Dusk, like a translucent veil, cast a hazy gray over Tokyo, where the streetlights had yet to illuminate.
Downstairs, the noise of passing vehicles mingled with the hurried footsteps of pedestrians.
The Takayanagi Family's apartment was in room 403, separated from Hoshino Jun's home by a thick wall.
Room 404 next door was where Hoshino Jun resided.
Closing the door, he shut out the outside noise.
Hoshino Jun turned on the light, and what greeted him was a pair of black triangle panties casually tossed on the sofa, and black stockings inexplicably draped over the TV cabinet.
He turned his head and saw a suit skirt discarded on the shoe cabinet.
Aside from these items, the rest of the living room was relatively tidy.
"This woman, why does she always throw things around all day? She's such a slob."
"Sigh!"
With a soft sigh, Hoshino Jun scratched his head, first gathering the suit skirt into his arms, then picking up the soft panties and stockings.
He didn't smell them.
He walked straight to the bathroom and stuffed everything into the landlord's complimentary drum washing machine.
The first thing Hoshino Jun did every day after school was to help Mei wash her clothes, and only then would he start cooking and wait for her; he had long grown accustomed to this routine.
Before this year, there were times when Mei would get off work early and cook for him, but since the beginning of this year, she had been working overtime frequently.
She usually came home very late.
The reason was still Hoshino Jun.
This year, Hoshino Jun was already in his third year of high school; his grades were good, above average.
It would be a bit difficult to get into a good university, but if he worked hard, it wouldn't be a major problem.
The real issue was money.
Mei was a manager at a supermarket.
In her position, after tax, her salary was 300,000 yen, which wasn't too low, 80,000 yen more than Mrs. Takayanagi next door.
But the problem was that expenses in Tokyo were simply too high; 300,000 yen to support two people meant they could just barely get by.
Rent and daily expenses like utilities already consumed most of her income, plus the occasional desire for a nice meal or a new outfit or two.
She was basically broke every month, sometimes even in debt.
So, since the beginning of this year, Mei had been working exceptionally hard, always leaving early and coming home late, to save enough money for Hoshino Jun's university tuition next year as soon as possible.
It was precisely because he saw how hard Mei worked that Hoshino Jun wanted to become rich immediately.
After tidying up the house, just as he was about to turn on the TV to relax, Hoshino Jun suddenly received a message on LINE from Mei.
"Come pick me up."
"I'll be downstairs soon."
Hmm?
Why would she need someone to pick her up just to come upstairs?
"Could something have happened?"
This suspicion was quite plausible, after all, Mei was very beautiful, and the perverts of the island nation were already famous in various anime and games.
It could be said that perverts were an indispensable element of the island nation.
Hoshino Jun hastily put on his shoes and ran downstairs.
It was 9 PM, and the sky had completely darkened. After waiting under the streetlight for about three to five minutes, a taxi pulled over to the curb.
Through the car window, Hoshino Jun saw a beautiful figure open the back door and stagger out of the car.
The woman was 162 cm tall, about 167 cm in heels, clutching a small black bag, dressed in a black business suit skirt, with her dark hair tied back.
Her legs were well-proportioned and slender, further accentuated by the black stockings, exuding the sexy charm of an urban beauty at all times.
She was Hoshino Jun's Mei, Asu Mei.
She was 28 years old, unmarried, with no dating history.
Because she had a 'burden' at home, even though she was beautiful, no one dared to approach her.
Someone once advised Asu Mei to let Hoshino Jun fend for himself, but every person who said such a thing never had contact with Asu Mei again.
"Jun-chan, I'm over here!"
Asu Mei's walk was unsteady, and Hoshino Jun quickly went to put his arm around her shoulder. As he got close, he immediately smelled a strong scent of alcohol.
"You've been drinking?" Hoshino Jun's tone held a hint of displeasure.
"Just a little bit." Asu Mei held up a finger, blinking her clear, bright eyes, looking innocently at Hoshino Jun.
She's this drunk, and she calls it 'a little bit'?
She wasn't even telling the truth.
Hoshino Jun was completely speechless. He supported Asu Mei and slowly walked upstairs.
Seeing Hoshino Jun frowning and silent for a long time, Asu Mei poked his chest and mumbled, "Are you angry?"
"I won't drink next time, okay? Today was a department dinner, and as a manager, I couldn't not drink a little."
Asu Mei had a history of coming home drunk before, but after learning that Hoshino Jun disliked her smelling of alcohol, she never did it again.
It must have been a special circumstance today.
"There has to be a limit to drinking, right? What if someone got you drunk today, what would you do?"
"Of course, I'd call you to pick me up."
Asu Mei looked up and let out a burp, the smell of alcohol wafting directly into Hoshino Jun's nose.
Seeing his disgusted expression, Asu Mei's pretty face, flushed with alcohol, wore a smile, looking stunningly beautiful under the dim streetlights.
Hoshino Jun paused, then rolled his eyes at her: "I wouldn't go."
"Eh, Jun-chan, would you really abandon Mei alone at the bar?"
Hoshino Jun nodded.
Asu Mei pouted, feeling wronged: "Mean Jun-chan, you don't care about me at all."
After saying that, Asu Mei raised her hand and slapped Hoshino Jun several times, not holding back at all, and the slaps were quite loud.
It was as if she was displeased with Hoshino Jun's recent declaration; she kept hitting him the entire way Hoshino Jun walked with her.
Hoshino Jun couldn't help but ask in his mind: "System, why didn't you trigger a collection mission after Mei hit me so many times?"
[Because she had no ill will towards you.]
It has to be malicious to trigger?
[Yes]
The 'tap, tap, tap' of high heels awakened the sound-activated light in the fourth-floor hallway.
Hoshino Jun's right hand slid from Asu Mei's shoulder to her waist, the touch soft.
His left hand pulled the key from his pants pocket, inserted it into the keyhole, and unlocked the door.
"Woo-hoo, finally home, hiccup~"
She let out another hiccup, Asu Mei awkwardly covered her mouth, then turned and sat down on the step by the entrance.
The intoxicating 'fruits' swayed with her movements.
Hoshino Jun was speechless; this woman had no inhibitions whatsoever in front of him.
"You should at least pay attention to your own image, you know? How will you ever get married later?"
"I don't want to get married! Men are so annoying."
Oh, so she's going all 'feminist' on him, huh?
But, it felt pretty good.
Hoshino Jun pouted: "When you say that, could you at least consider that there's a man in front of you?"
"(ˉ▽￣～) Tch~~"
Asu Mei lifted her black-stockinged leg, the tip of her high heel lightly nudging Hoshino Jun, and whined: "Mei is tired, help Mei take off her shoes."
She hasn't even answered the question yet and she's already trying to order him around, huh?
Sigh, I must owe you from a past life.
Hoshino Jun leaned over, carefully cradling Mei's small foot, and gently removed her high heel.
Through the translucent black stockings, the pink hue of her sole was faintly visible, and her delicate toes were as lustrous and round as pearls, making one want to hold them in their palm and play with them.
Damn it, it's just a pair of feet.
Indeed, at this age of youthful vigor, the body was always so uncontrollable.
"Ahem, they're off. Mei, you should go rest in your room."
Hoshino Jun quickly pulled off Asu Mei's high heels and neatly arranged them, then cleared his throat twice and entered his room first.
Other women were fine, but this was the Mei who had raised Hoshino Jun for several years; he didn't want to lose face in front of her.
"Hmph, little brat."
"You're no man at all."
Asu Mei glanced at Hoshino Jun's door, her eyes like silken threads, and with a graceful sway of her peach-like figure, she casually stripped off her clothes, tossing them to the floor.