“Shhh…” Keiko scolded me as I clumsily entered the apartment with my bags. “Rin’s already asleep.”
I winced. “Sorry,” I whispered. I glanced at the clock—past 11 PM. No wonder Keiko was annoyed.
She sighed and grabbed one of my bags, motioning for me to follow her. “Come on, let’s just get these inside.”
I whispered a quick, “Thanks,” as I followed her to our room.
Keiko sat on the bed, clearly trying to sleep while I focused on unpacking just the essentials for tomorrow. I’d deal with the rest later. The exhaustion from the day weighed heavily on me.
After changing into my pajamas, I hesitated for a second.
I was about to sleep in the same bed as Keiko again.
Why was I nervous? It wasn’t like this was the first time. I shook my head and slowly slid under the covers, careful not to disturb her.
Keiko’s face was so close to mine.
She looked peaceful, her soft breaths making me feel warm and uneasy at the same time. Just as I was about to close my eyes, she shifted—closer.
My heart nearly jumped out of my chest.
I panicked. Without thinking, I carefully slipped out of the bed and made my way to the sofa.
Nope. Not ready for that.
---
-A Week Later-
Adjusting back to living with Keiko and Rin wasn’t easy.
Rin, my own daughter, had been completely ignoring me ever since she found out I was her dad. She used to be so playful, but now she wouldn’t even look me in the eye.
I sighed as I buttoned up my work shirt.
“Keiko, I’ll be home late tonight,” I said, grabbing my bag. “I’m going out with Junpei.”
“Sure,” Keiko responded. Then, after a short pause, she added, “Can I tag along?”
I froze, turning to her in surprise. Did I hear that right?
“You… wanna come?”
Keiko gave a small nod. “Yeah. I just thought I should at least thank Junpei for helping you.”
That caught me off guard—I expected her usual "Do what you want" response, but instead, she was being unexpectedly considerate.
She looked a little shy after saying it, which made my chest feel warm.
I smiled. “Thanks, Keiko. Let’s go together.”
She smiled back. It was small, but it meant the world to me.
---
Keiko and I sat side by side at the bar, waiting for Junpei.
She wasn’t too comfortable in places like this, so I gently held her hand under the table. “If it’s too much, we can go somewhere else.”
She shook her head. “It’s fine. You guys wanted to meet here.”
Just then, Junpei appeared and froze when he saw Keiko.
“Oh, damn. Keiko?!”
Keiko smiled politely. “Nice to see you again, Junpei. It’s been a while.”
Junpei gasped dramatically, then turned to me and nudged my side. “Bro, what’s going on here?”
“Let’s sit first,” I sighed.
Junpei hesitated before plopping down across from us.
Then I ordered an alcohol drink, and Junpei immediately teased me, "Hey, you're not even legal yet."
"I’m 20 now," I said with a grin, but both Junpei and Keiko just gave me judgmental looks.
"I mean… on the outside. But 34 on the inside, hehe," I added, trying to joke.
They both ignored me. I sighed.
Once we ordered, I noticed Keiko went with orange juice instead of alcohol.
“Juice? In a bar?” Junpei blurted out before I glared at him to shut up.
He awkwardly coughed. “I mean—uh, yeah, juice is great. I love juice. Totally.”
Keiko chuckled. "It's okay, I'm not that sensitive."
Junpei sighed in relief. “Right. You wouldn’t have survived dating this guy if you were that sensitive.”
“Hey! Don’t drag me into this,” I shot back.
The conversation flowed naturally, and surprisingly, Keiko got along well with Junpei. I thought she’d just sit quietly, but she was actually engaging.
At one point, Keiko turned to Junpei. “I wanted to thank you, by the way.”
Junpei blinked. “Huh? For what?”
“For helping Ryusei through all of this,” she said sincerely.
Junpei looked a little flustered and waved it off. “Oh, nah, it’s nothing. Just doing what a friend should.”
Then, with a smirk, he added, “Honestly, I used to think you were kinda weird back in high school.”
Keiko didn’t seem offended. She simply nodded. “I was. That’s why I had no friends.”
Junpei let out a chuckle. “You’re actually kinda cool. I like you.” He even made a heart sign with his fingers.
Keiko was confused but amused, while I rolled my eyes.
“Alright, that’s enough. We’re done here,” I declared, pulling Junpei up. He was clearly drunk already.
“I’ll take him home,” I told Keiko.
She nodded. “Okay. Be careful.”
---
After dropping Junpei off, I made my way back home.
I saw Rin was in the living room, watching TV.
“Good night, Rin,” I said softly.
She glanced at me, then turned away without a word.
My heart sank, but I forced a smile.
Baby steps.
I sighed and looked at the sofa. A whole week of sleeping there had left my body aching.
Keiko noticed me standing there. “Oh, you’re back.”
“Yeah.”
“Why are you just standing there?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
I hesitated before sighing, glancing at the sofa. “My back already hurts just looking at it now.”
"You should stop sleeping on the sofa," Keiko said firmly. I knew she was right, but still…
I rubbed my neck awkwardly. “Well… I didn’t want to make things uncomfortable.” Then she added, "I could sleep on the sofa if you want."
Her words caught me off guard, and I stared at her in disbelief. How could I possibly let her do that?
"I won't let you. I'll manage," I insisted. She simply held my gaze for a moment before nodding. "Okay," she said softly.
I exhaled a sigh of relief, feeling both grateful and guilty.
"Let's go to sleep now," she continued. Then, with a gentler tone, she added, "Just tell me if you need or want anything from me. This is your home too, so act like it. Don't restrict yourself."
Her words settled deep in my chest, warming something inside me. Wasn't this her way of telling me that I belonged here? That I had a place in this family? I smiled, feeling an odd sense of comfort. "Thank you... Keiko," I murmured, truly meaning it.
She turned away but I swore I saw her face turn red.