Morning
The aroma of miso soup and grilled fish filled the small kitchen. Steam curled gently from freshly cooked rice, and a kettle whistled softly on the stove. Mei moved efficiently, still wearing her oversized hoodie, her hair tied up messily.
Riku was at the table, quietly setting out dishes. He glanced at her with a soft smile. "You didn't have to cook all this."
Mei handed him the soy sauce. "We're back home, aren't we? Kyoto deserves proper breakfast."
He nodded. "You make it feel like home."
She paused for a moment at the compliment—then smiled and slid into her seat. "Eat before it gets cold."
The two of them began eating. Riku poured tea into her cup. Mei took a bite and grinned, "Not bad, right?"
"Perfect," he said between mouthfuls. "Though I think anything tastes better when I eat it with you."
"Smooth talker," she teased, nudging his leg under the table.
They ate in peaceful rhythm, trading small smiles, light conversation, and soft glances. After clearing up, Riku adjusted his school jacket in front of the mirror while Mei fixed her hair.
He turned toward her. "Ready?"
Mei grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "Always."
They stepped out into the crisp Kyoto morning, school uniforms crisp, hearts steady. As they walked down the quiet path toward the academy, their hands brushed. Mei caught his fingers.
"Today's going to be normal, right?" she asked.
Riku squeezed her hand gently. "As normal as it gets for us."
And with that, they disappeared into the flow of students heading toward the school gates, sunlight glinting off rooftops, the peace of Kyoto holding them—if only for a while.
The school gates of Kyoto High stood tall and quiet in the morning light, wrapped in a gentle breeze that rustled the trees lining the walkway. Students filtered in wearing neat uniforms, some chatting, some rushing, some yawning.
Riku and Mei stepped through the gates together. Heads subtly turned. Whispers floated through the air.
"Isn't that Riku from the tournament?"
"They say he stayed in Tokyo after the tournament ended…"
"…and that's Mei. Are they—?"
Riku ignored the whispers, cool and calm as always. Mei kept close to him, her hand brushing against his sleeve, her expression unreadable—but her eyes were sharp, taking in the scene.
As they walked toward their class, Riku suddenly stopped.
Standing at the end of the hallway was a tall boy in a navy blazer—Kaito, one of Kyoto High's top players, arms crossed, a lazy grin on his face.
"Well, look who finally returned."
Riku gave a slight nod. "Morning."
Kaito stepped forward, eyes flicking from Riku to Mei. "Heard you missed some school. What happened? Tokyo… or something else?"
Mei spoke calmly. "None of your business."
Kaito laughed. "Still sharp, Mei-chan. Fine, I'll see you on the court, Riku. Coach wants to talk to you, by the way. Gym after class."
He walked off, students parting for him like waves.
Mei leaned in slightly. "He's still annoying."
Riku smirked. "I'll deal with him later."
The bell rang.
Students shuffled to their classrooms. Riku and Mei entered Class 3-B, where the teacher greeted them with a tired nod. Riku's seat was near the window—Mei's beside him.
As they settled in, Riku looked out the window at the Kyoto skyline.
Mei whispered, "Feels weird being back."
He nodded. "Yeah. But… it's also where we started."
Their fingers brushed briefly on the desk between them. A silent promise: even with all the whispers, rumors, and challenges ahead—they were together.
After school
The final bell rang. The sun dipped low behind the city skyline, casting golden hues across the quiet streets of Kyoto. Students filtered out of the gates, some chatting about homework, others making weekend plans.
Riku and Mei walked side by side, their bags slung over their shoulders.
Mei glanced at his with a half-smile.
"Let's go to your place. I wanna play that new game you were talking about."
Riku blinked. "Eh? Now?"
"Yeah. I've been thinking about it all day."
he puffed her cheeks a little. "But… my mom and dad are home."
Mei grinned, leaning in just a little.
"Then tell them about me."
Mei blushed slightly, looking ahead.
"That's easy for you to say…"Riku said
"I'm serious." She slowed down. "If we're really doing this… being together. They should know. Right?"
Riku glanced at his. The silence between them stretched for a few seconds.
Then he gave a small nod. "...Okay. But no saying anything weird. Be respectful."
Mei smirked. "I'm always respectful."
Riku rolled his eyes, a smile tugging at her lips. "Sure you are…"
They turned the corner toward Riku's home, the street quiet except for the rustling of wind and the faint sound of cicadas.
Mei looked up at the house. "Nice place…"
Riku took a breath, then reached for the door.
"Alright. Let's see how this goes."
Riku unlocked the front door, sliding it open with a soft click. The scent of home-cooked food lingered in the air, and faint voices came from the living room.
Mei peeked in from behind him, whispering,
"Your mom and dad are home…"
Riku stepped in casually, taking off his shoes.
"Yeah. Don't worry—they won't bug us. Come on."
He led her upstairs to his room—simple, clean, with a large monitor, a sleek console setup, and two controllers on the table.
"This is your gaming lair?" Mei teased, plopping down on the floor cushion.
Riku grabbed the controllers. "Yup. And today you're getting crushed."
Mei stuck out her tongue. "We'll see."
As he turned on the console, voices floated up from downstairs—his parents laughing softly at something on TV. Mei hesitated.
"Riku… Should we say hi to them?"
He waved it off, flopping beside her.
"They'll understand. Next time. Today, it's just us."
Mei smiled, picking up her controller. "Then I'm not holding back."
"You better not." He leaned closer, a playful glint in his eyes. "But don't cry when I win."
The screen lit up, the game began, and laughter soon filled the room.
The soft hum of the console filled the room, broken only by the rapid clicking of controllers and the occasional burst of laughter. Mei sat cross-legged on Riku's bed, eyes locked on the screen. Riku was hunched forward on the floor, completely immersed, his tongue slightly poking from the corner of his mouth as he concentrated.
"You're cheating," Riku accused, jaw tightening as Mei's character dodged yet another of his attacks.
"No," she said with a smirk, "I'm just better."
"Lies."
Mei laughed, her voice light and full of joy. "Face it, Tensai, you've met your match."
A sudden knock interrupted the playful banter.
Before either of them could respond, the door creaked open, and a warm, familiar voice called out, "Riku, dinner will be ready in—oh!"
Riku's mother stepped into the doorway, blinking with surprise, her gaze quickly moving from her son to the girl sitting comfortably on his bed. Beside her, Riku's father appeared, arms crossed and eyebrows raised with a hint of amusement.
"Oh my," his mother said, a smile tugging at her lips. "You didn't tell us Mei-chan was visiting."
Mei instantly sat up straighter, the controller slipping from her fingers. "Ah—good evening," she said, her voice polite but nervous.
Riku groaned quietly. "Mom, Dad, please…"
His father chuckled, stepping further into the room. "So this is the famous Mei, huh? We've heard plenty about you."
"Daaaad…"
His mother ignored Riku's protest, her expression warm. "Would you like to join us for dinner, Mei-chan? It's no trouble at all."
Mei glanced at Riku. He hesitated for a beat, then gave a soft nod. Mei smiled.
"I'd love to. Thank you very much."
"Wonderful," his mother said cheerfully. "Just don't beat him too badly before we eat."
"And leave him a little pride," his father added with a wink.
As the door clicked shut behind them, silence settled in the room again.
Riku buried his face in his hands. "They're the worst."
Mei leaned back against the bedpost, her eyes still glittering with amusement. "They're sweet," she said.
Riku peeked through his fingers. "No. We're sweet. They're just nosy."
She nudged his shoulder with hers. "Maybe. But it's kind of nice… being known."
He looked up at her then, her face softly lit by the fading light from the window. He smiled, eyes holding a hint of gratitude.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "It is."