Yasushi frantically rushed through the bustling morning crowd, panic tightening in his chest. I really shouldn't be late on my first day of work.
Despite the chaos of the morning, a triumphant smile tugged at his lips. It was all worth it.
After the incident of last night, Yasushi and Yumeko had spent hours talking. It had been late by the time he'd escorted her back across the city, but he had to make sure she got home safe.
At her doorstep, Yumeko wrapped her arms around his neck, teasingly. "Are you sure you don't want to spend the night with me?" she asked, pulling him into a tempting, breathless kiss.
"Want? I want nothing more than that," Yasushi murmured, his heart racing, "but I can't."
Her teasing smile only deepened. "How can you reject such an offer? Aren't you even a little interested in me?"
His eyes darkened.
It was hard. Pure torture to resist her. But Yasushi knew that if he stayed, there would be no going back. She deserved more than a fleeting moment for their first night together. She deserved to be treated right. He wanted to do it the right way.
"I have some other plans in mind," he said, voice husky.
"Is that so?" she asked, her gaze playful, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"How about we go on a trip this weekend? Just the two of us… maybe a hot spring getaway?"
Her lips curved into a soft smile. "I can't wait."
Reluctantly, Yasushi let her go, even though every part of him wanted to stay. The last train had long gone, and walking home seemed like a good idea. A chance to clear his head. But by the time he stumbled through his front door, exhaustion hit him. He didn't even make it to his bed before he collapsed onto the couch, his head buried in his folded arms.
By 9 o'clock in the morning, Yasushi had already settled into his quiet little room as the school counsellor at a nearby junior high school. He had just finished his first session.
A reserved country boy had arrived, struggling to fit in. Yasushi remembered what it was like when he had moved from the countryside to the big city around the same age as this boy. Everyone used to tease him for being too prim and proper.
Once, the bullying had gotten so out of hand that it escalated into physical violence. But there was one boy who stood up for him, kicking the ass of every last one of the bullies.
"You're just jealous of him. You'll never be half the person he is," he had said.
That person was Sota.
"Do you want to be my friend?" Sota had asked.
They were so different like night and day, yet they made such a good team. They both made a huge impact on each other, compensating for each other's weaknesses.
A knock at the door brought him back to reality.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, but there's an urgent call. There was a big fight just now," another teacher said.
A few moments later, Yasushi found himself face-to-face with Jiro, Saeko's younger brother.
"Great. Thanks, I'm out," the boy said, rolling his eyes as he recognized him.
"No. Wait."
"You're a friend of my sister. Whatever I tell you, she'll know everything about me. Last time I asked Sota to keep something from my sister, the next thing I knew, he had told her everything."
Yasushi sighed patiently.
"I'm not him," he said. Again.
A few hours later, Saeko was already hounding Yasushi.
"Saeko, I have nothing to talk about with you. I asked for Jiro's parent to discuss some matter."
"Come on. You know very well that I'm the one who raised them when no one else was around."
"But your father is here now. And he's Jiro's parent, unlike you."
„How can you say such things?" she muttered, clearly offended.
"I'm saying it because I have to look out for Jiro's best interests. And he needs you to back off a bit."
„Why do you think that?"
"Look. Jiro's a teenager, which means inevitable rebellion against his parents. What he really needs right now is a sibling he can turn to, not you playing the role of the mother."
"But how can I do that? How can I change?"
"Haven't you thought about moving out?"
"What?"
"A little physical distance might help establish new boundaries for you all. You don't have to go far, just a block or so."