Haruki followed Kyouko, who walked ahead of him.
His eyes were focused on his beautiful mother-in-law in front of him.
He admired her graceful walk, the sway of her hips, and that perfect ass beneath her long shirt.
And that hourglass figure.
He noticed a sweet natural scent wafting from her.
She even smelled nice. I couldn't believe someone with that kind of body and youthful face was my wife's mother.
"Haruki-kun?"
Haruki startled. Had she noticed?
"A-Ah, yeah?" he answered quickly, stepping up beside her.
She smiled gently. "The room is just upstairs. Come."
Haruki exhaled slowly.
I should stop staring at her. If she notices, she'll feel awkward, and it'll cause problems for me.
Kyouko walked ahead a few steps, then gestured toward a nearby door.
"This is Satomi's old room. This is where you and Satomi will be sleeping."
She gestured toward the door in front of Satomi's room.
"That one is mine. And my husband's."
She motioned toward a third door not far from hers.
"And that's the main bathroom. We also have one downstairs."
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she spoke, her fingers brushing softly against her cheek. The small motion made her look more natural. More real.
Haruki couldn't look away.
Her lips moved gently as she spoke, soft and inviting.
He drew a slow breath.
No, Haruki. You shouldn't feel like that. Stop it.
"Haruki-kun?"
Kyouko looked at him, tilting her head with a smile.
"What's wrong?"
"Ah... nothing, Kyouko-san..."
"Let's go inside your room."
"O-Okay."
Haruki followed her.
Once inside the room, Haruki looked around and noticed there was another bathroom inside.
"Wow… this room even has its own bathroom."
Kyouko nodded lightly. "Yes. Satomi used to love having her own space."
She paused, tilting her head slightly. "By the way, when is the moving company coming?"
Haruki set his bag beside the bed and shook his head.
"Ah… I don't think there's much to bring from our old place."
He patted his bag. "My laptop and everything I need for work are in here."
"Oh… I see." Her voice softened.
Haruki turned toward her with a polite nod. "Thank you, Kyouko-san. And sorry for the trouble."
"You're welcome. It's not troubling at all. Anyway, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask, okay?" Kyouko smiled.
"Okay, Kyouko-san."
Haruki's eyes followed her as she headed outside.
The way she walked was graceful, gentle, and elegant, making him swallow hard.
Haruki exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of his neck.
Don't think too much, Haruki…
He forced a small smile and closed the door behind him.
After setting his bag aside, he removed his glasses, stretching his shoulders as his eyes roamed the room once more. A desk sat by the window, simple, clean, just right for work.
He placed his laptop bag down and crouched beside his suitcase to unpack his clothes. When he slid open the closet door, he froze for a moment. Inside, dresses, blouses, and neatly folded sweaters filled the space.
I guess these are her old clothes.
No wonder Satomi told me to only bring my personal belongings. She'd probably arranged for the moving company to handle everything else.
He let out a small sigh before closing the closet and moving to the bed. A few quick adjustments to the sheets... done.
He checked the bathroom inside the room.
"This is bigger than my old apartment's living room."
A large bathtub, a sleek glass shower, and a modern toilet, everything looked clean and expensive, like something out of a luxury hotel.
He whistled under his breath, running a hand through his hair.
Living here is gonna be... different.
Haruki grabbed a fresh towel from his bag, draping it over his shoulder before stepping into the shower.
He turned on the shower and let the water flow over his body.
He let out a deep sigh and ran a hand through his wet hair, tilting his head back to let the stream soak him completely.
After finishing his shower, he turned off the water and wiped his body dry.
Alright... don't think too much, Haruki. Consider this a fresh start.
Haruki wrapped the towel around his waist and stepped out, heading toward the closet.
Meanwhile, Kyouko was making her way upstairs.
She reached the top and, without knocking, gently opened the door.
"Haruki-kun, if you're hungr—"
The words froze in her throat.
Her eyes widened.
Haruki stood there half-naked, his toned body still glistening with droplets of water.
His broad shoulders. His defined chest. The faint trail of water running down his stomach.
Kyouko's breath hitched.
Her heart skipped.
Oh… my god…
She stared, unable to stop herself.
A flush crept up her cheeks as heat bloomed deep in her chest.
Those balanced muscles, that lean, masculine frame.
And that handsome face.
Kyouko snapped back to reality.
"Ah... sorry..." Kyouko mumbled softly, turning and closing the door.
"A-Anyway, Haruki-kun… if you're hungry, come downstairs, okay?"
She didn't wait for a reply.
Her footsteps quickened as she descended the stairs, her heart still racing, cheeks flushed with a warmth she hadn't felt in years.
Haruki stood still for a moment, towel loosely wrapped around his waist, glancing around.
"…Did someone call me?"
Silence.
He glanced at the door. It was closed.
He shrugged it off.
After drying his hair, he reached for a clean shirt and slipped it on, then dabbed on a touch of subtle, fresh cologne.
He wasn't sure why, but something about her presence made him want to look… proper.
Guess I'll head downstairs for now.
He stepped out and headed downstairs, following the faint scent of warm food drifting through the air.
The hallway smelled of simmering broth and soft spices.
When he reached the kitchen, she was already there, humming gently with her back turned.
Haruki paused in the doorway.
"Um… Kyouko-san?"
She turned at once, startled.
"Ah, Haruki-kun! Take a seat. I'm almost done," she said quickly, smiling as if nothing had happened.
Haruki nodded and pulled out a chair. He sat quietly, leaning back a little and watching her in silence.
She hummed softly again, completely focused on preparing the meal.
( End Of Chapter )