Tokyo: Starting with taking on his wife's debts

Chieko felt extremely uncomfortable. Remembering what Hideaki had said, although Ayako acted recklessly, she was also most afraid of getting into trouble because of her recklessness... So, with a try-it-and-see attitude, she replied sullenly, "I have depression. If you keep framing me like this, I'll go to your house and commit suicide."

Then, after a pause of about three seconds, an even louder shout came from the other end: "How can you be so depressed? You're clearly threatening me. I'm even more certain you're not being honest. Just you wait, I'll fight you when I get back next week... You shameless woman, you already have a child, and you still steal my man. Do your family know? What will your parents think when they find out...?"

"Let them think what they want!"

Chieko trembled with anger and slammed down the phone. Afterward, when the phone stopped ringing, Chieko became uneasy. After all, in terms of measurements alone, Ayako could beat both of them...

The phone rang again, but Chieko didn't dare answer it. She pulled Ai Iijima, who had secretly followed her, over and pointed at the phone, saying, "You answer it, you answer it. If that woman asks about me, just say I'm not here."

"What are you afraid of her for?" Ai Iijima, who had overheard the whole thing last night, asked suspiciously, "You wouldn't... really be having an affair with Mr. Hideaki, would you?"

"How can you talk like that! My child is already in kindergarten, how could that be!"

Chieko blushed and pointed at the phone, saying, "She's obviously paranoid. She saw that I have a good relationship with President Riko, so she framed me. If you don't believe me, you can tell her that Hideaki-kun is in a massage parlor, giving a massage to a woman. She'll definitely suspect me. She's so irritating. I just don't want to talk to her."

This is a good opportunity to inform them about Misako's situation. After all, Misako is genuinely depressed, and Hideaki is so certain that Ayako wouldn't do anything reckless, so we can divert Ayako's attention away from her.

Her milk supply and her temper are disproportionate; she's a stingy woman, far inferior to President Riko.

"Even if I tell her that, what does that have to do with you having an affair with Mr. Xiuming? It's normal for her to suspect it's you! After all, you live in the shop and I'm the one answering the phone."

Ai Iijima grew increasingly suspicious. Was she really going to frame Riko for something like this just because she had a good relationship with President Riko? How could that be? Unless she was mentally ill, Ayako didn't seem like she was.

"I..." Chieko was secretly annoyed. Why was this child suddenly so quick-witted...? "Do you believe that if you answer the phone, she will also suspect you?"

“She suspected me all along. Didn’t she warn all of us before she left that day?” Ai Iijima stared straight at Chieko and continued, “Even if she was targeting you, it wouldn’t matter! But you’re clearly feeling guilty.”

"Is this how you talk to your senior?!" Chieko said, hands on her hips. "Didn't I say that I just dislike her way of speaking and don't want to talk to her?"

Chieko opened her eyes wide, silently reflecting to herself: Was her guilty conscience really that obvious? She needed to be more careful in the future, more open and honest, and not act guilty...

"Fine, fine, say whatever you want! I'll just take your word for it." Ai Iijima laughed it off.

“You can’t just give me that dismissive attitude,” Chieko patted Ai Iijima on the shoulder and continued, “If you really believe I’m innocent! If these rumors get out, how will I ever face anyone? You’ll ruin me.”

Ai Iijima is usually very outspoken and says whatever comes to mind, so it's hard to guarantee that she won't say something casually to other people.

"It's just dating, what's so shameful about it? The other four who came with us all want to date Mr. Xiuming! After all, he's so rich, so handsome, and has such a great physique, they'd be getting a huge advantage. They said that if Xiuming became an adult film actor, they'd film a movie with him even without pay... um!"

"Stop talking," Chieko said, blushing, and covered her mouth with her hand. "Answer the phone!"

I'm completely on the same wavelength as her. This girl is too wild; her views have been influenced by adult film actresses and a group of delinquent teenagers.

"Why should I be afraid of her? I'm not afraid at all!" Ai Iijima said, picking up the phone. "Hello, this is Ai Iijima."

"Ok?"

Ayako paused on the phone, and the other person's tone was a bit abrupt. Ayako was puzzled. Judging from the voice, she was probably a junior employee at the store. Too lazy to waste words with her, she asked, "Is Hideaki at the store?"

Embroidery exhibitions are so boring. If it weren't for the chance to win an award and gain some recognition for my embroidery business, I wouldn't bother coming.

Last night I missed Xiuming and wanted to call him, so I used the landline in my hotel room to make the call.

Everything was ready, but unexpectedly, Chieko answered the phone.

Hearing her voice reminds me of Riko protecting her. Her husband was about to be stolen by that woman, yet she still protected her.

That's so stupid, it's so annoying.

After threatening Chieko, he lost his mood and, still angry, woke up and couldn't help but make another phone call.

Of course, I could call 403's house, but I don't want to talk to Riko.

“It’s in the store~” Ai Iijima glanced at Chieko.

"Hurry up and let him answer the phone." Ayako was overjoyed; the wait was finally over.

"No way, he's busy in the massage parlor!" Ai Iijima chuckled. "Just like that time we were in the massage parlor, exactly the same, it makes me blush..."

Before Ai Iijima could finish speaking, Ayako hung up the phone.

Chieko, who was eavesdropping, felt a sinking feeling in her heart: Oh no, I didn't have time to tell Misako about it, they'll definitely suspect me… Should I come back early? No, I have to ask Riko-chan for help, tell her…

"Ai-chan, you can stay in the shop and have some fun. I'm going to talk to President Riko about something..."

Chieko said this and ran out of the supermarket.

“Clearly she’s feeling guilty…” Ai Iijima couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

The strange noises in the massage room subsided, and voices could be heard. Ai Iijima quietly pressed herself against the door, eavesdropping.

Because of Misako's desperate and tearful pleas, Hideaki turned off the lights in the room.

Thick, wine-red curtains covered the glass curtain wall, hanging to the ground, obscuring the view outside.

The room was dimly lit.

Misako's hair was loose, and her head was resting against Hideaki's chest. Her cheeks were flushed and her forehead was covered with a layer of fine sweat, which dampened her soft hair and made it stick to her skin.

Her eyes were slightly narrowed, as if she were savoring the moment or in a daze. She placed her hand on Xiuming's abdomen and gently slid it across his abdominal muscles.

Misako, fighting off her exhaustion, murmured softly, "I want to marry you... Can you give me a wedding?"

Since things have come to this point, essentially involving giving one's body and soul, it's time to bring it up.

Xiuming placed his hand on her damp shoulder and gently slid it along, saying, "What about Riko? She's been so good to you, you can't let her down."

Here we go again? It took so much effort to shut her up…

During the interaction just now, she kept murmuring "I'm sorry, Riko" and "How can I face Riko in the future?"

But his actions completely contradicted his words... He was probably trying to alleviate his inner moral condemnation...

"Just like how we pretend to be a married couple, we also pretend to have a wedding, so we're going all out with the act, right?"

Misako believed that what she said was reasonable and well-founded. The main problem was that she couldn't explain it to her parents. In addition, the ridicule from her relatives and neighbors back home was really frustrating. She had to lie to get some revenge.

Who would still check household registration transcripts? A wedding is enough.

"Do you want a Chinese style? A Japanese style? Or a Western style?"

Xiuming immediately perked up. So that's what it meant! Why didn't you say so sooner? The sooner you said so, the better.

"You agreed?" Misako tilted her head back, her eyes shining.

"You set a date, then send invitations to everyone you want to invite, and have a big celebration!"

Misako's bright eyes lit up with surprise, and she immediately climbed onto Hideaki, whispering in his ear, "Honey... I still..."

However, her movements were a bit too exaggerated. The heavy curtains covering the glass wall, which had been accidentally pulled down by Ayako last time and had been hastily put back on, were accidentally pulled down again this time.

The room was suddenly illuminated.

At 9:30 a.m., under the bright sunshine, the food stalls outside the glass curtain wall were working overtime because the supermarket was temporarily closed.

Groups of office workers sat by the curtain wall, many eating and looking in the mirror at the same time...

Misako seemed to be blinded by the bright light. She closed her eyes for a moment, then looked up at the wall. She had never been inside a massage room before and didn't know there was such a transparent wall.

Her pupils suddenly contracted, her mouth slowly opened wide, her teeth chattered, she rolled her eyes, and her body leaned back and fell onto the tatami mat.

Xiuming quickly laid her down, checked her over thoroughly, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Everyone who comes here will faint at least once, right?

The first time was Ayako, then Riko, but not Chieko, because that time was at night.

Are you a pervert?

Hideaki had already put a dress on Misako. The first thing she did when she woke up was to bang her head against the corner of the low table. Hideaki managed to hold her down, and after struggling a few times, she curled up into a ball, covering her face and crying in a trembling voice, "I was seen naked by someone... How could you be so perverted..."

"You can't see inside from the outside." She was on the verge of banging her head against a wall, so Xiuming had no choice but to explain.

Misako paused in her sobs, glanced at the glass curtain wall, and cried, "How could this be... I saw it so clearly... I have no face to live anymore... You're the murderer, I'll haunt you even as a ghost... You pervert..."

Outside the curtain wall, a woman is fixing her hair in front of a mirror, still tidying up her hair.

“Look at this,” Xiuming said, walking to the opposite side of the woman standing outside the curtain wall. Then he suddenly leaned against the glass curtain wall and turned back to say, “See! She can’t see inside at all, otherwise she would be terrified.”

Misako blinked.

I really can't see anything. Thinking back to what just happened, even though everyone outside was staring inside, it was as if they were blind...

Suddenly, a feeling of relief, as if she had been reborn, welled up inside her, followed by an indescribable shame. She buried her face in Xiuming's stomach, pinched the soft flesh of his waist, and cried softly, "You're such a pervert, such a childish guy, you scared me to death... How could you be so childish..."

There was a double knock on the door.

"So what if they see?" Ai Iijima's leisurely voice came over. "The four older sisters who came with me have all filmed AVs in scenes like this! And nothing happened to them! So pretentious~~"

Misako stiffened again, her teary eyes widening. "Was she...was she always at the door?"

“I can’t answer that,” Hideaki shrugged. “Speaking of which, we’ve already survived something so incredibly stupid, so even if she heard it, it wouldn’t matter, right?”

Misako lay face down on the tatami mat, her face flushed, clutching the bedsheet and kicking Hideaki with her feet. "You, you're so childish, you... get out of here, I don't want to talk to you..."

After all, that was fake, this is real...

Hideaki understood Misako's feelings and emotions perfectly, and felt compelled to give her a restorative, vegan massage.

"Don't hang the curtains, anyway, you can't see them..."

To demonstrate her adaptability, Misako resisted the urge to crawl under the table, threw her skirt onto the massage bed, closed her eyes tightly, and waited patiently for Hideaki's service.

While enjoying the relaxing service, I couldn't help but feel uneasy. I glanced at the outside of the curtain wall, feeling as if I were walking on the edge of life and death.

This is the feeling I get when I'm alone in bed late at night, feeling depressed.

At this moment, it seems to have become a unique form of therapy for depression. My heart is beating so fast; I'm really worried that the glass will suddenly shatter...

It seems I just died once.

After being reborn, I never realized how wonderful the world could be.

After all, there's still someone I can't let go of, and that's this little pervert, this childish guy in front of me... Sleep... Sleep... Don't think about anything...

Just as she was about to fall asleep, Xiuming's soft voice suddenly rang out, "Don't fall asleep yet, give me a good review."

After all, she's just one positive review away from getting the "professional skills" reward. I wonder what kind of ability Misako is so eager to acquire.

It's really a headache. Although it's not about any specific issue, asking for positive reviews at this time is obviously very difficult.

With her shameless personality, there's absolutely no way she'd give me any straightforward feedback. The problem is, I was just captivated by her, and now I'm only just realizing that I should take the plunge and see what happens! Anyway, I'm shameless.

Sure enough, Misako looked like a cat with its fur standing on end, her loose hair trembling.

She grabbed a pillow, sheets, skirt, shoes... and threw them all at me.

"Childish ghost! Childish..."