Each day, I felt like I was getting closer to Keiko, especially after Aki's birthday party. It made me really happy that Keiko trusted me again.
"Morning," I greeted her with a smile.
Rin barely acknowledged me, grabbing a piece of toast from the table and heading toward the door.
I sighed. Still a long way to go before she trusts me again…
That day at work, Keiko gathered us for an announcement. "Everyone, listen up. A week from now, on 30 June, it’s our boss, Manna’s birthday. There will be an annual company event held on that day."
Immediately, the restaurant erupted in cheers.
"WOOHOO! PARTY!" Aki screamed.
"We get bonuses, right?!" Ruka asked excitedly.
Keiko nodded, and the energy in the room spiked even further.
"Wait, so… we’re closing the restaurant for the day?" I asked, still catching up.
"Of course," Ruka answered, looking at me like I had just asked if fire was hot.
I blinked in surprise. "Wow. That’s… cool?"
"It’s tradition," Keiko explained. "Every year, we celebrate with a trip somewhere. The boss decides where."
"OH MY GOD, WHERE ARE WE GOING THIS YEAR?!" Miko bounced in excitement.
Keiko checked her phone and cleared her throat. "Alright, the boss just confirmed it. This year, we’re going to—"
Aki and Miko started drumming on the table, adding unnecessary suspense.
"BRRRRRRR-DUDUDUDUM!"
I chuckled at their antics while Keiko rolled her eyes. "Osaka."
The energy in the room instantly deflated.
"WHAT?! NOOOO!" Aki wailed dramatically.
Miko collapsed onto a chair, looking betrayed. "This is the worst plot twist in history…"
Ruka sighed. "I thought we will going overseas this year…"
Keiko shrugged. "Our profits were down a bit from last year, so it’s understandable."
Aki groaned. "What a downgrade. Last year, we went to Okinawa! The year before, we went to Hokkaido! And now? Osaka? I can go there on a weekend!"
"Yeah," Miko added, "Osaka’s, like, two hours away. LAME."
Seeing the gloomy mood, I decided to lift the spirits. "Hey, c’mon, guys. It doesn’t matter where we go. The important thing is that we have fun together!"
I grabbed Aki and Miko by their shoulders and gave them an encouraging shake. "Right?"
They looked at each other and sighed.
"Fine," Aki muttered.
Miko crossed her arms. "As long as I get my bonus, I’ll survive."
"That’s the spirit!" I grinned.
Keiko chuckled, shaking her head. "Alright, back to work, everyone."
"YES, BOSS!" We all responded, this time with a bit more enthusiasm.
After closing up for the night, the others headed home while Keiko and I stayed behind for a bit.
"Hey, Keiko," I called out.
"I want to go somewhere after this. Would you come with me?"
She gave me a suspicious look. "Where?"
"Uhh…" I hadn’t actually thought that far. My main goal was just to spend time with her. "I don’t know yet."
Keiko tilted her head. "…What do you mean you don’t know?"
I scratched my head awkwardly. "Ahh… honestly, I just want to go on a date with you."
Keiko just stared at me, completely caught off guard.
Feeling embarrassed, I quickly added, "Sorry, you must be tired. We should just go home."
I turned away, but Keiko didn’t say anything. My heart pounded. Crap, was that too sudden?
Still, I wanted to be honest. I mustered up my courage and faced her again.
"Before, we never really had the chance to go on dates. Our lives were hectic—we had no time, no money, and honestly, our relationship wasn’t in the best place." I sighed, glancing at her. "But now, I was thinking... maybe we could make up for all the things we missed out on when we were younger."
Keiko’s eyes widened slightly.
I swallowed hard. "I just... want to make you happy, Keiko."
There was a moment of silence.
Then, she smiled. A warm, genuine smile.
Without a word, she took my hand and started leading me outside.
I blinked. "Wha—Where?!"
"You said you didn’t know, right? Then we’ll just walk until we find a place."
I stared at her in awe. Then, realizing what was happening, I grinned to myself. My heart felt warm.
I hope Keiko’s feeling the same.
As we walked down the streets, we had absolutely no idea where we were going.
Keiko looked around. "So… what now?"
I scratched my head. "Uh. Dinner?"
"We just finished work. We live at a restaurant."
Keiko gave me a blank stare. "We are not middle schoolers."
I looked away. "Tch. Would’ve been fun…"
We kept walking in silence until Keiko suddenly stopped in front of a small dessert café.
"Oh, I want ice cream."
I raised an eyebrow. "You never order desserts at work."
Keiko crossed her arms. "That’s because I see them every day. Now, shut up and buy me ice cream."
I chuckled and went inside to order. When I returned, Keiko stared at my cup.
She shook her head in disapproval. "Vanilla is superior."
"What? No way. Chocolate is the king of flavors."
"Excuse me?" I gasped. "Did you just call me basic?"
Keiko smirked. "Chocolate is the safe, generic choice. I like vanilla because it’s pure and simple."
I scoffed. "You’re just saying that to sound deep."
"No, I actually believe it."
"Then why are you staring at my chocolate ice cream like you want a bite?"
Keiko quickly looked away. "Shut up."
I grinned, holding my cup toward her. "Here. I’ll let you taste some."
Keiko hesitated before taking a small spoonful.
She nodded. "Okay, fine. Not bad."
I smirked. "See? Chocolate is the best."
She rolled her eyes and continued eating her own. "Whatever."
For a while, we just sat on a bench, eating in comfortable silence. The city lights sparkled around us, and the night felt peaceful.
I sneaked a glance at Keiko, watching her enjoy her ice cream.
Keiko suddenly looked up and caught me staring. "What?"
I quickly looked away. "Nothing."
She raised an eyebrow, then smirked. "You were admiring me, weren’t you?"
She leaned in slightly. "Admit it."
She chuckled and leaned back. "Fine. I’ll just assume you were."
I sighed, shaking my head. "You're insufferable."
She smiled, licking her spoon. "And yet, here you are."
I couldn’t help but laugh.
Yeah. I was definitely getting closer to Keiko.
And I loved every second of it.