Chapter 4 “First Absence”
“Well then, I need to go home now,” Allen said in a dishonest manner. He was well aware that nobody would be waiting for his return but he could not stay in Kaien’s house any longer. After all, they just met yesterday. “Many thanks for the bed.”
Kaien broke into a smile after hearing what Allen had just said. Instead of saying thanks for the night, Allen thanked him for providing the bed.
“You are always welcome,” Kaien responded.
Allen added as he was putting his shoes on, “Oh, and please tell Benji that I'm going home for now. I'll visit him again later.”
“Yeah, will do,” Kaien answered. “Be careful, and I appreciate the breakfast.”
Allen smiled back and almost laughed at Kaien. They had literally just finished eating breakfast. Allen managed to turn two eggs and some leftover rice into a delicious fried rice.
After a while, he left Kaien's flat and went to check out Benji's place when he got the chance. Since it was still dark, he assumed that Benji had not yet awakened. He wrapped the scarf around his neck and left. It had not yet stopped being chilly. Because the snow was so deep, Allen had to move with extreme caution.
He halted himself in the shadow of the zebra cross and waited for the pedestrian light to turn green. Even though he was aware that there was no car in the earlier part of the morning, he chose to wait rather than immediately cross. After he had crossed it, he first went in the direction of the left lane and then the right lane to enter a neighborhood with houses with ordinary prices. Just out to the left was where his home was. On foot, the journey from Benji's flat all the way to his home took approximately ten minutes.
At long last, Allen arrived in the garden of his home. He was able to smell the odor of alcohol. It was the thing he detested the most in his entire life because it was responsible for his family's problems. He quietly opened the door and stepped inside without pausing to look around before continuing his business. 
He wanted to avoid his father at all costs even though Allen knew he was at home. His home was on the cramped side. A kitchen, a living room, two bedrooms, and two bathrooms were all included in the space.
Allen entered his room in a hurry. After that, he removed the garment he was wearing. Even though the water was quite chilly, he chose to take a bath nevertheless. He just thought that he would need a quick shower.
SSShhhrrrr...
The warm water as it makes its way to the floor below through Allen’s body. Allen felt heated. He was clearing his thoughts in an effort to free himself from all of the pressures weighing on him. Even so, he was well aware that it would not disappear, perhaps not in his lifetime at all. Someone else's happy face suddenly appeared in his mind, out of nowhere. It was Kaien’s happy face.
“Why am I even thinking about him?” Allen asked himself.
During his entire 23 years of living, he never gave a second thought to anyone other than his mother and Benji. He never stopped putting obstacles in his own path. He detested the fact that the circumstances of his life made it impossible for him to have meaningful relationships with other people. Once more, the blame falls squarely on his father.
‘I cannot stand this feeling...’ thought Allen. It was the very first time he had experienced feelings like these. It seemed as though he had a strong need to talk to someone whom he was just tangentially familiar with.
Allen got out of the shower, dried himself off, and then placed on his towel before putting on his shirt. He was resting on his bed at the time. The moment his eyes closed again, he had the feeling of falling asleep. These days, he seemed to tire easily for no apparent reason, and he had no idea why.
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“Kai! Allen!” The sound of Benji's voice could be heard coming from outside. Kaien opened his flat door and he saw his neighbor. “Morning Kai.” Benji took a look all around right after the door was opened. “Where's Allen?”
“Morning. He should already be home. He left for home about an hour ago,” remarked Kaien.
“WHAT?! Why didn't he tell me?” Benji asked, surprised. The fact of the matter was that Benji had invited Allen to move in with him three years prior, but Allen had declined the offer. Simply put, Benji did not want Allen to go through any additional hardships because of his father. Allen felt like a brother to him in every way.
“If he didn't return home, his loved ones would certainly become concerned, wouldn't they?” Kaien stated. He was unaware of the real circumstances surrounding Allen's family. “He has already spent the night outside yesterday.”
“Umm... Yeah. All right, then. I'll just call him...” Benji agreed. He made the decision not to tell Kaien about Allen's personal life. Kaien invited Benji in. This time, they did not play any video games. They did little more than chat while lounging on the couch.
“Why are you looking for Allen?” Kaien asked.
“Ummm... Yesterday, the university extended an invitation to participate in a student exchange programme in Kenya. I thought it could contribute significantly to my future career,” explained Benji. “Allen is one of my closest friends, and I completely forgot to tell you guys about it yesterday. At the very least, I ought to tell him,” Benji stated. He has already informed his family that lives far away from him about this. It would seem that they were fine with it.
“Congratulations! But, wait! Then I'm not your closest buddy, am I?” Kaien asked.
“Well, the same goes for you. But even so, Allen has the honor of being the first,” Benji teased.
“You're cruel, Ben...” Imitating Allen's expression, Kaien made a pouting face.
“Yeah, maybe...” Benji was half-joked. Even though he was overjoyed by the offer, he found it difficult to part ways with Allen. This was especially true when he considered the fact that Allen had no one else to care for him since his mother had passed away three years ago.
“Kaien, can you do me a favor?” Benji was suddenly getting serious.
“Hmm?”
“If... I said ‘if’, ok?” Benji said while maintaining his solemn expression and serious tone. “Please help Allen in case something goes wrong while I'm gone.”
“What did you mean? I don't get it...” Kaien was so confused. All of this was too sudden to him.
“Just promise me, Kai”
“OK, I promise.”
Kaien thought that he should ask Allen whether he needed help or anything else. Anyway, he would love to help Allen if he had a problem. After all, the time they spent together yesterday was already enough to convince Kaien that Allen was a nice person. But it was possible that something terrible was actually about to take place... Something was going to happen...