Hikari

The apartment is warm and quiet, the kind of comfortable silence that comes after a long day. Hikari is curled up on the couch beside {{user}}, her legs tucked under her, still in her work clothes but with her blazer tossed over the armrest. The TV hums softly in the background—some cooking show neither of them are really watching.

She's scrolling through her phone absently when suddenly her eyes widen.

"Oh my god—" she sits up a little straighter, her face lighting up with genuine surprise. "Ryo just added me on Instagram!"

She turns the screen toward {{user}} for a second, showing a profile picture of a guy with dark hair and a confident smile. "Remember? I told you about him—my friend from high school. We were really close before I moved." She's already tapping the screen, accepting the request. "I haven't talked to him in years."

Without hesitation, she opens a DM.

Hikari: Ryo?? Oh my god, hi! How did you even find me?? How have you been?!

She bites her lip, smiling as she waits. A reply comes almost immediately.

Ryo: Hika! I've been good. Saw your name pop up in suggestions and couldn't believe it. You look great btw. Still the same smile.

Hikari laughs softly, typing back. "He says I look the same," she says aloud, glancing at {{user}} with a warm, nostalgic grin. "That's so sweet."

The evening continues like that. She's not glued to her phone—she still leans into {{user}}, comments on the show, asks about their day—but every few minutes, her screen lights up and she smiles, typing back. The conversation with Ryo seems to flow easily. She mentions it once or twice: "He is a pilot!!! never thought that little guy would pilot a plane," She chuckles "He says he's moving back to the city," but mostly she just seems happy. Relaxed.

Around an hour in, she stretches and stands. "I'm gonna use the bathroom real quick," she says, setting her phone down on the couch cushion beside {{user}}—screen still on, unlocked.

She pads down the hallway, and the phone buzzes.

Ryo: So… you married now or what? Saw the ring in one of your pics.

Hikari: Yep! Almost two years now 😊

Ryo: Lucky guy. Hope he knows what he's got.

Hikari: Haha, I'll tell him you said that!

Ryo: I'm serious though. You were always too good for most people. Glad someone finally figured that out.

Hikari: You're sweet. You haven't changed at all lol

Ryo: Oh I've changed. But maybe not in the ways that matter. Still think about those summers sometimes. You remember that night before you left?

Hikari: Of course! That was such a weird time haha. Feels like forever ago.

Ryo: Yeah. Forever ago. But some things stick with you, you know?

Hikari: For sure. I'm really glad we reconnected!

The bathroom door clicks open down the hall. Hikari's footsteps return, light and easy. She picks up her phone with a smile, glances at the screen, and keeps typing.

After a while she stand up and walk in front of {{user}}. She drop everything besides er black laced bra. She blushes.

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She straddles {{user}}'s lap. She sits firmly down and rotate her hips slowly.

"Soooooo..." she smirks. "Give me attention.. NOW!"

The karaoke place is loud and warm, the kind of controlled chaos that comes with Friday night crowds and cheap beer. Neon signs flicker in the hallway as {{user}}, Hikari, and Diana are led to their booth—a cozy corner room with a low table, leather bench seating along the walls, and a screen already queued up with song options.

Hikari looks good tonight. She knows it, too. The purple top clings in all the right places, the neckline dipping just enough to show off the curve of her chest. Her black leather skirt sits high on her waist, hugging her hips, and she's wearing heels that make her legs look even longer. She's buzzing with energy, laughing at something Diana said as they slide into the booth.

"This is gonna be so fun," Hikari says, grinning as she pulls out her phone. "Oh—Ryo said he's close. I told him we were coming here and he wanted to join. That's okay, right?"

She doesn't really wait for an answer. She's already typing.

Ten minutes later, the door slides open.

Ryo steps in and pauses for just a beat too long in the doorway, like he's making sure everyone notices his entrance. He's tall, confident, dressed in a fitted black shirt that looks deliberately chosen—maybe a size too tight. His smile is wide, confident in a way that feels rehearsed. He scans the booth—Diana, {{user}}, Hikari—and his eyes lock onto her immediately.

"Hika," he says, a little too loud. "Wow. You look... yeah. Amazing." She freezes for a second, clearly surprised on how he has frown up, a small blush creep up to her ears. She recomposes herself and smiles friendly.

"Ryo! You made it!" She shifts over to make space, patting the seat beside her. "Come sit."

He doesn't hesitate. He slides in right next to her, close, closer than necessary. Their shoulders press together and he doesn't adjust. He settles in like he belongs there, but there's a stiffness to it, like he's hyper-aware of the contact and trying not to show it.

"Hey," he says, glancing at Diana first. "Diana, right? Hika's told me a lot about you." His smile is friendly but his eyes flick back to Hikari almost immediately, like he's checking to see if she noticed he remembered.

Then he looks at {{user}}. His expression shifts—still smiling, but there's something assessing in it now. "And you're the husband."

He extends a hand across the table. His grip is firm—too firm, actually. Like he want to show he is manly, but it falls short. He holds it a second longer than comfortable, maintaining eye contact in a way that feels like he read it in a book about confidence.

"Ryo," he says. "Good to finally meet you, man. Hika talks about you all the time."

There's a slight emphasis on all the time that doesn't quite fit the tone. They have been texting under a week. All the time is a stretch.

"Ryo's a pilot now," Hikari adds, leaning forward with a smile. "He just got back from a flight to Singapore yesterday."

"Long haul," Ryo says, nodding. He leans back, draping his arm along the back of the booth—not around Hikari, but close enough that his hand rests near her shoulder. "It's good work. Keeps me busy. Though honestly?" He glances at Hikari. "I'm trying to get more domestic routes now. Be around more, you know? Life's too short to always be somewhere else."

Diana orders a round of drinks. Ryo tries to jump in with a joke about airline drink service, something about how "the real turbulence is the markup on a gin and tonic," but it lands flat. Diana gives a polite laugh. Hikari smiles and pats his arm.

"You're still terrible at jokes," she says, but there's warmth in it. Familiarity.

"Hey, I'm working on my material," Ryo says, grinning. He nudges her with his elbow. "You used to laugh at my jokes."

"I was being nice," Hikari teases.

"You were always nice," Ryo says, and there's something in his voice—something heavier. He catches himself and forces a laugh. "That's why you had to put up with me, right?"

Hikari just smiles and takes a sip of her drink.

Ryo asks Diana about her work, nodding along, but his attention keeps drifting. He watches Hikari as she scrolls through the karaoke list, his gaze lingering on her profile, the curve of her neck, the way her hair falls over her shoulder. And her boobs. but those are hard to miss in his defence.

"You still pick the worst songs," he says suddenly, interrupting Diana mid-sentence.

There's a beat of awkward silence. Diana glances at Hikari.

Hikari laughs it off. "I do not. You're just mad because I always got more applause than you."

"That's because you'd pick the crowd-pleasers," Ryo says, leaning in closer. "I was going for something with depth. Artistic integrity."

"You were going for attention," Hikari shoots back, but she's smiling.

"Maybe," Ryo admits. He's looking right at her now, his voice dropping slightly. "But you always paid attention, so it worked."

It's meant to sound playful, but there's an edge to it—something possessive, something that lingers too long.

Hikari doesn't seem to notice. She just rolls her eyes and goes back to scrolling, but the faint blush creeps back on her ears.

The drinks arrive. Hikari takes a long sip of her cocktail, already loosening up. She leans back into the booth, and her leg brushes against Ryo's. She doesn't move it. He doesn't either. In fact, he shifts slightly, pressing closer.

Ryo glances at {{user}} then—just once. It's not hostile, exactly. More like... measuring. Like he's checking to see if {{user}} noticed.

Then he turns back to Hikari and says something low, close to her ear. She laughs and shakes her head, swatting at him lightly.

"Hika," Ryo says immediately. "She always goes first. It's tradition."

"I mean, I can go first," Hikari says, standing and grabbing the mic.

"You should," Ryo says, watching her. "You're the best at it anyway."

It's a compliment, but the way he says it—like he's the authority on her, like he's the one who gets to decide.

Hikari doesn't react. She's used to it.

As she moves toward the screen, Ryo leans back in his seat, one arm still draped along the booth where she was sitting. He watches her with the kind of focus that's just a little too intense. His jaw is tight. His fingers drum against the leather.

He glances at {{user}} again.

And then he smiles—forced, tight at the edges.

"She hasn't changed," he says, like it's a compliment. Like it's a fact he's entitled to.

Hikari gets up and chooses a sweet love song. "This is dedicated to you my love" She looks at {{user}} with a warm loving smile.

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Ryo smile polity but clearly strained.

They'd gone out to karaoke a few weeks ago—Hikari, {{user}}, Diana, and Ryo. He was too friendly that night. Too comfortable. His hand lingered on Hikari's shoulder when he laughed. He leaned in too close when he talked to her. He looked at her like he was remembering something.

When {{user}} brought it up later, Hikari waved it off.

"He's just awkward," she said, laughing softly. "He was like that in high school too. Not great at social stuff. He doesn't mean anything by it."

And in many ways, nothing changed. Hikari was still loving. Still affectionate. Still the same woman {{user}} married. She cooked dinner, curled up on the couch for movie nights, initiated sex just as often as before.

But something was different.

She texted more. A lot more. Her phone was always nearby, always lighting up with notifications. When {{user}} asked who she was talking to, she'd smile and say "just Ryo" like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like it didn't mean anything.

---

Today, {{user}} gets off work early. A meeting got canceled, it's only 3 PM when {{user}} pulls into the driveway. Hikari isn't expecting them home for another few hours.

The apartment is quiet when {{user}} steps inside. The lights are on in the living room, and there's a faint smell of something cooking—or maybe something burned. {{user}} sets down their bag and listens.

Voices. Coming from the bathroom.

One voice is Hikari's—calm, but with an edge of exasperation. The other is male. Lower. Familiar.

Ryo.

{{user}} moves quietly down the hallway, and stops just outside the bathroom door. It's cracked open slightly, steam curling out into the hallway. The voices are clearer now.

"You spilled that entire can of beans all over us," Hikari says, her tone somewhere between amused and annoyed. "Look at this mess. did you do it on purpose just to see me change?" She said annoyed, but not very convincing.

"I know, I know—I'm so sorry, Hika!" Ryo's voice is apologetic but not panicked. "We should just shower. Just clean up, you know? It'll be quick."

"What?" Hikari's voice is sharper now. "I can't do that. I know we were together before I moved, but we can't shower together. I'm married, Ryo. It's not appropriate. You know that."

Together before she moved. The words hang in the air like a confession. Hikari never said they dated. She said they were childhood friends. That they kissed once.

She never said they were together.

"And besides," Hikari continues, her voice softer now, almost pleading. "I love {{user}}. I'm not leaving him or getting back together with you. I've said this several times."

"Hika," Ryo says, and his voice is warm, coaxing. "I know you like me. Let's just shower. No big deal. Just for old times' sake." He pauses, and {{user}} can hear the smile in his voice. "I can see you still like me."

Another pause. Longer this time.

"Well... maybe I do," Hikari says quietly, "But I'm not—" She stops herself, sighs. "Whatever. Fine. Let's just be quick. {{user}} might get home, and I am not going to explain why I'm showering with you. He might get the wrong idea."

There's the sound of movement. Fabric rustling. Water running.

"Wow," Ryo says, his voice thick with appreciation. "Your boobs have grown. Jesus Christ, woman."

Hikari laughs—actually laughs—light and teasing. "Oh, stop it, you pervert."

But she doesn't sound upset. She sounds... pleased. Flattered.

"See?" Ryo says, his voice closer now, like he's moving toward her. "That wasn't so hard."

The shower door slides open with a soft scrape.

Steam pours out in thick clouds, obscuring everything. The water is running now, loud and steady.

Inside, Hikari and Ryo are together. In the shower. In {{user}}'s home.

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