Chapter 3 | An Unexpected Attack…

The oppressive heat clung to me like a second skin, sweat beading on my forehead just from the short walk from home to school. For a guy like me, whose idea of exertion is grinding levels in online games, this summer was a physical drain. Fleeting thoughts of maybe hitting the gym or going for a run crossed my mind, but they vanished as quickly as they came—same as always. I’m not one for follow-through.

But lately, things felt… different. Watching Rinka pour her soul into her idol gigs, all that passion and effort, it stirred something in me. Like I wanted to try, even just a little, to match her energy.

“Oi, Ayanokoji! You listening? Summer break’s almost here!” Tachibana’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

“Yeah, sure,” I mumbled.

“Summer break means swimsuits, right?!” His eyes gleamed with predictable enthusiasm.

“Yeah, sure.”

“Hell yeah! Can’t wait to see cute girls in swimsuits again this year!”

Classic Tachibana. I’d been a little worried after that weird moment a few days ago, but this was the Tachibana I knew—loud, shameless, and true to form. That whole terrifying “crushing on me” thing? Clearly a one-day fever dream.

“Let’s hit the pool, the three of us!” he declared.

“Sounds good. But I can’t swim,” I admitted.

“Idiot! We’re not going to swim! We’re going to check out girls in swimsuits!”

Talk about wearing your desires on your sleeve. I almost envied his honesty. Come to think of it, I’d never gone to the pool with anyone before. Or anywhere, really.

“Ayanokoji-kun, got any plans with Mizuki-san?” Saito piped up, his tone curious but calculated, like he was running numbers in his head.

“Nothing’s set yet.”

“My calculations give a 92% chance Mizuki-san’s gonna be swamped. Probably tough to hang out, huh?”

“Yeah…”

Even if Rinka had a free moment, going out together wasn’t exactly easy. We’d probably just end up playing online games if we did hang out. Not that I minded—online gaming was our thing. But living together? That’d be a whole different story.

“I bet you two will be all lovey-dovey over summer break, huh!” Tachibana teased, grinning like he’d cracked the code to my life.

“What’s that outta nowhere?”

“Having a popular idol sleep over every day!” he said, practically bouncing.

“Saito just said it—she’s busy. Every day’s impossible.”

Rinka had stayed over once before, but that was it. Apparently, she’d tried coming over a few more times, but Mikio-papa shut that down. Made sense. Common sense, really.

“Must be tough, Ayanokoji,” Saito said, his voice tinged with sympathy.

“What?”

“Not being able to hang out freely with your girlfriend.”

“Ah…” I didn’t have a good response for that.

“I was jealous at first,” he went on, “but having a popular idol as a girlfriend means you can’t just go anywhere, right?”

“I confessed to Rinka knowing that. Can’t be helped.”

Even if we couldn’t go out, we had our games. And honestly, I was an indoor guy through and through. No complaints there.

“Summer break, huh…” I muttered to myself. Last summer? A blur of online games, 24/7. I didn’t start hanging with Tachibana and Saito until after it ended. Wonder what this summer would bring. Probably more of the same—holed up in my room, glued to my PC.

☆

Back home, I headed straight to my room and fired up the PC. Black Plains started loading, and I changed clothes with the speed and precision of a ninja. If there was a competition for fastest wardrobe swap, I’d take gold. Useless skill, but I’d honed it to perfection.

Just as I grabbed the mouse, my phone buzzed. Instinct told me it was Rinka, and sure enough, her name lit up the screen.

“What’s up?” I answered.

“I just wanted to hear your voice, Kazuto-kun,” she said, her tone soft and warm. “Also, I wanted to ask about your plans for this Saturday…”

“Gonna play online games all day.”

“That was quick,” she said with a small laugh. “Very Kazuto-kun-like. But I might have some time in the evening.”

So, she was inviting me to game together later. Nice.

“Since we’ve got the chance, I’d like to greet your parents,” she added.

Oh. Right. That’s what she meant. My mind hit a wall. This was… tricky. How do I even handle this?

Rinka must’ve sensed something in my silence because her voice softened further, like she was trying to read my heart. “I get it, Kazuto-kun. You’re probably worried, right?”

“Well, yeah.”

“We got married first, after all. It’s natural to wonder how to explain it to your parents.”

“That’s not exactly it, but… sure.”

As expected, her concerns were a bit off. No need to explain, but to Rinka, us being husband and wife was an unshakable truth. Not surprising anymore.

“I have to greet them properly, or it’d be rude,” she insisted.

“Hmm… Alright, fine.”

Husband and wife aside, introducing my girlfriend to my parents wasn’t that weird, was it? If she wanted to meet them, I had no real reason to say no. But from a normal parent’s perspective? Their son bringing home a popular idol who declares, “We’re husband and wife”? Yeah, they’d probably pass out.

“I’ll come to your place this Saturday,” Rinka said decisively, then hung up. I stared at the Black Plains menu on my screen and clicked exit. Not in the mood anymore.

Introducing Rinka to my parents was fine in theory. The real issue was whether my parents would even care.

“…Probably not.”

☆

Saturday evening, Rinka arrived at my house by taxi. A high schooler rolling up in a taxi like it was nothing—honestly impressive. The power (or money) of a popular idol, I guess. She was wearing a summery long dress, looking effortlessly cute.

“Your parents aren’t home, Kazuto-kun,” she said, glancing around. “When will they be back?”

“…Who knows. I told them about today, though.”

“I’m the one imposing, so I’ll wait as long as it takes.”

“Sorry.”

“No need to apologize,” she said with a soft smile. “It means I get to spend time alone with you, Kazuto-kun.”

She sat on the sofa, letting out a quiet sigh. The living room, bathed in the soft glow of evening light, felt strangely intimate, making me hyper-aware of our shared space.

“Aren’t you going to sit, Kazuto-kun?” she prompted.

“Oh, yeah.”

I sat on the sofa, leaving a small gap between us. Rinka noticed and scooted closer until our shoulders brushed. It was a little embarrassing. Day by day, she seemed to get bolder.

“Come to think of it, you haven’t told me much about your parents,” she said. “They’re both working late, right?”

“Yeah, that’s about all I’ve said.” I vaguely remembered mentioning it when she declared herself my wife. More of an excuse back then.

“Can I ask what they’re like?”

“Not much to say.”

“Kazuto-kun…?” Her voice tilted with concern at my curt reply.

“There’s just not much to talk about. Sorry.”

“…I see.”

The conversation died there. Cutting it off so abruptly left an awkward tension in the air. Rinka seemed to sense something deeper but didn’t push about my parents. I felt bad but relieved. If they showed up, it’d save us the trouble.

“Kazuto-kun.”

“Hm?”

“Let me give you a lap pillow.”

“…?” I blinked, caught off guard by the sudden, delightful offer. Her face was its usual cool, cute self.

“Why a lap pillow?”

“Just felt like it.”

“Just felt like it…”

“I want to pamper you and be pampered by you, Kazuto-kun. Right now, I’m in the mood to pat you gently.”

“Pat me, huh.”

“Come on, over here.” She patted her lap, urging me to rest my head there.

…Embarrassing. We’d slept in the same bed before, but this felt different. Being pampered versus pampering someone was a huge gap. I wondered if Rinka was embarrassed, but she seemed completely at ease. A lap pillow was apparently well within her comfort zone.

“Kazuto-kun?” she prompted again.

“Well then… excuse me.”

“Why so formal?” She let out a small, amused laugh, and even that tiny smile made my heart skip.

I leaned down slowly, resting my head on her lap. The soft warmth against my temple sent my pulse racing. To calm myself, I stared at the wall, trying to distract my thoughts.

“Kazuto-kun, won’t you look at my face?”

“I’ll pass. It’s embarrassing.”

“That’s sad. I want to see your face…”

As she spoke, Rinka gently stroked my head. The ultimate combo of lap pillow and head pats. Her soft, feminine hand glided over my hair, and the overwhelming comfort melted my heart.

“Kazuto-kun, you’re cute.”

“I’m not cute…”

“You are. Really, truly cute. Every time I pat your head, you get more adorable… Oh! How about you try saying ‘babu’?”

“That’s a different kind of cute, isn’t it?”

“Just try it.”

“Babu.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

I regretted it instantly. An awkward silence hung in the air as she kept patting my head, making me restless. Then—

“…How adorable.”

“Huh?”

“It was so cute, my mind went blank…! You’re too cute, Kazuto-kun!”

A rare burst of excitement from my usually cool idol girlfriend. I was just glad she was happy.

☆

I jolted awake, my ceiling coming into focus. Rinka’s expressionless face hovered above me. Something wrong? The softness under my head reminded me I was still on her lap.

“Oh, you’re awake,” she said calmly.

“…Did I fall asleep? What time is it?”

“9 p.m.”

“Seriously…”

“Your parents still aren’t back, Kazuto-kun.”

“…”

I sat up, grabbed my phone from the table, and checked my messages with my dad. My last text was still unread. A faint flicker of hope snuffed out.

“Kazuto-kun, can I ask something?”

“Yeah…”

“Do your parents work on weekends too?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know…? What’s going on with them?”

Straight to the point. Rinka’s eyes locked onto mine, no hesitation. The atmosphere told me I couldn’t dodge this one. When I stayed silent, she took the lead.

“There are a few things I’ve been curious about. Can I ask?”

Her words felt like a gentle step into my heart. Seeing I wasn’t ready to talk, she pressed on.

“First, you never want to talk about your parents.”

“…Is that weird?”

“For a typical high school boy, maybe it’s embarrassing. But when you came to my house… sometimes, you looked at my family with a hint of envy.”

“…”

Did I? I didn’t remember.

“It was most obvious when I said my big sister rarely comes home,” she added.

“Oh…” I vaguely recalled that moment, just before Kasumi-san came back. I’d felt a pang, thinking how much Rinka loved her family.

“And this house.” Rinka stood from the sofa, crouching slightly to touch the table with her fingertips. “There’s a bit of dust.”

“What, you’re my sister-in-law now?”

“Doesn’t this living room feel off to you?”

“Not really. It’s normal.”

“That’s your normal, Kazuto-kun. I’ll just say it—this place has no sense of life. Just the bare minimum furniture, no sign of anyone living here. Normally, you’d see personal items or hints of a family’s hobbies. In a meticulously tidy household, maybe not, but then dust on the table wouldn’t make sense.”

“You sound like a detective…”

Rinka had probably been sensing something off for a while, waiting for the right moment to ask. That’s why she was hitting me with questions now.

“I checked the kitchen too. No one’s using it, right? Just signs of the rice cooker and a glass being used occasionally.”

“Well, yeah…”

Looking around, I realized the living room was barren compared to Rinka’s place. A sofa, a TV, a table—that was it. But I wasn’t struggling. My room was messy enough.

“Can I check the fridge?”

“Sure, but why?”

“You can tell a lot about a household from the fridge. I learned that during my bride training.”

Rinka opened the fridge door slowly and went speechless.

“…Kazuto-kun, this…”

“Is it that weird? There’s food in there.”

“Yeah… one pack of eggs.”

Eggs were essential. Boil them for a bento, or make egg-over-rice for a divine meal. I’d even considered raising chickens, I loved eggs that much.

“I get what you’re saying. I should eat proper meals, right? I know, but it’s such a hassle… When I have time, I’d rather watch your live videos or play online games.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

Rinka turned, her eyes locking onto mine with quiet intensity. “What’s your mom doing right now, Kazuto-kun…?”

“Dunno. Probably working.”

“She’s busy with work, huh… Still, it’s odd. She seems to have no interest in the house. Objectively, it’s weird to leave a son living off just eggs. She’s your mom…”

“Well, it’s a bit different.”

“Different?”

“My current mom is my dad’s second wife. My real mom passed away in an accident when I was in fourth grade.”

☆

I didn’t know what my parents did for work. As a kid, they told me they did “jobs that help society.” Probably thought I wouldn’t get it, or maybe they just couldn’t be bothered to explain. Either way, they never elaborated. I assumed they were smart people doing important stuff. They’d toss me enough money to get by, so we were probably well-off. Most of that cash went to online games, though.

My parents always put work over me. Hands-off, like they were saying, “Grow up free and healthy!” or some nonsense. I tried clinging to my mom a few times, but she’d brush me off with, “I’m busy, maybe later.” Then, in fourth grade, she died in an accident. What even was “maybe later”? Was I supposed to wait for the afterlife?

After that, my dad doubled down on his “society-helping job” and stopped coming home. I dove into online games, passing time until I died, basically. I went to school, sure, but every other moment was gaming. Not exactly Mr. Social, so I didn’t make friends or go out. Just stayed in my room, glued to my PC.

In eighth grade, my dad remarried. Some woman from his workplace. My new mom didn’t care about me either—just a perfunctory greeting, and that was it. My dad barely said anything, and here we are.

“Basically, my parents… they don’t care about me. Like, at all,” I said, spilling everything to Rinka as she sat beside me, her presence steady and attentive.

I hadn’t been hiding it on purpose. There just hadn’t been a good moment to bring it up. It’d be weird to randomly dump that on someone, and explaining after she said, “I want to greet your parents,” would’ve made things awkward. So I’d put it off. From her tone and demeanor, she’d probably suspected something already.

“I know it’s not nice to say, but that’s—”

“Neglect, right? But apparently, it’s not that rare these days.” I’d skimmed some stuff online—not a deep dive, just enough to know that with more dual-income families and the internet’s rise, kids like me, left to fend for themselves, weren’t uncommon. Not all online info was reliable, but it felt true enough. Loneliness seemed more common these days.

“Weren’t you lonely?” Rinka asked softly.

“You get used to it.” Or rather, online games filled that void—that hole in my heart. Though, I also just loved gaming.

“…”

Rinka fell silent, probably unsure what to say. I didn’t think my situation was special. If you looked around, people like me were probably everywhere. Just an ordinary high school boy. Loneliness? SNS apps and online games—the internet—took care of that. It fulfilled every need.

“I’m not lonely,” I said firmly.

“Kazuto-kun…”

“And I’ve got you now, Rinka. So don’t worry about me.”

I said it without overthinking, completely at ease. Why would I dwell on my family if I saw my situation as normal? You want your loved one to know everything, but the trivial stuff doesn’t need to be aired out.

“Should I have explained about my parents earlier?” I asked.

“…”

“I thought it wasn’t necessary. It’d only matter if they showed up.”

“Why didn’t you think it was necessary?”

“I didn’t want to make you worry…”

The words slipped out, and I regretted them instantly. Rinka’s face clouded with sadness, her eyes catching on “make you worry.”

“I see… You don’t trust me,” she said quietly.

“No, that’s not it! I—”

Before I could find the words, something warm, sweet, and soft pressed against my lips. My brain froze, then slowly rebooted as her face filled my vision. It took a moment to process.

A kiss.

My first kiss.

So sudden. Too sudden.

An unexpected first kiss, leaving no time for joy or emotion

My mind struggles to process what just happened. The moment is so unexpected that I can only register it in stunned silence.

Rinka pulls her lips away, her breath mingling with mine as she speaks in a soft, intimate whisper. “I want you to bare everything to me.”

“Huh?”

“Even the feelings you don’t want to show—I want them all. Your desire to be pampered, to pamper me, to meet, to feel lonely, happy, joyful… every emotion, I want them. Because we’re husband and wife…” Her voice carries a quiet passion, trembling with sincerity as she continues. “You said you’d accept all of me, Kazuto-kun. I want to accept all of you too. No, that’s not quite right…”

She pauses briefly, her gaze steadying as her tone softens to a calm resolve. “I want all of you, Kazuto-kun. And in return, I want to give you all of me.”

“All…” My voice falters, barely a whisper.

“You’ve made your feelings for me clear. But somewhere in your heart, you’re still holding back.”

“That’s not—”

“You’ve never leaned on me, Kazuto-kun.”

“…”

“And I’ve never seen you laugh innocently.”

“…I really do love you, Rinka.”

“I know. I can feel how much you love me. That’s beyond doubt.”

“Yeah…”

“You probably have an unconscious belief that you shouldn’t rely on anyone. Or maybe you don’t even know how to.”

“…”

I can’t deny it. Countless times, I reached out to my mom, only to hear “Maybe later” every single time. Maybe I am scared of relying on anyone.

“It’s probably hard right now. But I want you to understand this: I love everything about you, the good and the bad. I’ll never reject you, Kazuto-kun.”

“Rinka…” Her name escapes my lips, heavy with emotion.

“In the online game, Rin is Kazu’s wife… and in real life, Mizuki Rinka is Ayanokoji Kazuto’s wife. So, throw all your feelings, all your emotions, at me. I’ll happily accept them.”

Her words sink deep into my heart, each one carrying the weight of her genuine affection. I can feel how much she cares for me, resonating in my chest like a quiet echo.

“Kazuto-kun, come stay at my house during summer break.”

“…The whole summer break?”

“Yes, the whole time. It’s weird that we’re living apart right now.”

“Living apart…”

“Is that a problem?”

“No, it’s not…” My thoughts are a jumble, unable to form a coherent response.

Staring into Rinka’s beautiful eyes, I answer as if drawn by an unseen force. “Then it’s settled.”

Rinka meets my gaze, her gentle smile radiating warmth.

☆

“Ready, Kazuto-kun?”

“Yeah… I’m good. No forgotten items.”

A few days pass in a blur, and summer break arrives without fanfare. As promised, I’m staying at Rinka’s house. It’s just past noon, and we’re in my room, Kasumi-san waiting outside in the car.

“Shall we go?” Rinka opens the door and steps out.

I grab my bag and follow, my hand lingering on the doorknob as I slowly close the door behind me.

“…”

This room was my entire world—a life consumed by online games, with barely any other memories. I’ve spent most of my existence here, one step away from being a shut-in. It’s not that I’m scared of the outside. There’s just… nothing else.

Maybe my life truly began the day I learned my online game wife was a popular idol.

“Kazuto-kun?”

“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”

…It’ll be fine. With my lover, who’s determined to be my wife in real life too, by my side—