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 me.
It’s been three months since I became 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 me—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 me 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 me like an excited little kid. I instantly felt a bad premonition.
"Hey, hey, Ryuko…" Aki nudged me, 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 something’s up between you two." Her grin widened.
I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. "T-there’s nothing between us, really," I managed to say.
Aki leaned in closer, eyes twinkling with amusement. "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 customers yet. Perfect.
Unfortunately, Aki was relentless and followed me. "Just tell me! 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 me—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 game. 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 me, a girl like Keiko will be swayed by something like that."
I frowned. Should I believe her? Keiko never seemed 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 beamed. "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 someone 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 time 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 me. 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 came back—how I hurt her, how she and Rin looked at me with pure hatred. I swallowed hard.
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.