Hiyori's story of her husband's betrayal poured out of her, an hour-long torrent of pain and confusion. As she spoke, she found herself studying Ren. His face was a picture of serene focus, his gaze steady, his silence a soothing balm. He was so young, yet he possessed a charisma and maturity that belied his age. She shook her head, a soft, self-deprecating smile on her face. To think, in a different life, in a different time, she might have sought out a relationship with a boy like him. The thought was absurd, a fleeting fantasy born of her pain. She thanked him, her heart lighter for having shared her burden with a kind stranger, and stood to leave.
But just as she turned, Ren gently took her hand, a touch that sent an unexpected jolt through her. She looked at him, and for a moment, his eyes seemed to possess a strange, compelling power. They pleaded with her to sit back down, a silent command she found herself obeying without question. She was confused by her own compliance, but then Ren returned with two drinks from a nearby vending machine. He handed her a carton of grape juice—her favorite.
"You don't have to," she began, but he cut her off with a small smile.
"I already bought it. If you want to throw it away, that's your decision."
She couldn't bring herself to toss it. He seemed so thoughtful, so mature. She thanked him, taking a sip of the sweet juice. It was then, in the quiet of the night, that he asked the question.
"Would you be willing to cheat with me?"
Hiyori choked, the juice catching in her throat. The absurdity of it was laughable, yet a shiver ran down her spine. She stood up, ready to walk away from this strange boy, but he pressed himself against her. The park was empty, the night silent. What happened next was a secret she could never tell anyone. It was a moment of pure, distorted reality, a product of Ren's power that left her confused and overwhelmed, her mind reeling from an experience that should have repulsed her, but instead left her with a conflicting sense of something else entirely. She didn't seek out help, or report him. The event was locked away, a memory that would forever haunt her.
The next day, Hiyori received a call from her husband. She learned that the young woman he had been with was his sister's daughter, her niece. They were simply shopping for a birthday gift. The guilt was instant and crushing. She had so misjudged him. Determined to atone, she threw herself into her role as a dedicated wife and mother.
But the world had been rewritten. The reality ticket's work was insidious. One day, Ren visited their home with Chisaki. She learned they were classmates and had some kind of "special relationship." Hiyori would later, on a few occasions, accidentally catch a glimpse of them in Chisaki's room, a brief, shocking moment that she would immediately turn away from, her heart pounding with a feeling she couldn't name. Her mind would flash back to that night in the park, and she felt a gnawing emptiness, a void that her perfect life could not fill.
Then, one day, Ren arrived at her door alone. "Chisaki's not here," she said, her voice a little too quick.
"I know," he replied, and her breath caught in her throat. "That's why I'm here."
Hiyori felt a pang of disgust for her own reaction. Why was her heart racing? Why did a smile threaten to break through her carefully constructed facade? Why did her body, against her will, feel a rush of excitement? She tried to hide her smile, but Ren saw it.
"May I come in?" he asked.
She knew she should refuse. Closing the door was the only rational choice. But her body disobeyed, stepping aside to let him enter. Alone with him in the house, Hiyori surrendered. That night, she stopped being just a good wife and mother. She became a woman again, Ren's woman. In her heart, she knew a relationship like this could not last, but she found she didn't care. She was okay with Ren having other lovers, even her own daughter. It was an affection born of a poisoned seed, but it was hers.
Back in the present, in the girls' restroom, Ren and Hiyori's kiss was interrupted by a sharp, sudden pain in Ren's head. He broke away, his hand flying to his temple.
"Are you okay?" Hiyori asked, her face filled with concern.
"I'm fine," he said, the pain already fading to a dull ache. "I'll visit you later."
He turned to leave, and Hiyori followed him, her movements like a lovesick puppy. Ren paused, turning to her. He gently patted her head. "You're cute right now," he said. Hiyori nuzzled his hand, her eyes shining with an absolute, unquestioning adoration that he, despite being so much younger, found strangely endearing.