60. Punishing the Rebellious

Tsukasa Haruno frowned abruptly upon hearing this.

Yet, a moment later, his brow slowly smoothed out.

Then, her voice reached his ears once again.

"Tsukasa, you are a good boy. It’s just that Auntie is too selfish. Even at my age, and being your mother’s good friend, I ended up doing something like this to you. You could say you intended it, but I intended it too. Like you said, I just wanted to release some pressure, and I originally thought we could just move on as usual afterwards, acting like nothing ever happened, but..."

"But I suppose I'm a bit conservative after all. Perhaps because it was my first time, ever since that night, I keep thinking of you. It sounds rather ridiculous, but that is the reason behind my possessiveness these past few days."

Yuko Shimizu spoke the true reason aloud.

Even she found it utterly surreal.

Yet this was the conclusion she had reached after pondering for days; there was no other explanation.

"I think I understand." Hearing up to this point, Tsukasa Haruno more or less grasped Yuko Shimizu's true intent.

Seeing his expression soften slightly, as if he understood the feelings behind why she had become this way, Yuko Shimizu forced a smile and said, "So you don't need to apologize, and I can understand your sense of guilt. Neither of you and I actually lost anything; the only one who didn't do a thing yet was affected by all this is actually your mother."

In truth, even she felt the whole situation was like a dream.

Originally, it had indeed been an impulse to relieve the dual pressures of career and life, wanting to let go and try something completely wild—something she would never have dreamed of before.

Yet Yuko Shimizu had never imagined that she would become so haunted by Tsukasa Haruno, let alone fall in love with him.

Of course.

She did not love him now either.

As for liking him...

That was probably hard to say as well.

It was just that an encounter she thought would be a fleeting madness, soon to be forgotten, had left a deep, indelible mark on her heart, much like an arranged marriage that blossomed into genuine affection.

Especially upon learning that Tsukasa Haruno had become one of the newly elected Tokyo Metropolitan Council members and had pulled her out of the quagmire of trouble she had been trapped in for days. It felt as though she, a drowning person, had been rescued from the endless, dark, turbulent currents by a strong swimmer like Tsukasa, who then gave her artificial respiration. Having never had intimate contact with a man before, even though she knew this was not true love, she inevitably found herself swayed by his every move, subconsciously believing it was destiny.

She had struggled intensely within her heart during this period.

On one hand, she secretly despised herself for being over forty years old yet mourning spring and lamenting autumn like a little schoolgirl.

On the other hand, her mind kept spinning, endlessly fantasizing.

The intense, unique experience Tsukasa Haruno had given her that night, coupled with his special status, filled her heart with guilt while simultaneously making her crave even more contact.

"Even if you say so, the compensation I offered earlier remains valid," Tsukasa Haruno's voice broke the silence.

"But money isn't what I want." Yuko Shimizu's train of thought was interrupted, and she instinctively replied.

"Then what is it that you want?"

"Actually, what I want is..."

"Hm? Go ahead, if I have it, I'll give it to you."

"It's... the kind of thing you're thinking..."

A voice so soft it was barely audible faded inside the car. Turning his head, Tsukasa Haruno caught sight of Yuko Shimizu's flushed, delicate face and her hazy, intoxicated gaze, making him realize her meaning instantly, leaving him momentarily stunned.

The black sleeveless blouse Yuko wore was already quite tight-fitting. Combined with her fastened seatbelt and the seat being adjusted rather far forward, her figure was accentuated to the utmost perfection. If he weren't the one driving, Tsukasa's eyes probably wouldn't have been looking straight ahead.

With only the two of them inside the vehicle, the moment those words left her lips, the atmosphere immediately turned ambiguous.

Yuko Shimizu's fair, plump legs under her hip-hugging skirt were flawless, and the abyss between them tempted one to explore its depths. Now that she was making such a request, Tsukasa Haruno could not help recalling the imagery of that night with a lingering appetite. Right then and there, he paid a full salute, nearly failing to keep his composure.

"If you're unwilling, just pretend Auntie never said any of that," sensing his hesitation, a wave of shame instantly washed over Yuko Shimizu, and she hurried to explain.

Regaining his wits, Tsukasa Haruno gripped the steering wheel and forced himself to calm down: "Don't you feel like you're getting the short end of the stick?"

"You silly child, you're the one being taken advantage of."

"...Auntie Shimizu, it's true that because of your charm, I intentionally guided things that night. Perhaps I wanted it even more than you did, but I don't want you to feel humiliated. How about this, let's talk about it after we get back?" said Tsukasa Haruno.

Outside the car windows, the darkness suddenly deepened. Emerging from the tunnel, raindrops lashed down, and the waves of Tokyo Bay surged violently, painting a picture of high winds and choppy seas.

Yuko Shimizu bit her lower lip. She had been regretting speaking so blatantly and receiving no response from him, but the moment Tsukasa Haruno's words reached her ears, and out of the corner of her eye she noticed his physical change, her mind suddenly sparked with life. Her courage spiked instantly, and she secretly resolved to take the initiative once more.

"Can you pull over by the side for a moment..."

"...Alright..."

"Tsukasa... actually, I..."

"Auntie Shimizu, please maintain your dignity!"

"But I'm really suffering right now..."

Had he failed to hold his ground after all?

Tsukasa Haruno closed his eyes in agony.

He finally understood: not a single woman around him was normal. Even Auntie Shimizu, who ought to have been consumed by guilt, always loved telling little white lies.

And she wasn't even drinking this time.

Knowing full well there were tigers in the mountains.

She insisted on walking right into the tiger's den.

This definitely qualified her to step into the ranks of femme fatales.

Yet, upon noticing Yuko Shimizu's pitiful, near-imploring gaze, Tsukasa Haruno could only harden his heart, press hard on the brake, slow down, and pull over onto the emergency lane.

The traffic flow along the Yokohama-Yokosuka Road was sparse.

Especially at a time like this.

Due to the frequent natural disasters in Japan—typhoons, tsunamis, and earthquakes striking one after another—meteorological warnings were issued constantly, and citizens took such news very seriously. Driving all the way in this kind of weather, Tsukasa Haruno had barely encountered a few cars, and now there was not a single one in sight. The visible lanes were entirely empty.

Stopping here posed no danger whatsoever.

In order to strike a blow against the faction of femme fatales, Tsukasa Haruno had no choice but to sacrifice his personal comfort for the greater good.

However, just as Yuko Shimizu lay half-reclined in the passenger seat with hazy, reddened eyes, looking like a limp puddle of mud, she reached out to grab Tsukasa Haruno's arm, bit her lip, and shyly put forward a request.

"Tsukasa, wait."

"What is it?"

"Once we start in a moment, I might say some rather unpleasant things. But no matter what I say, please don't mind it, or better yet, just don't listen, okay?"

"...Alright..."

"Tsukasa, let's drive home now, right now! It's raining too hard outside, I'm afraid it's dangerous for us to stay here, we can't keep doing this!"

"Tsubaki-姐 will worry about us!"

"If something disastrous really happens to a child like you, how am I supposed to face Tsubaki-姐!"

"We can't keep making mistakes."

"If we keep going wrong, we'll really cross generational lines..."

Tsukasa Haruno had nodded in agreement at the time.

Yet he soon regretted it.

For he discovered that Auntie Shimizu's mischievous wickedness far exceeded his understanding, reaching an almost exasperating degree.

Tsukasa Haruno's expression gradually grew solemn.

He had miscalculated Yuko Shimizu's depravity.

He decided to retract his previous view.

At the same time, he rejected her apology and clearly established his stance of subduing the rebellious, proving with his own attitude that he would not forgive her, determined to rectify his strategic misjudgment.

Time ticked away second by second.

And sometimes, the destination always arrives when one least expects it, just as total collapse happens in a single instant.