“ACHOO!!”
I sneezed so hard it nearly sent my soul flying out of my body. The tissue I was holding didn’t stand a chance. I groaned, pulling the blanket tighter around my shoulders as I sat at the small kitchen table.
A sigh came from behind me.
“Told you yesterday not to mess around in the snow too long,” Keiko scolded while plating our breakfast — rice, miso soup, grilled fish, and a neatly arranged salad. She slid a cup of warm tea in front of me.
“You never listen.”
I grumbled like a scolded puppy.
“Sorry…” I muttered, knowing I had zero room to argue.
Keiko sat across from me, her expression unreadable as usual, but her eyes were warm. She watched me dab my nose with another tissue and finally asked,
“You still planning to meet Junpei tonight?”
I groaned internally. Right… I almost forgot.
“Yeah,” I sniffled. “He said it was important. I felt bad already turned him down once… can’t do it again.”
Keiko’s brows furrowed slightly in concern.
“If you’re sick, you should postpone it. He’ll understand.”
I looked up and smiled at her.
“Don’t worry, I’ll manage.”
For a second, Keiko’s cheeks tinted the faintest pink before she looked away and muttered, “Okay… if you say so.”
I grinned like a lovesick idiot and thanked her as she pretended not to hear me.
---
We both headed to Manna’s Kitchen after breakfast, bundled up in scarves and coats. The streets still shimmered with leftover snow from yesterday’s little adventure. I could feel Keiko’s gaze flick toward me every time I sneezed, which was a lot.
When we arrived, the usual chaos awaited.
“Morning, guys!” Aki’s voice rang out like an unwanted alarm clock. She instantly slung an arm around my shoulder.
“Oi, Ryuko — any juicy stories from your day off? Spill!”
I sighed.
“Hey, you’re still alive? Shocking.”
Aki pouted and smacked my arm, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Meanie! I’m fragile, you know!”
“Sure you are.”
Then came the tricky part.
“M-Morning, Ruka!” I greeted, trying to act normal.
Ruka stiffened like a deer caught in headlights.
“O-oh… morning, Ryus-Ryuko…”
For a second, I swore she almost blurted out my real name. God, this was going to be awkward for a while.
---
The day dragged on slowly since it was the off-season. Fewer customers meant more time for Aki to become a menace.
“Where’s the plates?” she asked, peeking under the counter.
“In front of you,” I deadpanned.
“Ah… right, right, hihi!”
Then five minutes later:
“Where’s the menu?”
“In your hand, Aki.”
“Oh wow! Haha, thanks Ryuko!”
I rubbed my temples.
“You good? Did you hit your head somewhere?”
Aki pouted, her cheeks puffed.
“N-no! I’m just… you know, a little tired! Too much gossip filling my head maybe…”
I smirked.
“Yup. Brain full of celebrity scandals, zero room for plates.”
She playfully whacked me with a menu.
“How dare you! I’ll have you know my brain is a national treasure!”
“Yeah, a national liability maybe.”
Even Keiko cracked a smile from the kitchen window.
---
Despite my sneezing and Aki’s selective memory loss, we made it through the shift. As we wiped down tables to close, Keiko suddenly spoke up.
“Just go ahead to Junpei’s. I’ll finish your side.”
I blinked.
“Nah, it’s fine. I can finish up. It’s not like he’s waiting right this second.”
She gave me that look — the one that said “Stop being a dumbass” without needing words.
“Okay,” she relented softly. “But tell me if anything happens, okay?”
I gave her a small salute, grinning.
“Will do. Thanks, Keiko.”
There it was again — that tiny blush before she looked away, pretending to focus on wiping a table that was already spotless.
---
I left the restaurant and hurried through the cold streets, my breath visible in the night air. Snowflakes drifted down lazily from the sky. I stuffed my gloved hands into my pockets and trudged toward Junpei’s place.
His apartment building wasn’t far, just a few blocks away. I rang the bell.
“RYUSEIIIII—!”
The door flew open before the buzzer even finished, and Junpei appeared, eyes red and face blotchy like he’d been crying for hours.
“BROOOO—!!” He screamed.
“Whoa, whoa, hey— Junpei, buddy, easy!”
He wailed louder.
“I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMOOOORE!”
As he threw his arms around me, the first thing that happened wasn’t a comforting hug — it was me sneezing.
“ACHOOO!!”
Right. Into. His. Face.
We both froze.
A glob of mist practically painted his cheek. His expression went from devastated to horrified in a split second.
“…Bro,” Junpei croaked, eyes wide.
I awkwardly stepped back, scratching my head.
“Uh… sorry, man. I’m a little sick.”
He blinked, wiped his face with his sleeve, and sniffled.
“It’s okay… I’m already dead inside anyway.” Then he resumed crying into my shoulder like nothing happened.
I sighed, patting his back as awkwardly as possible.
“Okay, okay… talk to me, man. What happened?”
---
Meanwhile, back at Manna’s Kitchen…
Keiko finished cleaning, wiped her hands on a towel, and sighed. She glanced out the window at the falling snow.
“Idiot’s probably still sneezing,” she muttered softly to herself.
Aki came bounding over. “Keikooo! Did you hear about that actor who secretly got married? I mean—”
“Aki.”
Aki froze at the deadpan voice.
“Do your closing tasks.”
“Y-yes ma’am!”
Yikes.