Haruki's eyes fix on Kyouko's cleavage.
This was a rare sight, something no man in his position could ignore.
He averts his eyes and pretends to focus on his laptop the moment Kyouko sets down the coffee mug.
Haruki feels relieved when he notices that Kyouko hasn't caught him staring at her body.
Kyouko settles onto the long couch, stretching her arms above her head as she shifts into a more comfortable position. The thin fabric of her pajama top clings to her curves, dipping lower and exposing even more of her cleavage.
Haruki swallows hard.
His hands tighten over the keyboard. It's impossible to look away now. Every slight movement, her slow, steady breaths, the way the fabric shifts with each rise and fall of her chest was pure temptation.
Should I tell her?
"Kyouko-san?" Haruki asks.
"Hmm?" Kyouko replies without looking up, her attention fixed on her smartphone.
She shifts slightly, adjusting her posture. The loose collar of her pajama top dips lower, revealing more of her cleavage. He can see it clearly: smooth, flawless skin that matches the youthful appearance of her face and hands. He can't believe it. Not only does she look young, but her body does too.
No... I shouldn't tell her.
If I did, she'd feel awkward and uncomfortable, and think I'm weird.
Haruki swallowed hard.
"You always stay up this late?" he asked while eyes kept glance toward her body. Drinking in the beautiful view.
"Hmm? Not really…" Kyouko murmured, still absorbed in her phone. "When I get too tired, I just head to my room and sleep."
"Oh," Haruki said, slowly sipping his coffee while his eyes focused on Kyouko.
"What about you, Haruki?" Kyouko asked, glancing at him for a moment with a smile before her eyes drifted back to her screen.
"Me?"
"Yeah. Do you always stay up this late?"
Haruki hesitated. "Sometimes."
"Why?"
Haruki pretended to focus on his laptop and said casually, "Satomi often comes home late."
Kyouko finally looked up from her phone, tilting her head slightly. "I see… that must be tough."
Haruki shrugged. "I've gotten used to it."
She sighed softly and stretched her arms above her head. Her top lifted slightly, revealing her belly button and flat, smooth stomach.
Haruki's eyes fixed on it.
Her perfect curves, that beautiful belly button, her flat stomach…
Wow…
Haruki quickly looked away, taking a long sip of coffee as he noticed Kyouko let out a quiet sigh and shift again, drawing one leg up onto the couch. "Honestly, I don't sleep early either." She paused, her voice softening. "It's… lonely sometimes."
Haruki blinked. "Lonely?"
She nodded, setting her phone down beside her. "My husband rarely comes home early. Some nights, he doesn't come home at all."
Kyouko smiled and continued, "So, I just sit here… waiting."
"I see…"
Kyouko sat up and leaned back into the couch, her gaze drifting toward the ceiling. "It's funny, isn't it? When I was younger, I thought marriage meant never being lonely again." Her voice grew quieter. "But sometimes, it feels even lonelier than before."
She turned her glance toward Haruki, smiling, oblivious to the fact that he'd been stealing glances at her body all this time.
"So... you're going to work tomorrow, right?" Kyouko asked, casually sipping her coffee. She leaned forward slightly, her loose pajama top slipping lower to reveal more of her cleavage.
Haruki lifted his coffee mug and sipped it slowly, his eyes flickering downward.
"Um..."
Kyouko tilted her head. "What's wrong?"
"Satomi didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
"My job is flexible. I can work from anywhere, so I usually work from home. I only go to the office when I need to submit completed projects."
"Oh…" Kyouko nodded, her smile widening. "That's nice. So you won't be as busy as them."
Haruki let out a small chuckle. "Yeah… kinda."
Kyouko took another sip of her coffee, settling back into the couch. "That's good. At least you won't be overworking yourself."
Haruki glanced at her, watching as she sank into the cushions, still completely unaware of how much she was showing. He swallowed hard, unable to look away.
"Yeah… I guess that's one good thing about my job."
Kyouko smiled and continued watching short videos on her phone. Haruki returned to his work on his laptop, occasionally stealing glances at her.
This was strange.
I never thought I'd feel this relaxed in someone else's home. Yet here I was, sitting across from her, engaged in a casual late-night conversation and feeling completely at ease. Haruki smiled and continued working on his project.
Kyouko let out a soft laugh as she watched funny reels on her phone.
Inside her mind
I don't know why... but I feel comfortable around him. At first, I was worried when Satoshi said Haruki and Satomi would be living with us. And yet... now I didn't feel awkward at all. If anything, it felt surprisingly nice.
"You know, Haruki-kun..."
"Yes?" Haruki looked up, his gaze lingering on her curvy figure.
"I don't know why, but I feel comfortable around you." She glanced at Haruki and smiled. "I don't really talk much with people."
"Really?" Haruki looked at Kyouko.
"Yeah," Kyouko said, smiling at him.
"That's... nice to know," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was worried, you know...that maybe being here would make you uncomfortable."
Kyouko shook her head gently, still smiling. "Not at all. If anything, it's nice to have someone to talk to."
He might not know... perhaps Satomi didn't tell him, but I was always nervous and shy around others.
Kyouko focused on her phone again when she noticed Haruki's eyes now fixed on his work.
I wonder what kind of work Haruki has.
Well... I shouldn't ask him for now, since it's his first day here.
Kyouko's eyes flicked to the clock: 12:34 AM.
Past midnight already.
Kyouko exhaled softly.
Satoshi is always this late. And Satomi now too.
A video call lit up on her phone screen.
"Oh… Satomi's calling."
She answered.
"Hello~" Kyouko greeted her daughter, her voice soft and warm.
On the screen, Satomi sat beside her father, surrounded by stacks of documents. Behind them, several workers moved about, focused on their tasks.
"Ah, Mom! Is Haruki there? I tried calling him, but he didn't answer!"
Kyouko glanced at Haruki, then turned the phone toward him. He was still seated with his laptop open, fingers resting idly on the keyboard.
"He's right here."
Haruki blinked at the screen, caught off guard. "Oh... uh, hey."
Satomi frowned. "Good lord, Haruki! Why didn't you answer your phone?"
"Err... sorry," he said, scratching his cheek sheepishly. "I left it upstairs and forgot about it."
Satomi sighed. "Seriously... Anyway, how's everything? Did you settle in okay?"
Haruki stole a quick glance at Kyouko before nodding. "Yeah, your mom's been really helpful."
Satomi was too busy flipping through a document, her focus elsewhere.
"Good. Listen, I'll be home late, probably past two or three. Dad has me going through all these reports, and it's taking forever."
"That late?" Kyouko frowned. "You should at least eat something."
"I will, I will. Don't worry, Mom."
She turned back to Haruki. "And you, make sure you rest, okay? Don't just stay up working."
Haruki smirked. "You're the one who should be hearing that."
"Yeah, yeah... Anyway, I gotta go. Love you, Mom! Haruki, don't stay up late playing that online game."
Haruki sighed and said, "I'm not playing games now."
"Gotta go." Satomi ended the video call.
Kyouko sighed softly, placing her phone on the table. "She really is just like her father..."
Haruki leaned back against the couch, stretching his arms. "Looks like it's just us for a while..."
Kyouko nodded, absently swirling her coffee. "Yeah… just us."
( End Of Chapter )