A whole week passed and the thoughts of Yami moved more and more into the background in view of the upcoming exams. I wasn't very good at school, at least not as good as the teachers, classmates, and my parents thought I was. But I needed that approval and every time I tried desperately to maintain this outward appearance.

This time it was no different. Although I only halfway understood the subject matter, I had to struggle to get a decent grade. So I sat listlessly at my desk and tried to hammer data into my mind that didn't interest me in the least. Unfortunately, a thousand other things came to my mind that I would have preferred to do instead.

"What is Yami doing now? He must also know that we will be writing three exams next week! Where he is now ... I have no idea ... Maybe he is sitting in the park and enjoying the afternoon sun today."I looked longingly out the window and finally found a reason to go outside.

Of course, Yami was nowhere to be seen, although there were many people in the park. I did a few laps and went to a mall, hoping to find something interesting.

After about 2 hours I was on my way home. I constantly had to think about the exams and felt very pressured. I did not notice that someone was coming towards me. It wasn't until he waved to me that I recognized Yami.

"Hi Mariko!" He called out to me.

I was kind of speechless. I never thought that I would actually meet him. He looked pretty perky. The dark shadows around his eyes are almost gone.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I live nearby now. Do you see that white house over there?"

"Then we're almost neighbors ... When did you move in?"

"Not until the weekend. Do you want to come and see me?"

I didn't feel like doing bio and math at home anyway.So I agreed. I was also curious to find out what Yami had been up to in the meantime.

Yami had a one-room apartment with a kitchen and bathroom. He told me that he was living alone now. The facility was limited to the bare essentials. A bed, a wardrobe, a table and a blue sofa on one wall. The curtains were light blue and it had wooden floors. There was a stove and a refrigerator in the kitchen. Apart from a white refrigerator, which must have been there before, there wasn't much left to see.

"My parents had sent me the money.", Yami said and looked into space. "During that time I was looking for an apartment. It wasn't easy. Then I set it up, as you can see."

"She is very beautiful," I said out of habit. From here you had a good view of the nearby park.

Then I remembered the matter of the exams.

"Did you prepare for the exams? You know, next week ...""I checked with the teachers and got the materials. It won't be very difficult."

He looked so relaxed about it, which upset me because of my own ineptitude.

"How far are you already?" He asked.

I didn't know whether to tell the commonplace or the truth. Somehow I didn't feel like faking something with Yami when he could catch me doing it anyway.

"Not at all. Unlike you, I have to work hard for my grades."

That was what I hated about school so much. My expensive commitment only paid off in some grades and good grades only served my vanity. I had never really been able to do much with the knowledge that had been accumulated over the years.

"Trust yourself and listen to your feelings. Start with the things that you enjoy most, even if they don't seem to have anything to do with school."

I looked at Yami in amazement. His view of things surprised me again and again.But he didn't seem finished yet:

"Don't torture yourself too much. Make peace with who you really are. Otherwise you will never be happy, no matter what you achieve."

Of course, again, I didn't immediately know what he meant by that. But I didn't like it that other people reproach my attitude towards life. I preferred not to talk about such things. Because I believed that they were hardly anyone's business.

"I still have to study," I said, moving towards the door.

"Here's your money, by the way. Thank you."

He handed me a small envelope.

"It's okay," I said and opened the door. "See you at school tomorrow?"

Yami nodded and looked at me thoughtfully.

I got the feeling again that he could just read my mind off my face. So I turned and hurried down the stairs.