Mr. Kawasaki looked at the two locking eyes and smiled as he introduced them:
“Aina Saiten, this is my granddaughter. Sometimes when the shop gets too busy, she comes to help out.”
Then he turned to his granddaughter,
“Rika, this is Mr. Hoshitani’s girlfriend, Aina Saiten.”
Hearing her grandfather’s introduction, Rika Kawasaki’s eyes narrowed slightly, the corners of her eyes tilting upwards as if sizing up Kaoru Hoshitani’s so-called girlfriend.
[Hmph… just this level, huh.]
A faint trace of barely perceptible disdain flashed through her gaze.
[She looks like just an ordinary office lady—nervous, unfit… I thought someone worthy of such a beauty would be quite a different character.]
Meanwhile, Aina Saiten looked as if she had seen a ghost, her blood seeming to run backwards in an instant, her face draining of color, pupils shrinking sharply in shock and terror.
Because right before her stood the blonde woman from that disgusting video, the same blonde who had pinned down her boyfriend and ruthlessly tormented and humiliated him!
[N-No… that video was supposed to be AI-generated, wasn’t it? Then why… why is she really here…?]
The indecent scenes she had seen before now played repeatedly in her mind, frame after frame, with even sharper detail and piercing pain flashing wildly before her eyes.
The ambiguous sounds seemed to echo once again in her ears.
Aina Saiten clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging deep into her soft palms, sending sharp stings of pain.
At this moment, she was almost certain beyond doubt that this blonde woman standing in front of her—
Was the one who made that obscene, disturbingly realistic AI video!
And she was the one who, by some unknown means, got that damned APP onto her own phone!
Otherwise, how could the “other main character” in that video so coincidentally appear right in front of her?!
“Kaoru,”
Rika Kawasaki seemed unwilling to continue staring meaninglessly at Aina Saiten.
She quickly withdrew her gaze and then called out in a natural tone, but one carrying a work command, her voice slightly lower than most women’s, husky and magnetic:
“Could you please deliver this freshly made Tempura Platter to the customers at Table Four?”
“Right away! Coming!”
Kaoru Hoshitani immediately set down the cloth in his hand and, wearing a gentle and earnest expression, briskly walked over to Rika Kawasaki.
Since Kaoru was barely over 1.6 meters tall, when he stood before Rika, his head only reached her chest.
Just as he reached out with both hands to take the tempura platter from her,
Perhaps because they were standing too close, Kaoru suddenly felt a wave of hot, humid air, thick with feminine pheromones and a faint sweat scent, wash over his face.
He instinctively sniffed, but unfortunately inhaled deeply that steamy air.
In an instant—
Kaoru felt an unfamiliar yet strangely stimulating electric current surge unexpectedly from the soles of his feet, racing swiftly up his spine, unhindered, shooting straight to the crown of his head!
The sensation came so fast and sudden that his whole body stiffened for a moment.
That strange electric shock was fierce and fleeting, as if just a nerve ending’s accidental misfire.
Kaoru’s slender frame trembled almost imperceptibly. He quickly lowered his head to hide the sudden flush rising on his face.
The blush spread from the pale side of his neck all the way to his ear, like rouge accidentally dropped onto fresh snow.
Almost as if to escape, he turned away quickly, unwilling to look at Rika Kawasaki any longer, carrying the golden, crispy tempura platter with slightly uneven steps toward Table Four.
His retreating figure radiated a sense of urgency.
As time passed, the din inside the Izakaya gradually died down, like a receding tide.
Kaoru finally caught his breath, wiping the fine beads of sweat with his sleeve as he thought of Aina Saiten, who was still waiting for him.
He hastily smoothed the slightly wrinkled front of his work uniform, wearing a gentle smile tinged with apology, and walked quickly toward the bar counter.
“Aina, sorry to keep you waiting. I just finished—”
His words abruptly stopped, and his footsteps halted.
Because he noticed something was clearly wrong with Aina sitting there.
Aina Saiten’s eyes were wide open, bloodshot veins surrounding her eyes in a frightening pattern, her gaze fixed intently in one direction.
Her hands clenched tightly into fists at her sides, the knuckles pale from strain, veins visible on the backs of her hands, her entire body tense like a fully drawn bowstring, trembling slightly.
As if any moment she might lose control and rush out to use every ounce of strength to beat the target of her locked gaze.
Kaoru had never seen his girlfriend show such a violent, vengeful look before, and he was momentarily frightened.
He hurried forward, covering Aina’s tightly clenched right fist with his warm palm, trying to soften the iron-like stiffness with his heat, while his other hand gently stroked her back repeatedly, soothingly.
“Aina, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
However, his comfort was like a stone thrown into a deep pool—only stirring faint ripples quickly swallowed by an overwhelming darkness.
In Aina’s mind, the disgraceful scenes from that video played frantically on repeat—the image of Kaoru, his pale limbs entwined and violated by the blonde woman’s absolute dominance, invading him…
Those details, those sounds, were like thousands of glowing hot needles stabbing mercilessly into her nerves. How could she possibly remain calm?!
“There’s nothing much left to do in the shop tonight. Mr. Hoshitani, you can get off work early. Ms. Saiten doesn’t seem well.”
Mr. Kawasaki also noticed Aina Saiten’s state and kindly allowed Kaoru to leave early.
“Thank you, Mr. Kawasaki. I’ll come to work at the agreed time tomorrow.”
Kaoru looked gratefully at Mr. Kawasaki and nodded quickly.
“Yes, thank you very much, Mr. Kawasaki. I will be on time as promised tomorrow.”
His mind filled with worry for Aina’s condition, he gently held her rigid arm, half-supporting and half-leading her out.
But just as they stepped outside, the cool night air brushed past them—it did nothing to quell the raging fire of anger and freezing terror burning inside Aina’s heart.
She suddenly yanked her arm free from Kaoru’s hold, then, with fierce strength, almost violently grabbed his slender wrist.
Without a word, she dragged Kaoru forward with large, determined strides toward home, her steps fast and urgent, carrying an unmistakable, nearly obsessive resolve.