Daichi lay sprawled on his bed, buried under a mountain of crumpled shirts and takeout boxes, staring up at the ceiling like it had personally betrayed him.
Tears pricked his eyes.
Reika's words looped in his head, each syllable like a knife made of silk.
"I'm sorry, Daichi-kun, but it's getting a little late. I'll give you your spicy reward another time."
Another time.
When? She didn't say tomorrow.
Was he… was he never going to get his reward?
His chest ached. He rolled over, face smushed into his pillow, until sleep finally dragged him under.
***
He opened his eyes to find himself floating in pure darkness.
Then, from somewhere deep in the shadows, a voice rang out—deep, commanding, dripping with disappointment.
"Daichi Fujiwara… you are failing your ancestors."
Daichi blinked. I'm failing what now?
In the next instant, the darkness bloomed into blinding light.
He was standing in the center of an enormous circular chamber. Desks and benches spiraled upward in perfect rings, stacked high like a coliseum. From every tier, shadowy figures leaned forward, silent, their faces hidden under hoods.
"Uh… what's going on here?"
One of the hooded figures stepped down from the top row and approached, his footsteps echoing.
"Daichi Fujiwara," the man said, "you are failing your ancestors."
The figure pulled back his hood. A familiar, well-groomed man in a sharp black suit stared back.
Daichi's breath caught. "D–Dad?!"
It was Kanie Fujiwara—his father, dead for years, looking annoyingly handsome for a ghost.
"I'm not the only one here," Kanie said.
Another hooded figure pulled back his cowl—this time revealing Rei Fujiwara, Daichi's stern-faced grandfather. He was a chubby, balding man and wore a kimono.
And then, one by one, every hood dropped, revealing a stadium's worth of Fujiwaras from across generations, each one glaring down at him with varying degrees of shame and superiority.
Daichi felt a sweat bead on his forehead. "Dad… Grandpa… what the hell is going on?"
Kanie's eyes narrowed. "We've gathered here to put an end to your relationship with Reika Shiraishi."
Daichi's jaw dropped. "What? Why?!"
"She's made you weak," his father declared.
"You used to have any woman you wanted," Rei added, voice like gravel. "You had them in the palm of your hand. Now you let this Reika toy with you."
Daichi clenched his fists. "She's not toying with me, she'd never do that."
"Then tell us," Kanie said. "Is she your girlfriend?"
"No, but…"
"Do you have no desire to sleep with her?"
Daichi hesitated. "…I mean, of course I do. But you know… It's not that simple."
"Do you think she's not aware of your feelings for her?"
"Uhh, listen, pops, it's complicated?"
"Complicated?" Kanie's eyebrow twitched. "It was never complicated with those other women. So what changed?"
Daichi rubbed the back of his neck. "Well… I didn't really care about those other girls. But I actually like Reika-chan."
At that, the chamber erupted into murmurs—dozens of Fujiwaras whispering like scandalized courtiers.
An old man in faded samurai garb watched in silence, then scoffed. "You youngsters and your fancy rules. In my day, if you wanted a woman, you took her—no ifs, ands, or buts."
Everyone paused for a moment.
"Who invited this guy?" Daichi shouted.
"I don't know," Kanie responded, "I don't even know how he got here. He's not one of our ancestors."
"Get him out of here!"
Another person stepped forward, "Ooh Ooh Aah Aah Aah"
What the hell is this guy saying!?
"Thank you for your words of wisdom," Kanie said.
"Wait, you understand that?"
"Of course, he said, you need Reika Shiraishi the same as other women."
"Hell no!"
Rei slammed a hand on his desk. "Daichi, at this rate, you'll never have a child."
"Exactly," Kanie said. "So far, you've let her take charge of the relationship. And what has that gotten you? Nothing."
Daichi threw up his hands. "Okay, so what do you want me to do?"
Kanie's voice thundered through the chamber. "Either take control… or leave her and return to your true self. After all, we miss the old Daichi—straight-from-the-go Daichi, bag all the hoes Daichi, set-on-his-goals Daichi!"
Rei jabbed a finger at him. "We hate the new Daichi—the bad-mood Daichi, the always-abused Daichi!"
The voices of the ancestors rose into a deafening chant, pounding in his skull.
***
Daichi's eyes flew open. He was back in his bed, sweating, gasping for air.
What the hell was that dream…?
No, I gotta focus.
I've known Reika-chan for a few months now, and somehow I've made zero progress.
In the past,, I'd get a girl on the same day, so why are things different with her?
Bzzz.
Bzzz.
Bzzz.
As Daichi pondered, his phone started buzzing.
Daichi checked his phone. Caller ID: "Problems."
Yeah, accurate. He hung up.
The phone buzzed again. Same person.
He hung up.
Bzzz.
Bzzz.
"CAN YOU STOP CALLING M—"
"Ara Ara~ Seems I've called at a bad time."
Daichi froze.
"Wait—Reika-chan?!"
Caller ID now clearly read 'Reika-chan', not 'Problem'.
Oh, crap! Why is Reika-chan calling?
"Reika-chan, I'm so sorry I thought you were someone else."
Reika chuckled, "It's no big deal, looks like you're dealing with some issues."
Yeah, in more ways than one.
"So, uh… how can I help you, Reika-chan?"
"Are you free this afternoon? I'd like to give you… Your spicy reward."
Let's. Freaking. Go.
Looks like my ancestors were wrong about her.
***
Later that afternoon…
Daichi sat in Reika's room, trying not to combust. She wore a white bathrobe that clung perfectly to her curves. The soft perfume drifting through the air was intoxicating. Daichi was fighting himself not to pounce like a dog for her.
Holy crap. She smells like heaven and looks like sin. I'm ready. Put me in, coach.
Reika sat beside him, pressing her chest lightly against his arm, smiling.
"Daichi-kun, thank you for looking after Shouta-kun. I know he can be quite the handful."
"Ah, don't mention it—just all in a day's work," Daichi said, chuckling a laugh so ugly it deserved jail time.
"I hope he didn't cause you too much trouble."
"Not at all."
"Wow… so reliable. I'm lucky to have such a big, strong man to help me."
"Of course. I'll help you whenever I can, Reika-chan."
"Thank you, Daichi-kun."
She leaned in—mwah!—and kissed his cheek.
Daichi's heart did a backflip and exploded into fireworks. His brain went into blue-screen mode.
Suck it, ancestors. I'm about to make history.
Then she stood up, smoothing her robe.
"Would you like to have dinner with us?"
"Huh?! What about my spicy reward?"
"I just gave it to you. Did you like it?"
"I—yeah, but… I thought it'd be something more…"
"Well, we're just friends. Anything beyond this would be… You know."
F—Friends…?
The words were like a sword piercing the heart. The word echoed in Daichi's mind like a church bell at a funeral.
Reika-chan only sees me as a f…friend.
At that moment, his father's voice echoed: 'You've let her take the lead, and what has that gotten you? Nothing.'
Dad's right. If I want something real with Reika-chan, I have to step up. Even if it's risky.
But if I do that, I could lose her for good.
Daichi felt a push. Looking back, he saw his father, grandfather, and a whole lineup of stern-looking ancestors appear, of course, only he could see them.
"Are you really going to give up that easily?" Kanie said.
"Of course not!"
"Then go after him, grandson!" Rei said.
The ancestors roared in the background and Daichi could hear a faint, 'Ooh, Ooh Aah, Aah' in the background.
Thanks, guys. Time to go to war.
"Daichi-kun? Is something wrong?" Reika asked with a worried expression, "You've been silent for over a minute now. I—Uh…"
Kanie opened his mouth, "Daichi-kun, Reika-chan, seems to have interpreted your response as dissatisfaction. She's probably feeling self-conscious, use that as an opportunity."
Daichi got up, rushing to Reika.
I'm gonna make it happen!
Grandpa's voice roared in his head: "NOW, BOY! STRIKE WHILE SHE'S OFF-BALANCE!!!"
BAM!
Daichi's hand hit the wall right beside her like destiny itself had guided it.
"Reika-chan… I know we haven't known each other long, but I want to be more than friends. I… I love you. And I want to make love with you."
Reika blinked, her cheeks flushing red.
"D—Daichi-kun…"