a little defensive. Even with her flat expression, he could sense the irritation.

"Well, it's undeniable that I'm a genius and could probably work my way to a bachelor's degree on my own." He stood up. "I'm trying to learn, you know? It's way different from how I worked on my own projects."

Kamile glanced at the time displayed on the monitor.

4:09 PM.

Working hours had ended exactly 9 minutes and 31 seconds ago. Yet this young man hadn't taken the lesson seriously for at least ten of those minutes. Still, he had cooperated and learned something.

"Take my cup of tea. I don't want it."

Kamile pushed the cup into Liam's hand. She could tell he needed it more than she did.

"Is it sweet?"

"It's plain tea."

"Good. I hate sweet tea. Thanks."

Liam smiled and walked away, waving with an attitude that practically said, "Finally, I can get out of here."

Kamile waved back with her usual flat expression.

...

...

...

It had been 10 minutes and 26 seconds since working hours ended.

Kamile realized she had been staring at the monitor the entire time.

She turned it off and returned to her workstation.

Taking her time, she saved her files and closed her tabs. The empty laboratory made every click sound duller than the last.

Rolling her neck to loosen the stiffness, she reminded herself to pay more attention to her posture next time.

The lights were switched off.

Kamile untied her low ponytail, signaling that she would not be returning to work mode until tomorrow.

She opened the door and stepped outside before closing it behind her. Jim would take care of security.

"¿Qué? ¿Se pelearon mi vieja y mi viejo?"

Liam paced back and forth while talking on the phone. His voice was urgent.

Kamile couldn't understand what he was saying, but she could tell he was frustrated.

"¡Bueno! Ya vuelvo... ¿Que los deje solos? Ya entendí."

Liam nodded.

"Vuelvo mañana. Te quiero."

He slipped his phone into his pocket and noticed Kamile staring at him.

With a pout, he shook his head.

"My mom and dad are arguing about where to go in the city. They've only been here a few days."

Kamile hadn't asked for an explanation, but she listened anyway.

"You know, it's their first time visiting America. I wanted them to have a good time together. I'm pretty sure the rest of the trip won't be much fun."

"I suppose so," Kamile said with a nod. "By the way, why is there a duffel bag over there? Did you bring it?"

"What bag?" Liam looked toward it. "I don't know."

"Don't lie to me. I know that bag wasn't there before."

"Nope. No idea."

"Four minutes after the shift ended, I came out to get tea. The bag wasn't there."

"..."

Liam looked at the bag, then at Kamile's neutral expression.

"Alright, I admit it. Hear me out." He spread his arms, trying to look less guilty. "I don't have anywhere to stay. My dorm is being repaired, and none of my friends have a spare bed until tomorrow. I'm temporarily homeless."

"You know Jim will throw you out."

"I know, I know. I'm not that stupid. I figured he wouldn't check the document storage room, so I planned to sleep there tonight."

Liam rolled his eyes, uncomfortable that his plan had been exposed.

"The boss won't like it."

"Then tell me what I'm supposed to do! I'm not sleeping on the street tonight."

"Come to my place."

"Huh?"

Liam squinted in disbelief. His mouth hung slightly open while one hand rested on his head. He made an unnecessary spin.

"Is this a trap?"

"How could it be a trap?" Kamile tilted her head slightly.

"I mean, you're letting me stay at your place. What about everyone else?"

"I live alone."

"Oh."

Liam let out a relieved sigh.

"I thought it was going to be way more complicated than that. Thank you. Seriously. You saved me."

"No problem."

"I won't show up until around nine. I have some things to do first."

He pointed toward the exit. His eyes still seemed to say, "Sorry".

"I'm usually home by then."

"Alright. Thanks again, Kamile. I owe you one."

Liam smiled.

Kamile nodded and continued toward the exit.

She watched Liam grab his duffel bag and run toward the door.

"Honest kid." she thought.

...

9:07 PM.

A sudden gust of wind swept across the suburb.

Leaves rustled, a discarded plastic bag left a trash bin to follow the wind.

...

9:09 PM.

Ding-dong.

Kamile quickly walked to the front door as the doorbell rang.

"Good evening."

Liam stood outside with his duffel bag slung over one shoulder.

"Hi. Come in"

Kamile stepped aside and gestured him to enter. Her monotone voice didn't make the greeting sound warm.

"Make yourself comfortable. I don't mind you look around. Just don't break anything"

"Okay"

Liam nodded as he entered the living room.

Kamile was doing something in the kitchen and disappeared inside.

Unsure of what to do, Liam set his duffel bag down first.

This was the first time he had ever stayed at a woman's house, and he clearly wasn't as comfortable as Kamile seemed to think he should be. His limited understanding of her condition also didn't help either.

"Alright, alright. Should I ask her where I'm supposed to sleep? Would that sound demanding?"

While Liam was in turmoil, Kamile silently emerged from the kitchen, disappeared into another room, abd returned carrying a classical guitar.

She brought a chair with her and placed it facing the backyard.

Liam watched, wondering whether Kamile had even paid attention to him.

The room was filled with soft, warm guitar sound. It's slow, a bit haunting.

For someone playing electric guitar for fun like him, this sounded strange. Liam didn't recognize the piece, but he had no intention of asking about it.

Trying to distract himself from the awkwardness, he wandered around the living room.

Naturally, his eyes began settling on different things unconsciously.

The room was tidy and organized carefully.

Before Liam realized, he had been looking around for a while

A small bookshelf caught his attention.

Curious, he picked up some books.

One book was written in Chinese, or so he thought. Another was written in a language he didn't recognize at all. He saw some strange characters like 'ą' and 'ę'.

He glanced at Kamile, wondering why those books were in her house.

However, he found Kamile staring at him.

Her face remained flat, emotionless.

This made Liam felt slightly embarrassed.

Of course she wasn't angry. If she were, she would have told him. Still, her face kept telling a different story.

"Want to ask something?"

The music stopped abruptly, replaced by her monotone voice.

"Ah... Uh... are you learning languages?" Liam smiled awkwardly, hoping she wasn't annoyed by his curiosity.

"No. I read those books before going to sleep. They're for, let's say, my family"

"Your family?"

"My father is a Japanese, and my mother is a Lithuanian. Those books you're holding are written in Japanese and Lithuanian"

"Huh?"

Liam looked back and forth between Kamile and the books in his hand. He was convinced one of them was Chinese.

"Why are you surprised? Didn't you read my full name?"

"No" He shook his head.

"It's Kamile Enomoto. Note that Kamile is pronounced as Kah-mee-lee, not Camille"

"But everyone calls you as Camille"

"It's easier if I let them do their way"

"Okay..."

Liam nodded and looked away. He didn't know what to say, instead, he let his eyes wander around again.

This time, he saw a framed photograph. A woman wearing a desert combat uniform held a rifle in cradle carry pose. She wore a sunglasses, making it difficult to see her face.

Still, Liam looked between the photograph and Kamile. Oddly enough, they looked quite similar.

"2049. Saudi Arabia. One of documentary film crews took that picture before the counteroffensive operation in Iraq began."

Liam listened the explanation with disbelief.

"Wait what? You were a soldier? How long?"

"Three and a half years in logistics, and another three and a half years as a combat soldier. Retired at twenty-five."

Liam's jaw practically hit the floor.

He didn't think a quiet woman he'd known for only two weeks in a private firearms design firm had apparently served in the military — and had likely taken part in at least a war.

Liam placed his hands on his head, trying to process the information.

Meanwhile, Kamile simply stared at him with her usual neutral expression before returning to her guitar.

Liam didn't want to ask Kamile anything. Interrupting someone while they were playing an instrument was considered rude by some people.

Instead, he returned to the photograph looking for anything noteworthy. Badges, locations, unit markings.

A few seconds passed. he could not find anything at all.

Eventually, Liam gave up.

Instead, he decided to test how comfortable Kamile really was with him being there. After all, Kamile hadn't give him any specific rule beside "don't break anything". He had to test the actual boundary out.

He walked to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, grabbed a can of Pepsi, close the refrigerator.

Then he deliberately walked past Kamile at a slow pace while opening the can. He even looked at her, trying to find a slightest change.

Nothing. Kamile simply looked at him for a moment before returning to the fretboard again.

"That didn't help." He realized.

Shortly afterward, Kamile finished another piece.

"Did you check whether you're drinking caffeine-free version?" She asked.

Suddenly, Liam felt stupid. He looked at the can. It was caffeine-free version. He celebrated a small victories by smiling. He wouldn't have to spend another night unable to sleep. He had enough from yesterday.

"Let's be honest," Liam said. "Don't you feel uncomfortable with me using your refrigerator whenever I want?"

"No. I told you to make yourself comfortable, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but isn't that a little intrusive?"

"You're an honest kid. I generally trust that you won't cause any trouble. Otherwise, I wouldn't have invited you to stay here for the night."

"Ah, man. That's so embarrassing"

Liam suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious. He didn't know Kamile think of him that way.

Now, he was trapped in another problem.

How to be respectful while also being comfortable? That was surprisingly hard. He would trigger some reaction, even if Kamile didn't show any, if he decided this was his new home.

Overwhelmed by the uncertainty, he decided scrolling would be the best option.

He sat down on the couch, pulled out his phone, and opened Instagram.

Somehow, one hour had passed without any awkwardness. Only social media and faint guitar music in the background.

"I'm going to bed," Kamile said. "If you need anything, knock on my bedroom door."

"Alright"

Liam looked up and saw Kamile spreading something on the living room floor.

"What is that?" He asked.

"Futon. I have prepared some just in case"

"Futon?"

"You should try sleeping on this. It's better than a bed"

Liam knew nothing about futon, but he wasn't in a position to complain.

After brushing his teeth, he fell on the mattress with a heavy thud.

"Good night"

"You too"

After their final exchange of the evening, Kamile closed her bedroom door, leaving Liam alone in the quiet darkness.

He decided to watch a few guitar videos before going to sleep. After getting only two hours of sleep the previous night because he'd stayed up grinding a game, he was determined not to repeat the mistake.

Those two hours of sleep hadn't done him any favors at the lab. It was a constant fight of attention and desire to take a nap.

...

...

...

Liam opened his eyes.

Nothing had happened

...

"How the hell did I even wake up?"

He wondered.

He saw Kamile by the front door.

Judging by her outfit, she was about to go jogging.

Liam didn't care. He went back to sleep.

...

...

...

Liam woke up again. He immediately grabbed his phone and checked the time. 7:32 AM. That was early. He thought it was nine already.

Not wanting to fall asleep again, Liam got up and headed straight for the kitchen to get a glass of water.

His body was sore, but somehow he managed just fine.

As he left the kitchen, he saw Kamile walking out of the bathroom. She was only wearing underwear.

Despite his sleep-fogged brain, Liam successfully redirected himself toward the backyard as fast as possible, away from the direction Kamile was heading.

"The fuck? How is this even possible?"

He murmured, feeling deeply irritated by the accident. He didn't know how Kamile would think, but it didn't matter right now.

The whole thing had been completely avoidable. Liam didn't know he should blame Kamile, himself or something else.

However, something caught his eyes.

He had seen part of a tattoo.

A small section had been visible above the fabric of her underwear. It was an inverted heart shape at first glance, or rather, the upper part of one.

Now that made him felt even more uncomfortable. Liam knew people got tattoos in all kinds of places, including their lower abdomen. But it didn't mean every tattoo should be seen.

He felt gross about the fact.

Still, his mind kept trying to identify what he had seen.

He wasn't sure. He just caught a glimpse of it. His Internet knowledge was the only thing he worked with. It could be an inverted heart, a part of a symbol, a picture. It could be anything.

For some reason, though, his mind kept connecting it to a womb crest.

That was ridiculous, and Liam knew it. It couldn't be helped.. The shapes were vaguely similar, and he was being honest with himself about that.

He suddenly regretted learning so much random Japanese adult-culture trivia out of pure curiosity.

Now he found himself wondering what else he didn't know about Kamile.

Liam pushed the thought right away. He shouldn't be making assumptions about another person's private life without any evidence.

The thought came back, Liam suppressed it.

It returned. This time, he reached for his pocket out of habit, only to realize his phone was still on the futon.

"La puta madre!"

He cursed and settled for staring at the plants instead.

...

Liam waited in the backyard for several minutes, hoping there would be no further accidents by the time he went back inside.

He peeked through the doorway. Kamile was drinking coffee on a couch.

Relieved, he stepped inside. However, walking close up the Kamile, he saw she was frowning.

Again, his anxiety returned. He wasn't sure what had made her upset.

After a brief hesitation, he decided it would be better to ask directly.

"What made you angry?"

"Angry?" Kamile looked at him, confused.

"Yeah." Liam nodded, feeling confused too.

"I don't know. My chest just feels tight."

Two things Kamile had told him on his first day at work resurfaced in his memory.

Kamile has Alexithymia and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

She had emphasized that she couldn't reliably identify her emotions, not that she lacked emotions entirely. On top of that, she had difficulty expressing emotions through facial expressions because of her autism.

According to her, if an emotion was visible on her face, it was probably strong enough to show itself. Milder emotions often didn't affect her expression at all.

That was why Liam constantly thought about those facts whenever he spoke with her. Sometimes, if he was being honest, they intimidated him.

"You're frowning." He said.

"I know."

"Did something happen?"

"I started feeling this way after I was hit by a teenager. She accused me of trying to attack her. I was just passing by."

"That sucks. But when did it happen?"

"This morning. While I was jogging."

Liam had no idea what had actually happened. Still, he didn't think Kamile was the kind of who would randomly start trouble with strangers.

"So... do you know you're angry?"

"As I said, I don't know." Kamile shook her head. Her gaze remained distant.

"You're definitely angry."

"I suppose you're right."

Kamile leaned back on the couch and took a sip from her mug. She stared into empty space.

Liam didn't know what else to do, so he left her alone and continued with his morning routine.

He planned to leave soon anyway. The last thing he wanted was to become a burden.

After gathering all of his belongings, he said goodbye with a smile.

"Thank you for letting me stay the night. I really appreciate it."

"No problem."

Kamile walked him to the front door.

"How long will your dorm be under repair?"

"Maybe four or five days. I don't really know."

"Take care of yourself."

"Of course I will. I'm staying with some friends. They're nice."

Liam slung his duffel bag over his shoulder and headed down the apartment building.

"That's how a gas-operated system works and how you should design one. I'd recommend tweaking the design by hand in CAD several times before asking AI for help."

"That's terrifyingly detailed. I used to think it was just gas pushing the bolt back~"

Liam stretched with a tired expression. His voice stretched along with his body.

"Anyway, why did you use the AKM as the first example? That thing is ancient. From the 1950s or something. Why didn't we start with a more modern one, like the AK-12?"

"Back in my day, I had to learn how World War I rifles worked. You don't make mistakes if you understand mechanisms that were designed a hundred years ago. They worked with different metallurgy back then, so their solutions were different."

"Yeah, yeah. It's not like our firm decided to use metal from forty years ago for the nostalgic experience."

"Honestly, I'm still wondering how the boss decided to hire you and expected us to teach you along the way."

Kamile looked at Liam with an expressionless face.

Liam, still getting used to her condition, felt a little defensive. Even with her flat expression, he could sense the irritation.

"Well, it's undeniable that I'm a genius and could probably work my way to a bachelor's degree on my own." He stood up. "I'm trying to learn, you know? It's way different from how I worked on my own projects."

Kamile glanced at the time displayed on the monitor.

4:09 PM.

Working hours had ended exactly 9 minutes and 31 seconds ago. Yet this young man hadn't taken the lesson seriously for at least ten of those minutes. Still, he had cooperated and learned something.

"Take my cup of tea. I don't want it."

Kamile pushed the cup into Liam's hand. She could tell he needed it more than she did.

"Is it sweet?"

"It's plain tea."

"Good. I hate sweet tea. Thanks."

Liam smiled and walked away, waving with an attitude that practically said, "Finally, I can get out of here."

Kamile waved back with her usual flat expression.

...

...

...

It had been 10 minutes and 26 seconds since working hours ended.

Kamile realized she had been staring at the monitor the entire time.

She turned it off and returned to her workstation.

Taking her time, she saved her files and closed her tabs. The empty laboratory made every click sound duller than the last.

Rolling her neck to loosen the stiffness, she reminded herself to pay more attention to her posture next time.

The lights were switched off.

Kamile untied her low ponytail, signaling that she would not be returning to work mode until tomorrow.

She opened the door and stepped outside before closing it behind her. Jim would take care of security.

"¿Qué? ¿Se pelearon mi vieja y mi viejo?"

Liam paced back and forth while talking on the phone. His voice was urgent.

Kamile couldn't understand what he was saying, but she could tell he was frustrated.

"¡Bueno! Ya vuelvo... ¿Que los deje solos? Ya entendí."

Liam nodded.

"Vuelvo mañana. Te quiero."

He slipped his phone into his pocket and noticed Kamile staring at him.

With a pout, he shook his head.

"My mom and dad are arguing about where to go in the city. They've only been here a few days."

Kamile hadn't asked for an explanation, but she listened anyway.

"You know, it's their first time visiting America. I wanted them to have a good time together. I'm pretty sure the rest of the trip won't be much fun."

"I suppose so," Kamile said with a nod. "By the way, why is there a duffel bag over there? Did you bring it?"

"What bag?" Liam looked toward it. "I don't know."

"Don't lie to me. I know that bag wasn't there before."

"Nope. No idea."

"Four minutes after the shift ended, I came out to get tea. The bag wasn't there."

"..."

Liam looked at the bag, then at Kamile's neutral expression.

"Alright, I admit it. Hear me out." He spread his arms, trying to look less guilty. "I don't have anywhere to stay. My dorm is being repaired, and none of my friends have a spare bed until tomorrow. I'm temporarily homeless."

"You know Jim will throw you out."

"I know, I know. I'm not that stupid. I figured he wouldn't check the document storage room, so I planned to sleep there tonight."

Liam rolled his eyes, uncomfortable that his plan had been exposed.

"The boss won't like it."

"Then tell me what I'm supposed to do! I'm not sleeping on the street tonight."

"Come to my place."

"Huh?"

Liam squinted in disbelief. His mouth hung slightly open while one hand rested on his head. He made an unnecessary spin.

"Is this a trap?"

"How could it be a trap?" Kamile tilted her head slightly.

"I mean, you're letting me stay at your place. What about everyone else?"

"I live alone."

"Oh."

Liam let out a relieved sigh.

"I thought it was going to be way more complicated than that. Thank you. Seriously. You saved me."

"No problem."

"I won't show up until around nine. I have some things to do first."

He pointed toward the exit. His eyes still seemed to say, "Sorry".

"I'm usually home by then."

"Alright. Thanks again, Kamile. I owe you one."

Liam smiled.

Kamile nodded and continued toward the exit.

She watched Liam grab his duffel bag and run toward the door.

"Honest kid." she thought.

...

9:07 PM.

A sudden gust of wind swept across the suburb.

Leaves rustled, a discarded plastic bag left a trash bin to follow the wind.

...

9:09 PM.

Ding-dong.

Kamile quickly walked to the front door as the doorbell rang.

"Good evening."

Liam stood outside with his duffel bag slung over one shoulder.

"Hi. Come in"

Kamile stepped aside and gestured him to enter. Her monotone voice didn't make the greeting sound warm.

"Make yourself comfortable. I don't mind you look around. Just don't break anything"

"Okay"

Liam nodded as he entered the living room.

Kamile was doing something in the kitchen and disappeared inside.

Unsure of what to do, Liam set his duffel bag down first.

This was the first time he had ever stayed at a woman's house, and he clearly wasn't as comfortable as Kamile seemed to think he should be. His limited understanding of her condition also didn't help either.

"Alright, alright. Should I ask her where I'm supposed to sleep? Would that sound demanding?"

While Liam was in turmoil, Kamile silently emerged from the kitchen, disappeared into another room, abd returned carrying a classical guitar.

She brought a chair with her and placed it facing the backyard.

Liam watched, wondering whether Kamile had even paid attention to him.

The room was filled with soft, warm guitar sound. It's slow, a bit haunting.

For someone playing electric guitar for fun like him, this sounded strange. Liam didn't recognize the piece, but he had no intention of asking about it.

Trying to distract himself from the awkwardness, he wandered around the living room.

Naturally, his eyes began settling on different things unconsciously.

The room was tidy and organized carefully.

Before Liam realized, he had been looking around for a while

A small bookshelf caught his attention.

Curious, he picked up some books.

One book was written in Chinese, or so he thought. Another was written in a language he didn't recognize at all. He saw some strange characters like 'ą' and 'ę'.

He glanced at Kamile, wondering why those books were in her house.

However, he found Kamile staring at him.

Her face remained flat, emotionless.

This made Liam felt slightly embarrassed.

Of course she wasn't angry. If she were, she would have told him. Still, her face kept telling a different story.

"Want to ask something?"

The music stopped abruptly, replaced by her monotone voice.

"Ah... Uh... are you learning languages?" Liam smiled awkwardly, hoping she wasn't annoyed by his curiosity.

"No. I read those books before going to sleep. They're for, let's say, my family"

"Your family?"

"My father is a Japanese, and my mother is a Lithuanian. Those books you're holding are written in Japanese and Lithuanian"

"Huh?"

Liam looked back and forth between Kamile and the books in his hand. He was convinced one of them was Chinese.

"Why are you surprised? Didn't you read my full name?"

"No" He shook his head.

"It's Kamile Enomoto. Note that Kamile is pronounced as Kah-mee-lee, not Camille"

"But everyone calls you as Camille"

"It's easier if I let them do their way"

"Okay..."

Liam nodded and looked away. He didn't know what to say, instead, he let his eyes wander around again.

This time, he saw a framed photograph. A woman wearing a desert combat uniform held a rifle in cradle carry pose. She wore a sunglasses, making it difficult to see her face.

Still, Liam looked between the photograph and Kamile. Oddly enough, they looked quite similar.

"2049. Saudi Arabia. One of documentary film crews took that picture before the counteroffensive operation in Iraq began."

Liam listened the explanation with disbelief.

"Wait what? You were a soldier? How long?"

"Three and a half years in logistics, and another three and a half years as a combat soldier. Retired at twenty-five."

Liam's jaw practically hit the floor.

He didn't think a quiet woman he'd known for only two weeks in a private firearms design firm had apparently served in the military — and had likely taken part in at least a war.

Liam placed his hands on his head, trying to process the information.

Meanwhile, Kamile simply stared at him with her usual neutral expression before returning to her guitar.

Liam didn't want to ask Kamile anything. Interrupting someone while they were playing an instrument was considered rude by some people.

Instead, he returned to the photograph looking for anything noteworthy. Badges, locations, unit markings.

A few seconds passed. he could not find anything at all.

Eventually, Liam gave up.

Instead, he decided to test how comfortable Kamile really was with him being there. After all, Kamile hadn't give him any specific rule beside "don't break anything". He had to test the actual boundary out.

He walked to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, grabbed a can of Pepsi, close the refrigerator.

Then he deliberately walked past Kamile at a slow pace while opening the can. He even looked at her, trying to find a slightest change.

Nothing. Kamile simply looked at him for a moment before returning to the fretboard again.

"That didn't help." He realized.

Shortly afterward, Kamile finished another piece.

"Did you check whether you're drinking caffeine-free version?" She asked.

Suddenly, Liam felt stupid. He looked at the can. It was caffeine-free version. He celebrated a small victories by smiling. He wouldn't have to spend another night unable to sleep. He had enough from yesterday.

"Let's be honest," Liam said. "Don't you feel uncomfortable with me using your refrigerator whenever I want?"

"No. I told you to make yourself comfortable, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but isn't that a little intrusive?"

"You're an honest kid. I generally trust that you won't cause any trouble. Otherwise, I wouldn't have invited you to stay here for the night."

"Ah, man. That's so embarrassing"

Liam suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious. He didn't know Kamile think of him that way.

Now, he was trapped in another problem.

How to be respectful while also being comfortable? That was surprisingly hard. He would trigger some reaction, even if Kamile didn't show any, if he decided this was his new home.

Overwhelmed by the uncertainty, he decided scrolling would be the best option.

He sat down on the couch, pulled out his phone, and opened Instagram.

Somehow, one hour had passed without any awkwardness. Only social media and faint guitar music in the background.

"I'm going to bed," Kamile said. "If you need anything, knock on my bedroom door."

"Alright"

Liam looked up and saw Kamile spreading something on the living room floor.

"What is that?" He asked.

"Futon. I have prepared some just in case"

"Futon?"

"You should try sleeping on this. It's better than a bed"

Liam knew nothing about futon, but he wasn't in a position to complain.

After brushing his teeth, he fell on the mattress with a heavy thud.

"Good night"

"You too"

After their final exchange of the evening, Kamile closed her bedroom door, leaving Liam alone in the quiet darkness.

He decided to watch a few guitar videos before going to sleep. After getting only two hours of sleep the previous night because he'd stayed up grinding a game, he was determined not to repeat the mistake.

Those two hours of sleep hadn't done him any favors at the lab. It was a constant fight of attention and desire to take a nap.

...

...

...

Liam opened his eyes.

Nothing had happened

...

"How the hell did I even wake up?"

He wondered.

He saw Kamile by the front door.

Judging by her outfit, she was about to go jogging.

Liam didn't care. He went back to sleep.

...

...

...

Liam woke up again. He immediately grabbed his phone and checked the time. 7:32 AM. That was early. He thought it was nine already.

Not wanting to fall asleep again, Liam got up and headed straight for the kitchen to get a glass of water.

His body was sore, but somehow he managed just fine.

As he left the kitchen, he saw Kamile walking out of the bathroom. She was only wearing underwear.

Despite his sleep-fogged brain, Liam successfully redirected himself toward the backyard as fast as possible, away from the direction Kamile was heading.

"The fuck? How is this even possible?"

He murmured, feeling deeply irritated by the accident. He didn't know how Kamile would think, but it didn't matter right now.

The whole thing had been completely avoidable. Liam didn't know he should blame Kamile, himself or something else.

However, something caught his eyes.

He had seen part of a tattoo.

A small section had been visible above the fabric of her underwear. It was an inverted heart shape at first glance, or rather, the upper part of one.

Now that made him felt even more uncomfortable. Liam knew people got tattoos in all kinds of places, including their lower abdomen. But it didn't mean every tattoo should be seen.

He felt gross about the fact.

Still, his mind kept trying to identify what he had seen.

He wasn't sure. He just caught a glimpse of it. His Internet knowledge was the only thing he worked with. It could be an inverted heart, a part of a symbol, a picture. It could be anything.

For some reason, though, his mind kept connecting it to a womb crest.

That was ridiculous, and Liam knew it. It couldn't be helped.. The shapes were vaguely similar, and he was being honest with himself about that.

He suddenly regretted learning so much random Japanese adult-culture trivia out of pure curiosity.

Now he found himself wondering what else he didn't know about Kamile.

Liam pushed the thought right away. He shouldn't be making assumptions about another person's private life without any evidence.

The thought came back, Liam suppressed it.

It returned. This time, he reached for his pocket out of habit, only to realize his phone was still on the futon.

"La puta madre!"

He cursed and settled for staring at the plants instead.

...

Liam waited in the backyard for several minutes, hoping there would be no further accidents by the time he went back inside.

He peeked through the doorway. Kamile was drinking coffee on a couch.

Relieved, he stepped inside. However, walking close up the Kamile, he saw she was frowning.

Again, his anxiety returned. He wasn't sure what had made her upset.

After a brief hesitation, he decided it would be better to ask directly.

"What made you angry?"

"Angry?" Kamile looked at him, confused.

"Yeah." Liam nodded, feeling confused too.

"I don't know. My chest just feels tight."

Two things Kamile had told him on his first day at work resurfaced in his memory.

Kamile has Alexithymia and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

She had emphasized that she couldn't reliably identify her emotions, not that she lacked emotions entirely. On top of that, she had difficulty expressing emotions through facial expressions because of her autism.

According to her, if an emotion was visible on her face, it was probably strong enough to show itself. Milder emotions often didn't affect her expression at all.

That was why Liam constantly thought about those facts whenever he spoke with her. Sometimes, if he was being honest, they intimidated him.

"You're frowning." He said.

"I know."

"Did something happen?"

"I started feeling this way after I was hit by a teenager. She accused me of trying to attack her. I was just passing by."

"That sucks. But when did it happen?"

"This morning. While I was jogging."

Liam had no idea what had actually happened. Still, he didn't think Kamile was the kind of who would randomly start trouble with strangers.

"So... do you know you're angry?"

"As I said, I don't know." Kamile shook her head. Her gaze remained distant.

"You're definitely angry."

"I suppose you're right."

Kamile leaned back on the couch and took a sip from her mug. She stared into empty space.

Liam didn't know what else to do, so he left her alone and continued with his morning routine.

He planned to leave soon anyway. The last thing he wanted was to become a burden.

After gathering all of his belongings, he said goodbye with a smile.

"Thank you for letting me stay the night. I really appreciate it."

"No problem."

Kamile walked him to the front door.

"How long will your dorm be under repair?"

"Maybe four or five days. I don't really know."

"Take care of yourself."

"Of course I will. I'm staying with some friends. They're nice."

Liam slung his duffel bag over his shoulder and headed down the apartment building.

https://preview.redd.it/1s3eco2n8t8h1.png?width=1366&format=png&auto=webp&s=7b699e8aebd269dac3efde6d2d07ca0a88d003ae

Just making a cover for Kupalinka (Belarus folk song). I'm a total noob, and I don't learn music theory. I just want to ask the theory behind this arrangement since I mostly use my ears.

I was walking alongside Hinna on the way home after school. We were heading to the music room this time.

Hinna had heard that a new piano had been installed, and she wanted to test it. Luckily for her, she had managed to get an early slot on the schedule since no one was using it. I didn't know how she had convinced the music teacher to grant her permission, but I didn't feel the need to ask.

I suddenly remembered something about our music teacher.

"Is our music teacher married?"

Hinna glanced at me with her blue eyes. Her expression remained flat, but I knew she was wondering how I had managed to bring up such a topic out of nowhere.

"No. She's in a relationship with Kawaguchi-sensei."

"What? How do you know?"

My mouth fell open in shock.

"Just heard people talking."

Hinna answered immediately without breaking her steady pace.

Well, I hadn't expected there to be a romance between teachers at my school. The age gap made me curious. If I remembered correctly, Kawaguchi-sensei was twenty-five and Akina-sensei was twenty-nine.

I couldn't deny that the situation fit my tastes, though.

Still, I knew I wouldn't dig too deeply into it anyway, so I should leave it alone. What a waste...

Hinna gently slid open the door to the music room.

The first thing that caught my eye was Akina-sensei resting her head on the piano. Afternoon sunlight filtered through the tall windows, casting warm bands of light across the unpolished wooden floor. Akina-sensei stared toward the window with a distant gaze.

Hinna quickly placed her backpack on a nearby chair and walked closer to her.

"Sensei. Wake up."

"Huh...? Ah, I'm sorry, Kunkel-san."

Akina-sensei quickly straightened up with an embarrassed expression.

"You're here for the piano, right?"

Then she looked at me in surprise.

"Oh, Izumi-kun is here too?"

"Yes, Sensei. I'm just tagging along with Hinna."

I smiled and nodded.

"Akina-sensei, thank you for granting me permission."

"It's nothing."

Akina smiled.

"It's nice to see someone with as much passion for the piano as you."

"It's just my hobby, Sensei."

Hinna replied with a soft smile before sitting down on the bench.

"As I expected. A Kawai K-300, right, Sensei?"

"Actually, I don't know much about it."

Akina-sensei let out a small laugh.

That's awkward, isn't it?

Hinna warmed up with the traditional scales every pianist knows.

She paused for a moment, probably deciding which piece to play first.

"~"

Here we go again. Für Elise, the cliché piece everyone asks a pianist to play.

Hinna didn't stay on it for long, though.

Without pause, she switched to an anime song called *Time Flows Ever Onward*. She had been playing it recently, so I figured she would move on fairly quickly. Even so, I was always impressed by how fast she learned new pieces. No matter how much time passed, I never stopped thinking about how absurd that was.

And just as I expected, she dropped it after a while.

This time, there was a brief moment of silence before she began the third piece.

...

"Cossack Lullaby."

I couldn't help but mumble.

I hadn't expected her to play this.

...

I guessed she was using the piano arrangement based on Natalia Faustova's version. After thinking about it for a moment, I was fairly certain.

And that was why I found myself moving my head along with the music. The piano gave the haunting melody a bright yet warm tone. It evoked the same feelings, but with a different texture.

...

Hinna closed her eyes as she played.

Ah, yes. Whenever Hinna closed her eyes, I knew she genuinely loved the piece she was playing. It always looked cool.

I glanced at Akina-sensei.

She was smiling softly.

I hadn't been paying attention to her earlier, so I didn't know what expression she had worn before, but I suspected it had been the same smile all along. To be fair, I would have been surprised too if I had seen Hinna playing without looking at the keys.

Hinna stayed on the piece for quite a while before switching to *The Entertainer*.

This time, I raised my eyebrows.

Again, I hadn't expected her to pull out something like that. An upright piano suited this piece perfectly. Plus one point for the combination.

I was pretty sure I was leaning forward at this point. I couldn't properly describe how surprised I was.

But she stopped after finishing the iconic section. It had still been nearly two minutes long, though. I guessed she could probably play the entire piece if she wanted.

Hinna lightly tapped a few random keys, seemingly thinking about what to do next.

At the same time, her phone buzzed inside her pocket.

She pulled it out.

"Moin, Mama... Kauf mir mal zwei Buddeln Tee... Ich bin mir ziemlich sicher, ich hab den Kohl ganz unten in'n Kühlschrank gepackt... Nein, ich-"

"Izumi-kun..."

I flinched slightly at the sudden whisper near my right ear.

Akina-sensei had leaned closer and was speaking quietly. I caught the faint scent of shampoo.

"Yes, Sensei?"

"Does Hinna really play just for fun?"

"She does. Hinna is being honest with you."

"I'm sorry for doubting her, Izumi-kun."

"You don't have to apologize."

However, her brief conversation with her mother had already ended.

Hinna slipped her phone back into her pocket.

Damn. Thanks to this teacher, I couldn't hear the rest of what she was saying.

Hinna quickly closed the piano lid and stood up, nodding to Akina-sensei.

"Thank you, Akina-sensei, for being here."

"I should be thanking you too, Kunkel-san. I didn't expect you to switch between so many different styles."

"As I said, I play for pleasure."

"Even so, I'm impressed."

The smile never left Akina-sensei's face.

After saying goodbye to Akina-sensei, we left the school in a hurry.

"That was slick, Hinna. When did you learn all those pieces?"

Hinna gave me a puzzled look.

Of course, she expected me to already know the answer and stop asking. After all, I had known her long enough to understand what she could do with a piano.

I was walking alongside Hinna on the way home after school. We were heading to the music room this time.

Hinna had heard that a new piano had been installed, and she wanted to test it. Luckily for her, she had managed to get an early slot on the schedule since no one was using it. I didn't know how she had convinced the music teacher to grant her permission, but I didn't feel the need to ask.

I suddenly remembered something about our music teacher.

"Is our music teacher married?"

Hinna glanced at me with her blue eyes. Her expression remained flat, but I knew she was wondering how I had managed to bring up such a topic out of nowhere.

"No. She's in a relationship with Kawaguchi-sensei."

"What? How do you know?"

My mouth fell open in shock.

"Just heard people talking."

Hinna answered immediately without breaking her steady pace.

Well, I hadn't expected there to be a romance between teachers at my school. The age gap made me curious. If I remembered correctly, Kawaguchi-sensei was twenty-five and Akina-sensei was twenty-nine.

I couldn't deny that the situation fit my tastes, though.

Still, I knew I wouldn't dig too deeply into it anyway, so I should leave it alone. What a waste...

Hinna gently slid open the door to the music room.

The first thing that caught my eye was Akina-sensei resting her head on the piano. Afternoon sunlight filtered through the tall windows, casting warm bands of light across the unpolished wooden floor. Akina-sensei stared toward the window with a distant gaze.

Hinna quickly placed her backpack on a nearby chair and walked closer to her.

"Sensei. Wake up."

"Huh...? Ah, I'm sorry, Kunkel-san."

Akina-sensei quickly straightened up with an embarrassed expression.

"You're here for the piano, right?"

Then she looked at me in surprise.

"Oh, Izumi-kun is here too?"

"Yes, Sensei. I'm just tagging along with Hinna."

I smiled and nodded.

"Akina-sensei, thank you for granting me permission."

"It's nothing."

Akina smiled.

"It's nice to see someone with as much passion for the piano as you."

"It's just my hobby, Sensei."

Hinna replied with a soft smile before sitting down on the bench.

"As I expected. A Kawai K-300, right, Sensei?"

"Actually, I don't know much about it."

Akina-sensei let out a small laugh.

That's awkward, isn't it?

Hinna warmed up with the traditional scales every pianist knows.

She paused for a moment, probably deciding which piece to play first.

"~"

Here we go again. Für Elise, the cliché piece everyone asks a pianist to play.

Hinna didn't stay on it for long, though.

Without pause, she switched to an anime song called *Time Flows Ever Onward*. She had been playing it recently, so I figured she would move on fairly quickly. Even so, I was always impressed by how fast she learned new pieces. No matter how much time passed, I never stopped thinking about how absurd that was.

And just as I expected, she dropped it after a while.

This time, there was a brief moment of silence before she began the third piece.

...

"Cossack Lullaby."

I couldn't help but mumble.

I hadn't expected her to play this.

...

I guessed she was using the piano arrangement based on Natalia Faustova's version. After thinking about it for a moment, I was fairly certain.

And that was why I found myself moving my head along with the music. The piano gave the haunting melody a bright yet warm tone. It evoked the same feelings, but with a different texture.

...

Hinna closed her eyes as she played.

Ah, yes. Whenever Hinna closed her eyes, I knew she genuinely loved the piece she was playing. It always looked cool.

I glanced at Akina-sensei.

She was smiling softly.

I hadn't been paying attention to her earlier, so I didn't know what expression she had worn before, but I suspected it had been the same smile all along. To be fair, I would have been surprised too if I had seen Hinna playing without looking at the keys.

Hinna stayed on the piece for quite a while before switching to *The Entertainer*.

This time, I raised my eyebrows.

Again, I hadn't expected her to pull out something like that. An upright piano suited this piece perfectly. Plus one point for the combination.

I was pretty sure I was leaning forward at this point. I couldn't properly describe how surprised I was.

But she stopped after finishing the iconic section. It had still been nearly two minutes long, though. I guessed she could probably play the entire piece if she wanted.

Hinna lightly tapped a few random keys, seemingly thinking about what to do next.

At the same time, her phone buzzed inside her pocket.

She pulled it out.

"Moin, Mama... Kauf mir mal zwei Buddeln Tee... Ich bin mir ziemlich sicher, ich hab den Kohl ganz unten in'n Kühlschrank gepackt... Nein, ich-"

"Izumi-kun..."

I flinched slightly at the sudden whisper near my right ear.

Akina-sensei had leaned closer and was speaking quietly. I caught the faint scent of shampoo.

"Yes, Sensei?"

"Does Hinna really play just for fun?"

"She does. Hinna is being honest with you."

"I'm sorry for doubting her, Izumi-kun."

"You don't have to apologize."

However, her brief conversation with her mother had already ended.

Hinna slipped her phone back into her pocket.

Damn. Thanks to this teacher, I couldn't hear the rest of what she was saying.

Hinna quickly closed the piano lid and stood up, nodding to Akina-sensei.

"Thank you, Akina-sensei, for being here."

"I should be thanking you too, Kunkel-san. I didn't expect you to switch between so many different styles."

"As I said, I play for pleasure."

"Even so, I'm impressed."

The smile never left Akina-sensei's face.

After saying goodbye to Akina-sensei, we left the school in a hurry.

"That was slick, Hinna. When did you learn all those pieces?"

Hinna gave me a puzzled look.

Of course, she expected me to already know the answer and stop asking. After all, I had known her long enough to understand what she could do with a piano.

I was walking alongside Hinna on the way home after school. We were heading to the music room this time.

Hinna had heard that a new piano had been installed, and she wanted to test it. Luckily for her, she had managed to get an early slot on the schedule since no one was using it. I didn't know how she had convinced the music teacher to grant her permission, but I didn't feel the need to ask.

I suddenly remembered something about our music teacher.

"Is our music teacher married?"

Hinna glanced at me with her blue eyes. Her expression remained flat, but I knew she was wondering how I had managed to bring up such a topic out of nowhere.

"No. She's in a relationship with Kawaguchi-sensei."

"What? How do you know?"

My mouth fell open in shock.

"Just heard people talking."

Hinna answered immediately without breaking her steady pace.

Well, I hadn't expected there to be a romance between teachers at my school. The age gap made me curious. If I remembered correctly, Kawaguchi-sensei was twenty-five and Akina-sensei was twenty-nine.

I couldn't deny that the situation fit my tastes, though.

Still, I knew I wouldn't dig too deeply into it anyway, so I should leave it alone. What a waste...

Hinna gently slid open the door to the music room.

The first thing that caught my eye was Akina-sensei resting her head on the piano. Afternoon sunlight filtered through the tall windows, casting warm bands of light across the unpolished wooden floor. Akina-sensei stared toward the window with a distant gaze.

Hinna quickly placed her backpack on a nearby chair and walked closer to her.

"Sensei. Wake up."

"Huh...? Ah, I'm sorry, Kunkel-san."

Akina-sensei quickly straightened up with an embarrassed expression.

"You're here for the piano, right?"

Then she looked at me in surprise.

"Oh, Izumi-kun is here too?"

"Yes, Sensei. I'm just tagging along with Hinna."

I smiled and nodded.

"Akina-sensei, thank you for granting me permission."

"It's nothing."

Akina smiled.

"It's nice to see someone with as much passion for the piano as you."

"It's just my hobby, Sensei."

Hinna replied with a soft smile before sitting down on the bench.

"As I expected. A Kawai K-300, right, Sensei?"

"Actually, I don't know much about it."

Akina-sensei let out a small laugh.

That's awkward, isn't it?

Hinna warmed up with the traditional scales every pianist knows.

She paused for a moment, probably deciding which piece to play first.

"~"

Here we go again. Für Elise, the cliché piece everyone asks a pianist to play.

Hinna didn't stay on it for long, though.

Without pause, she switched to an anime song called *Time Flows Ever Onward*. She had been playing it recently, so I figured she would move on fairly quickly. Even so, I was always impressed by how fast she learned new pieces. No matter how much time passed, I never stopped thinking about how absurd that was.

And just as I expected, she dropped it after a while.

This time, there was a brief moment of silence before she began the third piece.

...

"Cossack Lullaby."

I couldn't help but mumble.

I hadn't expected her to play this.

...

I guessed she was using the piano arrangement based on Natalia Faustova's version. After thinking about it for a moment, I was fairly certain.

And that was why I found myself moving my head along with the music. The piano gave the haunting melody a bright yet warm tone. It evoked the same feelings, but with a different texture.

...

Hinna closed her eyes as she played.

Ah, yes. Whenever Hinna closed her eyes, I knew she genuinely loved the piece she was playing. It always looked cool.

I glanced at Akina-sensei.

She was smiling softly.

I hadn't been paying attention to her earlier, so I didn't know what expression she had worn before, but I suspected it had been the same smile all along. To be fair, I would have been surprised too if I had seen Hinna playing without looking at the keys.

Hinna stayed on the piece for quite a while before switching to *The Entertainer*.

This time, I raised my eyebrows.

Again, I hadn't expected her to pull out something like that. An upright piano suited this piece perfectly. Plus one point for the combination.

I was pretty sure I was leaning forward at this point. I couldn't properly describe how surprised I was.

But she stopped after finishing the iconic section. It had still been nearly two minutes long, though. I guessed she could probably play the entire piece if she wanted.

Hinna lightly tapped a few random keys, seemingly thinking about what to do next.

At the same time, her phone buzzed inside her pocket.

She pulled it out.

"Moin, Mama... Kauf mir mal zwei Buddeln Tee... Ich bin mir ziemlich sicher, ich hab den Kohl ganz unten in'n Kühlschrank gepackt... Nein, ich-"

"Izumi-kun..."

I flinched slightly at the sudden whisper near my right ear.

Akina-sensei had leaned closer and was speaking quietly. I caught the faint scent of shampoo.

"Yes, Sensei?"

"Does Hinna really play just for fun?"

"She does. Hinna is being honest with you."

"I'm sorry for doubting her, Izumi-kun."

"You don't have to apologize."

However, her brief conversation with her mother had already ended.

Hinna slipped her phone back into her pocket.

Damn. Thanks to this teacher, I couldn't hear the rest of what she was saying.

Hinna quickly closed the piano lid and stood up, nodding to Akina-sensei.

"Thank you, Akina-sensei, for being here."

"I should be thanking you too, Kunkel-san. I didn't expect you to switch between so many different styles."

"As I said, I play for pleasure."

"Even so, I'm impressed."

The smile never left Akina-sensei's face.

After saying goodbye to Akina-sensei, we left the school in a hurry.

"That was slick, Hinna. When did you learn all those pieces?"

Hinna gave me a puzzled look.

Of course, she expected me to already know the answer and stop asking. After all, I had known her long enough to understand what she could do with a piano.

I was walking alongside Hinna on the way home after school. We were heading to the music room this time.

Hinna had heard that a new piano had been installed, and she wanted to test it. Luckily for her, she had managed to get an early slot on the schedule since no one was using it. I didn't know how she had convinced the music teacher to grant her permission, but I didn't feel the need to ask.

I suddenly remembered something about our music teacher.

"Is our music teacher married?"

Hinna glanced at me with her blue eyes. Her expression remained flat, but I knew she was wondering how I had managed to bring up such a topic out of nowhere.

"No. She's in a relationship with Kawaguchi-sensei."

"What? How do you know?"

My mouth fell open in shock.

"Just heard people talking."

Hinna answered immediately without breaking her steady pace.

Well, I hadn't expected there to be a romance between teachers at my school. The age gap made me curious. If I remembered correctly, Kawaguchi-sensei was twenty-five and Akina-sensei was twenty-nine.

I couldn't deny that the situation fit my tastes, though.

Still, I knew I wouldn't dig too deeply into it anyway, so I should leave it alone. What a waste...

Hinna gently slid open the door to the music room.

The first thing that caught my eye was Akina-sensei resting her head on the piano. Afternoon sunlight filtered through the tall windows, casting warm bands of light across the unpolished wooden floor. Akina-sensei stared toward the window with a distant gaze.

Hinna quickly placed her backpack on a nearby chair and walked closer to her.

"Sensei. Wake up."

"Huh...? Ah, I'm sorry, Kunkel-san."

Akina-sensei quickly straightened up with an embarrassed expression.

"You're here for the piano, right?"

Then she looked at me in surprise.

"Oh, Izumi-kun is here too?"

"Yes, Sensei. I'm just tagging along with Hinna."

I smiled and nodded.

"Akina-sensei, thank you for granting me permission."

"It's nothing."

Akina smiled.

"It's nice to see someone with as much passion for the piano as you."

"It's just my hobby, Sensei."

Hinna replied with a soft smile before sitting down on the bench.

"As I expected. A Kawai K-300, right, Sensei?"

"Actually, I don't know much about it."

Akina-sensei let out a small laugh.

That's awkward, isn't it?

Hinna warmed up with the traditional scales every pianist knows.

She paused for a moment, probably deciding which piece to play first.

"~"

Here we go again. Für Elise, the cliché piece everyone asks a pianist to play.

Hinna didn't stay on it for long, though.

Without pause, she switched to an anime song called *Time Flows Ever Onward*. She had been playing it recently, so I figured she would move on fairly quickly. Even so, I was always impressed by how fast she learned new pieces. No matter how much time passed, I never stopped thinking about how absurd that was.

And just as I expected, she dropped it after a while.

This time, there was a brief moment of silence before she began the third piece.

...

"Cossack Lullaby."

I couldn't help but mumble.

I hadn't expected her to play this.

...

I guessed she was using the piano arrangement based on Natalia Faustova's version. After thinking about it for a moment, I was fairly certain.

And that was why I found myself moving my head along with the music. The piano gave the haunting melody a bright yet warm tone. It evoked the same feelings, but with a different texture.

...

Hinna closed her eyes as she played.

Ah, yes. Whenever Hinna closed her eyes, I knew she genuinely loved the piece she was playing. It always looked cool.

I glanced at Akina-sensei.

She was smiling softly.

I hadn't been paying attention to her earlier, so I didn't know what expression she had worn before, but I suspected it had been the same smile all along. To be fair, I would have been surprised too if I had seen Hinna playing without looking at the keys.

Hinna stayed on the piece for quite a while before switching to *The Entertainer*.

This time, I raised my eyebrows.

Again, I hadn't expected her to pull out something like that. An upright piano suited this piece perfectly. Plus one point for the combination.

I was pretty sure I was leaning forward at this point. I couldn't properly describe how surprised I was.

But she stopped after finishing the iconic section. It had still been nearly two minutes long, though. I guessed she could probably play the entire piece if she wanted.

Hinna lightly tapped a few random keys, seemingly thinking about what to do next.

At the same time, her phone buzzed inside her pocket.

She pulled it out.

"Moin, Mama... Kauf mir mal zwei Buddeln Tee... Ich bin mir ziemlich sicher, ich hab den Kohl ganz unten in'n Kühlschrank gepackt... Nein, ich-"

"Izumi-kun..."

I flinched slightly at the sudden whisper near my right ear.

Akina-sensei had leaned closer and was speaking quietly. I caught the faint scent of shampoo.

"Yes, Sensei?"

"Does Hinna really play just for fun?"

"She does. Hinna is being honest with you."

"I'm sorry for doubting her, Izumi-kun."

"You don't have to apologize."

However, her brief conversation with her mother had already ended.

Hinna slipped her phone back into her pocket.

Damn. Thanks to this teacher, I couldn't hear the rest of what she was saying.

Hinna quickly closed the piano lid and stood up, nodding to Akina-sensei.

"Thank you, Akina-sensei, for being here."

"I should be thanking you too, Kunkel-san. I didn't expect you to switch between so many different styles."

"As I said, I play for pleasure."

"Even so, I'm impressed."

The smile never left Akina-sensei's face.

After saying goodbye to Akina-sensei, we left the school in a hurry.

"That was slick, Hinna. When did you learn all those pieces?"

Hinna gave me a puzzled look.

Of course, she expected me to already know the answer and stop asking. After all, I had known her long enough to understand what she could do with a piano.

I heard Austrian are more formal and make their negative feedbacks less direct than German. They're still blunt in European standard, though. Is that true?