CHAPTER 279: THE HEAT WITHIN ( 279 )

Meanwhile, in the Kitayama residence.

Hanako chuckled softly as she set the phone back on the table.

Just then, Kyouko stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a soft white towel, her damp hair falling over her shoulders in delicate waves.

This big girl of mine...

"Kyouko!!"

"W–wha!? M–Mother!" Kyouko startled, clutching the edge of her towel. "Don’t scare me like that!"

"You should head straight to your room and put something on," Hanako said, arms crossed with a knowing look.

"Wh–what? I’m not naked..." Kyouko mumbled, cheeks flushing faintly.

Hanako’s sharp eyes narrowed. "You do realize how many people are outside right now? Workers, decorators, even the shrine staff. Some of them are men, you know!"

She stepped forward and hissed in a whisper, "Go now!"

Kyouko flinched slightly, flustered. "Y–yes, Mother!"

She quickly padded down the hall, her feet light against the tatami floor as she disappeared into her room.

Hanako sighed and shook her head, though a faint smile tugged at her lips.

Even now, she’s still like a teenager when flustered.

Hanako turned back toward the window, watching the busy courtyard where preparations were still ongoing.

The wedding was close.

And despite all the years that had passed, despite everything Kyouko had endured, Hanako had never seen her daughter shine this brightly.

Hanako smiled to herself, then suddenly remembered Haruki’s call.

She glanced at the phone resting quietly on the low table.

"Oh right..."

She picked it up and headed toward Kyouko’s room.

Standing just outside the door, she gave a light knock.

"Kyouko."

A muffled voice responded from within. "Yes, Mother?"

"Haruki called earlier. He said he’s already arrived in Okinawa."

There was a pause.

Then a surprised gasp.

"Eh!? You picked up the call!?" Kyouko’s voice shot up, clearly flustered.

Hanako raised an eyebrow, smirking faintly as the door slid open just enough for Kyouko to peek out, hair still damp, a soft robe now wrapped neatly around her figure.

"Why did you pick up the call?" Kyouko asked, cheeks tinted pink.

Hanako shrugged casually and held the phone out. "Hmm? Haruki is also my son-in-law. Of course I can pick up the call even if the phone is yours."

Kyouko sighed, puffing her cheeks. "Mou~ mother..."

Hanako chuckled softly, eyes full of fondness as she handed the phone over.

"You should message him back. He sounded excited to see you tomorrow."

Kyouko took the phone gently, her expression softening the moment she looked at the screen.

"I will..."

Hanako gave a knowing smile, turning to walk away.

"I’ll go check on the tea. Don’t take too long, alright? Dinner soon."

"Hai..." Kyouko murmured.

She stepped back into her room and slid the door shut.

Kyouko sat quietly on the edge of her futon, letting her fingers trace the edges of her phone. The screen was still lit—Haruki’s number displayed there.

She smiled to herself, then tapped the screen.

The dial tone rang once, twice—then connected.

She put the phone on loudspeaker and held it close.

"Hello, Kyouko~" Haruki’s voice came through, warm and unmistakably happy.

"Hello, Haruki... darling~" Her voice was soft, teasing.

"What are you doing?" he asked gently.

"Nothing~ Just finished shower. Now wearing my clothes," she said with a faint giggle in her tone.

Haruki chuckled. "Lucky clothes?"

"Maybe..." she answered playfully.

There was a small pause.

Then Kyouko asked in a quieter voice, full of affection.

"Did you miss me?"

On the other end, Haruki didn’t answer immediately. Then his voice dropped into something deeper, sincere.

"Always."

Kyouko’s smile widened, her heart quietly racing.

She held the phone close and whispered.

"Me too."

"Can’t wait for tomorrow, Kyouko," Haruki said, his voice soft with warmth.

"Mm... me too," she replied, gazing at the faint outline of her wedding kimono.

"Nervous?" Haruki chuckled on the other end.

"No~ This isn’t my first wedding," she teased lightly. "Same goes for you~"

"Yeah... I know," Haruki replied, smiling to himself as he leaned back on the futon, the children’s laughter faintly echoing from the other side of the house.

There was a pause—gentle and filled with a quiet sense of closeness.

"But this time," Kyouko added softly, "it’s with someone I truly love."

Haruki’s breath caught for a second.

"...mmmm...."

From the other end of the line, Kyouko could hear the familiar voice of Mrs. Himari calling the children for dinner.

Haruki sighed lightly. "Kyouko... I have to go for now. Don’t forget to rest, okay?"

"Mm... I know. You too, Haruki."

"Yeah..."

A quiet second passed, then Kyouko heard his voice drop to a whisper,low, teasing, edged with restrained hunger.

"I can’t wait to ravish you all night... I’ve been holding back for days already."

A soft laugh escaped her lips, warm, breathy, intimate.

"Naughty boy~" she whispered back, a smile curving on her face as her cheeks tinged pink.

Haruki chuckled in return, then said softly, "I love you."

"I love you too," Kyouko replied gently.

That night.

The Kitayama residence was still bathed in quiet activity,soft voices murmuring in the courtyard, distant footsteps of relatives and staff finalizing details for tomorrow’s ceremony. But inside her room, Kyouko lay still on her futon, eyes half-lidded, breathing faintly uneven.

She couldn’t sleep.

Not because of the preparations. Not because of nerves.

But because her body was aching.

A low, deep ache that pulsed from deep within her core, warm, persistent, restless.

She shifted under her covers, her thighs brushing against each other, and the contact made her flinch softly. So sensitive... even that slight friction made her body jolt. Her skin tingled. Her chest rose and fell slowly as she stared at the dark ceiling above.

What is this...?

Her lower lip trembled as she bit it gently, trying to contain the waves building inside her.

She had never felt like this before.

Not in her youth.

Not during her marriage.

Not even once, during twenty years of sharing a bed with her ex- husband, did she experience this kind of uncontrollable desire.

And yet now... after knowing Haruki... after having his wide, thick, delicious shaft inside her...

She shut her eyes tight, squeezing her thighs together again as the memory flooded back. That stretch. That fullness. That way her body welcomed him, greedy, eager, needing him more than she ever understood.

How did it come to this...?

How did I... become like this?

Her pussy pulsed again, desperate. She gasped quietly, trembling.She couldn’t explain it.

All she knew was that Haruki had awakened something in her that could never be closed again. Her body... it didn’t want anything else. Didn’t respond to anything else. His size, his thickness, how he filled her, how deep he reached, was etched inside her now.

Like he belonged there.

Her body... remembered.

And it missed him.

Kyouko curled up slightly, hugging the pillow close to her chest, her breath quickening in the stillness. The ache was growing. Her skin burned with heat. Even her fingers trembled, unsure where to go, unsure if she should.

I want him...

I want him so badly.

( End Of Chapter )