I woke up the next morning with my husband Tetsu sleeping beside me. He had made it home after all. Thank goodness. My heart was a lot more at ease just seeing him. If only the NTL app made me do things with Tetsu instead. We haven't had the time, and he was always exhausted after work.
When I grabbed my phone and navigated to the app, I waited for nearly fifteen minutes just lying there. Nothing happened.
"Better get started on breakfast." I rose from bed and groggily made my way to the bathroom first.
Satoshi and Keita must still be asleep, too. I wasn't looking forward to seeing my son's friend. According to the app, it turned out that he was peeking in on me when I was… pleasuring myself.
No, wait a minute. First of all, why was I so concerned? Satoshi was in the wrong for peeping. With any luck, he doesn't say a thing, and we could pretend it never happened.
"Maybe I'll take an early bath first." I entered the bathroom and shut the door behind me, only to hear a gasp.
My eyes adjusted to the dim lights to find Satoshi standing over the toilet, frozen like a deer in headlights, pants around his ankles, and penis in hand.
"Mrs. K-Kashiwagi, I can explain!" Satoshi panicked and turned his back to me.
"I should've knocked first. I'm sorry!" I was about to leave until my phone buzzed.
A chill ran up my spine as I checked it. The NTL app.
[Give Satoshi a handjob.] +5,000pts +5% Partner bonus
[Strip naked for Satoshi.] +1,000pts +5% Partner bonus
[Have sex with Satoshi.] +30,000pts +5% Partner bonus
[Random Choice for x2 points], [Reroll Choices -500pts], [Upgrade a Choice]
Nothing about these were tame! I shouldn't, especially not with Satoshi. If I didn't follow through with a choice, Saya said something bad might happen. But me missing a round and Tetsu being late to come home had to have been a coincidence… right?
"Satoshi, turn around," I said.
"Huh?" Satoshi did so nervously until his erection was facing my way.
It looked nothing like Tetsu's. Satoshi was circumcised, a practice that my family didn't follow. A long vein ran down the shaft. This wasn't a boy's penis, but a man's.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Kashiwagi! I'll just get out now!" As Satoshi pulled his pants up, it snagged on his penis.
"Wait. We have to take care of that. So… let me help you," I offered.
"I… you— but…" Stammering, he stared blankly at me.
"My husband used to get hard every morning, but that was when we were in our 20s. Nowadays… Er, that's not important. You must be uncomfortable with an erection like that. If you go back to Keita's room, my son might tease you to no end."
"In that case…"
My chest was racing. My head was spinning. Still, I followed through and reached out, grabbing a hold of Satoshi's hard penis. His knees almost buckled. The thick vein was a strange feeling against my palm, but not an unpleasant one.
For the game, I repeated to myself.
"Ow!" Satoshi winced.
"Did I hurt you?" I gasped.
"Could you maybe… spit on it?" he asked.
Right. It was dry without any lube. I spat into my hand and went back to stroking Satoshi. His breathing grew more hoarse the longer I continued. This was the only bathroom in the house. If my husband or son walked in on us, I wouldn't know how to explain myself. Why was I even doing this?
Despite my reservation, this was turning out to be a lot more thrilling than I expected. My body was on fire, much like whenever I get the urge or right before masturbating. Satoshi shuddered so much. Just knowing that I was the one giving him this pleasure excited me.
"Satoshi," I said, picking up the pace. "Last night, you peeped on me, didn't you?"
"I did… I didn't mean to. I was coming back from the bathroom when I heard voices from your room, and— Mrs. Kashiwagi, I'm— nngh!" Satoshi drew a sharp breath and climaxed all over my hand.
It just kept coming. The warm gooey substance spread across my palm, making sticky threads between each finger. I was transfixed. There was so much that Satoshi's ejaculate dripped to the floor. And the smell was so intense…
"Satoshi, you better get going. I'll clean up here," I said.
Without a word, Satoshi pulled his pants up, washed his hands in the sink, and hurried out. I heard the door down the hall opening and closing as he slipped back into my son's room. Meanwhile, I remained in the bathroom still petrified by what had happened.
I rinsed my hands with extra soap, then used toilet paper to wipe the floor clean of Satoshi's ejaculate. Paranoia chewed at the back of my mind. Instead of dumping the wad in the bin, I flushed it down the toilet.
"I can't believe I did that…" Glancing at myself in the mirror, I realized I was also in my camisole and underwear. My nipples were so stiff, they were too obvious for Satoshi not to have noticed. Even though my hand had been scrubbed clean, the sensation was still there.
But the NTL app!
My phone was in my other hand this entire time. The points had gone from [2,000/5,000,000] to [7,250/5,000,000]. 5,000 from giving Satoshi a handjob, and the extra 5% bonus for a total of 5,250 points.
If I cashed out now, I'd have 14,500 Yen. Today was a brand new day, and I already made a lot more than I normally would by helping around the village.
Saya poked her head into view from the top right corner of the phone screen.
[Hehe. Are you feeling it now, Marika? All you did was give that guy a handjob, and you earned so many points! Since Satoshi is linked as a Partner, you're gaining increasingly streak bonuses. The next time you play a round with him, it's an additional 10%!]
"I feel so guilty about it. Satoshi is Keita's friend, and I went behind my husband's by doing this." I sulked.
[Oh, Marika.] Saya began patronizingly. [What you do is your business. Besides, you have more points to do whatever you want. Check the shop, why don't you? Cash out! Or save some to reroll choices you don't like. The world is your oyster!]
The more I spoke with Saya, the stranger she seemed. Her personality seemed too real to be just a digital avatar, or whatever A.I. is. For all I knew, there could be a real person behind her. As I focused on Saya, something about her seemed different. It was then that I noticed a tiny section of her halo had darkened. The ring was still a mostly golden circlet, but smudged.
"Saya, is your halo supposed to have that dark spot on it?" I asked.
[Hm? I haven't noticed! Maybe I just need a nice warm shower to start the morning~] The angel avatar ducked away and disappeared.
Were digital avatars capable of lying? It definitely sounded like Saya knew something and didn't want to say. I wasn't getting any answers in the bathroom, that was for sure. I hurried to freshen up, then returned to my room to get changed.
As I prepared breakfast over the stove, I couldn't get the sensation of Satoshi's penis and his ejaculate out of my head. Bitter smoke filled the air. When I looked down, the eggs were over-done. I quickly pulled the pan off the stove and plated them.
"What is wrong with me?" I cursed under my breath.
"What's wrong with what?" Tetsu dragged his feet into the kitchen and plopped down on a seat.
"N-Nothing! I just dozed off and burned the eggs a little. I'll remake them." I was about to toss the eggs until he grabbed my elbow.
"It's fine. I don't mind them being a little burnt. Sure, eggs aren't very expensive. We still shouldn't be wasteful," he insisted, taking the plate from my hand.
I relented and let Tetsu eat them. We ate ahead of Satoshi and Keita first. Satoshi probably wasn't keen on an awkward breakfast, and wouldn't put it past Keita oversleeping. My husband and I ate together in what felt like ages. This was… nice.
"So, I see you got the phones from Maruyama." Tetsu gestured to my cell on the table.
"Yeah. They call these smartphones. They cost a lot and came with a monthly fee, too! I don't know how we were ever going to afford them if you hadn't saved up." I sighed.
"Can I see?" He reached across the table, and something inside me snapped.
"No!"
It was enough to startle Tetsu back into his seat.
"Uh, sorry?" Tetsu chuckled in confusion.
"D-Don't be! I'm sorry. The phones cost so much, I was just worried you might mishandle it… or something." I held my phone tightly, worried that Tetsu might find the NTL app.
"Oh, come on. It was my money! I should at least be able to check it out." My husband slumped playfully over the table.
"Why don't…" I stuffed my phone into my pocket. "Why don't I buy you one? With my money? Then it'll be like we bought each other a gift!"
"You have enough to buy a cell phone?" He snickered.
Glaring, I folded my arms.
"I didn't mean that in a bad way! I know you do your best around Togetsu. The folks here are charitable, but they aren't exactly loaded," Tetsu said.
"I have enough." I nodded and calmed down. "The elders were particularly generous yesterday. Probably because I've been helping them for so long."
"Alright, sure. But just get me one of those old Nokia phones. I don't need a smartphone. Just a phone to call you and Keita with," he insisted.
Maruyama definitely had those in stock. They were certainly going to be cheaper than the ones Keita and I had. If we were able to stay in contact, I wouldn't have to worry about either of them.
"Where were you yesterday anyway? You came home so late!" I huffed.
Tetsu shuddered as if recalling a terrible memory. "Don't remind me… Yanagi's engine blew, if you can believe it. Before that, we spared a half hour of overtime to finish the rest of the field. I don't want to imagine what would've happened if we were in the truck at the time. Damn Yanagi likes to speed in his damn Kei truck, too. Maybe that's why it kicked the bucket."
Saya's warning echoed in my mind again. That there would be consequences for ignoring the NTL app. It had to be pure coincidence…
"Well, I'm glad you're okay. How do you plan to get to work today then?" I asked.
"By Boss Guo's little bus. You know, the Chinese expat that manages a tea leaf farm near Itsuki. It's how some of us got back late last night," Tetsu explained.
I winced at the name. Nick Guo. Tetsu had invited his boss to dinner here before. They both got drunk, and Mr. Guo became a little too handsy with me. My husband was too wasted to notice, but I kept it to myself. I didn't want to complicate their work relationship and stayed quiet about it to this day.
Satoshi and Keita eventually emerged from their room to eat breakfast with us. To no surprise, my son's friend avoided looking me in the eyes. He ate quietly the entire time, but I still felt him stealing glances at me as usual.
A loud horn blared several times in quick succession. Tetsu perked up and downed his coffee.
"That's the boss. I gotta go!" Tetsu kissed me on the cheek.
"I'll see you out the door!" I followed him out of the kitchen.
When Tetsu opened the door, a tacky Toyota bonnet bus greeted us from the road. Its blue and white coat of paint were peeling, and the right side view mirror appeared to be duck-taped back on.
"What's the hold up, Tetsu?" Mr. Guo shouted from the driver's seat, then flashed a smile and waved to me. "Hiya, Marika! When are you inviting me over for the next dinner?"
Despite being so sleazy, Nick Guo was a muscular man. His head was shaved bald, and uncharacteristic gold earrings hung from each lobe. He wore an unbuttoned, faded blue shirt over a greasy and oil-stained tank top.
I ignored him.
"So, should I expect you to be late tonight again?" I asked.
"Actually… Maybe. We're working on some fields in Itsuki, then going as far down as Sagara. Don't wait for me." Tetsu turned to leave, but I yanked him back for a kiss to make sure his boss saw.
"And don't invite your boss over. The guy eats way more than we can afford normally," I said.
"Alright, alright. But last time, he invited himself! Oh, and Marika? Give what I said yesterday some thought. You know, about having another kid." He smiled, then darted off before I could speak my peace.
My husband hopped into the bus filled with a bunch of other men. Mr. Guo winked at me, revved the engine, and rolled off. My only regret was that he didn't get to see me visibly gag.
"Mom, we're trying to go to school and you're in the way!" Keita groaned.
"Sorry! Er, wait. This early? You still have 40 minutes before classes begin," I said.
"Mr. Uehara's usually there early. I want to ask him for help with the upcoming test. I'm doing my best to ace it and get my grades up to transfer!" he exclaimed.
"Really? In that case, don't let me keep you two. I'm proud of you, kiddo." I ruffled his hair until he brushed my hands off. "Oh, and thank you, Satoshi. For helping my idiot Keita study."
"Y-Yeah…" Satoshi blushed.
I was reminded of what we did in the bathroom and turned red, too.
"What's with you guys? Never mind. Let's go, Satoshi!" Keita rushed out of the house.
"Wait, you know I'm not as fast as you!" Satoshi cried, chasing after him.
A smile crept on my face. Things were looking up. Keita was giving his all. Tetsu pressed on with his work. I needed to do my best, too.
Since there was plenty of morning left to go, I cleaned up in the kitchen, took out the trash, and aired out the bedsheets and futons. After finishing everything, curiosity led me back to the NTL app. With [7,250/5,000,000] points, I could cash out for twice that amount.
However, Saya did suggest I take a look at the shop. I made the plunge and selected the shopping cart icon. A whole different menu appeared, with a category list on the quarter left side of the screen and images of purchasable items the rest.
[Protection
Supplies
Sex Toys
Effects
Loan]
I pressed [Protection] and numerous items appeared with their associated cost in points. Condoms, dental dam, morning after pill, and more contraceptives. Selecting [Supplies] showed me things like lube, lingerie, and more. [Sex Toys] brought up exactly what the name implied, butt plugs, dildos, vibrators, nipple clamps, and others I couldn't even imagine. [Effects] listed off Invisibility, Broken Egg, Intensify, Memory Wipe, and…
"How would a mobile app even do such a thing? Invisibility?" I muttered to myself.
They were so expensive, too. Broken Egg. An effect that rendered ejaculate infertile. Did this app defy reality or what?
[Loan] also spoke for itself. It offered varying amounts of store credit, but noted that I must pay the loan back in a timely manner. Others, the choices with the highest points awarded would be picked for me.
Finally, there was a big item presented on a banner at the top of the shop. It was a treasure chest full of gold coins filled to the brim. But it cost a grand total of 5,000,000 points, which I was nowhere near.
I didn't need any of that and shut the app down for now. There was one thing I did need. But it wasn't from the app or here at home. Steeling my resolve, I headed to school. To Himawari. It was ten in the morning. The students should be deep in their lessons. Keita was doing his best. Unfortunately, his best could only amount to so much.
As his mother, it was up to me to protect his future.
Before I knew it, I was standing in front of Principal Iwata's office. My heart was beating like crazy. Was I really going to do this? Exchange sexual favors in return for getting my son his transfer? I didn't get the chance to decide. Fate decided for me when the principal opened the door.
"Marika! Fancy seeing you here so early in the morning. I was going to take a walk around the school, but that can wait. Did you… need something?" Principal Iwata asked, one corner of his lips curving.
My phone buzzed. I looked down to find the same choices from yesterday presented to me.
[Give Principal Iwata a handjob.] +5,000pts
[Give Principal Iwata a blowjob.] +10,000pts
[Have sex with Principal Iwata.] +30,000pts
[Random Choice for x2 points], [Reroll Choices -500pts], [Upgrade a Choice]
Today, I swallowed hard and selected [Give Principal Iwata a blowjob.]
"May we… speak inside?" I asked.