The day after Riku's unexpected visit to Yumi's house, he found himself walking to school with a strange feeling in his stomach. He hadn't expected to be so nervous, but now, thinking back to yesterday, he couldn't shake the thought of how embarrassed he had been.
He had gone to check on Yumi after hearing she was sick. And while he never thought he'd be the type to just show up at someone's house uninvited, he couldn't help himself. The worry had overtaken him, and now, all he could think about was how awkward everything had been when he got there.
It didn't help that she had seemed so... calm. Yumi was always full of energy, always teasing him, and her ability to make him feel flustered so easily was maddening. Now, thinking about the way she had playfully called him "sweet little Riku," he couldn't decide if he wanted to hide under a rock or laugh at how ridiculous he must have looked.
As he approached the school gates, Riku could see Yumi walking ahead of him, her usual confident stride in place. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, and she was wearing her school uniform as usual—no sign of illness whatsoever. She caught sight of him, and a familiar teasing grin appeared on her face.
"So, how's the great sick-day rescuer feeling today?" she called out, her voice carrying across the courtyard.
Riku blinked, taken off guard by the jab. "What?" he asked, confused.
"You know," Yumi continued, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You, rushing to my rescue yesterday. With your little bag of fruit and everything. How's that going? All the stress of saving me from the common cold?"
Riku's face immediately reddened. He hadn't expected her to bring it up again so soon. "I-I was just making sure you were okay..." he stammered, feeling all the awkwardness from yesterday flood back.
Yumi raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. "Just making sure, huh? Did I need a superhero or something?"
Riku scratched the back of his neck nervously. "No, I just thought... fruits are good for colds, right?"
She smiled, that mischievous glint in her eyes growing. "Yeah, if you're trying to earn 'Best Friend of the Year' award." She gave him a smirk. "What, no flowers? Or were you too busy playing 'nurse' to think of that?"
Riku groaned inwardly. "Yeah, I guess next time I'll throw in a bouquet... and maybe a crown, while I'm at it," he muttered, trying to brush it off, but Yumi was relentless.
Yumi's grin only widened. "Now we're talking. 'Prince Riku to the rescue,' right?" she teased, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
Riku's face went even redder, and he shot her a glare. "I wasn't rescuing you. I was just... being a good person!" His words were much less convincing than he hoped.
"Oh sure, sure," Yumi said with exaggerated innocence, her lips curling into a smile that screamed mischief. "Just 'helping' out. But you did look pretty excited for a 'helping' guy. I mean, you went all out with the fruit and everything."
Riku wanted to disappear. "You're impossible," he muttered under his breath as they reached the classroom.
Yumi leaned in a little closer, still smiling that knowing smile. "Admit it, you were worried. I'm practically a damsel in distress, and you're the knight in shining... fruit?" She gave him a look like she had caught him red-handed.
"I wasn't worried," Riku said quickly, but the way his voice cracked made him sound less convincing than ever.
Yumi raised her hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright, no need to be so defensive, Riku. I'm just saying, you were practically pacing outside my door, waiting to swoop in. You sure you weren't practicing your 'rescue techniques'?"
Riku wanted to argue, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, he just muttered, "It was just a cold... not exactly an epic quest."
She chuckled, clearly enjoying watching him squirm. "Right. Just a cold. But you were all 'heroic' about it. What's next, you bring me soup with a heart-shaped spoon?"
"Do you really want me to start bringing you soup?" Riku asked, pretending to be genuinely concerned. "Because I'll do it. But only if it's in a dinosaur-shaped bowl."
Yumi stopped and raised an eyebrow. "Dinosaur-shaped? Now that, I'd like to see."
"I'll make it happen," he said with a straight face, even though the idea was completely ridiculous.
She burst out laughing, nearly doubling over. "I'll hold you to that," she managed between laughs. "Though I'm still waiting for that crown."
"Sure, I'll get on that too," Riku said with a shrug. "I'll order one from the nearest 'knight accessories' store."
They both started walking into the classroom, the banter still floating in the air between them. Riku couldn't shake the feeling of her teasing, but at least he wasn't turning completely red anymore.
Lunchtime came, and as usual, the classroom filled with chatter and the sounds of people leaving the class to go to the cafeteria. Riku sat at his desk, unwrapping his own lunch and trying to avoid eye contact with Yumi, who was already halfway through her sandwich.
Yumi noticed the way he was purposefully looking away and grinned to herself. "What's wrong, Riku?" she asked, her voice light but teasing. "Did I embarrass you yesterday? You still look all flushed, you know."
Riku froze, the sandwich halfway to his mouth. "I-I do not!" he denied, though his red face told a different story.
Yumi leaned in closer, her breath lightly brushing against his ear as she spoke. "You totally do," she whispered, her words slow and deliberate. "You're cute when you're all flustered."
Riku's heart skipped a beat. He quickly turned his head away, his face now so hot he was sure it could fry an egg. "Stop it," he mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper. "You're... you're not even funny."
"Not funny?" Yumi repeated, her voice growing louder. "You know what's funny? How you act all tough, but the second I tease you, you turn into a tomato." She reached out and poked his cheek. "A cute tomato, though."
Riku shoved her hand away, which only made her laugh harder. He had no idea why he was letting her get under his skin like this, but it was like every little jab she made somehow hit him harder than the last one.
"You're so easy," Yumi mused, clearly enjoying herself. "I almost feel bad for you."
"Why do I even put up with you?" Riku muttered under his breath, more to himself than to her.
"Because you secretly love it," she replied casually, like she'd known all along. "Admit it. You come to school every day just for this."
Riku rolled his eyes but couldn't help the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You're impossible," he repeated, though there was less bite in his voice this time.
Later that afternoon, after school ended, Yumi invited Riku to walk home with her, much to his surprise. He'd assumed she'd go off with her usual group of friends, but instead, she was waiting by the gate for him.
"Come on, let's go," Yumi said, her grin returning as she pulled him along.
"Are you sure you don't have something importan?" Riku asked, half suspicious, half curious.
She waved her hand dismissively. "Nope. Just felt like walking with my favorite victim today."
"Victim?" Riku repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You make it sound like I'm your personal punching bag."
"You practically are," she teased, nudging him with her elbow again. "You're just lucky I don't make you carry my bags too."
"I would never agree to that," Riku shot back. "And I'm definitely not your 'favorite victim.'"
Yumi smirked. "Oh, really?" She leaned in close, her voice dropping to a teasing whisper. "Then why is it that every time I tease you, you just blush and act all embarrassed? You practically jump at the chance to be teased."
"I don't!" Riku protested loudly, but his face betrayed him as it turned red once again.
"See?" Yumi said, pulling away with a satisfied grin. "Admit it, you love it."
Riku opened his mouth to argue but quickly closed it again. There was no winning when it came to Yumi's teasing.
"Whatever," he muttered, trying to change the subject. "How's your cold, anyway?"
Yumi shrugged. "Better. Just a little tired. But it's nothing. I'll be back to full strength in no time."
Riku nodded, relieved. "Good. You don't have to pretend to be sick just to get me to check on you."
Yumi's eyes lit up at the comment. "Oh? So you do admit you were worried?"
"I wasn't—"
"You were!" she said triumphantly, cutting him off. "I can tell. You're like an open book, Riku. A very red book."
"Stop!" he groaned, his hands reaching up to hide his face.
"Not gonna happen." She grinned, enjoying every second of it.
The rest of their walk was filled with more teasing, playful jabs, and Riku trying—unsuccessfully—to hide his flustered reactions. Riku was exhausted, his face sore from all the blushing.
"See you tomorrow, tomato," Yumi called over her shoulder as she walked away.
Riku didn't even bother replying. Instead, he just muttered under his breath, "I'm not a tomato..." but couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips.