I'm cleaning, you know.

Ok, please continue.

'Cuse me.

I don't think I'm in the way.

I didn't drive out the boy.

What are you always pouting about? You really are a child.

I might be a child, but I'm not pouting.

Because I didn't think my life would change that much, whether or not I drove him out.

Me being alone had nothing to do with the boy.

The Boy who "Lives" in the Apartment Last Part

Part-timer

Why did you change your schedule for your part time job?

No reason.

Umm, it is because it's hard for you to see that girl, Tooyama-san?

Why? That's wrong.

You don't need to be that worried about me.

Why can't I be worried about you?

How persistent! You're an evil spirit right?

I am.

There's no such thing as an evil spirit that sits on the floor and quietly watches TV.

Umm, you're still a child, so you might under understand this...

But for someone like me, who doesn't have any friends and is always by themselves, the cause of it is usually the person themself. So it's my fault.

Ever since that day, the boy was unhappy more often, and every time his cheeks would puff out like he wanted to say something.

I thought that the cause of it was surely my indecisiveness

In not driving him out.

Which one of us is the child...

Furusawa-san, your cell phone is lighting up.

Ah... It was still on silent mode.

Is it Tooyama-san?

Why?

Ah, it's an e-mail newsletter.

Why are you so concerned about Tooyama-san? Well, she is cute...

You were pretty excited.

Even the store manager asked me if Tooyama-san had a boyfriend, but I told him I didn't know.

...Hmm?

Wasn't it you?

Wasn't it you who was excited about having a friend come over...

I only said that a coworker was coming.

I just had to clean up the room. I wasn't excited.

I'm sorry if you misunderstood.

Ah... And I'm bad at talking to people who are close to my age.

I guess it's what they call an inferiority complex. Especially with cute girls...

You see, I always look like this, and I don't put on makeup or know about popular clothes... It's embarrassing being next to them.

Those are all excuses...

Furusawa-san, you're only aware of your own flaws... And you think everyone around you is making fun of you.

That's really a waste.

...Why would someone who thinks that they don't mind being alone

Say something like "come by any time"?

Why do you always like...

You cry right away.

Don't cry at my feet.

It's scary how they all seem to disappear.

A long time ago, I bought these purple pumps.

Even though the heels weren't that high,

I felt dirty walking around in them.

Sometimes, I'd take them out of the box to look at, but of course, it's still too tough for me to put them on.

It's not that it's hard for you to talk to everyone. I think that it's hard for everyone to talk to you.

You just haven't realized it.

Doesn't that mean that I'm unsociable? I know that, I know that it's my fault-

No.

You think that,

So you pointless keep your distance from e-everyone...

So as a result...

No one realizes your good points...

It's vexing...

...Huh?

Good points? Mine? What is he talking about?

No, I'm cold by nature.

When I was a student, even the teachers avoided me.

There's no such thing as a person who's cold by nature.

So that means everyone around you is at fault too.

Everyone around you made you cold...

...How beautiful.

How can he think like that?

Even though I had already determined that it was my fault that I was avoided...

But...

Being protected like this... Doesn't feel too bad.

I'll drive you out soon...

So...

Umm, I don't think I'll live here for decades,

So I want to make sure that you're satisfied.

I think a child should go home.

But if I just drive you out, you'll be that, right?

Basically... You'll be a lost child, right?

I'm sure your parents are worried about you.

I don't know how many days... or months... it's been since you haven't been home...

S...

So... So that you can properly go home... I'll bring you... to your house.

Th-Thank you very...

Don't cry!

I'm driving you out! You're... Being driven out! I'll be following behind you!

But that's something I definitely can't do

Actually, I really wanted to go home.

...Of course.

That's normal.

A kid like you should be with your parents.

...Really.

Yes.

A traffic accident?

I don't know anything about that...?

I... I see...

Huh?

Didn't he die around here?

I thought middle schoolers would know about it... Where did that boy get hit...

Boy...

Boy?

Alumni?

Satou-san?

S-Sensei, it's been a long time!

You look well!

Umm, I was in class 1.

I'm Satou.

Uh...

Sensei, your science classes were fun!

But I'm in charge of home ec.

The cooking practice was like experiments! Yeah~... It's true...

Sorry, there's been 3 Satou-san. Which one are you?

Ah, don't worry about me.

I have something

I want to ask about.

Ahh

Kobayashi-kun?

You mean Kobayashi-kun, who died 8 years ago in the traffic accident?

Ah, so you were his friend.

And you've come back home now?

In that case, go to his house.

8 years ago...

8 years...

Ah, c-could you please tell me Jun-kun's address...

It's been so long that I forgot...

Yes, yes, wait a moment.

East- Kanokawa- 5 Chome-

I'm home.

Even if I asked the local children, they wouldn't know.

Ah

Welcome home.

Because the boy died in the summer 8 years ago.

Today I'm cooking.

Eh, you can cook?

Of course I can!

You can't use detergent to wash the rice.

A-Are you making fun of me?

Shut up!

The address they gave me at the school was really close to the apartment building.

Ah, tomorrow,

We're going to go to your home.

They told me at the middle school.

They said your name is Kobayashi. Kobayashi Junpei.

Kobayashi...

Is it?

Well,

Won't you remember once you go home?

Ah, I'm a little sad. I can't be like that.

Tomorrow is a happy day.

It will be a happy day.

Then today will be our last day.

Furusawa-san, starting tomorrow, you'll finally be living alone.

I can't be like that.

I can't be like that.

Shut up. Sit down.

Kobayashi

This is your home.

Yes.

Ah

I think it is...

But I'm still kind of uncertain...

You can go outside normally, can't you.

No. I haven't been able to until now.

What's that mean?

You can go out if you're with the one who lives there? Actually, other people can't see you?

Umm... Who's... there?

She looks a lot like the boy...

U, Umm... I...

...Yes?

Ah... She can't see the boy...

I... Umm, I....

The boy died 8 years ago.

So that means...

I... My name is Furusawa.

I was a classmate of Jun-kun and this year... he would be 23! I'm sorry... For suddenly coming by today...

But sometimes I pass by close to here.

Eh...? Junpei's...?

Well...

Umm, Jun-kun really treated me nicely...

We talked about... Lots of things... Umm... When I was feeling down...

I would ask... Him for advice...

So... But I never got to thank him...

I never got to...

I think... saying this might bother you, but...

Until recently, I've felt like I've been talking...

Talking... To Jun-kun...

And so I thought I'd thank...

To thank...

Him, like I always wanted to.

I see. I'm sure Junpei would be happy too.

Please, stop in.

Jun-kun, go home.

Furusawa-san,

Please don't cry so much.

I...

I can't wipe your tears.

It seemed like the boy said, in a quiet voice, I'm home.

Ah

Excuse me...

I didn't know

That Junpei had such a cute friend.

Everyone left this area.

So I haven't seen them that much.

I don't mind as long as they're doing fine somewhere.

But it's kind of lonely.

Yeah, Junpei was a crybaby too.

Ah

...Yes.

I know that quite well.

The boy returned home.

So naturally, it suddenly got quiet.

I won't be screaming in the middle of the night from seeing his head sticking out of the wall.

And as a result, the neighbor won't be banging on the wall either.

I've been talking to someone who's the same age as me the whole time.

Maybe that's not quite right.

If he was alive, he would be the same age.

Yeah, yeah.

Ah... Tooyama-san...?

H-Hello...

Ah

Hello, Furusawa-san?

Yeah.

No, I'm sorry... You weren't feeling well, and I still made you...

Ah

Well, if you feel ok,

Me? I'm... fine.

Yes, I... changed my schedule a bit.

Yeah.

Eh, next Sunday...?

Yeah.

Ah, is that too sudden?

You said to come over any time.

Yeah... Yeah, I did!

I'll go buy something warm.

Eh, that's a little...!

By the way, I don't know what you like.

Ah, then let's go buy it... t-together...

Ok. That's fine!

Maybe now, I understand what the boy who "lived" here wanted to tell me.

I'm not that cold... anymore.

I'm not that cold anymore...

There aren't any traces of him being here, but...

He definitely lived here...

I think you should make lots of close friends.

Yeah.

The Boy who "Lives" in the Apartment The End

"The Boy who "Lives" in the Apartment" turned out a little long, but thank you very much for reading until the end. It's a rough manga without a storyboard or rough draft, but when I got to inking, I hadn't written the dialogue. Any place there is messy words written, I put in "some feel good words", like what I would hope for from a future version of myself.