The red sun was on the verge of setting, occasionally caressed by the evening breeze.
On the way to the Police station, Hoshino Jun wanted to watch the rapidly passing scenery outside the window, but his gaze was always involuntarily drawn to the big round face.
He wanted to tug on Yuki's braid.
"Driver, could you please drive a little faster?"
Takayanagi Yuki was an idiot; she always started talking nonsense when she got anxious.
How fast could one go in the city?
It wasn't a highway, after all.
Expressing his heartfelt sentiment, Hoshino Jun put his arm around Takayanagi Yuki's shoulder:
"Don't worry too much. Jo isn't in any serious trouble. We just need to pay the fine and get him out."
"I hope so."
Takayanagi Yuki let out a long sigh; she was already a bit mentally exhausted.
As a mother, she felt she had given Takayanagi Jo everything she could, but this child just kept causing her worry.
There had been so many incidents one after another before.
This had led Takayanagi Yuki to be utterly disappointed in him.
This time, he was even directly arrested by the police for dining and dashing at a high-end restaurant.
To be honest, Takayanagi Yuki's heart was already somewhat reluctant to deal with it, but he was her child after all.
Fortunately, there was Hoshino Jun, this warm-hearted boy next door, accompanying her, which slightly eased her inner pressure.
"Don't worry, nothing will happen."
As he spoke, Hoshino Jun, while the driver was focused on driving, let his hand slide from Takayanagi Yuki's shoulder down to her collarbone.
The delicate feel of her skin was vivid beneath his fingertips.
Takayanagi Yuki, who had been immersed in worry, felt a tingling sensation spread from her shoulder to her heart when Hoshino Jun caressed her.
Her face flushed, and she couldn't help but glare at Hoshino Jun, softly scolding, "Jun-kun, we're in a taxi right now. Please be serious for a moment."
Hoshino Jun chuckled teasingly, "Who told Yuki you have such a good figure? I really couldn't help myself."
His gaze shifted downwards; the beautiful scenery of Takayanagi Yuki's neckline was unobstructed. Below her fair neck, her collarbones were exquisite, and her skin was smooth and radiant.
Her ample assets sparkled, particularly dazzling.
The E-cup beauty of the neighbor aunt made Hoshino Jun's eyes and heart covetous.
No, that's not right.
She could no longer be called the neighbor aunt.
After all, they had already agreed to be lovers from now on.
Facing her young lover's burning gaze, Takayanagi Yuki's delicate face flushed unnaturally, and she lowered her eyes, biting her lip.
"Jun-kun, let's go pick up Jo first. Once we leave the Police station, I'll let you do whatever you want, okay?"
"You said it, you know."
Hoshino Jun took a deep breath and leaned close to Takayanagi Yuki's ear, whispering, "For our son, I'll endure it. Don't worry."
There he goes again.
Why does Jun-kun always like to say Jo is his son?
It's clearly not like that.
The beautiful woman Takayanagi Yuki had not yet realized that after Hoshino Jun brought up this topic again and again.
Gradually.
She seemed to no longer strongly resist Hoshino Jun saying that, and sometimes she would even wonder what kind of life it would be if Takayanagi Jo were truly her and Hoshino Jun's child.
Or, what if she and Hoshino Jun really had a child?
Hoshino Jun also noticed Takayanagi Yuki's change, from her initial strong opposition to him mentioning Takayanagi Jo, to her current silence.
Progress was quite rapid.
It's no wonder ancient court officials feared the emperor's concubines, because the 'pillow talk' truly was powerful.
'Jo-kun, you already have a new father.'
'I hope you can handle it when everything is revealed.'
It wasn't time yet.
Although Takayanagi Yuki already had feelings for Hoshino Jun, the foundation was not yet solid.
They needed to let their feelings grow steadily and become more stable, to completely overcome Takayanagi Jo.
The evening glow grew richer as night approached.
Upon arriving at the local Police station, they couldn't see Takayanagi Jo immediately. Instead, after paying 40,000 yen and understanding the cause and sequence of events, they were able to pick up Takayanagi Jo.
The matter of Takayanagi Jo's arrest was a bit outrageous.
About twenty young people went to a high-end restaurant for dinner, ordering a total of 800,000 yen worth of dishes and drinks.
But what happened?
In the end, the twenty of them combined couldn't even come up with 100,000 yen.
The result was that the restaurant chose to call the police, and under police mediation, it was decided that each of the twenty people would pay the restaurant 40,000 yen as a resolution.
Takayanagi Jo was not the last one to come out.
According to the police, there was still a young man named Yamada inside.
His family members were unwilling to pick him up, and he was frantically making calls, trying to borrow money.
After hearing the details of the incident, Hoshino Jun's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile.
'They don't even care about something like getting arrested?'
'It seems the Chairwoman was truly angered by her good son this time.'
'She played a harsh hand, completely draining Yamada Tsukasa's money and connections, intending to make Yamada Tsukasa suffer greatly.'
'A dignified young master, reduced to a state where he can't even borrow 40,000 yen, he must be on the verge of a breakdown.'
Just as Hoshino Jun thought, Yamada Tsukasa was almost going crazy at this moment.
Not only were all his assets frozen, but he also didn't have the habit of carrying accessories or cash, so he couldn't produce a single yen.
Treating others to dinner, only to end up getting everyone arrested, the embarrassment for Yamada Tsukasa, who always regarded money as nothing, was imaginable.
Most importantly, Yamada Tsukasa had already found out that this time, his father, Yamada Takehiko, had personally ordered that he be taught a lesson.
All his social contacts had been notified, and no one dared to offer him help.
"What mistake did I make for Father to torment me like this?"
"At least give me a reason."
Yamada Tsukasa was numb.
He felt very bewildered.
After frantically racking his brain, he was certain that he hadn't committed any wrongdoing recently.
It couldn't possibly be because he had messed with Hoshino Jun, could it?
What ability did Hoshino Jun have to alarm his father?
That's too ridiculous.
"It must be because of something else. It definitely isn't because of the suffering of a small fry like Hoshino Jun."
Looking at his phone's dwindling battery.
Yamada Tsukasa decided to ask for help from someone who had some money and whom his father wouldn't notice at all.
That was Takasaki Yusuke, whom Yamada Tsukasa had sent to study elsewhere. Before Takasaki Yusuke left, he had given him 500,000 yen.
Surely, he couldn't have spent it all in less than a week.
"Takasaki, are you there?"
"I am."
"Can you lend me 40,000 yen? I'll pay you back tenfold in a few days."
"???" Takasaki Yusuke, who received the message, looked bewildered: "Your account must have been hacked. How could President Yamada, with all his money, ask me for a loan?"
It must be a scammer.
---On the way home, the sky gradually darkened.
The atmosphere was terrifyingly oppressive.
Hoshino Jun was very adept at assessing the situation and chose not to mock Takayanagi Jo at this moment. Instead, he quietly walked beside Takayanagi Yuki, waiting for her to speak.
"Tap."
"Tap."
The slow footsteps of her high heels were like hammers, striking Takayanagi Jo's heart again and again.
He had just had a heated argument with his mother not long ago.
Yet, his mother had saved him again.
Takayanagi Jo felt utterly humiliated.
"Takayanagi Jo, is your mischief enough?"
Takayanagi Yuki stopped, uttering this sentence as if it had exhausted all her strength.
She looked at Takayanagi Jo, her eyes filled with disappointment: "How many more times do you have to disappoint me before you're satisfied?"
The last ray of twilight in the sky fell upon Takayanagi Yuki's beautiful face. Her eyes sparkled, glistening with a misty sheen of tears.
Takayanagi Jo's heart ached as he watched.
After a long pause, just as he was about to say something, he saw Hoshino Jun suddenly put his arm around his mother's shoulder right in front of him.
"Yuki, don't say that. Jo was also set up today. Who knew someone would invite him to dinner and then not pay the bill?"
"You can't blame him for this; he just misjudged people."
Hoshino Jun's smile was as gentle as a spring breeze, his tone soft as he soothed his mother's emotions.
He seemed to be pleading for Takayanagi Jo.
But somehow, when Takayanagi Jo heard his voice, he always felt as if he was being sarcastic, which was particularly disgusting.
Especially since Hoshino Jun's hand was rubbing on his mother's shoulder.
Although he knew that Hoshino Jun had practically grown up under his mother's watchful eye, and it was unlikely he would take advantage of her, Takayanagi Jo's subjective feeling was precisely that.
As a result, Takayanagi Jo, who had just been about to apologize, swallowed his words.
With a cold face, he snapped, "Hoshino Jun, what business is it of yours? Do I need you to speak for me?"
"Huh?" Hoshino Jun blinked, looking innocent and bewildered, softly muttering to himself, "Did I do something again to displease Jo?"
The word "again" was heavily emphasized.
It was like a knife, piercing Takayanagi Yuki's heart.
Because she was the victim of "again."
Again and again, heartbroken by her son Takayanagi Jo; again and again, disappointed in her own child.
Takayanagi Yuki's anger flared, and she gritted her teeth, glaring at Takayanagi Jo.
"Where do you get the nerve to say such things? Do you only realize your mistakes when you're reformed in prison as a criminal?"
"I thought you would change, but you've gotten more outrageous each time."
"How dare you even talk about Jun? Look at the kind of dubious friends you hang out with; they'll be your cellmates in the future."
"And look at Jun; he's helped you, this ungrateful scoundrel, time and time again. He even paid 10,000 yen of the money to get you out today, and he can't even get a good word from you, you idiot."
"Takayanagi Jo, just look at yourself. In what way are you even human?"
His mother's words were particularly sharp today.
After hearing them, Takayanagi Jo's eyes were blank for a moment. He clenched his fists, and as if deeply unconvinced, he retorted:
"Why can't I speak?"
"Was today my fault?"
"Was last time my fault?"
"How many times have I told you, I didn't secretly photograph girls, why don't you believe me? Bringing it up again and again, you just want to label me a criminal, right?"
"And how much better are you than me, bringing a man home but refusing to tell your own son who that man is? Are you so great?"
Takayanagi Jo became more and more agitated, completely disregarding Takayanagi Yuki's now extremely grim expression. He pointed his finger at Hoshino Jun, directing his anger at him as well.
"And Hoshino Jun, how much better do you think he is than me?"
"If you think he's so great, why don't you just adopt him as your son?"
"Just pretend you never gave birth to me. From now on, he's your biological son, since you like him so much."
Hey, hey, hey.
You can't just say things like that.
Right in front of Takayanagi Jo.
Hoshino Jun's hand slowly dropped from Takayanagi Yuki's shoulder, sliding down her back, then gently slapping her full, shapely bottom.
Takayanagi Yuki's mood had already been suppressed to its limit, but that slap dispersed most of the anger in her heart.
The heat then rose to her face, a blush appearing.
'Jun-kun, how could he do that?'
'He's too bold, isn't he? Jo is still here, and he's hitting my bottom.'
'What if he gets caught?'
She glanced at Hoshino Jun out of the corner of her eye, seeing the young man's face completely serious, without any trace of secretly touching his friend's mother.
Seeing his expression, Takayanagi Yuki understood.
Hoshino Jun wasn't deliberately teasing her, but rather soothing her emotions in an unconventional way.
The effect was indeed very good; it was thoughtful of him.
Actually,
Hoshino Jun didn't know what the silly beauty beside him was thinking. He was only focused on feeling the delicate, soft touch in his palm while dealing with Takayanagi Jo-kun.
"Jo, what are you saying? Have you forgotten my admonition to you? No matter what, you must not lose your temper with your mother."
"No matter who is right or wrong, Yuki is your mother. Even if she is truly in the wrong, you should obey her unconditionally."
"What's more, today it is your fault, Jo."
Hoshino Jun spoke righteously, and at the same time, his index finger began to twitch uncontrollably as if it had a cramp.
"Ahem."
Takayanagi Yuki bit her lip, trying hard to maintain her composure.
'Jun, why doesn't he stop? Has he not noticed that my mood has stabilized?'
'Get a little further away from me!'
'This guy always takes advantage of chaotic situations.'
The evening breeze blew, and the beautiful woman's face grew redder and redder. Her thighs involuntarily felt a bit weak.
She really wanted to push Hoshino Jun away, but she was afraid that the pushing motion would be too obvious and others would discover what Hoshino Jun was doing at the moment.
From Takayanagi Jo-kun's perspective, he still hadn't noticed what Hoshino Jun's hand was doing on her back.
Having been locked up in the Police station for half a day, he was already in a bad mood, and being lectured by his mother and Hoshino Jun in turn, his mind was now clouded by anger.
"Don't stand there lecturing me like some good person. What are you, Hoshino Jun?"
"So what if I owe you a few favors? What's there to be so arrogant about, even lecturing me?"
"If you have the guts, go kneel and apologize to Yamada Kaoru, and I'll obey immediately. Do you dare?"
Takayanagi Jo-kun roared hysterically, like a madman consumed by rage, wildly venting his anger.
They say those who are favored are always fearless.
But Takayanagi Jo-kun didn't seem to know that even the deepest love has its limits.
Every word he uttered widened the distance between Takayanagi Yuki and him, drawing her closer to Hoshino Jun.
"Ding!"
"Verbal abuse detected from Takayanagi Jo-kun!"
"If you choose not to pursue, you will gain a Class C Emotional Debt."
Do not pursue.
"It has been determined that Takayanagi Jo-kun is unable to repay this Emotional Debt, and the debt has been automatically transferred to his mother, 'Takayanagi Yuki'."
Hoshino Jun looked at the angry him with extreme disdain. The crazier he got, the more Hoshino Jun looked down on him.
At a time like this, he was still thinking about Yamada Kaoru.
What a good-for-nothing. He's probably ruined for life.
In contrast to Takayanagi Jo-kun, Hoshino Jun's reply was calm but firm:
"I will never kneel and admit fault to anyone. I will not apologize to Yamada Kaoru. It's not my fault that I rejected her; I like someone else."
"I'll say it one last time: her not liking you is not my fault, it's your own problem."
Instead of changing his own incompetence, he spent all day resenting others.
Such trash is only fit to be an ATM.
With Takayanagi Jo-kun's push, the moment when Takayanagi Yuki would acknowledge him as Takayanagi Jo-kun's father was not far off.
A happy life for a family of three was within reach.
Of course, this family of three did not include Takayanagi Jo-kun.
Hoshino Jun despised him.
Meeting Hoshino Jun's disdainful gaze, Takayanagi Jo-kun felt like he was about to explode with anger. Hoshino Jun's words tore away all his pretenses.
He felt like a jumping clown.
"Hoshino."
"Enough!"
Just as Takayanagi Jo-kun was about to retaliate, Takayanagi Yuki suddenly shouted, stopping the argument.
Hoshino Jun also stopped digging deeper.
Because he also hadn't guessed what Takayanagi Yuki meant by "enough."
Was it enough arguing?
Or enough digging?
Or perhaps, both?
Takayanagi Yuki grabbed Hoshino Jun's hand, not even sparing Takayanagi Jo-kun a glance.
Her tone was soft and gentle.
She spoke only to Hoshino Jun.
"Let's go home. Don't worry about unimportant people."
"But..."
"No 'buts,' Jun-kun. We have more important things to do."
Takayanagi Yuki's emotions fluctuated greatly, just like her assets, gently swaying with the rhythm of her breathing.
Who was unimportant?
What was important?
It was already self-evident.
Hoshino Jun's heart trembled, his throat became incredibly dry. He swallowed, gripping Takayanagi Yuki's hand tightly.
Then he nodded.
"Okay, let's go."
As his words fell, the two clasped hands, no longer caring about the person behind them, and walked away together.
Takayanagi Jo-kun trembled all over, gritting his teeth as he watched his mother and Hoshino Jun walk away hand-in-hand. He suddenly felt his breathing become difficult.
It was as if something important had been taken away from him.
"Is Mom really going to replace me with Hoshino Jun as her son?"
"I was just saying that out of anger!"
April 27th, clear weather.
That afternoon, Takayanagi Jo-kun still didn't know what would happen after his mother, Takayanagi Yuki, left in a huff with Hoshino Jun because of his temper.
--- Seven in the evening, amidst the towering buildings and hustle and bustle of the city, the evening stars seemed exceptionally beautiful.
The distant skyscrapers, illuminated by the rising moon, seemed to be draped in a silver veil.
At this time, middle-aged men, having just finished work, either hurried home alone under the faint streetlights, or gathered in groups of three or five, wandering under the neon lights, searching for a place to drink.
They had their worries or their joys.
Hoshino Jun also had his own joy.
The time to check into a hotel with Takayanagi Yuki was 7:20 PM.
Unlike last time, Takayanagi Yuki showed no hesitation this time, eagerly pulling Hoshino Jun into the hotel.
As soon as they entered the room, she immediately threw her soft, delicate body into Hoshino Jun's embrace, stood on tiptoes, and forcefully covered Hoshino Jun's lips with her vibrant red ones.
Her slender, tender hands began to unbutton Hoshino Jun's clothes, her fingers caressing his firm abdominal muscles.
This was the first time Hoshino Jun had seen such an initiative Takayanagi Yuki, and he was somewhat startled by her enthusiasm.
Looking down with a questioning gaze, he saw Takayanagi Yuki gently biting her lower lip, her long eyelashes trembling slightly the moment they met Hoshino Jun's eyes.
Her glistening large eyes were filled with countless grievances.
"Jun-kun, don't look at me like that. It's time to do the important thing."
Takayanagi Yuki's voice was timid.
Her thoughts were too obvious, as if written on her face; she wanted to use love and affection to fill her current sadness and sorrow.
While Hoshino Jun felt the extreme pleasure brought by the soft little hand stroking his abdominal muscles, he lowered his gaze and carefully admired Takayanagi Yuki's beautiful figure beneath her pink dress.
A farewell kiss.
Hoshino Jun bent down, resting his chin on Takayanagi Yuki's shoulder, inhaling the faint fragrance from his classmate's mother.
As they nuzzled, Hoshino Jun's hand pulled Takayanagi Yuki tighter into his embrace. He decided to take advantage of the situation.
"Yuki, what did you say? I don't seem to understand."
"Huh?"
Seeing Hoshino Jun feigning ignorance, Takayanagi Yuki slightly bent her legs and leaned against Hoshino Jun's chest, her fingertips gently drawing circles on his chest.
"Jun-kun, you know."
Just like that famous saying:
I could have endured the darkness, if I had never seen the light.
Before crossing the line with Hoshino Jun, Takayanagi Yuki felt that living alone was not a problem.
But ever since they crossed that line,
She always thought about Hoshino Jun frequently.
Even yesterday, when Hoshino Jun didn't go to see her, Takayanagi Yuki even proactively went to 404 to ask Asu Mei about Hoshino Jun's situation.
She already had these feelings, and after the incident with Takayanagi Jo-kun just now, she couldn't help but let them burst out.
"Jun-kun, please love me, okay?"
Takayanagi Yuki's soft, intellectual voice explicitly sought intimacy. Hoshino Jun felt his whole body burning up, and he immediately stood at attention.
'Thank you, Jo-kun.'
'If it weren't for Jo-kun, today would likely have involved a long back-and-forth with Yuki.'
'When else would I see Yuki be so proactive?'
Hoshino Jun wasn't in a hurry. He tried to calm himself, thinking that today he must establish the father-son relationship in one decisive battle.
If Takayanagi Yuki didn't acknowledge him as Takayanagi Jo-kun's father, then he would never surrender.
"Yuki, how should I do this? I don't understand at all."
Hoshino Jun's hands squeezed the beautiful woman's slender waist, then slowly slid down.
Supporting the round, full 'human peach'.
Hmm.
Describing it as a peach was absolutely correct.
It was only a simple hug and kiss.
Takayanagi Yuki was already sweating, the moisture soaking her dress.
Seeing her bewildered look, Hoshino Jun reminded her.
"I'm not Jo-kun's father, so how could I understand what Jo-kun's mother means?"
At this point, if she still didn't understand the hidden meaning in Hoshino Jun's words, she would be a complete fool.
'Jun-kun is such a scoundrel.'
'He was so bold in front of Jo before, but now he's playing hard to get with me, trying to force me to acknowledge him as my husband.'
'Maybe I should just give in to him this once. He just wants to be with me forever, that's all.'
'It's not his fault.'
'It's only because he was born too late, and I was born too early.'
Takayanagi Yuki's alluring eyes stared directly at Hoshino Jun, her red lips lightly bitten, and a voice full of temptation sounded in Hoshino Jun's ear.
"Husband~ !"
"Jo's father~ !"
"Don't be naughty, come and kiss your Yuki."
Hiss~ !
Hoshino Jun could no longer hold back. This was the first time Takayanagi Yuki had genuinely acknowledged him as Takayanagi Jo-kun's father, and Hoshino Jun was very touched.
Grateful, he immediately picked up Takayanagi Yuki entirely and threw her onto the hotel's large round bed.
Just as Hoshino Jun began to explain the fill-in-the-blank questions to the silly beauty, Asu Mei's phone call came in.
Hoshino Jun, who hadn't been home all day, dared not ignore it. He immediately covered Takayanagi Yuki's mouth and pressed the answer button.
"Not planning to come home?" Asu Mei's tone was cold.
Hoshino Jun's heart pounded. He tried to calm himself and said, "I'll be right back. I'm already on my way. If you don't believe me, Auntie, listen, I'm running at full speed."
"Pat-a!"
"Pat-a!"
"Pat-a!"
Indeed, there was the sound of running.
His hanging heart finally settled down.
Asu Mei snorted, then no longer gave Hoshino Jun more opportunities to appease her, and directly hung up the phone.
"You brat, when you get back, I'll show you what's what."
Saying this, Asu Mei suddenly tore up a pig's head with the three large characters "Hoshino Jun" written on it, which she had just drawn on paper.
She was already preparing to tear apart the Little Piglet when Hoshino Jun returned home.
Not coming home last night was one thing, but daring not to video call her to report his situation was the most despicable part.