"Haruki?"
"Yes, Kyouko-san?" He turned toward her from the end of the aisle. "Did you find what you were looking for?"
"Ah, yes." She held up a small bottle of sauce. "You don't have anything else you want to get?"
"Not really. I'm good."
"Alright then... let's head to the counter."
Haruki gave a small nod and began pushing the cart as they walked side by side.
Just as they turned the corner toward the checkout area...
"Ah, Kyouko-chan?" a voice called out.
Kyouko looked up, slightly startled. "Ah... Mrs. Minami."
An older woman approached them, holding a small basket. She glanced at Haruki, then back at Kyouko, her eyes twinkling with curiosity. "Oh my, who's this young man? Kyouko~ you didn't..."
Kyouko quickly waved her hand, a faint blush rising on her cheeks. "Ah! No, no! This is my son-in-law."
Mrs. Minami raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile playing at her lips. "My, your son-in-law, huh?"
"I thought he was your—"
"Ah, Mrs. Minami," Kyouko quickly cut her off, forcing a polite smile. "We really need to get going. We still have more errands after this."
She instinctively reached for Haruki's arm, her hand wrapping gently around it as she steered him away. Haruki blinked in surprise but didn't resist, offering only a small, respectful bow toward Mrs. Minami.
"Oh? I see, I see." Mrs. Minami grinned knowingly, clearly unconvinced but willing to let it slide. "Well, take care, Kyouko-chan. And don't let that one get away." She gave a teasing wink in Haruki's direction.
Kyouko nodded quickly and started walking, her hand still lightly holding Haruki's arm as they moved toward the counter, her pace slightly faster than before.
After a short moment, she let go and said softly, "Sorry about that… She talks a lot."
Haruki smiled. "No worries. You handled it pretty well, actually."
Meanwhile, Mrs. Minami stood frozen for a moment, watching them walk away. Her lips slowly curled into a grin.
"Oho~ now that's something worth talking about…" she whispered to herself.
She folded her arms and tilted her head slightly.
"No way that boy's her son-in-law. That man is too fine to be just 'family.'"
With a little huff and a sparkle of mischief in her eyes, she turned on her heel.
"Can't wait to share this at our little tea chat this week. The neighborhood's going to love this."
As they walked toward the checkout counter, Haruki felt a strange warmth spreading in his chest. Kyouko's hand was still gently wrapped around his arm, small, soft, and so naturally warm it made his heart beat a little faster.
He didn't look at her, but he could feel her presence close by, a calm warmth beside him. He didn't know why, but it felt... nice. Really nice.
They arrived at the counter, and the cashier began scanning their items.
As the last item passed the scanner, Haruki casually pulled out his card and tapped it on the pay terminal.
Beep.
"Ah, Haruki! You didn't have to pay for that," Kyouko said, a little surprised.
Haruki gave her a small smile.
"Hmm? Don't worry about it, Kyouko-san. I just... wanted to."
She looked at him for a moment. Then her eyes softened behind the mask, and she gave a tiny nod.
"...Thank you."
They walked to the parking lot side by side. Kyouko didn't carry a single bag—Haruki had taken everything, holding the groceries like they weighed nothing.
"Not heavy?" Kyouko asked, glancing sideways at him.
Haruki smiled. "Not really, Kyouko-san. Don't worry about it."
"Okay…" she replied, though she still felt a little guilty.
Once they reached the car, Kyouko unlocked it and popped the trunk. Haruki carefully loaded everything inside.
They settled into the car, Kyouko in the driver's seat, Haruki in the passenger's. She pulled off her facemask and set it aside.
Haruki's eyes were naturally drawn to her now-visible face. Even after walking through the stuffy supermarket air, she looked beautiful. Effortlessly so.
Kyouko adjusted the mirror. "Do you need to go somewhere before we head home?"
Haruki, still a little caught off guard by seeing her bare face, smiled without realizing. "I don't know…" He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Maybe we should go eat?"
Kyouko blinked. "Eat?"
"Yeah. I mean… it's already lunchtime, right?" He scratched his cheek. "I thought maybe we could grab a quick bite somewhere? If you're okay with it."
Kyouko looked at him, a faint smile forming. "...Hmm. I guess it's been a while since I ate outside."
She looked ahead for a moment before shifting into gear.
"Alright then. Let's find a place to eat."
Kyouko drove steadily, her hands relaxed on the wheel. The soft hum of the engine filled the quiet space between them.
"What do you want to eat?" she asked, eyes on the road.
Haruki glanced at her and smiled. "I don't mind. I'll leave that to you."
Kyouko let out a gentle chuckle. "Hmm... well, there's a restaurant around here I used to go to."
She made a slow turn at the next junction, scanning for the familiar spot. A few minutes later, they reached a small, cozy-looking restaurant, but the parking lot was nearly full.
"Looks like parking's a bit busy today," Kyouko mumbled, squinting ahead.
Haruki leaned slightly forward, looking around. "Ah, Kyouko-san, there's a space over there—right at the corner."
Kyouko turned her head, spotted it, and nodded with a soft smile.
She turned the wheel and slowly backed into the space.
Once parked, she pulled the handbrake and turned off the engine.
Haruki stepped out first, circling around to the driver's side just as Kyouko emerged. She smiled, casually brushing her hair back as the breeze caught it.
"Shall we?" she asked.
"Yeah," Haruki replied, matching her pace as they walked toward the entrance side by side.
Inside, the warm scent of grilled food and spices wrapped around them.
A server guided them to a booth by the window. They slid into opposite sides, and moments later, a waiter appeared with a small notepad.
"I'll take Set A," Kyouko said, "and juice for my drink."
Haruki scanned the menu briefly. "Hmm... I'll go with this set." He pointed. "And coffee. Hot, please."
The waiter nodded and left with a smile.
While they waited, they both pulled out their phones. The restaurant hummed with a calm ambiance—soft background music threading through the quiet conversations around them.
"Haruki, check out this video," Kyouko said suddenly, tilting her phone to show him the screen across the table.
"Oh? Which one?" Haruki leaned forward slightly, squinting at the thumbnail.
"This one," Kyouko replied casually. She glanced at the open space beside her on the cushioned seat. "You can sit next to me if you want. It's easier to watch."
Haruki looked up at her for a moment. Her tone was light, nothing strange about it, just casual friendliness.
"Okay," he said with a small nod, getting up and sliding in beside her.
Their shoulders brushed lightly as they both leaned toward the screen. Two people watching a video, close but not too close.
He caught a whiff of her soft fragrance again. Clean and sweet, like a fresh morning breeze. Kyouko just smiled and played the video.
( End of Chapter )