Thanks to Gundam, my awkward retionship with Keiko from the other day had practically disappeared. It was surprising how a simple conversation about a shared interest could mend things so quickly.

  ---

  "Morning!"

  I turned to see Ruka and Miko, our chefs, entering the restaurant. They usually arrived earlier, so their timing was a bit off today.

  "Oh, morning, Ruka, Miko. You guys are a bit te today."

  "Sorry, we had to fill the stock first thing this morning," Miko expined as she walked past me toward the kitchen.

  "Oh, I see. Need any help?" I offered.

  "Ah no, it's okay. We're good now, thanks, Ryuko," Ruka replied with a quick wave before vanishing into the back.

  "Alright, anytime, guys," I said as I made my way to the staff area.

  Just as I was about to start my tasks, I heard a familiar voice call my name.

  "Ryuko!"

  I turned around to see Keiko standing near the entrance. She looked... concerned? What was she doing here?

  "What is it, Keiko? Why are you here? Isn't today your day off?" I asked, surprised to see her in uniform.

  She sighed before answering, "Aki's sick. She can't come in for her shift today, so I came to help."

  Her voice sounded different—almost sad. And then, it hit me.

  Oh crap. Today was the day.

  I had promised Keiko that we would go to the Gundam exhibition in the evening. We had even pnned it so that Aki would cover my shift. But now, with Aki sick, Keiko had to take over.

  I hesitated before asking, "What about the Gundam exhibition?"

  Keiko shrugged. "Well, there'll be another time."

  "But isn’t today the st day?" I reminded her.

  She froze for a second, then let out a deep sigh. For a moment, I thought I saw disappointment flicker in her eyes. She really does love Gundam, huh?

  After that, she barely spoke for the rest of the shift.

  ---

  By 6 p.m., the restaurant had quieted down significantly. Taking my chance, I approached her again.

  "Keiko, I can take care of the restaurant. It's okay if you want to go to the exhibition," I said, hoping to convince her.

  Her eyes lit up for a brief second—she was obviously tempted—but then she quickly shook her head.

  "Nah, I can't let you do this alone. It's my responsibility—"

  I interrupted before she could finish. "It's okay, Keiko. It's not like the exhibition happens every day. Trust me, I can handle it."

  She hesitated again, her inner struggle evident on her face. Then, out of nowhere, Ruka and Miko popped their heads out from the kitchen.

  "Yeah, Keiko, just go!" Ruka said, waving her hand dismissively.

  "Seriously, we got this. Go enjoy your nerdy robot stuff," Miko added with a teasing grin.

  Keiko looked at all of us, then sighed. "Fine. But if anything goes wrong, you're all taking responsibility."

  We all ughed, and she finally gave in. As she grabbed her bag and headed for the door, she turned back to me and said, "Thanks, Ryuko."

  And then—it happened.

  She smiled.

  A real, genuine, sweet smile.

  I blinked in shock. Keiko... just smiled at me?

  I smiled back. "I'll let you know if I find time to go. Sorry I couldn't keep my promise."

  "It's okay, it's not your fault. Thanks for your service," she teased me, catching me off guard.

  I stood there, stunned.

  Keiko. Joking. With me.

  I had never seen her joke about anything, let alone joke with me.

  I had known her for 17 years, and she was always calm and composed, rarely showing much emotion. But this? This was new.

  Unbelievable.

  I was about to say something back, but before I could, a customer walked in, snapping me out of my daze.

  ---

  Finally, at 9 p.m., we finished closing the restaurant.

  I sighed in relief as I stretched my arms. "That took longer than expected."

  I checked my phone—9:05 p.m. The exhibition sted until 10 p.m., but Keiko might have already gone home by now.

  Still, it was worth a shot.

  I quickly said goodbye to Ruka and Miko before sprinting toward the exhibition, texting Keiko on the way.

  "Hey, are you still there?"

  I hit send, but the message didn't go through. Of course, now of all times, my signal decides to betray me.

  The exhibition venue was about 30 minutes away on foot. If I ran, I could get there in 20.

  So I ran.

  ---

  I arrived at 9:40 p.m., panting from exhaustion. The exhibition was still open, lights glowing brightly, and a few people were still inside. However, they had stopped allowing new entries.

  I sighed, checking my phone again. My message still hadn't sent.

  Taking a deep breath, I scanned the area, hoping to catch a glimpse of Keiko.

  But she was nowhere to be seen.

  Damn. Did she already leave?

  Just as I was about to turn around and go home, I felt a sudden tug on my jacket.

  My body instinctively reacted.

  "AAGH—!"

  I let out an embarrassing yelp and filed backward, twisting my ankle in the process.

  Pain shot through my foot, and I dropped to the ground, clutching it.

  Then I heard a familiar voice.

  "I'm sorry, Ryuko. I didn't mean to surprise you."

  I looked up and—oh my god.

  It was Keiko.

  She stood there, looking at me with a mix of concern and amusement.

  I froze.

  Did I... just humiliate myself in front of Keiko?

  I groaned, covering my face with my hands. "Just bury me here, Keiko. My dignity is dead."

  She chuckled, crouching down next to me. "You're so dramatic."

  I peeked through my fingers. "Excuse me? I just got assassinated by a sneak attack. You can't bme me."

  She rolled her eyes. "I literally just tapped your jacket."

  I pouted. "You don't understand. I was in battle mode."

  Keiko raised an eyebrow. "Battle mode?"

  "Yeah, I was ready to fight a mugger or a ghost or some random guy who wanted to ask for my number!"

  Keiko scoffed. "Who in their right mind would ask you for your number?"

  I gasped, pcing a hand on my chest. "Wow. Betrayed by my own friend. Unbelievable."

  She ughed softly, then reached out her hand. "Come on, get up."

  I took her hand, letting her pull me to my feet.

  "Thanks," I muttered, still slightly embarrassed.

  She smiled again—twice in one day?! "You really ran all the way here?"

  I scratched my cheek. "Well, yeah. I felt bad for missing it, so I thought maybe I’d catch you before you left."

  Keiko's expression softened. "...Thanks, Ryuko."

  I smirked. "You can repay me by buying me a Gundam figure."

  She scoffed. "Dream on."

  We stood there for a moment, the exhibition lights glowing softly around us.

  I didn't realize it before, but something about tonight felt... different.

  It wasn't just about Gundam.

  It was about her.

  And for the first time in years, I realized—

  I wanted to see more of this side of Keiko.

  Even if it meant running halfway across town like an idiot.

  And even if it meant twisting my ankle in the process.