As they arrived at the bottom of the apartment building, Takahara Kasumi and Ito Yoshito stood at the stairway. She gently took off the coat draped over her shoulders and handed it back to him.
"Thank you for your coat, Yoshito."
With a playful flick of her slightly disheveled hair, Takahara Kasumi revealed a sincere, gentle smile.
"You're welcome."
"Yoshito... I'm really sorry for getting your shirt wet. Can I help you wash it?"
Noticing the obvious wet mark on Ito Yoshito's shirt, Kasumi felt a slight flush cross her cheeks. She bowed slightly, apologizing.
The thin strap of her gray dress, tightly wrapped around her curves, seemed ready to snap at any moment, as if being pulled toward the ground by gravity.
A strange light flickered in Ito Yoshito's eyes; he hesitated, momentarily forgetting to respond.
"Yoshito?"
An awkward silence settled in, leaving Takahara Kasumi feeling a bit puzzled as she lifted her chin to look at him.
Their eyes met, and she found herself caught in his intense gaze.
The blush that had just faded quickly returned in full force, igniting a warmth that spread across her entire body.
Staring into his eyes, Takahara Kasumi felt an unanticipated sense of calm wash over her. She didn't feel overly uncomfortable under his gaze.
'Yoshito~ is such a young, vibrant boy...'
"Yoshito..."
"Ah?!"
Coming back to her senses, Ito Yoshito, realizing his rudeness, turned away sheepishly, scratching his cheek with his fingers.
"There's no need; I can manage it myself..."
"Well then..."
Watching the shy demeanor of this handsome young man, Takahara Kasumi's heart skipped a beat. She suddenly found him somewhat endearing.
'Yoshito has always acted so mature; this shy side of him is rare and quite adorable~'
As she felt a growing affection for Ito Yoshito, Takahara Kasumi seemed to reclaim the confidence of a mature woman, feeling her body cool down and her demeanor become more composed.
"Well, Yoshito, I'm heading home now. See you tomorrow~"
"See you tomorrow, Madam Kasumi."
"Tap, tap..."
As she climbed the stairs, Takahara Kasumi maintained a cheerful smile until she reached her front door. There, she gently set down the bag of rice and rummaged through her purse for her keys.
"Hazuki, tell me, what's going on with that guy named Ito from downstairs!"
"Mhm... nothing, really~"
"You think you can lie to me?! You were calling him so sweetly this morning! 'Brother Ito~'!"
"I-I swear, um~ it's nothing!"
"Is that so?!"
"Clink!"
"Clatter!"
A chain of keys fell to the ground, clattering unmistakably.
"Ah~ it's Mom. Mom is back..."
"Tsk, clean up a bit."
Standing there, blankly holding the keys, Takahara Kasumi's vacant gaze fixed on the iron door, her smile now stiff and unyielding.
"Creak!"
Looking a bit disheveled, with a light sheen of sweat appearing on her slightly flushed face, Mr. Takahara opened the door and saw his wife, Takahara Kasumi, standing in front of him. He managed to pull a smile.
"You're back, Kasumi."
"... Yes, I'm back."
The silence was deafening, devoid of any inflection. Takahara Kasumi bent down to pick up the keys, not wanting this beast before her to witness her vulnerability and weakness.
Slowly retrieving the keys and standing up, she found that the beast had already retreated into the apartment, disappearing from sight.
The narrow, dimly lit hallway felt like an endless tunnel, with a faint glimmer of light in the darkness, but it seemed to stretch on forever without a clear endpoint.
Gazing quietly into the room, the sound of her heartbeats echoed in the stillness, a sense of inexplicable despair spreading within her.
'... Since they've all betrayed me, then I... no, I can't... I mustn't... at least not now...'
Yet... a seed of despair had quietly been sown in her heart, waiting for the moment it would sprout and bloom.
...
In the stillness of a late night, when all was silent, the moonlight poured in like a wash, its silver brilliance seeping softly through the sheer curtains.
The night wind rustled restlessly, slapping against the gauzy curtains, creating a series of sounds.
"Mm~ mm~~"
In the haze of her dreams, the muffled sounds reached Takahara Kasumi's slumbering spirit, gently rousing her. At first, she paid no mind, thinking it was merely the sound of the curtains fluttering, her eyes still stubbornly closed in drowsiness.
But gradually, she began to sense something was amiss.
'What is that sound?'
"Mm~ mm~!"
The sounds grew louder and more seductive, an uneasy premonition flickering in her heart. In an instant, Takahara Kasumi's foggy mind snapped into focus.
She opened her eyes to find her husband turned to his side, his body gently moving. Alarm surged within her; Takahara Kasumi cautiously propped herself up, peeking inside.
The apartment her family rented was larger than Ito Yoshito's small one downstairs, yet they only had one bedroom, where the three of them typically slept together.
Originally, Takahara Hazuki had been sleeping between her parents, but tonight, unusually, she switched places with Mr. Takahara and slept on the far side.
At that time, Takahara Kasumi hadn't pondered much on it, but now...
With a flushed face, sparkling seductive eyes, and cherry lips slightly parted, she wore a romantic, pink nightgown...
Takahara Hazuki's delicate hands lightly rested on Mr. Takahara's chest. Upon noticing her mother's gaze, Hazuki's body tensed up. Yet, there was no trace of panic in her eyes, just a glimmer of excitement, as she gave her mother a delightfully flirtatious smile.
She extended her slender finger, signaling her mother to keep quiet.
'Shh!'
'Ah!'
In that moment, it felt as if her tender fingers had been crushed under a massive weight, as Takahara Kasumi desperately covered her lips, stifling any sounds despite the agony that pierced her heart.
Avoiding Takahara Hazuki's gaze, Takahara Kasumi gently turned back and lay down on the bed again.
Her lovely eyes widened, resembling those of a startled rabbit.
'They... they dare to do this in front of me now...'
Her sense of injustice urged Takahara Kasumi to interrupt and question them immediately, yet her long-standing weakness quietly suppressed the thoughts of resistance one by one.
'Tomorrow, tomorrow I will definitely find out the truth...'
Takahara Kasumi repeatedly hypnotized herself thus, but...
"Mm~~"
The shameless sounds beside her continued to assault her ears, tormenting her.
She could no longer endure; she sat up!
Threw off the covers!
Gone...?!
From the open bedroom door, sounds echoed once again in the quiet room.
"Hazuki, I'm going to punish you~"
"Getting so close to that guy named Ito!"
"I-I'm sorry, O-tou san~!"
"..."
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