My dear wife, I still love you more.

"Huh? Hasegawa-kun, are you feeling guilty? Haha, I knew it! You, you put the notebook under the bed, under a boy's bed—"

Hasegawa, holding Mrs. Yui in his arms, felt a surge of fire rise within him, and he forcefully lifted her up—

"Huh? Hasegawa-kun, what are you doing? Put me down! I, I knew it! You, you must have put the notebook under the bed! Are you, are you shy? Haha, Hasegawa-kun is, really, cute—" Mrs. Yuihama's words were cut off as if by something.

The phoenix flute sounded, the jade pot turned light, and the fish and dragon danced overnight.

……

The morning sunlight streamed into the room through the window. Hasegawa's closed eyes twitched slightly. Before he even opened them, his brow furrowed involuntarily. His arm felt a little numb, and he tried to move it, but it felt like something heavy was pressing down on it. He instinctively opened his eyes and found Mrs. Yuihama resting her head on his arm, sleeping soundly. Although she was still asleep, she had a happy smile on her face.

Hasegawa paused for a moment, then recalled everything that had happened last night. Although it seemed that he had become like this under the influence of alcohol, Hasegawa was very happy. Looking at Mrs. Yuihama lying on him and resting her head on his arm, Hasegawa felt a little restless again. The bodies of young people are so full of vitality.

Just as Hasegawa couldn't help but hug Mrs. Yuihama, Mrs. Yuihama let out a soft groan, shifted her body slightly, and then her eyelids twitched as she groggily opened her eyes.

Upon opening her eyes, Mrs. Yuihama saw Hasegawa's face and instinctively greeted him, "Good morning, Hasegawa-kun."

"Good morning." Hasegawa hugged Mrs. Yuihama's arm with a little force.

Mrs. Yuihama greeted them, then closed her eyes again, paused for about a second, and then suddenly opened them wide: "Ah—"

……

Hasegawa and Mrs. Yui sat facing each other in the living room. Hasegawa had a smile on his face, his expression was calm, and he also revealed a hint of happiness.

Mrs. Yuihama's face was flushed, and she looked very troubled, her brows furrowed, and she sighed from time to time.

"Hasegawa-kun, you—" Mrs. Yuihama looked up and saw Hasegawa's happy smile. She wanted to get angry, but she couldn't quite bring herself to be angry. "Sigh, Hasegawa-kun, what do you think we should do?"

"Let's get married!" Hasegawa, with his chin resting on his hand and his eyes fixed on Mrs. Yuihama, answered directly after hearing her question.

"Huh? Hasegawa-kun, you, you, what nonsense are you talking about? Marriage, marriage, how, how is this possible?" Mrs. Yuihama blushed and kept waving her hands.

"Why is it impossible? Or is it that Mrs. Yuihama, you don't want to take responsibility?"

"Take responsibility? Hasegawa-kun, you, you, it was clearly you, it was you who took the initiative."

“But you didn’t refuse, and you were very proactive afterwards,” Hasegawa said with a smile.

Mrs. Yuihama's already very red cheeks turned even redder, and even her ears and neck turned red.

"Hasegawa-kun, you, you, you—" Mrs. Yuihama, whether out of embarrassment, anger at Hasegawa's words, or grievance, her eyes reddened and tears flowed uncontrollably.

"Don't cry, madam, please don't cry." Hasegawa panicked when he saw Mrs. Yuihama crying. He quickly stepped forward, tenderly hugged Mrs. Yuihama, and reached out to wipe away her tears.

Mrs. Yui struggled, trying to break free from Hasegawa's embrace, but Hasegawa's arms were very strong, and Mrs. Yui's struggles were not very strong. In the end, Mrs. Yui quietly lay in Hasegawa's arms, but she still couldn't help but want to cry.

Mrs. Yuihama probably never dreamed that things would turn out this way. She had always regarded Hasegawa as her son-in-law, but Hasegawa tried every means to sleep with her, and he succeeded.

Moreover, what makes Mrs. Yuigahama feel most guilty is that Hasegawa is the son-in-law she has chosen. She had already promised Yui Yuigahama that she would keep an eye on Hasegawa for her. Now, she has seen him in bed with her. How is she going to explain this to Yui Yuigahama?

Two and a half years later, the daughter returned home in her glory, only to see the boy she liked with her mother. She burst into tears, crying to her mother and Hasegawa, "Why did it turn out like this... For the first time, I had someone I liked; and I also had a mother who loved me so much. These two wonderful things intertwined. And these two joys brought me so much happiness. I should have been enjoying this dreamlike bliss. But why did it turn out like this...?"

The thought of how things would turn out made Mrs. Yuihama feel panicked and scared.

With a sudden burst of strength, she finally broke free from Hasegawa's embrace.

"Hasegawa-kun, you, we, we can't do this," Mrs. Yuihama said to Hasegawa with a bitter expression.

"Why not? We've already come this far, why can't we do this?" Hasegawa frowned.

"Yui, what should we do about Yui? Yui likes you very much. If Yui finds out that her mother and her favorite boy are together... Yui will never be able to accept it." Mrs. Yuihama wanted to cry when she thought of her daughter.

"Yui? Madam, I think she should, should understand us. Besides, there are still two and a half years until our promise to Yui. There's plenty of time. Maybe Yui will find a boy she likes within those two and a half years. Especially in the entertainment industry, there are so many handsome men and beautiful women. Maybe Yui will meet a handsome boy who likes her. Feelings are steadfast, yet not steadfast. Nobody can predict what will happen. Maybe she'll even come to bless us then." Hasegawa casually rambled on.

"Really? Really?" Mrs. Yuihama seemed to have been fooled. Of course, this was also because Mrs. Yuihama herself wanted to be fooled, and that's why she was fooled.

“Of course, the world is so big, all sorts of things can happen at any time, and no one knows what will happen next. Maybe Yui will meet her true love soon.” Hasegawa gently put his arm around Mrs. Yui’s shoulder and said softly.

“That would be wonderful, but, but, Hasegawa-kun, we, I think we, we are not, not suitable—” Mrs. Yuihama still looked conflicted.

"Why is it inappropriate? It's so appropriate."

"Yui, let's not talk about Yui for now. We are quite far apart in age, and I am a divorced woman. And, and Yui—" Although Mrs. Yui seemed to have been fooled, Yui Yui was still the hardest obstacle for her to overcome.

It's finally out! But honestly, in the author's plan, it wasn't going to be this soon; it was supposed to be at least another 100,000 to 200,000 words before release. However, judging from everyone's comments, it seems like everyone's getting impatient, so I decided to release it early, fueled by alcohol.

Chapter Thirty: Mrs. Sawamura's Regret

“Madam, age is not a problem. At least I don’t care about age at all. As for Yui—” Hasegawa paused slightly, it was indeed a headache and even a thorny issue for him: “There are still more than two years, so there’s no need to rush. There are always more solutions than problems, and we can always find a way to solve it.”

Hasegawa brought up the fact that there were still more than two years left.

After all, more than two years is quite a long time. With such a period of time, Mrs. Yuihama would inevitably have some wishful thinking. Therefore, during these two years, Mrs. Yuihama would not be in such a difficult position.

Sure enough, when she heard Hasegawa say it had been more than two years, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Then she realized she was still leaning against Hasegawa's chest, and couldn't help but blush, quickly pulling away.

Mrs. Yuigahama was still a little unaccustomed to their relationship. Of course, since they had already had one negative encounter, she wasn't too averse to occasional intimate gestures, like just now, being held in Hasegawa's arms and having his arm around her shoulder. Although she would still recommend Hasegawa, she wasn't particularly sensitive about it.

"It's getting late, I... I have to go to work." Mrs. Yuihama said, still a little flustered, as she turned to leave.

"Madam, perhaps you could take a day off today?" Hasegawa looked at Mrs. Yuihama with bright eyes.

"No, no." Mrs. Yuihama subconsciously turned around and met Hasegawa's bright eyes. She felt as if Hasegawa's gaze was directly into her heart, making her heart flutter. However, thinking about the relationship between her and Hasegawa, and what happened last night, Mrs. Yuihama felt uneasy again. She quickly shook her head and even ran out in a panic.

Seeing Mrs. Yuihama like this, Hasegawa smiled and shook his head. No matter what Mrs. Yuihama is thinking now, no matter what obstacles exist between the two of them, Mrs. Yuihama is definitely not going to escape.

Furthermore, Hasegawa wasn't in a hurry. The deed was already done, and nothing that happened could change that fact. He figured that if he gave Mrs. Yui time, she might come to her senses and distance herself from him again. But Hasegawa had a firm grasp of Mrs. Yui's personality; no matter what, she couldn't escape him.

Mrs. Yuihama seemed to be fleeing to work. Hasegawa didn't mind, and not long after Mrs. Yuihama left, he also went out with a smile.

Hasegawa had previously made a promise with Kasumigaoka Utaha that he would go to Eriri's house today. If Mrs. Yuihama hadn't gone to work, Hasegawa wouldn't have had to go back to Eriri's house. But since Mrs. Yuihama wasn't home, Hasegawa decided not to stay home either.

Having already made arrangements with Aki Tomoya yesterday, Hasegawa went to Eriri's house after meeting up with him. It was precisely because of this arrangement with Aki Tomoya that Hasegawa had previously thought that if Mrs. Yuihama didn't go to work today, he wouldn't go out either.

In Hasegawa's view, he was merely a tool, a means to get Aki Tomoya to visit Eriri and meet her. His presence or absence made little difference. Success lay in getting Aki Tomoya to Eriri's doorstep.

It must be said that although Hasegawa is very intelligent and not too oblivious when it comes to relationships, there are times when his emotional intelligence doesn't seem to be that high.

Or perhaps it's a matter of preconceived notions, so Hasegawa sometimes doesn't think that much or that deeply.

"Kenichi, did something happen to you today? You seem quite happy, and you seem a little different than before." Aki Tomoya couldn't help but say this to Hasegawa when they went to Eriri's house.

"Uh, is it that obvious?" Hasegawa asked, a smile still playing on his lips.

“Yes, it’s very obvious.” Aki Tomoya nodded.

"Well, didn't I tell you? My novel was recommended to the Naoki Prize by editor Machida. That's really exciting news." Hasegawa directly attributed the reason for the success to the Naoki Prize.

"Hmm, that's true. After all, it's the Naoki Prize." Aki Tomoya couldn't help but nod and sigh.

The Naoki Prize is a convenient excuse to dismiss everything. In Japan, traditional literary awards are incredibly prestigious, or rather, the very status of a writer is exceptionally high. Singers, celebrities, even directors and filmmakers—these identities pale in comparison to that of a renowned author.

The Japanese themselves hold this type of writer in high esteem and are very tolerant of them.

Take Osamu Dazai, for example. He attempted suicide several times with his girlfriends, and while they died, he survived—and not just once. Yet, no one blamed Dazai. On the contrary, after his death, many Japanese people felt regret and wept. This is because Dazai was a famous writer. If it were anyone else, or someone from another profession, such a person would have been condemned beyond measure.

Traditional writers hold a prestigious status, and winning the Naoki Prize is akin to an unknown actor suddenly winning an Oscar. Therefore, even though Hasegawa has only been nominated for the Naoki Prize, Aki Tomoya sees it perfectly normal for Hasegawa to be so happy.

Even now, Aki Tomoya's gaze towards Hasegawa has subtly gained a touch of respect, a respect he himself doesn't even realize.

They arrived at Eriri's house together. When Sawamura Sayuri saw Hasegawa and Aki Tomoya, her face lit up with a radiant smile.

"Rinya, and Kenichi, you've finally arrived. Eriri and her upperclassman Utaha have been waiting for you for a long time," Sawamura Sayuri said with a smile, her smile especially bright and sincere when she faced Hasegawa.

"I'm sorry, but even though it's summer vacation, we're still quite busy. I'm writing a novel, and Tomoya is constantly working part-time, so we really don't have much time," Hasegawa said politely.

"Yes, of course I know. And I also know that Kenichi's novel is going to be recommended by the publisher for the Naoki Prize. That's really amazing, Kenichi."

"It's alright, it's just that I was lucky enough to be noticed by the editor," Hasegawa said modestly.

"It's not a matter of luck. If Kenichi hadn't written such a good novel, the editor wouldn't have noticed it. I really hope Kenichi can win the Naoki Prize. After all, I contributed to this novel to some extent, right?" Sawamura Sayuri blinked her big eyes at Hasegawa.

“Yes, if Mrs. Sawamura hadn’t helped me before, I wouldn’t have been able to write so well,” Hasegawa said with a smile.

"Yes, yes. I think so too. If Kenichi needs to find material for his novels in the future, he can always come to me. I can answer any questions he has."

"I definitely will. I will definitely come to Mrs. Sawamura whenever I need to," Hasegawa nodded quickly.

"And me, Kenichi, you can contact me too," Aki Tomoya couldn't help but interject. After all, if a book could win the Naoki Prize, even just being able to participate in the research would be something very exciting for Aki Tomoya.

"Don't worry, I won't hesitate to ask if you need anything," Hasegawa said with a smile.

Sawamura Sayuri glanced at Aki Tomoya, inwardly shaking her head. In her mind, even though she had chosen Hasegawa, there should still be some competition between them. But Aki Tomoya was incredibly oblivious, seemingly oblivious to the difference in their abilities.

Considering the quality of the wood and Aki Tomoya's attitude, Sawamura Sayuri still felt that choosing Hasegawa was absolutely fantastic. Hasegawa is infinitely better than Aki Tomoya.

The only downside is that Hasegawa seems to be surrounded by quite a few girls. Even Kasumigaoka Utaha, who suddenly appeared next to Eriri, is one. However, Eriri, being so oblivious, doesn't seem to notice at all, which sometimes makes her mother anxious for Eriri.

"Is that Hasegawa-kun? He's here! Hasegawa-kun, and Aki Tomoya-kun, come on up! Eriri has been waiting for you for ages!" Kasumigaoka Utaha popped her head out from upstairs at this moment. When she saw Hasegawa, a happy smile bloomed on her face, and she waved and called out to him. Of course, she also called out to Aki Tomoya at the same time.

“Okay, we’ll go up now.” Hasegawa replied, then turned to look at Sawamura Sayuri.

"I was hoping to chat with Kenichi a little longer, but they couldn't wait any longer. So, you guys should hurry up and go up," Sawamura Sayuri said with a hint of regret.

"Then we'll go upstairs, Mrs. Sawamura."

Hasegawa and Aki Tomoya quickly went upstairs. As soon as they got there, they saw Kasumigaoka Utaha standing at the door.

Kasumigaoka Utaha was still the same as before. Although her clothes weren't particularly exquisite or beautiful, they fit her very well, and combined with her face, which was over nine out of ten, and her rather voluptuous figure, she was undeniably very attractive.

Perhaps because he had just broken his vow of abstinence the night before, Hasegawa found Kasumigaoka Utaha to be exceptionally beautiful and charming today.

Chapter 31 Mrs. Sawamura's Triumphant Accident (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets)

Hasegawa didn't show anything.

However, as a woman, Kasumigaoka Utaha's instincts told her that Hasegawa's gaze lingered on her a little longer today, which made Kasumigaoka Utaha very happy.

"You've finally arrived! Eriri has been waiting for you for a long time," Kasumigaoka Utaha said with a smile, deliberately bringing Eriri up in the conversation.

Kasumigaoka Utaha said this for two reasons: first, she could use Eriri as a shield; second, even if Hasegawa heard it, he wouldn't care, because Hasegawa himself didn't have any feelings for Eriri. Moreover, if he used Eriri as an excuse, Hasegawa might even think that Kasumigaoka Utaha was talking about Aki Tomoya.

"Who's been waiting for them? I wasn't waiting for them at all," Eriri's voice came from inside the room.

Upon hearing Eriri's voice, Hasegawa, who was outside the door, smiled and glanced at Aki Tomoya: "Tomoya, let's go."

Upon entering the room, Hasegawa saw Eriri sitting there, seemingly completely oblivious to the commotion outside. Looking at Eriri's expression, Hasegawa glanced at Aki Tomoya, whose face was blank and who seemed to have no thoughts at all, and a surge of laughter welled up inside Hasegawa.

Meanwhile, Kasumigaoka Utaha, who was standing next to her, saw Hasegawa look at Eriri and then at Aki Tomoya, and then look like he wanted to laugh. She also felt an urge to laugh.

"Sawamura, we're here." Hasegawa and Aki Tomoya sat down cross-legged and greeted Eriri.

Eriri glanced up at Hasegawa, then at Aki Tomoya, and pouted, "Hmph. Fine, let them come."