By the time they dropped off the overly friendly Yumi Konno at her place, it was past 9 p.m. Tetsu Fuyukawa and Sayoko, both able to hold their liquor, sipped some sobering soup and cozied up on the couch to watch a movie. Meanwhile, Himawari Izumi, still a bit tipsy, slipped into cute pajamas and headed upstairs. But…
Despite the buzz in her head, Himawari couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned on the tatami mat, the faint smell of mothballs lingering in the cotton blanket that half-covered her flushed face.
Honestly, the day's events had been an emotional rollercoaster for an eighteen-year-old like her.
"How am I supposed to face Yumemi and the others now?" she muttered to herself.
"No, no, no! They're the ones who should worry about facing me! I didn't do anything wrong!"
"Ugh, stop thinking about it! That guy's got way more life experience than me. I'll just follow his advice: don't forget the past, but don't look back either. Just keep moving forward. Yeah, I'll listen to him this time!"
Staring at the bright moonlight filtering through the glass door, her clear eyes flickered with shifting emotions. Her mind replayed the day's events, but it all kept circling back to that moment when he took her hand and placed it on the speaker.
"Ahh! I'm gonna lose it!" she groaned, her heart racing with an overwhelming sense of security—and a blush creeping up her cheeks. But soon, she grabbed the edges of the blanket in frustration, sitting up and ruffling her already messy hair. "No way, I can't sleep at all! He's a game developer—he's gotta have tons of manga around here, right?"
In her cute pink pajamas, her pale, delicate feet padded across the cool tatami. Still a bit drunk, Himawari stumbled to the glass-fronted bookshelf. "Dragon Ball? Why are guys so obsessed with this punchy-punchy stuff? Total violence nut!" she huffed.
"Hunter x Hunter? They should lock Togashi in a room until he finishes it. No way it's wrapping up in my lifetime!"
"Hm? After the Rain Short Story Collection by some flop author named Abin? Never heard of this one."
The alcohol was hitting her hard. Spotting an odd-looking manga, she swayed, her slender arm pulling open the glass cabinet. She yanked out the book, plopped onto the floor, and propped the oversized manga on her lap. With a small hiccup, she figured she'd kill time with it. But after flipping through a couple of pages, she slammed the book shut, her face turning as red as an apple, her eyes wide and trembling.
"Of course he's a huge perv! Keeping that kind of manga right out in the open!"
She shoved After the Rain back into the shelf with a loud thunk, crossing her arms indignantly, cheeks puffed out in a mix of embarrassment and annoyance. Just then, a wave of post-alcohol thirst hit her. "This house is tainted! No one can live here anymore!" she grumbled to herself.
Muttering complaints, she slipped on her bunny-shaped slippers and wobbled downstairs to grab some water. But as she reached the staircase landing, her eyes widened in shock at the scene before her.
The living room was dimly lit, the wall-mounted TV casting a faint glow from some movie. Tetsu lounged on the soft couch, a beer can in his left hand, sprawled out comfortably. And in front of him, in Himawari's stunned gaze, Sayoko, dressed in a red silk nightgown, was kneeling on the plush carpet. Her sleek black hair was pinned up, revealing a refined, almost magnetic profile.
"Wha—what is this?!" Himawari stammered, her clear eyes reflecting the heart-pounding scene. Just then, Tetsu moved, reaching out to grab Sayoko's head.
Did he see me?!
Panicking, Himawari didn't dare linger. She spun around and bolted back to the study, leaning against the door as her heart pounded. Thump, thump, thump! She let out a shaky breath, but her heartbeat only grew louder.
"Sayoko's gonna die out there!" she whispered frantically. "No, no, I need to calm down!"
She ruffled her hair in a frenzy and headed toward the balcony, but just before pushing open the glass door, her reflection caught a glimpse of the bookshelf. That manga, haphazardly stuffed back into the shelf, made her heart skip a beat.
Her hand, poised to open the door, dropped.
---
The next morning, the crisp autumn air filled Tokyo. It was mid-November, and a chill had settled in.
Normally, the tight production schedule for Surrounded by Beauties meant working through weekends. But after an intense stretch, Tetsu had given the team a rare half-day off. Don't underestimate a half-day break—having no work tasks, no looming deadlines, and the chance to sleep in was way better than those "weekends" where the boss dumps last-minute tasks on you Friday night.
Still, maybe because he was naturally disciplined or because his body had adapted to the high-pressure schedule, Tetsu didn't sleep in. Sayoko, on the other hand, was a different story.
Sunlight streamed through the window onto the bed. Tetsu cracked his eyes open, glancing at Sayoko, still fast asleep, her ample figure half-draped over his chest. He checked the clock on the wall. "Time to start breakfast," he murmured.
Sayoko had taken over cooking duties at home, but Tetsu didn't want to wake her. Carefully, he shifted her soft, curvy frame aside, slipped into a comfy gray tracksuit, and tiptoed downstairs.
"We had sobering soup last night, but then drank more anyway. Good thing we've got some bone broth left—perfect for noodles," he said to himself, rolling his shoulders as he headed down the hall. But as he passed the study door, it swung open.
"Up this early?" Tetsu greeted with a grin, spotting Himawari in her cute pink pajamas, her hair a chaotic nest as she rubbed her eyes.
"Morning," she mumbled, her voice hollow, her face marked by massive dark circles. She shuffled past him, zombie-like, leaving Tetsu dumbfounded.
"What's up with her? She looks like she's been up all night partying," he muttered, watching her listless figure. "Or maybe yesterday's drama is still messing with her?"
He couldn't quite figure it out and decided not to overthink it. Without another word, Himawari beat him to the bathroom. Tetsu headed to the kitchen, pulling the bone broth from the fridge and setting it to heat on the stove. Gotta get a place with two bathrooms when I can afford it, he vowed silently.
The lard began to melt in the pan, and as Tetsu chopped green onions and the broth started bubbling, Sayoko wandered downstairs in her sexy nightgown, yawning. Seeing Tetsu in full domestic mode, a happy smile spread across her face. But when she caught sight of Himawari, sprawled listlessly on the couch staring at the TV, she jumped in surprise. Sidling up to Tetsu, she whispered, "What's wrong with Himawari?"
Tetsu glanced at the zoned-out teen, leaned in to give Sayoko a quick kiss, and chuckled. "No idea. But don't high schoolers always crash like that when they get a day off?"
"Hmm, fair point," Sayoko nodded, convinced.