Dawn's first light filtered through the window of a modest apartment in Tokyo, washing the room in a soft, warm gold.
The Kato home was as quiet as ever.
Only the faintest sounds disturbed the hush.
Megumi Kato, with her signature cool demeanor and barely-there presence, was quietly fixing a simple breakfast in the kitchen.
The toaster chimed, and the scent of cereal spread through the air.
"Sigh…"
But a long, troubled sigh drifted faintly from the bathroom, cracking the morning calm.
"Siiigh—!"
Another, even longer.
It practically radiated visible frustration.
Megumi set down her glass of milk and padded lightly to the bathroom door.
It was ajar.
She saw her older sister, Hiromi Kato, standing before the sink mirror.
Hiromi was wearing only her underwear, outlining the graceful curves of a mature woman.
But she clearly had no attention to spare for her figure right now.
She was staring at her reflection, brows knit, face clouded with gloom.
There were even faint dark circles under her eyes—she hadn't slept well.
"Big sis?"
Megumi spoke softly, her voice calm and even.
"Sighing first thing in the morning—did something get to you?"
"!!!"
Hiromi startled at her sister's voice.
Pulled out of her self-reproach, she turned and saw Megumi's almost expressionless face—the kind that somehow puts people at ease.
She gave a bitter smile, full of resignation and fatigue.
"Oh, Megumi…"
Hiromi raked a hand through her messy hair.
"It's nothing major, just… annoying."
"Annoying enough to stand in front of a mirror and sigh for ten whole minutes?"
Megumi tilted her head, her tone flat but on target.
"…"
Hiromi choked on that.
Knowing she couldn't fool her perceptive sister, she gave up and started to complain.
"Fine, fine, I'll tell you."
"It's about work… there's this male coworker who's been acting weird lately—constantly fussing over me."
"Bringing breakfast, asking me to lunch, insisting we leave work together… he's obviously trying to pursue me!"
"Isn't that… kind of a good thing? Means you're attractive, sis."
Megumi offered an objective assessment.
"Good how?!"
Hiromi's voice rose, distaste written all over her face.
"I've already turned him down—seriously and clearly!"
"I told him we're not a match, and I don't feel that way about him."
"But he's like gum stuck to a shoe—I can't shake him. He keeps pestering me, spouting stuff like 'sincerity can split stone'… it's driving me crazy!"
She grew more agitated as she spoke.
She grabbed her toothbrush and scrubbed hard, like she could brush away all that pent-up resentment.
"The worst part is, when I was at my wit's end, I lied and said I already have a boyfriend—and we're close to getting engaged—to make him back off."
"And guess what?"
"He didn't believe a word of it. He said, 'Hiromi-san, don't try to fool me. I've watched you for a long time—you're definitely single!'"
"Aaagh! How can a man be so full of himself!"
Megumi listened quietly, her clear eyes giving away little.
But it was obvious she understood her sister's situation.
Getting harassed at work even after a firm rejection is a real headache—
especially with the type who doesn't listen and thinks too highly of himself.
Hiromi finished washing up and patted her face with a towel.
Looking at her worry-worn reflection, she sighed, "Megumi… do you think I should just change jobs? If I can't beat it, I can at least avoid it, right?"
Megumi didn't answer right away. After a brief silence, she suddenly tilted her head and asked a question that seemed unrelated.
"Before that, I have one question. Right now… is there someone you like?"
"Uh…!"
Hiromi froze.
Color rose to her cheeks in two quick patches, and her gaze went shifty.
Someone she likes?
The answer that surfaced in her mind was not any eligible single man.
It was… Megumi's enigmatic, powerful, and magnetic boyfriend—Rei Ao.
A few encounters—his calm, unruffled manner, the deep look that sometimes flickered in his eyes, and the subtle changes in Megumi whenever she mentioned him—were like a stone dropped into still water, sending ripples across Hiromi's heart.
But how could she ever say that out loud?
He was her little sister's boyfriend.
She shook her head quickly, trying to banish that "forbidden" thought.
"S—someone I like? With work so busy right now, I don't really have time to think about that…"
Even so, Megumi's eyes—so clear they seemed to see through everything—rested quietly on her.
That calm, unreadable gaze made Hiromi feel like all her little secrets were laid bare.
Like she'd already been found out.
Her heartbeat sped up, and her cheeks flushed even redder.
Just as Hiromi felt she could no longer endure the silent scrutiny,
Megumi looked away and said in her characteristically plain tone, "Since you told him you have a boyfriend and are engaged, and he still won't believe it…"
"Then why not go with it—and make the fake look real?"
"Eh? Make it look real?"
Hiromi stared at her sister in confusion, not quite catching her meaning.
Megumi continued, "Find someone to pretend to be your boyfriend."
"Have him pick you up after work, or even show up at your office, to make it clear you're 'spoken for.'"
"Guys who cling like that usually think you're easy to push around—or that being single makes you an easy target."
"If they see a 'real boyfriend,' especially one who doesn't look easy to mess with, they'll probably back off."
"Huh? A fake boyfriend?"
Hiromi's eyes lit up; it did sound workable.
Find a man with a strong presence to intimidate that creep—
it seemed far more effective than talking herself hoarse.
But she quickly frowned again.
"But… who would I ask?"
"I don't really have any close male friends."
"And suddenly asking someone to pretend to be my boyfriend… isn't that too weird? What if it causes unnecessary misunderstandings?"
She ran through everyone she knew in her head, only to realize they were either not close enough to ask, or didn't have the presence to carry it off.