When I went to Eric's one-bedroom apartment, there was an enlarged copy of Lum from the Japanese anime "Urusei Yatsura" on the wall. The room was scattered with trash. When I asked why he didn't clean up, he said he didn't have a vacuum cleaner.

However, he had a large sofa, so I stayed overnight here first. We decided that next month, I would move to a 2LDK apartment in the same area. This apartment was close to Eric's company but far from mine.

At first, he asked me if I had weapons like swords or pistols. I answered that I didn't. Then he told me he suffered from panic disorder and bipolar disorder and would soon be getting married to a Thai woman.

I asked him how he met this Thai woman, and he said his father worked in casino security and introduced him to the niece of a Thai-American woman who worked at the casino. When I asked if they had met yet, he said they hadn't. Then he showed me a photo of his fiancée. She was incredibly beautiful.

One morning, when I woke up, Eric asked me how much savings I had. I had about 400,000 yen, but I told him I had around 200,000 yen. He then pleaded with me, saying he was 100,000 yen short for the wedding funds. I refused and suggested he borrow from a consumer finance company, so I took him there.

However, the consumer finance company also said no. I decided to lend him 100,000 yen on the condition that he move to an apartment near my company. I wanted to live near the travel agency because I was not a morning person.

Eric soon went to Thailand and had a wedding ceremony. When he returned, he said he couldn't repay the 100,000 yen, and he began to enjoy my reaction. I got frustrated and started pressuring Eric for repayment, but he didn't pay back.

Then, one evening, he came back with a DVD player that was expensive at the time.

"Don't you have no money?"

"I'm in a manic state because of bipolar disorder, so I shop."

"Where did you buy it? Give it back!"

I took Eric to the store and tried to return the equipment, but he had bought it on credit, so we couldn't cancel the purchase. We were at a loss. I asked a taxi driver I met at the café attached to the gym, seeking advice.

"My roommate won't return 100,000 yen he borrowed. Can you give me some advice? I'll give you 10% if it works."

"Did you do this?"

"No, I didn't."

"I see. Then tell him you'll file a claim in small claims court. That way, he'll face various restrictions, like not being able to use credit cards, and he'll probably pay you back."

"I'll give it a try. But why won't he return the money?"

"He probably thinks anyone who lends such a large sum is a fool."

"So in America, if you lend 100,000 yen to a roommate, are you a fool?"

"That's the way it is. Americans are bad like that. It's basic. However, your roommate is just taking advantage of your friendship, which makes him particularly malicious. If the small claims court doesn't work, I and my friends will go collect from him."

Then he clenched his fist, opened all five fingers wide upward, and said, "Mach!" This meant "Mafia." I happened to know this from watching mafia movies. Scary. Don't startle me! He somehow connected to the mafia.

By the way, he had previously told me that he planned to buy a truck and become a long-distance driver. I knew from movies that Jimmy Hoffa, chairman of the National Trucking Association, was close to the mafia, but anyway, I had 4,000 yen on me, so I paid it in advance.

When I got home, I immediately told Eric that if he didn't return the money, I would file a claim in small claims court. Then his attitude changed.

"I get it. I'll pay it back. But I really don't have money right now. Please wait," he said, flustered.

After that, he started returning the money, albeit in small amounts. I managed to collect all 100,000 yen, so I gave the remaining 6,000 yen to the American taxi driver I met at the café. He made an annoying noise, saying, "Aah!" and then I said that "Promise is promise". So he said that "It is very nice of you!" with a big smile. However, I never saw him again after that. Did he save up and become a long-distance driver?

Around that time in Japan, a culprit who had been taking psychiatric medication hijacked ANA Flight 61 and killed the captain. Since Eric was also taking a considerable amount, I said to him,

"You once told me that you held a knife at night and tried to cut your wrist. There's a possibility you could harm me, so I'm leaving this house."

"No, mine is self-deprecating."

He said this, blushing. However, I had experienced both depression and manic states like Eric in the past, and it had also triggered panic disorder, so I couldn't risk it.