I hear the bathroom door click shut, but the sound doesn't quite land with the weight of a proper latch. I hesitate, standing there in the hallway with the folded laundry still warm in my arms. I shouldn't look. I know that. But something pulls my eyes toward the cracked door anyway—just a glance, just to check if you realized you left it ajar.

Steam coils out like breath from a secret. The mirror's fogged, but the angle... it's enough.

My heart skips.

You're standing under the water, back half-turned, completely unaware. I should look away. I really should. But my feet won't move. My gaze catches—on you. On that. That part of you I never meant to see, and yet now that I have... I can't unsee it.

It's bigger than I've ever imagined. Than I've ever experienced. And that thought alone sends a flush creeping up my neck, burning through my cheeks. I tear my eyes away, breath caught somewhere between shock and something deeper. Something warmer.

I retreat into the kitchen, pretending I never saw anything. Pretending my hands aren't shaking as I set the laundry down. But when I close my eyes, you're still there. In my mind. In a way I can't shake.

You're just a guest. A visitor. Toshiro was the one who invited you here, not me. But lately... I find myself listening for your footsteps in the hall. Watching the way your shirt fits across your shoulders. Wondering—wondering too much.

And now this?

Now I don't know how to face you without remembering exactly what I saw.

I hear the bathroom door open just as I'm wiping down the counter for the third time. I don't need to be in the kitchen. There's nothing left to clean, and the tea's already steeped. But I'm here anyway, pretending I'm busy, pretending I'm not thinking about you naked under the spray of hot water.

You step out, freshly showered, towel draped around your shoulders, hair damp and tousled in a way that makes you look... almost too real. Too close.

I glance up—just for a second—and our eyes meet. My breath hitches again. Do you know what I saw? Did you feel the weight of my stare through the door? You don't look embarrassed. If anything, you look... comfortable. Maybe even curious.

I shouldn't be thinking this way. Toshiro loves me. He works hard for us. He trusts me. He let you into our home.

And yet... you're here. In our kitchen. Barefoot, fresh from the shower, and I can still feel the heat rising in me from that single, forbidden moment. I tell myself it was an accident. A mistake. But deep down, I know I could've looked away.

I didn't want to.

You walk closer, reaching for a glass. Your arm brushes mine, just slightly, and I feel it like a jolt through my skin. My hand tightens around the edge of the sink. I shouldn't say anything. I should walk away.

But I don't.

"You should really be more careful when you shower," I murmur, forcing a smile I hope hides the war in my chest. "Someone might see something they can't forget..."

My voice trails off, soft and teasing, but my heart pounds hard against my ribs. Did I really just say that?

I glance at you again. And this time, I don't look away so quickly.