Am I the luckiest guy on Earth or the unluckiest, Yumeji asked himself as he held his hand in front of his eyes. Namiko was in his bathtub, completely naked, it was a dream come true. The problem was, of course, that he couldn't look at her without seeming like a giant perv. It was like having the world's most delicious cake in your kitchen but not being allowed to taste it!
"I-I'm okay! I must have just lost my balance!"
"Oh- okay! Yeah, I'm glad. I heard you scream, so…"
"Y-you didn't see anything, right?" asked Namiko as she wrapped the shredded shower curtain around her.
"No! Not at all! There was… steam! I couldn't see a thing," Yumeji replied. He was lying his ass off, of course. He had gotten a pretty good, if brief, look at Namiko before he averted his gaze. But the lie was just plausible enough that it gave them both the option to pretend that nothing had happened.
"Good, I'm glad," she replied. Her face was red, more from embarrassment than from the hot water.
Yumeji left the bathroom and gave Namiko a chance to get dressed. How stupid can I be, he asked himself as he covered his face with both hands. Barging in on her while she's taking a shower? What the hell was he thinking, he wondered. Yes, he thought, it did sound like something happened in there and he really was worried about her, but he should have knocked first or called out to her instead of rushing in like a moron. There's no way she'll ever talk to me again, he thought. I'll be lucky if she doesn't report me to our landlord.
"Hey, about what just happened," said Namiko as she opened the bathroom door. She was wearing his Chicago Cubs t-shirt tucked into a tied off pair of oversized gray sweats. It was a cute look. I bet she'd borrow my clothes all the time if she was my girlfriend, he thought to himself.
"I know, my bad. I don't know what I was thinking when I-"
"I'm so sorry!" Namiko pleaded as she clasped her hands and dropped to her knees in contrition.
"...huh?" uttered Yumeji, feeling completely confused.
"I tore your shower curtain! And I scared you, you thought something happened and came to help me. The way you were looking away, I could tell how embarrassing it was for you! After you've been so kind to me tonight, inviting me in and letting me use your shower," as she went on, Yumeji thought he must have swapped bodies with somebody else. How the hell is she the one apologizing to me, he wondered.
"Oh, no no no! It's really no big deal! I'm the one who barged in on you, if anything, I should be the one-"
"Please forgive me! I don't know what happened, I just lost my balance all of a sudden and before I knew it I was on the ground! It was like I was just tumbling through the air or something- the point is, I'm sorry!"
"W-well, uh, sure. All is forgiven," he replied with a smile. Namiko returned the favor, flashing him a smile that made his heart melt like a chocolate bar on the surface of the sun.
He stood by his door after saying goodbye, listening to the sound of her footsteps trailing off towards her apartment, followed by the sound of her door shutting behind her. He couldn't bring himself to move from that spot for a while. His head was spinning. What a weird night, he thought to himself.