As Izumi's words started to sink into Kaito's distracted mind, the deep regret of his foolishness overwhelmed him.
Even though he didn't lift his head to confirm, he could almost feel Misaki's sharp, angry glare directed at him.
Both Izumi and Misaki, with similar tones of surprise, exclaimed simultaneously, "What?!" Their voices were louder than intended.
Kaito tensed, unsure of what to do. His fearful eyes shifted between their confused looks as he mumbled, "Ah, what? Sorry, I didn't hear you…" He had heard, but he was desperate to try his luck.
"I was asking if you knew Misaki-chan worked here. You said yes," Izumi repeated, her face a mix of confusion and suspicion.
Kaito lifted his head slightly and glanced at Misaki out of the corner of his eye. He knew he would never forget that glare—not in a romantic way, but in a tragic sense, as it would remain etched in his memory for a long time.
"Huh? Me? Okada-san? Us? Uh... no! Definitely not. I don't know her... I mean, wait—Okada-san works here?"
Kaito's voice trembled under Misaki's terrifying glare, while Izumi's suspicious gaze made him even more uneasy.
"Didn't you just place an order with her?"
"What? Oh, I didn't even notice. I've been a bit out of it today…"
Izumi tilted her head, looking at him with a thoughtful, slightly sympathetic expression.
"I guess you're right. You were pretty distracted while cycling together earlier too…"
Misaki's angry expression turned to surprise, while Kaito's nervousness grew. And Izumi, with every word she spoke, was putting him in an even more difficult position.
They had just ordered the same thing, and now she was talking about riding a bike together right in front of Misaki.
Kaito couldn't help but wonder how much more awkward this could get, but even he wasn't ready for what happened next.
Izumi added thoughtfully as she sipped her coffee, "Oh, you know, this was my first time riding a bike. I was so nervous I held on to you tightly so I wouldn't fall. But I think you were even more nervous than I was…"
Kaito felt as if he had sunk deep into the mud, trapped in a swamp where no one could hear his desperate cries for help. His desperation could be read on his face.
He gave up and let things flow as they would. The worst part was that Izumi wasn't lying—everything she said was true. But it hadn't happened the way it sounded.
He knew there was no way he could explain this to Misaki. Even if he tried, he had no hope she'd listen or understand.
As expected, Misaki forced a strained smile and said, "Sorry, I have to get back to work. Have fun, Izumi-chan!" before walking away.
As soon as Misaki left, Kaito whispered in an irritated tone, "Why do you tell her everything?"
"What? What did I even say?"
"I mean, she already saw us kissing, and now..."
"Yes, that's exactly why we came here today," Izumi whispered back, glancing secretly to check if Misaki was watching them.
Misaki seemed completely uninterested, fully focused on her work. Izumi relaxed and added, "She needs to believe we're a couple. Otherwise, she'll think I'm the kind of girl who kisses every guy that comes along..."
Kaito understood Izumi's concern—after all, for a girl, that would probably be one of the worst things to happen.
But at the same time, he was already living through the worst-case scenario himself, watching it unfold from the front row and experiencing it firsthand.
"I mean, how much longer are we going to keep up this ridiculous thing?"
"Look, it's not like I'm thrilled about pretending to be your girlfriend either, okay!" Izumi's voice rose in frustration.
"As if I'm enjoying this!" Kaito snapped back at the same volume. Then they both realized they were drawing attention and resumed whispering.
In a more subdued, regretful tone, Kaito said, "I just want this to end as soon as possible. And when you asked to meet today, I thought we'd talk about how to put an end to this. But all you seem to care about is convincing everyone even more!"
"Not everyone, but at least she should think like that!" Izumi said, then added with a smug tone, "Anyway, you should be grateful. At least you finally got a girlfriend even if it's fake!"
Kaito stared at her, insulted, thinking about what he had done to deserve such a fate. His voice trembled with anger.
"What? What is this now? Enough! I'm leaving!" He stood up abruptly, slammed the money for the drinks on the table, and stormed out.
Misaki watched his angry exit carefully, while Izumi also stood up and called after him in a calm and polite tone.
"Oh, Misaki-chan! We're in a hurry, we need to go. Take care of yourself!" Misaki smiled lightly and nodded in agreement.
By the time Izumi left, Kaito was already on his bike, ready to leave. "What, you're leaving without your girlfriend?" she asked mockingly.
Kaito could only shoot her a look full of hatred and helplessness. He thought speaking up would only increase the tension, so he swallowed his words and went back to his work, not looking back.
As he passed by the house, he decided to make a quick stop to use the bathroom and safely store the magazines Touma had entrusted to him.
When he opened the door, Lucky the cat was waiting with its tail up, looking curious. But as soon as it realized it wasn't Misaki, it lowered its tail and turned away.
Kaito shot a glare at the cat. His eyes were already speaking for him. He put the bag aside and headed to the bathroom.
Finally, he had calmed down a bit. He carefully passed by the cat sleeping on the couch, bent down, and slid the bag under the couch.
He stood up, checked from different angles to see if it was visible, and then left to return to work.
When Kaito returned home, Misaki had her hair in a bun and was cleaning. She seemed to be anxiously pacing around, searching for something.
"Lucky? Lucky? Come here, kitty..." Misaki called out anxiously, looking for the cat.
Taking advantage of the situation, Kaito decided to briefly make himself invisible, heading toward the kitchen to fill his coffee cup.
Misaki called out behind him. "I can't find Lucky, do you know where he is?" Her voice was full of worry.
"Huh? No, he was sleeping on the couch this afternoon," Kaito mumbled, aware of the argument that was about to start, feeling tense.
"You didn't throw him out into the street again, did you?"
"What! Again? What do you think I am, some kind of cat hater?"
"I can't find Lucky! He won't even come to my voice..." Misaki's eyes welled up, and she looked like she was about to cry.
With one last hope, she knelt down and leaned under the couch to check. As soon as Kaito saw her, his eyes went wide.
Touma's under-bed magazines were now stashed under Kaito's couch. For a brief moment, he desperately hoped Misaki wouldn't notice them.
Suddenly, Misaki yelled excitedly, "Lucky!" She spotted the cat under the couch, sleeping on the bag Kaito had left there.
Misaki gently pulled the bag with the magazines closer to herself, quietly removing it from under the couch without waking the cat.
Then, she picked up the cat and placed the bag on the couch. After she put the cat on her bed, she turned back to Kaito.
She glared at him with angry eyes as she sat down next to the bag she had just placed on the couch. Kaito's eyes shifted from the bag to Misaki, his anxiety growing with every passing second.
"Tell me," she snapped, her voice loud, "What's your next stupid move? Let me know in advance so I'm not caught off guard like today!"
Kaito was helpless, his tongue tied, unable to say anything as he stared at her. This was all Izumi's plan, but in the end, it was Kaito who ended up suffering.
"Ugh! I'm fed up with your endless series of stupidities!" Misaki shouted.
She was getting even more upset. Pointing to the door with her finger, she added, "There's no guarantee that tomorrow you'll walk in here with your girlfriend!"
"What?" Kaito could only mutter. He was shocked, sad, and a little scared.
It wasn't that he was afraid of her doing something to him—after all, he had almost gotten used to being slapped by her. No, this fear was different. It was more about the fear of losing her.
His constant mistakes and bad luck made him fear that Misaki would eventually get fed up and leave. The thought terrified him, so he stayed quiet, listening to her scolding.
"Enough already!" Misaki said with a frustrated and tired expression. "Starting tomorrow, I'll look for another place for myself!"