“Welcome home.”
It was evening, and the apartment was filled with the warm aroma of cooked food.
Kaoru Hoshitani wore a soft, cream-colored loungewear set that draped neatly over his slender frame.
He had been waiting by the foyer since early afternoon.
Hearing the familiar sound of the key turning in the lock, a gentle smile naturally spread across his face.
When Aina Saiten pushed the door open and set down her commuting bag with a look of exhaustion, he went to greet her.
He took whatever items she was carrying and gave her a light hug, his movements tender and full of reliance.
Even though that nightmare-like experience had left an indelible shadow in the depths of his heart — making him jump at every sound while staying home — he tried his best to stay calm.
The occasional honk of a car outside, the sound of a neighbor walking upstairs, or even the slight hum of the water pipes would make his heart leap and his breath catch for a moment.
He would fearfully think, ‘Is it that woman with the pale gold hair and gray eyes? Has she come to drag me back into the abyss again?’
Every time this happened, he would freeze in place until he confirmed it was just an ordinary sound.
Only then would he slowly breathe a sigh of relief, his back slick with a thin layer of cold sweat.
Fortunately, his most terrifying imaginings had not come true.
Rika Kawasaki seemed to have truly disappeared from his world. She had not reappeared, and there was no contact of any kind.
This peace allowed Kaoru’s nerves, which had been as tight as a drawn bowstring for the past few days, to finally relax a little.
He began to try, bit by bit, to pick up the pieces of his completely disrupted and shattered life and mood.
Actually, the method seemed quite simple, even carrying a sort of self-deceiving cruelty.
‘As long as I bury the memory of being violated and defiled deep within — sealing it forever in the darkest corner of my heart — then Aina will never know about that ugly incident.’
In this way, he could carefully glue the broken porcelain shards back together, barely restoring them to their original state, and return to their peaceful, stable, and love-filled daily life.
Although this decision filled him with endless guilt toward his girlfriend, weighing on his chest like a heavy stone, he secretly resolved to spend the rest of his life making it up to Aina Saiten.
He would do his absolute best to play the role of the perfect partner, and even a potential future husband and father.
And right now, that was exactly what he was doing — with a devotion and focus that bordered on atonement.
His day revolved entirely around Aina Saiten.
In the early morning, when the first light peeked through the curtains, he would quietly get up.
In the quiet kitchen, he prepared a nutritionally balanced breakfast and a carefully arranged bento for her, ensuring every portion of food catered to her tastes and health.
During the day, while Aina was out working, he would clean the small apartment until it was spotless.
He washed and dried the clothes until they smelled of sunlight and fabric softener, keeping every corner organized as if that could dispel the chaos in his heart.
In the evening, he timed his cooking perfectly so the aroma of food would fill the space.
Then, he would quietly wait for the sound of the key turning, which signaled that the center of his world had returned.
At night, they might snuggle on the sofa to watch television for a while, chatting about trivial daily matters.
Then, he would carefully attend to her as she bathed.
Finally, in the bed that belonged to the two of them, he would use his submissive body and all of his attention to soothe her toil and fatigue from the day.
One could say that at this moment, Kaoru Hoshitani’s entire sense of purpose was tied to Aina Saiten.
“Akane, do you remember that junior from my company I mentioned, the one who’s been looking after me?”
At the dining table, Aina Saiten was contentedly enjoying the dinner her boyfriend had meticulously prepared — tender grilled fish with seasonal vegetables and steaming miso soup.
She suddenly seemed to remember something and looked up.
A tiny grain of rice clung to the corner of her mouth, and her eyes sparkled as she spoke.
How could Kaoru Hoshitani not know who she was talking about?
Lately, he had heard her mention “Junior Chika” many times — how she had a “mysterious background,” was “very capable,” and “took great care of her.”
He set down his chopsticks and nodded gently, watching her with a soft gaze as he waited for her to continue.
Seeing Kaoru nod, Aina swallowed her food, wiped her mouth with a tissue, and continued.
“The day after tomorrow is Saturday, right? I want to officially treat Chika to dinner to properly thank her for looking after me lately. And… I want to bring you along this time.”
Her tone was consultative, but her eyes held expectation.
“Eh… I’m going too?”
Kaoru’s eyes widened slightly, showing a bit of surprise and hesitation.
In his view, Aina was treating her out of professional courtesy and workplace relationships.
He felt it might be inappropriate for him to join, as it might make the conversation between her and her junior awkward.
Aina clearly saw his confusion and concern.
She reached across the table and gently squeezed his hand. A warm sensation traveled through him.
“It’s fine, don’t worry,” she explained, her voice softening further.
“Chika and I aren’t just colleagues now; we’re friends. This dinner isn’t that formal. Mostly… I just can’t bear the thought of going out to have a big meal and leaving you home alone.”
As she spoke, a trace of heartache appeared on her face.
“What does that matter…?”
Kaoru murmured softly, a slight flush rising to his pale cheeks.
Hearing that Aina had made this decision because she couldn’t stand the thought of him being home alone sent a warm current through his heart, washing away most of his hesitation.
“Alright, it’s settled then.”
Aina gave his hand a firm but gentle squeeze, her smile radiant.
“…Okay.”
Kaoru finally nodded. He lowered his eyelids, his long lashes casting small shadows underneath, hiding the flash of complex emotions in his eyes.
He was happy to be able to go out with Aina, of course, but… meeting an “outsider” whom Aina valued so much filled his heart with a vague, inexplicable unease.
After dinner, they cleared the dishes together.
Then, like many other ordinary nights, they snuggled together on the sofa in the living room, which wasn’t spacious but was comfortable enough.
The television screen flickered with shifting shadows as a lighthearted variety show played, but mostly they just enjoyed the tranquility of each other’s company, occasionally whispering a few words.
Kaoru curled up beside Aina, his head resting on her shoulder like a young cub seeking protection, soaking in her reassuring warmth and scent.
At ten o’clock, since Aina Saiten had to wake up early for work the next day, they got up to rest.
After washing up together, they crawled into bed.
Aina habitually reached out her arm, pulling her sweet, soft boyfriend into her embrace.
She contentedly breathed in the fresh scent of his hair, preparing to drift off to sleep.
However, not long after she closed her eyes, she clearly felt a gaze lingering on her face — one that could not be ignored.
The gaze was so focused, so intense, and filled with undisguised expectation and a silent longing.
In the dim bedroom, it felt almost like it had a physical temperature.
She knew exactly who that gaze belonged to, and she understood the unmistakable hint and invitation within it.
This immediately made her feel an indescribable pressure, almost making her “break out in a cold sweat” from the awkwardness.
Since joining Quansheng, Aina Saiten had indeed started working out regularly to improve her physical fitness and energy levels.
However, during her initial assessment, her coach had explicitly warned her that given her current foundation and recent work stress, she needed to practice “moderation” in the early stages of fitness.
She had to ensure sufficient recovery time; otherwise, not only would the effectiveness of the exercise be compromised, but it could also place a burden on her body.
Even without the coach’s specific warnings, Aina’s own body had already been sending out clear warning signals.
Lately, after the high-intensity “exercise” that took place almost every night, a dull ache would radiate from her waist and lower back, like muscles being overstretched.
Sometimes it even made it difficult to get out of bed in the morning.
This was undoubtedly her body signaling fatigue and a need for rest.
Feeling the persistent, expectant, and burning gaze of her boyfriend in her arms, Aina struggled inwardly for a moment.
Ultimately, she could only keep her eyes tightly shut, striving to keep her breathing steady and deep.
She pretended to have quickly fallen into a deep sleep to escape that silent invitation that made her heart soften yet feel so pressured.
As the night deepened, only the intertwined sounds of two people breathing remained in the room — one wakeful and expectant, the other carefully feigning the stillness of sleep…