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As soon as she answered ‘Yes,’ her vision went dark.

The sun no longer shone through. She couldn’t feel warmth, her feet on the ground, the fabric of her clothes on her skin, or air entering her lungs.

Even her guilt was absent.

Despite the pleasant sense of freedom, she wanted to share it with someone. She was tired of being alone.

Then, a certain sensation started welling up.

Some form of wetness made its way through her lips and into her mouth, exploring her.

As a woman familiar with this feeling from her ex-husband Shinagawa, she quickly realized she was being kissed.

She could have opened her eyes to see the person before her, but she kept them shut, wanting to test herself; this kiss felt different. It wasn’t the taste that made her think so.

The person kissing her took his time. Whoever it was, he was not new to it but not quite an expert like Shinagawa either.

And yet, she preferred it that way. This kiss felt nostalgic and more thoughtful.

Somewhere inside, she knew.

The scent of his freshly shaved chin grazing hers, the musk she hadn’t smelled in over 30 years, the warmth of his breath on her upper lip as he savored the taste of her mouth and teeth… And as she placed her hands around his taller frame, she recognized the weary body, muscles strained from constant overwork yet pushing to stay upright.

‘… All for his loving wife,’ she concluded internally as she tightened her grip around him, tears quietly dripping from her closed eyes.

And then… Fear.

Fear gripped her, fearing that if she opened her eyes, she would realize the kiss was merely the morning after a teasing dream.

Therefore, she wished:

‘Whatever this is… I wish to stay asleep… Just a little bit longer… Please…’ She prayed, pouring everything into the kiss as if it were the last one she would ever have, ensuring the person felt all of her, everywhere.

“Hmmph… N-Nanami-san?” The individual called, sensing the intensity in the kiss and breaking it momentarily to speak.

‘Shuuichi… My Shuuichi… My Shuuichi…’ she thought, running her hands over his broad back.

“Hmpph… Nana—, I have to go,” Shuuichi tried to speak, pushing her back slightly. But she held onto him, prolonging the kiss, tears streaming down her face.

Unable to speak, Shuuichi sensed her distress and placed his hand on her head, gently caressing it.

‘What… What is this… He even sounds like him… What is this dream… Stop… I… At this rate… I won’t want to wake up,’ she thought, her legs starting to shiver as she dug her nails into his back.

When was the last time she was embraced like this?

‘Ah… This is a dream, right…? This has to be… Something like this… Being held like this… Can’t be real, right?’ she reasoned.

‘Then… While I’m still here… While I still can!’ she resolved, breaking the kiss, refusing to open her eyes out of fear it would end the dream abruptly.

“Nanami…? What’s wrong…? Why are you crying?” he asked, his tone gentle as he cradled her face, rubbing her tears away with his thumb.

“I… I’m sorry,” she sobbed, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’m so sorry… S-shuu… Kun…” She cried, trying her hardest to stop her sobs. Yet, as she felt the warmth of his palm on her cheek, the sheer vibration of it shattered any facade she was trying to maintain, and her tears continued to pour out.

In a final act of defiance, she buried her face in his shoulder, using the fabric of his dark suit as a dam for her tears as she tightly held onto him.

“Nanami-san, what are you sorry for?” he gently inquired, rubbing the back of her head, confused.

Her strength gave out, and she couldn’t stand on her own. He crouched down with her, allowing her to lean on him as they sat by the entrance.

“Please, wake me up now… Please don’t do this to me… Please… Please… If I stay any longer, I won’t want to wake up anymore… Please take me away from here… Please take me away…” She murmured into his shoulder, her snot and tears staining more and more of his suit.

“Shh… It’s okay. I’m here… Let’s go home,” Shuuichi whispered as he bent over, lifting Nanami into a princess carry.

Still unable to process her feelings, she kept her eyes shut and buried her face in his shirt as he carried her back into the house and closed the door behind him.

With a soft sigh, Shuuichi glanced at the clock inside the house. It was getting late, and he had to go to work. But seeing his wife in such a state, despite the potential consequences at his stressful job and the disapproval of his boss and colleagues, he decided to go in late that day.

“S-shuu… Kun…” She murmured several minutes after he took her to the couch, consoling her there.

“What is it, Nanami?” he gently asked, feeling her tugging at his shirt as she lay on his shoulder.

“…B…”

“…Bed… Please…” She murmured, still struggling to let her voice out loud out of fear it would wake her from this ‘dream.’

“Alright then… Let’s take you there,” he chuckled lightly as he got up.

But he was stopped by her, still tugging at his shirt.

“Nanami?” he questioned, feeling her resistance.

“…Take me… C… Carry me,” she whispered while looking away, still lying on the couch.

Shuuichi chuckled. “What are you, a kid?” he teased playfully.

Nanami didn’t respond, remaining silent, still tugging at his shirt.

Sensing her persistence and distress, he relented with a sigh. “Well, I suppose everyone needs to be babied now and then… Come on, Nanami-chan. Let papa take you to bed,” he cooed gently.

Nanami sensed it. It was awkward at best.

Yet… she had missed being cared for so much that it barely mattered. As seconds passed, it felt endearing. She couldn’t help but feel a certain warmth spread through her body as he once more carried her like a princess to their shared bedroom.

He placed her onto the bed and covered her with a blanket.

“Are you warm?” he asked.

“S-stay with me until I sleep… Shuu-kun?” she inquired, still keeping her eyes closed.

“… Only if you look at me, Nanami,” he said firmly yet softly.

“I… I don’t want to… I’m… I’m scared,” Nanami shook her head, the softness of the pillow enveloping the back of her head.

Shuuichi caressed her cheek once more. “What are you afraid of? I’m here, aren’t I? Nothing can hurt you. So, please… look at me.”

‘I really can’t look at you, Shuu-kun… What if… What if when I open my eyes, you won’t see a loving wife staring back at you? What if you’ll ask me why I made such a scene…? What if I’ll wake up…?’

Once more, Nanami shook her head.

‘Just go… Just go to work… Leave me. I can’t… I don’t deserve to look at you,’ she decided, resolute in her choice to keep her eyes closed.

With a sigh, he got into bed with her. “Really, kids are such a pain,” he muttered as he covered himself and Nanami with the blanket, causing her to gasp softly.

“I… I didn’t open my eyes, Shuu-kun,” she said.

“I know,” he replied, acknowledging her words.

“…But?” she added, expecting him to continue, like Shinagawa always did with clever and witty responses.

“But nothing. I know you didn’t open your eyes,” he replied flatly, lying in bed beside her and staring at the ceiling.

It was a flat, boring response, but Nanami wasn’t expecting it. A man should be clever, right? To impress his wife? No? she thought.

What baffled her even more was that she was taken aback by it.

Does he really not care how she sees him?

She was so baffled that she momentarily forgot her fear and involuntarily opened her eyes, unbeknownst to Shuuichi, who continued staring at the ceiling.

Then it hit her: this was real. She did not wake up because this was no dream.

Unsure of what to say, she merely closed her eyes again.

Four hours later, as he gazed upon her sleeping form, her eyes still damp from tears, he got up from the bed and left a note on the bedside table. The note informed her that he would be returning later than usual that day and urged her to reach out if she needed anything. With that, he locked the door and departed.

However, unbeknownst to him, Nanami was not asleep. Deep within her heart, she longed to cry and spend the entire week by his side. Yet, the moment she opened her eyes and realized this was real, she knew that if she continued to weep, Shuuichi would be unable to focus on his work. She needed to remain calm and gather her emotions.

As she opened her eyes soon after Shuuichi left, a digital prompt appeared before her, drawing her attention away from her inner turmoil.

“By regressing, you are hereby granted a [SKILL]! May this [SKILL] help your true love prevail!”

[SKILL: INTIMIDATIVE PERSUASION]

[Description: Make an eternal slave out of anyone who is scared of you! Even in the slightest!]

[Duration: Eternity]

[Cooldown: 1 week]

Confusion filled Nanami’s mind as she wiped her soaked eyes and snot, contemplating the nature of this skill.

‘Regression…? Skill…? It must be part of that system that spoke to me while I sat on the bench at the park, right?’ she thought as she brought herself to a sitting position.

Examining it closely, she wondered, “What kind of skill is this? And what’s this… There’s one more?”

The prompt continued, revealing a second skill.

“By engaging in physical intimacy with your beloved, where your true feelings were on display, you have unlocked a [SKILL]! May this [SKILL] help your true love prevail!”

[SKILL UNLOCKED: NO TRACE]

[Description: Fingerprints? Bloodstains? Scars? Camera appearance? Too troublesome for someone like me! Remove all TRACE of your existence upon activating this skill!]

[Duration: 5 minutes]

[Cooldown: 24 hours]

Nanami felt unsettled by the violent nature of these skills. They seemed… dangerous.

As she read through the description, her eyes fixated on one particular line that sent a chill down her spine: “Camera appearance.” The mere thought of it caused her face to pale.

Memories of their landlord, Mr. Kamata, flooded her mind, and the unspeakable acts he had forced upon her before her regression. She remembered how he had mercilessly toyed with her body, openly mocking her husband, and coercing her into compliance, threatening to reveal her actions to Shuuichi. But more than that, she recalled how she had enjoyed it.

Overwhelmed by distressing recollections, coupled with Shuuichi’s recent care and attentiveness, she rushed to the bathroom, her stomach churning with revulsion.

In her anguish, she unconsciously scratched her shoulder with her fingernails, causing the skin to break and blood to trickle out.

With clenched teeth and her mind filled with images of Mr. Kamata’s lecherous sneer as he took advantage of her vulnerability, she muttered, “How… How dare he…”

‘That’s right… HE did… HE started everything! He dared… touch my body… violate me as he pleased!’ she thought, realizing he must be watching this too.

‘Yeah…’ she thought, glancing at a nearby camera.

‘I suppose… I have these violent skills for a reason, right?’ she mused, wiping the remnants of bile off her lips.

‘I think I found out why,’ she thought, her eyes sparking darkly. The emotions raging inside her immediately lost all their valor. It was as if the moon had vanished, leaving no celestial body to bring tides to the deep ocean.

She felt… serene. Her heartbeat was steady. Her legs felt strong and sturdy. Her arms were still.

She quickly flushed the toilet and exited the bathroom.

‘Huh… I started to feel awfully calm the moment I decided what to do next,’ she mused, noticing her sudden tranquility.

“Don’t worry, Shuuichi,” she thought, the description of the skill gleaming in her mind as she concealed a sharp knife beneath her shirt. Her steps carried her outside their apartment, a sense of purpose driving her forward.

“Don’t worry about a thing,” she said, hiding the knife under her shirt as she walked outside their apartment.

As she activated the skill [SKILL: No Trace], a transformation occurred. Her footsteps became silent, leaving no imprint on the concrete as she walked. Dust seemed to pass right through her, ensuring her movements left no trace behind. With a warm smile on her face, she made her way through the apartment building towards Mr. Kamata’s flat.

‘Ahh… Shuu-kun, you must be working so hard. You’ll come back exhausted. I bet your boss will give you trouble for being late today, for the entire week or two… Don’t worry… I’ll give you the warmest welcome there is… You don’t even have to worry about our anniversary… I’ll make sure…!’ she thought, her mind filled with anticipation.

Reaching Mr. Kamata’s door, she knocked politely, her smile unwavering.

“Excuse me, it’s Honda,” she announced, her voice dripping with false cheerfulness.

“Oooh? If it isn’t the housewife from next door… Now that you’re here, I wish to show you something… Come on in,” Mr. Kamata responded, his voice tinged with a lecherous tone. He forcefully pulled her into his house, swiftly locking the door behind them. His intentions were clear as he brandished an image showing her half-exposed in the bathroom, a vile reminder of his power over her.

‘I’ll make sure to give you the best anniversary present there is…’ she thought, her face blushing with feigned excitement. Concealing a sharp knife behind her back, she clasped her hands together, feeling the cold metal against her skin.

Her smile stretched ever so slightly.

‘How strange. It almost feels automatic, what I’m about to do right now. Like I’m going to wash the dishes…’

‘…Or take out the trash.’