Click~
Sasaki pressed his lips together, savoring the lingering taste, then sat on the edge of the bed and took out his phone.
He messaged "Nozomi," a contact he had saved in his contacts.
[She's headed down. Make sure she gets home safely, then send me the address.] 17:15 "Read"
[Got it, boss!] 17:15 "Read"
Putting his phone away, he didn't linger.
After checking to ensure he'd left nothing behind, he exited the room.
…
…
…
"Um, do you have a boyfriend?"
"You're drunk, you know~"
"If possible, I..."
"Please pour that passion into your work."
In a bar in Shinjuku district, a young woman in a dark business suit watched her somewhat distraught subordinate leave, then turned around and leaned on the bar.
Seeing that there was no one around her, a woman in a light brown business suit and another woman with red hair in casual attire sat down beside her.
The red-haired woman took a sip of her drink, casually draping an arm over Sugisawa Yukari's shoulder as she teased, Yukari~ Why didn't you give that kid a chance? He seemed pretty nice to me!"
Yukari, whose cheeks slightly flushed from the alcohol, turned to look at her friend she'd known through their shared love of drinks:
"He's way too young for me. And he was so earnest... I just couldn't respond to that."
'I don't think age is really a problem.'
The woman on Yukari's other side, dressed in a light brown business suit, disagreed: "If he's someone you like, then it shouldn't really matter, right?"
"That does sound like something Hina would say."
Knowing her friend's situation well, Yukari smiled as she glanced over at her. "Speaking of which, how are things going with that guy of yours, Hina?"
When the topic suddenly shifted to her, Hina hesitated briefly before replying in a somewhat weary voice, "He says he needs a little more time. I plan to give him that. Once we've sorted things out, I'll take the position at the new school."
Aware that the school her friend was heading to was the same one where her own little brother worked, Ayumi leaned forward, noticing Hina's slightly troubled expression:
"Have you decided which class you'll be teaching?"
Distracted by the question, the latfer shook her head: "Not yet. I don't even know which subject I'll be assigned to; I'll only find out once I get there."
"Oh, I see~"
"Why, do you have something in mind, Ayumi?"
"No, nothing~"
Ayumi was hoping her friend would look out for her little man at school but hesitated to bring it up, fearing they'd laugh at her for being like an "eagle looking after a chick."
In the end, she chose to keep it to herself.
"Just curious. If you're assigned to a graduating class, you'll be super busy. I was hoping we'd still be able to go out for drinks together!"
.
.
.
A bit clingy after drinking, Hina wrapped an arm around Yukari, who was seated between them, and reassured Ayumi:
"Don't worry, Ayumi~ No matter how busy I am, I'll still make time for you~"
"I'll hold you to that!"
Ayumi, who also got a bit handsy when she drank, laid her bare arm across Yukari's shoulders as well.
"Yukari, is my sister doing okay under your care? She isn't causing trouble, is she?"
Taking a sip of her drink, the latter laughed and shook her head: "Akane's doing great. Her drawing skills are solid, and soon I'll be giving her some illustration assignments."
"I'm assigning her to work with a new author, actually, whose work is practically flawless. I think Akane's talent could really take off working with him."
Ayumi didn't care much about whether her sister would gain fame, just that she lived safely and happily.
But she was still grateful for Yukari's efforts, so she expressed her thanks: "Thank you for looking after her, Yukari~"
"Oh, come on, no need to be formal! Just don't mind me for turning down her boyfriend's manuscript."
Raising an eyebrow, Yukari gave her a calm look, continuing with a relaxed tone.
"Signing one more author wouldn't really affect me, but he's already written three books on other sites. I thought you might want to advise him; he doesn't seem well-suited for writing."
"If I remember right, he's still depending on Akane to support him... Things can't go on like this forever~"
"Yes… I'll encourage him to look for a job."
Nodding, Yukari glanced at her watch. "Let's call it a night. My daughter's waiting at home, so I should get going."
Knowing she had a daughter, the two didn't press her to stay longer.
"Take care on your way back~"
"Will do. Bye-bye~"
"Bye-bye~"
After leaving the bar, Sugizawa Yukari walked along the street with her bag, like an ordinary white-collar worker after work, with a calm expression on her face. Then she came to the tram station and got on the tram.
As she was repeating the familiar journey home, she subconsciously shrugged her nose as she had just boarded the tram, then turned her head abruptly but very purposefully and looked straight to the opposite side of the carriage.
Though she only saw a crowd, a faint but curious smile appeared on her face, as if she had spotted something of interest.
…
"Just dropped your girlfriend off at home?"
The questioning voice, which was neither familiar nor strange, mixed with the bewildering light fragrance and intoxicating smell of alcohol reached Sasaki's ears.
Looking up from his phone, where he'd been watching short videos, he glanced over in surprise.
"Editor Sugisawa…"
He greeted her reflexively, then answered her question: "She went to a gathering. I don't enjoy those settings, so I left early."
Sugisawa, seated beside him, gracefully adjusted her skirt, her movements accentuating her shapely figure, as she teased:
"Oh? Leaving such a beautiful girlfriend alone at a party—aren't you worried someone might hit on her?"
His sight followed the plump peach, along the slender peach branch, all the way up to her slightly drunken, blushing, mature face as Sasaki suppressed the strangeness in his heart and said: "It's mostly girls at the gathering, and they aren't drinking. So no problem."
"But what about you, Editor Sugisawa? Going out for drinks and then heading home alone—is that really okay?"
"Had a rough day?"
Under the bright train lights, Sugisawa's legs, clad in glistening black stockings, crossed naturally.
With her elbow resting on her thigh, she propped her hand against her flushed cheek, giving Sasaki a soft, playful smile: "It's fine. I'm just an old lady now; no one would be interested in me."
"What's this? Does Sasaki-sensei want to hear about my troubles and offer me some comfort?"
"…"
Looking at her charming eyes that were so alluring that they could make one's heart burn with fire, Sasaki felt that the advice she was saying was not very serious.
However, even though he wasn't exactly a playboy, neither was he averse to the idea of comforting such a beautiful, mature woman.
Afraid that he might misunderstand and make the relationship between the two awkward, Sasaki smiled and said tactfully:
"If you feel like talking, I'll be a good listener."
Her smile deepened upon his words.
Sugisawa shifted closer, taking his arm and resting her head on his shoulder, her voice soft and pleased:
"Well, that does make me happy~"
"Let's get off at the next stop. We'll go somewhere quiet~"
"…"
Now days, hoing to the hotel three times a day is more frequent than going home... Sasaki complained in his heart and nodded in agreement, "Alright~"
After exiting the train, he supported the seemingly tipsy Sugisawa as they headed to a nearby hotel.
Click~
As soon as she closed the door, Sugizawa Yukari, who had put her arms around Sasaki and half of her body on him, opened her soft and watery eyes and said with a smile:
"Oh my~ Sasaki-sensei bringing me here—won't your girlfriend mind?"
Looking down at her charming eyes that were lightly shining and smiling, Sasaki stroked her slender waist through his silky and soft blazer and responded with a smile:
"No worries. Sugisawa-san came to share advice, and I wanted to ask you about writing. It's perfectly normal to need a quiet space."
Turning to face him with a calm but warm smile, Sugisawa slowly unbuttoned her blazer, one button at a time: "So, what kind of advice does Sasaki-sensei want from me?"
The woman in front of him, still looked youthful, but her pretty face with mature features was quite inviting, and Sasaki would never refuse the invitation of such a beautiful milf.
His hands in sync with hers, Sasaki leaned closer, his breath brushing against her flushed ear, as he replied, ""I wanted to discuss the length of my current project. This story of mine is going to be incredibly long; a million words might not be enough, and it could stretch into the tens of millions~"
"I want people to be drawn in at first sight by its fiery, captivating cover, then fall into the passionate, intricate, and heartfelt narrative. I'll make sure the story has plenty of depth and richness."
"My plan is to have nine subplots and one main storyline, layered with foreshadowing and intricate plot twists. I'll adjust the pacing based on reader feedback, keeping the intense core of the story while wrapping it up with a pure and poignant ending."
"Throughout, I'll pour my heart into crafting a grand, sweeping narrative that resonates deeply and leaves a lasting impression…"
"This story might end up very long and take a lot of time. Would you help me with a preliminary review, Sugisawa-san?"
"Hearing you describe it like this, I think I'm quite pleased with this story of yours~"
"Mm~"