"...Because I'm starting to fall in love with you, Imaizumi-san."

In an instant, my heart began to pound, loud enough that I was certain Keiyu could hear it. My hands flew to my mouth, attempting to suppress a gasp. My face flushed hot and bright as his confession replayed over and over in my mind.

"B-But we've only known each other for such a short time," I responded. "We've only worked on one project together... and we've only just met again recently. How... how can you fall in love with me so quickly?"

Keiyu was quiet for a moment, his eyes were looking around as he considered my question. Finally, he shrugged slightly, a soft smile on his face, "I don't know either, Imaizumi-san. I can't explain it, but it's there. I want to get to know you more, to be closer to you. I want to protect you and work with you to achieve our dreams."

He paused once again, drawing in a deep breath before he continued, "So, I'm begging you. Let me turn down the serialization. I don't want to work with anyone else. I want to work with you."

Images of Satoshi flashed before my eyes, reminding me of his confession and my inability to reciprocate his feelings a while back.

Now, I was standing in front of Keiyu, who was stirring a different, yet equally strong feeling within me. I couldn't deny how giddy he could make me feel, or make my heart beat fast, or pleasant it felt whenever he cared for me. Yet, I knew I had to be careful.

Was it right to answer him now? Or should I wait?

Finally, I sighed, resigning myself to my emotions, "Kurumizawa-san," I began to speak, albeit quietly. "I... I like you too. And I think I may come to love you more in the future. But... I'm not ready yet. Not ready to accept you completely."

His expression faltered, his gaze dropping to the ground as he prepared himself for rejection. But I wasn't finished, "Promise me this... if you promise that you'll get a new story serialized, and turned into a full series," I continued. "Then I'd happily stick with you... as your girlfriend. Until then, we remain as colleagues, colleagues who just happen to have strong feelings for each other."

I drew in a shaky breath, forcing myself to meet his gaze, "To be honest... I don't want to work with another author, either," I confessed with a small smile on my lips. "I agreed to complete a full series with you, Kurumizawa-san. And I intend to keep that promise."

He nodded, presenting to me a faint smile, "I... I understand, Imaizumi-san. And I'll make sure to keep my promise."

Despite the somewhat somber atmosphere, I couldn't help but smile at his determination. Moving closer to him, I tilted my head, my gaze landing on his face. "Kurumizawa-san, can you really keep your promise? Will you wait for me until you've secured your position at Hikari Suisei?"

His response was a quiet yes, albeit with a noticeable frown. But I wasn't about to let him wallow in negativity. Gesturing for him to lean down, I pretended to share a secret. But instead of whispering, I leaned in, pecking his cheek lightly. "That's your motivation for now," I said, pulling back to meet his surprised gaze. "And you'll have to wait until you're serialized again before the next one."

His eyes widened, his cheeks tinged a faint pink as he looked at me, completely stunned by my actions.

Suddenly, we were interrupted by a familiar voice clearing its throat. Startled, I turned around to see Tanaka standing there, holding a check in his hand and a teasing smile on his lips.

"Kaname-san! How... how long have you been standing there?" Keiyu stammered, his face flushing even deeper.

"Oh, I just came when Imaizumi-san was making a promise about a serialization," he said casually, his eyes twinkling with mirth. "But it seems I've walked in on something a bit more... intimate."

"Wha- No, it's not like that!" Keiyu exclaimed, quickly snatching the check from Tanaka's hand. His nervous reaction only seemed to amuse Tanaka more.

"I didn't know you the great rookie Kurotsuki-sensei and the sensational artist Pinkie-san were so lovey-dovey," Tanaka chuckled. "Well, as long as you two are happy and committed to your work, I suppose there's no harm in it."

Keiyu only mumbled something under his breath in response, his face still flushed. Then he cleared his throat, drawing Tanaka's attention back to him. "Actually, Kaname-san, I need to tell you something important," he said with a much more steadier voice.

Tanaka's brows furrowed slightly, "What is it, Kurotsuki-sensei?"

"I'm not taking the serialization offer for Shinku," Keiyu blurted out, his gaze unwavering.

Tanaka blinked in surprise, "What? But why?"

Keiyu took a deep breath, "I want to write another story, and Imaizumi-san will be the illustrator. I want to make sure it's a story that can surpass Kei Enishi in the next poll and get serialized."

Tanaka looked taken aback by Keiyu's bold declaration. He opened his mouth, probably to question Keiyu's decision, but I beat him to it. "Please, Kaname-san," I interjected, "Give Kurumizawa-san a chance. He's serious about this."

Tanaka sighed, scratching his head, "Alright. I'll inform Shinto-san about your decision, Kurotsuki-sensei. But you have to understand, you're an established rookie author. You can't go a year without a serialized work."

"I know that," Keiyu nodded. "And we'll get a story serialized before then."

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With that, Tanaka turned on his heel and disappeared back into the Hikari Suisei building, leaving the two of us alone. Keiyu glanced at his watch, "Ah, It's almost 8 PM. Do you have a live stream tonight, Imaizumi-san?"

I shook my head, "No, not tonight. I can skip my schedule this week because Hikari Monthly Artists just ended."

Keiyu seemed to contemplate something before he turned to me with a light blush dusting his cheeks, "Would you like to have dinner at my place? If you're not busy, I mean. I can help you set up your bank account online, and we can go to the actual bank another day to deposit the check and some of your savings."

My cheeks flamed in response, "Kurumizawa-san, remember, we're not... we're not dating yet, okay?"

"I know," He quickly acknowledged. "I'm just offering as a friend. No strings attached."

With a sigh, I nodded in acceptance, "If you insist, let's go then."

As we reached Keiyu's residence, he unlocked the door and ushered me inside. He directed me to the living room with a polite gesture, "Please make yourself comfortable, Imaizumi-san. I'll get started on dinner."

"O-Okay, you can call me if you need help," I smiled in response.

"Oh, and is there anything specific you'd like to eat?" He adds, already making his way toward the kitchen.

I shook my head, "I'm not picky, Kurumizawa-san. Anything is fine."

A smile flickered across his face, "Alright then. I hope you'll like what I'll prepare," he said as he disappeared into the kitchen, leaving me alone in the spacious living room.

Not even a few minutes in, I already found myself thinking too much about things, I was hoping for something, perhaps a bit too eagerly, that if he's serious about me, he would really keep his promise.

Fidgeting restlessly, I decided to get up and offer him some help. As I walked into the kitchen, I noticed Keiyu expertly chopping some vegetables. He looked up, surprised to see me.

"Can I help with anything else, Kurumizawa-san?" I asked him.

He smiled, shaking his head, "No, please, Imaizumi-san. Just relax, let me handle this."

I then replied in a playful protest, "Why don't you use me so you can relax and enjoy a bit of time off as well?"

Immediately, his eyes widened, and the knife in his hand wobbled dangerously. "W-What?"

I felt my face grow hot as I realized my choice of words. Stumbling over my own sentences, I quickly tried to clarify, "N-No, I mean, if there are any other odd jobs around the house, I can do them for you! Not...not like that!"

Keiyu let out a relieved chuckle, his gaze returning to the vegetables, "I see. That's... a relief."

Grinning mischievously, I crossed my arms over my chest, "What's that supposed to mean, Kurumizawa-san? Were you thinking something... indecent?"

His face reddened, "N-no! It was just... your phrasing was... odd, that's all."

His flustered reaction brought a laugh from me. It was unexpectedly charming seeing this side of him. With a shake of my head, I decided to let him off the hook. "If you say so, I'll go back to the living room then."

With a sheepish smile, he suggested something, pointing to a cabinet standing beside his refrigerator, "On second thought, why don't you set the table for us? The plates are in the cabinet next to the fridge."

With a nod, I began preparing the table for our dinner, carefully handling the wares as Keiyu continued with his cooking.

After a few moments, Keiyu finished cooking and arrived at the table carrying a large dish of chicken teriyaki over a bed of fluffy white rice, which he then served on our plates.

He also had a simple salad on the side, just to add to the healthy aspect of the meal. After pouring water into two glasses, he finally took his seat across from me.

"Wow, Kurumizawa-san, this looks amazing!" I exclaimed, taking in the mouthwatering sight of the meal he'd prepared. "Where did you learn to cook so well?"

His face clouded briefly as if he was recalling an old memory, but it quickly came to pass and instead, he gave me a small smile, "Just read a lot of cookbooks, that's all."

With that, we clasped our hands together, "Thanks for the meal," the two of us recited in unison.

As we finished our meal and took a break, I stood up from the table, smoothing my skirt as I looked at him, "Kurumizawa-san, thank you for the meal! But I should be heading home now. I have to prepare for school tomorrow."

Keiyu glanced up, then nodded, "Of course, I'll walk you home."

I quickly retrieved my bag from the living room, waiting by the door as Keiyu locked up the house. Then we started walking, letting the peaceful atmosphere of the night surround us.

Keiyu was silent, walking with his hands tucked into his pockets as if he was thinking about many things.

"You're being awfully accommodating, Kurumizawa-san," I teased, trying to help him break the silence that was threatening to make us feel awkward.

He glanced at me and smiled, "Even if I hadn't confessed my feelings, I would've treated you just as nicely, Imaizumi-san. You're a good person."

His words caught me by surprise, causing me to blush as well, "You're quite the smooth talker, Kurumizawa-san," I chuckled. "Just like your twin, although you're a bit less smooth than him."

Keiyu laughed, "Kiryu has always been better with words than me. I guess that's why he's a playboy. You wouldn't believe it, but he once dated three girls at once."

That certainly took me by surprise, "He did? Is he... Is he really a good person then?"

Keiyu nodded, "He is. He's just on the chaotic good side of things. He likes to take advantage of his status as a Kurumizawa. But he can be really kind when he takes a girl seriously. It's just... he hasn't taken any girl seriously yet."

There was a pause before he continued, "When he spoke to you the first time, I was a bit worried that he might charm you. He has that effect on people."

"Well, when I first saw Kiryu, I did think he was a bit handsome," I admitted. "But I guess that means I think you're handsome too since you two are twins."

Keiyu let out a chuckle, "Ouch, that seems like an unfair judgment, don't you think? We have our differences."

"I'm serious though," I insisted. "Even though you two aren't identical, you still share the same features."

Keiyu hummed in agreement, "That's true." before smiling as he admitted, "Honestly, when Kiryu tried to flirt with you back at my house, I was sweating bullets. I... I didn't want to give you away to my brother."

I smiled warmly as I felt the sincerity in his words, "Kurumizawa-san, you don't have to worry about me ending up with another guy," I reassured him, pausing in our walk. "Y-You have me, you know?"

He walked back to me, tilting his head in wonder, "What do you mean?"

"Well, I can't consider myself as your... official girlfriend just yet," I explained. "Not until you fulfill your promise of having a story serialized with me as the illustrator, just as how you wanted it. So until then, I'll be here."

Keiyu nodded, "I'll get it done, I promise."

I reached out, gently holding his hand, "I'll be waiting for you, Kurotsuki-sensei. So for now, all I can do is stay by your side and support you as your... lovely workmate."

Laughing softly, Keiyu bent down to my height, lightly brushing my bangs aside as he gently pressed his forehead against mine. His amber eyes met mine, causing a blush to form on my cheeks, "You're more than just lovely, Imaizumi-san," he said softly. His voice was cold and low but it felt pleasant, "And I'll do whatever it takes to fulfill my promise to you."

Giggling, I teased him I moved a little away from his face, "T-There you go again, being such a smooth talker."

He straightened up, smiling mischievously, "Oh I wasn't being smooth that time, Imaizumi-san. I'm serious."

I stuttered, surprised by his earnestness. "I-Is that so? Okay then... thanks..." I managed to stammer, "T-thank you, Kurumizawa-san."

Keiyu nodded, and relaxed as I released his hand and we continued our quiet walk trip back home.