After finishing a tense and fulfilling day of stage play rehearsals, Kurokawa Akane dragged her slightly weary but unmistakably excited body onto the journey home.
Outside the car window, the neon lights flowed with iridescent colors, outlining the cold silhouette of the urban night, yet her heart felt as if it were being warmed by a stove, filled with a soft warmth.
Life recently, for Kurokawa Akane, felt as if it were steeped in warm, sweet honey water; every breath carried a scent of satisfaction.
Career-wise, the stage play rehearsals she had poured her heart into were progressing smoother than expected. Meanwhile, the movie We Made a Beautiful Bouquet, which might serve as a milestone in her acting career, had successfully wrapped up all filming and officially entered the meticulous polishing stage of post-production.
All that was needed was to wait for a suitable release slot, and this work, which condensed the painstaking efforts of both her and Michiya Gōshin, would be presented on the big screen, accepting the review of the audience and the industry.
Whenever she thought about the premiere, where she could interlock fingers with him and stand side by side under the dazzling spotlights to share their mutual glory, a throbbing sensation mixed with pride and sweetness would quietly spread from the bottom of her heart.
At the same time, compared to the grounded sense of achievement brought by her steadily rising career, what made her feel like she was floating in the clouds of happiness was her personal life.
She had finally realized the wish she had dreamed of: starting a cohabitation life with her deeply loved Michiya Gōshin.
This high-end apartment was no longer just a space where Michiya Gōshin lived alone; it had truly become "their" home.
Although, out of a certain prudence stemming from a sense of responsibility toward Kurokawa Akane, Michiya Gōshin and she had not yet crossed the final line, for Kurokawa Akane, being able to return to this harbor where he awaited her after a day of busyness and noise... whenever she thought of it, her heart was filled with a sense of belonging and satisfaction.
Of course, under this seemingly cloudless sky of happiness, there were not entirely no shadows.
Last time, outside the study door, she knew that Sakurajima Mai and Michiya Gōshin had argued. Although Michiya Gōshin had soothed her afterward with his characteristic tenderness and embraces, without giving a clear explanation, how could the sensitive and delicate Kurokawa Akane not perceive the complexity implied behind that brief conversation?
But, it didn't matter.
Kurokawa Akane shook her head vigorously, as if to expel that sliver of unhappiness from her mind.
She constantly told herself in her heart that she was the one who was the officially acknowledged "real girlfriend."
This "status" was her greatest confidence and talisman at this moment.
The girl had even begun to quietly outline in her heart how, during the upcoming Golden Week in May, she would use acts of spoiled affection and pleading to persuade Michiya Gōshin to go home with her for a more formal family dinner, making their relationship even more unbreakable in front of her family.
Just like that, carrying this lighthearted mood mixed with the steadiness of a smooth career and the sweetness of romance, Kurokawa Akane walked out of the elevator and arrived in front of the door of the apartment belonging to the two of them.
She took the key out of her exquisite small chain bag, and with a trace of secret showing off and indescribable satisfaction, she gently inserted it into the lock hole and turned her wrist slightly.
Click.
With a soft sound, the door lock opened in response.
Kurokawa Akane bent down, skillfully taking off the rehearsal flats that felt somewhat constricting on her feet, while habitually looking toward the brightly lit living room with a chirpy tone, her voice light as if humming a ballad.
"Yu-kun, I'm home."
Her gaze first accurately captured Michiya Gōshin sitting in the living room. He lowered his head slightly, seemingly reading the thick stack of manuscript papers in his hand with full absorption, his quiet side profile appearing increasingly focused and charming in the light and shadow.
However, the next second, when her line of sight slid like an uncontrollable searchlight toward the spacious sofa nearby, the girl's pupils suddenly contracted as if stimulated by a strong light.
There was actually someone lying on the sofa?
A... woman?!
That person was lying on her side in a slightly weary posture, facing the back of the sofa, and her body was tightly covered by a cashmere blanket she knew all too well.
That was a personal item belonging to her boyfriend, Michiya Gōshin!
The woman was curled up, and her long hair, smooth and black as ink, was spread somewhat messily over the dark sofa cushions like a waterfall flowing in the night. Because her face was turned completely inward, her features could not be seen clearly. One could only judge from the slender, long, and curvaceous silhouette outlined under the blanket that this was a young woman with an extremely good figure.
Boom—!
It felt as if a silent thunderclap had exploded resoundingly in Kurokawa Akane's mind.
In an instant, she felt as if her heart had been fiercely gripped by a large, invisible, and cold hand, stopping its beat abruptly, and then immediately drumming frantically like an out-of-control motor.
Who is she?! Why is she in our home?
Why is she lying on Yu-kun's sofa?!
The massive shock and the ensuing panic instantly caused her originally rosy complexion to turn as pale as paper, losing all color.
At this moment, Michiya Gōshin also noticed the person at the door. After seeing Kurokawa Akane's face clearly, Michiya Gōshin followed her line of sight to sweep a glance at the sofa, and his heart immediately understood.
Thus, he quickly and deftly placed the manuscript papers in his hand gently on the round table beside him, then stood up, taking stable and silent steps toward Kurokawa Akane, who seemed to have turned into a fragile plaster statue.
Michiya Gōshin walked up to her, not giving her any time to question or explode. First, he extended his hand to gently hold her hand, which was ice-cold and trembling slightly, as if to transmit his strength and warmth to her.
Then, he raised his other hand and made a clear and gentle "Shh" gesture to her.
Next, he led Kurokawa Akane by her somewhat stiff hand to the dining area farther away from the sofa, ensuring their subsequent conversation would not wake the guest on the sofa.
"Akane, relax. Don't be nervous."
Michiya Gōshin lowered his magnetic voice to explain, his tone as gentle as if soothing a startled small animal, yet carrying a convincing, clear logic.
"That is Kasumigaoka Utaha-san, the neighbor living next to us, and also a very talented writer."
"I've known her since I wrote Love Letter; we count as peers and friends."
He paused, his gaze sweeping trace-lessly over the still sleeping figure on the sofa, and continued to explain in his gentle tone.
"This time, she is going all out to create a new story. She seems to have encountered some key bottlenecks and stayed up for several consecutive nights, finally rushing out the first draft of the story."
"She thought to bring it to me for a look immediately, hoping to hear my relatively direct opinions and discuss it together, to see if we could spark some new ideas."
"The result was probably that once her spirit relaxed, her body couldn't hold on anymore. While waiting, she fell asleep on the sofa. I saw she was sleeping very deeply with even breathing, so I didn't have the heart to wake her. Seeing she seemed a bit cold, I casually took a blanket to cover her, that's all. There is no other meaning."
Michiya Gōshin's explanation was organized, reasonable, and his tone was open and natural from beginning to end, without any trace of evasiveness or attempt to cover up.
Kurokawa Akane listened to his peaceful and stable voice, feeling the warmth continuously transmitting from his palm. That heart which felt like it was about to explode in her chest finally gradually found its normal rhythm.
So it was just a neighbor, a writer friend, who had to... fall asleep here in order to discuss work.
She followed Michiya Gōshin's gaze, looking carefully at the woman on the sofa again.
"So... it's Yu-kun's writer friend."
Kurokawa Akane took a deep breath, squeezing out a smile on her face that didn't look so stiff, though her voice still carried a trace of fine tremors like a survivor of a disaster.
"Then she must be very amazing, very talented, right?"
Seeing her tense body lines soften slightly and her emotions stabilize a lot, Michiya Gōshin smiled faintly, his tone carrying an objective and fair evaluation.
"Mn, Kasumigaoka-san indeed has great talent and ideas in writing. Her Love Metronome has received a very good market response. I remember hearing Editor Machida mention last time that the cumulative sales seem to have already broken through 200,000 copies. In the fiercely competitive light novel field, especially for a new writer, this is a very dazzling and solid achievement."
"And coincidentally, like me, she is an author under Editor Machida's charge. Speaking of which, when I was conceiving and writing the script for We Made a Beautiful Bouquet before, I specially referenced and asked for her opinions. She gave me quite a few very unique and inspiring suggestions."
"She even participated in the script discussion for Bouquet?"
Hearing this, the last shred of lingering doubt and vigilance in Kurokawa Akane's heart completely melted and disintegrated.
Replacing it was even a few points of sincere goodwill and gratitude toward this female writer she had never met.
We Made a Beautiful Bouquet meant something extraordinary to her. It was not only an important work that might take her career to the next level but also a testimony to the emotion between her and Michiya Gōshin, a veritable "work of their pledge of love."
She naturally harbored a sense of goodwill and closeness toward anyone who had helped or poured effort into the birth of this movie.
Unfortunately, just as Kurokawa Akane's mentality completely relaxed, and she even considered walking over to take a slight look at this sleeping "contributor," Kasumigaoka Utaha on the sofa seemed to have finally been disturbed by their deliberately lowered conversation. Her long eyelashes, thick and curled like butterfly wings, trembled a few times gently.
Then, with the confusion and languor of first waking, she slowly opened her eyes.
She first blinked somewhat uncomfortably, a thin layer of mist enshrouding her purple eyes. Then she used her arms to support her somewhat soft body, and with that lazy style unique to just waking up and a trace of fatigue that was hard to conceal, she slowly sat up.
With her movement, the blanket that had been tightly covering her body naturally slid down, like a stage curtain opening, completely revealing her full appearance.
The first thing that crashed defenselessly into Kurokawa Akane's field of vision was a face sufficient to make the vast majority of men, and even some women, skip a beat.
Her skin was fair to the point of near-transparency, as if meticulously carved from the finest suet jade, so fine that not a single pore could be seen. The distribution and proportion of her features were perfect to the point of being harsh. A pair of red eyes naturally possessing a special charm, although still covered with a hazy mist from first waking, already allowed one to feel the sharp insight and profound wisdom hidden beneath.
A straight and delicate nose bridge, cherry-pink full lips; combined together, they formed a beauty that possessed both a young girl's pure flawlessness and a mature woman's enchanting style.
Immediately following, as she sat fully upright, the blanket slid completely to her waist, revealing her figure, which was an existence sufficient to make Kurokawa Akane suck in a breath of cold air.
The curve of her chest was full, yet her waist was so slender it could be grasped in one hand. Her body curves were rounded, and her legs were curled up casually on the sofa, making them appear even more long and straight.
That was a kind of beauty that made Kurokawa Akane, who was also a woman and quite confident in her own appearance, have to secretly marvel at.
This was absolutely not the image of a frail, unkempt female writer buried in books that she had imagined.
Boom—!
It felt as if another, even more powerful thunderclap had exploded without warning in the center of Kurokawa Akane's mind.
Her heart, which had just relaxed, was instantly lifted to her throat by a large, invisible hand again.
Seeing this face that could be called peerless, this figure that even she found stunning, and this unique temperament radiating a mix of intellect and allure—plus the fact that the other party was a friend in the same writer circle as Yu-kun, possessing a common profession, common language, common career intersections, and countless topics to discuss.
How could there be no threat?
This threat was too great!
The blood quickly drained from Kurokawa Akane's face again, and the sense of security she had just built not long ago completely collapsed in this instant.
And at this moment, Kasumigaoka Utaha also completely woke up from her dream.
She raised her hand, rubbed her slightly swollen temples, lifted those eyes that had regained their clarity, and looked somewhat blankly at Kurokawa Akane, who was staring tightly at her.
"Eh?"
There was a trace of confusion in Kasumigaoka Utaha's gaze; she evidently did not recognize this beautiful stranger of a woman who had suddenly appeared in Michiya Gōshin's home.
Her line of sight subconsciously began to move left and right, as if looking for a familiar figure.
Michiya Gōshin naturally also noticed the subtle change in atmosphere here and Kasumigaoka Utaha's waking.
A natural smile appeared on his face. He stepped forward, his pace steady, intervening just right into the atmosphere between the two women.
"Kasumigaoka-san, you're awake?"
His tone was as peaceful as always, revealing no ripples.
"I finished reading your draft roughly just now. It's written very well, especially the emotional foreshadowing in the early stages and the handling of several key plot twists. Compared to the concepts we discussed last time, it has improved a lot; I can see you put a lot of effort into it."
Then, he extended his hand, gently placed it around the thin shoulders of Kurokawa Akane beside him, brought her a bit closer to his side, and introduced her to Kasumigaoka Utaha.
"Kasumigaoka-san, let me introduce you. This is my girlfriend, Kurokawa Akane."
To reassure the girl beside him, Michiya Gōshin's action was intimate and open, carrying an unquestionable affirmation.
Next, he lowered his head slightly and spoke softly in a gentle and soothing tone to Kurokawa Akane beside him, who was radiating warning signals from her entire body.
"Akane, this is the very talented writer friend I just mentioned to you, Kasumigaoka Utaha-san."
Kasumigaoka Utaha's gaze lingered for an imperceptible instant on Michiya Gōshin's hand that naturally held Kurokawa Akane's shoulder. A trace of elusive emotion flashed quickly through her eyes, then she looked up, meeting Kurokawa Akane's probing and vigilant gaze head-on in the air.
She nodded slightly, her tone polite and comprehensive, yet one couldn't hear much extra warmth or temperature.
"Kurokawa-san, nice to meet you. I am Kasumigaoka Utaha."
Kurokawa Akane also forced herself to calm down quickly, mobilizing her professional discipline as an actor. A smile that conformed to social etiquette bloomed on her face, and she bowed slightly at the same time, displaying good upbringing.
"Kasumigaoka-san, hello. I am Kurokawa Akane."
Her voice was sweet and pleasant to the ear, but in her heart, she was re-evaluating the danger level of this "neighbor and writer friend."
Michiya Gōshin seemed completely unaware of the undercurrents permeating the air, or perhaps, he chose a more advanced method of handling it, which was to preemptively strike and naturally ignore this subtle awkwardness.
He glanced at the exquisite watch on his wrist and spoke very naturally.
"It is indeed getting late; it's already past midnight. Kasumigaoka-san, you've stayed up for several days consecutively; your mental and physical consumption is great, and you should go back and rest well. Moreover, Akane has also just returned from rehearsal and must be very tired."
If Kurokawa Akane hadn't returned, it would have been fine for them to continue chatting about the manuscript, but since his girlfriend was back, letting another woman stay in the house was obviously inappropriate.
Michiya Gōshin looked at Kasumigaoka Utaha and continued speaking in a tone discussing work.
"I happen to have some free time tomorrow afternoon. If it's convenient for you, Kasumigaoka-san, I can visit your apartment, and we can discuss the subsequent revision directions and possibilities in detail regarding some details of the manuscript."
"Rest assured, the emotional core of this story is very sincere and moving, and the setting has great potential. We will definitely be able to polish it to be even more outstanding together."
Kasumigaoka Utaha was such an intelligent woman; how could she not feel the signals of unwelcome and wariness faintly radiating from beneath Kurokawa Akane's perfect social smile?
Added to the fact that after sleeping, her previous excitement of urgently wanting Michiya Gōshin's feedback immediately had calmed down a lot, and reason had reoccupied the high ground.
Thus, the girl stood up and said politely, "Okay, then I'll trouble you, Michiya-kun. See you tomorrow afternoon."
Subsequently, she turned to Kurokawa Akane again, nodded gently, her tone flat.
"Kurokawa-san, excuse me."
"Take care, Kasumigaoka-san."
Kurokawa Akane maintained an impeccable smile. It wasn't until she watched Kasumigaoka Utaha put on her own shoes, walk out of the apartment door with a swaying posture, and heard the soft sound of the door closing and locking, that she finally relaxed her back slightly as if unloading a burden of a thousand pounds, letting out a long breath.
However, before this breath could be fully exhaled smoothly, an emotion mixed with intense jealousy and a massive sense of crisis suddenly surged into her heart.
She turned around abruptly, looking at Michiya Gōshin with burning eyes. She extended a slender index finger and poked his solid chest lightly.
"This writer friend is truly a rare beauty, isn't she, Yu-kun."
"Why haven't I heard you mention before that there was such a... friend?"
Michiya Gōshin looked at her appearance—clearly, her jealousy was already overturning the heavens and earth, yet she still had to pretend to be magnanimous and maintain a smile—a look that was both cute and pitiful. In his heart, he felt both amused and a surge of helpless pity.
He understood Kurokawa Akane too well.
Her love was hot and direct; her jealousy also came swiftly and distinctly. But fortunately, her temper came quickly and left quickly.
And under normal circumstances, she wasn't hard to coax.
Michiya Gōshin did not choose to offer any pale defense or unfold a complex, long-winded argument at this time. He merely hooked the corner of his lips slightly, revealing a gentle smile carrying indulgence and comfort, then extended his arms and pulled her tightly into his embrace without allowing any explanation.
His embrace was like a safe harbor, instantly wrapping Kurokawa Akane's body within it as that familiar and reassuring scent drilled into her nose.
"Only a friend and neighbor, Akane. You really thought too much."
She buried her cheek deeply into his solid, warm chest, extending her arms to hug his waist tightly in return.
However, this time, mere embraces and verbal comfort seemed unable to completely dispel the sense of crisis stirred up in Kurokawa Akane's heart by Kasumigaoka Utaha's unexpected appearance.
She suddenly realized incomparably clearly that in this entertainment industry filled with excellent women, merely possessing the seemingly stable title of "girlfriend" did not seem sufficient to let her rest easy.
Kurokawa Akane wanted something more important to firmly bind the relationship between her and Michiya Gōshin.
A determination mixed with love, possessiveness, and the courage of burning one's bridges grew and spread frantically in her heart like wildfire.
The girl suddenly raised her head, looking up at Michiya Gōshin's face close at hand. She was no longer satisfied with the status quo, no longer satisfied with simple hugs and kisses.
She stood on tiptoe and leaned in gently.
And when this kiss ended, the girl's cheeks were crimson, but her eyes were shockingly bright. Her voice carried a trace of uncontrollable trembling, yet she spoke incomparably clearly, word by word, with firmness.
"Yu-kun, tonight... shall we take the next step together?"
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