Tick, tick, tick.
The second hand on the pure white wall clock moved incessantly. Minute by minute, time passed, but Hoshino Jun showed no sign of letting go.
He sat on the Takayanagi family sofa with one arm around Yūki Takayanagi's soft waist. His head rested on her shoulder and his nostrils were filled with her faint, elegant scent.
For Hoshino Jun, a young man brimming with vitality, it was intoxicating, combined with the soft, delicate body in his arms. He couldn't bring himself to release her.
Kneeling on his lap, Yūki's breathing was somewhat heavy. She didn't speak.
She simply rested her head lightly on his shoulder and held him tightly, just as he wished.
Compared to one million yen or a year's worth of homemade bento lunches.
A ten-minute hug was really nothing.
What puzzled Takayanagi Yūki was why Hoshino Jun ultimately wanted only a hug.
She had even mentally prepared herself for the other possibility.
'Maybe it's because Jun-chan lost his parents at a young age, and he craves care.'
Yūki held Jun a little tighter, wanting to show this pitiful child more affection.
The only slightly awkward thing was that now...
Little Jun had grown up and loved to talk back.
The faint, orchid-like fragrance from Yūki's neck slowly drifted into Jun's nose, making his mind wander.
Since Aunt Yūki showed no intention of pushing him away, he thought to himself that he might as well hold her a little longer.
'Just a little longer, and I'll be fine.'
Ten minutes had long passed.
Two more minutes passed, and Takayanagi Yūki finally couldn't hold out any longer.
"Jun-chan, it's already been fifteen minutes."
With that, her face flushing, she gently pushed Hoshino Jun away.
"All right, thank you for today, Aunt Yūki."
They were in a narrow internal passageway between the coffee table and the sofa. It was spacious enough for one person but a bit cramped for two.
Takayanagi Yūki reached up and touched the braid resting on her shoulder. Then, she lowered her head and returned to her seat.
"Jun-chan, you won't report Jo now, will you?"
"Hm, don't worry, Auntie. I'm a man of my word."
Hoshino Jun slung his single-strap bag over his shoulder. His gaze lingered on the beautiful woman's figure for a moment.
Aunt Yūki was really soft. Even now, Jun's chest seemed to retain the sensation of being pressed against cotton.
That sensation awakened Hoshino Jun's innate nature as a young man.
Noticing his gaze, a flicker of shyness passed through Yūki's eyes. Recalling being held in the handsome young man's arms moments ago, she unconsciously rubbed her legs together.
"Then thank you, Jun-chan. Rest assured, I will definitely teach Jo a proper lesson to help vent your anger."
"Mm!"
Hoshino Jun didn't say polite things like "Please don't." As an adversary, he wanted nothing more than for Takayanagi Jo to suffer.
However, he now found himself looking forward to Takayanagi's next attempt.
It certainly wasn't because he wanted Mrs. Takayanagi's affection.
Rather, he wanted to earn more money through the system's rewards.
Once the youthful impulsiveness subsided, he thought, "I should head home."
"Um..."
Takayanagi Yūki seemed hesitant. After pausing for a moment, she looked up at his handsome face and invited him.
"Jun-chan, your aunt is working overtime today and won't be back to cook for you. Why don't you stay and eat here before going back?"
"Overtime again, huh?"
"Yes, she said she wants to earn a little more money."
Money issues again?
Hoshino Jun nodded. Since his aunt was working overtime, he didn't feel like going home to cook for himself.
We might as well stay here and enjoy a meal made by Mrs. Takayanagi.
"Then I'll trouble you, Aunt Yūki." Hoshino Jun bowed slightly and politely to Takayanagi Yūki. (The dreaded Japanese custom of constantly bowing while talking to people.)
Such a hassle.
"Don't mention it." Takayanagi Yūki placed her hands on her abdomen and returned the bow.
A glimpse of white through her collar dazzled Hoshino Jun.
Ah! 😯
So that's the reason why they have such a custom in this land of the rising sun.
Bowing is a good habit that should be promoted more often.
"Jun-chan, please sit for a while. I'll start cooking right away."
Although Mrs. Takayanagi said she was going to cook, she didn't head to the kitchen immediately. Instead, she went to her bedroom first.
Soon, faint rustling sounds came from inside the bedroom.
This apartment building's soundproofing was actually decent. The main issue was that the interior of this unit wasn't large and the spaces weren't separated by much distance.
With only a wooden door in between, sounds from Takayanagi Yūki's bedroom could easily be heard from just a few meters away.
Like Hoshino Jun's home, the Takayanagi residence was a 55-square-meter, two-bedroom unit featuring one kitchen, one bathroom, and a small living room.
The house was pitifully small.
But don't let the size fool you.
It was expensive, too.
In Tokyo, where land is worth its weight in gold, this small house had a monthly rent of 100,000 yen, which was considered relatively affordable.
If it were located closer to the city's bustling areas, 150,000 yen probably wouldn't even guarantee such a place.
About three or four minutes passed, and the bedroom door opened again.
Yūki was still wearing the white T-shirt she had on earlier, but for some reason, she had changed out of the long jeans she had been wearing into denim shorts typically worn in June, during the summer.
The denim shorts hugged her hips tightly and exposed her plump, snow-white legs from the thighs down.
Although it was a perfectly normal outfit, it always carried an indescribable charm when worn by Yūki.
Looking at Hoshino Jun, Takayanagi Yūki's face flushed inexplicably. As she turned toward the kitchen, she asked,
"Jun-chan, what would you like to eat?"
"Anything is fine. I'm not picky."
Hoshino Jun's words caught in his throat. His eyes widened, and his lips trembled slightly.
He noticed a glistening drop of moisture on the inner thighs of the neighbor lady's graceful figure, on those dazzlingly white, long legs.
For a young man, the stimulation was still a bit too much.
'Dammit! Why is my mind filled with dirty thoughts now? That's the neighbor lady, the mother of my former good friend.'
To prevent himself from acting on his impulses, Hoshino Jun closed his eyes and focused on other things.
For example, the system that had unexpectedly activated was worth exploring.
[Name: Hoshino Jun]
[Stamina: 7]
Intelligence: 7
[Charm: 9]
Occupation: Student
[Favor: Currently, Kato Nana owes you one Grade B favor. Please collect the favor debt from this person promptly. You will receive a reward upon successful collection.]
Hmm?
The debts have grades?
Why is Kato Nana's debt a grade B, while Takayanagi Yūki's was only a grade C?
Could Takayanagi Jo have been merely an accomplice in the false accusation incident, with Takazaki Yusuke as the main culprit?
Upon further thought, that makes sense. How could Takayanagi Jo have had the money to frame Hoshino Jun? He was as poor as Hoshino.
But then, why would Takazaki Yusuke want to frame Hoshino Jun?
Hoshino Jun was sure he hadn't offended Takazaki Yusuke.