Two weeks had passed since I moved in with Keiko and Rin. While things were going well with Keiko, maintaining a relationship with Rin was still an uphill battle.
Rin had been completely serious when she said she was moving into our room. I recalled the scene vividly—coming home from work with Keiko only to find my things already packed and placed in the living room.
That night, when I was about to go to bed, Rin was already sprawled out on my spot, smirking like she had just claimed victory in some kind of battle.
I had no choice but to accept my fate and sleep in her room instead.
It was oddly neat, as if she had already prepared for this. I was even hoping to find something interesting—maybe a diary full of teenage angst? But no, she had been too thorough.
At work, Aki noticed my absentminded expression. "Hey, what are you thinking about?"
"Nothing," I replied casually.
"Liar," Aki teased before changing the subject. "Looks like you already made up with Keiko. I'm glad."
"Yeah, thanks for worrying," I said, knowing she was more interested in the gossip than my actual relationship.
She grinned. "Oh, by the way, tomorrow is my birthday!"
"Okay," I answered.
"Only an okay?! How dare you!" Aki huffed dramatically.
"Uh… advance happy birthday?" I chuckled at her reaction.
She scowled. "That’s not enough! You better come to my birthday party tomorrow after work. No excuses!"
I sighed at her bossy attitude. "Fine."
Just then, Keiko, who had been working nearby, shot us a warning glance. "Lower your voices, we're in the middle of work."
"We're sorry," Aki and I whispered in unison.
Aki mouthed, It was your fault.
I shrugged.
Work continued as usual, though I noticed a familiar face in the café—our regular customer who had been visiting frequently for the past month. He was friendly, particularly toward Keiko. Or was I just imagining it?
As Keiko was getting ready to leave, she waved. "I'm heading home now. Thanks for your hard work."
"See you," I replied.
I always let Keiko leave first and waited a few minutes before heading home myself. It was our strategy to avoid suspicion from our coworkers.
If the train station was crowded, causing a longer wait time, we would occasionally meet up there and go home together.
---
That night, after showering and settling in for dinner, it was just me and Keiko. Rin was studying, so we had a rare moment of quiet.
"Keiko," I said between bites.
"Hmm?" she hummed in response.
"Aki said she’s having a birthday party tomorrow."
Keiko blinked at me, looking oddly surprised. "Really?"
"Yeah, so I might come home late tomorrow," I added. But something felt off. Why was she acting… weird?
She hesitated before saying, "Okay then."
Wait… was she not invited? That didn’t make sense.
"Aren’t you coming too?" I asked.
Keiko shook her head. "She didn’t tell me."
I paused, studying her expression. She wasn’t the type to show her emotions easily, but I could tell—just for a moment—she looked a little hurt. Not outright upset, but there was definitely something there.
"That’s weird," I muttered. "Maybe she just forgot to tell you? It’s impossible that she wouldn’t invite you."
Keiko gave me a small, dismissive smile. "It's okay. It’s not a big deal."
I sighed. She was always like this. She’d act like everything was fine, and hide what she truly felt. It frustrated me sometimes.
"You should be more honest about your feelings," I said before I could stop myself.
She looked at me, mildly surprised.
"If you want something, if you like something, if you're disappointed, or if you're hurt… just tell me." I continued, my voice softer now. "At least… please be honest when you’re with me."
Her eyes widened slightly, caught off guard by my words. I felt embarrassed, quickly adding, "W-well, you told me not to restrict myself, right? That applies to you too."
For a moment, Keiko just stared at me, then her lips curved into a small, genuine smile. "Thank you," she murmured.
And just like that, the air between us felt lighter—warmer, even.
After that, I called Aki and asked if Keiko really wasn’t invited. She immediately smacked her forehead and groaned, realizing she had completely forgotten.
She said she’d apologize to Keiko in person tomorrow and hoped Keiko wouldn’t be mad at her. I chuckled and teased her, wishing her good luck with that.
---
Finally, it was Aki's birthday, and she had been buzzing with excitement since morning.
Every chance she got, she reminded everyone that today was her day.
"Ryuko, today is my birthday. Don't forget," Aki said for what felt like the 26th time.
"That's the 26th time you've told me," I sighed, shaking my head.
She gasped dramatically. "What? No way! This is the first time I’ve mentioned it today!"
I gave her a knowing look but decided to play along, teasing her instead.
As the day went on, the store eventually reached closing time. Aki looked more excited than ever, practically bouncing on her feet.
We had all prepared to go out together, bringing a cake along for her, but she refused to tell us where exactly we were headed.
"Just trust me," Aki grinned mischievously.
With no other choice, the four of us followed her lead, wondering what kind of surprise—or chaos—she had planned for us.