Chapter 26: Treading on Tenderness ( 26 )
"Haruki?"
He looked down at her, his head still gently leaning against hers. "Hmm? Yes, Kyouko-san?"
She hesitated. "Nothing..." Her voice was soft, almost a whisper.
Kyouko didn't know what she really wanted to say. Or maybe she did—but just couldn't bring herself to say it.
If Haruki asked for a kiss right now... she might actually give it to him. Right here, in the stillness of the night. Under the stars. With no one else watching.
But she knew better.
She knew Haruki loved Satomi.
And despite everything she was feeling—the warmth of his arms, the calm he brought her, the way her body responded so easily to his presence—she didn't want to be the reason anything fell apart.
Still, deep down, a quiet ache lingered in her chest.
She knew that if her husband... or Satomi... saw them like this, in this moment—saw how Haruki hugged her so tenderly, how she leaned into him like she belonged there—they would never believe this was just an innocent embrace.
Because it wasn't.