Chapter 18: Way to Go!

"R-Ryuko?"

Keiko's voice snapped me back to reality. My arms were still wrapped around her, holding her tightly, and neither of us moved.

Crap. What the hell am I doing?

Panicked, I quickly pushed myself away, but as soon as I shifted my weight—"Ow, ow, ow!"—my ankle screamed in pain. Still, I had bigger problems than my busted ankle.

I glanced at Keiko, too scared to see her reaction. Was she freaked out? Angry? Disgusted? I needed to say something. Anything.

"I-I'm sorry, Keiko! I just—uh, my ankle hurt and I accidentally fell on you!" I blurted out the worst excuse in history. Even I cringed.

She didn't say anything right away, which made it worse. When I finally dared to look at her, she was… blushing? Her face was slightly red, and she seemed stunned.

"W-what are you doing?! Y-you surprised me!" she suddenly yelled, her voice an octave higher than usual.

I waved my hands frantically. "I-I'm really sorry!"

She turned away, clearly flustered. "Let's just go."

And just like that, we started walking again, but the atmosphere had completely changed. The easygoing vibe from earlier? Dead. The laughter? Gone. Now, it was just awkward silence.

Way to go, Ryuko. You just turned a cute moment into an absolute disaster.

---

By the time we reached my—uh, I mean, Junpei's—apartment, my ankle was throbbing. I fumbled around in my bag for my keys, but my fingers came up empty.

No way.

A little flashback hit me like a truck. This morning, in a hurry, I had tossed my keys onto the table and dashed out. And now, I was locked out.

I stood there, expression frozen in a silent scream of frustration.

Keiko tilted her head. "Ryuko… what's wrong?"

I turned to her with a tight smile. "I… uh, forgot my keys."

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Of course you did."

"I'll just call my uncle. You don't have to wait—" Just as I was about to reassure her, my phone buzzed with a message.

Junpei: Not coming home tonight. Staying at my girlfriend's place.

I stared at my screen, my brain buffering.

Perfect. Just perfect.

Keiko noticed my silence. "What's wrong now?"

I turned to her with the most pitiful, almost-about-to-cry expression ever. "M-my uncle's not coming home tonight."

She blinked at me. Then sighed again, this time longer, like she was contemplating all her life choices that led her to dealing with me. "Well… you can stay at my place tonight if you want."

I froze.

Did she just—?

My brain short-circuited. "A-are you sure?"

"Yes," she said, then crossed her arms. "Just… don't do anything weird."

My heart skipped a beat.

Holy crap, I was going home.

---

Walking into Keiko's apartment—our apartment—felt surreal. The second I stepped inside, nostalgia hit me hard.

Everything was the same.

The furniture, the decorations, even the faint scent of my old perfume mixed with Keiko's lavender fragrance—it was all untouched.

Keiko handed me a towel and a change of clothes. "Here. Oh, and use these for your ankle." She placed some medical supplies on the table.

It was my clothes—OMG. Then Keiko said, "Sorry... that was my husband's. You're taller than me, so I thought you wouldn't fit my size. I hope you don't mind."

I nodded, "It's fine, I'm good," hiding a smirk. It was mine anyway—I chuckled to myself.

She stretched. "Also you can take the couch. Sorry, there's no guest room."

What, you mean I don't get my old bed back? I thought to myself, though I had to admit Keiko had a point. "Alright, thank you. Then I'll go shower first."

---

After showering, I felt refreshed—until I realized I had to tell Keiko I was done so she could shower too. I knocked lightly on her door.

No answer.

I knocked again, and this time, the door creaked open.

Huh? Did she forget to lock it?

I peeked inside, and—oh.

Keiko was asleep.

Her sleeping posture was ridiculous. One leg was hanging off the bed, the blanket was barely covering her, and her arm was twisted in a way that was definitely going to hurt tomorrow.

I hesitated. Should I leave her? Yes. Should I fix her posture? Also yes.

I sighed. "Alright, let's do this…"

Slowly, carefully, I approached her, trying to reposition her without waking her up.

But the moment I touched her shoulder—

"Mmh?"

I froze. She stirred slightly, mumbling something incoherent before settling down again.

Crisis averted.

I gently adjusted her arms and legs, trying my best to keep my cool. But then—

She turned in her sleep.

Directly towards me.

And suddenly, I was on top of her.

My breath hitched. The position was way too intimate. My face was burning red.

Oh god. Oh god.

Her lips were slightly parted, her face relaxed and peaceful. She looked…

I shook my head violently. Nope. Nope. Not going there.

Carefully, I moved her back into a normal position and covered her with the blanket. By the time I was done, I was sweating.

Why did that feel harder than walking on a sprained ankle?

As I turned to leave, my eyes landed on the familiar side of the room—my side. My clothes, my games, even my old slippers…

She never moved them.

Did that mean… she was waiting for me?

I swallowed hard, pushing the thought away. No. That was ridiculous. She probably just… didn't have time to clean up.

Yeah. That was it.

Shaking my head, I quietly shut the door and collapsed onto the couch.

Today had been way too much. My ankle hurt, my heart was confused, and Keiko was still as frustrating as ever.

And yet, despite everything…

I smiled.

It felt like home.