That night, Asuka lay on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. The physical and mental exhaustion she felt was overwhelming. Her mind was still consumed by the intimidation and threats from Takuto—the figure who had made her school life more difficult. Although she was known as a cheerful and popular Gal, the reality was that Asuka carried a heavy burden behind her smile and social lifestyle.
It all started when she began dating Takuto, a playboy with strong connections as the mayor's son. As a Taimanin, Asuka should have been more than capable of handling such problems. But Takuto's political power and influence made her position incredibly precarious. With her reputation and her friendships on the line, Asuka felt trapped.
Her relationship with Takuto wasn't real. Although technically she was his 51st girlfriend, Asuka always kept her distance. She knew Takuto's malicious intentions—he only wanted to add her to his long list of women he had taken advantage of. Every time they went on a date, Asuka ensured there was no excessive physical contact, and every one of Takuto's nefarious plans was thwarted by her cleverness.
However, the threat felt different yesterday. Takuto didn't just threaten Asuka personally—he started involving those closest to her. Her friends, who knew nothing of the situation, became leverage for Takuto. Asuka's perspective as a Taimanin and as an ordinary girl began to blur. For the first time, she truly felt powerless.
Yesterday, on the train, Asuka allowed one of Takuto's subordinates to harass her. She knew full well it was Takuto's tactic to humiliate her in public. Asuka thought she had to endure it, keeping herself calm, but the despair flowing through her was so strong. She almost gave in to the situation—until, by chance, Kaoru appeared.
Kaoru, who happened to be on the same train, realised what was happening to Asuka and managed to stop the harassment from escalating. Asuka felt relief wash over her, though deep inside, anxiety still lingered. As a Taimanin, she should have been stronger than this, but she was just a normal girl when faced with emotions and despair gnawing at her.
After the incident, without thinking, Asuka kissed Kaoru. It was a spontaneous act, driven by fear and hopelessness. She knew it was reckless, but in that moment, she just needed something—someone—to save her from the darkness that continued to threaten her life.
---
Asuka woke up in a dream world that felt so real. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in a room she didn't recognise. The interior of the room was different from what she was used to, warmer, and filled with elegant wooden furniture. She frowned, sensing something was off. Her soft, comfortable nightwear offered no clues that this was a dream.
"Urgh~" Asuka groaned softly, gently rubbing her temple, feeling slightly confused. 'What happened?' she thought. As she began regaining her awareness, she felt something move under the covers. Like a small, living lump.
Curiosity got the better of her, and she lightly patted the lump, only for a small squeak to come from underneath. Asuka reflexively jerked back and quickly pulled off the blanket.
"What is this!?" she cried, finding a small, adorable boy curled up, hugging her leg. The boy was wearing pyjamas with a banana pattern, his white hair messy, and he was sucking his thumb with half-closed eyes.
The little boy yawned, rubbing his eyes before looking at Asuka with big, endearing blue eyes. "Eeh, Mum?" he murmured, his voice still weak with sleep.
Asuka's brain stopped working for a moment. Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell slightly open, but no words came out. 'Mum?' she thought. Her expression was one of complete bewilderment. 'What does he mean by that!?'
"Mum, what's wrong?" The boy asked again, now looking at her with innocent curiosity.
"Asuka…" the word barely escaped her lips. "NATSUKI!?"
Suddenly, the door to the room swung open, revealing a girl who looked older, around eight or nine years old. Her facial features bore a striking resemblance to Asuka—her hair was the same colour, and her face was almost like a mirror image of Asuka's. However, her bright red eyes were a stark difference.
"Lily-nee san!" The little boy flinched in a frightened expression and quickly wrapped herself protectively behind Asuka.
"Lily-nee san!?" Asuka called out, looking at the girl with even more confusion.
"You snuck into our parents' room again!?" Lily glared at Natsuki with the stern authority of an angry older sister.
"Eh?" Asuka looked up, taking in the almost comical scene before her. 'Our parents? What does that mean? Are these kids... mine?' she thought. A flood of questions rushed into her mind, but none had any satisfying answers. 'And who is their father?'
Before she could process any further, a gentle voice came from the still-open door, "Oh dear, why are you kids making so much noise this early?"
The voice was so familiar that Asuka's body instantly tensed.
"Ah, darling! You're awake?" A man stepped into the room, standing behind Lily. Asuka recognised him in an instant, although in this dream, there was something different about him.
Asuka stared at the man in shock. 'Kaoru!?'
Kaoru smiled warmly, as if the chaos before him was perfectly normal. "Natsuki, don't bother your mum so early, okay?" he said gently but firmly, while the little boy, Natsuki, quickly hid behind Asuka, looking afraid of being scolded.
Asuka could only sit there, still trying to comprehend what was happening. 'Mum? Husband? Family? Is this a dream... or...?'
"Darling, are you alright? You look pale," Kaoru asked, moving closer and sitting beside her, his face filled with concern.
Asuka remained silent, staring into Kaoru's concerned eyes, then at the two children who were now watching her curiously. All of this felt so foreign yet so close, as if she had been living this life for years. But in her mind, she knew this couldn't be real.
"What... is going on here?" Asuka muttered, barely able to speak.
Kaoru frowned. "Huh? What do you mean? This is our home, darling. Is something wrong?"
Asuka bit her lip, her mind racing. 'Do I really have a life like this? Am I really... a mother and a wife?'
Lily approached Asuka and took her hand. "Mum, are you okay? You look strange..."
Asuka forced a smile. "I... I'm fine," she said, though inside, she knew something was terribly off with all of this.
Kaoru nodded with a smile. "Well then, let's have breakfast. I've made food for all of us."
Asuka looked at them all—Kaoru, Natsuki, and Lily—this family that had somehow appeared in her life. She knew this was probably just a dream, but in this moment, she felt as if her heart was filled with warmth she had never experienced before.
Though still confused, she decided to go along with the flow of this dream—at least for now.