Apato

The sun had already set hours ago, the roads were empty and quiet. Hilda, in her office uniform, slowly walked down the road, exhausted from her day. She turned a corner in the road, she saw how her apartment on the second floor was lit up. She sighed in frustration, she didn't think she had left her lights on. She walked up the metal staircase with heavy footsteps until she almost tripped on the final step. She lied against the railing, which slightly bent downwards when she applied more weight. She took out her house keys and fumbled with them as she looked for the door key. Finally she held the door key and she opened the door.
“I’m home” she mumbled as she stumbled inside, almost tripping with her heels, having grown frustrated with them, she took them off immediately and began walking inside.
“Welcome home!” James poked his head from the kitchen, wearing an apron and holding a ladle in his right hand. Hilda looked up in surprise.
“James? What are you doing here? How did you get in here?!” Hilda asked, completely confused about the situation.
“Owain sent me to drop off some vegetables from back home but you weren’t here, so I let myself in” He said as he stirred a pot with his ladle. “I hope you like beef stew." 
“I’ll eat after a bath” Hilda said as she made her way to the bathroom. She shut the door and opened the valve. James continued to cook, tasting the food and fixing the taste.
Knock knock knock, someone knocked at the door. James was confused. Who else could come here at ten at night? He walked up to the door and opened it. “Yes?” He asked as he saw who was there. A young woman only slightly shorter than him, also in office attire holding a stack of papers. She was surprised to see James.
“I-I’m sorry. I might have gotten the wrong house” She free’d her left hand to search for a piece of scrap paper and she looked at the address on the wall. “U-Um, guess it isn’t”
“You work with Hilda, right?” James asked. The woman was surprised.
“Oh! Are you her boyfrie-” the woman was interrupted
“JAMES! Is the stew ready? I just finished cleaning up!” Hilda walked through the hallway of the apartment and into the kitchen and grabbing two beer cans. She opened the bottom of one of the cans with her left thumb and drank it in seconds.
“Senpai! Why are you half-naked!?” the woman shouted as she blushed brightly, covering half her face with her hands.
“H-Hari?! Why are you here?!” Hilda reacted surprised, stopping her from opening her second can.
“Go get dressed now! You can’t be naked in front of a boy!” Hari dropped the stack of papers onto James’ hands and stomped inside. She grabbed Hilda’s wrist and dragged her into the hallway.
“No, wait! I’m hungry!” Hilda shouted as Hari dragged her inside. Hilda tried to grab one of the corners in her apartment but accidentally snapped the wooden frame that was glued to it. She cursed under her breath as Hari finally managed to drag her inside her room. 
James stood there dumbstruck, he placed the stack of documents in the kitchen counter away from the food and finished preparing the food. After several minutes, the girls came out of Hilda’s room in pajamas. Hari shot glares at Hilda, who’s pajamas she was lent was too loose in the front area.
“I don’t recall saying I was staying over, Senpai”. Hari mumbled as she pinched the front of the pajamas and stretched it forward. 
“I’m not about to let my little kouhai walk back home this late at night” Hilda said, sitting down at the table and opening a beer can left out for her.
“Food is ready” James poured the stew into bowls and sat with Hilda.
“Finally! Thank you for the meal!” Hilda shouted as she scooped up the stew and chugged it down.
“I thought senpai was absent minded only at work.” Hari sighed in frustration before she gave in and ate with them.
Category:The Weekly