Chapter 7: The Comfort Zone ( 7 )

Chapter 7 - The Comfort Zone ( 7 ) Haruki didn't even try to look away. Why should he? This was a rare sight—something he never expected, something no man in his position could ignore. His heart pounded in his chest, but he remained still, pretending to focus on his laptop while his eyes took in the view before him. Kyouko, completely unaware, let out a soft sigh as she settled onto the long couch. She stretched her arms above her head, shifting her body into a more relaxed position. The thin fabric of her pajama top clung to her curves, dipping lower and exposing even more of her cleavage. Haruki swallowed hard. His hands clenched slightly over his keyboard. It was impossible to look away now. Every slight movement—her slow, steady breaths, the way the fabric shifted with her—was pure temptation. She had no idea. "Kyouko-san?" Haruki asked. "Hmm?" Kyouko replied without looking up. She was focused on her smartphone, scrolling absentmindedly. She shifted slightly, adjusting her posture, and in doing so, the loose collar of her pajama top dipped lower, revealing more of her cleavage. Haruki swallowed hard. "You always stay up this late?" he asked, forcing himself to look at her face instead. "Hmm? Not really..." Kyouko murmured, still fixated on her phone. "If I get too tired, I just head to my room and sleep." "Oh," Haruki said, gripping his coffee cup a little tighter. "What about you, Haruki?" Kyouko asked, finally sparing him a brief glance before looking back at her screen. "Me?" "Yeah. Do you always stay up this late?" Haruki hesitated for a moment. "Sometimes." "Why?" He exhaled through his nose, managing a wry smile. "Satomi often comes home late." Kyouko finally looked up from her phone, tilting her head slightly. "I see... that must be tough." Haruki shrugged. "I've gotten used to it." She sighed softly, stretching her arms above her head—a casual motion, nothing intentional—but the way her top lifted slightly, revealing the soft outline of her curves under the fabric... Haruki immediately averted his gaze, taking a long sip of coffee to distract himself. Kyouko let out a quiet sigh and shifted again, drawing one leg up onto the couch. "Honestly, I don't sleep early either. It's... lonely sometimes." Haruki blinked. "Lonely?" She nodded, setting her phone down beside her. "My husband rarely comes home early. Some nights, he doesn't come home at all." She gave a small, humorless laugh. "So, I just sit here... waiting." Haruki clenched his jaw. He didn't know why, but something about that—her sitting alone every night, waiting for a man who might not even show up—made his chest tighten. "I see..." was all he managed to say. Kyouko leaned back into the couch, her eyes drifting toward the ceiling. "It's funny, isn't it? When I was younger, I thought marriage meant never being lonely again. But sometimes, it feels even lonelier than before." Kyouko didn't notice anything strange—she had no idea that Haruki had been stealing glances at her all this time. To her, he was just her son-in-law, someone she had only just met properly today. Yet, oddly enough, she felt comfortable around him. There was no awkwardness, no tension—just an easy, natural atmosphere that put her at ease. "So... you're going to work tomorrow, right?" Kyouko asked, casually sipping her coffee. She leaned forward slightly, causing her loose pajama top to slip lower and reveal more of her cleavage, completely unaware of its effect. Haruki's eyes flickered down before he forced himself to focus on his cup instead. "Umm..." "Huh?" Kyouko tilted her head, noticing his hesitation. "What's wrong?" "Satomi didn't tell you?" "Tell me what?" "My job is flexible. I can work from anywhere, so I usually work from home. I only go to the office sometimes to submit completed projects." "Oh..." Kyouko nodded, smiling. "That's nice. That means you won't be as busy as them." Haruki let out a small chuckle. "Yeah... kinda." Kyouko took another sip of her coffee, shifting comfortably on the couch. "That's good. At least you won't be overworking yourself." Haruki glanced at her, watching as she settled into the cushions, still completely unaware of how much she was showing. He swallowed hard and quickly looked away. "Yeah... I guess that's one good thing about my job." Neither of them said anything for a moment. The night was quiet, the only sounds being the occasional soft clink of Kyouko's cup against the table and the faint hum of the night air outside. It was strange. Haruki never thought he'd feel this relaxed in someone else's home. Yet, here he was—sitting across from his mother-in-law, having a casual late-night conversation, and feeling... at ease. Kyouko, on the other hand, simply smiled to herself, unaware of the thoughts running through Haruki's head. She had worried about having someone else in the house, but somehow, this didn't feel awkward at all. If anything... it felt surprisingly nice. "You know... Haruki-kun..." "Yes?" Haruki responded, though his gaze remained fixated on her cleavage. No matter how much he told himself to look away, his eyes kept drifting back. It was just... right there. A man could only have so much restraint. "I don't know why, but I feel comfortable around you," Kyouko said, oblivious to the turmoil in his mind. Her voice was soft and casual. "I don't really talk much with people." Haruki forced himself to meet her eyes. "That's... nice to know," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was... well, worried, I guess. That maybe being here would make you uncomfortable." Kyouko shook her head gently, smiling. "Not at all. If anything, it's nice to have someone to talk to." They sat in comfortable silence—Kyouko focused on her smartphone, completely unaware, while Haruki focused on her body. His eyes traced her figure, lingering on every curve. The way her pajama top hung just loosely enough to tease. The way her bare legs stretched out along the couch. Then his gaze flicked to the clock: 12:34 AM. It was already past midnight. Suddenly, a video call came in on Kyouko's phone. "Oh... Satomi's calling." She answered the call. "Hello~" Kyouko greeted her daughter with a gentle voice. On the screen, Satomi was sitting beside her father, surrounded by stacks of documents. Several workers moved around behind them, focused on their tasks. "Ah, Mom! Is Haruki there yet? I tried calling him, but he didn't answer!" Kyouko glanced at Haruki, then turned the phone toward him. He was still seated with his laptop open, fingers resting idly on the keyboard. "He's right here." Haruki blinked at the screen, caught off guard. "Oh... uh, hey." Satomi frowned. "Good lord, Haruki!! Why didn't you answer your phone?" "Err... sorry," he said, scratching his cheek and looking guilty. "I left it upstairs and forgot about it." Satomi sighed. "Seriously... Anyway, how's everything? Did you settle in okay?" Haruki stole a quick glance at Kyouko before nodding. "Yeah, your mom's been really helpful." Kyouko smiled slightly, but Satomi barely noticed, too busy flipping through a document with her focus elsewhere. "Good. Listen, I'll be home late—probably past two or three. Dad has me going through all these reports, and it's taking forever." "That late?" Kyouko frowned. "You should at least eat something." "I will, I will. Don't worry, Mom." She turned back to Haruki. "And you—make sure you rest, okay? Don't just stay up working." Haruki smirked. "You're the one who should be hearing that." "Yeah, yeah... Anyway, I gotta go. Love you, Mom! Haruki, don't slack off!" With that, the call ended. Kyouko sighed softly, placing her phone on the table. "She really is just like her father..." Haruki leaned back against the couch, stretching his arms. "Looks like it's just us for a while, huh?" Kyouko nodded, absently swirling her coffee. "Yeah... just us." ( End of Chapter )