The next morning, everything felt different.
Not because something dramatic had happened—but because of what almost did.
That kiss. Soft, quiet, and fleeting. But it had changed the air between them. Ryo couldn't stop thinking about it. The way she didn't pull away. The way she didn't speak after. The way her eyes looked right before it happened.
But when Miyu walked into the restaurant that day, she acted like nothing happened.
"Morning," Ryo greeted, trying to keep it casual.
"Morning," she replied, not making eye contact.
No snark. No glare. No blush.
He didn't know whether to be relieved or annoyed.
The day passed quickly, filled with orders, prep work, and the constant noise of the kitchen. Ryo caught glimpses of her throughout—taking orders, moving between tables, tying her hair up again when it fell loose. She was focused. Too focused.
When their shifts finally ended, he cornered her just outside the back door, where the cool air hit their skin like a wake-up call.
"Are we really just gonna ignore it?" he asked.
She crossed her arms. "Ignore what?"
"You know what."
She sighed. "It was nothing. Just… a moment."
Ryo stepped closer, but gently this time. "Maybe for you. But not for me."
Miyu looked up at him, eyes sharp. "Then don't make it into something it's not. I don't do feelings, Ryo. I don't do complicated."
"And yet," he said, voice low, "you're still standing here. Talking to me. Letting me close."
That got her. She looked away, frustrated more with herself than with him.
"I don't know what I'm doing," she admitted, voice barely audible. "And I hate not knowing."
Ryo reached out slowly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. This time, she didn't flinch. Didn't move.
"You don't have to know," he said. "Just… let it happen. One step at a time."
For a second, he thought she might push him away again.
But instead, she surprised him.
Miyu leaned forward, ever so slightly, and rested her forehead against his chest.
No words. No kiss this time.
Just silence. And closeness.
And in that stillness, under the buzzing streetlight and the scent of the kitchen drifting through the alley, something between them quietly began to bloom.