Because Chinatsu Ayase leaned in close and pressed Kaoru Hoshitani’s head down with her hand, when he lifted his face, the distance between them was so small they could almost feel each other’s breath.
His gaze collided unexpectedly with the girl’s gray eyes, less than a fist’s distance away.
Those eyes were crystal clear. Even in the dim light inside the car, they seemed to hold an indescribable depth.
Her pupils widened slightly, reflecting his face—his slightly flushed face from tension and running, and those still somewhat panicked doe-like eyes.
Kaoru Hoshitani froze.
Under normal circumstances, Chinatsu Ayase should have pulled away in time, easing this sudden, close eye contact.
But she did not.
She stared straight at him, her gaze fixed on his face, as if admiring a precious work of art, or studying something that piqued her curiosity.
That gaze was too focused, too direct, making Kaoru Hoshitani feel an inexplicable embarrassment.
He instinctively tried to look away, but those gray eyes seemed to hold a kind of gravity, leaving him unable to move for a moment.
After a few seconds, he finally gave in and forced himself to look elsewhere, avoiding her overly direct stare.
An awkward silence settled inside the car.
It was a subtle, indescribable atmosphere, as if something unseen was quietly forming in the air.
Kaoru Hoshitani could feel his heartbeat quickening, his palms growing slightly damp.
He did not know what he was nervous about, but the feeling made him uncomfortable.
The silence lasted only a few seconds.
Then it was broken by a faint sound inside the car.
“Gulp…”
The sound was extremely subtle. If they had not been so close that he could clearly feel her warm breath on his face, he might not have noticed it at all.
But he heard it.
Not only that—he saw it too.
Her throat moved slightly as she swallowed.
‘She just swallowed…’
The thought flashed through Kaoru Hoshitani’s mind.
What made his heart race even more was the strange sensation on his lips, as if someone’s gaze was fixed on them, carrying a certain heat that made his whole body uneasy.
“Um…”
He spoke almost instinctively, his voice tinged with nervousness.
“It looks like she’s gone upstairs. Shouldn’t we leave quickly…?”
As he spoke, he hurriedly pulled away, leaning back into the front passenger seat.
The movement was a bit exaggerated, clearly meant to ease the increasingly strange atmosphere.
“Oh… oh, right! I’ll start driving now!”
Chinatsu Ayase seemed to realize what had just happened a moment too late.
She fumbled slightly as she started the car, avoiding looking at Kaoru Hoshitani.
The tips of her ears were slightly red, a faint blush visible even in the dim light.
Seeing her like this, Kaoru Hoshitani could not help but find it a little amusing.
The blush on her ears, her flustered movements, her averted gaze—everything resembled a girl with little experience around men, feeling shy after such close eye contact.
That reaction eased the tension in his heart slightly.
He treated what had just happened as a small ‘misunderstanding,’ a natural response from an inexperienced young girl.
He did not think much of it.
What Kaoru Hoshitani did not know was—
The most skilled hunters often appear as prey.
The black Cadillac slowly left the street where Kaoru Hoshitani lived and merged into the traffic on the main road.
The scenery outside the window began to flow, familiar streets, shops, and crowds gradually left behind.
As Chinatsu Ayase drove, she started chatting with the man in the front passenger seat.
Her voice had returned to normal, bright and lively, as if the small incident earlier had never happened.
“Mister Hoshitani, when was the last time you went on a trip?”
Kaoru Hoshitani pulled his gaze back from the window and looked ahead at the passing street.
He thought for a moment before answering uncertainly.
“Huh? A trip… let me think…”
He tilted his head slightly, a hint of recollection flashing through his doe-like eyes.
“I think it was during a school trip back in high school.”
“Isn’t that a long time ago?!”
Chinatsu Ayase’s voice carried obvious surprise as she glanced at him before quickly looking back at the road.
“Three or four years?”
“It’s not that long…”
Kaoru Hoshitani lightly scratched the tip of his nose with his index finger, a small habit when he felt uneasy.
“It’s only been three or four years. Aina’s job hasn’t been stable these past few years, so we never really had the time.”
His tone was calm, as if stating something entirely ordinary.
But a faint trace of loneliness flickered in his eyes.
Of course, he wanted to travel with Aina, to see the world together and create shared memories.
But reality was harsh—rent, living expenses, future savings. The weight of these responsibilities made travel feel like a luxury.
“I see…”
Chinatsu Ayase nodded thoughtfully, falling silent for a few seconds.
Then her eyes suddenly lit up, excitement shining in her gray gaze.
She turned to him abruptly, her voice filled with enthusiasm.
“Then how about—we go on a one-day trip today!”
“A one-day… trip?”
Kaoru Hoshitani was taken aback, looking at her in confusion.
“Exactly!”
Chinatsu Ayase nodded vigorously, her face bright with a cheerful smile.
“We go in the morning and come back at night. Who says a trip has to be long? As long as you have the desire, you can start a journey anytime, anywhere!”
Her voice carried an infectious energy, as if she could already see beautiful scenery ahead.
Kaoru Hoshitani considered her words, feeling something slightly off, a hint of hesitation forming.
A one-day trip… it did sound like a good idea.
But although Miss Ayase had helped him a lot and he was truly grateful, their relationship was not close enough to travel together.
He had a girlfriend. Going on a trip alone with a young girl…
Chinatsu Ayase seemed to notice his hesitation.
She did not press him, only spoke lightly, her tone carrying a perfectly timed reminder.
“If Mister Hoshitani goes home now, my sister will definitely catch him.”
As she spoke, she slowly pulled the car into a parking space in front of a convenience store.
Her words were like a splash of cold water, instantly sobering him.
Go home? Get caught?
The image of the blonde woman appeared in his mind—her gray eyes, her imposing presence.
If he went back now, she would definitely still be waiting.
She would not give up. She would use those videos to threaten him, force him to open the door, just like countless times before—take him away, violate him, torment him…
‘Then I have no choice… anything is better than being taken away by that woman…’
He thought silently, his hesitation completely crushed by deeper fear.
“Then I’ll go buy some things from the convenience store first.”
Seeing that he had silently agreed, Chinatsu Ayase opened the car door and stepped out.
Standing outside, she bent slightly and looked at him through the open door, wearing that bright smile.
“After all, if we need them later on the way… it would be troublesome if we don’t have them.”
With that, she closed the door and walked toward the convenience store.
“Need them later?”
Kaoru Hoshitani sat in the passenger seat, watching her slender figure disappear into the bright lights of the store.
For some reason, the sentence sounded a little strange to him again. Still, he assumed she was just buying food and water, blaming himself for overthinking lately.
The car was quiet, filled only with the soft hum of warm air from the heater.
Kaoru Hoshitani’s gaze rested on the convenience store’s glass door, watching the vague silhouettes moving inside, lost in thought.