Chapter 1: The New Roommate

"Buzz… buzz…"

Riku Sato jolted awake, his hand fumbling blindly for the source of the noise. His phone vibrated insistently on the nightstand, rattling against a half-empty glass of water. Groaning, he squinted at the screen through bleary eyes—6:45 a.m. He'd overslept. Again. Last night, he'd stayed up late helping old Mrs. Tanaka down the street fix her grandson's rickety bicycle. His head throbbed faintly, a dull reminder of his overextended kindness.

"Ugh… why do I do this to myself?" he mumbled, dragging a hand through his messy black hair. He wasn't much to look at—average height, average build, with a face that blended into any crowd. But his heart? That was the problem. Too big, too eager to help, and now it had landed him bleary-eyed and late for the day.

He stumbled out of bed, nearly tripping over a stray sock, when his bedroom door swung open with a bang. His mother, a petite woman with a perpetually cheerful grin, poked her head in.

"Riku! Good, you're up. Hurry and get dressed—Aiko's arriving soon!"

Riku froze, one leg halfway into his jeans. "Aiko? Arriving? What—"

"Didn't I tell you?" His mom tilted her head, as if forgetting major life updates was perfectly normal. "Her parents are heading overseas for work—some big project in Europe. They'll be gone for a whole year, so Aiko's staying with us! Isn't that exciting?"

Riku's stomach dropped. Aiko. His cousin. The girl who'd tormented him with teasing smirks and sly comments since they were kids. Beautiful, confident, and utterly terrifying to his shy, awkward self. Living here. In his house. For a *year*?

"B-but… where's she gonna sleep?" he stammered, tugging his jeans up fully.

"In the spare room next to yours, of course!" His mom clapped her hands. "You two can walk to school together, eat together—oh, it'll be like having a sister!"

A sister. Right. Except Riku didn't see Aiko as a sister—not when his palms got sweaty every time she looked at him with those sharp, playful eyes. He swallowed hard, forcing a weak nod. "Y-yeah. Great."

By the time he'd thrown on a wrinkled school uniform and stumbled downstairs, the doorbell chimed. His dad, a lanky man engrossed in a newspaper, didn't even glance up as Riku shuffled past. "She's here," he grunted, flipping a page.

Riku opened the door, and there she was—Aiko Sato, all effortless grace and mischief. Her long, dark hair spilled over one shoulder, pinned back with a cherry-blossom clip, and her school uniform hugged her figure just enough to make Riku's brain short-circuit. She dragged a suitcase behind her, a duffel bag slung over her shoulder, and flashed him a grin that was half-welcome, half-trouble.

"Morning, Riku-kun," she said, her voice lilting with amusement. "You look like you just rolled out of a dumpster. Helping stray cats again?"

"N-no!" he sputtered, cheeks heating up. "It was a bike. Mrs. Tanaka's grandson's bike. I—never mind. Uh, come in."

She stepped past him, brushing close enough that he caught a whiff of her floral shampoo. His heart thudded traitorously. Aiko glanced around the living room, then back at him, her lips curling. "So, we're roommates now. Don't go peeking into my stuff, okay? I know how boys are."

"I-I wouldn't!" Riku waved his hands frantically. "I'm not like that!"

"Sure you're not," she teased, winking. "Help me with this, will you?" She nudged her suitcase toward him with her foot.

Riku grabbed it, nearly toppling over from the weight. "What's in here, bricks?"

"Just my essentials," Aiko replied airily, sauntering toward the stairs. "Clothes, books, my secrets. You know, girl stuff."

He hauled the suitcase up after her, his mind racing. Secrets? What kind of secrets? No, no, don't think about that. Focus on not tripping. His mom had already set up the spare room—a small space with a bed, a desk, and a window overlooking the backyard. It was right next to his room, separated by a thin wall. He could already imagine hearing her humming or tapping away at her phone late at night.

Aiko flopped onto the bed, stretching dramatically. "Not bad. Cozy. Guess I'll survive living with you."

"Gee, thanks," Riku muttered, setting the suitcase down. He turned to leave, but Aiko called after him.

"Hey, Riku?"

He paused, glancing back. She propped herself up on her elbows, her gaze locking onto his. "You're gonna walk me to school, right? Since we're heading the same way now?"

"Uh… sure?" he said, voice cracking slightly.

"Good." She smirked, lying back down. "Wouldn't want me getting lost because my cousin's too shy to be my guide."

Riku fled the room, his face burning. Downstairs, his mom beamed at him. "See? You two are already getting along!"

"Yeah," he croaked, slumping into a chair. "Just great."

Living with Aiko was going to be a nightmare—or worse, a dream he couldn't wake up from. Either way, Riku Sato was doomed.