"I'm home."
Kenji Azuma, returning home from work, stood in the entryway. His wife, who usually came to greet him, was nowhere to be seen. He frowned, catching a faint, strange scent, but it was too subtle for him to pay much attention to it.
Still... the silent house made him uneasy. Where was Yori?
The rooms were empty, and the kitchen was deserted. Dinner hadn't been cooked, much less any water boiled for a bath. Kenji walked through the house, unable to even wash away the day's stress.
"Yori? Yori?"
Did something happen to her? Kenji thought about how distracted he had been all day at the office, his mind filled with images of his wife's infidelity. Of course, he couldn't accept this!
But, but she is my wife. Their feelings for each other over so many years... That wasn't fake. It must be some misunderstanding, and if he worked hard enough, he could win his wife back.
Ultimately, he couldn't bear to let his wife go, and he was terrified that if he exposed everything, she would leave him forever. So... all Kenji could do was bury his head in the sand, silently proving his love through his actions.
"She hasn't run into trouble, has she?" Kenji, worried that his wife might be in danger, was about to call her when he heard the door open. Mrs. Yori slipped off her bright red high heels and walked in.
"Yori, you..." The question he wanted to ask died in his throat as he looked at her. His wife's face was as exquisite and beautiful as ever, and the tight, long dress she wore highlighted her voluptuous figure perfectly.
Compared to her usual gentle, Yamato Nadeshiko demeanor, she possessed an extra touch of bewitching charm—a true goddess, causing Kenji's heart to race. Yori... why is she suddenly so stunning?
It wasn't that she wasn't beautiful before, but... how to describe it? The current Yori carried a peculiar, lazy aura, as if she had been thoroughly nourished and satisfied.
Wait a minute...
"Yori, where... did you go?"
"I took a bento box to Alex," the wife said plainly. "Since we're neighbors, it's normal to send over a small gift when you have a chance, isn't it?"
She was lying. She had been at Alex's house the whole time, indulging in sex with him. The married woman was thoroughly pleasured, almost to the point of exhaustion. As for the bento, she did make dinner for Alex, but that was merely an afterthought.
Truthfully, Yori hadn't wanted to come back. Her heart was completely with Alex. She didn't feel much hatred for Kenji, though she loathed Gozo Kamezo.
But for her husband, her feelings were indeed gone...
She had only reluctantly returned because she was still Kenji's wife in name, and some things needed to be made clear. Although... this made her look even more like a bad, promiscuous woman.
But Mrs. Yori didn't care. As long as she had Alex, that was enough.
"Took a bento?" Kenji was dumbfounded. He glanced at the empty kitchen, then back at his wife. She hadn't made dinner for them, but she had sent a bento and a gift to the neighbor next door. Is she serious?
"Then, what about our dinner..."
"I've already eaten," Mrs. Yori looked at her husband with complicated eyes. She had shared a loving time with him, but things change. Who would have thought it would end up like this?
The young wife had no regrets.
When she texted Alex during the day and made her choice, she had already made up her mind.
"Kenji... you should buy yourself some dinner."
"...Okay," Kenji opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing, forcing an unpleasant, fawning smile. "I can eat later, it's fine. Hey... Yori, after you bathe, we... didn't we talk about trying for a baby? So, tonight, let's..."
A baby?
She had indeed considered it before... Speaking of a baby, Alex had climaxed entirely inside her. Could she get pregnant with his child? Ooh, she thought shyly, it would actually be wonderful to have Alex's baby, but I wonder if he cares, since he's still a high school student.
"Yori? Yori?"
"No need," Yori calmly rejected her husband. "I'm going out tonight... and I won't be back. You sleep alone."
"What?"
"I'll be staying elsewhere for a while."
"You..."
Staying elsewhere? Where elsewhere? Are you staying next door at that Alex's house...? Kenji looked at his wife in disbelief. He thought her being cold was bad enough, but now, she was actually...
Mrs. Yori had said this on purpose. She had practically spelled out the words 'I'm having an affair' to provoke her husband, hoping to naturally lead to a breakup or divorce.
But the wife never imagined...
"Is, is that so?" Kenji forced out a strained, awkward smile. "Yori, you're probably just staying at a friend's house for a few days. Sometimes the life of a housewife can be a little boring, I understand. It's fine, go ahead. You can come back whenever you like."
Yori: "..."
She was dumbfounded.
Is Kenji genuinely unable to understand the hint, or is he pretending not to? He can't be this stupid, can he? But if he's pretending not to know, why? His own wife is cheating on him, why is he playing the fool?
Why won't he just confront me?
Hiss—
Why hadn't she noticed before that he was so abnormal? Mrs. Yori wanted to press the issue, but Kenji seemed prepared, quickly turning away and leaving, seemingly deliberately avoiding her.
Seriously...
Buddy, how can you endure this?!
"How can he endure this?!"
The next day, a listless Kenji woke up to an empty house. His dark circles were prominent, and his expression was exhausted—he clearly hadn't slept well. Before leaving for work, he paused at the door and stared at Alex's house next door for several minutes before walking away dejectedly.
When Gozo Kamezo approached him and heard all these details, the blond man completely lost it. "Kenji, my man, what in the world are you thinking?! You can endure this?!"
"I... I just don't want to lose Yori..."
He could see it clearly. He knew that if he confronted her, Yori would leave him.
But by burying his head in the sand, Mrs. Yori wouldn't reconcile with him either. Kenji didn't realize this. He didn't know how infatuated his wife was with Alex, nor how sinister and cunning Alex truly was.
After all, that guy wasn't even playing with her body anymore; he had begun to attack her mind!
As for Gozo Kamezo, the blond man was genuinely broken. He felt like an idiot, a fool. If he had known Kenji Azuma was such a pathetic waste, he would have made his move directly!!!
All his schemes and calculations had led to nothing. In the end, the young married woman he had lusted after was successfully poached by a high school kid!
F—k!!!
Worse yet, Kenji, who now knew the truth, had given up and had absolutely no intention of catching them in the act. He actually wanted to use his 'sincere love' to win his wife back. Could anything be more ridiculous?
Gozo Kamezo felt like the biggest joke.
Even though he knew Kenji's thoughts, he couldn't help but ask the ultimate question.
No, seriously, buddy—how can you endure this?