Minako closed the door behind her with a soft click.
For a long moment, she simply stood there — silent, unmoving, her hand still resting on the doorknob. Her eyelids lowered, shutting the world out like curtains drawn over a window.
But inside her mind?
Chaos. Absolute chaos.
"Aaaaahhh! What the hell was that just now?!"
Her hands flew up to cover her burning face as she internally screamed into the void of her own shame.
"Why is he here of all people?! Why did I answer the door like that?! Why did I wink at him like I was some kind of cheap seductress?!"
She groaned softly, rubbing her temples as if massaging her foolishness out of her skull.
It going to be awkward later. Unbearably awkward.
But… that wasn't the biggest problem.
No, the real problem went far deeper.
The problem was her heart.
Her restless, foolish heart.
"Why does he have to come here and reignite this stupid, impossible fire in me…?"
'I had worked so hard to convince myself.
Truly convinced myself.
That I shouldn't think of him that way.
He's my daughter's friend.
He's practically like a son to me.'
That's the line. That's reality.
But reality was so, so fragile in front of a boy like him.
"Perfect. Sweet. Innocent. Like a prince from a teenage dream I never outgrew…" Minako murmured.
'And then… to hear him compliment me like that.'
'To hear him stammer how beautiful I am.
It sent my heart fluttering like a girl half my age.'
'Butterflies stirred in my stomach, foolish and reckless.'
'And that moment… that tiny, fleeting second when his gaze wandered — just for a heartbeat — down my body…
That shy, guilty little look in his eyes…'
'So innocent. So deliciously naughty.'
Her hand slid absentmindedly down her side, fingertips tracing the soft skin of her exposed thigh through the sheer fabric.
"Mmm… it makes me wet."
She whispered the shameful truth aloud without thinking, her face burning hotter the moment the words escaped her lips.
"What am I doing?!"
She slapped both cheeks lightly with her palms, trying to jolt herself back to her senses.
"He is my daughter's friend... friend?" But the thoughts didn't stop swirling.
'Why?'
'Why lead him straight to her room…?
They're friends… right? Just friends?
Or… is there something more between them already? A girl and boy at their age…Are they…? No, no way. Right?.'
A sour pang twisted sharp inside her chest.
Her feet moved without thinking, bringing her to stand before the closed door to the hallway.
Her hand hovered above the handle.
"I should… I should go check."
But halfway there, her fingers trembled and fell away from the knob.
"What am I doing…? I'm her mother. I should be supporting her. If my daughter is dating a good boy like him, I should be happy for them… right?"
She bit her lip.
"But as their guardian, it's my duty to stop them before they make any mistakes they'll regret. Yes… yes, that's it. That's the responsible thing to do."
And besides…
I am not ready to be called "Grandma." Not yet. Not even as a joke.
With a deep, resolved sigh, she finally stepped out. But just a moment later she returned, her face flushed crimson all over again.
"…But first, I should change."
No way was she going back out there in this see-through nightgown like some lonely, desperate housewife from a soap opera. She could feel the outline of her curves through the thin fabric clinging to her every movement. It wasn't proper. It totally wasn't decent. Not in front of a boy who might be her daughter boyfriend.
Not to mention her body react this embarrassingly just from imagining the thought of him sneaking glances again.
Muttering to herself, she headed to her wardrobe and pulled out a plain blouse and modest skirt, something safe, something boring. As she slipped out of her nightgown, she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror.
Her figure was still good. More than good for a mother with a sixteen-year-old daughter. She wasn't blind to that fact.
But lately…
Simply knowing it herself wasn't enough.
She wanted—no, craved—to be seen.
To be desired again.
"What the hell is wrong with me…?" she whispered to her reflection.
Her right hand crossing over her chest and left covering her privates, as if to shield herself from her own shameful gaze.
But it didn't change the fact:
Her heart was racing.
Her body was warm where it shouldn't be.
Just from a boy's awkward compliment,
the blaze of desire she thought long extinguished was reignited.
The woman within her — the one she believed had withered away — stirred once more.
Even though she had long given up on the idea of being seen as a woman again,
Even though she had convinced herself to dedicate everything to her daughter…
But there it was. The warmth that wouldn't fade.Neither would the image of his shy, blushing face…
Or the way his eyes darted — innocent, guilty, curious all at once. Nothing seems to fading away.
And this foolish yearning… it was still there.
Still alive.
Still aching beneath the surface.
"You really are the worst, Minako…" she sighed to herself.
With steadier hands, she finally changed into something decent.
Something safe.
Still…
Her heart wasn't calm.
Not at all.
Not with him sitting just a few rooms away.
Not with those thoughts crawling beneath her skin like ivy wrapping around her heart.
"Just a friend…? Just an innocent boy…?" she whispered to herself again, but the answer refused to come.