I sighed as I walked home with Aki beside me. How did I even agree to this?
All day long, she had been nagging me to take her to-my, I mean Keiko’s place-so she could apologize. No matter how many times I refused, Aki was relentless. It was like having an annoying mosquito buzzing in my ear, impossible to ignore.
After enduring hours of her persistence, I finally gave in and called Keiko in the afternoon to ask if I should let Aki come over. Surprisingly, Keiko agreed without hesitation. That caught me off guard. I reminded her not to expose my true identity and to keep Rin in the loop. Keiko reassured me it was fine, and thus, the deal was sealed.
Now, as we walked down the quiet streets, Aki looked… nervous. Understandable, given that Keiko was her superior at work. I smirked at the thought. Seeing Aki this uneasy was a rare sight.
“Why are you smiling like that? You look like a creep,” Aki suddenly said, giving me a disgusted look.
“Tch. It’s nothing,” I replied, slightly annoyed that she ruined my fun.
She made a weird face at me, acting as if I really was a creep. That was when I decided to mess with her a bit. “You should start praying now. We’re getting closer to Keiko’s place,” I said in a serious tone.
Aki immediately straightened up, her playful expression vanishing. “Right…” she muttered, looking like a student preparing for an important exam.
I couldn’t help but chuckle. Teasing Aki is too easy.
---
Finally, we arrived. Out of habit, I almost took out my keys to unlock the door, but I quickly remembered I had to act like a guest. Letting out a sigh, I rang the doorbell instead.
After a minute, Keiko opened the door.
“Oh? Ryuko and Aki? What brings you two here?” Keiko asked, feigning surprise. She was pretty good at acting.
Smirking, I pointed at Aki. “I just accompanied her. She said she wanted to meet you.”
Then, with a wicked grin, I pushed Aki forward like I was presenting an offering.
“I-I—yes! Keiko, there’s something I need to tell you,” Aki stammered nervously.
Keiko gave her a calm smile. “Alright, come inside first.”
Once inside, we settled in the living room. Keiko asked if we needed water. For some reason, this felt weird, but I had to stay in character.
“I don’t need any,” I quickly declined.
Aki, however, hesitated. I could tell she was thirsty.
“I think she needs one,” I casually informed Keiko, much to Aki’s embarrassment.
Keiko chuckled and went to get some water. When she returned and sat down, an awkward silence filled the air. Aki looked like she wouldn’t be starting the conversation anytime soon.
Clearing my throat, I decided to help. “Uhmm… so, Aki wants to apologize.”
Keiko simply raised an eyebrow at me, waiting for more details.
“About last night… The party she insisted on. She feels guilty about you getting drunk and taking the day off,” I explained.
Without warning, Aki jumped from her seat and bowed at a perfect 90-degree angle. That surprised Keiko and me.
“I’m really sorry, Keiko! It was my stupid idea, and I forced everyone into that drinking game. Please don’t cut me from the job!”
Keiko sighed, arms crossed. “Well, it was your fault.”
Aki tensed up at those words. She started kneeling. “I know! I was too reckless! I—”
Before she could continue her dramatic apology, a loud voice interrupted.
“WHOSE VOICE IS THAT?! MOM, WHY IS IT SO NOISY?!”
Aki froze in fear.
Rin stormed into the living room, looking annoyed and half-asleep. But when she saw the scene in front of her, she stopped.
Her gaze locked onto Aki, who was still kneeling on the floor, leaning toward Keiko while gripping her hand like she was proposing.
“…What are you doing, Mom?” Rin asked suspiciously.
I immediately panicked. “Uhh—Rin, this is Aki, our coworker.”
Rin gave Aki a scrutinizing look before shifting her attention to me.
“Okay… but lower your voices. I want to sleep,” she grumbled.
Aki quickly bowed again. “I’m so sorry for disturbing you!”
Rin merely nodded and was about to leave when she suddenly turned back.
“Oh, and Dad—”
I casually clamped a hand over her mouth before she could finish.
“Rin, please don’t expose me in front of Aki,” I whispered hurriedly.
Keiko quickly chimed in, “I’ll explain later Rin. Good night.”
Rin looked between us, sighed, and finally left. “Fine, just keep it down.”
As soon as she was gone, Aki turned to me with a puzzled expression.
“Why did she call you Dad?”
“W-Well, you must’ve misheard something,” I said, forcing a laugh.
Aki squinted at me. “Really? I swear I heard—”
Before she could push further, Keiko changed the subject smoothly.
“By the way, Aki, I accept your apology. In the end, I made the choice to join the drinking game, so don’t overthink it.”
Aki’s mood instantly shifted. She lunged at Keiko and hugged her tightly.
“You’re a lifesaver, thank youuuu!” she wailed dramatically.
“Keep your voice down,” I reminded her with a deadpan expression.
After a bit more chatter, Aki finally left. Of course, I had to pretend to leave as well. Once I parted ways and saw her disappear into the night, I quickly made my way back inside.
Keiko was cleaning the glass Aki had used.
“I’ll do it, just go to sleep.” I offered.
“Thanks,” she replied with a small smile.
As I helped with the cleaning, I decided to ask, “By the way, Keiko, do you remember what happened last night?”
She paused for a moment. “Not really. I just remember the birthday party, the onsen, we're drinking… and then I blacked out.”
“Oh, really?” I pressed.
“Yeah,” she said nonchalantly.
For some reason, I felt disappointed. I had thought our little walk last night was special. It was the first time I had ever seen Keiko drunk, and she had been… adorable.
“Woah, what a tiring day,” I sighed. “I’ll take a shower and head to bed.”
Just as I turned to leave, Keiko suddenly spoke.
“Thank you… for keeping your promise last night.”
I blinked, confused. “Huh?”
She looked at me with a soft smile. “You protected me. Thank you.”
Then, without waiting for a response, she walked off to her room, leaving me standing there, stunned.
So she does remember everything, huh?
I chuckled to myself, finding her reaction surprisingly cute.
Keiko… really had an adorable side.