Kaoru Hoshitani moved so quickly that both the Male Sales Associate and Rika Kawasaki were momentarily stunned.
“Ah? Mister…?”
The smile on the Male Sales Associate’s face froze. He was clearly surprised and confused by this sudden turn of events.
He instinctively looked at Rika Kawasaki, then at the closed curtain of the Changing Room.
He asked, flustered, “Is… is the size not right? Or is there something about the style Mister is dissatisfied with? We can change it for another size immediately, or you could look at other styles. Our Boutique has many…”
He couldn’t finish his sentence because there was total silence from inside the Changing Room. No response came.
The Male Sales Associate hesitantly looked to Rika Kawasaki for help again, his face a mask of professional embarrassment and bewilderment.
However, Rika Kawasaki simply stood there, her deep gray eyes fixed on the closed curtain. No sign of the expected annoyance or impatience appeared on her face.
On the contrary, the corners of her mouth seemed to curl into a deeper, inscrutable arc.
She gave the Male Sales Associate a nearly imperceptible shake of her head, signaling him to stop talking and not to disturb them.
Inside the Changing Room, the light was soft, yet it felt cramped.
Kaoru Hoshitani leaned his back against the cold door panel, his chest heaving slightly.
He hurriedly stripped off the expensive, exceptionally comfortable set of Clothes one by one.
His fingertips brushed over the fine mesh of the Shirt, the soft vest, and the crisp pants. Every touch felt like a reminder of the humiliation and control represented by this “Gift.”
He quickly changed back into his own ordinary but familiar Clothes, which still carried his own scent.
It was as if by doing so, he could reclaim some small measure of autonomy and security.
Once he had dressed in the last of his own items, he neatly folded the high-priced outfit on the padded stool in the Changing Room. His gaze involuntarily fell on the price tag of one of the pieces.
A rigid, pure white card, printed with an elegant gold-stamped logo and a clear line of numbers beneath.
His gaze lingered on that string of numbers for a full three seconds. ‘Nearly 300,000 yen…’
A cold, clear realization pierced his mind.
This was almost equivalent to Aina’s entire salary for one month of hard Work… perhaps even more.
Yet that Woman could buy it for him without even blinking, as easily and casually as if she were buying a box of candy.
This massive disparity was like a needle, puncturing any lingering trace of faint fondness he might have had for these Clothes.
All that remained was a deeper sense of powerlessness and the sting of the sharp class divide.
He took a deep breath, as if to suppress all his chaotic emotions. Then, he resolutely picked up the stack of Clothes and pulled back the curtain.
Stepping out of the Changing Room, his face had regained that submissive, distant calm. His eyelashes remained lowered, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes.
He handed the Clothes to the Male Sales Associate, who was still waiting with a nervous expression. His voice was so quiet it was almost inaudible:
“Thank you.”
With that, he didn’t linger. He walked straight toward the Boutique’s Door, his pace carrying a subtle hint of urgency, wanting to escape this place immediately.
“Wait.”
Just as his fingertips were about to touch the handle of the Glass Door, that spell-like voice rang out again with undeniable force.
Simultaneously, a large hand reached out from the side, firmly and powerfully grabbing his slender wrist, stopping him in his tracks.
Kaoru Hoshitani’s body stiffened. He was forced to stop and turn his head.
Rika Kawasaki stood beside him, her other hand already pulling a dull, metallic Black Credit Card from her small wallet.
Without even glancing at Kaoru Hoshitani’s wide, questioning eyes, she handed the card directly to the Male Sales Associate, who had hurried over.
Her tone was flat, as if she were ordering a mundane task:
“Wrap this outfit up for me, please. Thank you.”
“Y-Yes! Certainly! Please wait a moment, it will be ready right away!”
Though the Male Sales Associate hadn’t fully processed the sudden disagreement between the customers, his professional instinct kicked in.
He respectfully took the card—a symbol of wealth and status—with both hands.
A warm smile returned to his face as he turned and hurried toward the Checkout Counter.
“You…!”
Watching Rika Kawasaki’s series of self-assertive actions that completely ignored his wishes, the anger in Kaoru Hoshitani’s chest could no longer be suppressed.
He tried forcefully to shake off her hand, but it was in vain. He could only glare with his beautiful eyes.
Due to his agitation and anger, the corners of his eyes were slightly flushed, and his voice rose involuntarily:
“I said I didn’t want it! Why did you buy it?! Who told you to buy it?!”
Rika Kawasaki didn’t care about his anger at all. Instead, she found his huffing, wide-eyed appearance particularly vivid and interesting.
She didn’t loosen her grip on his wrist. Her gray eyes crinkled slightly, containing a nearly playful, mischievous glint.
She asked slowly, “I’m buying something with my own money. Do I really need your permission?”
She paused intentionally, her gaze lingering on his flushed cheeks, before lowering her voice.
In a tone only the two of them could hear, she continued with an underlying hint, “Are you my Husband? Then you would certainly have the standing and right to say that. Why? Do you want to be?”
“You…!”
Kaoru Hoshitani was momentarily speechless, choked by her shameless and suggestive words.
His cheeks turned so red they looked ready to drip blood—half from anger, and half from the implication in her speech.
He couldn’t squeeze out a more powerful retort. He could only try once more to break free from her hand, turning his face away so he wouldn’t have to see her loathsome smile.
Seeing him in this state of mixed shame and indignation, like a ruffled kitten that had its tail stepped on, the bit of displeasure Rika Kawasaki had felt from his rejection mostly vanished.
She suddenly leaned in closer, almost pressing against his ear.
Her voice became exceptionally soft, carrying a strange, almost coaxing tone as she whispered, “Alright, stop making a scene.”
Her breath brushed against his ear, sending a faint shiver through him.
“I truly think those Clothes suit you very, very well. They look good on you, and I can tell that you like them.”
She paused, her tone taking on a certain undeniable air of a Promise:
“With me, you don’t need to suppress or hide any of your desires. As long as it’s something you want, as long as I can see it and afford it… I will definitely put it in your hands.”
To anyone else, those words might have sounded like a soulful confession or a deep Promise.
But given their twisted relationship and Rika Kawasaki’s overbearing style, they only made Kaoru Hoshitani feel more confused, uneasy, and… a sense of exposed embarrassment.
He did like those Clothes; he couldn’t deny that.
Having it pointed out so bluntly, and then framed as “satisfying his desires,” gave him a sense of being completely stripped bare, a shame with nowhere to hide.
He didn’t know if his face grew redder from increased anger or from these complicated, unspeakable emotions.
Even the tips of his ears and his neck were stained a faint pink. He could only bite his lower lip hard and say nothing more.
By then, the Male Sales Associate had finished the transaction.
Holding a thick, cream-colored Shopping Bag printed with the brand’s logo with both hands, he hurried back.
He respectfully returned the card and the bag to Rika Kawasaki.
“Lady, it’s been wrapped for you. Here are your card and the Clothes. Please have them. We look forward to your next visit.”
Rika Kawasaki took the card and tucked it back into her wallet.
Then, without even looking, she thrust the Shopping Bag containing nearly 300,000 yen worth of Clothes into Kaoru Hoshitani’s empty hand.
The corded handles bit into his soft palm, bringing a heavy sense of reality.
“Take it.”
Her tone returned to its usual casualness, as if she were merely handing him a bottle of water.
Then, she reached out again, naturally wrapping her arm around his waist. With an irresistible force, she held him and turned to walk out of the Boutique.
Kaoru Hoshitani kept his eyes lowered, forced to follow her lead, carrying the Shopping Bag like a hot potato.
He didn’t resist violently anymore, nor did he try to throw the bag away. He simply remained silent, letting her lead him away.
His thoughts were a mess—anger, humiliation, a natural liking for beautiful Clothes, shock at the exorbitant cost, and confusion and unease over the Woman’s Promise—these emotions intertwined, causing him to fall into a complete silence, unsure of how to deal with this bizarre situation.
For the rest of the morning, Rika Kawasaki seemed to have toggled into “shopaholic” mode.
She enthusiastically kept her arm around Kaoru Hoshitani, visiting one Boutique after another in the heart of Ginza, past grand storefronts and magnificent windows.
From top-tier men’s ready-to-wear shops to handmade shoe workshops, from designer accessory stores to high-end beauty collection shops that even covered men’s skincare and cosmetics—
She practically led him across every place that could make him “more dazzling.”
The Shopping Bags in his hands grew more numerous and heavier.
From the initial bag, they gradually added bags containing a perfectly tailored wool coat, a fine cashmere sweater, excellently cut Blue Jeans, uniquely designed leather shoes, and even several bottles of men’s cologne and skincare products with exquisite packaging and staggering prices…
Both of Kaoru Hoshitani’s hands were soon full, his fingers turning red from the strain of the cords.
Rika Kawasaki carried quite a few herself, but she was clearly enjoying it.
Even though Kaoru Hoshitani maintained a stance of passive resistance throughout.
He didn’t want this Woman, who had forcibly intruded into his life and caused him endless pain, to spend money on him.
He certainly didn’t want to accept these gifts that bore such obvious “marks” of her.
Every time he was pushed into a Changing Room, every time he was surrounded by the admiring and expectant gazes of sales associates, he felt incredibly awkward and resistant.
He couldn’t run away. His wrist or waist was always firmly under her control.
He could only be like a soul-less doll, pushed to change into one elegant outfit after another, standing stiffly before the Mirror, and then listening to the judgments of her or the associates.
However, gradually… even Kaoru Hoshitani hadn’t clearly noticed it, but a subtle change was occurring.
When wearing Clothes with such exquisite tailoring and top-tier fabric that perfectly highlighted his physical advantages, the comfort and pleasure of being wrapped in high-quality items were real.
When seeing himself in the Mirror, presenting various looks—cold, soft, refined, or casual—the visual enjoyment and a faint, satisfying sense of being acknowledged were also real.
While Rika Kawasaki was overbearing, when it came to “shopping,” she didn’t force him into styles that were obviously unsuitable or that he disliked.
Mostly, she had him try them on, and then she decided on the purchase.
This process, in a way, stripped away the intense initial humiliation of being “forcefully gifted.”
It felt more like… a twisted form of being looked after and being dressed up.
Without realizing it, his mood seemed… truly not as bad as it had been at the start, no longer so full of desperate resistance.
The pleasure on Rika Kawasaki’s face, meanwhile, became increasingly apparent, almost undisguised.
She was thoroughly enjoying this process.
Watching this beautiful little man before her, who was already extraordinary, being “packaged” by her like a polished piece of jade, gradually revealing a more dazzling and flawless luster — this “nurturing” pleasure was fresh and intense.
Every piece of clothing she bought and put on him was like an invisible seal, engraved with her mark, declaring her Ownership.
The more dazzling he became because of it, the more it proved her taste and the value of what she possessed.
This sense of satisfaction was far beyond what simple shopping could provide.
Time flew by in a cycle of trying on clothes, presenting himself at the Mirror, swiping the card, and packing.
By the time they couldn’t carry anything else and their arms felt a distinct ache, the sky outside was nearing noon.
The sunlight had turned fierce, pouring through the massive glass dome of the Luxury Mall and bringing a hint of warmth.
The shopping expedition that had lasted several hours finally came to a temporary halt.
Along with it came the most primitive protest of the body—hunger hit them both at the same time.
Rika Kawasaki glanced at Kaoru Hoshitani’s side profile. He looked tired, but his face was still slightly flushed and even more vivid.
She decided to solve the problem of food and warmth first.
Keeping her arm around him, she returned to the spacious yet somewhat deserted underground Parking Lot.
She stuffed all the various Shopping Bags they were holding into the limited cargo space of the Supercar.
After locking the Car, the two took the Elevator back to the ground floor.
The crowds on the streets of Ginza seemed denser than in the morning. The aroma of food in the air began to mingle with luxury fragrances.
Rika Kawasaki’s gaze casually scanned the forest of shop signs along the street, looking for a place to eat.
Soon, her gaze fell on a Ramen Shop. It wasn’t particularly large, but its sign was very eye-catching.
Red lanterns, a wooden curtain, and the two familiar black characters on the curtain—”Quansheng.”
Seeing this sign, a nearly imperceptible, inscrutable glint flashed in Rika Kawasaki’s gray eyes. The curve of her mouth deepened slightly.
“Let’s go here.”
She didn’t hesitate. Gripping Kaoru Hoshitani’s shoulder, she walked toward the Ramen Shop.
Kaoru Hoshitani passively followed her steps, his gaze also somewhat blankly passing over the sign.
“Quansheng”… These two characters gave him a faint sense of familiarity.
He knit his elegant brows, searching through his memories.
Ah… that’s right. The Company where Aina went for an Interview a while ago—wasn’t its name “Quansheng”?
Was it a coincidence? Or was it the same one?
The thought flashed through his mind, bringing a subtle connection to Aina, but it was quickly washed away by the reality before him.
The Ramen Shop was bustling with people, filled with the rising steam of food and the tempting, rich aroma of bone broth.
They lifted the curtain and walked inside. A waiter greeted them warmly at once.
Rika Kawasaki found a booth against the wall that was relatively quiet.
She had Kaoru Hoshitani sit on the inside while she sat on the outside, naturally forming a sort of guarding posture.
She picked up the Menu on the table, her gaze quickly scanning the pictures and descriptions of the various ramen.
Just as her long finger was about to point to an item on the Menu to tell the waiter waiting for the Order—
A familiar female voice, carrying a sweetness that was deliberately polished yet slightly out of tune due to surprise, suddenly cut into the noisy air filled with the scent of food.
It rang clearly in her ear like a discordant note:
“Oh…? Sister?”
The voice paused for a moment as if to confirm, then continued with a perfectly balanced, inquisitive hesitation:
“It really is you, Sister? Why are you eating here?”
The owner of the voice seemed to take a step forward.
Her gaze didn’t just fall on Rika Kawasaki; with undisguised curiosity and scrutiny, it went straight to Kaoru Hoshitani, who was blocked by Rika Kawasaki on the inside of the booth and had just looked up due to the sudden interruption.
Her gaze was like a searchlight, looking him up and down.
Then, her voice became even thicker with surprise and playfulness, as if she had discovered some interesting Secret:
“And… who is this…?”