Chapter 72: Clumsy Hearts

Mirei stood in front of Minami's door, her hand hovering just inches away from knocking. She sighed for what felt like the hundredth time. Her mind was still stuck on the chaos of the earlier livestream, replaying the moment Ayumi had so casually revealed the story of her accidental kiss with Minami. I hope Kaede didn't watch it, she thought, even though she knew that was unlikely.

Kaede never missed any of Celestial's updates, and she was always quick to message Mirei afterward, often gushing about how proud she was or poking fun at silly moments. But this time, there had been no text. Mirei sighed again, her chest tightening.

Maybe Kaede's just busy with her band's album release tomorrow, she tried to reassure herself. Still, the silence was unnerving.

As Mirei stood there, lost in thought, Hikari's voice broke through her reverie.

"Hey, Mirei. Are you planning to knock on the door, or are you trying to make it fall open with your mind?"

Mirei startled, looking over her shoulder at Hikari's grinning face. "I was just about to knock!" she defended, her cheeks flushing slightly.

Hikari smirked, crossing her arms. "Uh-huh. You've been standing here sighing like a lovesick poet. If you're worried Minami won't like your gift, don't be. She'd probably love anything you give her—even a rock."

"Shut up," Mirei muttered, sticking her tongue out at Hikari before turning back to the door. Gathering her courage, she finally knocked.

From inside, Minami's muffled voice called out, "Wait, I'm coming!"

The door opened to reveal a slightly disheveled Minami. She blinked in surprise when she saw Mirei. "Oh, Mirei? What's up?"

"Can I come in for a bit?" Mirei asked, holding up a small, neatly wrapped package.

Minami hesitated for a fraction of a second before stepping aside. "Of course, come in," she stuttered, her cheeks heating up slightly. Why am I so flustered? We've been to each other's rooms a million times.

Mirei stepped inside, glancing around the room briefly before turning to Minami with a bright smile. "Happy birthday, Minami!" She held out the gift with both hands, her eyes sparkling.

Minami froze for a moment, her heart skipping a beat. Why does she have to look so cute when she smiles like that? For a brief second, it felt like time had stopped.

"Minami? Hello?" Mirei waved her hand in front of her face, confused by Minami's dazed expression.

Snapping back to reality, Minami blinked rapidly. "Oh, sorry! What did you say?"

"I said, 'Here's your gift.'" Mirei chuckled, gently taking Minami's hand and placing the package in it.

The simple touch sent Minami's heart racing again. She clumsily gripped the gift, only for it to slip from her hands and fall to the floor.

"Minami, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Mirei asked, crouching down to pick it up.

"N-no, nothing's wrong!" Minami stammered, crouching down as well. She reached for the gift at the same time as Mirei, their heads nearly colliding.

"Ah!" Mirei exclaimed, straightening up just in time for Minami to accidentally bump into her, knocking her back slightly.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Minami panicked, her hands flailing as she tried to steady Mirei. In her flustered state, her foot slipped on the smooth floor, and she toppled forward, landing squarely on top of Mirei with a loud thud.

The gift flew out of Minami's hands, skidding across the floor.

Mirei winced, rubbing her nose. "Ow…" She opened her eyes to find Minami's face mere centimeters from hers.

Minami froze, her eyes wide. Neither of them moved, the air between them charged with an awkward tension.

The door burst open, and Hikari's voice filled the room. "What was that noise? Are you—" She stopped mid-sentence, her jaw dropping as she took in the scene. Mirei and Minami, tangled together on the floor, their faces flushed and inches apart.

"Oh. My. God." Hikari gasped dramatically, covering her mouth with one hand.

The sudden interruption jolted both Mirei and Minami back to reality. They scrambled to separate, both talking over each other.

"I'm so sorry!" Minami blurted, bowing her head repeatedly.

"No, no, it's my fault!" Mirei insisted, her face red as she stood up and dusted herself off.

Hikari, meanwhile, leaned casually against the doorframe, a wicked grin spreading across her face. "Wow, you two really went all out, huh? Should I leave so you can finish whatever this is?"

"It's not like that!" Mirei and Minami shouted in unison, their voices rising in perfect harmony.

Hikari laughed, clearly enjoying their embarrassment. "Alright, alright. But seriously, do you guys need the whole dorm to yourselves? Should we make reservations next time?"

"Shut up, Hikari!" Mirei snapped, her face burning as she grabbed the gift from the floor and handed it to Minami. "Happy birthday again, Minami. I hope you like it."

Without waiting for a reply, she rushed past Hikari and out of the room, leaving behind a dazed Minami and a still-teasing Hikari.

---

Back in her own room, Mirei closed the door and leaned against it, pressing a hand to her chest. Her heart was still pounding from the chaotic encounter.

Why does stuff like this keep happening? she thought, groaning softly. She flopped onto her bed, covering her face with her hands. "And Hikari! Why does she have to make it worse?"

But as the initial embarrassment faded, her thoughts drifted back to Kaede. She unlocked her phone and stared at the empty message thread. Kaede still hadn't text.

Mirei sighed, biting her lip. I should text her first.

Her fingers hovered over the screen as she composed a message.

Mirei: Kaede, sorry about the livestream earlier. Have you watch it? My friends went overboard with the teasing. I hope it didn't bother you. How was your day? I hope you have a great day tomorrow!

She hesitated before pressing send. The knot in her chest tightened as she stared at the screen, waiting for a response. Minutes turned into an hour, and still, there was nothing.

Mirei placed her phone on the nightstand, turning off the light. As she lay in bed, staring at the dark ceiling, her mind swirled with doubts.

Did I upset her? Is she mad at me?

Despite her exhaustion, sleep didn't come easily. The image of Kaede's name on her screen haunted her until her eyelids grew too heavy to keep open.

---

In her own apartment, Kaede sat in silence, staring at Mirei's message on her phone. Her eyes were puffy from crying, her heart still aching from the events of the day.

"She doesn't mean to hurt me, I know that it was not her fault..." Kaede whispered to herself, gripping the phone tightly. She wanted to reply, to tell Mirei everything was fine. But she couldn't find the right words.

And as the night stretched on, two hearts, though miles apart, beat with the same longing, each hoping that their love would be enough to bridge the distance.