Love accidental to addiction

"No need! I will manage it. Just wait until I clean up this mess." Minji waved him away, already immersed in her task, the broom acting as her weapon of mass sanitation.

"Whatever," Ryo mumbled, retreating to a less cluttered corner. He watched her, utterly perplexed. What does she think of herself? And why on earth is she doing this? He leaned against the wall, observing the blur that was Minji, a whirlwind of determined tidiness in the midst of his chaos.

Minji, meanwhile, was a force of nature. She attacked every corner, every dust bunny, every neglected surface. She swept, she scrubbed with a dry cloth (there was no cleaning spray, obviously), she gathered the detritus of Ryo's existence into ever-growing piles. With each sweep, she unearthed more evidence of his living conditions. Bottle after bottle, cigarette pack after cigarette pack. It was like mining for trash.

After what felt like an eternity, but was probably only an hour, Minji stood amidst a surprisingly clear floor, several large, overflowing trash bags piled near the door. She looked exhausted but triumphant.

"Hey!" she called out, gesturing to the tallest pile of bottles.

"What?" Ryo mumbled, startled from his semi-comatose state.

"Take these beer bottles and throw them away."

Ryo frowned. "For what? I will throw these beer bottles... later." He clearly intended to keep them, perhaps for recycling money, or perhaps just out of sheer habit.

Minji's eyes narrowed. "Just throw it! Now! If you don't, I swear, I'll take every single one of your precious empty bottles and smash them right here, right now, in front of you!" She brandished a particularly large bottle like a weapon.

"Okay, fine." Ryo sighed, grudgingly beginning to haul the bags out. He could hear Minji muttering about "hoarders" and "alcoholics" under her breath as he left.

Once he was gone, Minji continued her inspection. She marched to the refrigerator. Nothing. Not a single item of food, not even a forgotten condiment. She opened the cupboard above the sink. Empty. No dish soap. She moved to the tiny bathroom. No shampoo, no soap, no washing powder. Not even a toothbrush or toothpaste. Seriously, how can he survive like this? It was beyond poor; it was a testament to utter neglect.

Finally, Minji was done. She surveyed her handiwork. The room was still sparse, still old, but it was clean. The floor was visible, the air, while still warm, felt lighter. She collapsed onto the small, surprisingly intact sofa, exhaling loudly. "I'm finished cleaning up. Ugh, I'm feeling so tired." She fanned herself with her hand. "OMG, it's so hot today..."

"Hey," she called out to Ryo, who had just returned, looking slightly less burdened by the world.

"What?" he replied, cautious, as if expecting another impossible demand.

"I need to complain about this room condition." Minji leaned forward, her expression serious.

Ryo blinked. "What? Seriously?"

"Yes, I'm seriously. This place is a dump, Ryo! It's unhealthy, unsafe, and frankly, a disgrace to plumbing."

"Okay," Ryo said, not knowing how else to respond. He was too stunned by the newfound cleanliness to argue.

"Who is the landlord here?" Minji demanded.

"For what?"

"For screaming at him, obviously! For complaining!"

"Okay." Ryo sighed, rubbing his temples. He was clearly getting a headache from Minji's relentless energy. "He lives down. In front of the door, you'll see his nameplate, Mr. Hayato."

"Okay, I am going down," Minji declared, already pushing herself off the sofa.

Before Ryo could even process her words, Minji was out the door and clattering down the old wooden stairs. Ryo just stood there, staring at his transformed apartment. It felt alien, yet strangely inviting.

Minji marched down to the ground floor, her steps purposeful. She found the door with "Hayato" crudely written on a small, faded nameplate. She rapped sharply on the door.

A moment later, the door creaked open, revealing a kindly-looking elderly man with thinning grey hair and a perpetually worried expression. "Hello?" he said, his voice raspy.

"Hi! Are you the landlord, Mr. Hayato?" Minji asked, putting on her most charming yet assertive smile.

"Yes, that's me," he replied, a cautious flicker in his eyes. "Are you looking for a place to rent?"

"No, uncle," Minji said, shaking her head. "But the reason I'm here, uncle, is that you should take some responsibility."

Mr. Hayato's face wrinkled in confusion. "Responsibility? I don't understand."

"Oh, you will understand it," Minji assured him, her smile not reaching her eyes. "Please, uncle, come with me."

Mr. Hayato hesitated for a moment, then, perhaps intimidated by Minji's unyielding gaze, he nodded. "Okay."

He shuffled out the door and dutifully followed Minji up the stairs. As they ascended, the smell of stale beer and desperation faded, replaced by the faint scent of old wood and the clean, if slightly sterile, aroma of Minji's recent efforts.

When they reached Ryo's door, Mr. Hayato stopped short. His eyes widened as he saw Ryo, standing somewhat awkwardly in the now clean, but still dilapidated room. "This guy..." Mr. Hayato muttered, his expression shifting from confusion to annoyance. "Why did you bring me here? And you know what, miss, he doesn't pay the rent!"

Minji's head snapped towards Ryo, a new wave of shock washing over her. "What?! You didn't pay the rent?!" Her voice was laced with a mixture of exasperation and genuine surprise. Ryo merely looked away, embarrassed.

Minji took a deep breath, processing this new information. Of course. It made sense. She let out a small, almost imperceptible sigh. Then, a determination settled on her face, replacing the earlier shock. "Yes, it's okay, uncle," she said to Mr. Hayato, her voice firm. "I will pay it."

Mr. Hayato's jaw dropped. "What?!"

"Yes, uncle, I will pay," Minji repeated, pulling out her phone.

Ryo, who had been listening in horrified silence, finally found his voice. "What are you doing?! Why are you paying my rent?!"

"Minji, I know," she said, cutting him off, "let me help you.

Uncle," she turned back to Mr. Hayato, her tone all business, "what is the total rent amount?"

The landlord, still reeling from the unexpected turn, stammered, "Total... total is ¥160,000 yen!

"¥160,000 yen," Minji confirmed,

Minji "Here is the rent for this month, sir."

Mr. Hayato peered at it, his eyes widening further as the amount registered. He bowed deeply, his previous annoyance forgotten, replaced by effusive gratitude. "Oh, thank you so much, miss! Thank you, thank you!"

Minji held up a hand. "Uncle, please, don't just thank me. There are conditions. You will call to fix that broken window glass. You will fix the bad condition ceiling fan. There's water leakage from the ceiling. And you will call the plumber to fix it, everything. Make sure it's as quick as possible."

Her tone was serious, leaving no room for argument.

"Yes, yes, miss! Don't worry, miss, I will manage this! You are a very good miss!" Mr. Hayato was practically beaming now, excited at the sudden influx of cash and the promise of a clear conscience.

"Nothing good, uncle," Minji replied, shaking her head. "Just fix it. Okay,

"I get going"

"Yes, I will tell them to fix everything immediately."Uncle

"Okay, uncle. Bye, uncle!" Minji waved him off, then turned back to Ryo, who looked like he'd been hit by a taxi.

"Why are you doing this?" Ryo spluttered, his voice a disbelieving whisper. "Why did you pay the rent?"

Minji just shrugged, a small, knowing smile playing on her lips. "It's my job."

"Job?" Ryo repeated, utterly bewildered.

"By the way," Minji said, abruptly changing the subject, "I'm going to the store. Don't go anywhere until I come back. Stay here." Her tone was commanding, leaving no room for discussion.

"Okay, fine..." Ryo mumbled, still reeling.

"Strange girl.."

Minji marched out, her mind already buzzing with a new list. What do I need to buy? Dish soap, shampoo, toothpaste, a toothbrush. No washing powder, she remembered, adding it to the mental list. And food. Definitely food. Ramen noodles, pre-packaged meals. Anything.

She navigated the bustling Tokyo streets, her earlier fatigue forgotten, replaced by a new burst of energy fueled by her self-appointed mission. She entered a well-stocked supermarket, pushing a cart through the brightly lit aisles. She grabbed a dish rack (he wouldn't have one),a bucket, sponges. Then toiletries: a family-sized shampoo, a bar of soap, a new toothbrush still in its packaging, and a large tube of toothpaste. She found a bag of instant washing powder.

Then, the food aisle. Her eyes scanned the shelves, picking out easy, non-perishable items. Several packs of instant ramen, some microwavable curry rice, a few canned goods, a box of inexpensive tea. She imagined Ryo's face as he saw the haul, and a small, almost imperceptible smile touched her lips. This was a good kind of busy.

At the counter, the cashier scanned her items. "Total ¥60,000 yen," the cashier chirped.

"Okay, I'll pay online," Minji said, scanning the QR code for her payment app.

"Thank you for your purchase! Please come again!" the cashier chirped.

Minji grabbed her bags and headed back to Ryo's apartment, her arms laden with groceries and toiletries.

She arrived back at the apartment and piled the shopping bags on the floor. "Here, take this," she said, gesturing to the bags.

Minji then abruptly turned to leave. "Okay, I'm getting going. Goodbye, mister," she said, heading for the door.

"Hey…" Ryo called out,

"She's gone.."^"

Ryo gazed around his apartment. It was cleaner, brighter, and…less hopeless. He looked at the bags of groceries and toiletries, a wave of gratitude washing over him.

He felt lighter, less burdened than he had in months. His room was little bit different from earlier, and he was happy even though she was a stranger that helped him out today. She even paid his rent. I can't thank her properly. Next time, I should thank her properly, he thought

He unpacked the groceries and toiletries, feeling a sense of purpose he hadn't experienced in a long time. He brushed his teeth with the new toothbrush and toothpaste, washed his hair with the new shampoo, and even did a load of laundry with some borrowed detergent.

As he sat down to eat a bowl of instant ramen, he thought about strange girl. Who was this woman who had suddenly appeared in his life, cleaning up his mess and paying his rent?

:)