Totally Normal Life, Pt. 1

It had been three weeks since Megumi crashed into my life, and somehow, we were still coexisting under the same roof. Life with her was anything but predictable. And yet, nothing ever escalated into anything truly serious.

Slightly annoying? Sometimes.

Chaotic? Occasionally.

Normal? Definitely not.

It was never enough to push me over the edge. I was still somewhat adjusting to her chaos — her unpredictable moods, her strange habits, the way she'd pop out of nowhere like a horror movie villain.

Day by day, moment by moment, I was learning how to keep up with her.

Now, I was leaning back on the couch, letting my thoughts drift in that rare, peaceful moment of stillness. For once, things felt manageable. Calm, even. Maybe I was starting to get the hang of living with Megumi.

Then, right on cue, peace shattered like glass.

Her face suddenly appeared inches from mine, upside down and hovering over me like some grinning specter.

"Hey, Shohei!"

I yelped, jolting forward out of reflex — just as she leaned in further.

Thud.

Our foreheads collided with a solid smack that echoed through the room. We both recoiled at the same time, clutching our heads and groaning in unison.

"Hey. You okay?" I managed to say through a wince, trying not to curse aloud.

Megumi pulled back, flashing me a huge, lopsided smile and throwing up a weak thumbs-up.

"N-never better..."

The deep red mark swelling across her forehead told a very different story.

"What the?! Are you sure you're okay? Cuz that definitely looks bad."

"Pfft, I've been through worse. This is just a kiss from fate."

"That is not what that is. Come around and sit. You're not moving until I fix that."

"Ooh~ You gonna treat me? How nice of you."

"Just hold still."

After grabbing a first-aid kit from a nearby shelf, I dabbed a bit of ointment onto my finger. As I leaned in to apply it, Megumi closed her eyes and hummed, clearly enjoying the moment.

That was when I realized just how close we were. Her face was right there... right in front of me.

Again. Just like before. And even before that.

Even the faint light from the window seemed to catch in her eyes, turning them into something warm and unreadable.

"You gonna apply it already?" she smirked. "Or did you sit me down for the sole purpose of staring at me like this?"

I nearly stumbled back.

"W-what are you even saying?"

"I'm asking questions."

"Well, stop asking and hold still."

"Yes, sir~"

However, in my flustered effort to stay composed, my finger accidentally pressed a little too hard on the swollen mark.

"Ow!" she flinched, jerking slightly.

"S-Sorry! That wasn’t on purpose! I swear—!"

She laughed under her breath, more amused than upset.

"Oh, Shohei, Shohei. How dare you hurt a pretty girl like me?" 

"I... didn't mean to..."

"But you did. Those photos you took for me have gotten a huge influx of positive reviews. More likes than ever, more comments and shares, and more engagement in general. What's gonna happen now that I have this bump on my forehead?"

"...S-sorry."

"Heh. As you should be. Well, lucky for you, I don't bite. So, as you were."

I choked back my anxiety and leaned in again, this time much more carefully as I gently spread the ointment across the red spot.

Just get it done, Shohei Taka. Don't even think about her eyes. Or her skin. Or the way she was presenting herself to you in such a cute way.

Shit... That's definitely easier said than done.

"You know, I can't help but notice... You do such a good job taking care of me," she smiled, stretching her legs out like she was lounging at a salon. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were warming up to me."

I felt my hand falter slightly.

"Keep dreaming, Megumi. Because that's never gonna happen. At least, not fully."

She cracked one eye open and grinned.

"Maybe not, sut still, it's nice to see that we're finally getting along, don't you think?"

"...Sure."

Once I was done, I put the cap back on the ointment bottle and leaned away, but she suddenly grabbed my wrist. Before I could process anything, she spun me around and shoved me onto the couch.

"Alrighty then. Now it's your turn to be the patient," she smirked mischievously, already straddling the spot beside me.

"Huh? W-wait, huh?!"

"Yep! Don't think I didn't see that welt forming on your forehead, too. Now, come here."

"H-Hey, I'm fine. Seriously, it's not a big—"

I didn't even get the sentence out before she snatched the ointment from my hand.

"Stay still."

I froze, keeping my eyes trained on literally anything that wasn't her. The ceiling, the wall, the faint stain on the floor next to the coffee table — anything.

"Look at me," she muttered.

"I'm looking."

"You're looking like a freaking hostage tied to a chair. Come on. I can't apply it correctly if you're facing somewhere else."

"Then just apply it as best as you can."

"Tch..."

Without warning, she grabbed my chin and turned my face toward hers. Our eyes met, and for a moment, I was out of breath.

"There. Not so hard, now is it?"

Her fingers were light against my skin as she gently applied the ointment, working with a level of care I didn't expect.

My heart is pounding.

She's too close.

Even her breath was calm, like this was normal for her. Meanwhile, I was doing mental gymnastics trying to stay sane.

This shouldn't be happening.

This is nowhere near normal.

This is dangerous.

And yet... I wasn't exactly in a rush to pull away either.

"Phew~ Done," she announced with a triumphant little grin. "See? Easy-peasy. And here you were, acting like you were dying or something."

She turned to leave, but before she got more than a step away, my hand moved on its own — not grabbing, just catching her wrist lightly.

"Megumi... I'm still a guy, you know."

Her expression cracked — confusion first, then something more fragile slipping underneath.

"...What does that mean?" she asked quietly.

I swallowed, wishing I could rewind the last two seconds and rethink everything.

"I mean... Look, this... You're always getting so close, and I'm trying, okay? I'm trying really hard not to make anything weird."

A breath. One I didn't realize I'd been holding.

"You're an actress. A model. People literally stop in the street to look at you. And I'm... Hah. I'm just me. I shouldn't even be in your orbit. Yet, here you are, living in my apartment, sitting on my couch, putting ointment on my face like it's nothing."

My grip loosened on her wrist — not letting go, but giving her the space to pull away if she wanted.

"And you're... Megumi, you're beautiful. Obviously. Anyone can see that. But when you get close to me like that—"

I swallowed again.

"It's... hard. Hard to pretend I'm not affected. Hard to pretend I don't notice you. And infinitely harder to not think that you really aren't acting this time."

My voice dropped without meaning to. The words settled heavily between us.

The truth is that I like being around her. Probably more than I should. But that doesn't mean I get to do whatever I want. She's been hurt enough already. I just don't want to be the reason she gets hurt again.

Suddenly, Megumi's smile softened. She turned to face me fully. I released her wrist, but she caught my hand in return.

Without a word, she leaned forward as I retreated further into the back cushion. Her arm slid past my shoulder. Then came her knee, propped on the edge of the couch right between my legs.

In a blink, she was inches from my face... closer than ever before.

"You know..." she murmured, smirking faintly. "I was starting to wonder when this would finally come up. Three weeks is a long time, especially when we're living under the same roof."

"I... I tried my best."

"Oh, trust me. I know you did. And I appreciate that you're so careful with me, which is why I feel inclined to remind you."

"R-remind me? Of what...?"

Her smile grew sharper, more playful — and yet completely serious.

"You saved me, Shohei. Pulled me back when I was already gone. If you hadn't been there, I wouldn't be here."

A small squeeze of my hand.

"Still not sure if that's a blessing or a curse, but... it's the truth. So what I'm saying is this: whether you like it or not, a part of me belongs to you now. Maybe more than just a part. And you can do whatever you want with that."

She leaned even closer, breath brushing my cheek.

"You're not dumb, Shohei. You know what that means... don't you?"