Wednesday, Mizu-youbi.
As evening approached, the sunset painted the sky in fiery hues, with rows of blazing clouds shimmering brilliantly. Yet, in the city of towering buildings, no one stopped to admire the stunning scenery.
Pedestrians hurried along, office workers clutching briefcases rushed through the streets, and students, warned by teachers and parents, headed home quickly after school.
This city was not safe.
Recent news reports of accidents were piling up, and no one knew what might happen next.
In Chiyoda Ward, when Maki Nishikino returned home with her schoolbag, the sky had darkened. The large villa was eerily quiet, with only a faint light glowing from the kitchen. The red-haired girl entered nervously and, as expected, found her mother sitting at the dining table, her expression somber.
"I'm back."
"Mom?"
Hearing her daughter's voice, Mizuki Nishikino snapped out of her reverie. She looked at her daughter standing before her, with the same striking red hair and refined, beautiful features. "Maki, you're back."
"Go wash your hands and get ready for dinner."
Maki nodded, set down her bag, washed her hands, and returned. Looking at the empty villa living room, the dim space, and her lonely mother, she hesitated before asking, "Mom, where's Dad?"
"He… has work to do."
Mizuki forced a smile, patting her daughter's head, unsure if it was pain or helplessness. "Let's eat."
Honestly, Maki felt intimidated by her stern, rigid father, but her kind, approachable mother was someone she loved being around. Lately, though, her father had rarely come home, and seeing her mother's daily gloom, Maki's mood soured too.
Yes, her father hadn't returned home for days. As Maki and her mother ate rice in silence, she suddenly looked up. "Mom, did you and Dad fight?"
"No," Mizuki paused, "If Mom and Dad did fight, Maki, whose side would you take?"
Maki: "…"
Seeing her daughter's silence, the beautiful red-haired woman shook her head, feeling foolish for asking such a question. But thinking of how her husband's entire focus had been consumed by Kawakami Tomie these past few days, Mizuki's expression darkened.
She never imagined her serious, mature husband would become so obsessed with another woman. Recalling Muto, her friend's ex-husband, and his crazed behavior at the hospital, she saw her husband's future.
The more she thought, the harder it was to let go.
Late at night, Maki was woken by voices. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, the girl in pajamas climbed out of bed, crept to her door, and slowly opened it.
Heated arguing echoed from downstairs.
"Are you insane? Neglecting your family for a woman? Is Kawakami Tomie so captivating, so beautiful you can't resist her?!"
That was her mother's voice.
"I told you, it's not what you think. She's just a patient."
Her father's voice was as calm as ever.
"Patient? I don't see you treating her like one. A patient keeps you away from home every day? Does she even have an illness?" Mizuki snapped. "She's not sick—she's a monster!!"
"Shut up!!"
Those words seemed to hit a nerve. Then Maki heard a sharp slap. Covering her mouth, her heart raced, fear and worry surging.
Bang!
After a brief silence, a heavy door slam echoed, followed by a long stillness. Maki heard faint sobbing from downstairs—her mother's heartbroken cries. Her chest tightened.
Feeling both sorrow and resentment toward her father, Maki was overwhelmed.
The next morning, Maki stood at the kitchen doorway, watching her mother's graceful, slender figure bustling about. She stared, dazed. "Mom…"
"What's wrong? Go freshen up—breakfast's almost ready."
Her mother's figure was as captivating as ever, her long hair simply pinned up, an apron accentuating her alluring curves, radiating the charm of a perfect wife.
Her stunning face, though slightly pale, was as elegant and seductive as always, the mole by her lips adding to her bewitching allure.
What a perfect married woman.
She seemed unaffected by last night's fight. But… washing up, Maki glanced around, guessing her father had stormed out and hadn't returned.
Maki didn't mention her father or the argument. The mother and daughter ate a quiet breakfast. Maki grabbed her schoolbag, lips moving, but ultimately said nothing.
"I'm heading out."
She left for school.
Watching her daughter's departing figure from the doorway, Mizuki's smile faded. She didn't want to show her pain in front of Maki. Last night, she'd cried plenty in bed, but makeup hid the evidence.
Now alone in the empty house, recalling her husband's terrifying glare and that harsh slap, Mizuki bit her lip.
She sensed it—this family might soon fall apart.
Unlike Reina, whose divorce wasn't caused by Tomie, Mizuki's husband was now obsessed with her, constantly seeking her out. Thinking of Tomie's monstrous nature from the hospital, Mizuki felt nauseated.
She didn't know what to do. As an ordinary person facing a bewitched husband, she was powerless. Gathering her sorrow, she forced herself to head to the private hospital.
Stepping out, she saw a car parked at her doorstep. Frowning, she watched a stranger—a beautiful woman in an OL outfit with an eerie charm—step out.
"Who are you?"
"Mrs. Nishikino? Hello," Shima Izuki handed her a business card. "You may not remember me, but I was at the hospital that night…"
That night… Mizuki understood.
Seeing the name and "Himegami Society" on the card, her elegant brows furrowed. "Himegami Society? A religion?"
"Yes, though it's more like a mutual aid group," Izuki said, pausing deliberately for a few seconds.
A mutual aid group?
Mizuki wasn't some naive housewife. "I don't need help."
"Is that so?"
Izuki smiled eerily. "Does Mrs. Nishikino truly not need help? You're in distress, aren't you?"
"…"
"And after seeing that monstrous woman, you must realize this world holds many secrets—things aren't as simple as they seem."
"…"
"Who are you?"