The morning sun streamed through the curtains, casting a warm glow on the room. Kaede and Mirei y tangled together under the bnket, the remnants of their te-night conversations and ughter still echoing in the quiet room. The cozy hotel room was filled with the soft scent of their lingering closeness, and for a moment, Kaede wished the world would freeze. She never wanted this moment to end. But, as always, the inevitable morning arrived.

  Mirei was the first to break the silence, her voice a mixture of frustration and childishness. "Aaaah, I don't want to go back to Tokyo!"

  Kaede blinked, startled by the sudden outburst. She couldn’t help but smile at how dramatically Mirei was acting, so unlike the composed, charismatic leader everyone saw on stage. "You don't act like that in front of your members, do you?" Kaede teased, leaning up on her elbows to look at Mirei.

  Mirei stuck her tongue out in pyful defiance, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Of course not! I'm the charismatic leader, you know?" She puffed her chest out, trying to look serious, but the effect was completely ruined by the twinkle in her eyes and the little giggle that followed.

  Kaede chuckled softly, rolling her eyes fondly. "I swear, sometimes you’re like a big kid."

  "Yeah, well, you love it," Mirei shot back, her voice full of affection. Kaede’s heart skipped a beat, and she couldn’t help but smile even wider. It was moments like this, small and innocent, that made everything feel perfect.

  As the moment lingered, the two of them reluctantly began to get up, knowing they had a long day ahead. They had to prepare for their trip back to Tokyo. Mirei, of course, had her own way of dragging out the process. She crossed her arms and pouted dramatically. "I don’t want to take a shower," she whined.

  Kaede raised an eyebrow, trying not to ugh at her girlfriend’s childishness. "Are you seriously pulling this act now? We need to get ready."

  Mirei pouted even more, if that was even possible, and flopped back onto the bed dramatically. "But I don’t want to," she mumbled, sticking her bottom lip out.

  Kaede sighed, feigning frustration. "Fine, I thought that we could take a shower together, but I guess I’ll just take a shower by myself, then."

  Mirei shot up, her eyes widening in panic. "Wait, wait! I’ll shower you!" She grabbed Kaede’s hand and pulled her toward the bathroom before Kaede could react. "Come on, let’s go!"

  Kaede ughed in disbelief, trying to pull back. "Mirei, no! What are you—?"

  But Mirei was already on a mission, practically dragging Kaede toward the bathroom. "No more waiting, let’s go!" she said, her voice full of determination. "I’ll shower you! It’ll be fun!"

  Kaede stumbled backward, panicking. "I wasn’t serious, Mirei! Stop! We need to leave!"

  Mirei, on the other hand, was ughing uncontrolbly, her energy infectious. "Come on, Kaede! Don’t be shy, let’s go!" She practically lifted Kaede off her feet as she hurried toward the bathroom, still ughing.

  Kaede continued to struggle, but she couldn’t help but smile at her girlfriend’s antics. "You’re impossible!" she finally excimed, still ughing.

  Finally, after much chaotic struggle and pyful teasing, the two of them managed to finish getting ready and head down to breakfast, both of them chuckling at the absurdity of the morning’s events.

  After breakfast, they made their way to Kyoto Station to catch the Shinkansen back to Tokyo. Mirei, however, was still acting dramatically, her voice carrying through the bustling station. "Goodbye, Kyoto! It was a wonderful trip, I’ll never forget you!" she called out, waving her arms as if the entire station were listening to her.

  Kaede looked at her, a slight cringe tugging at the corner of her lips. "You’re so embarrassing, Mirei," she muttered under her breath, but she couldn’t hide the affection in her voice.

  Her parents, walking a little behind them, chuckled at Mirei’s over-the-top antics. "She’s always like this," Kaede’s mother said with a grin. "It’s one of the reasons we love her."

  Mirei gave a dramatic bow, still continuing her performance. "I’m honored to have visited you, Kyoto! I’ll cherish these memories forever!" She then jumped up, pretending to wipe away imaginary tears.

  "It’s cute," her father replied with a warm smile. "She’s got a lot of charm, that one."

  Kaede sigh but smiled, "Yeah, she does. She’s definitely one of a kind."

  By the time they arrived at Tokyo Station, it was 1 p.m. and the city was bustling as usual. Mirei’s parents were continuing their vacation in Tokyo, as they had seven days of leave, so they said their goodbyes at the station. Kaede expressed her gratitude, thanking them for inviting her on their family trip.

  "Thank you for everything," Kaede said with a smile, bowing her head politely. "It’s been so much fun."

  Mirei’s parents returned the sentiment. "We’re gd you could join us, Kaede," Mirei’s mother said. "You’re always welcome anytime."

  After their goodbyes, Kaede and Mirei walked back toward their respective pces. They walked in comfortable silence, side by side, neither wanting to break the spell of the st few days.

  When they reached Kaede’s apartment first, the air between them grew a little heavier. "Well," Kaede said, her voice soft, "this is where we part ways for now."

  Mirei looked at her, her face suddenly more serious. "I don’t want to say goodbye," she admitted quietly, her eyes softening. "It feels like this trip was too short."

  Kaede smiled, reaching out to cup Mirei’s cheek gently. "I know. But we’ll see each other soon, don’t worry. Just get some rest before your schedule picks up again, okay?"

  Mirei nodded slowly, looking reluctant. "I will. And you take care of yourself too, Kaede."

  They exchanged a quick hug, their embrace warm and familiar. Kaede stepped back, a soft smile on her lips. "Don’t forget to call and text, okay? I’m always here."

  Mirei grinned, her eyes sparkling. "I won’t forget." She paused for a moment before stepping back and turning to leave. "I’ll see you soon, Kaede."

  Kaede watched her go, feeling a pang of sadness in her chest. But she knew they’d be okay. She watched until Mirei disappeared into the distance, before closing the door behind her.

  ---

  As Mirei arrived at her dorm, she sighed deeply. She wasn’t ready for the day to end. She opened the door, expecting peace and quiet. The lights were off, so she assumed no one was home.

  "Hello?" she called out, but there was no answer. "Guess no one’s back yet."

  She flicked on the light switch but nothing happened. "What the…?"

  Her heart skipped a beat as she fumbled around, trying to figure out what was going on. "Did the lights go out?" she wondered aloud, a little annoyed. She pulled out her phone, using the fshlight to search the panel.

  Suddenly, she heard a noise coming from the panel. Her eyes widened in arm. "Thief?" she whispered, her voice shaky with fear. Without thinking, she grabbed the nearest weapon—a frying pan.

  The noise grew louder, and Mirei, fueled by adrenaline, rushed toward it, ready to confront whatever—or whoever—was inside. She swung the frying pan as she entered the room, her eyes widening when she saw the culprit.

  "WAIT!" a voice screamed.

  Mirei froze mid-swing, staring at the person in front of her. The lights flickered on, revealing the person was none other than Minami, who looked just as terrified as she was.

  The two of them stood frozen in pce, each caught in the most ridiculous pose imaginable: Mirei with a frying pan in hand, poised to strike, and Minami with wide eyes and a hand held up in surrender.

  Mirei blinked, then blinked again. Finally, she let out a burst of ughter, dropping the frying pan to the ground. "Oh my god, Minami! What the heck are you doing here?"

  Minami, still clutching her chest, gave a sheepish grin. "I… I was fixing the lights. What about you?"

  Mirei, now doubled over in ughter, managed to gasp out, "I thought you were a thief!"

  Minami rolled her eyes. "Well, I’m sorry for scaring you, but that’s no excuse to threaten me with a frying pan."

  The two of them burst into ughter together, the tension of the moment vanishing as quickly as it had come.