Shiratori Kiyoya officially moved into his aunt Ando Norika's home when he was six.
After his parents died despite emergency treatment following a car accident, he cried in her arms at the hospital for a very long time.
Before that, his impression of this aunt wasn't deep—honestly, they weren't close. He'd see her maybe once a year, the kind of polite New Year's visit families do.
Compared with her intense grief, Kiyoya felt his own sadness was oddly muted. He figured Ando Norika's pain came more from losing a loved one. He assumed she was crying for her younger brother.
He'd thought: if he had a little sister who, after marrying, died in an accident together with her husband… he'd be sad because of his sister. As for the brother-in-law, he'd probably feel more blame—why didn't you protect her? If the brother-in-law survived, he might hate him for life. Since he "went with her," at least that hate would lessen.
That's how Kiyoya imagined it would be if he were Ando Norika.
Only later, after a yearly visit to pay respects to his parents, when Ando Norika pulled out their high-school photo albums, did he learn that his mother had been Norika's close friend since junior high. Junior high to high school, high school to university, and into adult life…
Listening to Norika, crying in starts and stops as she told stories about his mother, Kiyoya realized her feelings for his mom were every bit as deep as for her brother.
Maybe she saw him as the continuation of two people. She really did raise him like her own son—never shorting him on food, clothes, anything. She'd buy him whatever she saw other kids have, even without him asking.
Back then she had no children. His uncle Ando Yosuke joked that the Ando family finally had an heir. It was just a joke, but Norika chased him around pinching him for it. They'd known each other since high school; theirs wasn't some patriarchal household. Her personality was, if anything, a bit too direct.
The reason she got angry was mostly that she worried Kiyoya would overthink it. But he wasn't that fragile. He knew exactly how good they were to him and had long since decided he'd support them in their old age.
When he started junior high, the couple finally had a child of their own. Norika's attention to him lessened, but she still often sat him down for heart-to-hearts. With a new family member, expenses ballooned. Government subsidies didn't cover it.
Thankfully, Uncle Yosuke's job was decent and barely kept the household afloat.
Then, as if ropes always snap at the thinnest point, disaster struck in his third year of junior high: an economic downturn hit, Yosuke fell down the stairs and broke his leg, then was laid off. It was blow after blow.
Norika had to go out and work. After recovering, Yosuke kept hunting for jobs. They wore worried faces every day. Norika came home exhausted near midnight and fell asleep as soon as she touched the bed. When Kiyoya got up at night, he'd often find her asleep on the couch still in her work clothes.
The once-harmonious home started to fracture. Yosuke had a mild temper, but even the gentlest disposition wears down under constant petty friction, and Norika's temper wasn't great to begin with. The family atmosphere hit freezing point. Not shattered—but full of cracks.
You can't live without money. Even the deepest bonds—childhood sweethearts who make it through junior high, high school, university, into work, marriage, kids—struggle under money's test.
Love alone isn't enough.
Kiyoya had understood this before; it was just that comfortable days had made him forget.
He shelved his idea of "slowly taking his time to find the right person to cultivate."
It was time to start making money.
After two years of hustling and grinding, things finally eased by the time he entered high school.
When he first handed Ando Norika a bank card with three million yen saved up and told her she didn't need to work herself to the bone anymore, her reaction stunned him.
First she was shocked, then she ran, trembling, to the kitchen for a rolling pin and grilled him on whether he'd done something illegal and where he'd gotten so much money. She even nearly called the police, crying out his parents' names and blaming herself for failing to keep the kid on the right path.
He showed her his songwriting contract.
She didn't even look at it—just tossed it aside, shoulders shaking, eyes full of remorse.
"Don't try to fool me with that. You've never shown any interest in music. Back when I took you to karaoke you couldn't even carry a tune…
"If you told me you won prize money in a kendo tournament I might let that slide. You silly child, will you even get into a good university? No wonder you went down the criminal road…
"I failed to teach you well and give you a stable life—I've wronged your mom and dad—but I won't let you sink like this!
"You're not of age yet. Turn yourself in, return the money—at most you'll be in there a year. Don't be afraid. Your aunt will wait for you."
Seeing she was about to "turn him in for the greater good," Kiyoya had no choice but to call Hojo Shione over.
That was their first meeting.
He knew at first sight that Norika adored Shione. Love for someone shines in the eyes. Maybe because both kids she was raising were boys, she'd always wanted a daughter—especially one as stunning as Shione.
So after just a couple of explanations, before she even produced hard proof, Norika believed her completely.
He still remembers it: Norika stuffed the rolling pin into her pocket, her grief-stricken face flipped from cloudy to sunny, and she took Shione's hand, chatting affectionately.
At first it was fine—when did you two meet, when did Kiyoya start writing songs. But when she learned they were dating, her eyes lit up like she'd won the 100-million lottery. You could see the excitement.
It was as if the fact they were together was far more important than the fact he could write songs and earn money.
"Really dating?" "What do you like about my Kiyoya?"
Once she'd sounded out Shione's gentle, classic Yamato-Nadeshiko temperament, she even started asking about her family situation and future plans…
Kiyoya was honestly afraid that if they kept going, Norika would start digging up all sorts of random past tidbits. He hurriedly used excuses like "her agency needs her," "as a singer she has to practice" and sent Shione off.
After that, Norika would ask every so often how the relationship was going, when Shione would come visit; she even hinted more than once that if "young people just couldn't hold back," they should be prepared—don't make a mess of things. She even slipped condoms into his schoolbag.
When Shione found out, she blushed and laughed at him.
The environment you grow up in shapes how you think. Norika and Yosuke met in high school and married after graduating university. Kiyoya's parents were the same—childhood acquaintances who weathered hardship and built a family. So Norika decided that high-school sweethearts in true love were the best to marry.
In other words, she decided Shione was her daughter-in-law.
Kiyoya knew this. So when he unilaterally broke up with Shione, he didn't dare tell her. In his breakup letter he even hinted that they should keep quiet for a while—don't upset his aunt.
He knew Shione's nature—gentle, intelligent, considerate—she'd understand what he meant.
He hadn't expected her to do something out of character and go to Norika.
"Answer me! Did you break up with Shione?!"
Norika's stern voice blasted his ear again. Kiyoya came back to himself, opened his mouth, and for a moment didn't know where to begin.
After a beat, his reply came out dull, like a water-logged drum.
"Mm."
Norika fell silent for two seconds, then, through clenched teeth:
"It's been six months?"
"Mm."
"Something that big and you didn't tell me? Do I even count as your aunt anymore?"
It's exactly because I knew you couldn't accept it that I didn't tell you…
"Speak! Why did you break up? Did some vixen on campus trick you? I told you—college is full of fox spirits. Don't be fooled by a pretty face. They don't like you—they're after your money!"
"Look at you—ordinary face, boring talk. Besides writing songs, having money, doing kendo, a bit of talent—what else can you do?"
"I…"
He opened his mouth. He honestly couldn't tell if she was praising him or roasting him.
"What 'I'? Do you think any woman besides Shione would truly love you?
"Take a couple days off and get back here! Explain this to me face to face!
"No more excuses. University isn't important right now; even if it were, this is more important!"
Click.
Without giving him a chance to reply, Ando Norika hung up.
"…"
Kiyoya stared at the ended call, rubbed his brow, and felt complicated.
"What's wrong?"
Mio's voice came from beside him. He turned—and met those gorgeous eyes.
Is this what they call a 'vixen'? he thought, then shook his head at her. "It's nothing. You finished eating?"
"Mm."
Mio nodded. She'd been eating while keeping an eye on him during the call. Seeing his pained expression made her want to laugh. Serves you right, bully—so someone can keep you in line.
After the laugh, curiosity crept in about who had called. But she still didn't understand his temperament and didn't want to poke him and make him mad. Some things she ought to know—she'd learn in time.
And while that "one million" per task was tempting, there was no rush. He definitely had some ulterior motive about her. Once she got some leverage, then she'd straighten him out.
With that in mind, she put on the considerate-girlfriend smile.
"Do you have something to take care of?"
"It's fine…"
"Mm. Then… let's talk next time? If you need me, just call or text. I'm free anyway—anytime."
Kiyoya's mind wasn't on Mio at all; he had an urgent problem to deal with. Delaying her two days wouldn't matter. He nodded.
"Alright. I do have things to handle today. I'll fill you in next time."
"Then I'll head out. Won't bother you~"
Mio gave him a "deep" look, then turned and left.
Watching her go, he smacked his lips, glanced at the half-finished meal, and lost his appetite.
Sighing, he looked at his phone screen and prepared to call Hojo Suzune to ask what happened.
But just as his fingertip touched the contacts, a message popped up.
"Kiyoya?"
"Have you been eating properly lately?"