"I'm home," I called out softly as I closed the door behind me, careful not to make a sound. It was already past 11 p.m.
The city outside was cold and quiet, and the warmth of home felt extra precious tonight. I assumed both Keiko and Rin were already asleep by now.
No one answered my greeting. The lights in the living room were off. Perfect. I could sneak into my room and crash.
Yawning, I dragged my feet across the floor. For a second, I almost opened the door to Rin’s room out of habit. "Oops," I muttered under my breath, quickly correcting myself. I tiptoed toward my own room like a burglar avoiding creaky floorboards.
But then… I noticed something strange.
The light was still on in my room.
I squinted at the door. Huh? Did Keiko leave it on while she was asleep?
Slowly, cautiously, I opened the door.
And there she was.
Keiko. Standing right by the door.
I swear, my heart stopped for a full five seconds. My brain processed no thoughts. Just primal, pure horror.
"GAHH—!" I almost screamed but nothing came out, and I stumbled back against the wall, clutching my chest. I dropped my bag with a loud thud.
Keiko blinked, then immediately raised both hands, realizing she’d startled the hell out of me. "Ah—sorry! I didn’t mean to!"
I gasped, still holding my heart. "A-Are you trying to kill me?! W-why were you standing there like some horror movie ghost?!"
Keiko chuckled, covering her mouth as if trying to stifle her laugh. "Dummy, you're too much."
"I’m serious! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" I grumbled, kneeling on the floor trying to regulate my heartbeat.
"I didn’t even hear you come in," she said, kneeling next to me and patting my shoulder. "I was waiting for you."
I froze. "W-Waiting for me?"
She nodded, her smile softening. "Well… you’re sick, and I was worried about Junpei too. I wanted to make sure you were okay."
Her words hit me right in the chest.
I blinked. "You… worried about Junpei too?"
"Of course," she replied like it was the most natural thing in the world. "He helped you a lot, didn’t he? It’s only fair if we care about him too."
I swallowed hard, touched by her kindness. "He’s… okay now. Well… okay-ish," I said, remembering how the dude bawled his eyes out while tipsy. "Long story."
Keiko sighed in relief. "Glad to hear it."
I sighed too and ended up sitting on the edge of the bed. Keiko sat beside me, leaning her elbow on her knee, chin on her palm. She looked genuinely curious, so I told her a brief version of what happened.
"He got cheated on," I said quietly. "And… his fiancée called off the wedding."
Keiko winced like someone had punched her in the gut. I immediately regretted my choice of words. I knew she’d been through that same hell before. The word 'cheated' brought back her trauma, and I felt like an absolute idiot for saying it.
"Sorry," I added quickly. "I didn’t mean to bring up…"
"It’s okay," she cut in with a weak smile. "Life’s full of cruel surprises. I get it."
Without thinking, I leaned over and pulled her into a hug. It wasn’t dramatic or anything — just one of those quiet, comforting embraces you give someone when words aren’t enough. "I'm really sorry... and thanks for worrying about me," I whispered.
Keiko stiffened for a moment, surprised, then slowly wrapped her arms around me too. "Dummy," she murmured softly.
We stayed like that for a bit. Just two exhausted idiots who’d seen better days.
After a while, we started chatting lightly about work — Aki’s endless blunders, Ruka’s awkward slips, and how one of the customers mistook me for a high school girl today. Keiko laughed so hard she fell backward on the bed.
"Seriously?! You, a high school girl?!" she cackled.
"I mean, with this hair and apron? Can you blame them?!" I groaned, covering my face.
Keiko snorted. "Maybe you should wear a ‘Not a Teenager’ badge."
"Or a T-shirt that says ‘I pay taxes.’"
We both laughed until we were out of breath.
Then, when the room had quieted down again, I remembered something important.
I turned to check if Keiko was still awake. "Hey… you still up?"
"Mmhm," she hummed softly from beside me.
"Keiko," I said, taking a breath. "I… I’ve been thinking a lot lately. About everything. And… I want to focus more on being a chef."
She turned her head, surprised. "Huh?"
"I mean it," I said. "Not just working part-time jobs to scrape by. I want to chase it properly. Like… really, seriously. Manna’s Kitchen isn’t just a job for me anymore. I want to learn more. I want to be good. I want to be proud of something. And… I wish you to support me."
Keiko smiled — a real, bright, beautiful smile. "That’s nice to hear."
I felt a huge weight lift off my chest. "So… you will?"
"Of course," she said softly. "I’ll support you as much as I can."
I let out a relieved laugh. "Thank you."
She reached out and flicked my forehead lightly. "Glad you finally found something."
I blinked. "Huh?"
Keiko smirked. "You know, you’ve never had any real passion since we’ve been together. Back then… you buried all your dreams when that happened. You were always working so hard to survive that you forgot to live. So I’m happy for you."
Her words stung a little because they were true. I thought back to the years of endless jobs. Somewhere along the line, I buried my own dreams.
"I guess… you’re right," I admitted.
Keiko grinned and nudged my shoulder. "About time you catch up, dummy."
We both smiled at each other, the kind of quiet understanding only people who've shared long, hard years can have. My heart felt warm in a way it hadn’t in a long, long time.
Before I realized it, I was leaning against her, eyes drooping shut.
"You falling asleep on me now?" she teased.
"Mmm… maybe…"
Keiko chuckled, brushing my bangs out of my eyes.
I smiled, my eyes closing as exhaustion finally took over. In the soft glow of the bedside lamp, her presence felt safe. Home wasn’t a place — it was people. And in that moment, I realized I’d found mine.
As sleep claimed me, I heard her voice one last time, soft as a lullaby.
"I’m proud of you, Ryusei."
And for the first time in years, I slept easy.