Keita had arrived safely in Nagoya and, with Principal Iwata's help, got settled in an affordable apartment that had been arranged beforehand. It was a studio priced at 40,000 Yen per month. I'd nearly fainted hearing that number before they left. According to the principal, these were subsidized by the government and considered budget-friendly. My son's living expenses wouldn't make it very far, meaning the NTL app might be my only hope… as much as I loathe to admit it.
Although Tetsu and I really wanted Keita to show us around the place, he insisted that we wait a few days first while they furnished the apartment. Today was the day, as my husband and I waited in the kitchen with coffee in hand.
"Ready?" Keita asked through the phone, but the screen was completely black from him covering it.
"Yeah, show us already!" Tetsu egged him on.
Keita removed his hand, giving us a glimpse of his studio apartment. Well, of his futon on the tatami mat first. The phone panned across a modest room. They called it a studio, but it looked to be about as big as our living room. He had a small desk and shelves with books stuffed into them. Our son then opened the window and stuck his phone out precariously to show the streets below.
"Keita, quit it! If you drop your phone and break it, we won't be buying you a new one!" I scolded him.
"Oops! Sorry!" Keita pulled back and laughed. "It's so cool being on a floor that isn't the first floor. Oh, and Principal Iwata helped me pick out some of the furniture. We went to a little old shop with hand-me-downs. The couple next door made me onigiri, too! They're so nice. I want to show you guys the school, but I don't think me and Dad can line up our timing."
"That's on me. Work has me swamped. I don't have off on the weekends for a while either. Just show your mom and take some pictures. She'll show me. Won't you?" My husband grinned at me.
"If you're not coming home drunk, sure." I shot an icy glare.
"I'm working from sun up to sun down in the humid heat! You can't blame a guy for wanting a couple of drinks on the way back," he protested playfully.
The doorbell rang from Keita's end followed by a couple of young voices calling his name.
"Oh, my friends are here. I gotta go," Keita said.
Tetsu and I exchanged glances.
"You already made friends?" The two of us gasped.
"Well, yeah. Anyway, I'll show Mom the school later and send some pics. Also, Mom! Principal Iwata said he has something to talk to you about when he gets back. Gonna leave now. Love you! Bye!" Keita hung up before we could even say it back.
Being told of the principal's inevitable return by my son gave me the shivers, and not the good kind.
"Whew. Not even a week, and Keita's got friends already. I think he's going to be alright in Nagoya." Tetsu leaned back in his seat and downed the rest of his coffee.
"I kind of feel sorry for Satoshi. I wonder how he's holding up." I sighed.
"Satoshi's been coming over almost every day. He's like a second son— Guess he's always been a second son, huh?" he remarked thoughtfully.
"Yeah…"
I'd been fortunate that neither Satoshi nor the NTL app had been pushing us together again. For now. The game had a whimsy about it that I couldn't figure out. And with how often Satoshi came over, it was only a matter of time before another round happened.
"Alright, I'm going to head off! Boss'll probably get here any minute." Tetsu got up and kissed me on the cheek.
"Gone until late again?" I asked.
"I'm sorry. You probably want me home sooner now that Keita's gone. At least you have Satoshi for company, right? Save me something warm to eat," he said on the way out.
I hung by the door and watched Tetsu climb into the back of a truck. Boss Guo waved to me in his usual sleazy manner, but I didn't return the gesture. After they had left, I began my day helping around Togetsu. I finished early around noon. Most of it was tidying homes and taking the trash out. An entire morning of work, however, only netted me a measly 540 Yen. My burden amounted to a few coins in the palm of my hand.
When I came back home, there was an inkling of hope that I'd see Satoshi in front of my house. I dared say I looked forward to having him around. But my son's friend wasn't there. He had been coming regularly just past noon, too. Well, I had been urging him to spend more time at home. Maybe he was doing just that.
I barely got seated on the couch to take a break when someone knocked on the front door. It seemed I spoke too soon. That had to be Satoshi. I answered the door to find his mother instead. Yuuko Maeda, Satoshi's mom. A short woman of portly stature and medium-length curly hair in her 50s. This was in contrast to her husband, a tall and lanky man. Their son fell somewhere in between the two, but leaned towards his mother.
"Yuuko! It's not every day I see you visit my house. Would you like to come?" I offered.
"No, thank you. Is my son here? I know he's been coming over a lot lately," Yuuko said.
"Satoshi hasn't come by today. Why?"
"Don't lie to me," she snapped. "I've been perfectly fine with Satoshi coming over to your house because he's friends with your son, but Keita isn't around anymore. Is there something I should know?"
Fear gripped my chest. It didn't seem like Yuuko knew what happened between me and Satoshi. He had no reason to tell her either.
"I told Satoshi he was welcome to spend time here if he wanted to. He looked very sullen when Keita left. I didn't mean to overstep any boundaries if I have, Yuuko. I was just looking out for him because they were so close," I explained.
"Maybe you're not understanding it from my perspective, Marika. Satoshi comes over during the day. You're usually home alone, and Tetsu isn't back until very late. You don't see how strange that might be? You can't fathom that rumors could arise from this? I know he's in here!" Yuuko's interrogation intensified, taking a step towards me.
"I-I understand, but Satoshi isn't here! Why would I lie when I even offered you to come in?" I reasoned.
The subtle wrinkles on Yuuko's face deepened. She took a deep breath and calmed down.
"You're right. I shouldn't have blown up on you. His father and I have been trying to get him working. The only thing he does all day is read those stupid comics. I figured with your son having moved, Satoshi would focus on getting a job. Instead, he's been coming here to avoid us and do the same." Yuuko sighed with her entire body.
"If I see Satoshi, I'll tell him what you said. Oh, and Tetsu could probably find him a job," I suggested.
"That would be great. But Marika, I mean it. Satoshi being shut in at home is one thing. Being shut in at yours is another. Some of the older folks are whispering about you coddling him. I don't believe those rumors. My emotions got the better of me earlier is all. Just remember how it looks to the rest of us whenever Satoshi goes to your house," she explained.
I gulped hard. Yuuko bowed and turned to leave. Rumors were spreading about me and Satoshi? I was about to head inside until I realized there was a way to find him. I navigated to the NTL app's Partner system. Icons of my 'Partners' appeared, and I selected Satoshi. Three choices popped up: [Start Round], [Freeze Current Round -1,000pts], [Location]. I pressed [Location]. A GPS map of Togetsumura and the surrounding forest pulled up. A dot appeared heading into the woods, due southeast of my house. Walking in the direction of the dot led me straight to Satoshi, who was standing behind a tree. He had his head down and hands clasped together.
"So you were at my house. Did you hear that exchange between me and your mom?" I asked.
Satoshi nodded slowly.
"I said that you can come by whenever you want, and I meant it. But maybe it's best if you don't come by so often? Spend more time at home with your parents and work on finding a job that suits you," I urged him.
"I don't want to work! I see what it's done to my dad. He's miserable, and he drinks a lot…" Satoshi grumbled.
"No one wants to work, but we all have to. It's the only way to put food on the table. When my husband comes home, I'll ask him about getting you some work for the season. Something… easy for you to get started with. How's that?"
"Okay, but only because you want me to. On one condition though. Can we have sex again?" he asked.
"We can't…"
"Then what about a blowjob?"
My mouth opened, but not a single word came out. Why not? It should be so easy to tell him no. I checked my phone, hoping that an NTL app round would start. Nothing. But the Partner menu was still up, and I had the choice to select [Start Round].
"If I do it, will you really agree to start working?" I asked.
"Yes!" Satoshi exclaimed.
I pressed the option.
[Have sex with Satoshi.] +30,000pts +15% Partner bonus
[Give Satoshi a blowjob.] +10,000pts +15% Partner bonus
[Become Satoshi's girlfriend.] +500,000pts +15% Partner bonus
[Random Choice for x2 points], [Reroll Choices -500pts], [Upgrade a Choice]
My entire world froze. Half a million points? Cashing out doubled it to a million. That amount of money at any given time was a fantasy for anyone in Togetsumura. But to be Satoshi's girlfriend? My family wouldn't have to worry about money for a while, especially not Keita while living in Nagoya.
"Is something the matter?" Satoshi was expecting the blowjob.
"Satoshi… would you like to have me as your girlfriend?" I muttered.
"More than anything!" He grabbed my hand. "What happened? Are you finally realizing that we're meant together?"
"No! I just want to make sure you keep to your word. I also think I can coach you to be a good man for someone one day. We'll have to break up eventually, but we can take it slow. This will be our secret, alright? You absolutely can't tell anyone."
"Yes!"
A massive weight lifted from my soul when I selected [Become Satoshi's girlfriend.] 500,000 points and 75,000 from the Partner bonus added to a staggering total of 611,000 points. I couldn't help but smile. Big, too.
Satoshi must have mistaken where my happiness was coming from. He grabbed my face and pulled me in for a deep, tongue-lashing kiss. It made me weak, my groin wet, and eyes misty. My body remembered the pleasure of that night we had sex. And now, we had been pronounced boyfriend and girlfriend by order of the app.
"Mmm… Satoshi… wait…" I managed to push him off, but his arms still wrapped around my waist. "That's not how you start a relationship. You're going to scare a girl away by doing that."
"Sorry, I got too excited. What should I do?" Satoshi asked, seemingly eager to learn.
"When Tetsu confessed to me, it was very formal and sweet. Relationships are important. You're sharing your life with someone else. The words to express that is, 'Please take care of me.'" I bowed.
Satoshi let go, took a step back, and bowed saying, "I'm in your care… Like that?"
"Hehe, yes. That was cute. Romantic stuff comes later in time. For now, your parents, remember? They're worried about you."
"Okay, I'll go home. Uhm… After though. You can leave first. I need to take care of this. It won't go down, and you becoming my girlfriend didn't help." He rubbed the bridge of his nose.
I left Satoshi to it, not wanting to be dragged into an NTL round to help him. The guilt didn't follow me as strongly as it used to. Not as long as I continued telling myself this was for Keita's sake. All that money, I could cash out today and ensure his apartment rent paid for the next two years.
As soon as I got home and shut the door, a very giddy feeling welled up within me. Butterflies in my stomach. A floatiness in my head. I bounced up and down in the foyer. A boyfriend. Me, at my age. The way Satoshi acted, too, he was so in love with me.
All that came crashing down after the high passed. I dropped down, face buried in my knees. Yuuko was already suspicious of us. This arrangement between us only made things worse.
"You're so stupid, Marika! But all those points were definitely the right choice. Satoshi has nothing to do with this… This is entirely to make it easier on us financially," I murmured.
No. Now that I think about it, I couldn't possibly cash out that much money and not have Tetsu think something was up. If I had my own bank account, this wouldn't be a problem. Getting Maruyama to help came to mind. But he was good friends with Tetsu. I'd rather not risk that coming up in conversation between them.
Akemi then. She was able to keep a secret. I was also much closer to her than she was to Tetsu. I called Akemi, and she agreed to come over.
"Thanks for calling me, Marika. It was getting stuffy in my house, and I needed space from my mom. What's up? You want to open a personal bank account?" Akemi kicked her shoes off coming in.
"Yeah. Tetsu and I have been thinking about opening separate accounts. We sometimes want to buy things for ourselves," I explained.
"That's been popular for city folks, I hear. Couples always want their own thing. Lucky for you, it's easy to do nowadays. Tech's come a long way, and we don't need to go to the bank to do this. I just need your phone, date of birth, and ID," she said.
I gave her my phone and went to fetch the rest of my personal information for her from my bedroom. When I came back with my ID card, however, she had a grave look on her face in the living room.
"I've got my ID. What's the matter?" I asked.
"What the hell is this?" Akemi turned my phone to me.
The lockscreen showed a text from Satoshi. It read, I can't stop thinking about you. Can I come over later? I want to kiss you again!
My heart dropped. We stood there in silence.
"You've been playing the game with Yuuko's kid?" Akemi asked tensely.
"No, I— we…"
"Are you cheating on Tetsu?"
"It was 500,000 points, Akemi! My family needs the money. This is the only way I can pay for Keita living in Nagoya! Besides, you don't get to call me a cheater. You're the one who roped me into a threesome with Mr. Shiraishi, remember?" I protested.
"Sure, that's wholly my fault. I'll have to live with making you cheat on Tetsu, but this… Marika, you're choosing to play with Satoshi. How many points have you made? A lot, right? Enough that you want to open a personal bank account? You… You have to tell Tetsu. He deserves to know," she explained.
"No! Telling him will destroy my family!"
"The NTL app is destroying your family! We have to stop playing and figure out how to get rid of this—"
I snatched my phone from Akemi's grasp. She wiped to try and take it back. In panic, I made a run into my room and locked the door.
"Marika! If you won't tell Tetsu, I will! I care about both of you, don't you know that?" Akemi continued rapping her knuckles on the door.
"Saya, I need your help!" I turned on the app.
[Hello, hello! What does my favorite player want to do today?] Saya's appearance had taken a drastic change since I last saw her. The halo became darker and the cracks larger. Little nubs on her forehead breached the skin. Angelic wings were beginning to lose feathers, giving way to a leathery bat-like look.
I shook away the shock and explained, "The shop! I remember seeing a thing called Memory Wipe looking in the shop once. Can I use it on Akemi to make her forget this meeting ever happened?"
Saya navigated to the [Effects] category in the shop and selected a [Memory Wipe], bringing up a tooltip.
[Memory Wipe removes up to one day's worth of memories from someone of your choosing.] Cost - 200,000pts.
That much? Nearly one-third of my total points? I had no other choice. I needed to spend it.
"Buy it! Buy it and remove Akemi's memories up to a few minutes ago!" I exclaimed.
My 611,000 points shrunk to 411,000. Saya purchased [Memory Wipe] for me and used it immediately. The rapping on my door stopped. My chest was still beating like mad. I slowly opened the door, and Akemi looked at me confused.
"Akemi?" I mewed.
"What's taking you so long? Are we opening a bank account for you or not?" Akemi asked.
It worked.
"Yeah, sorry. I got my ID right here." I handed it to her.
"I'll need your phone, too. Don't think about playing a game with me here," Akemi teased before returning to the living room.
I stayed in my bedroom for a few seconds, steadying my pounding heart. That was too close. Far too close.