---Time:7:35PM----
The front door creaked open as my father's voice echoed softly into the house.
"Honey, I'm back."
For a moment, silence. Then hurried footsteps pattered down the hallway.
"Eh? You're early today?" My mother appeared, blinking in surprise. "This is rare. Did the company finally take pity on you?"
Father chuckled, lifting the bouquet of roses in his hand. "Maybe. Or maybe I just wanted to surprise my wife for once."
Her eyes widened. She froze, then flushed lightly as she reached out for the flowers. "What's this…? A bouquet? You're acting weird. Don't tell me you did something bad at work.This is not normal "
"Eh?Is it a crime," Father smiled, "to give my wife flowers?"
For the first time in a long while, I saw my mother's lips curl into a genuine smile. "…Idiot. Come inside already. Both of you."
I hesitated in the doorway, the warmth of the house suddenly feeling heavier than the evening air outside. But I followed, forcing my steps forward.
Mother turned to me. "Haruto. Where were you all day? And why didn't you eat breakfast this morning?"
"…I had a date," I said flatly.
Her eyes widened. "A date? With who?"
I didn't answer. The image of Miyuki's glowing face from earlier lingered in my mind, but I pushed past it. "I'm tired. That's all you need to know.I will answer soon"
"…You." Mother sighed, shaking her head. Then she looked at Father. "You two get freshened up. I'll prepare dinner."
---Time:8:20Pm----
By the time I stepped out of the bath, steam still clinging to my hair, the table was set. Steaming miso soup, grilled fish, rice, and side dishes neatly arranged. A perfect picture of family dinner.
For the first time in… I couldn't even remember how long, the three of us sat together at the table.
"Itadakimasu," Father said warmly.
Mother echoed him, and I joined in, almost awkwardly. The clatter of chopsticks filled the silence.
Father smiled faintly. "Feels nostalgic, doesn't it? Eating together like this. I think the last time we did was… Haruto's middle school graduation?"
Mother paused, then smirked. "That's because you were always too busy with work. If you came home earlier, this wouldn't feel like some special event."
He chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "I know, I know. But tonight's different. I'll try harder to be home more often."
"Try harder?" Mother's voice edged with sarcasm. "Don't make promises you can't keep. You've been saying that for years."
"…I'll do what I can," he muttered, his smile faltering.
She clicked her tongue, looking away. "Hmph. Do what you can? That's all you ever say.At least make us feel that you are trying"
The atmosphere thinned into something brittle. Father stared into his rice bowl, his shoulders tense.
I watched them silently, chopsticks hovering over my food. On the surface, they looked like a normal couple bickering lightly over dinner. But I knew better. The cracks ran deeper than either of them would admit.
For once, though, I let myself enjoy it. This fleeting warmth of eating together. In the future I remembered… I never got this. Not with them. Not with anyone.
For just one night, I wanted to pretend it was real.
---Time:9:25Pm----
After watching tv, i walked to my room, exhaustion weighed on me as I collapsed onto my bed. My eyelids grew heavy. But when sleep came, it wasn't rest.
It was horror.
I saw myself older, bloodied, broken. My bones were visible through my flesh, and every breath rattled like shards of glass.
"Don't forgive them…" my future self gasped, crimson dripping from his lips. "Never forgive them… for what they did to you…"
My chest tightened. "W-what…? What happened to me?!"
I didn't understand anything then the scene shifted violently.
Miyuki. My wife. My mother. Souta.
The three of them laughing, stepping into a love hotel. Souta's car parked outside. My mother's hand resting on Miyuki's shoulder, like a twisted blessing. Miyuki's flushed cheeks, her lips trembling with anticipation.
Then Miyuki's slender fingers reached up. She took her marriage ring off, placing it on the table . Her smile… wasn't mine anymore. It belonged to Souta.
"Are you really okay with this?" Miyuki whispered.
"Of course," Souta smirked, leaning in close. "I'll give you what Haruto never could."
The phone buzzed. Souta answered.
"The job is done," a cold voice reported.
Souta's smirk widened. "Good. I'll send you the 200,000 dollars tonight."
My mother's voice chimed in cruelly, whispering into Miyuki's ear, but I heard it clear as day:
"When will you divorce that stupid son of mine? The longer you stay with him, the more pathetic you look."
Miyuki's eyes flickered with hesitation… then hardened. "Soon."
My heart slammed against my ribs. "What…? What job?! Why… why are they"
Before I could finish, my bloodied self staggered forward, seizing me in a crushing embrace. His skin was ice, his voice a whisper of hate.
"Never forgive them…"
still gasped awake. My body shot upright, drenched in sweat, lungs burning as if I had truly drowned in blood.
"…What the hell is happening to me…?..... Yeah just like i thought my memories are coming back slowly... But this scene is it a blessing from God?"
I was feeling thirsty . I went to the kitchen, grabbing a glass, the water barely calming my shaking hands.
Then I froze.
A voice. From my parents' room.
"…You're useless," my mother hissed. "Three times, and still not enough. Do you think that's satisfying me?"
Father's voice came, weary but defensive. "I tried… more than usual. If I push myself further, it'll harm my health. Isn't this enough?"
Her laugh was sharp, cold. "Enough? Don't make me laugh. When I married you, you were full of energy, always clinging to me like a wild beast. But now?" Her voice dropped, venom dripping from every word. "You can't even last… you can't even satisfy your own wife."
"…I'm older now," he muttered, shame in his tone. "It's natural for my stamina to change. But I still did it three time right? Don't you think this is enough?"
"Excuses!" she spat, cutting him off. "Do you know how humiliating it is? To lie there while you pant like an old man after a few pathetic rounds? Other women brag about their husbands, and me? What do I have? A failure who comes home late, brings cheap flowers, and collapses after three miserable tries."
Something crashed against the wall maybe the bouquet he gave her earlier.
"You don't even deserve to call yourself my husband." Her words were a dagger, each one twisted deeper. "Sometimes I wonder… what would life have been like if I'd chosen someone else? Someone stronger. Someone who could actually give me what I need."
Father's voice broke into the silence. "Is that really how you feel… after everything?"
"…Yes." The word came quick. Without hesitation.
I stood there in the dark, glass trembling in my grip. My chest felt hollow.
Quietly, I went back to my room, careful not to make any noice.
I collapsed onto the bed, staring at the ceiling, my mind fractured.
"…Is lust more important than love…?" I whispered into the silence.
The question hung in the air, unanswered, as the night pressed in on me.
And I knew… this was only the beginning of the truth I didn't want to face.