“Ryuko! Table two’s calling!” Keiko’s voice cut through the chaos of the packed restaurant like a whip cracking over my head.
“I’m going, I’m going!” I shouted back while wiping down the other table like my life depended on it. My back ached, my legs felt like jelly, and my head… well, it felt like it was floating somewhere between the kitchen and the front door.
March 1st — the official start of spring. You’d think it would mean a gentle breeze, cherry blossoms, and people sipping coffee on terraces. But no, it meant the whole town decided today was the perfect day to go out and clog every restaurant. Including ours.
My poor back… I swear it creaked every time I bent over. Was I… getting old? Nah. Couldn’t be. I was still in my prime! …Right? Though if my back made one more weird popping noise, I might need to be wheeled out with the kitchen cart.
“No time for complaints, keep moving!” Keiko scolded, catching my sigh like some overpowered manager from a workplace drama.
“Yes, ma’am,” I shot back with a salute and my best fake smile, practically glowing with pretend enthusiasm. I even threw in a wink, though my eye twitched halfway through. Didn’t matter. Show must go on.
After work, though… I groaned internally.
Junpei, that lovable idiot, had invited me and Keiko out for dinner. I told him no right away, but the man literally started fake-crying like a kid denied his snack. And you know what? It worked. Against my better judgment, I agreed. I mean — what kind of grown 35-year-old man cries because his buddy won’t come to his one-month anniversary dinner?
That’s right. One month.
One freaking month.
I mean, come on. If you’re 17 and it’s your first relationship, I get it. Cute. Sweet. But at 35? Bro, your joints hurt when you wake up, and you’re celebrating a one-month milestone like you just unlocked an achievement in a dating sim.
“Ryusei! Hellooo! Bro!” Junpei waved his hand in front of my face as I snapped out of my dramatic inner monologue. Crap. I’d zoned out.
“Oh, sorry. I was just… thinking,” I muttered, trying to recover with a sip of iced tea.
Junpei squinted at me. “Thinking? Bro, your face looked like you were planning someone’s murder.”
Was it that bad? “W-well, sorry. I was just… tired, I guess.”
“What were you thinking about?”
“Uh… not gonna tell you.” I grinned and brushed him off, while Keiko side-eyed me, her brows slightly furrowed. Oops. Sorry, Keiko, nothing serious. Just silently judging Junpei’s life choices.
So here we were, sitting around a table meant for four, with Junpei grinning like he’d won the lottery, and his girlfriend Ruka looking all shy and happy beside him.
Then came the next surprise.
Ruka stood up, fiddling with her fingers like she was about to confess her undying love in a shojo manga.
“I… I have some news,” she said softly.
We all leaned in. What now? Did he propose? Did they get matching tattoos? Did Junpei buy a boat?
“I’m… pregnant,” Ruka blurted, cheeks red as tomatoes. “Four weeks in.”
Silence.
Then — “OHHH SNAP!” I shouted, nearly spilling my drink. Keiko instantly beamed, leaning forward.
“Congratulations, Ruka! That’s wonderful!” she said sincerely.
I looked at Junpei, expecting him to be freaking out, but no — the man was smiling so wide, I swear his teeth could’ve landed him a toothpaste ad.
“Bro,” I gaped. “You’re really gonna be a dad?”
Junpei grinned, practically bouncing in his seat. “Heck yeah I am!”
Wow. I couldn’t even make fun of him properly. I mean, I still would later. But right now? Even I felt genuinely happy for them.
“And we’ve set a date,” Junpei continued. “We’re having our wedding reception on June 12th.”
“Dude,” I said, shaking my head in disbelief. “You move fast. That’s like, warp-speed dating.”
“Gotta lock it down while I can,” Junpei laughed.
Keiko smiled warmly. “If you need any help, let us know — especially you, Ruka. Don’t overdo it, okay?”
Ruka’s eyes sparkled. “Thank you so much. Really.”
Alright, fine. Maybe they were a little ridiculous at first, but at least they were ridiculously happy now. Couldn’t hate on that.
And of course, I had to tease him.
“You need to stop being so cringe, man,” I said, elbowing Junpei.
“Oi! I’m not cringe!”
“Sure, sure. Let’s wait ‘til your kid’s old enough to roast you. ‘Dad, why’d you give mom a ring on your one-month anniversary?’” I mocked, putting on a kid’s voice.
“My baby won’t do that,” Junpei declared proudly.
“Okay, we’ll see,” I grinned.
We spent the rest of the night chatting. Keiko ended up getting along surprisingly well with Ruka. They started talking about pregnancy, weird cravings, and mom stuff. Honestly, I’d never seen Keiko so animated in a conversation before.
It was like watching a rare mythical beast come out of its cave.
She was glowing, laughing, and offering advice. Ruka looked at her like she was a sage from a fantasy novel.
And me? I just sat back, sipping my drink, smiling like an idiot.
Man… she’s adorable.
I didn’t even realize how long I’d been staring until Keiko caught me.
“What?” she asked, blinking.
“Nothing,” I shrugged, grinning like a lovesick fool. “You’re just… really adorable.”
Keiko’s face immediately turned pink. She ducked her head and pretended to be very interested in her juice.
Junpei couldn’t let me have my moment though.
“Oi, look who’s cringe now!” he teased.
“Shut up,” I shot back.
Ruka giggled. “You two are funny.”
Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, lovebirds.
But honestly, it was one of those rare nights where everything felt… good. No drama, no tension, no heavy talks about the past. Just dumb jokes, good food, and the people we cared about.
As the night wore on, Keiko’s social battery started visibly draining. She sighed, leaning back, a faint smile still on her lips. That warm, content look she only got when she was genuinely happy.
I leaned in, lowering my voice. “Tired?”
“A little,” she admitted.
She gave me a soft, shy smile. “But I had fun.”
Dang it. My heart.
We left the restaurant, Junpei throwing an arm around my shoulder. “Thanks for tonight, man. Seriously.”
“No problem,” I grinned. “Congrats again. And take care of Ruka and the little one, yeah?”
“You bet.”
As they walked away, Keiko and I lingered a little.
“Spring’s here,” I said, looking up at the night sky.
“Yeah,” she murmured.
I took her hand. “Let’s go hanami this year?” I suggested to Keiko.
Alright, quick culture lesson for you guys — hanami! Ever heard of it? No? Well, let your favorite washed-up old man Ryusei explain. It’s this super chill Japanese tradition where people gather under cherry blossom trees when they’re in full bloom, basically to eat, drink, and laze around while staring at pink petals falling like confetti from the sky. It’s the official "do nothing and vibe" holiday of spring.
Honestly, it’s one of those simple little moments everyone secretly waits for all year. Alright… maybe it’s just me.
Back to Keiko.
Without missing a beat, Keiko’s face lit up as she quickly replied, “Okay, let’s go. The three of us.” The excitement in her voice was contagious, and seeing her like that made my chest feel a little lighter.
I nodded, a small grin tugging at my lips — it’s been years since our last hanami trip together with Rin, and somehow, I was starting to feel genuinely excited too.