The beautiful woman he had set his sights on, the one he had been monitoring for so long, whose husband he had successfully tricked into leaving—the prey was supposed to be his, easily within reach, without any further surprises.
Who would have thought... that Mrs. Haruhi would have another man by her side?!
He had assumed she was all alone at home...
Bastard! What the hell were you two, a man and a woman alone, doing inside?!
"Alex..."
Seeing Gozo Kuraso's face, Mrs. Haruhi couldn't help but tremble inside. Every time she saw him, she felt the sickening gaze of the man observing her, full of desire and vulgarity, sending shivers down her spine.
Even when Kinin was home, it didn't stop Gozo Kuraso's naked stares and predatory desire, which was excessive and left Mrs. Haruhi feeling increasingly insecure.
Even with her husband present, she didn't want to see this man, but she had no choice; Gozo Kuraso was Kinin's company president. For her husband's career... she couldn't voice her distress.
This was why, after Kinin left, she was so utterly terrified of Gozo Kuraso, like a startled bird...
Pat—
Just as the alluring and beautiful Mrs. Haruhi was trembling with fear, a hand wrapped around her waist. The warm sensation of his palm passed through her clothes and rested on her skin. Mrs. Haruhi stared blankly at Alex, leaning against him, dumbfounded.
T-t-t-t-this...
What is he doing? Why did he suddenly...? Oh, he must be protecting me, right? Alex is helping me... Yet, Mrs. Haruhi inexplicably felt her heart start to settle.
Her uneasy heart actually began to calm down. She knew such intimate behavior was wrong, yet...
Mrs. Haruhi's face was crimson. She lowered her head slightly, offering no resistance to Alex's actions. Her delicate body rested against his side, as if Alex were the true owner of the house, the one who was truly her husband.
This sight utterly shattered Gozo Kuraso's composure!
This brat—
"Mrs. Haruhi, what is your relationship with this kid? Why is he in your house?" The fat on Gozo Kuraso's face shook violently as his expression became increasingly ferocious. "What are you two... doing right now?"
"Mrs. Haruhi and I are naturally good neighbors. What's the matter?" Alex asked with a mocking and triumphant smile, tightening his hand around the wife's waist and clearly displaying the intimacy to Gozo Kuraso. "Not only neighbors, but friends too, right, Mrs. Haruhi?"
"Yes..."
Mrs. Haruhi, with three parts shyness and seven parts reassurance, nodded. She quietly absorbed the feeling of security that her own husband, Kinin, had never given her. "Alex is my friend and my neighbor, Mr. Gozo... don't you remember him?"
Gozo Kuraso: "..."
That kid who lived next door... If he remembered correctly, that house had quite a few beautiful girls, all students. He certainly remembered them and had thought about trying his luck—after all, students were supposedly easier to handle.
That's how it should have been...
But after a few attempts to initiate conversation, he had been firmly rebuffed. Those pretty girls were troublesome, like hedgehogs. And this young man was their man?
Damn him! He has so many beautiful girls yet he's targeting Mrs. Haruhi! This bastard!! He's set his eyes on my prey! The others are whatever, but Mrs. Haruhi is mine, she is my woman!!
Gozo Kuraso's fury grew increasingly wild, until he met Alex's cold, unsettling eyes. Instantly, all his madness and anger vanished, replaced only by a creeping, icy chill.
He didn't know why, but... this kid was trouble!
Gozo Kuraso wasn't a fool; he calmed down instantly and avoided breaking the facade, which surprised Alex slightly.
In the living room, the grotesque, vulgar man with the meaty face sat kneeling by the low table. He was inside Mrs. Haruhi's coveted home, yet he could only watch as the wife poured him a cup of water, and then sat down right next to the kid opposite him.
"Alex..."
Mrs. Haruhi was still a little shy, but when Alex winked at her and patted the spot next to him, she had no choice but to sit down close to the young man.
Alex's scent drifted over, and as she subtly inhaled the pleasant aroma, her heart grew calmer. It felt as if there was nothing to fear as long as she was by his side.
He really is incredible. Even though he's only a high school student, he provides such a sense of security. No wonder so many girls like him... I'm starting to envy those girls next door...
Wait, Haruhi, what are you thinking? You are a married woman with a husband. You can't feel this way about another man...
And Alex is a student, ten years younger than me.
Aren't you ashamed?
"Mrs. Haruhi, Kinin probably doesn't know that you've brought a strange man into the house, does he?" Gozo Kuraso suddenly spoke, the implication being: If your husband finds out about your ambiguous behavior with this little brat...
Sure enough, Mrs. Haruhi's face went white immediately. Already conflicted, hearing his words made her fingers grip the corner of her clothes until her knuckles turned white. If Kinin found out...
"So what if he knows? Mrs. Haruhi and I are purely innocent," Alex stated solemnly, his expression virtuous and righteous. However, under the table, he reached out and took Mrs. Haruhi's hand, covering the back of her hand with his own.
This made the young wife blush. What exactly is Alex doing...? He spoke of being "purely innocent," but secretly he was...
She couldn't help but turn her head, meeting his playful gaze. Alex squeezed his eyes shut, as if performing a prank.
"It's just that Mrs. Haruhi has been having nightmares lately and hasn't looked well. As a neighbor and friend, I came to check on her and, incidentally, prevent any perverts from harassing her," Alex finished with a pointed chuckle.
Yes, Alex is doing this to help me. That's why he's behaving this way. Mrs. Haruhi, who had initially intended to pull her hand away, instantly understood and stopped her pushing motion, changing it to a grasp.
Their two hands held onto each other, intimately intertwining their fingers...
The beautiful wife's pupils contracted. She wanted to pull away, but she couldn't bear to let go.
"Is that so? If you're afraid to be alone, Mrs. Haruhi, I can come here to protect you too," Gozo Kuraso said shamelessly, chuckling. "Compared to a little brat... a high schooler, wouldn't an adult be more intimidating?"
"No need," feeling the strength surge through her body from tightly holding Alex's intertwined hand, Mrs. Haruhi took a deep breath. "Having Alex here is enough. As for you, Mr. Gozo, we aren't close."
Gozo Kuraso: "..."
After speaking, she turned to the young man beside her and smiled, a bright, attractive smile like a blooming flower. Though a mature wife, she looked like an adorable girl at that moment.
Suddenly, her palm was tickled. Mrs. Haruhi's delicate body shuddered, and she bit down on her rosy, soft lips.
What is Alex doing now...?