Yuzume was not acting weird.
Not at all.
Her tail was doing that twitchy thing again, sure, and she may have dropped the same rice bowl three times in a row, but that was completely unrelated to the fact that Riku had chosen today to wear his hair tied back.
It was warm out. He was being practical.
That's all.
Definitely not distracting.
She peeked around the kitchen doorway, watching him try to hang a lantern with a length of ribbon that was very much too short.
"You're doing it wrong," she called.
"I can't reach the hook!"
"That's because you're using ribbon. And standing on the stool wrong. And holding the wrong end."
"Then why don't you do it?" he shot back, half-laughing, half-straining.
She walked in and snatched the ribbon. "I will."
He stepped aside dramatically. "By all means, shrine master."
She climbed the stool and, with a practiced flick, looped the lantern through and tied it off with a neat flourish. It wobbled slightly, then settled into place.
"Hah," she said.
He clapped. "Elegant. Efficient. Mildly smug."
She hopped down. "All part of the job."
Their hands brushed as she passed the ribbon back.
Just for a second.
But it felt like a bell chiming inside her chest.
She flinched. Not visibly, just a breath held too long. Then turned away fast enough to pretend it didn't happen.
He tilted his head, watching her tug at the hem of her sleeve unnecessarily.
"…You good?" he asked.
"Me? I'm great. Amazing. Unshakable."
"Really? You've been humming the same note for ten minutes."
"It's a blessing hum. Keeps pests away."
"Ah. Is that why the birds evacuated the courtyard?"
She shot him a look.
He laughed and ducked out of reach, grabbing a broom on his way.
As she turned back to the kitchen, face a little too warm, she muttered, "Not acting weird."
And then tripped over the door frame.
Again.