I came softly, just as I leave softly.
Waving goodbye.
Tearing off large swaths of clouds and tucking them into my arms as I go.
Having gained a lot, Hoshino Jun was truly delighted and happy. No sooner had he left the Vice Chairman's office than he arrived at the Chairwoman's office door.
He adjusted his collar. Just as Hoshino Jun was about to knock, he suddenly heard crashing sounds from inside the office.
"baka!"
"Bastard!"
"Useless trash!"
A pleasant female voice was laced with boundless fury; a woman's inherent dignity shattered along with the sound of porcelain hitting the floor.
Hoshino Jun instinctively held his breath.
Then, his thoughts cleared, and after a moment's consideration, he resolutely pressed the doorknob, pushed the door open, and walked straight in.
At that very moment, Chairwoman Yamada seemed to sense something, raising her head. By a strange coincidence, her gaze met Hoshino Jun's.
"Why didn't you knock?"
It must be said, Chairwoman Yamada was a fickle woman. One moment she was throwing a tantrum, the next she had composed herself, crossed her legs, and was scrutinizing Hoshino Jun with an appraising look.
"My apologies, I forgot. I had some good news to tell the Chairwoman, so I rushed in eagerly."
Giving a rather flimsy excuse, Hoshino Jun conscientiously picked up a broom and dustpan, sweeping the shattered teacup fragments into the trash can.
After staring at Hoshino Jun for a long time, her furrowed brows gradually relaxed. Yamada Ran slowly pulled a slender lady's cigarette from the pack on the desk and placed it to her lips.
Hoshino Jun quickly stepped forward, reaching out a hand, but stopped just before touching it: "Don't smoke, it's bad for your health."
Smoking is harmful to health—this is a universally known consensus.
But what did that have to do with Hoshino Jun?
Chairwoman Yamada's face darkened, her gaze coldly meeting Hoshino Jun's, as if sparks could fly from her eyes.
It was as if she was saying, 'Who asked you to meddle?'
"Then allow me to light it for you."
Hoshino Jun picked up the lighter from the table and pressed it, a flame appearing, breaking and melting the silence between them.
She gazed into Hoshino Jun's eyes for a very long time.
Yamada Ran moved, leaning forward slightly to let the flame touch the tobacco. She took a deep drag, then exhaled a thick plume of white smoke, the sternness on her face easing somewhat.
"Cough, cough!"
Choked by the thick smoke, Hoshino Jun coughed a few times uncomfortably.
"Hahaha, why are you reacting so strongly? Can't you smoke?"
Perhaps Hoshino Jun's awkward reaction amused Yamada Ran, who burst into hearty laughter, her body shaking.
The grey form-fitting dress swayed with such amplitude that it was impossible to look away, drawing one deeper and deeper until feeling dizzy.
"Stop staring."
Chairwoman Yamada raised her long, slender, fair legs, and the pointed toe of her white high-heeled sandal lightly nudged Hoshino Jun's calf, bringing him back to his senses.
"Tell me, what good news do you have for me?"
"Uh, uh… I don't smoke."
"Pay attention to the question, young man. Your answer is already in the past tense."
As Yamada Ran spoke, she switched the cigarette to her other hand and leaned back in her chair, trying not to let the smoke drift towards Hoshino Jun.
The moment her back met the chair, her substantial bosom, under the force of gravity, seemed to strain against her collar, giving the illusion that it wanted to tear through the grey dress's seal and escape.
In front of this young man, who knew her well, Yamada Ran seemed to have fewer reservations and didn't mind Hoshino Jun constantly staring at her ample chest.
Hoshino Jun took out his phone, stepping half a pace closer to Yamada Ran. He said, "Chairwoman, I feel that the task you assigned me is almost complete."
On the phone screen was a photo of a couple passionately kissing. The man in the photo was Hoshino Jun himself, and the woman was Yamada Ran's ice-cold younger sister.
Saionji Ayako.
She was stunned for a long time.
Yamada Ran looked up, gazing at Hoshino Jun's face, blinking in slight shock. She opened her mouth, wanting to speak but hesitating.
'This should be considered good news, right?'
'But why, upon seeing this photo, am I not very happy?'
Finally, Yamada Ran said, as if joking, "Not bad, the progress is quite fast. I didn't expect you to be so capable. Perhaps before long, you'll be able to handle both sisters."
"…"
"Stop joking, Chairwoman. What we agreed upon was that it would be considered complete once she fell for me."
"It should be over now, right?"
Hoshino Jun's eyes curved slightly, and his facial expression seemed to hold a hint of shame and anger.
He seemed to be quite bothered by Yamada Ran's joke.
'What is this?'
Yamada Ran looked playfully at the reluctant Hoshino Jun. He was gazing at her with a wronged expression, as if conveying that he no longer wished to continue with this task.
But this only piqued Yamada Ran's interest. She smiled, her lips curving:
"You don't want to anymore?"
Hoshino Jun remained silent, lowering his head, not responding.
"Are you saying the compensation isn't enough?"
"…"
"Or do you really think it's almost done?"
"…"
"Let me tell you, Saionji Ayako isn't that easy to fool. I can guess what's on her mind in an instant. It's nothing more than wanting to quickly appease you and me and be done with it."
"…"
"But don't get discouraged. The fact that she's willing to kiss you already proves that she doesn't dislike you, and even has quite a bit of affection for you. Keep up the effort, and perhaps you really will succeed in winning her over within a month or two."
"…"
Hoshino Jun still did not reply. Yamada Ran was getting annoyed by his silence, and she slammed the table in anger, creating a loud noise.
"What kind of look are you giving me? What are you?!"
"I told you to speak!!!"
"…"
What a hot-tempered woman.
So your son, Yamada Tsukasa, really inherited his temper from you.
Hoshino Jun nodded, took a deep breath, and said, "Chairwoman, please rest assured. If you wish for me to handle it, then I will certainly handle it well."
In love, complementary personalities are always the most comfortable. If one person is strong, the other needs to be slightly weaker.
Whether both are strong or both are weak, the outcome is usually a lose-lose situation.
Hoshino Jun's Guide to Conquest: "Apocalypse of the Strong-Willed Older Woman."
She was already so fierce, so if you, lacking sufficient capital, were even fiercer than her, it would be tantamount to courting disaster.
Therefore, Hoshino Jun decided to adopt the script of a female protagonist from a romance novel, beginning to endlessly tolerate Yamada Ran's little temper, letting her feel what love and warmth were like.
"As long as you're happy."
Having said that, Hoshino Jun didn't mention a reward, nor did he ask why Yamada Ran was angry. He turned to leave, looking dejected.
Hmm.
At this moment, Hoshino Jun had a sense of déjà vu, as if he were Kachiko.
But Yamada Ran was not Saionji Ryuichi.
The moment she saw Hoshino Jun's dejected back, she inexplicably felt a strange, awkward sensation.
As if she had done something terribly wrong.
That feeling was like abandoning a poor first love and turning to embrace a rich person.
"Stop, who said you could leave?!"
Hoshino Jun stopped, turning to look at her, his eyes now holding a hint of anticipation.
As if sensing the different meaning contained in the young man's starry eyes, Yamada Ran's heart skipped a beat, and an absurd thought popped into her mind.
Could it be that her guess last time was correct?
That Hoshino Jun was always a pure, innocent young man before he met her.
And as a result, because she inadvertently took his 'first kill,' he fell in love with her, an aunt nearly twenty years his senior?
So.
She wondered if Hoshino Jun was unwilling to flirt with Saionji Ayako because he had fallen for her?
How could this be allowed?
"You are not allowed to leave until I say so."
Yamada Ran looked at the hopeful Hoshino Jun with a reproachful gaze, commanding, "Come here and eat the fish. You'll still get two million yen."
Tokyo was unusually hot today.
Even with the windows open for ventilation, the office temperature was high.
Looking at the ripe, radiant beautiful woman before him, Hoshino Jun's anticipation once again turned to disappointment, but he still slowly walked towards Yamada Ran.
Seeing this.
Yamada Ran's lips curved slightly, and she proudly raised her chin, her pair of plump, fair, and tender legs no longer crossed, but spread slightly.
She knew that in this world, no one could resist money.
If the boy's affection was passionate enough, then she would use money to shatter his affection.
While it was true that he was good-looking, he was ultimately just a commoner; he was only good enough to be a toy.
What kind of feelings should a toy have?
Once she was tired of playing, she would just throw him back to her younger sister.
"Chairwoman."
"Hmm?"
"Actually, I don't like to eat fish."
Hoshino Jun lowered his head, gazing at the arrogant Yamada Ran. Her gray dress was too tight, barely holding up the voluptuousness of her body.
Her heavy bosom, a slightly protruding belly, and bare feet, without stockings, possessed a beauty that surpassed those with stockings, especially her small and delicate toes, like spring bamboo shoots, which, accentuated by transparent, cool stilettos, pierced into the hearts of foot fetishists.
Hoshino Jun thought that probably no one could resist this woman, who exuded the charm of a mature beauty from head to toe.
However...
He possessed great willpower.
He could argue for a while, and then submit.
"I also don't want to like money anymore."
At this moment...
In the spacious office, Yamada Ran clearly saw a boy seriously murmuring.
His simple white shirt could not conceal his ardent gaze, full of love, and his rather tender voice was filled with resolute devotion and willingness.
"But if you like it, then I will do it."
"..."
Yamada Ran remembered.
When she was seventeen, there was also a boy who steadfastly confessed his feelings to her under a cherry blossom tree.
At that time, her heart was also moved.
But...
Sometimes, life is like a play.
Yamada Ran did not accept the pursuit; she told the boy to wait until she could clearly see his intentions.
What came first, however, was terrible news from her family, and a proposal from her family to marry her off to the philandering wealthy man Yamada Takehiko, who had recently lost his wife, in exchange for benefits to revitalize the family business.
This proposal was made by her younger sister, Saionji Ayako.
Her younger sister said she would marry Yamada Takehiko to save the family, but was ultimately rejected due to her frail health and young age.
The one who suffered was Yamada Ran.
And the boy who loved Yamada Ran.
It was said...
He was already married, had moved to Hokkaido for work, and had his own family and children.
Uncovering the meal on the plate, just as Hoshino Jun was about to enjoy it, Yamada Ran, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly pulled back.
"Never mind, don't eat the fish."
Her stern voice became gentle and pleasant, a softness she had never heard before.
Although it wasn't an unimaginable tenderness...
It still made Hoshino Jun lose himself for a while.
Yamada Ran sighed, and her expression when looking at Hoshino Jun was no longer so distant; it held a few more hints of intimacy.
She pulled Hoshino Jun's collar, drawing him closer.
Perhaps they were too close; the sensation of her plump, fleshy cleavage, even through her clothes, reached Hoshino Jun's chest, and the intoxicating fragrance rushed to his brain.
Chairwoman Yamada bit her lip and leaned in, her warm, moist breath constantly caressing Hoshino Jun's ear.
She softly said, "I want to ride my younger brother."
Her soft lips brushed against the skin of his cheek, causing a tingling sensation, and her slightly cool palm unbuttoned his white shirt, gently pressing above his abs.
Yamada Ran was domineering yet gentle, their intimate whispers heating the air.
The intimacy was almost suffocating.
Their gazes met, and Hoshino Jun was seared by her eyes.
[Ding!]
[Friendly reminder: One Class C debt, collection completed.]
"Gulp."
He swallowed his saliva.
To be honest, if it weren't for the system's reminder, Hoshino Jun would have already forgotten.
There was actually a Class C debt owed to Chairwoman Yamada.
Hoshino Jun opened his arms and embraced Yamada Ran's slender waist, lifting her onto the office desk, then lowered his head and passionately kissed her fair, elegant, and fragrant neck.
"Chairwoman, can you tell me why you were angry before?"
Even at this moment, he was still concerned about her mood.
It seemed he had truly fallen for her.
It was truly a rare sight; he had heard of love at first sight, but this was the first time he had seen love at first 'time'.
"It's nothing much, just that the child in my family isn't behaving well, that's all. If you want to hear it, it's no harm to tell you."
Suddenly, with a muffled sound, Yamada Ran's words were like the chirping of autumn insects, or raindrops in a Jiangnan water town, slowly recounting everything that had angered her today.
It turned out her son, Yamada Tsukasa, had been borrowing money everywhere, and she felt it harmed her reputation.
How embarrassing!
--- After about two hours, Yamada Ran was tired. She collapsed onto the sofa in the office, covered by a thin summer quilt, and fell asleep.
"Good night!"
Hoshino Jun bent down, kissed her red lips, and then reluctantly left the Chairwoman's office.
"Screech—!"
The moment the door closed, Yamada Ran opened her eyes, gazing blankly at the ceiling.
"So much craziness early in the morning, I hope no one found out."
After all, she was a woman; she couldn't be as uninhibited as a man.
Perhaps she could be a little nicer to Hoshino Jun in the future, but she should still try to keep her distance from him.
Otherwise...
He felt like a cigarette; if she smoked him for too long, he would become hard to quit.
"This is today's reward."
While murmuring, Yamada Ran transferred five million yen to Hoshino Jun. She felt that things that could be solved with money were better solved with money.
This was just a transaction; it couldn't truly become an emotional attachment.
Even if she genuinely liked this boy today, it couldn't happen.
--- Beep beep—!
As soon as he went downstairs, Hoshino Jun received a reward from Chairwoman Yamada, and his lips curled into a wide smile.
All that acting of deep affection had some use after all.
Regardless of gender, who could refuse an attractive younger brother or sister who had eyes only for you?
Lunch break.
Hoshino Jun was called into the office for skipping two hours of class.
"Hoshino Jun, tell me your reason for skipping class."
The long-legged Teacher Hamasaki Mayu was very angry. She had held infinite hope for Hoshino Jun, but she never expected him to become one of those who skipped class.
It was simply a betrayal of her trust.
Hoshino Jun didn't think much of it and brought up the Chairwoman: "Teacher, the Chairwoman's drain was clogged, and she asked me to help clear it."
"If a drain is clogged, workers will handle it. What business does a student like you have there?"
The long-legged teacher angrily said,
"I introduced you to clean, not to unclog drains. Couldn't you have told the Chairwoman you couldn't, and then come back to class?"
Teacher Hamasaki was a good teacher who worried about her students' studies.
But Hoshino Jun was a bad student who didn't care about his grades.
"I couldn't refuse Chairwoman Yamada's request."
"I didn't tell you to refuse; I told you to find an excuse to put her off."
"No!"
"Why not?!"
Hoshino Jun lowered his head. He couldn't bring himself to use shameless tactics to threaten this kind, good teacher into silence.
He could only explain, "I'm sorry, Teacher, I really want to improve."
It was as if a breeze blew through.
Teacher Hamasaki Mayu's hair fluttered, and she waved her hand, full of disappointment.
"Get out!"
"Teacher—"
"I told you to get out. Don't explain anymore."
"Teacher, I'm not trying to explain. I want to ask for the afternoon off. The Chairwoman still needs me for something, so you need to approve my leave."
Actually, Hoshino Jun was going to see Takasaki's mother in the afternoon.
But looking at Teacher Hamasaki Mayu, who was like a volcano about to erupt at any moment...
Hoshino Jun honestly chose to use the Chairwoman as a shield. Anyway, the Chairwoman would surely help with this small favor, right?
"Hoshino Jun, you've disappointed me greatly."
After approving the leave slip, Teacher Hamasaki Mayu angrily chased him out of the office.
She hadn't expected that merely giving a student an opportunity to earn living expenses would turn him into a snob.
"This is all my fault."
"I need to find a way to correct him."