“I’ve never had anyone sneak glances at mine…” said Akane, comparing her own modest chest to Himari’s motherly curves. Akane was left swirling in her complicated feelings.
“Saito-kun is different,” Himari gushed. “He’s never looked at me with pervy eyes, not even once. Even during swimming class, he doesn’t sneak a glance. He just has this mature calm about him—it’s nice.”
“Saito’s no saint,” said Akane. “If you let your guard down, you’ll end up dead.”
“Dead? What’s he going to do to me?” asked Himari, wide-eyed.
“He’s just really good at pretending not to look. I’m sure he’s peeping, though. Probably spending the entire day scanning every inch of your body,” said Akane firmly.
That said, Akane also knew full well that ever since he married her, Saito had never once made a move on her. She had even pretended to be asleep once, just to test if he’d try anything. But instead, he had completely ignored her, read a book, drank some water, and promptly passed out. It wasn’t that Akane wanted him to take advantage, but being treated like she wasn’t even on his radar wounded her pride. She began to think maybe he just didn’t have any sexual desire at all. Or maybe being so physically close to her all the time had ruined his taste.
“Well…if it’s Saito-kun, I wouldn’t mind being looked at,” Himari murmured, cheeks flushed.
“You’re serious about him,” said Akane quietly.
“Yeah,” said Himari, nodding.
“Right…”
Romance had always seemed like something from a far-off world—something that existed in TV shows and movies, not in her own life. But now, Akane felt the ground beneath her feet begin to shift.
Himari fidgeted with her fingers.
“So, um… Akane, you and Saito-kun are close, right? If you could help me out, I’d really appreciate it.”
“W-we’re not that close.”
“Well, maybe not close, but you’re at least kind of…within reach, I guess? Besides Shisei-chan, you’re the one who talks to Saito-kun the most.”
“I wouldn’t call it talking. It’s more like yelling.”
“Either way, please help me make it so Saito-kun and I can fall in love with each other,” said Himari, pressing her hands together in a pleading gesture.
“Uh…” Akane faltered.
There was no real reason to refuse. Even if she was technically married to Saito, it was only on paper. They were living together purely to pursue their respective goals—it wasn’t a real marriage. There was no love between them, no romance. Though things had been getting a little more comfortable lately, they still argued constantly. As long as Akane couldn’t imagine a future where she’d fall for Saito, she figured she should let him pursue romance freely.
More than anything, Akane didn’t want to see her bestie, Himari, sad.
“…All right. I’ll help you.”
“Thank you! I love you, Akane!”
Himari jumped into her arms, overjoyed. Her embrace was soft and comforting. Akane had agreed to help for the sake of her longtime best friend—someone who had always been by her side. Akane felt like she would do anything for Himari.
“So…what exactly should I do? I don’t know much about romance, so I’m not even sure how to help,” inquired Akane.
“Well, first, I want to know more about Saito-kun! What he likes, what he hates, his hobbies, everything. I want to know it all.”
“Why do you want to know all that?” Akane frowned, feeling puzzled.
“Well, part of it is because I think it’ll help me get closer to him…but mostly, when you love someone, don’t you just want to know everything about them?”
“Huh… Is that how it works?”
“Yup! Though maybe you don’t get it yet, since you’re still kind of a kid,” teased Himari.
“I’m not a kid,” shot back Akane. “I can eat spicy curry just fine, thank you very much.”
“Feeling proud about eating medium-spicy curry is exactly what makes you a kid. You’ve gotta go for extra spicy.”
“Extra spicy is a bit much…” That was still a little too advanced for Akane.
Himari’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “You must know tons about Saito-kun, right? You talk to him every day.”
“Hmm…?”
That was when it hit Akane—she hadn’t realized it until Himari pointed it out. Even though they lived together, she hardly knew anything about Saito at all.
As Saito sat reading in the living room, a sudden chill ran down his spine—he felt a defiant air that made him tense.
What is this feeling? Is someone watching me?
He immediately lifted himself slightly off the sofa and glanced around, but there was no one there.
The living room was dead silent. The only sound was the faint dripping of water from the kitchen faucet across the counter. He must not have fully turned off the tap when he filled his glass.
Whatever, it’s too much trouble. I’ll leave it. With that thought, he turned his attention back to his book.
But once again, that sharp, overwhelming hostile presence struck him.
A bad feeling gnawing at him, Saito got up and turned the faucet off properly. He didn’t want to face a scolding from Akane when she got home—“You’re driving up the water bill!”—after all, he wanted to protect his peaceful home life.
He settled back onto the sofa and resumed reading. But no matter how much time passed, the foreboding feeling didn’t go away. It even felt like the menacing sensation was growing—slowly, steadily, thicker by the second. As it crept up behind him, Saito steeled himself and turned around.
Saito gasped at what he saw.
Akane stood there, her eyes focused like those of a professional assassin. In her hand she clutched a pen, its sharp tip gleaming with a menacing light.
“Wh-what are you doing here…?”
“Don’t mind me. Just continue doing your thing,” said Akane.
“That’s impossible. I do mind!” exclaimed Saito.
“Your job is to ignore me and go about your life like normal.” Akane spoke in a voice devoid of any emotion.
“Job? What job?”
“Professional zoo monkeys don’t get embarrassed when crowds of people watch them. They just keep living life as usual. That’s your job too.”
“A professional…monkey?”
“Yes. Take pride in being a pro monkey,” said Akane firmly.
“I’m not a professional monkey.”
“Oh? So you’re an amateur monkey?”
“First of all, I’m not a monkey in the first place.”
Feeling a genuine sense of threat, Saito fled the living room.