"Open-crotch?!"
Fumbling with the soft, floral-patterned skirt in his hands, Tetsu Fuyukawa felt a rush of heat surge through him. In an instant, he lifted Sayoko, whose legs were wrapped around his waist, and set her on the bathroom sink.
A heated kiss!
Hands moving frantically!
Meanwhile…
"Phew, I drank way too much tonight."
Unnoticed by the two, bright moonlight streamed through the glass door into the living room. Mitei Miyano, her small feet clad in black stockings, wobbled unsteadily on the warm, heated floor as she stumbled toward the bathroom, still half-drunk.
But as she stepped into the living room, a rhythmic thudding sound, mixed with muffled gasps, hit her ears.
"What's that?!"
She hadn't eaten pork, but she'd certainly seen pigs run!
The sounds flooded her senses, and she suddenly recalled seeing Tetsu and Sayoko slip away one after the other earlier in her drunken haze. A shiver ran through Mitei, goosebumps prickling her spine.
Her first instinct was to turn back to the yard. But as she spun around and spotted Himawari Izumi in the garden, muttering to an empty soda can, she froze.
"No one knows I'm here!"
A strange thrill, like being invisible, surged through her. The next moment, her stomach warmed, her breathing growing heavy.
Her alcohol-fogged brain churned for a moment before she bit her lower lip. Groping her way through the dark, using the furniture for support, she inched toward the bathroom. Then her eyes caught sight of a broad, imposing figure—and a pair of pale, trembling feet dangling from a floral skirt at the doorway.
"This is…"
Her breathing grew even heavier. She stumbled back two steps, leaning against the sofa, her hands unconsciously brushing over her black-stocking-clad legs, tracing her curves.
But then!
Their eyes met!
Through the bathroom mirror, behind Sayoko, Mitei saw Tetsu's drunken yet slightly shocked gaze lock onto hers!
"He saw me?!"
Her fingers froze!
Mitei's muscles tensed!
Nervous!
Yet amidst the nerves, her breathing grew even more ragged!
The alcohol took over!
Under Tetsu's hazy, stunned stare through the mirror, Mitei turned her body, one hand bracing against the wall, bending forward. But her gaze, still fixed on the mirror, turned sultry and alluring!
Her fingers…
The night breeze was so lively tonight.
---
The next day, 10 a.m.
"Tetsu-kun, you're up! Come have some hangover soup."
Nursing a pounding headache from the night before, Tetsu Fuyukawa yawned and sat up on the sofa.
As he straightened, he saw Sayoko bustling in the kitchen, wearing an apron, while at the dining table sat Mitei Miyano. She was dressed in a crisp OL (office lady) uniform, her hair perfectly styled, exuding the polished aura of a corporate elite as she sipped her hangover soup.
"Ugh, you're both up already, huh?" Tetsu rubbed his temples and plopped down across from Mitei.
He noticed that, despite her cool, composed expression, Mitei's striking eyes avoided his entirely. Thinking back to last night's drunken antics, Tetsu chuckled but didn't bring it up. Instead, he glanced around curiously. "Where's Himawari?"
"That girl probably remembered the dumb stuff she did last night. She grabbed some ramen this morning and bolted," Sayoko said with a grin, setting a bowl of hangover soup on the table.
It was Sunday, and though Hikari Studio was in crunch mode, Tetsu insisted his team take Sundays off. Himawari, who'd taken leave from her drama shoot to celebrate Sayoko's birthday, had clearly fled the house early, likely embarrassed about trying to sworn-sister Mitei or preaching to a soda can last night.
Recalling the fun from the night before, Sayoko's smile widened. But when she mentioned "the dumb stuff last night," Mitei, who'd been sipping her soup, nearly choked.
Coughing twice, she wiped her mouth and stood. "Thanks for the hospitality. It's getting late, so I'll head out."
"You good?" Tetsu asked, sipping his soup and raising an eyebrow.
Beer might be low in alcohol, but last night, the four of them had gone wild. After dinner and drinks, the bathroom incident had led to more drinking games with dice, then switching to red wine when the beer ran out. They'd partied from 10 p.m. to past 3 a.m.
With that kind of intense drinking, even Tetsu, with his solid stamina, was nursing a headache.
But Mitei wasn't one to admit weakness. She nodded, heading to the genkan to slip on her shoes. "I'm… fine!"
Her head was spinning, making it tricky to even put on her shoes.
"Dummy," Tetsu muttered, a faint smile tugging at his lips. He started to get up to help her, but just then, Sayoko's phone rang. She answered, "Himawari, what's up? Huh? Your guitar? Got it, I'll bring it over. You little—!"
Grumbling playfully, Sayoko hung up and turned to Tetsu. "Tetsu-kun, Himawari forgot her guitar."
"That girl's always so scatterbrained. Fine, I'll take it to her."
"But… Tetsu-kun, no driving, okay?"
"I know, I know." Tetsu waved her off, then called out to Mitei, who was about to open the door. "Hey, wait up! I'll head out with you."
He downed the rest of his soup in a few gulps and ran upstairs to change.
---
The weather in Tokyo was pleasant today, sunny with a gentle breeze.
"You heading to the office today?" Tetsu asked, walking along a seaside path. He wore a black long-sleeve shirt, jeans, brown loafers, and carried a guitar on his back. Glancing back for a taxi, he turned to Mitei beside him.
The spring sea breeze felt refreshing, tousling Mitei's bangs. She adjusted her shoulder bag. "There's still some work left at Akame Studio. I need to check on things."
"That war flag game at Akame? Isn't that still pre-promotion?" Tetsu raised an eyebrow. As a department head, Mitei oversaw her studio's progress, but her focus was marketing and sales. Unless a project was in its planning or promotional phase, she had little to do with production.
Mitei shot him a look, wrinkling her nose. "The more skills you have, the better. Marketing's my bread and butter, but as a game developer, if I don't dive deeper into the whole production process, would you trust me with big responsibilities later?"
"Huh?"
Caught off guard by her answer, Tetsu blinked, then grinned. "Looks like I, Tetsu Fuyukawa, have stumbled upon a real gem."
"Tch! A gem? Watch it, or I'll sue you for objectifying women—mmph!"
Before she could finish, Tetsu pulled her into his arms. In her mix of surprise and playful indignation, he tilted her chin up and kissed her.
On the winding seaside path, with waves lapping at the shore, their kiss drew glances from passengers on passing buses, but it didn't faze them.
His warm breath grazed her nose. Feeling the comfort of Tetsu's embrace, Mitei recalled the family bustling in the kitchen last night, the backyard dinner, and… everything under the bright moonlight. For the first time, she didn't push him away. Ignoring the stares of passersby, she wrapped her arms around his broad back, melting into his embrace.
But as she felt a subtle shift against her stomach, she snapped back to reality. Her cheeks flushed, and with a soft whimper, she gently loosened her hold. Tetsu didn't press her like he might have before, instead lifting his head with a smile. "I know you're always on edge, but… just like you're willing to wait for me to grow, I hope you'll take it slow too. Take care of yourself, and everything will fall into place naturally."
Hearing Tetsu's gentle tone for the first time, Mitei's cool, striking eyes shimmered like autumn water. But then, a memory flashed through her mind.
A farmer, drunk after losing his wages at pachinko, waving a broken bottle. On the floor, a battered woman and a terrified girl hiding in the kitchen, clutching a spatula.
The memory jolted her back. She shoved Tetsu away. "Th-this doesn't need your—hey! What are you doing?! Let go!"
Flustered, she tried to fix her clothes, but Tetsu grabbed her right hand, lacing his fingers through hers.
"You're just too stubborn," he said, smirking. Without doing anything more, he led her forward. His grip was firm, and Mitei stumbled slightly but followed in her high heels.
Feeling the couple-like atmosphere of walking hand-in-hand, noticing the stares from passersby, Mitei—who hadn't flinched at the kiss—suddenly panicked. Her hand twitched in his. "What are you doing?! We're not kids—hey! Listen to me!"
Nope!
Not listening.
Holding her hand, Tetsu ignored her protests and headed toward the subway station. As they reached it, the crowd thickened, and Mitei, unable to break free, grew redder by the second.
But amidst the nerves, a thrill began to bubble up!
Feeling her arm relax slightly, Tetsu's lips curved into a smile. He pulled her into the packed subway car, pinning her in a corner, and leaned down with a grin. "Kissing on the street doesn't faze you, but holding hands like kids makes you nervous? That's a weird trait."
"Shut up! Weird, my foot!"
Squeezed into the corner, feeling the pressure against her stomach, her hands still firmly held, Mitei glared up at Tetsu, her eyes brimming with embarrassed frustration. "Let me go!"
"Nope."
"You—jerk!"
Trembling with anger, Mitei was fuming, but Tetsu leaned closer, smiling. "Actually, it's not the hand-holding that's got you nervous or embarrassed. You just hate the idea of people thinking you rely on someone—or rather, you hate the feeling of depending on anyone, don't you?"
Hate the feeling of depending on anyone.
The words hit her like a bolt. Her eyes widened, staring at Tetsu in disbelief. But he only leaned down, kissing her forehead gently. "I don't know what you've been through, but I can tell… maybe we're more alike than you think."
Thud—
Like a hammer to her chest, Tetsu's warm gaze met hers. The shimmering in her eyes overflowed. In the shocked stares of nearby passengers, she yanked her hands free from his loosened grip, threw her arms around his neck, and kissed him fiercely.
---
Later, at the bustling Shinjuku West Station.
"That was so embarrassing! This is all your fault! But don't get any ideas! I've seen plenty of smooth-talking guys like you! Don't think you can make my heart skip—hey! Let go!"
Weaving through the crowd, Mitei grumbled, shooting Tetsu a glare. But when he raised their joined hands with a playful smirk, she exploded.
She yanked her arm free and stormed ahead like an angry schoolgirl. After a few steps, though, noticing he wasn't following, her heart skipped a beat, and her pace slowed. But then, her right hand was grabbed again, and his teasing voice rang in her ear.
"Tsundere's so last season. As a marketing pro, shouldn't you know that?"
"!! I—I'll bite you to death!"
"Hey! You're actually biting?!"
"Well, what else can I do?! I can't exactly beat you up!"
"…"
---