Consciousness returned to him not like a flip of a switch, but like a slow, agonizing drag through wet cement. His body, broken by heavy work, soul-crushing sexual exchanges, and all the stress, felt heavier than the mattress itself. Before his eyes could even peel open, the aroma hit him—rich, earthy, dark-roasted coffee, cutting through the stale air of his exhaustion. It was a lifeline in the fog.
Nifuji tried to take a deep breath, but a dense, warm weight on his sternum stopped him short. Blinking away the sleep-grit, he looked down, his brain misfiring in confusion. Curled tightly on his chest, rising and falling with his own shallow breath, was a tanuki. Its bandit-mask fur was fluffed in sleep, oblivious to the absurdity of its location.
He was too drained to even question it. His gaze drifted past the creature, drawn by a soft keyboard typing sound near the window. There, bathed in the bright noon light, sat a woman. Her back was to him, her posture a study in focused grace. He couldn't see her face, but the elegant slope of her neck and the intense energy radiating from her bowed head as she wrote spoke of a beauty that didn't need to be seen to be felt. The way her fingers typed on her laptop, the sleeping weight of the forest creature, and the intoxicating scent of the brewing coffee swirled together—a bizarre, peaceful tableau that felt lightyears away from the fluorescent hell of his office.
"Yaah...."
As he woke up, the tanuki also woke up, which also caused Fuji, who had been focusing on writing, to turn her chair in a swirl movement. Their eyes met, and she gave him a gentle look. "Did you have a good sleep?"
"I do."
Nifuji wore a gentle expression, despite how much he wished he could sleep a little longer. How could his mood not be good when he opened his eyes and saw a beautiful woman like her?
"You also seem to be in a good mood, Fuji."
"..."
Fuji was silent as she heard those words from him.
Was she in a good mood?
When she thought of her previous mood, especially when she couldn't meet him, it made her feel complex somehow. Even though they hadn't talked or had they even had sex, just him by her side like this boosted her mood and made her comfortable.
Yes, even if they did nothing, he was just sleeping on her bed, it made her feel like... she could write a lot.
What was this sense of feeling that she felt?
Peace of mind?
Somehow, this was what she got when she had him by his side.
For her, who had been alone except for her family and friends, having a new relationship like this was a kind of... a unique experience for her.
Yes, she knew that they weren't even a couple, or even in a relationship, as he had his own women, and there were two of them!
Moreover, his girlfriends were living with him from now on, making it harder for her to see him despite how much she wished to.
Hate, yes, she hated this feeling.
Even though she loved this feeling, she also hated it, as it made her weak, sensitive, and also angry.
If possible, she just wanted to return to the past where nothing had happened between them, so that way, she had no need to feel this much pain, knowing how she didn't mean much to his mind.
Yet, in the end, she couldn't.
When she heard the sound of the key from his place, her body moved naturally, despite how much her mind had told her to forget him, ignore him, and just stay how she was.
After all, it was comfortable.
It was a peace, yet with him around, her monochrome life became colorful directly.
Probably, the tanuki, her pet, also noticed her feelings, and because of that, when Nifuji slept, it sat on his chest, trying to trap him, so he wouldn't leave, but somehow, as he slept so soundly, it also slept, as the two slept.
Regardless, if only there were only the three of them, it would be perfect, she thought.
Nifuji somehow also noticed the change in her emotion, but he pretended not to see it since he knew well that even if he exposed it, what could he do?
As he had always said, it was impossible for him to be with one of them alone.
Could he just give it all up for one?
Yet, if he could, somehow, he felt like... it would be wonderful, too.
Sometimes, he was silent, sleeping instead of trying to grab as much as possible, like going to an All-You-Can-Eat restaurant and grabbing as much food as possible, so they wouldn't feel the sting of the high price of eating.
That's what he did now.
Instead of eating enough till he felt satisfied and his stomach was full enough, he made himself in pain, endangering his body, and all other things that made him uncomfortable.
Enough is enough.
Sometimes, seeking too much isn't the best.
Having more women might seem fun, but it was too high-maintenance.
Money might have been the key to doing it, but to keep women by his side, it wasn't enough. Instead, even if he didn't have money, he could get it, but more importantly, he really didn't have the energy.
The more women by his side, the more energy he would exert, and by then, he was afraid that he might die before he reached 40, especially with this level of busy life.
Moreover, the fun that came from having one woman didn't mean it was better than having more.
When there were more, it meant that he had to take care of more women's needs, but if it was one, and as they supported each other, he felt like... it would be wonderful instead.
Less is better than more.
That sentence, where did he hear it, but somehow, it contained some truths, and because of that, as he saw Fuji, who looked at him softly, with a gentle, warm love that made him feel blessed.
Her love wasn't loud; it was quiet, yet it existed. It was there, and when he needed someone the most, he could imagine that she would be by his side, with her hands on his back, as she supported him; it was because of that that it felt heavy somehow.
Still—
Growl!
The heavy rumbling noise from his stomach broke the silence in the room, as Fuji chuckled and said, "I will cook the lunch, you go and wash. You stink."
"..." Nifuji.
"Do I stink?"
Nifuji looked at the tanuki, who quickly nodded at his question, making him realize that neither the pet nor the owner was a good liar.