Chiaka froze like a deer caught in the headlights. Kaito, on the other hand, had the expression of someone who just got caught cheating on a test by the teacher—and that teacher was his sister.
"U-Uh…" Kaito coughed. "It's not what it looks like…"
"Oh?" Miyuki tilted her head. "Because from where I was standing, it looked exactly like the two of you popped out of a photo booth together, ran across the mall like spies escaping a heist, and then stuffed your faces with free mochi like starving newlyweds."
Kaito's brain short-circuited. "W-We're not— I mean, it's not— Chiaka, say something!"
Chiaka, however, was still red as a tomato and very busy looking at anything but Miyuki.
Miyuki giggled, folding her arms. "You know, all this running around is making me thirsty. Let's talk about it over coffee, shall we?"
And just like that, Kaito and Chiaka found themselves sitting stiffly across from Miyuki at a cute little café in the mall. The air smelled of roasted beans and whipped cream, and a waitress had just dropped off their orders: a latte for Miyuki, iced chocolate for Kaito, and a strawberry frappe for Chiaka—who was still avoiding eye contact like it might cause her to explode.
"So," Miyuki said cheerfully, stirring her drink. "Who wants to go first?"
Kaito scratched his cheek, attempting to play it cool. "Well, we were just… hanging out. You know, roommates bonding and stuff."
Chiaka nodded a little too quickly. "Y-Yeah. Bonding! Totally innocent."
Miyuki narrowed her eyes, resting her chin on her hand. "Hmm. And bonding involves lipstick samples and accidental kisses now, huh?"
Chiaka almost choked on her frappe.
"WAIT— THAT WASN'T A KISS!!" Kaito panicked, waving his hands. "It was just—like—a weird moment! The shop assistant said we looked like a couple and things escalated!"
Chiaka finally looked up, her face still pink. "Y-Yeah, she handed me a lipstick and said 'perfect shade for a girlfriend,' and I—I panicked, okay? It was all her fault!"
"Oh really? The lipstick's fault?" Miyuki said with mock seriousness. "We should sue."
"I want to go home," Chiaka whispered, hiding behind her frappe.
Miyuki leaned back, clearly having too much fun. "Okay, okay, I get it. You two were trying to keep it low-key and ended up causing a full-blown romcom episode in the mall. Honestly, it's kind of impressive."
Kaito sighed. "We just didn't want to be misunderstood. You know how things look…"
Miyuki gave him a deadpan stare. "Kaito, I arranged this living situation. I know you're living together. The only person misunderstanding here is you."
Chiaka glanced at her with a weak smile. "You're… not mad?"
Miyuki snorted. "Why would I be mad? I hoped you two would get along, but this is better than I expected." She sipped her latte, then looked at Kaito with a smirk. "My little bro, caught red-handed with the Madonna of our university. Not bad."
"Stop calling her that!" Kaito groaned. "You're going to make her explode!"
Chiaka let out a soft, flustered whine and bonked her forehead lightly on the table.
Miyuki grinned like a proud villain. "Okay, okay, I'll stop teasing. For now."
The tension finally eased a bit, and Kaito let out a long breath. Chiaka slowly lifted her head, eyes still shy, but she looked a little more relaxed.
Miyuki tapped her nails on the glass. "Still… this whole hiding thing is dangerous. You're in a mall, guys. People have eyes. If you're gonna go around acting like awkward newlyweds, people will notice."
Chiaka groaned. "I know… I don't even know what happened. I usually don't act like this."
Miyuki raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So is my brother special?"
"Hey!" Kaito and Chiaka both said in unison.
Miyuki burst into laughter. "You two are too easy! This is better than drama shows."
Kaito muttered something under his breath and slurped his iced chocolate aggressively. Chiaka, cheeks puffed, took a dramatic sip of her drink like she was in a competition.
They sat in silence for a moment, awkward but peaceful.
Miyuki's phone buzzed. She peeked at it and stood up abruptly. "Well! I'll leave you lovebirds to it."
"WE'RE NOT—!"
"Yeah yeah, sure you're not." Miyuki winked, tossing her empty coffee cup into the trash. "Anyway, I gotta go. See you back home!"
And with that, she strutted off.
Chiaka finally exhaled, sinking into her seat. "That was exhausting…"
Kaito nodded. "I think my soul left my body three times."
Chiaka glanced at him, then smiled softly. "But… thank you. For going along with all of it."
Kaito blinked, then looked away quickly, cheeks pink. "It's fine. I mean… we're roommates, right?"
Chiaka chuckled. "Right."
They sat quietly, sipping their drinks. Outside the café window, the mall buzzed with life again. Children running around, couples walking hand-in-hand, sales announcements echoing over the speakers.
Just as they stepped out of the mall entrance, Chiaka paused.
"…Wait. Where's the free mochi bag?"
Kaito froze mid-step. "Don't tell me you left it."
Chiaka spun around dramatically. "MY BABIES!"
Kaito sighed. "We are not going back in there, Chiaka. Miyuki barely let us off the hook."
"But… they were free," she whispered, heartbroken.
"Chiaka, it's mochi. Not your children."
Chiaka turned to him with an intense gaze. "Free food is family."
Kaito grabbed her hand before she ran back in. "Nope. You're going home. You've already caused enough drama for one mall."
As they walked off, bickering like two sitcom characters, a soft breeze brushed past them—and the sky ahead started to turn orange.
Chiaka squinted at the sky. "Is it just me, or does that sunset look like it's judging us?"
Kaito chuckled. "Maybe it knows what you did."
Chiaka froze. "W-What I did?! Wait—what did I do?!"
dont know,
hey!!?