The door clicked shut behind the last guest.
Riko stood in the entryway for a long moment, the echo of laughter still warm in her ears. Yuki's dramatic goodbye. Hikari's small nod. Kaito's quiet "Thank you for having us."
Thank you for having us.
Such simple words. But from him, they meant everything.
She carried herself upstairs with measured steps, maintaining composure until her bedroom door closed behind her.
Then she let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.
The gifts were still on her desk, arranged carefully. She approached them like they might disappear if she moved too fast.
Yuki's keychains—three matching animals, one for each of them. She picked up the tiny cat, running her thumb over its soft surface. We always remember we're friends.
Hikari's stuffed cat sat beside it, round and huggable and perfect. It's stupid. It wasn't stupid. It was wonderful.
And then—Kaito's gift.
The stationery set. Cute pens. Adorable sticky notes. Notebooks with hidden kawaii covers.
She opened the box again, removing each item individually. Examining them. Touching them. Letting herself feel the weight of what this meant.
He chose this. For me. He listened to Mei and chose... this.
Her face heated.
She thought about his expression when she opened it. That small, almost imperceptible shift in his eyes. The way he'd said, "Mei provided... guidance," but his voice had been softer than usual.
Did he... does he...
Her cheeks burned brighter.
"Thinking about someone special?"
Riko spun around.
Mei leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, grin threatening to split her face. She hadn't knocked. Of course she hadn't knocked.
"Mei! I didn't—you should knock!"
"And miss this?" Mei pushed off the frame and sauntered inside, circling her sister like a shark. "Look at you. Blushing. Smiling at gifts. Holding that stationery like it's a love letter."
"It's not—I'm not—"
"My cold, perfect sister has fallen for someone." Mei's voice was sing-song, merciless. "Could it be... Kaito Sato?"
Riko's face went from pink to crimson. "That's ridiculous! He's just—we're just—he's my friend!"
Mei stopped circling and tilted her head. "Riko. I'm your little sister. I know when you're lying."
Riko opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened it again.
Nothing came out.
Mei laughed—not cruelly, but warmly. "You're pretty obvious, you know. The way you look at him. The way you smiled when he gave you that gift. The way you said his name just now." She poked Riko's arm. "But here's the thing—that guy's clueless. He probably doesn't even realize how you look at him."
Riko's heart stuttered. "How I... look at him?"
Mei nodded. "I saw it today. When you weren't watching. You look at him like he's the only person in the room." She grinned. "He just doesn't know it yet."
Riko stared at her sister.
Mei patted her shoulder. "You better move fast, sis. You've got competition." She ticked off fingers. "Yuki's his childhood friend—she knows everything about him. Hikari's got that whole 'opposites attract' thing going on. And who knows who else likes him at school?" She headed for the door, then paused. "Anyway. Come down for dinner. Mom made your favorite."
She left.
Riko stood frozen for a long moment, her sister's words echoing.
You look at him like he's the only person in the room.
That guy's clueless.
You've got competition.
She looked at the gifts again. The keychains. The stuffed cat. The stationery.
She picked up the tiny fox keychain—hers, the one Yuki had given her. Then the cat from Hikari. Then the pen with the animal head from Kaito's set.
Three people who had become... everything.
Do I really...?
She didn't finish the thought. She couldn't. Not yet.
Carefully, reverently, she arranged the gifts on her shelf—the special shelf, the one reserved for things that mattered. The stuffed cat sat beside her old collection from elementary school. The stationery set went next to her desk, ready for use.
The keychains she placed in her bag. One for her. One for Yuki. One for Hikari.
And Kaito's gift—she would use it. Every day. Where she could see it.
She caught herself smiling in the mirror and quickly looked away.
You look at him like he's the only person in the room.
Her face heated again.
She grabbed her bag with the keychains and headed downstairs, her heart lighter and heavier at the same time.
The unseen realization had begun.
(End of Chapter 67)