[NTR Countdown]
Time remaining until your boyfriend, Kaoru Hoshitani, is taken: 50 days
Moreover, another point that bothered Aina Saiten was who exactly the person behind the mysterious text message was.
She stared at the few photos she had saved on her phone screen, her gaze shifting repeatedly between the familiar background and the two familiar figures.
The photos were taken from a diagonal angle, and judging by the lighting, the vantage point must have been somewhere across the street.
It was either early morning or late evening — which meant the person who took the photos had likely been crouching outside her house for one whole day, constantly monitoring her home.
This realization sent a chill down Aina Saiten’s spine.
Who was this person who took the photos? Why were they doing this? What was their goal? Or rather — who had instructed or hired them?
Aina Saiten had always felt that she and Akane were just ordinary people, as common as anyone else.
She was an accountant who had recently changed jobs, and Akane was an ordinary man who had been unemployed at home until he recently started working.
They hadn’t offended anyone, hadn’t stirred up any trouble, and lived a simple, low-profile life.
Yet now, she realized someone was monitoring her and Akane every second of the day.
To her, this was simply incomprehensible and unacceptable.
Moreover, this bizarre situation reminded Aina Saiten of the secret software that had suddenly appeared on her old mobile phone.
That software, those videos, and the mystery that still haunted her — was there some kind of connection between them?
She couldn’t help but feel that the mastermind behind both incidents was actually the same person…
The moment this thought surfaced, a bone-chilling cold washed over Aina Saiten.
The sensation of being manipulated by an invisible hand and watched by unknown eyes made her skin crawl; the more she thought about it, the more terrifying it became.
She sat at her workstation, staring at the computer screen, but the numbers and tables blurred before her eyes, completely failing to register in her mind.
Her palms were sweaty, her fingertips were icy, and her heart pounded heavily and rapidly against her ribs.
However, after the initial shock and fear passed, Aina Saiten’s thoughts gradually cleared.
She began to analyze the situation calmly, trying to find the most likely answer.
While she was an ordinary person, and Akane was too, he… wasn’t actually that ordinary.
That face, that aura, that beauty that made it impossible for anyone to look away — those were things Akane was born with, the treasures she had always carefully protected.
She was well aware of the logic behind the phrase ‘treasure-bearing innocent.’
Because of this, for the past two years, Aina Saiten had been very cautious, never letting Akane show his face in public.
She rarely took him to gatherings with colleagues, never let him go to unfamiliar places alone, and rarely even posted photos of him on social media.
What she feared was drawing the covetous gaze of others, fearing someone would target her Akane like a vulture eyeing a prize.
But despite all her precautions, it seemed another woman had set her sights on her treasure.
Furthermore, this woman who was after her treasure was capable of hacking her phone and sending people to monitor her every day.
Her power was clearly not something Aina Saiten could easily contend with.
‘Is it my junior, Chinatsu? Or that yellow-haired woman named Rika Kawasaki?’
The faces of possible suspects flashed through Aina Saiten’s mind.
Was it Chinatsu Ayase? Her junior who had a mysterious background, outstanding ability, and had helped her so much?
She certainly had the capability and the motive — after all, Aina Saiten saw the way she looked at Akane every single time.
But if it were her, it wouldn’t make sense for her to have photos of herself and Akane taken and then sent to his girlfriend. It was illogical.
Was it Rika Kawasaki? That yellow-haired woman with the powerful aura who had made her feel uneasy for so long?
But if it were her, how could the previous video be explained? Was it to humiliate her? To declare her ownership?
Aina Saiten couldn’t figure it out.
She rubbed her throbbing temples, feeling a deep sense of helplessness.
Regardless, she realized that her seemingly stable and happy daily life had come to an end today…
……
Time passed in a daze.
Aina Saiten only snapped back to reality when the clock in the bottom right corner of her computer screen jumped to 5:30 PM.
She mechanically packed her things, turned off the computer, grabbed her bag, and walked out of the office.
The elevator descended slowly. Standing inside, she looked at her pale face in the mirror and took a deep breath.
No matter what, she couldn’t show it. She couldn’t let Akane see that anything was wrong.
Without solid evidence, she was still unwilling to conclude that the boyfriend she had loved for over ten years had already cheated on her just because of those photos.
She needed more evidence; she needed to find out exactly what was going on.
The elevator reached the first floor, and the doors opened.
She walked out, crossed the lobby, and sat down on a sofa in the familiar reception area.
Just like the past few days, she waited for her boyfriend in the lobby.
She had messaged Akane 30 minutes ago and knew he would get off work on time today.
She told him she was waiting downstairs, and he replied with a simple “Okay” and a cute emoji.
Looking at that familiar expression, Aina Saiten smiled subconsciously, and the dark clouds in her heart cleared slightly.
People came and went in the lobby: colleagues leaving work, guests visiting, and couriers making deliveries.
Aina Saiten sat on the sofa with a magazine in her hand, but her eyes frequently drifted toward the elevator that went directly to the top floor.
She didn’t have to wait long.
The indicator light above the elevator doors lit up, the numbers changed, and it finally stopped at “1.”
The doors slid open slowly.
Two people stepped out of the elevator.
One was her Akane — wearing that black secretary uniform, with exquisite makeup, a slender figure, and a faint smile on his face.
The other was Chinatsu Ayase — wearing a light gray skirt suit, her long hair draped over her shoulders, also wearing a smile.
The two walked out side by side, their steps in sync and their postures natural. They were clearly having an enjoyable conversation.
Akane had his head tilted, listening to whatever Chinatsu Ayase was saying, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, his little deer eyes sparkling with a bright light.
The smile on Aina Saiten’s face as she prepared to greet her boyfriend instantly became stiff.
‘Akane… he came down with her again…’
If this had happened before, Aina Saiten might have only felt a little jealous or slightly unhappy.
She would have told herself it was just work-related contact, a normal interaction between colleagues, and nothing serious.
But after seeing those photos, seeing the two of them walking together like this caused a surge of bitterness in Aina Saiten’s heart.
That bitterness welled up from the depths of her soul and spread to her throat, making it almost impossible for her to speak.
She remembered the night she first took Akane to meet Chinatsu Ayase.
In that elegantly decorated private room of the dining room, a subtle sense of unease had washed over her when she saw the beautifully dressed Chinatsu Ayase.
That girl was too beautiful, excessively so. She was so beautiful that even Aina, who didn’t consider herself small-minded, couldn’t help but feel a sense of inferiority.
Because even Aina Saiten had to admit — by almost any material standard, Chinatsu Ayase was better than her, far superior.
She was younger, came from a better family, held a higher position in the company, dressed better, and spoke more eloquently. She was… more attractive.
Any normal man, when forced to choose between her and me, would probably choose her without hesitation, right?
‘Does Akane… feel that way too…?’
This thought, like the sharpest of blades, pierced her heart.
She watched Akane walk toward her, saw the brilliant smile on his face, and the familiar, loving light in his eyes. But at this moment, she didn’t know what was hidden behind that smile.
“Aina!”
Kaoru Hoshitani had spotted her and quickened his pace.
He reached out and naturally took her hand, his little deer eyes filled with the joy of seeing her.
“Have you been waiting long? I’m sorry to make you wait.”
His voice was soft and carried a hint of coyness, just as it always did.
But as Aina Saiten looked at him, then at Chinatsu Ayase smiling and nodding to her from behind him, and sensed the faint, indescribable chemistry between them —
She felt her heart sinking, bit by bit.
“No,” she forced a smile and stood up, gripping his hand tightly. “I just arrived myself.”
“Then let’s go home.”
Kaoru Hoshitani squeezed her hand, his voice full of anticipation. “What are we having for dinner? I want to eat your curry.”
“Okay.”
Aina Saiten nodded, letting him lead her toward the door.
Behind them, Chinatsu Ayase bid them a polite farewell.
“Ms. Saiten, Mr. Hoshitani, have a safe trip home.”
“Thank you, Chinatsu.”
Aina Saiten turned back and nodded to her.
Even she felt that her smile was stiff.
Stepping out of the company doors, they were greeted by the night scene of Tokyo.
Neon lights flickered along the streets, traffic flowed like a river, and crowds hurried past.
the early winter night wind carried a bone-chilling cold. As it blew against her face, she couldn’t help but shrink her neck.
Noticing her movement, Kaoru Hoshitani gripped her hand even tighter and leaned closer to her.
“Are you cold? Let’s hurry home.”
“Yes.”
Aina Saiten responded, and as she looked at his concerned eyes, the dark clouds in her heart cleared slightly once more.
Yet those nagging thoughts were like maggots in the bone, impossible to shake off.