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It’s not that Akira expected her lodgings during her probation to be worse, it’s just that… Well, she expected her lodgings to be worse. There are certainly worse places she can think of than the attic of a little hole in the wall coffee shop in Yongen-Jaya. At least she has the space to herself, instead of being watched at all times.
“Well, here we are.” Akira hears a gruff voice coming up the stairs from behind her- Her guardian for the time being, Sojiro Sakura. He reaches the top of the stairs and leans against the wall with his arms crossed. “The space is yours, but try not to make too much of a mess of things, or make too much noise. Remember, there’s a business going on the floor below.” His tone brooks no argument, nor does it showcase any amount of sympathy. “I’m doing this as a favor to your parents. Cause any trouble, and I won’t hesitate to kick you out.”
Akira resists a frown, and nods her head. “Yes, of course.” She’s not surprised someone like this turned out to be a friend of her family. Glancing around the room, she notes the messy state of it, and the half-assed mattress pushed into the corner. Looks like he barely even prepared it for her before picking her up.
As if reading her mind, Sojiro rubs the back of his head and mutters a sheepish apology. “Sorry it’s not in the best state. Anyway, I’ll be downstairs, I do still have a cafe to run. Tomorrow we’ll be going out to your new school to introduce you, so I expect you to be ready. Oh, and if you need to clean or more things around, that’s fine. There are supplies downstairs.”
Hm.
Sojiro doesn’t say anything more, simply retreating back downstairs, leaving Akira alone with her thoughts. Fine by her. She sits down on the mattress, testing how it feels. Overall, not as soft as she’s used to, but not so firm as to be uncomfortable. Could be worse all things considered. Looking around the room, she sees a few things she can make use of- a shelf for storing books, a table that could be cleaned off and used as a desk, a few boxes she can put the extra clutter in. It’ll take some work, but she can make the space livable.
With a sigh, she pushes herself off the mattress and rolls up her sleeves. It won’t be pretty work, but she’s gonna have to get it done before she can unpack herself anyway. When she gets back downstairs, Sojiro is busy brewing coffee for a guest, but catches her out of the corner of his eye and gestures to the bathroom, where she can see a mop and mop bucket alongside a broom. As she enters the bathroom to grab the supplies, she catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror, and stops.
It hasn’t been long since she started on hormones, but with everything that’s happened, she almost lost track of the time that’s passed. Her reflection… Well, her now slightly longer hair looks nice, at least? And her glasses make her eyes look a little bigger. That’s about the best she can say, however. Androgynous at best. Her height still haunts her, far above the average even for a guy, much less a woman, and her frame is thin like a twig. She can’t even really call herself slender. Supposedly her fat should start redistributing soon, and her chest should start growing. Supposedly. But with everything going on… It’s almost too much to hope for, now.
Whatever.
It’s fine.
She pushes the thoughts down and grabs the mop and the broom, returning to the attic.
It’s a long few hours of hard labor, but by the time evening rolls around, she’s pretty much done with the bulk of the work. There are still a few things haphazardly shoved aside into the corner of the room, but that can be saved for another day. Time to unpack.
She pulls what few things she has out of her suitcase, mostly clothes. Androgynous fare, something to lay low in, not attract attention, but without being outright masc. And then the school uniform… A reminder of what life is like for now. The only outright masculine clothing she wears. She has to resist the urge to throw it at the wall. But no. She needs to control herself better. A lack of self control is what got her here.
The last thing she pulls out of her suitcase is the medication, her hormones. Little glass vials that have become her morning ritual, and the kit of syringes and the like she uses for her injections. So of course, she almost drops them when she hears Sojiro stroll up the stairs to check on her.
“I almost didn’t believe it when I saw you grabbing the cleaning supplies, but you’ve really done good up here. I’m rather impressed-” He cuts himself off as he sees the medicine in her hands, his eyes narrowing. “What exactly are you holding there?”
Shit.
Shit shit shit shit shit shit-
“It’s- It’s my medicine.” She stammers, the scrutiny sudden. Does he not know, she thought he knew? He has her medical records doesn’t he? “The- Hormones.” She steels herself. Getting kicked out was something she almost expected to happen, but she thought she’d have more time-
“Ah, right. I almost forgot.” Sojiro rubs the back of his head. “Never quite made sense to me, but that’s not really your fault. Nevertheless , I suppose I can’t fault you for trying to make your shitty situation better. Just make sure this doesn't get out to anyone. I don’t need that kind of bad press on my business.”
Akira blinks, function finally returning to her heart. “Uh, yeah, of course.” Sojiros’s reaction has her reeling slightly. So he did know, and it doesn’t bother him so long as it doesn’t affect the cafe. But still… That look he gave her…
Akira shudders, sitting down on the mattress and setting her medication aside.
It’s going to be a long night.
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