Shinrabansho: Myriad Souls

The table was quiet for a long moment.

Not the heavy, suffocating silence from earlier, but the kind that lingered after tears had already dried, leaving behind a hollow, tired calm. The scents of rice, tamagoyaki, and miso lingered in the air.

Most of the breakfast dishes were finished. Rice bowls were scraped clean and bits of egg and grains of rice glistened in the morning light. Steam swirled faintly from her half-eaten miso soup.

Yuna set her cup down first.

She didn’t fidget and didn’t try to soften what she had to say with humor. When she spoke, her voice was gentle, but steady, “Sumire-chan… I should tell you something.”

I lifted my head slowly.

“I know that Riko already confessed to you…”

Riko froze, flushing.

“I like you too,” Yuna said seriously.

I was the one who fidgeted, even though I felt emotionally drained.

Haru looked up and gave me a thumbs up that no one missed.

Yuna managed to not react, continuing before anyone could say anything, her tone still calm and sincere, very Yuna, “No matter what you choose to do, I will support you whether it means making up with Aoi-chan or if she stops teaching you how to fight, I want you to know that you aren’t alone.” She clasped her hand to her chest. “I will help you however I can.” She smiled faintly. “I know that neither of us can replace her in your heart, and nor should we try to until things are resolved. And for my part, I won’t try to… but please keep in mind that I have strong feelings for you.”

Something in my chest loosened at the words. They didn’t impose any pressure on me. I wasn’t forced to make any decision. If I had been, I would have been forced to reject her. It wasn’t relief, exactly. More like… I was able to breathe a little easier.

I nodded. “Thank you. But… as things are, I’m sorry.” I bowed to them both.

Riko’s shoulders sagged. Before Riko could say anything, Yuna lifted a hand, smiling.

“Don’t be sorry, Sumire-chan,” she said softly. “There’s nothing to apologize for. We’ll wait until you feel better, however things turn out. We will be waiting for you.”

I swallowed and nodded again. “Thank you. Both of you.”

“Sure,” Riko said, managing a small smile.

Yuna leaned in and hugged me again.

Not tight. Nothing too dramatic, just warm. She was there for me. They both were. She smelled like my rose bodywash. The scent of roses momentarily overpowered the scent of breakfast and comforted me.

She probably knew that when she took a bath…

We stayed like that for a moment, sharing a quiet moment.

…

“Stop moping like that, Onee-chan.” Haru’s voice cracked the peace.

I looked up sharply.

He was glaring at me, his fists clenched on the table, his eyes wet.

“You look really uncool right now,” he muttered.

His words hit harder than anything else had so far.

My breath caught.

Riko and Yuna stayed quiet.

“...You’re right, Haru,” I said after a moment, my voice tired. “I need to move on. I just… don’t know how.”

“You don’t have to move on from anything yet,” Riko said gently. “Just forget your troubles for today. After all, your parents will be coming back sometime today, right?”

“How?” I asked.

Riko tilted her head. “Maybe we should go somewhere after Sumire’s had a relaxing bath?”

I smiled wryly. A bath did sound good. I put that out of my mind for the moment asking, “Like where?”

“All of us are going,” Riko said. “Your brother too. Maybe we should go to an amusement park.”

Haru’s head snapped up. “Disbeyland?”

I sighed. “I don’t have any money left.”

Riko grimaced. “Ah… yeah. That’s a problem.”

Yuna tapped her chin. “I have enough, but… I’m not sure that’s the best idea.”

“Then what?” Riko asked.

“Something simple,” Yuna said. “Lunch, maybe. But before that… we’ll have to somehow pass the time.”

“After Onee-chan takes her bath, we could play Tekku,” Haru said immediately.

I smiled, my lips twisting and quavering at the edges, but it was genuine. I exhaled. “I promised that we would play today, didn’t I? We’ll do that.”

“Alright, I’ll go take that bath,” I said as I rose. “Do you mind cleaning up?” I asked no one in particular.

Yuna nodded and gathered the mostly empty dishes from the table. “Take your time, Sumire-chan.”

Haru looked up at me right away. “Don’t fall asleep in there, Onee-chan.”

Riko snorted, rushing to pitch in too.

Yuna smiled faintly as she carried an armful of dishes to the sink. “We’ll wait for you.”

That warmth in my chest came back again, small but it was there. They were all worried about me. My little brother and my friends, although they’d both confessed to me.

They still cared for me, even after the mess I’d become. I didn’t want to drag them down any more today if I could help it.

“I know,” I said softly. “I’ll be fine.”

I left before anyone could study my face too closely.

The upstairs hallway felt cooler than the kitchen. I took my towel and clean underwear, including a bra, from my room, then stepped into the changing area and shut the door behind me. The house was quiet here, no disturbing noises, no voices. Just the faint hum of the water heater operating and the sound of my own breathing in the room.

I undressed more carefully than I had dressed earlier, my fingers moving slower on the buttons of my blouse with the pink ribbon on its chest, offering a small splash of color above my chest. I folded it and set it aside with my skirt instead of letting everything fall in a heap. I slipped off my panties and set them down off to the side, wondering if there was a lingering scent on them, the scent of my excitement.

For a second I just stood there in my own skin.

I didn’t like how quickly my thoughts tried to turn dark the moment I was alone.

Aoi-chan dumped me… I never thought that she would ever…

The words still didn’t feel real, instead feeling jagged, too sharp to keep in mind. Too dangerous.

I swallowed and forced myself to move.

The bath was already ready to use, the way it always was by this point. Steam clung lightly to the mirror above the wash area. The tub sat full under its insulated cover. Yuna had left it in the condition that she’d found it. The floor felt cool under my bare feet.

I stepped into the wash space, sat down on the little stool in front of the faucet and shower hose, and turned the water on.

Warm water struck my shoulders first, then ran down over my chest, my stomach, my thighs. I bowed my head and let it pour over me for a few breaths. My hair darkened and stuck to my skin in wet strands.

I squeezed some shampoo into my palm and worked it into my hair. My hands moved through the routine process, fingers at my scalp first, not my nails, rubbing in small circles from my hairline back over the crown. Behind my ears. At the base of my neck. I gathered all that lather through the length after, smoothing it down instead of roughing it up.

My hair was long enough that it took real effort to care for now. Mom had taught me back in middle school when I decided to grow my hair out.

I bent forward and let the water rinse it clean, squeezing it out with both hands until the lather was gone.

Then conditioner.

I worked it through the lower half of my hair with my fingers, separating the wet strands, coating the ends where they tangled most easily.

Not at the roots.

Mom had corrected me on that years ago and I never forgot the lesson. I left it in there while I washed the rest of myself.

I reached for my body wash. The bottle of body wash sat where it always did.

Yuna even precisely replaced it back where I keep it… she’s so thoughtful and conscientious…

My eyes rested on the label. Roses.

I hesitated as my fingers wrapped around the bottle.

For a moment I thought about putting it back and using whatever cheap plain one Mom kept around for emergencies, or maybe using Haru’s. Anything else might be better. Anything that didn’t smell so much like her. Anything that didn’t bring back the memory of Aoi’s hair against my face, Aoi’s skin pressed against mine, Aoi kissing me on the rooftop with that scent clinging between us.

My throat tightened.

Then I let out a slow breath and flipped the cap open.

No.

It wasn’t just hers. It was mine too.

I laughed once under my breath, but there was no humor in it.

“You’re everywhere, Aoi-chan…” I murmured, and hated how soft and vulnerable my voice sounded.

Still, I used it.

I squeezed out a little on the sponge and worked it into a lather, starting with cleaning my neck, then my arms, underarms, across my collarbones, then my chest.

My hands slowed as the sponge scrubbed my nipples.

I looked down. They were sensitive because of things that Aoi had done to them.  Aoi had touched me literally everywhere. Kissed me everywhere. She had held me... taken me for hers in a way that set me on fire remembering it.

Heat passed through me, but it flickered and died just as quickly.

I was not a virgin anymore.

That thought filled my mind in a way that I still struggled to understand.

I had given that part of myself to someone I loved with everything in me, and I didn’t regret that part. It was what I wanted and I still did.

She was someone I had wanted to be with forever… someone who had not stayed at my side.

I pressed the washcloth harder against my skin and shut my eyes harder than I should have.

Stop… not here… not now.

I kept going. My stomach. My hips. Especially between my legs, taking care not to use soap on my sensitive cleft. I was thorough, but quick and practical. Then I moved to my thighs. Then my calves and finally my feet.

Then I reached behind myself with the sponge to wash my back, dragging it over my shoulder blades and down my spine in short passes, followed by rinsing again. I tilted my head back under the shower’s flow, letting the water sweep out the conditioner, letting it take the scent clinging to me from earlier with it, letting it take the salt that had dried on my face.

Yuna had confessed. Riko too.

Neither of them had taken it back, nor did they push me to answer. That made it worse in a way.

It was kind to wait, but right now it almost felt worse.

I could not choose anything right now. I could barely hold myself upright inside my own head, feeling the same as my knees last night, unsteady. I had already turned them down as gently as I could and still they stayed at my side, still helping. Still they sat at the family table, worrying over me and waiting downstairs while I took a bath.

Haru too.

He had been watching me all morning with those worried eyes of his, not acting like his usual self. I wondered why it made such a difference that his sister knew how to fight. Why had that changed his heart so much?

That thought of his worry for me warmed me enough to make me open my eyes.

I was not alone. That was important to me. Even if I still felt fragile enough that one wrong thought or step could crack me open again, I wanted to try.

I tipped my head back under the water one more time and rinsed the rest of the conditioner out carefully, running my fingers through the length until it stopped feeling slick. Then I squeezed the water from my hair from top to bottom, once, twice, and sat there breathing for a moment with the shower still running over my shoulders.

I had managed to stop crying, at least for now.

I turned the water off.

The silence returned to the room at once.

I studied the bath, but decided to not soak. I was clean and that made me feel a little stronger.

I reached for my towel and dried myself quickly, rubbing at my arms and chest, then pressing the fabric between my legs and over my thighs before wrapping it around myself. I bent over and gathered my hair into the towel too, squeezing out more water before stepping back into the changing area.

The mirror caught me there.

Pink cheeks. Damp lashes. My green eyes still looked tired, but somewhat steadier.

I plugged in the hair dryer and got to work drying it section by section.

Mom had drilled that into me once my hair got past my shoulders. Start near the roots so they don’t stay damp. Keep the dryer moving. Use your fingers first, then the brush. Don’t blast one spot too long. Turn your head. Lift from underneath. Work through the back in small parts.

I did it all without thinking too much, a routine that I’d repeated too many times to forget any step.

Warm air passed through my hair, the blow dry roaring. The additional weight of the moisture reduced little by little and my hair gradually became fluffier. It remained a little damp at the deepest parts near the nape of my neck, but it was dry enough, soft to the touch, falling over my shoulders in the usual way it did.

The scent clinging to me from before was gone, replaced with the fresh scent of roses.

I set the dryer down and reached for the fresh pair of panties first, stepping into them and pulling them snugly into place. Then my bra, fastening it behind my back and making sure to tuck my breasts into each cup gently, adjusting the fit automatically. The button up blouse went on next, my arms going through the sleeves, adjusting it over my shoulders, fastening each button meticulously. Finally, my skirt went back on. I studied myself in the mirror and nodded.

I tugged the waistband into place, smoothed the pleats flat with both hands, and checked the line of it in the mirror. Then I tucked my blouse in neatly, straightened the collar, and fixed the sleeves.

I looked halfway decent at least.

Almost the usual me.

This time I’d made myself do it all properly, remembering how little I cared about things like this when I got out of bed with a little embarrassment. Mom would have made me fix it. Neither Riko or Yuna had judged me and strangely Haru hadn’t teased me either.

Haru’s room was exactly what it always was. A bit messy, a typical little brother kind of bedroom. Gaming posters crowded the walls in loud colors. A pile of manga slouched in the corner, not exactly organized. Various wires formed a tangled nest near the TV stand, something he clearly pretended wasn’t a total mess. The curtains were half-drawn, letting in soft morning light that caught drifting dust motes, making the room feel warmer.

It wasn’t cramped, exactly. Just… full of his stuff and now people.

Haru flopped down in front of his television set and grabbed a Gamestation 5 controller.

“Welcome back, Onee-chan. Looking good.” He grinned, giving me another of his thumbs ups. “Tekku’s already on and the fight is on!” he announced, like he’d been waiting for this moment all morning.

Riko and Yuna settled behind us on the floor, close enough that I could feel their presence without looking. I sat cross-legged beside Haru, my posture a little stiff, like I hadn’t quite decided whether I wanted to relax or stay guarded.

The character select screen flashed to life.

“You’re picking her again?” Haru said, eyeing my cursor.

“Obviously,” I replied, confirming Asuna. “I’m an always Asuna player.”

Riko watched quietly from behind us. I could feel her eyes without turning around.

The match started.

Maybe because of nerves or how bad I felt deep down, I lost badly.

I was too laggy and I wasn’t thinking properly, playing it too carefully. I hesitated on the inputs, second-guessed openings, and froze when I should’ve committed. Haru’s character slammed mine into the ground one last time, the screen flashing K.O.

Haru leaned back, grinning smugly. “See? You can’t get your head in the game today.”

Oh… looks like he’s back. I thought wryly.

“Maybe last time was just a fluke.” He shrugged, looking at me curiously, like he was still genuinely trying to figure me out.

Emotions flickered in my chest.

Annoying. I won’t let you cheapen Aoi-chan’s training like this!

“…Again,” I grated.

He blinked. “Huh?”

“Again,” I repeated, already gripping the controller tighter.

He nodded, his grin widening. “Alright! Show me what you got, Onee-chan!”

The second match loaded.

This time, I stopped thinking so much.

My hands moved on their own, taking into account spacing, timing and trusting my battle instincts. I sidestepped instead of blocking, punishing openings without any hesitation. When Haru tried the same combo he’d used to win last time, I saw it coming and countered cleanly, like my fingers already knew what to do.

K.O.

Haru stared at the screen. Then at me, abruptly laughing.

“…Let’s see if you can do that again,” he said, trying to sound casual. “Might still be a fluke.”

I exhaled slowly and nodded. “You’re on!”

We picked our characters again.

He tried to bait me like last time.

Ugh… so uncreative…

I didn’t take it, instead waiting.

“Are you hoping this ends as a draw?” he scoffed. “That’s a weakling’s tactic!”

I just stuck out my tongue in response. 

“Hmph…” He pouted. “Just attack me, Onee! Don’t be so boring. I’ll counter whatever you do, no matter what you try!”

“Fine.” I rolled my eyes and darted in.

Last time, I’d jumped back to evade.

This time, I jumped over him.

I blocked on landing. He lashed out instantly as expected, scoring a couple of hits, but I was already moving. I lashed out with a quick, clean combo, exploiting the gaps in his offense, keeping him in an unbalanced state where he couldn’t counter.

And moments later…

K.O.

Haru stared.

Then he grinned, rubbing the back of his neck.

“…Okay. That was kinda cool. I think you’re better than you were last time too!”

Riko leaned forward, her eyes bright. “My turn!”

I nodded and waited as Haru passed to her his controller.

She chose a completely different character than I expected.

Fast, aggressive and flashy. She was the kind of character that lived or died on momentum.

The round started.

She came at me like a hurricane.

I barely had time to register her opening dash before she was already inside my guard, chaining light hits into way heavier strikes. My character staggered, sparks bursting off the screen as she canceled straight into another string.

“HYAA!” Riko shouted, leaning forward like she was physically trying to jump through the TV. “Take this! And this! And—YES!”

She didn’t give me space. Not even a breath.

Every time I tried to reset, she chased me down using jump-ins, cross-ups, and reckless lunges that should have been punishable but somehow weren’t because she never stopped moving. My health bar melted faster than my brain could keep up.

I panicked, missing an input and ate a full combo for it.

“WAIT—!” I yelped as my character bounced off the wall.

Riko slammed the final input with both thumbs.

K.O.

The announcer’s voice barely finished before she threw her arms up in triumph.

“YES! DID YOU SEE THAT?!” she crowed, spinning around on her knees. “I totally steamrolled you!”

I stared at the screen, stunned. “You… you didn’t even let me fight…”

“Same thing you did to your poor little brother. Hahahaha… That’s the point,” she said smugly. “With me, if you’re thinking too much, you’re already dead.”

She said that like a certain anime character that left his opponents dead moments after he said that. He’d strike with numerous blows that seemed to do no damage and his enemy always exploded like life moved in slow motion.

She flopped back onto the floor, grinning like she’d just won a tournament instead of bullying me in my little brother’s bedroom.

“…Again?” she asked, already hovering over the rematch button.

I swallowed.

Oh no.She’s that kind of player.

My character staggered, barely upright.

I tried to slow the pace down, attempting to backstep, resetting the spacing, and getting some room to breathe, but she was already there again. Another dash, another reckless swing that I knew, logically, I should be able to punish.

But I couldn’t.

It wasn’t that I hesitated, so much as Riko moved instinctively in an unexpected way.

That was enough to overwhelm my fighting instincts.

I remembered the numerous times when she mysteriously corrected my stance during training and many other things, when she claimed that she had no fighting skills of her own.

What gives?!

The screen exploded with hit sparks as she barreled straight through my guard again, my health bar vanishing in jagged chunks. I mashed an input too late, feeling the vibration in my hands as my character was launched helplessly across the stage.

I never found my footing again.

K.O.

I blinked, then laughed weakly. “I… really do have a long way to go.”

Riko pumped her fist. “You hesitated too much. I guess you weren’t able to read what I’d do.”

“Obviously…” I muttered.

She shrugged, still riding the adrenaline. “Yeah. Even though I never played the game, I seem to have a knack for it.”

I stared at Riko for a long moment, trying to reconcile that confidence with how effortlessly she’d taken me apart. There was something weirdly familiar about the way she moved, about how she committed without second-guessing.

The only thing that came to mind was a suit. I wondered whether I’d seen a movie with a character that fought like her.

“I wonder if I should spar with you from now on,” I said wryly.

“Nah. You’d totally kick my ass. My body isn’t trained for that kind of thing.” Riko waved her hands wildly.

“Are you sure about that, secret sensei?” I pressed.

“Very. I never learned martial arts,” Riko insisted.

Without another word, she passed her controller to Yuna.

Her playstyle was calm and conservative. She blocked more than she attacked, waiting for mistakes. Our match dragged on longer than the others, both of us whittled down to slivers of health.

She has good fighting instincts too… but it’s nothing like Riko’s weird intuition… and I wonder if Aoi-chan would have beaten her…

I won by accident, a misinput that turned into a lucky counter.

Yuna smiled. “Well done.”

Haru challenged Riko next, seizing my controller from my hands.

Haru lasted considerably less time than I had.

He tried to play her game, fighting like she did, being aggressive, cocky and pushing forward like he could overwhelm her with self confidence alone, but Riko read him without any trouble. Every wild approach fed straight into her rhythm.

As chaotic as her style seems, it has a real method.

She cut him off mid-movement, punishing his impatience, and playing just reckless enough that he never found a good method to take her down.

“Oi… wait, that shouldn’t…!” he protested as his health bar evaporated.

Riko leaned in, grinning. “You’re thinking too slowly.”

When his character hit the floor, he burst out laughing. “You’re pretty strong!”

Riko puffed out her chest. “Obviously.”

For the first time that morning, my chest felt somewhat lighter, watching them.

Going out, the shoes I brought to the family genkan were practical and familiar, being just worn enough to feel comfortable, their color matching the skirt I had on.

I brushed my hair again to make sure that the slightly damp spots had dried and everything was in place, even though my heart wasn’t really in it. Each stroke felt a little distant.

After a moment’s hesitation, I reached for one of my ribbons and tied it into my hair without making a ponytail. The color was gentle, nothing too flashy, just something that blended naturally with the rest of my outfit’s look.

The knot tied easily, neat and evenly tied.

But the sight of it tugged at my chest anyway, because it reminded me of the ribbon I’d bought Aoi-chan. Of how it had looked in her hair. Of her smile when she touched it.

I swallowed and looked uncomfortably away from the mirror.

It was just a ribbon and ribbons were part of my identity… part of who I was.

…But it didn’t feel that simple.

When we left my house, we left my bike behind.

I didn’t even want to look at it. Four couldn’t use it anyway.

We walked instead, the four of us heading toward the nearest bus stop. Yuna, Riko, Haru, and me. My steps felt strangely light and heavy at the same time, like I was moving on momentum alone.

The bus stop was quiet, only a few other people scattered along the bench, their phones glowing faintly in their hands in the morning sunlight. I stood a little apart, watching the street, my thoughts still tangled somewhere else entirely.

It didn’t take long before our bus arrived with a low hiss of its brakes.

Yuna stepped forward without a word, tapping her IC card on the sensor. The soft beep sounded several times as all of us were paid for. She glanced back at us, smiling gently.

“My treat,” she said.

Riko raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. Haru muttered a quiet thanks as we climbed aboard.

The ride passed in a blur of streets and stops, sunlight flickering through the windows as the city shifted around us. I stared out at the passing scenery, only half aware of the motion, my reflection faint in the glass.

When we got off, the noise thinned quickly.

The café Yuna liked sat tucked away on a quiet corner street a short distance from that bus stop, slightly removed from the flow of traffic. Its windows were fogged faintly from warmth and brewing coffee, amber light glowing softly inside, feeling inviting and calm. The place asked you to slow down the moment you stepped through the door.

Inside, it smelled like butter, sugar, and fresh bread.

Sunlight filtered through lace curtains, catching on white tabletops and small vases filled with dried flowers. The place hummed softly with the low murmur of conversation, the clinking of cups on the tables, a radio playing something soft and old-fashioned.

The atmosphere was strangely healing.

Yuna ordered for us without making a fuss.

“Four coffees,” she said. “The coffee here is famous. Their cake is great too! Everyone choose whichever looks best to you.”

Haru huffed. “Cake? That’s for girls.”

“Yes,” Yuna replied smoothly. “Don’t forget that three of us are girls. But if you like, you can try one of their sandwiches instead. They’re excellent too. Everything here is baked fresh.”

Haru grinned and nodded eagerly. “Something with plenty of meat, I hope.”

When the food arrived, it was almost too pretty to touch, thin slices of sponge cake layered with cream, berries dusted with sugar, crusty bread still warm to the touch and one hearty roast beef sandwich for Haru with lots of kewpie mayo.

I wrapped my hands around my coffee cup, letting the heat soak into my fingers.

Riko leaned her elbows on the table. “So.”

I tensed slightly.

She softened her tone. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to confess again right now. You don’t have to talk if you don’t feel like it.”

“Thanks,” I said quietly. “This place is really soothing.”

“That’s the idea,” Yuna said, smiling.

Haru kicked his feet under his chair, leaning back. “You look like you’re about to explode, Onee-chan.”

“Yeah…” I muttered. “That’s one way of putting it, but I’m doing my best.”

Yuna smiled faintly. “He means well.”

I took a slow breath.

“I don’t know what to do going forward,” I said softly. “Tomorrow, when I go to school, Aoi-chan may not be waiting for me outside my house. When I see her missing, I’ll be destroyed… I know it.”

Riko nodded slowly. “Yeah... I’ll stay with you another night and go to school with you. We could even ride your bike together. I always thought that was cool.”

I snorted. “Nah… I don’t even want to look at my bike again.” I picked at my cake and took a bite. The flavor perked me up a little and my stomach growled.

Yuna lifted her cup. “I wouldn’t mind joining you either. Your house is a bit out of the way for me, but I could stay over and go to school with you the first day… for support.” She glanced at Riko. “Do you live close to her house?”

Riko shook her head, flushing. “No… but I don’t mind waking up earlier to give her the support she needs.”

Yuna giggled softly. “Healing can’t be forced. Neither love nor healing are linear things. They’re not always rational.”

Haru frowned at his cake. “Adults are so complicated.”

I snorted despite myself. It surprised me that he’d call us adults when he was getting to be as tall as us.

An adult… me? No way.

Riko looked at me seriously. “We’ll figure everything out. I’ll be happy if Aoi-chan makes up with you so you won’t be so unhappy.” Her gaze sharpened. “But I won’t give you up to her even if she does. Especially not when she’s already hurt you so deeply. However long it takes, I will win your heart away from her… and I promise that I won’t break your heart like she did.”

I flushed and took another bite of cake. It was funny… and kind of cute how she didn’t give up. I couldn’t help gazing at her in an almost fond way that made her look away in embarrassment.

“And I will be here for you too,” Yuna said, gently putting a soft hand on mine.

As we ate, the tension eased. It wasn’t completely gone. Nothing could make me forget Aoi-chan just like that. My love wasn’t so shallow that I would forget her, especially not the very next morning. The cake was so good I was almost glad that I’d skipped breakfast for it.

But I wasn’t interested in starting another romance. Not now. Maybe never again.

Haru took a big bite of his sandwich and choked. My eyes opened with alarm. Riko quickly jumped up and patted his back until he coughed out the bread and beef that was stuck in his throat.

“Eat slower,” she scolded, almost motherly. “More carefully.”

I smiled at that.

She showed me a side of her that made me want to warm up to her just a little more… but I couldn’t yet. That would have been a betrayal of my feelings, making them into an ugly lie.

As time passed, Riko surprised me by stealing bites off my plate too. It was too easy for her because I was completely unguarded. With my reduced appetite, despite skipping a meal, I hadn’t finished everything off my plate.

Yuna refilled my cup with more coffee without asking.

I wondered if I would ever regain my old self.

Only time would tell.

I missed her.

The Confession Took Place in this Chapter (Sowwy!