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It was late, and Himeko was up studying. It’s not that she necessarily wanted, or needed, to study. No, she was studying because she had nothing better to do while waiting for Kafka to get back to the dorms.
As one of the RA’s of her dorm building part of her responsibilities was looking out for everyone who lived there, making sure they weren't to stressed out from school, reminding them that the school offered counseling if they were, telling them to make sure they threw out their trash before leaving for break for the 78th time…
Point was it was her job to make sure her fellow residents were doing okay and Kafka was… worrying?
Honestly she felt more like a nuisance.
The woman would leave early in the morning (presumably for her classes) and return way past midnight, she’d almost never came to the mandatory floor meetings (not even sending her an email that she couldn’t make it), and she’d always brush off Himeko’s concerns with a bored inflection and an easy smile.
And that wasn’t even to mention to sounds that came from her room when she wasn’t there, and Himeko knows Kafka wasn’t there, she had once spent two hours of her morning waiting in front of Kafka’s door after messaging her over and over again to stop with the banging and noise, only for Kafka to emerge from the staircase and walk in to her presumably empty room.
Point was Himeko was a little sick of Kafka and her secrets, and she had planned on confronting her when she finally got back to the dorms that night.
Planned, because as she bit back a yawn and checked the time on her phone (2:48) she began to wonder if this was really a good idea. At this point her brain was mush, the words in her text book beginning to blur as she tried to focus. On top of that she had an early shift at the daycare tomor… today…
Himeko sighed, closed her text book, and left the lounge room.
She’d deal with Kafka later.
After making her way up the stairs (honestly this whole school had a problem with them in her opinion, whoever thought building the school on a mountain was a good idea should be burned at the stake) Himeko was all ready to collapse into her bed and pass out.
But then her brain short circuited at what she saw in the hallway.
Because in front of Kafka’s dorm room, trying desperately to open the door, was a little gray haired girl in an oversized hoodie.
Once her brain had finally rebooted Himeko called out, “Uh… hello?”
The girl froze, before slowly turning around, revealing big yellow eyes that despite their surprised expression gave the sense of being eternally bored, and staring at her.
The two of them continued to stare in silence at each other. That was until the little girl slowly backed away from the door.
“Hey, wait-“
Himeko’s call out seemed to only spur the girl on however, as she bolted into the bathroom.
Himeko sighed and followed the girl in.
Looking around it was clear the girl was hiding in one of the stalls, and given only one of the stalls was actually closed… well…
“I know you’re in there kiddo.”
The girl didn’t say anything, not even making a sound from what Himeko assumed was the top of the toilet.
“Why are you hiding, kid.” She asked. Her tired mind meant it more in the “it's obvious where you are, why even bother” way, but what she got in response…?
“Mama said they’d take me away if anyone saw me…” the girl mumbled, voice so quiet Himeko could barely hear it.
Himeko froze again. That was… okay. She took a deep breath, and told her tired brain to shut up for a second. She could speak to a child without upsetting them, she does so every other day.
“No one is going to take you away, I just… want to make sure you’re okay.” Himeko said softly.
The girl didn’t say anything, but Himeko thought she could hear the faint sound of fidgeting.
“If you were so worried about being seen, why were you out in the hall?” Himeko asked.
“…had to go to the bathroom…” the girl answered after a few moments of silence. “The door locked all by itself and I forgot the key…”
“The doors here… have a habit of doing that…” She remembered having to wait for roommate to come back last year after the same thing happened to her. “How about I let you stay in my room for a little bit. That way you can wait for your… mama, without having to worry about being seen by anyone else?”
After a few seconds of silence the girl stepped off the toilet, and cracked the door open slightly so she could peek one yellow eye out.
“Promise not to tell anyone?”
“I promise.”
The girl reached her hand out, her little finger extended.
“Gotta pinkie promise.”
With a small smile Himeko kneeled down to the girl’s height and wrapped her finger around hers.
The girl steps out, fidgeting with her sweater for a bit, before introducing herself.
“Mm Stelle.”
“Nice to meet you, my name’s Himeko.” She reached out her hand for Stelle to take. “Come on, my room is really close.”
The two walked hand and hand out the bathroom, Himeko checking the hall for anyone, making a bit of a show out of it, and into Himeko’s dorm room.
As Himeko locked the door, Stelle looked around the room. Her curious eye was initially drawn to the trash can, wondering what kind of treasures might be hiding inside, but then something much more exciting caught her attention.
“Bunny!”
Himeko turns to see Stelle reaching her fingers through the bars of her rabbit’s cage to pet its fur.
“That’s Pom-Pom,” Himeko said with a chuckle, “Do you want to hold them?”
After receiving an excited nod, Himeko opened the cage and scooped Pom-Pom into the little girl's arms.
“They’re heavy…” Stelle said, with an oof.
“Well, Pom-Pom is bigger than other bunnies. But that also means they’re more fluffy.”
Stelle nodded, before focusing all her attention to playing with Pom-Pom. Himeko left the girl to her fun, pulling up a chair next to her door so she could wait for Kafka to return.
———
It was around 4 in the morning when Himeko finally heard the heavy door to the stairwell open. Stelle had fallen asleep somewhere around 3, leaving Himeko to return Pom-Pom to their cage, with some extra treats for entertaining the girl.
Biting back a yawn Himeko peeked through the door hole to confirm it was indeed Kafka. She was just in time to see Kafka open her door and enter her room.
Himeko followed after her, entering the hall and stopping just short of Kafka’s dorm.
Inside she heard a muffled call of ‘Stelle?’ followed by the sounds of a progressively more frantic search.
After a momern Himeko decided to put the woman out of her misery and knocked on the door.
Himeko heard Kafka walk up to the door, a moment of silence that she assumed was the other woman looking through the peephole, before being greeted by Kafka’s ever present smirk.
Only something seemed off, her eyes which usually seemed perpetually unbothered had a hardness to them and her smile seemed more forced.
“Well if it isn’t Himeko,” Kafka drawlled “to what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Stelle is in my room.”
Kafka’s eyes narrowed slightly, her shoulders hardening.
“I didn’t tell anyone.” Himeko informed her, “And I’m not going to. She was locked outside when she went to the bathroom.”
Kafka stared at her for a moment, before lazily crossing her arms.
“Well what are you waiting for Ms. RA? Lead the way.”
Himeko stared back at Kafka a moment before leading her to her room.
“Come on.”
Once inside Kafka immediately awed at the sleeping girl, taking out her phone and snapping a picture.
“I hope she wasn’t too much trouble.”
“Not really.” Himeko replied, “She just played with Pom-Pom till she fell asleep.”
“Didn’t even rumage through the trash?”
“She- I’m sorry what?”
“Nothing.” Kafka replied, walking over to Stelle and scooping her up. The little girl stirred a bit, murmuring in her sleep and cuddling up to Kafka.
“Well I oughta get her to bed. Just so y’know if you do tell anyone, they won’t find the body.” Kafka said, with her same easy smile. Before Himeko could respond Kafka continued. “Assuming you are telling the truth, I’ll owe you one.”
“If that’s the case, why don’t show up to the next required dorm meeting on time?”
“Is that really all you want?” Kafka chuckled.
Himeko rolled her eyes and let Kafka out of her room. Just when Kafka was about to enter her dorm room Himeko oppened her mouth.
“Stelle must get lonely waiting for you to come back all day.”
“Yeah well… I don’t exactly have any where I can take her.” Kafka replied.
“There’s the Astral Express Daycare.” Himeko offered, “I work there when I don’t have classes. There’s some good kids there, I’m sure Stelle can make some friends.”
Kafka stood there in thought for a moment, before shrugging.
“I’ll think about it.” She said, before offering a much more natural looking smile, “Night, Red.”
The door closed, and Himeko stared at it for a moment before closing her own door. She then collapsed into the soft padding of her bed, ready for some much deserved sleep.