Wow was the only word Yuuta's brain could wrack up when the door opened, showing a girl about his age looking at him like she saw a talking dog. He watched as her yellow eyes widened for a moment before returning to normal. For a moment, he hoped that this wasn't going to be a complete sell-out and waste of his time, but then she began to talk- or to be more specific- she muttered. He didn't instantly hate people that spoke softly or had different ways of speaking, but he hated having to ask people to repeat themselves. It was a never ending cycle of people talking softly, asking them to repeat it and them only repeating it the same way. Nothing would be accomplished at all if he couldn't hear them. Then again, he realized it might be a nice thing if he didn't have to listen to other people.

Following her gesture, he took a few steps inside the complex, trying to tune out her. Shuia's topic of conversation seemed to be focused on making him feel welcome, introducing him to the place he would stay, though he knew she'd want him gone in a few days. Maybe he could keep his mouth shut, instead, so he could stay. It was a pretty nice rent after all and it was possible he could grow accustomed to getting to know someone but when she mentioned the fact she lived on the second story of the building his hopes dropped. Did the woman he had spoken to a while back not seen his cane or thought he used it to look fancy or fashionable? He took in a deep breath, until it filled every inch of his lungs and let it all go to keep him relaxed. Sadly, it didn't help all that much.

The ragged-haired girl quickly bounced up the steps while Yuuta pulled out his cane from the box. He put it in there to hold the box with both hands on the way here and to hold the poorly written instructions. Sure, it hurt to walk without it but that he could deal with. Going up the stairs was a different matter altogether. He held the box with his right arm and his hip while he used his cane in the other hand too keep the weight off his bad leg. Each step up the damned stairs sent a small shock through his bones and he knew it was nothing to compare if he didn't have his cane, but he wasn't going to be too fond of having to walk up a flight of stairs every morning and night.

The apartment itself was pretty nice. It had plenty of space and was evenly laid out, but his eyes instantly went to the faults in the room. The kitchen wasn't up to his standard of clean, the sofa looked horrible and there was dust in places only he would go and look for, yet it would still bother him. "This is a nice place," he told her, though he only thought it was nice in comparison to the other places he's stayed at. Instantly, he heads off to his room. It isn't too bad with it being fully furnished and with plenty of space. Hm, he could really see himself managing to live her well with his herbal medicine books in one corner and his small set of clothes in the closet.

"Tea," Yuuta responded after he set down his box, also leaving the cane behind. "Mint would be nice, if you have any." He limped his way towards the sofa, taking a seat as soon as he could. His leg was killing him thanks to that long walk and the trip up the stairs, but he would be fine for the moment. At least it wasn't threatening to give out under him just yet.

"You're friend tells me you work two jobs," he said, deciding to return the gesture of being polite by making small-chat. "I do as well; I'm in an apprenticeship for herbal studies and work at a warehouse."

Yuuta's green eyes scanned the room once more while he sat on the couch, picking out more faults in the room with each passing second. It took more control than he would have thought to stop judging his new, temporary 'home'. He tried to focus his attention on his leg, massaging the damaged muscle with the palms of his hands to relax it. It didn't actually do much to help him, but the circling motion kept his mind busy for the moment until the woman began to talk, responding to his plain words as she prepared his beverage.

"Thanks," he said simply. Neat? Sure, you could describe his jobs with that word, though it wasn't a very fitting description. His apprenticeship was always a new challenge, testing his knowledge everyday whereas his job at the warehouse was just taking inventory and making sure none of the traveling goods had been injured or ruined. It, to this day, has been the most annoying job he's ever taken up because he had to go through every last item and check it thoroughly. At the same time, it was a pretty nice job. The pay wasn't too bad and the endless repetition allowed his mind to wander back at his apprenticeship and review what he knows.

Oh, she was a chef and a phone operator? Those were both interesting choices in jobs especially since she told him that she took the job a chef to help pay the rent. For him, he would hate having to work as a phone operator, day in and day out. The idea of cooking, instead, sounded a bit more adventurous, though all he knew how to cook was noodles, if you didn't count herbal remedies.

"Having a few extra yuans is never a bad thing," he told her as he reached forward to grab his tea. He grimaced at his first sip of the drink. The tea wasn't bad, by his standards, but he liked his tea stronger than she had made it and he couldn't expect her to know that yet. Yes, he could left the mint leaves sit longer in the warm water, but he found that crushed leaves provided the best flavor compared to a whole leaf. They had just met, after all so he couldn't expect her to learn right away. If she didn't, though, that would be a big problem.

Shuia brought up his room and Yuuta couldn't help but notice her tone of voice, making her sound like his room was a dire situation that needed to be addressed first. "It's fine. I don't mind the color," he said, knowing that he'd be gone soon anyways and that a differently painted room wouldn't be a benefit to him or anyone else.

Silence filled the room when he didn't know what else to say. He returned to the weak-flavored tea, bringing the tea up to his lips for a few more sips. "How often do you clean?" he said before he could think of what he was going to say. "Would you mind if I moved around a few things in my time off?"

Yuuta set down his cup of tea on it's saucer with a 'clink on the table that had sharp corners, a trait he never liked on tables. A strange quirk, he knew, but for good reasons nonetheless. Ever since his little accident with the darned satomoblie as a child, he found that counters or tables with sharp corners were a giant pain. When you bumped into them, not only could they knock you off balance (something he was not good at recovering from), but bruise whatever it hit. At least the table looked stable enough that it wouldn't break down if he set something heavier than a tea cup on it.

So she cleaned this quaint apartment every week (he could only assume that to be once a week, fairly unfit depending on how long she cleaned) if she wasn't tired? How fickle did that sound for someone with two jobs? The thought of it did not please or put him at ease one bit. Yes, he knew exactly his first order of business was going to be here, otherwise each little detail would drive him insane. Of course, he's not a perfectionist, but he's the closest thing to it. Already with a disability, he was afraid for his health after finding out what his mother was suffering from. A dirty household was just too much of a danger for him, in his mind.

"Yes, it will," he replied. There wasn't going to be any reason he would traverse into her room. Though he wasn't always nice, he was a gentleman in one way or another. He wouldn't verbalize bad or negative remarks (he would, though, hint at things of certain natures) nor would he try to put someone down, but the more physical things such as giving up a seat, opening the door for someone or helping them carry things were always out of the question for obvious reasons. If he ever had to explain why to someone, they weren't worth his time. In this situation, he knew his place. This was her home and he was merely renting a room, but that also didn't mean he had to suck up to her.

Shuai's schedule seemed to be simple enough, though he wasn't a big fan on how she addressed him. The tone in her voice was so passive and factual, not that he minded it, but those kinds of things spoke volumes compared to her previous tones. Had he struck a nerve about offering to clean up? Oh dear. However, knowing he would have the nights to himself was a rather pleasing thought, he deciding to forget his previous thoughts. At least he knew he wouldn't have to deal with any of her sleeping habits. One roommate he had snored like a satomobile's engine.

"Tuesday through Sunday, I work from five in the evening until ten in the evening at the warehouse. Everyday, I work fickle hours in my apprenticeship, though they tend to be around noon," Yuuta told her, sitting up straight as he noticed her decline into the couch.

"If that is all," he begins, pushing himself up with the help of the arm rest of the couch, "I will be in my room, unpacking my belongings. Thank you for the tea." The black haired man walked towards his room, hoping that she wouldn't bother him with anything trivial. He pulled out his few articles of clothing, instantly hanging them in the closet and sheets and a pillow for his bed. However, his books laid in his box without a home. There was no bookcase here, not like he expected one, but it was always a problem.

"I could just put them in closet," he said as he reached down to pick them up, taking two in each arm. His walk back to the closet wasn't a very pleasant one for him. Ever since he walked up those stairs, it had become slightly more painful to walk without his cane. This problem would go away in time, of course, but when he managed to trip over his own two feet, he knew that he needed to take a rest.

His books, scattered around him after the fall, laid open creasing the spines of them. Yuuta encountered almost the same response from his fall. He laid on the floor of his new room face forward, his arms out in front of him, barely managing to keep his face off the floor and his bad leg slightly twisted.

The man laying lamely on the floor heard something break and proceeded to check his body by flexing muscles and wiggling his digits. Nothing was broken in his body, so it had to be something from the kitchen. On second inspection of the noise, he realized it sounded more docile. Was that his teacup? Had she been cleaning it? Great. He was going to be sharing an apartment with a klutz; just his luck. But then, something odd (to him, at least) happened: she entered his room.

He really hadn't expected Shuai to come in and help him at all. He focused on the teacup, imagining it shattered on the ground- a possible hazard. His leg was nothing to worry about, or what it caused him to do. He was used to falling, though he was grateful that it on a nice floor rather than the ground outside. Thankfully, the woman went straight to helping him instead of asking trivial questions such as: "are you okay?", "what happened?" and "what can I do to help?". In truth, this was nothing for him, so even her helping him was considered trivial in his book.

"Sure," he replied, surprised that he didn't sound as indifferent as he felt. He waits for her mark before using his good leg to help him up, though most of the work was done by his new roommate. Finally on his feet -foot, actually, as he tried not to put any weight on his left leg- he let go of Shuai and used the wall as support instead. "Thank you," he said, simply because of the gesture, though it wasn't needed. Maybe he would manage to stay here longer than the others, but he couldn't quite be sure seeing as she might not want a male roommate- entirely understandable.

Yuuta sighs, letting himself lean against the wall like it was a bed when something caught his eye. "Shuai," he says calmly so not to alarm her, "your foot is bleeding." Had she stepped on the broken teacup or whatever it was? "Here, take a seat on, uh, my bed," he told her as reached to grab his cane, a little annoyed at his own leg. "Please, sit," he suggests, putting a hand on her shoulder and subtly pushing her in the direction of his bed. "I'll be right back."

The apprentice limped off, feeling his leg was irritated from its collapse earlier. He could easily clean the wound if she had a few simple items laying around. Going towards the kitchen, he noticed that it was indeed his teacup that was shattered on the floor. Avoiding the broken china, he grabbed a cleaning cloth, a bowl of warm water and a a bit of salt. Quickly, he went back to his room and eased himself onto the floor so he could work on her foot.

"Stay still; this is going to hurt a bit," he told her, placing his items on the ground. The first thing he did was mix the salt with the warm water, but then focused back on her foot and began to pick out the sharp pieces of glass at gently as possible. Despite his rather peevish personality, when he started to do thing, it was like he completely transformed.

Before long, the glass was out and without out that in the way, the blood began to flow and he began to disinfect it with the warm salt water. "This is going to sting a bit," he told her. It takes a while, but he managed to clean it and stop the bleeding. Unlike at his teacher's shop, he didn't have anything to cover the wound with, so it seemed like that was all he was going to be able to do.

"I'll pay for the broken teacup," he offered. It was most likely his fault, startling her with his fall. "I'll even buy some better tea," he said, allowing himself to smile for a fraction of a second.

Yuuta was glad that the girl was not squeamish or hard to work with. One person couldn't imagine how often he got kicked dealing with things like this, often ending up with a bloodied nose he had to deal with. When he began to clean the cuts, he noticed her body relax immensely. Had the glass shards really hurt her that bad? Judging from the amount of blood, it wasn't a surprise that it would hurt, though he hadn't seen any sign of pain in her before that. Perhaps she didn't want to seem weak infringement of a new roommate.

She denied his offer to pay for the cup and went on to talk about the tea. From her workplace, she said? No wonder it didn't taste so great. He wasn't overly fond of tea from a place that didn't specialize in tea. Even buying the leaves at the market would have been better. He almost asked her where she cooked so he can avoid it, if he ever went out for a meal but he bit his tongue, not trusting himself to keep calm. Instead, he let out a frustrated sigh and pushed himself up to stand, most of his weight on his good leg.

"You're welcome," he replied, his voice low and throaty. Yuuta wasn't the biggest fan of of teasing, sass, playing or joking around, so her words had put him a bit on edge. Especially now, since he didn't see her as an injured patient, he did not feel the need to help her. Her next question -hewas chose to ignore the last part, seeing it as a sign of disrespect- zapped him back into his helping mindset. "You may borrow my cane, if you want to keep on walking around. Otherwise, I would suggest keeping off of it, until it scabs over." The herbalist moved towards his bed, letting himself fall down on it to rest.

"Don't worry. I'm going to rest, so you can take my cane. I'll want it back in my room when you're done with it. Its better that you let it heal before you're required to go to work", he told her, swinging his legs to to the bed and rolling to his side so he was laying on the good leg. His eyelids felt heavy, from what he could only guessed be from all the energy he put out walking today.

He found himself, as he laid on his new bed, he began to let himself like this place. It seemed... different, somehow. Maybe he could last longer than a week without her kicking him out, so long as he didn't want to leave because of the stairs.

Shuai, so far, was an interesting roommate so far. Was he supposed to be okay with this kind of behavior? Rushing -unnessisarily, he might add- to his aid when he feel, breaking china, hurting herself so easily and -theto newest behavior so far- the embarrassment that radiated from her body as he took a seat on his own bed, in the room he was renting. The rooms, of which, they decided a the person would not go across the other person quarters. He would bring that up later, for now he was too tired to start up a conversation he knew he would loose seeing as she might justify it as an 'emergancy'insult despite the fact it hadn't been one.

Finally, she got up and left, leaving Yuuta to wait for slumber to take him away. He could hear the familiar tapping of his cane, taking it as a sign of accepting his offer. Slowly, he felt the edges of his mind comfortly melt away, the sheets of his bed feeling as welcoming as his mother's embrace, but then he snapped out of that state when he heard an annoying scrubbing sound. No blunt it was his new roommate. Had she already forgotten her request for privacy? Did the same concept apply to him now, that he could walk around willy nilly? There was going to be a serious talk later.

Finally, he was given the gift of sleep and it completely overtook him. Sadly, he no longer had dreams at night, or at least, none that he could remember. If anything, he had nightmares of getting a letter from the healer in the north saying his mother didn't make it, her sickness taking over. Thankfully, neither of those happened and he woke up refreshed and with more energy than before. The first thing he did was check his leg, pushing on the muscle around the area of injury. The center of it was the wasn't but even that part wasn't too bad. Taking a nap seemed to have helped. Usually, rest wasn't what helped it. Instead, what helped it was time. Just how long had he slept?

He took a peak out the window, hoping the light outside would give him a clue as to what time it was. Or lack there of. It was night time already! Man, he must have been really tired. He hobbled out pf his room to the kitchen, making a mental note yo buy his own food at a later point. As he poked through her wares, he tried to remember her hours for her work. Had she left? His curiosity getting the best of him, he walked to her door, knocking three times.

"Shuai? How is your foot?"he asked as cover as not to seem concerned for her sake.