I woke up again today as lazy as usual. I glanced at my phone and sighed. "It’s May already, huh," I muttered to myself.
I got up and checked my reflection in the mirror. "Still Ryuko, huh." Another sigh escaped .
It’s been three months since I beca a girl. Every morning, I wondered if I would wake up as my old self again... or if this was permanent. The thought lingered in my head like an unwanted guest.
I sighed again. Even now, I still had the personality of a grumpy old man rather than a young girl. Shouldn’t I be more cheerful and positive?
I forced a smile at my reflection, but it felt weird and awkward. Yeah… maybe not.
Then reality hit —I was late again. "Shoot! I need to rush!" I quickly showered, skipped breakfast, and bolted out the door.
---
"Safe!" I shouted as I entered Manna’s Kitchen, panting from my sprint.
Aki, who was setting up tables, turned to with a smirk. "Safe, my ass. You’re lucky Keiko’s off today."
"Oh, she is?" I asked, still catching my breath.
Aki nodded but then grinned mischievously, approaching like an excited little kid. I instantly felt a bad premonition.
"Hey, hey, Ryuko…" Aki nudged , whispering.
"Huh?" I answered half-heartedly, busy getting my apron on.
"So what’s going on between you and Keiko?" She wiggled her eyebrows.
I choked on my own saliva. Damn this girl.
"Eyyy, no need to be shy! I know sothing’s up between you two." Her grin widened.
I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing ca out. "T-there’s nothing between us, really," I managed to say.
Aki leaned in closer, eyes twinkling with amusent. "But you like her, right?"
I choked again. Damn, why was I so obvious?!
Aki grinned even more like she had just won a bet. I groaned internally. I needed to dodge this.
I quickly walked toward the front, hoping to act busy, but there were no custors yet. Perfect.
Unfortunately, Aki was relentless and followed . "Just tell ! Maybe I can help! You know I’ve known Keiko longer than you."
I sighed, finally looking at her. "Do you?"
She nodded excitedly. I chuckled inside. Who does she think she is, Keiko’s relationship guru?
"Alright, then tell —what do you think she likes?" I humored her.
Aki tapped her chin in thought. "She’s stoic and reserved, kinda hard to approach. But deep down, she’s soft and kind. I think you need to step up your ga. Just express your love and reach out more."
I stared at her, skeptical. "Wouldn’t that bother her?"
Aki clicked her tongue. "Tsk tsk, you don’t know much about relationships, huh? Trust , a girl like Keiko will be swayed by sothing like that."
I frowned. Should I believe her? Keiko never seed like the type to appreciate bold affection. From my experience, she preferred things subtle and slow.
"Really! Try it and you’ll see," Aki urged. "She needs affection."
I sighed. "Maybe... I’ll try."
Aki bead. "Yes! You got this!" Then she giggled. "Why am I more excited than you?"
I smirked. "Because you’re a nosy drama-loving gremlin." I pinched her cheek.
"Ow! Rude!" she whined.
Then, her tone shifted. "By the way… why do you even like Keiko?" Aki hesitated, then continued, "You know she has a daughter and a husband, right? Well, they’re not on good terms, but still… they’re not divorced. And yeah, her husband is missing, but he might still be around."
I tensed at her words. Of course, I knew. Because I was that missing husband.
She continued, "I just don’t get how a young girl like you could fall for soone like Keiko. It’s complicated."
"It’s because…" I trailed off, 'I was her husband' my mind racing. "Because... well... it just happened. I don’t know myself."
Aki smirked, clearly not buying my excuse. "You’re weird. You know your chances aren’t even 10%, right?"
I sighed again, thinking about the situation. "You’re right... but I’ll try."
"Nice! That’s the spirit!" Aki cheered.
Before I knew it, closing ti arrived. Throughout the day, I kept replaying Aki’s words in my head.
She was right. My chances were next to nothing. Keiko was still technically married—to . She had a daughter. She didn’t seem interested in relationships.
Maybe I should approach her as Ryusei again?
But then, flashes of our past ca back—how I hurt her, how she and Rin looked at with pure hatred. I swallowed hard.
Not now.
I can’t lie to her for too long anyway. Before confessing that I was Ryusei, I should just try to give her more affection like Aki said.
Yeah. That’s a better plan.
I took a deep breath, steeling myself. Alright… let’s do this.
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