Although I mentioned I'd found an apartment in this post, the place I'm currently living in isn't the one with the view of the crape myrtle that I talked about before. On the first weekend after writing that post, I actually went to see it and was really disappointed. The road from the bus stop was not only long but also gloomy. On top of that, from the window on the opposite side of the apartment I could see a hospital with a lot of signboards displaying various names of diseases in large, cheesy colors and fonts. Needless to say, I didn't want to live there.

I was totally at a loss but then I found an apartment that looked better in a nearby danchi online. It was Sunday, so I knew I wouldn't be able to see the room without an appointment. However, I went there anyway. I loved the road from the bus stop, and the overall vibe was wonderful. I continued walking around the building and then stopped and stared at it from the outside.

Suddenly, I noticed this older lady looking at me. It was understandable that my behavior appeared weird, so I explained to her that I was thinking of moving there but hadn't gotten in to see the room yet. She invited me to her apartment and told me it wasn't too different from the room I was interested in.

I didn't stay there for long, but it was a pleasant experience. She told me she'd been living in the danchi for a very long time, and had moved within it twice, when her kids left home and when her husband passed away. Currently, she lives alone in the smaller apartment on the ground floor.

After I met her, my difficult moving process started to go smoothly. I brought a small gift for her when I moved into the danchi, but I couldn't remember exactly where her room was, so I hadn't been able to give it to her.

Today, after finishing work, I was casually looking out the window and spotted her having a chat with some neighbors. I dashed out and I was finally able to greet her and give her my gift, which is a small amount of rice produced in Toyama. She told me to come visit again someday and smiled as if we were old friends. I don't know if we'll become actual friends, but I'm really happy to have moved here.