Quiet Alley
In the quiet alley, the girl left alone sat there blankly. Not out of any strong will to live, but because the urge to do something felt so faint.
Her hazy gray eyes blinked slowly as she savored the silence filling the surroundings.
Moving spots with the boy whose name she now knew had helped quite a bit. Even in the midday sun high in the sky, she could sit there dazed, letting time pass. The kids didn't approach to throw stones, and the adults avoided her from the start anyway.
She quite liked this alley now, where people rarely passed through.
So these days, she even pulled out the candy she'd hidden away tight during the daytime and ate it. She'd slyly peel off the crude wrapper and carefully tip the round, pretty-colored candy into her mouth. Sticky. So sweet. The candy rolling around her mouth somehow felt warm. Eating it made her feel dazed, like she was floating lightly, so she'd close her eyes. She'd lose track of time, blankly enjoying it, until it vanished like an illusion. Then memories would rise in its place, making her tremble again.
"..., Ain."
The girl unwittingly called out a certain boy's name.
"Ain."
The candy's sweetness had faded, but the memory grew vivid once more.
"Ain."
Layering up, piling higher and higher.
"Ain."
Her once empty, hollow insides filled up before she knew it.
"Ain."
Her cloudy gray eyes glimmered faintly for a moment.
"Ain."
Repeating, over and over.
"Ain."
Swelling, bloating fuller.
"Ain."
Before long, she lifted the corners of her mouth in a way that didn't suit her.
"Ain."
Ain. I'll be good today too. So don't abandon me.
Nine years old, wintertime. It was a day just after the new year had passed. The aftertaste of Mom's tasteless but special New Year's food hadn't even faded yet.
After the rush at the grocery store died down, with just me and the old man left sitting blankly, I opened my mouth.
"Old man."
"What now? I already gave you your New Year's gift."
He'd said it was because I was still a kid and given me some pretty decent winter gloves. But what I wanted to ask about now wasn't a New Year's gift—it was something else.
"Nah, that was super appreciated. But... any leftover building materials around the shop that I could..."
"Haha, you're a total robber, kid. I gave you a New Year's gift, and now you're after a raise? How much more you gonna squeeze outta me, Ain?"
"No, I mean... I just saw it sitting in the warehouse, so I figured I'd ask..."
Should I admit I'd been eyeing the wooden planks, ropes, nails, and such in the warehouse for a while? They'd been piling up there for over a year without ever being used, so I thought maybe it'd be okay to take them off his hands.
The old man let out a chuckle at my drooling expression, like he couldn't believe it.
"Lately I've been wondering if hiring you was the biggest mistake of my life. What do you think, oh perpetrator?"
"Psh, no way. Look at all the money I've brought in."
No mistake about it. Even subtracting my pay and incidentals, sales had at least doubled since before. Thinking about the revenue boost after I started working, he could afford another kid easy. He already had three, but popping out one more for the motherland wouldn't hurt.
I grinned at the thought and looked at him. He shook his head with a sigh.
"Sigh... Fine, just take the materials and head out. Looks like you're gonna build a house for that mutt you dote on anyway."
This old man was spot-on these days.
"Well, not doting exactly, but if you're offering..."
"Ain, say that and just get lost!"
"Thank you! You're the coolest, old man~"
"Kehheh, you sly little punk. Don't just grab the materials—take the hammer and saw from the corner too."
"Got it."
I nodded, quickly swept the shelves and floor, then hauled the wooden planks, hammer, saw, and such out of the warehouse with grunts of effort.
Damn, this is heavy.
"Looks rough—want me to carry it?"
"Nah... I'm good. A few trips'll do it."
"Hm. It'll be a workout, but handling it yourself ain't bad."
No matter how nice the old man was, I could imagine his reaction if he ran into the gray kid. So for now, I'd handle it solo—whatever came next. Shit.
"Ah... life..."
Maybe I should've shamelessly asked for help. What kinda stigma is this gray crap? I nearly died just now.
With that thought, I dropped the last plank with a thud and flopped onto the wide board where the gray girl sat.
Even in winter, my back was soaked with sweat, so collapsing like this was inevitable.
"Ah..."
"..."
As I caught my breath staring at the sky, her face soon blocked it, filling my view. Her eyes were cloudy and unfocused, but I could feel her staring right through me. She gazed piercingly, then tilted her head and spoke first for once.
"O-okay...?"
"I'm fine."
Her speech was still halting but much improved. No more cracked, raspy voice like before—just normal. It made me oddly proud, and I grinned without thinking.
"..., Ah."
The witch watching me widened her eyes and touched the corner of my mouth.
"..."
"..."
The silence between us, our skin touching. If someone saw this moment, they might mistake us for lovers. But in the end, I had to say it.
"You seriously need a bath now."
You stink. Even with my nose numb from the cold, the smell hit me.
"..."
She blinked her wide eyes blankly again at my words and slowly pulled her hand away. Her gaze shifted from me to the sky. Through her swaying hair, her ear looked a bit red.
Afternoon turned to evening. Thwack-thwack. The sound echoed through the alley for a good while.
At the source was me—someone who'd never hammered a nail in his combined lifetimes—tilting his head repeatedly.
"Is this right...?"
The shape was roughly coming together, but even I knew it was crude and sloppy.
"Used up almost all the planks... Hm."
No more materials if it flopped, so I kept at it, head tilted. It was sorta square, gaps mostly sealed tight. Good enough for a house.
"..."
Whatever, shit. First time building—what ya want?
With that, I grunted and propped up the makeshift plank house, laying it over the board she sat on. Standing it up in place, it actually blocked the sun and wind decently.
"Well... nobody's good at it from the start, right? This'll do for now."
"..., Yeah."
I watched her nod slowly in response, then started patching the gaps in the ramshackle shelter.
Thwack. The steady rhythm rang out. My hands were already nicked from mistakes, but I ignored it and kept hammering. So the winter wind wouldn't get in. So this winter could pass a little warmer for her.
I poured childish wishes unfit for me into the crude plank house, working diligently.
Only as the sun set did the thwacking finally stop.
A clumsy plank windbreak at the alley's end. Tattered waterproof tarp over the roof to block rain and snow. Mildewy board and worn mat inside. Amid that scene, the gray girl sat blankly. I gazed at her steadily and gave my usual farewell.
"See you next time."
"..., Yeah. Th-thanks... ."
We parted with a farewell we'd both grown used to.
Our monthly meetings ended like this, and our days too.
But my day didn't really end there.
"Oh my god, son! What happened to your hands?! They're all messed up!"
"Eh, just... kid stuff, playing house or whatever...?"
"I can't even! Go wash up and come to the living room. We'll disinfect, ointment, and band-aids. Ugh, better hit the clinic tomorrow too."
"Don't wanna go to the clinic."
"No backtalk!"
"Yes, ma'am."
Unlike with the gray girl, mine only ended after Mom's fussing.