Fuyukawa Tetsu had no clue about the hushed admiration from the group of girls backstage.
After wrapping up a commercial performance with Himawari Izumi, he was ready to grab some food. But Himawari, being a teenage girl, was clearly hyped about the gaming expo's festive vibe. Plus, Sayoko was itching to check out a few Galgame booths, so Tetsu had no choice but to tag along for the ride.
Still, he thought to himself, "Days like this aren't half bad."
Holding a chocolate sundae, he watched the two girls—one older, one younger—swaying in front of him like soft peaches. His gaze lifted to their smiling faces, chatting excitedly about the nearby game booth. Tetsu felt a rare sense of calm wash over him.
That peace didn't last long, though.
Women, he realized, were a mystery. Once they started shopping, their stamina could outmatch a pro athlete. Since Himawari was now earning her own money, Sayoko's usual restraint had loosened up, and the result? She wanted to buy everything. Unlike other women who might splurge on clothes or makeup, Sayoko, an artist, was all about Galgame and manga—especially the 18+ kind.
In Japan, 18+ content is legal as long as it's censored and sold in designated areas. At the Tokyo Game Show, some Galgame vendors couldn't play their promo videos openly to avoid influencing minors. But if you proved you were an adult and showed interest, the staff would escort you to a private booth to check out the goods.
For Tetsu, a grown man, 18+ stuff was no big deal. What surprised him, though, was Sayoko. She used to be way too shy to talk about this kind of thing in public.
"She's really letting loose, huh?"
Watching Sayoko's flushed face as she boldly followed the staff into the booth, Tetsu smirked. Without overthinking it, he followed her in, leaving poor Himawari in the dust.
Himawari stood at the booth's entrance, clutching her ice cream cone, staring at the pink-tinted room with wide, confused eyes.
Wait a minute! Bringing a young girl like me to a place like this… is that even okay? Oh, wait—I'm already 18, aren't I?
Confused but curious, Himawari's expression shifted to something mischievous. She scarfed down her cone, puffing out cold breaths, and strutted into the room with her head held high.
She was thrilled—until she wasn't.
Do guys nowadays only like women with big chests?
Is there no market for pure, petite girls like me anymore?!
Staring at the walls plastered with posters of busty heroines, she glanced down at her own flat chest and froze. Her stunned look cracked Tetsu up so hard he nearly doubled over, which, of course, earned him a flurry of playful punches from Himawari.
While the two goofed around in the back, Sayoko was up front, notebook in hand, seriously studying the wall of busty characters. The vibe was weird but somehow wholesome.
After a day of wandering and playing, Tetsu tossed a pile of Sayoko's 18+ manga into the car trunk. By then, the Akihabara sky was lit with a bright moon and swirling snowflakes, perfectly capturing the Christmas spirit.
"Eat at home or grab something out?" Tetsu asked, closing the trunk and exhaling a puff of white breath. He clapped his hands, walked over to Sayoko, and hugged her, slipping his cold hands into her warm pink coat.
"Ugh, Tetsu-kun, your hands are freezing! Thanks for carrying everything. Hmm, eating at home sounds good—we bought a ton of groceries yesterday," Sayoko said, her cheeks pink from the public affection. She didn't pull away, though, instead nuzzling her face into Tetsu's chest and slipping her hands into his coat to hug his waist.
On the snowy Christmas Eve street, their embrace was heartwarming—until Himawari, grinding her teeth, kicked the car tire in frustration. "Hey! I'm still here, you know! Tone it down!"
"Oh, you're still around?" Tetsu teased.
"...! You jerk! I'm gonna kill you!" Himawari snapped, her face red with embarrassment. She charged at him, fists swinging, but the icy road betrayed her. Halfway through, she slipped, lurched forward, and—to Tetsu and Sayoko's wide-eyed horror—crashed face-first into Tetsu's… well, let's call it his "nest."
Rocket face-slam!
Tetsu crumpled in pain, collapsing backward into a snowman by the roadside.
"You crazy kid?!" he groaned, clutching his stomach.
Himawari, meanwhile, was mortified. The memory of that soft impact lingered as she touched her lips, staring at Tetsu in the snow. She was about to scream when a snowball smack hit her cheek, cutting her off and leaving her with a mouthful of snow.
"You jerk! That's so cold!" she sputtered.
"Ha! Teach you to mess with me!" Tetsu laughed, grabbing another snowball and rubbing it into her face while holding her waist. Himawari squirmed like a ragdoll, yelling threats but unable to break free.
"Honestly, Tetsu-kun's such a kid sometimes," Sayoko said, picking up Tetsu's scarf from the ground and brushing off the snow. Her smile was a mix of exasperation and warmth.
As for their overly close antics… Sayoko's eyes flickered with a complicated look. But watching Tetsu's profile, thinking of their shared moments and words, she glanced at the moonlit sky, the Christmas carols filling the air. Her complex feelings melted into a sigh of both relief and resignation.
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Tetsu had no idea what was going through Sayoko's mind. After tussling with Himawari, the fight ended—as expected—with her mumbling a half-hearted, "Fine, I'm sorry, okay?" laced with defiance.
Victory!
But playing in the snow during winter? Fun until it wasn't. Their clothes were soaked from snow sneaking into their collars, so eating out was off the table.
On the drive home, Tetsu made a quick stop at the market. Sayoko protested, saying they had enough food, but when she saw him beeline for the seafood section—loading up on oysters and geoduck—her face flushed.
Lately… maybe I've been a bit too demanding, she thought, worrying about Tetsu's stamina. Still, her desire didn't waver, though she started considering moderation. But when they got home, and she served seafood soup and grilled oysters on the kotatsu table, Tetsu—fresh from a shower—pulled her into his arms before she could sit.
Feeling his strength, her eyes turned sultry, unrestrained.
Dinner wasn't eaten at the dining table but at the kotatsu—a low, heated table like the one in Crayon Shin-chan, complete with a cozy blanket. Tetsu had custom-ordered small sofas for it, preferring to lounge over kneeling or sitting cross-legged. To him, there was something special about the family gathered around the kotatsu, eating and watching TV.
But it wasn't all wholesome. With the blanket hiding their movements, Tetsu couldn't resist teasing Sayoko, even with Himawari nearby. Both kept it subtle, though. Later, as the night deepened and fireworks mixed with Christmas carols outside, Tetsu and Sayoko—who'd both had a bit of sake—retreated to their room. Fueled by alcohol, earlier teasing, or maybe their first Christmas together, Sayoko pounced on him, kissing him fiercely like a wild leopard.
But as another brilliant firework lit up the frosty window, she softened, resting obediently by the window.
"Are the fireworks pretty?" Tetsu asked.
"Mmm… can we… watch them together every year?" Sayoko murmured.
"We will," he promised.
The bedroom was warm with heat, while across the hall…
"Sayoko and that jerk Tetsu are definitely up to no good!" Himawari huffed, sitting on her tatami mat in the dark, watching the fireworks. They were beautiful, but she couldn't focus. Her mind kept replaying being slung over Tetsu's shoulder earlier, along with some… weird fantasies. Her face grew hotter. "Hmph! Stupid guy! I don't need him! I've got my manga!"
She grabbed a manga from her shelf, but paused, her face flushing deeper. After a moment's hesitation, she nibbled her lip and tiptoed to her desk, pulling a box from her bag. The fireworks illuminated the label:
Illusion Co. Winter TGS Freebie: Beginner's Bouncing Ninja (Pink)
"Ninja, huh? Bet it's way more useful than that jerk!" she muttered.
10,000 words achieved!
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