Homeless!reader - Tumblr Posts

Choromatsu - A Gracious Green

The ticking of the clock grew louder and louder with each second passing, causing Choromatsu to jog his leg up and down in his seat without thought. Sweat had accumulated at the back of his neck, but he didn't bother wiping it away. He knew it would just continuously make its way back.

His father was getting old. All his brothers, including himself, knew deep down that they couldn't mooch off of their parents forever. And with Matsuzo collapsing in the middle of the day and being hospitalised for the next few weeks, the sextuplets had a very scary and stern wake up call. They had to start working, for the sake of their parents.

...However, it didn't make the process any easier. Choromatsu's nerves were through the roof, evidently shown by the crumpled look on his face. He began to wonder if he should even be sitting in that room, waiting for someone to inevitably call his name so that he could begin the interview.

He was scared. So terribly scared.

Just then, the sound of a door opening beside him made him jolt in a panic. Whipping his head towards the source of the sound, he saw a woman, making her way over to the seat directly in front of him. He couldn't help but stare (as he did with any other female he had ever encountered).

Your hair was slightly disheveled, leaving you to run a shaky hand through your locks in an attempt to straighten them out. Your clothes looked slightly wrinkled, and he noticed a few small stains on the side of your white shirt, which were almost entirely covered by your black blazer.

When he finally got a good look at your face, he paused. Your face looked thinner than most. There was a hollowness in your cheeks and sunken eyes, rimmed with dark circles from what he assumed was many restless nights.

"Hello!"

With a squeak, Choromatsu averted his head towards the ceiling. He had been so busy staring, he hadn't realised you were looking right back at him with a smile.

"H-H-Hello!!" His voice was a lot louder than usual. He cursed his nervousness.

"Are you also here for a job interview?" You began a conversation with him, seeing as he was the only one in the room with you. Why you wanted to talk to him, though, the Matsuno would never know.

"Ah, yes! I am!" There were too many voice cracks in that short answer. Clearing his throat, he tried again.

"I'm Choromatsu Matsuno. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too! I'm [Y/N] [L/N]," you placed your slightly tattered bag onto your lap, crossing one leg over the other. "Is this your first interview?"

"N-No, I've worked before. But, it's been a while..." He rubbed the back of his head, quickly glossing over his lazy NEET lifestyle. Just as he was about to continue the conversation, his name was called, instructing him to enter the main office. He stood shakily, busying his hands with the material of his tie.

"Good luck, Mr Matsuno!" you beamed towards him, causing a blush to spread over his face. He responded similarly, throwing you a timid smile before disappearing behind the large oak doors.

»»-----　♔　-----««

Choromatsu sighed heavily, slouching over as he stood just outside the office building. Another failed interview. How long until he could find somewhere to work? What if his father's condition grew worse? It would be too late to do anything. He would be a failure.

A deep sigh coming from his right snapped him out of his downwards spiralling thoughts. Glancing over, he saw it was you, from earlier. You were slouching over just like he was, a crumpled look of defeat plastered onto your face.

"... I assume you didn't get the job, either?" Choromatsu asked softly, startling you.

"Mr Matsuno..."

"Please, call me Choromatsu," he quickly corrected. Giving a slight nod, you straightened yourself back up.

"I didn't think there would be so many requirements... It sounded like a simple enough job," you whined, rubbing the back of your neck in confusion.

Choromatsu hummed in agreement. A moment of silence came over the both of you, the distant sounds of cars whizzing past filling up the air. He looked up to the sky, noting how the sun was beginning to set, painting the clouds in soft hues of oranges and purples.

"Would you, maybe..." He started, trailing off nervously as you tilted your head towards him. Swallowing thickly, he continued: "Well, what I mean is, w-would you like to.. get a drink? It'll be on me."

He fidgeted in his place as you continued to stare at him in bewilderment. Your fingers tightened around the worn straps of your bag, and you nibbled your lower lip in thought.

"Y-You don't have to say yes if you don't want to!" Choromatsu babbled suddenly, his cheeks a heavy shade of red. You only chuckled softly, turning fully towards him.

"I wouldn't mind a drink, Choromatsu."

"Sure, I'll just head home now, it was really weird of me to- ... What?"

"I said yes," you laughed, moving to stand beside him. "I don't know many places around here, so you'll have to show me the way."

The Matsuno stood in shock, eyes wide with a slight sweat running down the side of his temple. Slowly, he took a step forward, muttering for you to follow him in a daze.

Streetlights flickered on gently as you made your way down the sparse pavements, the both of you opting to simply walk in a silence that gradually grew more comfortable. The local bar that Choromatsu and his brothers frequented finally came into view, gesturing for you to go inside first.

You chose a table towards the back corner of the room, which gave you a nice view of the darkening sky just outside. Glancing around, you noticed the place was empty for the most part, aside from a single sleeping figure in a grey suit a few tables down.

"Do you come here often?" you asked Choromatsu, who had sat in front of you. His smile faltered slightly as he gave it some thought.

"Yeah, but my brothers almost always tag along. It's nice to finally have a drink away from them for a little bit."

"You have brothers? That must be nice!" you beamed. He only frowned at that.

"Not if you have five identical faces..." he muttered, although you didn't hear him as a waiter came around to your table with a notepad and pen.

"Welcome! What can I get you to drink?" He asked politely, even though he was already eyeing Choromatsu with a wary look.

"I'll have the usual," the waiter nodded, but didn't write anything down.

"And you, miss?"

"Uh... Just a glass of water, please," you ordered. When the waiter had left, Choromatsu raised a brow at you.

"You don't have to get water. I don't mind buying you something else." You averted your gaze from him to your lap, crossing one leg over the other and smoothing out the wrinkles of your skirt.

"No, it's.. it's okay. I can't really afford anything other than water, anyway." You tried to dismiss the topic with a shaky smile, but the action only caused Choromatsu to lean in closer.

"But drinks here are extremely cheap, only around three hundred yen. Surely you can afford that, right?"

"I-I really.. can't. Even if it's just three hundred, I can't risk it."

The air between the two of you became tense as Choromatsu studied you carefully. He may seem dumb most of the time, but he wasn't stupid. He could see something was wrong - very wrong - with the way you were answering his questions.

His eyes wandered down to your clothing and bag, then to your thin face for a split second before something clicked.

"You... You don't have much money at all, do you?" He almost whispered, face paling as you barely nodded your head.

"I'm.. living on my last pay check.." you hesitantly revealed. More silence, until Choromatsu pressed on.

"When did you get that?"

"... A month ago."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. You couldn't be any older than him, and you were barely living?

"Please tell me you at least have somewhere to live..?" His tone was desperate as he clutched the fabric of his trousers.

"I don't have anywhere to go, Choromatsu..." you took a deep breath to calm your nerves, "That's why I really needed this job, or any job I can get. But every time I go, I keep getting turned away. I... I don't know what else to do..."

Your face was buried into your hands as the stress finally crashed down on you like a bucket of cold ice. You tried your best to hold back the tears, but as a few slipped through, you found it hard to catch your breath.

You were sure that Choromatsu had left now after not hearing anything from him since you spoke. However, the thought was quickly thrown out the window as you felt a presence beside you, a warm hand resting itself onto your shoulder.

Hesitantly, you peered through the gaps of your fingers to see him offer you a smile once more, a look of understanding in his eyes.

"You don't need to worry, [Y/N].." he boldly brushed away the tears from your cheeks with the pad of his thumb, keeping your gaze fixated on him. "I can help you."

He stood from his seat and grasped your hand, tugging you upwards and began leading you out of the bar, ignoring the mad yelling of the waiter from behind you and instead quickening his pace.

"I would offer you to stay at my place, but my shitty brothers would make everything worse. Luckily, though, I think I know someone else who can help."

"W-Wait! Choromatsu!" You dug your feet into the ground, stopping you both in your tracks.

"I don't understand what you're talking about.. Where are you taking me?" Your voice wavered dangerously, but you forced the next surge of tears down.

"Ah, sorry! I guess I didn't explain things very well, did I?" He ruffled his hair sheepishly before turning to you, only to avert his gaze to the ground. "I know we just met, but.. I'm worried about you, [Y/N]. I know someone who will definitely let you stay at their house until you're able to get by on your own two feet again. That is... If you want to?"

He felt your fingers tighten around his slightly clammy palm, then a sniffle. He shot his head up to find your cheeks stained with tears, your lips formed into a wobbly but grateful smile.

"Y-You'd do that... for a stranger?" You mumbled tearily, a huff of laughter escaping you. In an instant, you wrapped your arms around Choromatsu's torso, burying your face into his shirt.

"Thank you... So much, Choromatsu..."

"I-I-It's no problem!" He squeaked, gently clinging his twitchy fingers onto the back of your blazer. He wished he could revel in your warmth pressed against him for a little longer, but he really had to get you to Totoko's.

Besides, he had a bit of a growing problem that he really didn't want you to see.

I hope you read this!

The hoarder of books, the avid reader and the bookseller Mohammed El Maghraby who has no house to shelter him, build his a home for himself with books beneath the bridge Fayatt, Cornishe Al Naher in Beirut. Despite the homelessness, his books offered him a humble shelter. But Mohammed, did not think that between day and night, it might all change for better or for worse! As you see in the video, he sits motionless, speechless, statuesque, tearful and painfully gazing at his books that were everything to him. He had a heater to warm himself in the cold and it was cold and now they took everything from him.

In a previous interview by Al Ain News, with Al Maghraby, asking him by what reaosns he ended up to such s tragic situation, he introduced himself:"I am an engineer, a graduate of Cairo (Egypt) University, I am 78 years old, for a year and seven months I have been living in this place, however I thank God for his Grace, I live my like everyone else, eat and drink."

He added:" I had gas, but unfortunately it was stolen, and because necessity is the mother of invention, I managed with a stove on wood, and at a nearby station I take a shower," and continued:" I became a destination for many young men and women who visit me to exchange conversations with me and benefit from my experience."

Regarding where he lived before, he said:" in a house that belonged to my friend in the area of Mirna Al Shalouhi, until he had to demolish the building and ....I ended up homeless." He was also asked about whether he had family or not. He explained:" My wife died a long time ago. Leaving me with three children. Two young men who now live in exile, specifically in Africa, and a married young woman. I do not include them in my concerns and problems, I raised them with tears in the eyes and with them a happy life."

And about his books, he expressed:" I love books. For knowledge is light. I open my eyes in the morning, I grab the book and start reading. Through it, I forget reality and travel to the place it takes me to. I enjoy every word, and I forget time and myself."

He was asked if he sells books to which he answered:" I do not care about money. Whoever asks for a book and doesn't carry money, I will gladly gift it to him/her. What I do care about is that reading does not perish and that the rope of culture is not broken."... And whether he would continue to live under the bridge without shelter, he concluded:"The day will come when my life will change."

And about his favourite books, he passionately explained:"All of them have them their own style and flavour, but I love the dean of Arabic literature Taha Hussein, for he is one of the monumental flags of the Arab Literary Movement in Modern Era."

What threat, what power, what issue, what class, what danger a homeless man poses on? A homeless man who reads, what crimes is he given or seen with?

After the incident, Al Maghraby disappeared. Which made people wonder, between those who said that he went to the police station to file a lawsuit against the people who set the fire and those who said that he went to the historical to receive treatment for the burns he sustained.

Luckily the Lebanese Ministry of Culture and The Public Security took determine the circumstances of the incident, after which they promise to address and enhance the conditions the Librarian Mohammed Al Maghraby by word of the ministry. Before the incident the librarian was visited by members of the government and announced support and charity to improve his life after he his identification papers and others data were verified. His life had a promise of change but this iunforeseable incident changed him drastically. For sadly, the hearts that humans carry are far more crueler than winter will ever be.

May those who set the fire be caught and may Mohammed thrive out of this horror.