The sound of my alarm blaring jolted me awake. I groggily reached out and fumbled around until my fingers found my phone. Squinting at the bright screen, I mumbled, "8 AM," and quickly turned it off. My body still felt heavy from last night, and I instinctively turned to my side.
Keiko was still sleeping.
That was a rare sight. She always woke up at 6 AM sharp, no matter the circumstances. Seeing her this peaceful, her chest rising and falling with each soft breath, made my heart stir in a way I wasn't used to.
Her glasses were neatly placed on the bedside table, her short hair slightly tousled.
I should wake her up. We needed to get moving. But… I couldn't help but stare.
It had been a long time since I could just watch her like this—so unguarded, so beautiful.
I snapped out of it when I checked my phone again. 8:30 AM. Damn, time was slipping fast.
Carefully, I slipped out of bed, making sure not to wake Keiko, and headed to the shower. The warm water helped shake off my lingering sleepiness, and by the time I was done, I half-expected Keiko to be awake.
But no, she was still lost in dreamland.
I sighed, but a small smile played on my lips. It was honestly cute how exhausted she must’ve been to sleep through all this. Still, we had to get going.
I leaned down and gently nudged her shoulder. “Keiko, wake up…”
She let out a soft groan, shifting slightly but still not opening her eyes.
I poked her cheek. “Morning.”
She finally stirred, her eyelids fluttering open as she looked around in confusion. A second later, realization hit her—where we were, what we did last night, and, more importantly, that she was still naked.
Her reaction was priceless.
Her face turned bright red as she pulled the blanket up to her chest in a panic. "M-Morning, Ryuko… I mean, Ryusei."
I chuckled at how flustered she was. “You should take a shower quickly. We need to head back home before work.”
“R-Right,” she stammered, fumbling around for her glasses, which were just a little out of reach. She awkwardly stretched her arm while keeping herself covered, but it was hopeless.
Still holding back laughter, I picked them up and handed them to her. “Here.”
She quickly put them on and muttered, “Thanks…”
I smirked. “Why are you still so shy? I've seen you naked countless times already.”
She huffed, her face burning red. “I’ll never get used to this…”
I laughed softly, handing her a towel. "Here."
Her blush deepened as she accepted it. "T-Thank you." She quickly wrapped it around herself and rushed to the bathroom. I shook my head, amused. She’s too cute.
When she finished, she stepped out, still slightly embarrassed but more composed. I asked her, “By the way, did you tell Rin we weren’t coming home last night?”
“I did. Don’t worry,” she reassured me.
I let out a relieved sigh. “Good. Let’s go.”
We packed up our things and headed out.
---
By the time we got home, it was already 10 AM.
“We’re home,” Keiko announced as we stepped inside.
“Oh, Rin said she’s out with her friends today,” she added casually.
I exhaled in relief. Thank god. If Rin had been here, she would've bombarded us with questions. Keiko and I quickly changed clothes before heading out to work.
---
The restaurant felt tense today. Our boss, Manna, was present, and since tomorrow was a big event, everyone was on edge. Even Aki, who usually couldn’t stop talking, was oddly quiet. Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion.
Manna was strict when it came to work, and her presence alone was enough to make everyone focus harder than usual.
Suddenly, she turned to me. "Hey, new kid. How long have you been working here?"
"Ahh… it’s June now, so about four months," I answered with a smile.
She studied me for a moment before nodding. "You’re doing well for someone who’s only been here four months. Keep it up."
Surprised, I bowed slightly. "Thank you."
Manna then went around, evaluating everyone, giving comments here and there.
Before leaving, she addressed us, “We’ve got an important event and announcement tomorrow. Don’t slack off. Get plenty of rest and be here by 9 AM sharp. No excuses.”
“Yes, ma’am!” we all responded in unison.
As soon as she left, Aki dramatically collapsed onto the counter. “Ughh, I can finally breathe again.”
Miko rolled her eyes. “Stop exaggerating.”
I chuckled. “How are you going to survive tomorrow, then?”
“I have no idea.” Aki groaned.
Keiko smiled. "Manna might seem cold and intimidating, but she’s actually kind and fair."
"Keiko’s right," Ruka added.
I nodded. "Yeah, I like someone like her. She has that strong, confident vibe. Like someone who always knows what to do."
Suddenly, I noticed Keiko staring at me.
"What?" I asked, confused.
She quickly looked away. "Nothing."
What was that about?
Miko laughed. "I get it, Ryuko. I admire her too. She’s like a badass queen."
We continued chatting for a while as we closed the restaurant, but throughout the conversation, Keiko seemed distant.
---
As we walked home, I noticed Keiko walking ahead of me. I reached out, trying to take her bag to help her carry it.
"You don’t need to do this," she said, pulling it away.
"Oh... okay."
She kept walking without another word. I sighed. Why is she upset all of a sudden? Did I do something wrong?
I didn’t want another misunderstanding between us, so I called out, “I’m sorry!”
She stopped in her tracks. “…Why are you apologizing?”
I hesitated. “Because… you seem upset with me. I must have done something wrong. I’m sorry.”
Keiko’s eyes widened slightly. She looked embarrassed. “It’s not that…”
“Then tell me,” I said gently. “We’ve been through so much because we keep avoiding things. I told you, I want to fix us. So… please be honest with me.”
She seemed caught off guard. Then, after a pause, she sighed. "I was jealous."
I blinked. “Jealous? Of what?”
“When you praised Manna and said you liked her…” she admitted hesitantly. “I don’t know why, but it made me feel… weird.”
I blinked. "Wait… you were jealous because of that?"
She groaned, clearly frustrated with herself. "I don’t even know why! It’s not like me to feel this way!"
Her frustration was clear in her voice.
Smiling softly, I gently pulled her into a hug. "I’m sorry. If I had given you enough love, you wouldn’t feel insecure about this." She stayed silent, and I continued, “It’s my fault… After what I did before, you must still have doubts."
She remained silent in my arms. I stroked her hair lightly, feeling her slowly relax. "Thank you for telling me how you feel. I’ll be more careful from now on."
She trembled slightly against me.
I pulled away to look at her—her cheeks were wet with tears.
Panicking, I quickly wiped them away. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, "I’m sorry for being too emotional," she murmured.
I smiled. “"It’s fine. I like this side of you.”
She blushed.
I reached for her hand. “Let’s go home.”
She nodded, and we walked side by side, fingers intertwined.
For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was on the right path. Holding her hand, I wished—if only life could just stay like this.
As much as I wanted this moment to last forever, I knew life wouldn’t stop here.