As dusk fell, a translucent veil cast a gray, hazy shroud over Tokyo before the streetlights flickered on.
Noise from passing vehicles downstairs mixed with the hurried footsteps of pedestrians.
Unit 403, the Takayanagi residence, was located in the apartment building and was separated from Hoshino Jun's home by just one thick wall.
Hoshino Jun lived in unit 404 next door.
Closing the door shut out the outside noise.
Hoshino Jun turned on the light. The first things he saw were a black, triangular pair of panties casually thrown on the sofa and, for some reason, a pair of black stockings on the TV cabinet.
He turned his head and saw a dress draped over the shoe cabinet.
Aside from these items, the living room was relatively tidy.
"Why does this woman throw things around all day? So sloppy."
"Sigh!"
Jun let out a soft sigh and scratched his head. First, he gathered the dress suit into his arms, then he picked up the soft panties and stockings.
He didn't smell them.
He went straight to the bathroom and stuffed everything into the provided free washing machine.
After coming home from school every day, the first thing Jun did was help his aunt collect and wash the clothes. Only then would he start cooking and wait for her. He was accustomed to this life.
Before this year, his aunt would sometimes finish her early shift and cook for him. But since the beginning of this year, she had frequently been working overtime.
She would come back very late.
The reason was still Hoshino Jun.
Jun was in his third year of high school this year. His grades were decent—above average.
Getting into a good university was somewhat challenging, but with effort, it wasn't impossible.
The real problem was the lack of money.
His aunt was a manager at a supermarket.
At her level, her post-tax salary was around 300,000 yen, which wasn't too bad—80,000 yen higher than Mrs. Takayanagi's salary next door.
However, the cost of living in Tokyo was simply too high. Supporting two people on 300,000 yen meant they could barely get by.
Daily expenses like rent, utilities, and so on already consumed more than half their income. Add in the occasional nice meal or a set of clothes, and they were basically living paycheck to paycheck.
Jun wanted to become wealthy immediately precisely because he saw how hard his aunt was struggling.
After tidying up the house, he was about to turn on the TV to relax and watch some shows when he suddenly received a message on LINE from his aunt.
"Come get me."
"I'll be downstairs soon."
Huh?
Why does she need someone to pick her up just to come upstairs?
Could something have happened?
This suspicion was quite plausible. After all, his aunt was very beautiful, and Japan's "chikan" (perverts/mashers) were infamous in anime and games.
One could say that chikan were an essential element of Japan.
Jun hurriedly put on his shoes and ran downstairs.
It was 9 p.m., and the sky was completely dark. He waited under the streetlight for three to five minutes before a taxi stopped by the roadside.
Through the car window, he spotted a beautiful figure opening the rear door and getting out unsteadily.
The woman was 162 cm tall and around 167 cm tall in high heels. She held a small black purse and wore a black office suit dress. Her jet-black hair was tied back.
Her well-proportioned, slender legs were accentuated by black stockings, exuding the sexy charm of a city professional at all times.
She was Hoshino Jun's aunt, Asuha Mei.
She was twenty-eight years old, unmarried, and had no dating history.
Because she had a "burden" to raise at home, despite her beauty, no one dared to get involved.
Some people had advised Asuha to just let Hoshino fend for himself. Ultimately, anyone who said such a thing never interacted with Asuha Mei again.
"Jun-chan, I'm over here!"
Asuha Mei walked unsteadily. Jun quickly went over and put an arm around her shoulders. As he got close, he immediately caught a strong whiff of alcohol.
"Have you been drinking?" His tone carried a hint of displeasure.
"Just a little bit." Asuha Mei held up one finger and blinked her large, dewy eyes innocently at Jun.
She's this drunk and calls it "a little"?
She's not even telling the truth. Jun was left speechless. Supporting Asuha Mei, he slowly walked her toward the building.
Seeing that he was frowning and had been silent for a long time, Asuha Mei poked his chest and mumbled, "Are you angry?"
"I won't drink next time, okay? It was a department gathering today. I'm the manager, after all. I had to drink a little."
Asuha Mei had come home drunk in the past, but after learning that Jun disliked her reeking of alcohol, she had never done it again.
Today was probably a special circumstance.
"Drinking should have its limits. What if someone got you drunk today? What would you have done then?"
"Of course, I'd call you to come get me."
Asuha Mei lifted her head and burped. The smell of alcohol hit Jun directly.
Seeing his disgusted look, Asuha Mei's pretty, alcohol-flushed face smiled. Under the dim streetlight, she was stunningly beautiful.
Jun was momentarily stunned, then rolled his eyes at her. "I wouldn't have gone."
"Eh? Would you really abandon your aunt alone at the bar, Jun-chan?"
Hoshino Jun nodded.
Asuha Mei pouted, pretending to be hurt. "Jun-chan, you're so mean. You don't care about me at all."
After saying that, Asuha Mei raised her hand and slapped Jun a few times. She didn't hold back; the slaps were quite loud.
She was clearly dissatisfied with Jun's earlier statement. He held her and walked with her the whole time, and she hit him the whole time.
Jun wondered, "System, why haven't you triggered a collection task even though Auntie has hit me so many times?"
[Because she bears no malice toward you.]
So it only triggers if there's malice?
[Yes.]
The "tap, tap, tap" of high heels awakened the motion-sensor light in the fourth-floor hallway.
Jun's right hand slid down from Asuha Mei's shoulder to rest on her waist. The touch was soft.
His left hand pulled the keys from his pocket, inserted them into the keyhole, and turned to open the door.
"Wah, finally home~burp."
She burped again. She covered her mouth apologetically, then turned and plopped down onto the entrance step.
Her swaying fruit swayed with the movement.
Jun was speechless. This woman had no reservations whatsoever in front of him.
"You could at least pay a little attention to your image! How are you going to get married later?"
"I don't want to get married. Men are so annoying."
Wow, she's throwing out the feminist rhetoric.
But, well, it felt kind of good.
Jun pursed his lips. "When you say that, could you at least consider that there's a man right in front of you?"
"Cut it out."
Asuha Mei lifted her leg in her black stockings and gently kicked Jun with the tip of her high heel. She grumbled, "Auntie has no strength left. Help Auntie take off her shoes."
"Trying to order me around without answering the question, huh?"
"Sigh. It must be something I owed you in a past life."
Hoshino moved closer and carefully took his aunt's small foot in his hands. He gently removed her high heel.
The faint pink hue of her foot was visible through the semi-transparent black stockings. Her petite toes were like shiny pearls: round and smooth. They made one want to hold them in their palms and play with them.
'Dammit, they're just feet.'
It's really this age, full of youthful vigor. The body just doesn't listen to reason.
"Ahem, ahem."
"All right, they're off. Auntie, you should go to your room and rest."
After quickly removing Asuha Mei's high heels and arranging them neatly, Hoshino Jun cleared his throat twice and hurriedly entered his room.
Other women might not care, but this was the aunt who had raised him for years. He didn't want to lose face in front of her.
"Hmph, little brat."
"What kind of man are you anyway?"
Asuha Mei glanced toward Hoshino Jun's door, her eyes as seductive as silk. Swaying her peach-like figure, she nonchalantly took off her clothes and tossed them on the floor.