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The café was warm and inviting, the scent of freshly brewed coffee filling the air. Rei sat at their usual corner table, his fingers drumming impatiently on the surface as he glanced at the door for what felt like the hundredth time. Shiho was late—again—and Rei’s usual composure was fraying at the edges. He checked his watch, his jaw tightening. Twenty minutes late. Typical Shiho.
When she finally burst through the door, her auburn hair slightly disheveled and her cheeks flushed from the cold, Rei raised an eyebrow. “You’re late.”
Shiho rolled her eyes, sliding into the seat across from him. “I got caught up in the lab. You know how it is.”
Rei sighed, pushing a steaming cup of coffee toward her. “Black, no sugar. Just how you like it.”
Shiho smirked, taking a sip. “You’re learning.”
Their banter was interrupted when a tall, handsome man approached their table, his eyes fixed on Shiho. “Hey, Shiho! I didn’t know you came here. Mind if I join you?”
Rei’s jaw tightened, his piercing blue eyes narrowing as he glanced between Shiho and the stranger. Shiho, oblivious to Rei’s growing irritation, smiled politely. “Oh, hey, Mark. This is Rei, my boyfriend. Rei, this is Mark. He’s in my biochemistry class.”
Mark extended a hand, his smile too bright for Rei’s liking. “Nice to meet you, Rei.”
Rei shook his hand, his grip firm and his expression icy. “Likewise.”
As Mark launched into a detailed discussion about Shiho’s latest research project, Rei felt a pang of jealousy he couldn’t quite shake. He hated how easily Mark seemed to connect with Shiho, how effortlessly he made her laugh. When Mark finally left, Rei crossed his arms, his tone clipped. “He seems… friendly.”
Shiho raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips. “Are you jealous, Furuya?”
Rei looked away, his cheeks tinged with pink. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
Shiho leaned across the table, her voice teasing. “You are. You’re totally jealous.”
Rei huffed, refusing to meet her gaze. “I just don’t like the way he looks at you.”
Shiho’s smirk softened into a smile, and she reached out to squeeze his hand. “Relax. You’re the only one I’m interested in.”
Rei’s expression softened, and he squeezed her hand back. “Good.”
But the tension between them lingered. Rei’s mood remained gloomy, his usual calm demeanor replaced by a brooding silence. Shiho tried to lighten the mood, but every attempt at conversation seemed to fall flat. Finally, she sighed, setting her coffee cup down. “Maybe we should just go. You’re clearly not in the mood to be here.”
Rei nodded stiffly, standing up and grabbing his coat. “Fine.”
As they gathered their things, a cheerful voice called out from across the café. “Rei! Hey, Rei!”
Rei turned to see a petite girl with short, dark hair waving at him enthusiastically. She hurried over, her smile bright and her eyes sparkling. “I thought that was you! It’s been forever since we’ve talked. How have you been?”
Rei’s expression remained neutral, but Shiho noticed the way his shoulders tensed. “I’m fine, Yumi. How are you?”
Yumi beamed, completely ignoring Shiho as she launched into a rapid-fire update about her classes and the cooking club. “Oh, and remember that recipe you helped me with last semester? It was a hit at the club meeting! You should come by again sometime. Everyone misses you.”
Shiho crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing as she watched the exchange. She recognized Yumi from Rei’s stories—a girl who had confessed her feelings to him last year but had been gently rejected. Rei had mentioned they still talked occasionally, but Shiho hadn’t realized how… friendly they were.
Rei cleared his throat, glancing at Shiho. “Yumi, this is Shiho. My girlfriend.”
Yumi’s smile faltered for a split second before she recovered, finally acknowledging Shiho with a polite nod. “Oh, right. Hi. Nice to meet you.”
Shiho forced a smile, her tone clipped. “Likewise.”
Yumi turned her attention back to Rei, her voice dripping with sweetness. “Anyway, I was thinking we could catch up sometime. Maybe over coffee? Or lunch? You know, like old times.”
Rei’s expression remained stoic, but Shiho could see the discomfort in his eyes. “I’m pretty busy these days, but I’ll let you know.”
Yumi pouted playfully. “You’re always so busy, Rei. Don’t forget to take care of yourself, okay?”
Shiho’s patience snapped. “He’s fine. I make sure of it.”
Yumi blinked, her smile faltering again. “Oh. Well, that’s… good.”
The awkward silence that followed was broken by Rei, who stepped closer to Shiho. “We should get going. It was nice seeing you, Yumi.”
Yumi nodded, her smile strained. “Yeah, sure. See you around, Rei.”
As they left the café, Shiho’s irritation bubbled over. “What was that about?”
Rei frowned, his tone defensive. “What do you mean?”
“She was all over you,” Shiho snapped, her voice rising. “And you didn’t exactly shut her down.”
Rei stopped walking, turning to face her. “I was polite. What was I supposed to do, yell at her?”
“You could’ve made it clear you weren’t interested,” Shiho shot back, her eyes blazing. “Instead, you let her flirt with you right in front of me.”
Rei’s jaw tightened, his own frustration boiling over. “You’re one to talk. What about Mark? You didn’t seem to mind him flirting with you.”
Shiho’s eyes widened, her voice incredulous. “Mark wasn’t flirting with me! He was just being friendly.”
“And Yumi was just catching up,” Rei countered, his tone sharp. “But you didn’t seem to like that, did you?”
They stood there in the middle of the sidewalk, glaring at each other as the tension between them reached a breaking point. Finally, Shiho took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. “This is stupid. We’re both being stupid.”
Rei sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah. We are.”
Shiho crossed her arms, her voice softer now. “I don’t like seeing you with someone else, even if it’s just talking. It makes me… insecure.”
Rei’s expression softened, and he reached out to take her hand. “I don’t like seeing you with someone else either. Even if it’s just talking.”
Shiho looked down at their joined hands, a small smile tugging at her lips. “So we’re both jealous idiots.”
Rei chuckled, pulling her closer. “Yeah. But we’re our jealous idiots.”
Shiho leaned into him, her earlier anger melting away. “Just… next time, shut her down, okay?”
Rei nodded, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Only if you do the same with Mark.”
Shiho smirked, looking up at him. “Deal.”
And as they walked home hand in hand, the tension between them finally dissipated, replaced by the quiet understanding that came with knowing they were each other’s—and no one else’s.