Rika Kawasaki had actually figured some things out.
The warm yellow light of the bathroom heater shone through the dense steam, casting hazy shadows on the tiled walls of the spacious bathroom.
In the large massage bathtub, hot water bubbled gently, carrying the fresh, soothing scent of essential oils.
She leaned her back against the smooth wall of the tub, the warm water submerging her up to her chest.
Kaoru Hoshitani was encircled in front of her, his back to her, with most of his body also immersed in the water, revealing only his pale, thin shoulders and a section of his graceful neck.
After yet another struggle that had drained all their energy, the relaxation of soaking in the comfortable hot water at this moment allowed her excited nerves to cool down slightly, enabling her to engage in some thoughts different from before.
The rising heat seemed to soften some of the overly direct edges of her thinking.
She realized that she had seemingly been too impatient all along.
Like a predator that had discovered its desired prey, she had only thought of immediately pouncing, possessing, and marking.
But she had not considered at all how difficult, and even cruel, it was to force a man like Kaoru Hoshitani—who was sensitive and delicate, had a deep affection for his girlfriend, and held relatively traditional views—to accept and adapt to this “relationship” built entirely on unequal power and coercion in such a short time and in such a domineering, even rough manner.
This was likely the root cause of why he always showed such intense resistance—it was not just physical discomfort, but a massive conflict in psychological cognition and irreconcilable rejection.
This was also why, even though she had clearly sensed multiple times that at certain moments, this little man’s body and instincts would betray his will, revealing a trace of wavering or even… addiction.
But once he sobered up, he would always immediately raise his spikes, arming himself with anger, resentment, or indifference.
He would say one thing but mean another, trying to use intense emotions to cover up that “betrayal” stemming from his instincts that even he could not accept.
Therefore, Rika Kawasaki decided to change her strategy.
She decided to settle for the next best thing for now, no longer forcing immediate emotional acceptance or so-called “mutual affection.”
The first thing she had to do was to stabilize their current state of being physically closely connected, to “normalize” this contact, and let him gradually get used to her presence, her touch, and even her demands.
As for other more complex things, like feelings, titles, or a deeper binding, those could be left for later, to be plotted slowly and infiltrated gradually.
From this perspective, the identity of a ‘sex friend’ seemed to fit the current relationship between the two of them very well.
maintaining high-frequency and deep intimate contact on the physical level to satisfy each other’s physiological needs, while on the emotional and psychological level, there existed a vague, non-committal, and even slightly twisted ambiguity and tug-of-war.
This positioning would not bring her the burden of responsibility like that of a “boyfriend,” yet it could legitimately maintain the physical connection between her and him. Perhaps…
It could also allow that little man to find a twisted excuse psychologically to temporarily accept this relationship.
And at this moment, Kaoru Hoshitani had just snatched the last wisp of sobering oxygen from a suffocating deep kiss.
His brain was still in chaos, and his body was so limp and sore it felt as if it had been disassembled and reassembled; he didn’t even have the strength to lift a single finger.
Therefore, when Rika Kawasaki carried him into the bathroom and placed him in the bathtub full of hot water, he didn’t even put up a symbolic struggle.
He was just like an exquisite doll, letting her manipulate him.
Only those eyes, moistened by the steam, stared hollowly at the rising mist ahead, revealing exhaustion and numbness.
He truly had no strength, nor the mental energy, to argue with this shameless, unreasonable woman anymore; that would only leave him more exhausted.
The bathtub was very large, enough to accommodate two people without appearing crowded.
Rika Kawasaki adjusted her posture, letting Kaoru Hoshitani sit between her legs with his back against her, the warm water wrapping around their pressed-together skin.
Her firm arms circled his waist and abdomen, fixing him in her embrace, while her chin rested lightly on the top of his head, which was wet and exuded the scent of the same shampoo she used.
This posture carried a jarring intimacy completely different from the fierce conquest before, and even… a trace of eerie warmth.
Amidst the misty vapor and comfortable warmth, Rika Kawasaki’s voice, low and carrying a hint of post-coital laziness and huskiness, sounded against the top of Kaoru Hoshitani’s head.
Like a hypnotic whisper, she began to weave her theory:
“Kaoru, did you know? Actually, in this era, it is a very normal thing for many people to have a ‘sex friend’.”
She paused, seemingly organizing language that was easier to understand.
“It’s just… solving physiological needs for each other, but without the many responsibilities and constraints of a boyfriend and girlfriend relationship. Just like us.”
She felt the body in her arms stiffen almost imperceptibly, but there was no intense resistance, so she continued:
“You should have heard of it too, right? The cheating rate for men in Neon City seems to be the highest in the world.”
Regarding the claim that the cheating rate of men in Neon City was high, Kaoru Hoshitani had indeed seen sporadic statistics or discussions about it while browsing mobile news or social media before.
His first reaction at the time was that this conclusion was very unreliable, perhaps even exaggerated.
He still remembered that he had once shared and discussed this information as a trivial anecdote with Aina.
But to his surprise, Aina did not show much surprise after hearing it; instead, she seemed to feel that it was, to some extent, “to be expected.”
“Because Neon society is probably one of the most repressed and strictly hierarchical societies in the world.”
At that time, Aina Saiten explained in a somewhat flat tone while folding clothes.
“And men, especially ordinary salarymen, seem to occupy a dominant position in social relations and family structures, but in reality, the pressure they bear is often the greatest, and also the most nowhere to vent.”
“The pressure is too great, so they have to find an outlet to release it. Some people just… chose this way.”
At that time, Kaoru Hoshitani could not yet fully understand the deep meaning in his girlfriend’s words.
He only felt that no matter how great the pressure or how difficult life was, he would absolutely never use cheating and betrayal to hurt Aina; that was his bottom line, and also his most basic loyalty to this relationship.
But that was only “him at that time.”
At that time, he had never truly and personally experienced that kind of immense pressure that could completely crush a person from spirit to body, suffocating them to the point of despair.
Now… perhaps Kaoru Hoshitani could “understand” a little bit.
In the face of absolute power that could not be resisted, with one’s will being gradually eroded, the body forced to react against one’s heart, and the pain and confusion of the constant collapse of self-cognition—isn’t that in itself an extreme kind of “pressure”?
Under this kind of pressure, people would do things that even they themselves could not predict or understand…
Rika Kawasaki’s voice continued to echo in his ears, carrying a tempting tone of patient guidance, trying to rationalize everything:
“You see, if pressure keeps piling up and finds no outlet to be released, it really will turn people into monsters.”
Her arms tightened a little, making him press closer to her.
“Kaoru, you should have felt it yourself too, right? Recently… you in bed, are you a little different from before? Do you… feel strange even to yourself?”
This sentence was like a fine needle, accurately piercing into Kaoru Hoshitani’s most secret fear.
Yes, he felt it.
That uncontrolled craving, that collapse of rationality under extreme stimulation.
That huge emptiness and self-loathing afterward… that self immersed in desire was so strange that it scared him.
“If you continue to endure like this, holding everything inside and repressing the body’s true feelings…”
Rika Kawasaki’s voice dropped even lower, her hot breath spraying on the shell of his ear, bringing a shiver.
“Maybe when the time comes, just a single ‘sex friend’ might not be able to satisfy the monster released in your heart… Who knows what will happen then?”
Although Kaoru Hoshitani rejected it from the bottom of his heart and didn’t want to hear Rika Kawasaki’s voice at all—wishing he could immediately block his ears and cut off this annoying sound source—his exhausted brain was uncontrolled.
Following the woman’s suggestive words, it automatically outlined a corresponding, horrifying picture in his mind:
‘Being surrounded by several… or even more… hungry, dominant women like Rika Kawasaki at the same time, being pinned down by them… letting them take whatever they want… unable to break free at all, only able to sink… so terrifying…’
Just such an imagination made his body tremble violently and involuntarily a few times, his face still looking pale under the steam of the hot water.
Rika Kawasaki keenly perceived the momentary trembling and stiffness of the body in her arms.
The corners of her mouth couldn’t control rising upward, revealing an arc of satisfaction and control, as if her plan had succeeded.
It seemed that her “persuasion” was not completely ineffective; at least she had successfully planted the seeds of fear and uncertainty in his heart.
She applied slight force with both arms, easily turning Kaoru Hoshitani, who was originally back to her and curled up in her arms, around to face her.
The hot water splashed with the movement, rippling out in circles.
There was no longer any barrier between the two, their skin pressing together without reservation, and the water temperature seemed to rise a few degrees because of it.
She kept one arm around his waist, while the other hand slowly lifted, dripping with water droplets, and gently but undeniably lifted his lowered chin, forcing his gaze to meet hers.
In the misty vapor, the aggression in her gray eyes seemed to be softened slightly by the gentle water light, gazing intently at his face, which was flushed with shame and confusion, his eyes dodging.
Then, she lowered her head and kissed him.
This kiss was completely different from those rough kisses in the foyer or the bedroom that carried a sense of punishment or conquest.
It was unusually soft, slow, and even carried a kind of unfamiliar, tentative tenderness.
Her lips just gently pressed and rubbed against his, her tongue tip probing in carefully; there was no plundering like a violent storm, only a detailed tasting like a babbling brook.
So much so that in this kiss, Kaoru Hoshitani’s head—which was a bit dizzy from being soaked in hot water but managed to maintain a shred of clarity because of the gentleness of the kiss—could feel every subtle movement of the woman with abnormal clarity.
The temperature and softness of Rika Kawasaki’s lips, the tentative light licking of her tongue tip, the warm and moist breath from her nose, and even… her obvious improvement in kissing.
However, wondering if it was because he had been soaking in the hot water for too long, causing accelerated blood circulation and rising body temperature, Kaoru Hoshitani’s body was now even more sore and weak than before.
Like a plant soaked in hot water, a numbing sensation seeped out from the cracks in his bones, leaving him without a bit of strength.
His consciousness wanted to push her away, but his body was limp as water.
And just in this state where consciousness and body were seriously disjointed and his willpower was at its weakest, Rika Kawasaki’s large hand, originally resting on the back of his waist, began to slowly move down along the curve of his slippery spine with unmistakable intent, finally stopping on his lower back.
Then, carrying the lubrication of the hot water and her scorching body temperature, she gently but firmly… applied pressure.
‘Ugh…! Now… doing this… is too… too cunning…’
Kaoru Hoshitani issued a voiceless, weak protest in his heart.
He realized that compared to direct violence, this kind of bewitchment mixed with “tenderness,” as well as verbal guidance that precisely seized his psychological weaknesses, combined with just the right amount of physical stimulation…
His defenses were being disintegrated little by little from multiple directions…
‘Aina… save me…’
But how could Aina Saiten, who was currently working at her company, hear the cry for help from her beloved boyfriend who was sinking into the quagmire?