Chapter 26: Stalker (1)
The afternoon sun was already starting to dip low when Haruto finally dragged himself up the stairs to his apartment.
But as he rounded the corner to his floor, he stopped dead in his tracks. There she was - Satsuki, leaning against his door with that gentle smile of hers. Her long black hair caught the light streaming through the hallway window, and she was wearing that soft pink sweater that always made her look so... domestic. So warm and welcoming.
"Welcome home, Haruto," she said, pushing herself off the door. Before he could even get his key out, she’d closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.
She smelled like vanilla and something floral - maybe jasmine? Her body pressed against his, soft and warm through the thin fabric of her sweater. Haruto felt his shoulders relax for the first time all day as he melted into her embrace. This was exactly what he needed after that hellish study session.
"Come on, let’s get you inside," Satsuki murmured, taking his keys from his fumbling fingers and unlocking the door.
The moment they were through the door, she was on him again, pulling him close and burying his face against her chest. The soft warmth of her breasts pressed against his cheek, and for a second his mind went completely blank. All those equations and historical dates just... disappeared. Replaced by the steady rhythm of her heartbeat and the way her sweater felt against his skin.
But then another image flashed through his mind. Akiko’s chest, smaller but just as soft, pressed against him that night. The way she’d looked up at him with those big brown eyes when she woke up, her cheeks flushed pink...
"Haruto?" Satsuki’s voice snapped him back to reality. She’d pulled back slightly, her hands on his shoulders, looking at him with concern. "You seem really out of it. Was the exam prep that difficult today?"
He blinked, trying to focus on her face instead of the guilty thoughts swirling around in his head. "Yeah, it was... it was pretty rough. All those practice tests are starting to blur together, you know?"
Her expression softened, and she reached up to brush a strand of hair out of his eyes. The gesture was so tender it made his heart skip. "Poor thing. You’ve been pushing yourself so hard lately. Here, sit down, I’ll make you something to eat."
Before he could protest, she was already pushing him toward the couch and heading for his tiny kitchen. Haruto collapsed onto the cushions with a groan, finally letting himself relax.
The smell of something amazing started drifting from the kitchen: garlic and ginger and something else that made his mouth water. Through the doorway, he could see Satsuki stirring something in a pan. The apron hugged her waist, emphasizing the curve of her hips, and every time she reached for something on the counter, her sweater rode up just slightly.