"Mr. Ishizuka, please take care of this document."
Placing the file on a young man's desk, Mai Kiyoura watched him as he worked diligently. She didn't leave right away; instead, she smiled at him. Even though he had dark circles under his eyes, he remained focused and hardworking.
The young man had just joined the company this year—a simple, ordinary-looking guy. However, when it came to work, he was incredibly dedicated. His personality was cheerful and kind, with a touch of youthful innocence that, rather than being off-putting, made him quite likable.
"Understood, Miss Kiyoura. I'll take care of it right away."
Ishizuka glanced up at her, nodded, and reached for the document. But just as he was about to start, Mai suddenly asked him a question.
"So? How are things going with Miss Yuzuki?"
"Huh?"
A faint blush crept onto Ishizuka's face. He stole a shy glance at Mai before lowering his head awkwardly, scratching it as he hesitated over his response.
After a moment of thought, he finally gathered his courage and looked up at her.
"Umm… Miss Kiyoura, what kind of gifts do you like? I was thinking of getting something for Miss Yuzuki, but I have no idea what she'd appreciate. I was hoping you could give me some advice."
"Hmm? What kind of gifts do I like?"
Hearing his question, an image suddenly popped into Mai's mind—Haruto wrapped up in a ribbon like a gift. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and an enigmatic smile flickered across her lips before quickly disappearing. Looking back at the young man in front of her, she shook her head lightly.
"And why are you asking me, exactly? If it's just to make Miss Yuzuki happy, I'd say a simple box of sweets should do the trick."
"Wouldn't that be too casual? She's been working really hard lately—juggling her job and taking care of Asahi—so I wanted to give her something special to cheer her up."
The Yuzuki they were referring to was Ishizuka's love interest, and Asahi was her son.
That's right—the young man, who had never even been in a relationship before, had fallen for a woman who already had a child. Her husband had passed away, and Ishizuka struggled with the emotions this situation brought.
Many people in the company were aware of this. At first, no one knew about Ishizuka's feelings, and quite a few single women had taken an interest in him. But over time, as he made no effort to hide it, word spread, and soon, everyone knew.
The women who had once admired him felt a twinge of disappointment, but instead of giving up completely, they started offering him advice. Meanwhile, the men in the office treated it like gossip, eagerly sharing their so-called wisdom on relationships with older women.
"Has your job been keeping you too busy? You've already met Asahi, haven't you? Last time, you said you went over to Miss Yuzuki's house and became friends with him."
"Yeah, Asahi's a really good kid. I guess it makes sense—he's Miss Yuzuki's son, after all. We got along right away, so I don't think she dislikes me."
Watching Ishizuka smile so earnestly, Mai couldn't help but think—if a single mother willingly let a young man into her home, that already meant something. But since Ishizuka hadn't quite figured it out yet, she decided to let him reach that realization on his own.
For someone who was normally so confident and energetic, he seemed surprisingly unsure when it came to matters of the heart.
"Since you've already built a connection with Asahi, why not offer to help take care of him? If Miss Yuzuki is busy with work, you could pick him up from school and look after him for a bit. That might bring you and her closer together."
"I see! That's a great idea!"
Ishizuka's face lit up in understanding, his excitement growing by the second. Mai, watching his reaction, was momentarily at a loss for words.
"Well, Asahi could serve as the perfect bridge between you two. Over time, even if you're not officially family, you'll start to feel like one."
"I get it now!"
"Good. Now, focus on your work. Once you're done, you can put more effort into deepening your relationship with Miss Yuzuki."
"Right!"
"I'll be heading out, then."
Leaving Ishizuka with his tasks, Mai casually offered him some encouragement before heading back to her office. After tidying up her things, she left the company for the day.
On her way home, she found herself lost in thought.
She realized she wasn't all that different from Ishizuka—except, while he had fallen for an older woman, she had fallen for someone younger.
"Setsuna and Haruto have been spending way too much time together lately. Maybe I should enroll her in a cram school to keep her occupied?"
Her thoughts grew more conflicted as she neared her neighborhood. But then, something caught her attention.
Standing near a utility pole along the familiar street leading to Haruto's apartment was a striking figure.
Draped in a vivid red floral kimono, the woman held a folding fan in her hand. Her long, silky twin-tails of purple hair cascaded down her back, and a few strands gently framed her face. Her gaze was fixed in the direction of Haruto's apartment, her expression unreadable.
Mai's eyes locked onto the mysterious figure, unable to look away.
Bathed in the golden hues of the setting sun, the figure before her cast a long, elongated shadow, filled with a sense of hesitation and sorrow. Standing still, Mai Kiyoura found herself momentarily entranced. As she slowly regained her senses, her brows furrowed slightly, and she followed the person's gaze toward Haruto's apartment.
"..."
After a moment of silence, she double-checked where the person was looking. Indeed, their eyes were fixed on the exact room where Haruto lived.
The "truth" she had inferred from Haruto's rather skilled techniques last time had been weighing on her mind. And now, seeing a strange woman standing at the street corner, staring at his apartment, immediately put Mai on high alert.
With measured steps, she approached the woman and took the initiative to strike up a conversation.
"Hello."
The unexpected voice snapped Sayuri out of her daze. She hadn't even realized she had been standing there so lost in thought. Turning around, she found herself facing the source of the voice.
The woman had her long hair neatly tied up and was dressed in a professional office outfit, giving off an air of sophistication. Sayuri was slightly surprised but nodded politely in greeting.
"Hello."
"Are you looking at that apartment? Do you know someone who lives there?"
Mai deliberately avoided mentioning Haruto's name. She wasn't sure if this woman knew him or if she was even aware that it was his residence. This was a test—to see if the woman recognized the place.
Sayuri glanced at the woman before her and slowly unfolded her folding fan, covering the lower half of her face. Noting the cautious look in Mai's eyes and the subtle probing in her words, she immediately sensed that this woman had some kind of relationship with the man who lived there—one she wasn't privy to.
"Yes, I was looking at that apartment. But I wasn't planning on meeting anyone there. I just happened to wander here on my walk, and for some reason, the sight of that place felt oddly familiar. So I stopped for a moment. Do you know the people who live there, ma'am?"
"I do, to some extent. My daughter's boyfriend lives there."
"Your daughter's boyfriend?"
Sayuri was taken aback. The woman in front of her didn't look old at all—she might even be around the same age as herself. If that were the case, her daughter would likely be around Eriri's age.
She turned back to glance at the apartment again, then looked at Mai, recalling the scene she had witnessed last time—the image of a girl embracing a young man. A look of realization dawned on her face.
"A neighbor?"
"Yes, a neighbor."
For some reason, Mai felt a peculiar interest in this young woman before her. After a moment's thought, she extended an invitation.
"Would you like to come over for a visit? If you have any questions about that place, I might be able to provide some answers."
Sayuri was briefly surprised by the sudden invitation. She glanced back at the apartment, the place that had been lingering in her thoughts lately.
After a short hesitation, she shook her head.
"No, though I am curious about some things and would love to chat, I have some matters to take care of at home. I should be heading back."
"I see. That's a shame."
Though her invitation was declined, Mai didn't seem particularly disappointed. She glanced back toward her own home and pointed in its direction.
"My house is right there. If you ever have time, feel free to drop by."
"If I get the chance, I certainly will."
Exchanging polite smiles, Sayuri withdrew her gaze and took one last look at Haruto's apartment before turning to leave. It was about time to head home and prepare dinner for Eriri.
Lately, she had noticed something odd about her daughter. It wasn't as if Eriri was outright avoiding her, but every time she came home, she would immediately retreat to her room.
"She asked me to prepare two bento boxes today… could she have gotten a boyfriend?"
Walking along the familiar road home, Sayuri mulled over her conversation with Mai. Their daughters seemed to be around the same age, give or take a little. Since Mai's daughter already had a boyfriend, the idea of Eriri dating didn't seem all that surprising.
If Eriri had found someone she liked, Sayuri wouldn't object. In fact, she would be thrilled if her daughter could quickly deepen her relationship with someone special.
After all, their house had always felt too empty with just the two of them. If Eriri could bring someone new into their lives… maybe even let her experience the joy of being a grandmother sooner rather than later, that would be wonderful.
Imagining her quiet evenings in the living room, Sayuri couldn't help but hope Eriri would have at least two children.
Back home, inside her bedroom, Eriri suddenly shivered. A strange chill ran down her spine. She paused for a moment, looking around her room before shaking it off and returning to her drawing.
Lately, she had been working on stories about daughters competing with their mothers for love. More recently, she had shifted to drawing tales of daughters secretly having illicit affairs with their mothers' lovers.
As for the changes in her creative direction and mindset? Well, that was something best left unspoken.
—
Meanwhile, Mai stood at the doorway of her house, watching as Sayuri's figure disappeared down the street. Only then did she turn and step inside. The house was quiet—her daughter was nowhere to be seen.
Changing out of her work clothes, she casually tossed her stockings into the laundry basket in the bathroom before slipping into her loungewear. Then, she made her way to the fridge.
"I forgot to buy groceries… I meant to do it yesterday, but I completely forgot. If I go now, all that's left will be discounted leftovers."
After a moment of hesitation, she decided to check if Haruto had any food to spare.
Leaving her house, she walked to the street corner and glanced at his apartment again, her mind still lingering on the strange woman from earlier. There was something eerily familiar about her, an inexplicable sense of déjà vu that unsettled Mai.
Picking up her pace, she soon arrived at Haruto's door.
Ringing the doorbell, she stepped inside. The moment she entered, she saw Setsuna sitting on the couch, reading a book, while Haruto was at his desk, furiously writing.
Setsuna lifted his head slightly at Mai's arrival, acknowledged her with a glance, and then returned to her book. As for Haruto, he was so absorbed in his work that he hadn't even noticed her.
"Haruto, do you have any food left?"
"Huh…? Oh, Mai-san, you're here. Food? Yeah, I just bought some fresh ingredients earlier."
"I'll cook dinner, then. You keep working—don't waste time on small things. Do your best."
"Uh… okay."
Watching Mai take over the kitchen so naturally, Haruto thought to himself that she probably had no idea what he was actually writing about.
If she knew…
His eyes fell on the manuscript in front of him—over 50,000 words written so far.
"If I can push it to 100,000 words, that should be enough. Though longer manuscripts bring in more revenue…"
With that thought, Haruto took a deep breath and continued writing.
It wasn't until dinner was ready that he finally lifted his head. Lost in his thoughts, he avoided looking at Mai and Setsuna. But as he picked at his food, Mai suddenly spoke up.
"By the way, Haruto, I ran into a woman outside your apartment today. She was staring up at your place. Do you know her?"
"Hm?"
Haruto stiffened, immediately recalling the recent incident of his missing underwear.
"Who?"
"A woman in a brightly colored floral kimono, with twin ponytails… oh, and she had a folding fan."
"....."
Mai watched as Haruto's face went rigid. He forced an awkward smile before quickly lowering his head.
"I don't know."
Not don't recognize—but don't know?
Mai and Setsuna exchanged sharp glances before both sets of eyes landed on Haruto.
They stared at him, unblinking.