"Hey! You actually bit me!"
"What else was I supposed to do?! I can't exactly beat you up!"
"..."
At the bustling entrance of Shinjuku West Station, the crowd surged around the subway exit.
"See if you dare to get handsy again, you sleazy guy, hmph!"
Ignoring the stares of passersby, Miyano Mitei, who had just left a bite mark shaped like a watch on Fuyukawa Tetsu's palm, looked up with a defiant glare. But when she saw Tetsu clutching his hand, his face contorted in pain, a flicker of panic crossed her eyes. "Hey, you're not... ugh! You're messing with me?! Hey, let go! There are tons of people around!"
Before she could finish, a strong arm wrapped around her slender yet slightly curvy waist, lifting her soft stomach slightly upward as she leaned against him. The pain on Tetsu's face vanished, replaced by a teasing grin as he looked at her flustered expression, her big eyes darting around at the crowd. "So, what about you biting me? You left teeth marks!"
"..."
Caught in his embrace at the crowded subway entrance, Miyano Mitei's cool, elegant face flushed bright red under the curious gazes around them. Her large eyes burned with a mix of embarrassment and indignation, but beneath it, there was a hint of sweetness and a thrill she couldn't deny.
They're just strangers, who cares!
After a moment's hesitation, she lightly stood on her tiptoes, pressing her body closer and planting a soft kiss on Tetsu's cheek, her breath warm and teasing. "I... I know I was wrong, okay... Master."
"!"
Completely caught off guard by her response, Tetsu froze for a second. Mitei flashed a shy, playful smile. "This is just me keeping my end of our bet, so don't get any ideas! Come on, let's grab some bubble tea!"
Too embarrassed to meet his gaze, she broke free from his arms and headed toward a bubble tea shop, her steps light and her handbag swinging cheerfully. The way her hips swayed in her tight skirt betrayed just how delighted she was feeling.
"Guess women really do get a bit childish when they're in love," Tetsu mused, watching Mitei's carefree figure. He couldn't help but think of the icy, formidable woman who struck fear into the hearts of countless NTsoft employees. With a chuckle and a shake of his head, he followed her.
---
Mitei had originally planned to head to NTsoft for some overtime, but after Tetsu's playful antics, she decided to spend the day with him instead, saving work for later. The two wandered through Shinjuku's streets, snacking, sipping drinks, and snapping selfies under falling cherry blossoms. By midday, they arrived at a film set dressed up as a school, where Izumi Himawari was working with her crew.
No surprise there—when they stepped onto the set, the staff froze in awe, bowing repeatedly in greeting. Even Hasegawa, a section chief from Kuroki Studio, plastered on a wide smile when he saw Tetsu. Normally, Hasegawa was on equal footing with Tetsu, working in different departments, so there was no reason for such enthusiasm. But with the explosive success of Surrounded by Beauties and The Binding of Isaac, earning Tetsu the title of "Fastest Game Producer to Reach Ten Million Sales," everyone knew he was no ordinary talent.
At twenty-five, he'd created two low-budget blockbusters!
Tetsu's future at NTsoft? Limitless.
Tetsu's future in the gaming world? Limitless.
Everyone on set understood this. Add to that his work on Surrounded by Beauties, a project tied to the entertainment industry, and suddenly, sweet greetings and eager hellos echoed through the set. The crew was desperate to get on his good side.
As an NTsoft insider, Hasegawa was floored when he saw Tetsu and Mitei laughing and chatting so intimately as they approached the filming area. "Why is Minister Miyano here with him on her day off?! And they're that close?!"
Most of the crew weren't NTsoft employees and didn't know Mitei's reputation as the "Cold, Glamorous Witch" of the gaming world. But Hasegawa knew all too well. He'd never seen her flash such a sweet smile at any employee—or any man, for that matter!
Could they be... involved?! Hasegawa's mind reeled.
Tetsu, oblivious to Hasegawa's speculations, didn't care. He chatted and laughed with Mitei as they reached the filming area. When Izumi Himawari spotted him from under the camera's lens, her clear eyes lit up with joy—only to dim when she noticed Mitei by his side. Still, she was in the middle of a shoot, so she suppressed her urge to react and focused on her work.
"Twintails, huh? They suit her pretty well," Tetsu said, rubbing his chin with a grin as he watched Himawari. Dressed in a black high school uniform with a pleated skirt, her usually cascading black hair was tied into cute twintails.
Truth be told, Tetsu didn't have a thing for twintails. He always thought their main appeal was for playful tugs during intimate moments, adding a bit of spice. But seeing Himawari's twintails today, he was genuinely charmed. They added a layer of adorable charm to her usual pure vibe.
"You're not thinking something weird, are you?" Mitei shot him a sidelong glance, catching his playful look.
"Weird? What could be weirder than what you did last night?" Tetsu teased, turning to her with a smirk.
"!"
Memories of last night's thrilling, tingling moments flooded back, along with the image of Tetsu's playful yet intense eyes in the mirror. Mitei's face burned, and she gritted her teeth. "Don't bring that up!"
"Trying to hush me? What's the price for my silence?"
"You... ugh!" Mitei's eyes flashed with embarrassed frustration. But then, the lingering, electric sensation from last night—the one that never quite crossed the line—surged in her mind. On impulse, she stepped on Tetsu's foot with her high heel. "Fine, come to my office tomorrow night! I'll wear twintails for you!"
"?!"
Tetsu had only meant to tease her, but this response caught him off guard, sparking a reaction he couldn't hide. Noticing his shift, Mitei's frustration melted into shy embarrassment. Just as Tetsu opened his mouth to say something, she pressed her heel down harder. "No more talking!"
"..."
What a tsundere.
His foot stung, but since they were surrounded by familiar colleagues, Tetsu held back from retaliating with a playful swat. Instead, he gave Mitei a teasing smile, slung his guitar over his back, and quietly watched Himawari film.
To be honest, Himawari wasn't much of an actress—her focus was music, not performance. But her role as the shy, slightly tsundere junior, Nakano Azusa, suited her perfectly. Her natural nervous demeanor around strangers gave her a mix of cute and aloof that fit the character, making the shoot go smoothly.
As the crew brought in boxed lunches and the director, Honda Kojiro, called "Cut," the morning's filming wrapped up.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Fuyukawa!"
"Here's your lunch, Mr. Fuyukawa."
"Group Leader Fuyukawa, it's been a while!"
"Haha, you've been killing it lately."
"All thanks to you, Group Leader Fuyukawa. Otherwise, I'd still be stuck shooting indie films! Enjoy your meal!"
Tetsu took a boxed lunch from a female idol, chatted briefly with his old friend Honda Kojiro, and brushed off an attempt to steer the conversation toward indie films. When Mitei raised an eyebrow, the small table cleared of irrelevant people instantly.
"Hey, stinky old man, why are you with this woman?" Himawari asked, munching on a fried egg from her lunch, her clear eyes glaring at Mitei with annoyance.
Tetsu laughed. "What do you mean 'this woman'? Weren't you clinging to her leg yesterday, calling her 'big sis, teach me'?"
"Ahh! Shut up! Don't bring that up!" Himawari's face turned red, and she bristled. But with so many eyes on them in the busy set, she didn't pounce on him like she would in private. Instead, she just pouted and shot him a threatening look.
After glaring at Tetsu, she sneaked a glance at Mitei, who was elegantly eating sushi with her legs crossed. Their eyes met, and with a simultaneous "Hmph," both women turned away, focusing on their meals.
It was an amusing scene, and Tetsu's lips curled into a smile. He didn't linger on the topic, though, and glanced around. "How're you holding up with this kind of work?"
"Mmm, it's okay. Just busy with school since I'm graduating soon, so I'm juggling both. It's a hassle, but the money's worth it, so whatever," Himawari said, digging into her rice. Her face showed exhaustion, but her tone held no real complaints.
"Good to hear you're managing," Tetsu said, a flicker of admiration and relief in his eyes.
Despite acting like an immature kid around him, always whining or throwing tantrums, Himawari had grown up tough. She'd been through hardships since childhood and, by sixteen, was already performing solo with her guitar to make ends meet. Compared to her peers, she was remarkably mature.
As the thought crossed his mind, Tetsu pulled an envelope from his pocket. "Oh, by the way, I found this in the mailbox for you when I left this morning."
"Huh? Mail for me? From who?" Himawari looked up from her lunch, a grain of rice stuck to her lip.
"Some guy with an English name, I think," Tetsu said, handing her the envelope and casually wiping the rice from her mouth.
The intimate gesture in front of everyone made Himawari blush slightly, but she didn't pull away. She even shot a smug glance at Mitei, who was calmly eating her meal. But when Himawari opened the envelope and saw the sender's name, her eyes widened in shock.
"Beyond?! Why's he sending me mail again?!"
She knew Beyond had sent her I Once Thought of Ending It All, and as her relationship with TBOS grew closer, she'd sent most of the earnings to Beyond with heartfelt thanks but kept her distance in their private chats. Their communication had dwindled since then, so she was stunned to receive another letter from him.
Opening it, she gasped, "Another song?!"
Staring at the sheet music for Blue Bird, Himawari panicked. Singing his songs could make her a lot of money, but she didn't want to owe him more than she already did. She couldn't afford to get more entangled with him.
Clutching the music, she looked helplessly at Tetsu.
This girl's a lot like Sayoko in some ways, Tetsu thought, knowing part of her dilemma through their private Beyond chats. Singing his songs was lucrative, but debts had to be repaid.
Should I tell her the truth?
He'd avoided releasing his own songs and revealing his Beyond identity to Himawari for two reasons: to steer clear of the idol spotlight and because he hadn't fully trusted her at first, acting mostly for Sayoko's sake. But now...
He was about to speak when a loud voice interrupted. "Group Leader Fuyukawa! Why didn't you call ahead? I could've arranged a proper welcome! And Minister Miyano, what an honor!"
Tanaka, a deputy director from Sistar, jogged over with a fawning smile. Tetsu, the rising star of NTsoft and the gaming world, plus Mitei, a high-ranking NTsoft minister, were big names. Tanaka, despite being on Tetsu's level, was eager to curry favor.
He scolded a staff member for giving Tetsu a boxed lunch and invited them to a nearby restaurant. Tetsu, uninterested, brushed him off, intending to return to the Beyond topic. But seeing Himawari's conflicted, sulky expression—and remembering her playful face-pinching antics—he smirked.
Teasing her could be fun.
With that, he said little more, bid farewell to the still-distraught Himawari, and left with Mitei for the office.
As Tanaka and Haseagawa saw them off, the set quieted down. A round-faced idol friend approached Himawari. "Wow, Koi, your brother's got some serious pull. Tanaka came all the way just to say hi!"
"Brother? That's just a stinky old man!" Himawari huffed, glaring at the Blue Bird sheet music, frustrated by Tetsu's teasing grin as he left and unsure whether to sing the song.
Despite the chaos, filming continued. Thanks to Tetsu's heads-up, Himawari's scenes were light that day. By 6 p.m., she bowed to the crew, slung her guitar over her shoulder, and left.
"Sayoko was cleaning the yard this morning; she's probably beat. I'll grab some bread for her," Himawari mumbled, buying discounted bread at a convenience store near the set. Still in her twintails, she stuffed two loaves into her bag, nibbling on one as she headed to the subway under the setting sun.
The crowded subway pressed her against the door, but she barely noticed, staring blankly at the passing tunnel, lost in thought.
"I really want to sing this song!"
"But..."
"Ugh, I'll ask Sayoko what to do."
Her mind battled all the way home. As expected, Sayoko was passed out on the couch, exhausted from the day.
"No blanket, seriously?" Himawari muttered, gently covering Sayoko with a slipped-off blanket and placing the bread on the coffee table. She tiptoed upstairs, set her guitar against the wall, and sat on the tatami, kicking off her shoes.
Taking out the Blue Bird sheet music, she sighed heavily, slumping onto the floor and staring at the sunset through the balcony.
"Why does he have to be a guy?"
"Hey, Koi, what're you saying?! You can't think that about your benefactor!" she scolded herself, shaking her head frantically. She flopped onto the tatami, hugging a pillow tightly. Then, she spotted a Jumping Ninja (Pink) toy taped under the desk.
"They say it helps with stress," she whispered, her face flushing. Without hesitation, she grabbed the toy and headed to the bookshelf for her worn copy of Rainy Day Stories. But then she paused.
"I've read it a million times; it's lost its spark. Wait, didn't Sayoko buy a bunch of..."
Her heart raced. After a moment's hesitation, she crept to the staircase, confirming Sayoko was still asleep, then slipped into Tetsu and Sayoko's bedroom.
"Tch, of course, it's all this stuff!" she muttered, eyeing a lacy bodysuit on a hanger and colorful condoms on the nightstand. Her face burned, but she focused on the bookshelf.
"Tsk, nothing but game design books. Does the old man read this stuff before bed? Where's Sayoko's stash?"
Rummaging through the shelves, she found only professional books. Opening a drawer, she froze. "Practice sheet music? Did he study... oh, right, he plays guitar—"
Her thoughts cut off as she flipped to the first page of the music. The familiar handwriting from the Blue Bird sheet music stared back at her.
"This... this is..."