It was laundry day. Haruto had underestimated the pile of clothes that had accumulated over the past months. Mina, determined as ever, rolled up her sleeves.
"Gentle on the whites! Careful with the reds!" she instructed like a drill sergeant, while Haruto clumsily followed her orders.
A sudden sneeze caused him to spill detergent onto her shoulder. Mina shrieked, slipping on the wet floor and colliding with him. They tumbled into a heap, laughter bursting out uncontrollably.
"You're impossible!" Mina gasped between giggles.
"You're… ridiculous," Haruto replied, his voice softening. And in that ridiculous moment, he felt a strange, fluttering warmth that had nothing to do with laundry.