I Can't Call Your Name

"I think you owe me an explanation, don't you?" Misaki said, her voice sharp and cold, enough to make Kaito flinch and take a step back.

"Yeah, I guess I do," Kaito muttered, nervously scratching the back of his head.

"But first... let me have some coffee." He shuffled to the kitchen, gulped down a cup like it was a shield, and returned to sit on the couch.

Misaki's glare could've melted steel. "Do you have any idea what kind of mess you've just created?" she asked, her tone cutting.

Kaito winced, feeling the full force of her anger. He sat in silence for a moment, nervously avoiding her gaze, his mind racing for an escape route.

Then, in a burst of misplaced courage, he blurted out, "I mean, how was I supposed to know that shirt was yours?"

His voice was growing more indignant with each word as if he were scolding her instead. Misaki's eyes widened in disbelief, her grip tightening on her coffee cup.

"You're the one who washed them together in the first place!"

"Oh, so, I am the one to blame now?" she asked, her voice calm but dangerously low.

Kaito immediately realized he'd stepped on a landmine. His voice faltered, but he pressed on, eyes glued to the ground as if it might offer a way out.

"Besides," he muttered, trying to sound defiant, "you're the one who sprayed your perfume on my shirt. I mean, none of this would've happened if you hadn't done that!"

Misaki's jaw dropped so hard it was a wonder it didn't hit the floor. She grabbed her coffee and chugged it like a warrior downing their last drink before battle, slamming the cup onto the table with a thud.

"Excuse me?" she said, her voice dripping with quiet menace, the kind that could make grown men rethink their entire existence.

Kaito peeked up at her, instantly regretting every life choice that had led him to this moment.

Misaki's foot twitched, and for a brief, glorious moment, she seriously considered kicking Kaito into next week.

But instead, she took a sharp breath, redirected her rage, and slammed her foot onto the floor as she shot to her feet, her fury radiating like a storm.

She shot him a fiery glare, her brows furrowed in anger, and jabbed a finger at him with enough force to make him flinch.

"First of all, what were you thinking when you grabbed a girl's t-shirt that's at least two sizes too small for you and stuffed it into your bag as if it was the most normal thing in the world?" Misaki fired at him, not giving Kaito a chance to respond before continuing her rapid scolding.

"And let's not even get started on your attitude! Acting like I'm the sole reason for this whole disaster and shamelessly blaming me! Yes, I used my perfume because I was worried, I was sweaty, and... whatever. Why am I even explaining myself to you?"

Realizing she had scolded him enough, her anger subsided a little. She sat down on the couch, crossed her legs, and looked away with a frown still etched on her face.

"It's pure luck that your stupidity hasn't caused worse consequences. But next time, there might be no coming back from your mistake," Misaki said, already planning something as she prepared to order.

Kaito, nervous, waited for the next words.

"From now on, you'll be punished for every stupid mistake you make."

"Wha-What kind of punishment are we talking about?" Kaito asked, his voice tense.

"I don't know," Misaki replied, deep in thought.

"They should be strong and intimidating enough to at least somewhat rein in your stupid behavior, but since I don't know what you dislike or fear, I can't decide yet."

Kaito swallowed hard and muttered under his breath, "Isn't it obvious? I'm afraid of you."

"But we don't have time for that, and even if I ask, you wouldn't tell me," Misaki muttered, thinking aloud.

Kaito couldn't help but think, "How could I ever tell her I'm afraid of her..."

"That's why," Misaki said, standing up. "For now, you'll just get a fine. Something like stupidity tax."

"A fine? What tax?" Kaito asked, confused.

"10,000 yen," Misaki said casually, as if it was nothing.

She came from a slightly wealthier family, so it was not that bit to her. And since she hadn't yet experienced the struggles of living on her own, she didn't think much of it at that moment.

Kaito's eyes widened in disbelief, and his face frozen in shock. He turned to Misaki with an expression that still could not get rid of his astonishment.

"10,000 yen?!" he shouted, his voice tight with disbelief and rising anger. "I live on that for an entire month!"

Misaki glared at him coldly, her silence more intimidating than any words. She showed no sign of backing down.

Kaito had already knew he had messed up, but he couldn't shake the feeling that the punishment was way more than he deserved.

"I mean, it's too much. School has just started, and I'm already working part-time. I can barely pay the rent as it is."

Misaki paused for a moment, her stern gaze momentarily softening, "As for the rent, we'll split it."

Kaito felt a bit of relief hearing that, but the amount of the fine still made him uneasy.

"Thanks for the discount, but this is still way too much! There's no way I can pay that—no matter what!"

Misaki shot him another icy glare and extended her hand, her eyes saying everything without a word.

"Wait, now? Do you want it right now?!"

Misaki raised an eyebrow, giving him a look that said she was seriously questioning his intelligence.

"What did you expect? Were we going to split it into installments? Do you want a card reader too?"

Kaito felt her stare like a heavy weight and paused for a moment. Reluctantly, he reached for his wallet.

He started counting his money with shaking hands. "One, two thousand... five thousand..."

Misaki watched him count the money slowly, her gaze never leaving him. Finally, she snatched the cash from his hands, her impatience clear.

Kaito looked up in shock. "Now, that's called robbery!" he protested.

Misaki quickly counted the money, then shot him a dismissive look. Her eyes said everything, but she couldn't resist putting it into words.

"There isn't even ten thousand here."

"What did you think? A treasure chest hidden in a student's wallet?"

Kaito's tension increased as despair washed over him, realizing he had just lost all his money to her.

"Well, money is money," she muttered, putting it in her pocket and heading toward her room.

Kaito stood frozen, staring at her with a mix of confusion and disbelief. Was the girl he'd admired really just a money-hungry? The thought gnawed at him, leaving him more uncertain than ever.

Misaki entered her room, closed the door behind her, and pulled the money out of her pocket. She stared at it for a moment, puzzled.

"Now what am I supposed to do with this?" she muttered, dropping it onto her book before flopping back onto her bed.

"Did I push him too far?" she thought.

"I took all his money, but he did deserve a punishment. What if Izumi realized that we were living together?"

Her brows furrowed at the thought. For a moment, the sympathy she'd felt for Kaito completely disappeared.

"No, he definitely deserved it," she muttered to herself, turning over and forcing herself to sleep. She wore the tired expression of a long, stressful day as she drifted off to sleep.

Kaito, on the other hand, lay on the couch with a similar look of exhaustion, but his eyes were wide open, burning with anger. His gaze was fixed on the ceiling, red and sleepless.

"What is this now? Some kind of bad joke? God, did you just wake up one day and decide to turn my life into a tragicomedy?" Kaito muttered to himself, caught in a one-sided argument in his head.

"I mean, this can't keep going on! I was here from the start, and then she just came in and turned my life into a living hell!"

Suddenly his accusing gaze turned to himself. "Okay, sure, most of the time it's my fault, but…"

He let out a deep sigh, finally realizing how pointless the argument in his head really was. Who was he talking to at that moment, and what was he trying to figure out?

He really didn't know. It was like he was battling with invisible enemies—his thoughts, his frustrations—everything and nothing at once.

Was he trying to convince himself that everything would be fine? Or was he just trying to make sense of the chaos that had become his life?

He forced himself to sleep, his mind a whirlwind of chaotic thoughts, praying desperately that he'd wake up to a completely different day tomorrow.