That was it. The boss had made her decision. She and Keiko would be moving to Hawaii for three months to supervise the opening of the new branch. anwhile, Ruka would take over as deputy manager here.
It was a huge opportunity for Keiko, and of course she didn’t reject it. Honestly, why would she? She deserved this. The boss even hinted at making Keiko the head of both branches in the future.
She really is amazing.
And yet, while I was proud of her, I couldn't help but feel left behind. Keiko kept climbing higher, while I was still fumbling to find my place. I needed to work harder if I wanted to match her.
But that wasn’t my biggest concern right now.
If Keiko was gone for three months… that ant I’d be living alone with Rin. Just the two of us.
I sighed, already imagining her reaction. She’d be furious.
Our eting wrapped up around 8 PM, giving us free ti for the rest of the night before heading back to Tokyo tomorrow in the morning.
The others started chatting excitedly about their plans for the night—so wanted to explore the nightlife, others just wanted to relax in their rooms.
I glanced at Keiko, noticing how she looked a little tense. Of course she was. Moving to a different country, dealing with a new language, handling a massive responsibility—anyone would feel pressured.
I leaned in and whispered, “You’re amazing. I’m really proud of you.”
Keiko blinked, clearly caught off guard. Complints weren’t sothing she handled well. “Oh… uh… thanks,” she mumbled, awkwardly looking away.
I smirked. “Want to take a walk? Just the two of us?”
She gave a confused look but nodded. “Okay. I wanted to talk to you too.”
“Great! Let’s go before anyone notices and decides to tag along.”
Without wasting a second, I quickly slipped out of the hotel, Keiko following close behind. We disappeared into the crowds of Dotonbori, blending in with the bustling night scene.
“Phew, glad no one saw us,” I said, grinning.
Keiko just smiled, shaking her head. “You’re acting like we’re sneaking off to do sothing illegal.”
“Well, with how nosy Aki is, it might as well be.”
We strolled past street food vendors, the rich sll of grilled at and sweet pastries filling the air. Neon lights reflected in the river, couples walked hand in hand, and the sound of distant laughter echoed through the streets.
It felt… nice.
After a few minutes of comfortable silence, I turned to Keiko. “So, what did you want to talk about?”
She hesitated before speaking. “I’m sorry…”
I raised an eyebrow. “Huh? What for?”
Keiko exhaled slowly. “Our relationship was finally getting better… but now I have to leave.”
I stopped walking for a mont, surprised. She was really thinking about that?
I reached for her hand, squeezing it gently. “Hey, don’t apologize. This is a great opportunity for you. You should be happy about it.”
She looked at , her expression uncertain.
“I’ll always support you,” I continued. “Just do your best.”
Keiko let out a breath, as if she had been holding in her worries. “I just feel bad about leaving you with Rin.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, I’m a little terrified.”
Keiko smirked. “She’ll definitely be upset. But… actually she still cares about you.”
I nearly jumped. “Wait, really?!”
She looked at like I had grown a second head. “I an, she loved you until she was five. That still counts.”
My excitent faded. “Yeah… and then I ruined it.”
Keiko didn’t argue. She just sighed. “You have to earn her trust again. It won’t be easy, but you don’t have a choice.”
I ran a hand through my hair. “Yeah, I know…”
Keiko smirked, patting my shoulder. “Well, good luck with that.”
I sighed dramatically. “Thanks. I’ll need it.”
Keiko chuckled. “And thanks… for this.”
I blinked. “For what?”
She hesitated, then gave a small smile. “For making this feel a little less scary.”
"You know… I don’t have many friends, and I can’t really share my worries with my parents. So knowing that there’s soone by my side, supporting no matter what… it ans more to than I can put into words." Keiko continued.
I felt warmth spread through my chest.
I gently squeezed Keiko's hand, looking into her eyes with unwavering sincerity. "No matter what happens, Keiko, I’ll always be by your side. I promise."
Then, before the mont could get too sentintal, I decided to lighten the mood.
“Alright, enough serious talk. We’re in Osaka! Let’s have fun!”
Keiko raised an eyebrow. “And how do you suggest we do that?”
I grabbed her hand and dragged her toward the food stalls. “By eating everything in sight!”
She let out a surprised laugh but didn’t resist.
Our first stop was a takoyaki stand. I handed her a stick and grinned. “Loser pays if they burn their tongue.”
She rolled her eyes. “Childish.”
The mont she took a bite, her eyes widened in horror. “HOT—!”
I burst out laughing as she desperately waved her hand in front of her mouth. “Looks like you’re paying.”
She glared at . “You set up!”
“Hey, I didn’t tell you to bite the whole thing at once.”
She muttered sothing under her breath but reluctantly handed over so cash.
Next, we tried taiyaki. This ti, Keiko was more cautious. “Not falling for your tricks again.”
I faked a gasp. “Are you implying I would ever trick you?”
“Yes.”
I pouted. “You wound .”
She just smirked and took a bite.
After wandering around for a bit, we found ourselves on the famous Ebisu Bridge. The city lights reflected beautifully on the water below. The mont felt strangely… peaceful.
Keiko leaned against the railing, looking down at the river. “It’s beautiful.”
I watched her, the neon glow casting soft colors on her face. “Yeah… it really is.”
She turned to , her expression unreadable. “You’re not looking at the river, are you?”
I choked. “W-What?! Of course I am!”
Keiko laughed, her genuine, rare laugh that I didn’t get to hear often. “You’re so bad at lying.”
I crossed my arms. “And you’re too good at seeing through .”
We stood there for a mont, just enjoying each other’s company.
Finally, Keiko sighed. “We should head back before they start looking for us.”
I groaned. “Yeah.”
As we walked back, she suddenly nudged . “You know… I really will miss you.”
I glanced at her, feeling my heart skip a beat. “…I’ll miss you too.”
She smiled. “Then… we’ll just have to make the most of the ti we have left.”
I grinned. “Exactly.”
That night, as we strolled through the city like any other young couple, I felt sothing I hadn’t felt in a long ti.
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