Chapter 2

Satoru's visits had become a regular occurrence as of late. Her brother, Itsuki, casually played it off as having people over and all in good fun, but Akari was perceptive, and she saw through the facade he tried to maintain. Itsuki was meticulously planning these visits for whenever she was happiest, hoping to spark something between her and Satoru. He wanted her to find happiness in life and had chosen the one person he believed would accept her unconditionally for who she was.

Akari scrutinized her reflection in the bathroom mirror… Her face, though still pretty, bore the subtle marks of time and stress typical of her economic status, while her body retained its graceful curves, these were fleeting things, superficial; beneath them lay a woman struggling to take care of herself in more ways than one.

Her back problems began three years ago. It had started with small sensations of flickering pain, but they increased gradually over time until she could barely stand upright, and the pain grew worse by the day.

The memories of her last boyfriend briefly surfaced, stirring a painful, yet dull ache within her. He had left her upon finding out about her condition, picking an easier path with a healthier woman over the difficult journey with her… That was the last time she had felt a man, who wasn't her brother, hold her. That was, at least until Satoru began his regular visits, rekindling old emotions and desires deep within her she thought she had lost with the previous man leaving her.

Akari knew that at some point Satoru had a crush on her, and he wasn't a bad choice; polite, hard-working, kind-hearted towards those he cared for, and on top of that a decent-looking man. She was grimly aware of how starved for affection she was when her friend hugged her, at her insistence. She recalled the times back in the day, when she was still healthy and feeling desirable. She had dropped hints left and right, hoping to encourage him to be more assertive, and only for him.

But he never took that decisive step to ask her out, even though she would have said yes, no matter how awkward his attempt would have been… That was all she wanted from him. Satoru was never good with women, but even he had to realize she was attracted to him. She was never this flirty with other guild members, everyone saw that, but never Satoru. Maybe it was her pride back then that prevented her from being more straightforward? She didn't even know anymore.

As she stood in front of the bathroom mirror, a thin crack barely visible in the light, the weight of her reality pressed down on her… She was ill and there wasn't enough money to fix her problems, the pain in her back, a constant, dull throb; her safety net could barely cover half of the treatment costs at best. Going into debt over an operation that might not even be successful while her future as a voice actress was uncertain due to the increased use of AI didn't seem like a logical choice, and even if her brother chipped in they'd still be in deep debt.

Akari glanced downward and sighed, her thoughts drifting to the apartment around her and its once-vibrant atmosphere, which now felt like a prison. Clutching the sink wasn't enough to not feel the back pain intensify, she needed to decide; living in a dream world where things would magically become better wasn't an option anymore, Satoru's presence had become a bittersweet reminder of what she had lost and what she still yearned for, she couldn't just hope on forever that Satoru would suddenly decide she was worth dating even if she pushed the topic.

Yet she didn't want to just give up on life, despite her fears and insecurities, this time she wouldn't just drop hints, no, this time she would fight for her happiness and make Satoru accept her, and do her best to make him happy as well despite all of her flaws.

In truth, her brother was right; the loneliness was slowly gnawing at her soul, killing her faster than her physical condition ever could. But it wasn't just her suffering that troubled her; she knew she was holding Itsuki back from starting his own family as well. Her brother had even started going on fewer dates as time went on, his concern for her and her health overriding his desires and needs. Today was a rare occurrence when he would leave the house in the evening and leave her alone with Satoru, trusting the latter to watch over her while he went out on a date. As he prepared, Akari watched him with a mixture of gratitude and guilt. Itsuki's departure was a significant gesture, a sign that he trusted Satoru to keep her company, in some unspoken way, to take on a role that went beyond mere friendship.

As Itsuki stepped out for the evening, Akari felt the weight of the moment crashing upon her. The showers that once were enjoyable as one of the few times the pain could be somewhat temporarily relieved now caused stress over her weakest point, her physical body. She washed and shaved as fast as she could, using quantity of soap over quality of wash in her nervousness. She needed to be at her best for possibly the most important turning point of her life.

Akari carefully picked out an outfit that accentuated her figure from her closet, opting for a tight dress with a low cut that highlighted her rather slender curves. For once, she chose lace lingerie instead of her usual underwear, a silent declaration of her intent to reclaim a bit of her lost femininity. The final touch was makeup; given how rarely she went out or appeared before a camera, there was little need to pretty herself up, but tonight was different.

Now fully ready, she waited with a mix of anticipation and anxiety about what was to come. Seeing how Satoru froze on the spot the minute he laid his eyes on her was a decent boost to her ego, one she desperately needed, as his eyes widened, momentarily speechless, and she could see the admiration for her in his gaze. The choice of her dress had achieved the desired effect. A confirmation that she still held the power to captivate, much to her delight.

"Did I come at a bad time? If you plan to go out, I can come over some other time." Satoru finally found his voice, complimenting her appearance with genuine warmth and slight concern. He had received a last-minute message from Itsuki, explaining that something had come up and he wouldn't be able to be home. His friend suggested that he still visit and hang out with Akari. Itsuki had even wished him luck for reasons he couldn't figure out.

"I'm not going out today. I just wanted to dress up a bit. How do I look?" Akari asked, flashing the man a confident smile.

"You look… g-great. Beautiful in fact." He answered with a little stutter, his eyes still wide with surprise.

Akari's smile widened at his response, her heart fluttering. 'He still finds me attractive, but would he stay or just use me as a stepping stone before moving on to a healthy woman?' It wasn't like she was unwilling to give him the necessary experience, but this was about more than that for her. She didn't want to be used again. She wanted to be sure he wouldn't ditch her once his confidence in the opposite sex rose, as it surely would with her.

As they settled on the sofa, she decided to start the conversation with a heavy hitter. "So, why didn't you write to Isobe?"

"I…" Satoru paused, caught off guard by the directness of her question.

She wouldn't wait for him to come up with a bullshit excuse. "Just be honest for once. I want to know why you didn't write to her or any of the other girls I tried to set you up with."

Satoru glanced down, his face flushing slightly."I don't know… I…" he admitted, his voice was low but sincere.

"You're a great guy, you have a stable job, you're good-looking, and I, sure as hell know you have courage, you just don't act on it."

"So does… look can we drop the subject?" Satoru had grown more and more uncomfortable as she rattled on, his voice straining.

"Not this time. Look at me!" She ordered, her tone firm and unyielding.

Satoru didn't face her. He stood up, clearly ready to flee at a hair's trigger. She couldn't let him. Akari leaned over and seized his hand. "Satoru, I am done playing around!"

He pulled his hand away and she moved along with it, jerking off the sofa. A sharp jolt of pain shot through her back from the sudden movement. Akari let out a whimpering scream, the sound piercing the tense atmosphere like a needle through butter. In her recklessness, she hadn't accounted for his resistance, the resistance he had toward being pushed out of his confront zone, and how she would counter it.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," Satoru hastily mumbled, panic flashing in his eyes as he hastily extracted her grasp from his.

"Painkillers. Second shelf. In the kitchen. Bring water." She pointed towards one thing that could ease her suffering, even if only for a short time, leaning back onto the sofa.

'This was stupid. He won't come back after this. I know him… Dammit. I need to play this off.' She still planned her next steps despite the agonizing pain.

Satoru rushed to comply, quickly bringing her the labeled medicine and a cup of water as fast as he could. For a while, they sat in silence as she just breathed heavily, waiting for the pills to do their job. She glanced at the man, guilt apparent on his face.

"It's fine. I shouldn't have grabbed you like that," she sighed, trying to soothe his worry.

"I hurt you. I… how can I make it up to you?" He asked quietly, his voice filled with a mix of regret and guilt.

"Please be honest and tell me why. It is very important to me," She questioned softly, her eyes searching his.

Satoru looked down as he nervously played with his fingers. "I am afraid that once they know me better, they will leave, or they won't even bother to know me if they knew I… I… I've never… you know," he mustered with a nervous shrug of his shoulders.

"I am afraid too," Akari admitted, her voice trembling. "My last boyfriend left me when my health got worse, why would any man settle for me? I'm just holding back my brother, and I don't see things getting any better in the near future. I wouldn't care how experienced a man was, but you know what I am most terrified of?"

"No… What?" Satoru asked softly.

"That I will die alone on the streets as a cripple no one wants." her voice broke, tears spoiling her mascara and staining her face. She hadn't felt this vulnerable for a long time. Akari had done her best to hide her feelings from Itsuke and everyone else she knew. But now it all was ready to come out.

"But you have-"

"He needs to live his own life!" she interrupted, her frustration creeping into her voice. "He is my brother, not my husband. Get your shit together while you can! Dammit! Let me help you get a woman. I missed my-" She paused, her emotions raw for all to see. " You know what, no! I want to be a selfish bitch. I don't want to be alone."

Akari leaned forward and grabbed Satoru's shoulder firmly. "I don't want to be alone, and I don't want to give you to another woman, I know you still like me, so take me!" she declared, her voice raw with need as her back threatened to flare up again, but she ignored it, pressing on.

Satoru jerked his head back in surprise, and Akari didn't wait for an answer, instead choosing to fall onto him and go straight for a desperate kiss.

Satoru didn't resist or push her away. She felt his arms wrap around her, strong and secure as she wanted. He wasn't as weak as she assumed, he was a grown man after all. She grasped the back of his head, her fingers tangling in his hair as she parted her lips. He followed her lead, their kiss deepening with each passing second. Passion lingered in the air.

"I won't let you leave me, I will do everything to make you happy," She whispered between kisses.

"I won't leave you," He assured her, his words muffled against her desperate lips.

"Then have me, I don't want to be alone anymore." Her hand moved to unbutton his pants, her touch determined. "I will guide you, you don't have to worry about anything."

She didn't need to worry. Satoru wasn't as stiff and unresponsive as she had feared he would be. As she invaded his pants, his hands moved to help her out of her dress, just as she hoped, under the shy exterior was the man she wanted, no, craved.

"Carry me to the bed," She purred in his ear, as her lips and tongue explored his face and neck, her hot breath caressing his neck, causing goosebumps all over his skin, and with a deep breath, he let his reservations melt away, surrendering to the moment, and to her.

In the privacy of her room, they wouldn't get interrupted by the sudden reappearance of her brother. She could afford to be as passionate as she wanted and by Gods, didn't she want to make Satoru's first time memorable. She traced the lines of his chest with her fingertips as waves of desire washed over her, suppressing even her back's screams for attention.

Soft moans, whispers of sweet nothings, words of encouragement. She offered them all to her man.

He was attentive, he was gentle, and above all, he wanted her; the desire radiating from Satoru was intoxicating… How much she had longed to have that feeling again, as they lay tangled in each other, their breath coming in ragged gasps, Akari couldn't believe how perfectly they fit together.

Her hands moved about his back, her nails dug into his skin. With each touch and caress, he moved at a perfect pace, each movement bringing her closer and closer to heaven, leaving them both intoxicated with pleasure.

<X >

Akari awoke with an unpleasant beep piercing the tranquil morning air. A phone somewhere nearby was blasting the cursed song, 'You Have to Wake Up.' It wasn't her song nor her alarm. The disruptive noise grated against her awakening senses, shrilling against her desire to sleep.

With muttered annoyance, she shifted around with an annoyed grunt and blindly felt around for the damned object, wherever it would be.

"Sorry, I have to go to work." Satoru apologized, his voice cutting through the jarring melody as he silenced her tormentor.

"Kisses, be back as soon as you can," She mumbled, her voice laced with reluctance.

Satoru leaned down to give her a quick peck on the lips, but she was having none of it. Akari's arms wrapped around his neck as she pulled him in for a proper kiss.

"You want me to come back here right after work?" her man inquired, his voice soft with surprise.

"Yes, I told you, you're not getting rid of me. I want you in my bed every night!" She declared, her tone determined and possessive. She didn't let go of him.

"Sure, but won't Itsuki-" Satoru began, his concern for her brother apparent in his voice.

"Nope. He won't be mad about you. Be back soon ok? I want more of you." she insisted, cutting him off with a teasing yet demanding tone as her eyes searched deep in his.

"I'll try." He gave one last kiss and gently broke out of her embrace, reaching for a shirt.

Akari sleepily pouted and sunk back into her pillow. Before sleep claimed her, she heard Satoru leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

She awoke three hours later from the noise made by her alarm clock. As free as her day was, she still adhered to office hours, ready to do emergency work at a moment's notice, and voice lines whenever needed. A few projects she was involved in were in the last stages of development, and sometimes it was just an additional line or cute sound that was needed for a scene about to be tested or needed to be re-done for any number of reasons.

As much as she enjoyed the lovemaking the night before, her back surely didn't. It took a lot out of her to leave the bed and put on a morning robe, even for her. She reluctantly grabbed her cane which she rarely used, feeling like an old geezer when she did so. But there were no other options especially if she wanted to leave the room on her own. The wheelchair was too impractical for home use so it collected dust in the corner.

Itsuki was already at the kitchen table, engrossed in writing code and munching on a 'Real Strawberry Jam Sandwich.' He had bought them in bulk a week ago since they were tasty and likely usable for human consumption, plus weren't too expensive.

"Morning sis. So how did it go?" he asked absentmindedly, glancing up briefly.

"Since when is my private life your business?" She countered, slowly making her way to the table, her steps deliberate despite the shrieking ache in her back.

"Just asking. Coffee?" Itsuki replied casually, already pouring her morning liquid into the largest cup they had.

"In the big cup. Didn't get too much sleep," Akari sighed as she accepted the coffee, grateful for the warmth spreading through her pained body.

"Nice. I would've sent him a virtual high five, well, if he had gotten laid with a decent woman." Itsuki teased as he poured more into his cup.

"You keep running your mouth and I will tell you in great detail what we did." She openly threatened her brother playfully after taking a large gulp of the bitter coffee. "Dammit, you forgot sweetener!"

"That shit tastes like glue. I don't get how you can stomach it." Itsuki got up and fished out a handful of packets for her from the drawer. "I'll pass on the dirty details as much as you want to blog about it as the perv you are, but I want to know the general status. So…" Itsuki continued, undeterred by his sister's warning.

"He promised to be back after work." Akari interrupted as she broke into a smile, her eyes brightening at the mention of Satoru.

"That's great, though give him some time before pulling the ring trick." Itsuki went back to teasing his sister, grinning.

"I won't propose, you idiot. That's his job!" She screeched, though her tone held more amusement rather than anger.

Itsuki just chuckled in response, taking another bite of his breakfast sandwich. Seeing his sister happy was so rare as of late and nostalgic that he almost reverted to his younger asshole self who used every opportunity to take a jab at her. She had finally begun to move on.

"Anyhow, I won't be too pushy, the last thing I need is him getting cold feet," Akari continued, her voice softening as she took another gulp of coffee and stifled a yawn.

"Aha, you think I don't see you writing him a message already like a fifteen-year-old to your first crush?"

"Fuck you, I just wished him an easy work day. I can show that I care. That's not being pushy but affectionate, you shit for brains. He won't get cold feet." Her anxiety bubbled on the surface as she stared down at the phone screen with a nervous gulp. The fear that Satoru would use her as a stepping stone was still there, no matter how much she denied the idea that he would be that kind of guy.

"I doubt that'll happen, as little hope as I have in you, I don't believe you will fuck this up; that guy's built differently," Itsuki remarked, faith in his friend palpable.

"Gee, thanks," She hissed sarcastically, but couldn't help but break into a smile again. There was something reassuring in her brother's words, that Satoru was different from her previous boyfriends, and that fact gave her hope that he wouldn't just walk away.

Editing By NabeisWaifu and aidan_lo.

Proofreading by: aidan_lo, NabeisWaifu, Ainz-sama, IAMTHEPLOKOKIOPO, and Nervy, miraculous-trash, fvvck

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