Tetsu and I sat across from each other at the dinner table. He gorged on the eggs, salmon, and rice breakfast I'd prepared. Like a starved animal, my husband shoveled everything into his mouth. There wasn't any attempt to savour the food. Once in a while, he would wash it down with a large gulp of coffee.
"Whew. That was delicious! Just what I needed before slaving away under the sun again." Tetsu leaned back and opened a newspaper to read.
"Hey, so… I'm going with Akemi and Maruyama to Karatsu today," I said.
"Really? That's a pretty far drive. What for?" he asked, not even looking up.
"Just to see the sights. I don't want to be cooped up in the house all the time."
Tetsu lowered the newspaper enough to meet my eyes. He had a glint of guilt in his. My husband put the paper down and reached across the table to hold my hand.
"Yeah, of course. It's gotta be boring being home alone. Want me to withdraw some spending money for you before I go to work?" Tetsu offered.
"That's sweet of you, but I'll be fine. I'm not planning to spend much. We're just going for a day-trip. I'll be back before you're home," I explained, squeezing his hand back.
What I couldn't tell Tetsu was that I had plenty of money in my secret bank account thanks to the NTL app. Some time ago, keeping this from him definitely would have hurt me. Now, however, it seemed so insignificant.
"Oh, alright." Tetsu leaned over to kiss me and smiled. "By the way, I'm talking to Boss Guo about getting me some time off. A few days at most, for us to visit Keita. I miss the little bug, and I bet you do, too."
"I'd love that! Keita's been blowing up my phone with pictures of him and his friends. He looks so happy. You want to see?" I was about to show Tetsu my phone but quickly retracted my arm.
At any moment, the NTL app could have started a game. My mind raced with a thousand different ways Tetsu might have found out, and looking in my phone was at the top of the list. I tasted sand on my tongue. Swallowing hurt my parched throat.
"What's the matter? I wanna see what Keita's been up to. Don't keep me in suspense." Tetsu groaned playfully.
A cursory look through my phone, and the NTL app wasn't up. Satoshi hadn't texted me either. If he did while Tetsu was looking at my phone, that could prove disastrous. I swallowed a sigh. My husband was waiting. I shouldn't make him suspicious.
"Sorry. The screen… glitched and freaked me out for a second. Here." I pulled up my messages with Keita, which was just a screen full of pictures taken from his own phone.
There was one of Keita and a couple of other boys, who had their arms around each others' shoulders. Another had a sweet-looking girl standing bashfully next to him. A hint of blush on her cheeks got me cheering for something between them. He had so many more pictures, all of him having the time of his life.
"Yeah. That's our kid. Keita went from just being friends with Satoshi to having an entire friend group. Oh, speaking of Satoshi…" Tetsu let go of my hand and leaned back.
"What about him?" I asked tensely.
"I might've found Satoshi some work like you asked me to. There's a watermelon farm over in Kosa. Actually, you pass right through that town on your way to Karatsu. Maybe you guys can drop him off there so he can get started," my husband suggested.
Riding in the same car with Satoshi might be… No. Turning Tetsu down wouldn't be a good look. I was the one who asked him to help Satoshi find a job. The drive down should only take an hour. I agreed to ask Akemi, but made no promises if she ended up declining to take him.
After Tetsu left for work, I rang Akemi up about dropping Satoshi off in Kosa. She didn't mind. If anything, she sounded excited about helping him out. It wasn't a secret that Satoshi and his parents were at odds with each other. That day when his mother confronted me… I shuddered to think what rumors could have gone around if I didn't diffuse the situation. Still, hopefully Satoshi getting a job eases their family situation just a bit. Unlike his parents, if Keita had been in Satoshi's position, I would have done everything in my power to set him up for success. That should be the parents' number one priority, not berating them.
It was still early in the morning. The trip to Karatsu would take a couple of hours. I prepared a bento for each of us, Satoshi included, then met up with Akemi in front of her house. Maruyama was there, and so was another elderly woman I recognized as Mrs. Shiori Haruno.
"Yo, Marika. We're ready to leave in a minute. Mrs. Haruno's over to look after my home while I'm out," Akemi explained, heading around back to drive her Kia out.
"It's nice to see you again, Mrs. Haruno." I bowed to the older woman.
"Hello, hello. How's your son doing, Marika? He's in Nagoya now, right?" Mrs. Haruno smiled.
"Keita's well, thank you for asking."
Akemi rolled her out to the front and beckoned us in.
"Remember, call me if anything comes up!" Akemi shouted to her mother and Mrs. Haruno.
When Maruyama hopped into the passenger seat and I climbed into the back, Akemi glared at him.
"What?" Maruyama asked.
"You're going to deny a gal the passenger seat? Where's your gentlemanly manners?" Akemi teased.
"Er, sorry! I didn't know that was a thing. I don't mind swapping spots with you, Marika," he stammered.
"No, it's fine! Really. I'm sure Satoshi will be more comfortable sitting next to someone he knows," I explained.
"Huuuh. You're awfully sweet with the kid," she said.
I froze up in my seat.
"Well," Akemi continued, "I'm not gonna pretend I know how it feels being a mom whose son just flew the nest. You best remember Satoshi's an adult now. Can't baby the guy."
"Says the woman who referred to Satoshi as 'kid' a moment ago." Maruyama poked back.
"Hey. I'll open the car door and throw you off the side of the road if you keep that up." She smirked.
We drove up in front of Satoshi's house. Akemi honked the horn once, and his mother, Yuuko Maeda opened the door. She shouted back into the house, presumably calling for her son, then waited there staring. I avoided meeting her gaze. It felt like she was looking at me in particular. Eventually, Satoshi came shuffling out of the house. Yuuko didn't even wish him a safe trip and slammed the door going inside.
"Sheesh," Akemi muttered under her breath.
"Thank you for the ride, Ms. Fukuhara." Satoshi entered, putting his backpack down between his legs.
"No problem. We'll drop you off in Kosa and pick you up on the way back. Buckle up, too. You've probably never ridden a car before, huh?" she asked.
Satoshi grabbed the seatbelt on the side of the car and tried to pull it over himself. But he was a larger kid than normal, bigger than even adults.
"Let me help." I took the seatbelt and buckled him in.
"Thanks." Satoshi blushed a little.
The ride there was bumpy. Akemi drove north down the mountain, and parts of the road wasn't even paved. Just compacted dirt. She had the air conditioning blasting cool air with the windows opened just a sliver. The citrussy scent of the mountain's vast cedar forests served as a crisp delight to the nose. Maruyama slipped into slumber mere minutes after we took off, rocked to sleep by the bumpiness.
My phone vibrated suddenly, giving me a small heart attack. I checked it to find Satoshi having texted me. I want to kiss you, he wrote. I texted him back, absolutely not.
We're boyfriend and girlfriend. We should be able to do it whenever we want, Satoshi replied and added a frowning emoji.
Akemi might be distracted driving right now, but a quick glance was all it would take. I spent enough points erasing a part of her memory already. After an hour of navigating the uneven mountain road, we made it to Kosa, a quaint town with a population of around 10,000. It was an agricultural hub, and most farms were done within greenhouses. Following the address Tetsu had given us, Akemi drove up to a large field with rows upon rows of long greenhouses under plastic tarps. Few workers roamed about, and they appeared to be much older in age compared to Satoshi.
With the exception of Maruyama who was still fast asleep, we got out of the car and into the muggy atmosphere. Inside each greenhouse were countless watermelons near ripening. The air even smelled faintly of watermelon. They were likely going to be harvested very soon.
"Look at all that. My mouth's watering just looking at 'em." Akemi whistled.
"Hello, how can I help you?" An older gentleman in overalls and a sun hat came up to us.
"This is Satoshi Maeda. My husband Tetsu says there's work for him to do here?" I asked.
"Ahhh. You must be Tetsu's wife, Marika? And this is Satoshi?" He turned to Satoshi, appraising him with one open eye. "Boy looks strong enough. He can start tomorrow, eight in the morning sharp."
"Oh, tomorrow?" Satoshi rubbed the back of his head.
Akemi shrugged. The three of us returned to the car.
"I really don't want to drive through the fucking mountains again." Akemi groaned.
"Am I in the way of something?" Satoshi asked.
"We were just on our way to Karatsu. We planned to pick you up on the way home. It should be fine to have Satoshi come along," I suggested.
"I guess, but ahh. Screw it. You're coming sight-seeing with us, Satoshi." She started up the car.
"What happened?" Maruyama snapped awake as the engine revved up.
The rest of the way was mostly just an urban sprawl that stretched for miles. Akemi turned on the radio, and the staticky tune of music replaced the silence. I’d lived in Togetsu all my life. Seeing so many buildings stretch on through the endless maze of roads left me in disbelief.
Akemi rolled into a gas station to refill her car. But it didn’t look like we were at Karatsu yet, given the city was on the coast.
“Feel free to stretch your legs, guys.” Akemi hopped out and rolled her neck.
Maruyama remained asleep, but Satoshi and I stayed in the car under his awkward occasional snores.
“S-So… are you excited to start your new job?" I asked.
"I'm more excited about my parents not bothering me about it anymore," Satoshi answered.
"They care about—"
My phone vibrated again. It couldn't have been Satoshi. He was seated beside me with his phone in his pocket right now. I checked mine to find that the NTL app had started a round.
[Give Satoshi a handjob in the car.] +15,000pts +20% Partner bonus
[Give Satoshi a blowjob in the car.] +20,000pts +20% Partner bonus
[Have sex with Satoshi in the car.] +50,000pts +20% Partner bonus
[Random Choice for x2 points], [Reroll Choices -500pts], [Upgrade a Choice]
My heart skipped a beat. I selected to reroll the choices.
[Give Satoshi a handjob in the store.] +15,000pts +20% Partner bonus
[Give Satoshi a blowjob in the store.] +20,000pts +20% Partner bonus
[Have sex with Satoshi in the store.] +50,000pts +20% Partner bonus
[Random Choice for x2 points], [Reroll Choices -500pts], [Upgrade a Choice]
These weren't any better!
"Satoshi, I think I want to go look for some snacks inside the store. Do you want to come with me?" I asked.
"Huh? Oh, sure." Satoshi nodded.
As soon as we exited the car, Akemi, who was leaning against the driver's side door, glanced our way.
"I'm almost done filling the tank. Where are you two going?" Akemi asked.
"Going to buy something in the store. Do you want anything? My treat," I offered.
"Well, if you're buying, I'd like an iced coffee and wasabi peas! Get sleepy head in there an iced coffee, too. No snacks for him," she said.
Satoshi and I entered the small convenience store. The attendant behind the counter, a man in his middle ages, welcomed us without so much as looking up from his phone.
"Not that way." I grabbed Satoshi by hand before he wandered off into the beverage aisle, leading him into the restroom instead.
"W-What?" Satoshi gasped.
We entered the men's, and I pulled Satoshi all the way to the back into a stall.
"Take off your pants," I said.
"I thought you said we should take it slow as boyfriend and girlfriend?" Satoshi tilted his head.
"I… Your girlfriend wants to make you feel good. It's a reward for getting a job," I explained, and he didn't hesitate to pull down his pants.
When I took Satoshi's dick into my mouth, I felt myself getting wet again. He braced his hands on my head and moaned. I licked around his glans, slowly massaging his balls to coax him to climax faster.
"You look so hot down there. I want to hold it in forever." Satoshi sighed blissfully.
"No, don't! Akemi's expecting us back soon," I reminded him.
The door creaked open. I clammed up. Whoever they were walked up to the urinal and started peeing.
"Satoshi, you in there?" Maruyama's voice echoed in the restroom.
With his dick still in my mouth, I nodded for him to answer.
"Y-Yeah," Satoshi replied.
"Oh, okay. I didn't see you or Marika in the store. I figured you went to the restrooms, too. Anyway, don't take too long, or we'll leave without you!" Maruyama joked, finished up, washed his hands, and left.
I deepthroated Satoshi, and he finally orgasmed. His hot cum dripped down my throat. I swallowed it all and licked him clean.
"That was close…" I sighed.
"Can we have sex next?" Satoshi asked eagerly.
"No! Go outside and let me know when I'm in the clear to leave," I said.
Satoshi pulled his pants up and did as I asked. His text came a minute later, and I emerged from the restroom unbeknownst to anyone else. We purchased what Akemi wanted and returned to the car to set off again. I looked at my phone, and 20,000 points and 4,000 bonus points had been added to my total.
We finally arrived in Karatsu to the sea breeze blowing in from Karatsu Bay. The roof of Karatsu Castle in the distance poked over the city's small skyline. Akemi turned off the AC and rolled down the windows to get a good whiff, then breathed out deeply in delight.
Satoshi was at the edge of his seat, looking out the window. Like Keita, he also had a youthful wanderlust for places other than the rural countryside. I often wondered how different I would have turned out with that sort of sentiment in me. As far as Tetsu and I were concerned, we planned to live the rest of our lives in Togetsu.
Akemi came to a stop across Karatsu Station, in the parking lot of a tall concrete building. Outside on the curb, a sign listed all the names of the business that occupied it. OmniAction was one of them.
"I figured a construction company owned by a bigger company would have a… you know, nicer headquarters?" Akemi scratched her head.
"Satoshi, you wait in the car. It won't take long," I said.
"I want to come with. Can't I?" Satoshi asked.
Akemi and I exchanged uneasy glances.
"Okay, why not?" Akemi walked ahead.
The four of us entered the quiet lobby. Immediately inside, a stairwell led up into darkness. Plastic plants and abstract painting decorated the interior. We opted for the elevator. The control panel listed the same company names at their respective floors. OmniAction was on the fifth.
A long hallway stretched before us when the elevator doors opened. Some doors were opened, others not. Most rooms were empty. The few that weren't had employees typing away at their keyboards behind desks and counters. OmniAction was at the very end of the hallway.
Maruyama opened the door into a lobby that looked like it belonged to a dentistry. Colorless and devoid of vibrancy, the place seemed as sanitized as a surgeon's operating table. White chairs seated against a tan wall. An aquarium boasted nothing but small goldfishes swimming around a single coral archway. Definitely not what we expected a construction company's office to look like., A bespectacled man in a suit behind the counter looked up, brows knitted together as if he wasn't expecting guests.
"Uh, can I help you?" the man asked.
"I'm Haruki Maruyama. I applied for a job and came in for an interview." Maruyama handed him a printed resume and cover letter.
The clerk spared the briefest glance before giving it back.
"Wait right here." He disappeared down a corridor.
We stood there awkwardly. Akemi, on the other hand, went around inspecting the place like a detective searching for a secret door. A few minutes later, a sharply-dressed older man with gray hair and a stiff smile came out to greet us.
"Mr. Maruyama? I'm Takashige. Thank you for coming. I'll be handling your interview for today." The man named Takashige bowed, then reached out to shake Maruyama's hand. "Please, come right this way. Your family… friends? They may wait here. It shouldn't take long."
Maruyama followed Takashige down the corridor. They must have gone far, because their footsteps stopped echoing at some point, and I didn't hear the sound of a door closing shut. The rest of us took a seat to wait. Satoshi went to look at the fishes in the aquarium.
"What now?" Akemi leaned over and asked. "How do we ditch Satoshi?"
"I don't know. I wasn't expecting Satoshi to come with us to Karatsu. I thought for sure he was going to be working today. What if one of us stays, and the other sneaks into the building?" I suggested.
"Yeah. Yeah, okay. I remember seeing an Invisibility Potion that you can buy in the NTL app. Er… Hey, where did the receptionist go?" She stared past me to the counter.
They were gone. Akemi tiptoed up to the counter. She got a little bolder and looked down the corridor Maruyama and Takashige had gone.
"It's just a hallway with a bunch of doors. Alright, I'll go. I have enough points to buy the Invisibility Potion. You wait here with Satoshi. I'll text you if something's up," Akemi explained.
"Be careful," I implored.
Akemi entered the restroom across the room. Moments later, the door opened slowly even though I couldn't see her. The NTL app's terrifying ability to bend reality worked again. She was thoroughly invisible. Satoshi hadn't noticed either, too busy with something funny on his phone.
A light tap on my shoulder freaked me out. Akemi's quiet little giggle grew further away as she darted back. I glared in her direction, hoping that she saw.
"Wait, where did Ms. Fukuhara go?" Satoshi finally looked up.
"I saw Akemi go into the restroom. Something about a stomach ache," I lied.
Ten minutes went by, then twenty, and half an hour. No signs of the other two coming back, nor a text from Akemi. Was an interview supposed to last this long? My eyelids were getting heavy. Drowisness tried to tug them closed. To my side, Satoshi had slumped over and fallen asleep. Since when? Even after drinking coffee, I couldn't keep my eyes open. Unable to resist, my consciousness slipped entirely.
I snapped awake on the carpet floor. Satoshi was lying next to me. The room we were in wasn't the same lobby from before. It was barely furnished, with only a bed against the wall, and a water dispenser next to the door on one side of the room. What didn't belong, however, was the large flat screen above the bed. A faint static emitted from it.
"Satoshi, wake up!" I shook him hard.
"Nngh… What happened?" Satoshi rubbed his eyes.
"I'm not sure… I was hoping you could answer that," I said.
My hands felt around my pockets for a phone that should have been on me. Both of us ran to the door, but the knob wouldn't budge. We knocked for minutes, and no one answered. As panic set in, the large screen turned on. A menu very similar to the NTL app round appeared.
[Timer: 2:00:00. Achieve 1 blowjob to move on to the next round. Complete all rounds in order to escape. Failure will result in a punishment game.]
The clock's time began to run down.
1:59:59… 1:59:58… 1:59:57…