a familiar face re-emerges

Jake took a big step back. He was out of breath, and if he was being honest, getting a bit worn out. It all felt great, of course, but he was also beginning to lose interest in taking such a featured role in Aguri and Kei's marital squabbles. And he wondered yet again, where is Abbie?

"Kei, I --" Aguri began.

Kei looked at him expectantly. She looked down to the ground, exhaled slowly, and then returned her eyes to his.

"Are we done?" he asked. His tone was direct and mildly defeated as if he truly thought that their relationship might be over. "Or," he said with a bit more optimism, "are we done ... with this?" He waved his arms around, suggesting that the shenanigans in the woods was representative of whatever their fight had been.

Kei smiled at him. It was a different smile than before. This one felt comforting. "Done with this, I think," she said. She took two steps toward him. She was still winded, but calming, her pulse lowering.

Jake half-watched this exchange, but he was a bit confused. A moment ago, he was having some kind of wild sexual escapade, and now he seemed to have been cast off without a word, possibly without either of them noticing that he was even still there.

"Psst!"

Jake turned his head toward the sudden whisper to his right. There, he saw the cheerful face of Abbie Andrews, complete with an impish smile and a twinkle in her eye.

"Happy to see me?"