Prologue | “Welcome Home!”

Thirteen years had slipped by since Rinka and I began dating. Time, it seemed, had a way of racing forward unnoticed. Once dubbed an online-game addict, I’d grown into a respectable working adult, earning a reputation at the company as a dependable guy. Rinka, who had retired from her idol career six years ago, now embraced her role as a full-time housewife.

“I’m late getting home…” I muttered.

An unexpected issue at work had delayed my return. As I opened the door and stepped into the entrance, hurried footsteps echoed from the hallway.

“Papa! Welcome home!”

A little girl, radiant enough to rival angels, flashed a beaming smile and launched herself at my legs. Hinata, our four-year-old daughter, was the spitting image of Nonoa-chan, her tiny pigtails bouncing with every movement, amplifying her charm. She was the light of Rinka’s and my life.

“Papa, good job at work!” Hinata chirped, gazing up at me with an innocent grin so adorable it could stop my heart.

“Hug! Hug me!” she demanded, arms stretched wide.

“Alright, alright,” I chuckled, scooping her up gently.

“Hey, Papa. Why’re you so late? Cheating?” she asked, tilting her head.

I laughed. “That’s not a word a four-year-old should know. Is that Mama’s influence?”

“Umm, my teacher says it every day! Says her boyfriend’s cheating habit won’t stop!”

“What do I do? Should I file a complaint as a parent?” I teased, shaking my head. Her teacher really shouldn’t be letting kids overhear such things.

“Hinata, Papa’s tired, right? Come over here,” a gentle voice called.

It was Rinka—Mizuki Rinka, once a mega-popular idol who had captivated the world, now Ayanokoji Rinka, my wife. Her expression had softened since her high school days, radiating a mother’s warmth. Her long hair, cascading to her waist, was tied back in a single ponytail, and she wore a light blue apron over casual clothes, fresh from the kitchen.

“Come here, Hinata,” she beckoned.

“Okay!” Hinata replied, leaping from my arms into Rinka’s embrace.

Watching them together—a mother cradling her daughter—filled my chest with quiet happiness.

“Kazuto-kun, good work today. Dinner’s ready,” Rinka said warmly.

“Thanks. Let me take off my shoes.”

“…By the way, what were you and Hinata talking about? I heard the word ‘cheating,’” she noted, her tone curious.

“Apparently, her kindergarten teacher’s struggling with her boyfriend’s cheating habits,” I explained.

“I see… That’s tough,” Rinka murmured, her sensitivity to the topic evident.

To me, it was just casual conversation, nothing out of the ordinary. But everyday life can unravel with the smallest spark. Rinka leaned in, her face close to my chest, and sniffed.

“Sniff sniff… Hey, Kazuto-kun,” she said, her voice deceptively calm.

“Hm?”

“Why is there the scent of an unfamiliar woman on you… What’s going on?”

“Oh, I bumped into a woman at work…” I began, caught off guard.

“Hmm.”

Her gentle, motherly demeanor vanished in an instant, replaced by a cold, piercing gaze that echoed her former cool-idol persona.

“No, nothing happened! Really!” I stammered.

“Why are you panicking?” she asked, her tone sharp. “There’s no way I’d suspect you of cheating, right?”

“R-Really?” I managed, my nerves fraying.

“Obviously. Kazuto-kun is the most honest man in the world and loves me from the bottom of his heart. There’s no way you’d cheat.”

Her words, calm and resolute, carried an unshakable trust. I exhaled, tension easing from my shoulders.

“You’re right, Rinka. There’s no way I’d cheat.”

“Exactly. But…” Her voice dropped, chillingly soft. “I can’t forgive the fact that you smell like anyone other than me or Hinata.”

With that, she set Hinata down, reached behind her back, and pulled out a kitchen knife.

“W-Wait, hold on—huh!? A knife!?” I yelped, eyes wide.

“Don’t move, Kazuto-kun. I’m going to cut away the parts that smell like another woman.”

“Hiiiieeee!” I squeaked, frozen in place.

Rinka’s eyes darkened, bottomless as an abyss, as she swayed closer. The knife in her right hand gleamed, its edge catching the light with a terrifying brilliance.

“R-Rinka… Stop!” I pleaded.

“It’s no use. Once it’s come to this, my actions are decided. Give up.”

“Wait a second! If I take off my clothes, that’ll solve it, right!?”

“That woman’s scent has seeped through your clothes and into your skin,” she said, her voice eerily calm. “If I don’t cut it away soon… I’ll have to carve out your insides too.”

“A-Ahh…!” I collapsed to the floor, trembling like a cornered animal.

“Kazuto-kun… I’ll make it painless…”

“R-Rinka—!”

Gripping the knife with both hands, she raised it above her head, poised to strike as I cowered below.

“Goodbye… Kazuto-kun.”

“U-Uwaaaaaaahhh!” I screamed, my voice echoing through the house.