Makoto padded silently back into the living room, the quiet of the house a stark contrast to the chaotic mess he'd just left in the bathroom.
The air was still and heavy with sleep. Moonlight filtered through the large window, painting the room in shifting shades of silver and gray, illuminating the peaceful forms on the futon.
Yuna had unconsciously rolled into the space he'd vacated, her arms wrapped tightly around his discarded pillow, muttering even in sleep. "...My wagyu..."
Mika lay on her back, perfectly still, a picture of serene innocence. She looked completely at peace, which was somehow more unsettling than Yuna's possessive sleep-talking.
His eyes scanned the room and landed on Ayane's tote bag near the couch. It had a chibi Loid Forger keychain dangling from the strap, a detail so normal it felt out of place.
He crouched down, the floorboards creaking softly, making his heart hammer. The tote bag was carefully unzipped. Inside was the organized chaos of a college student's life: a textbook, a notebook with lecture notes scribbled in the margins, the Loid Forger enamel pin, half-empty gummy candies, and her wallet...
Tucked at the bottom was a neatly folded change of clothes. He pulled them out: simple cotton shorts and an oversized anime t-shirt.
As he stood up, a soft voice cut through the silence.
"Are you looking for something?"
His blood ran cold. He spun around.
Mika was sitting up on the futon. She hadn't moved a muscle, but her eyes were wide open and fixed directly on him. The moonlight caught them, making them gleam with an unreadable light.
Makoto's mind raced. He needed a plausible story, just a simple one. "Ahem, Ayane forgot her clothes after showering, so I just... helped her." He answered softly in a hesitant whisper. "When did you wake up?"
Mika's expression didn't change. The serene smile remained perfectly in place, terrifying in the moonlight. "Showering?" she repeated in a soft whisper that barely disturbed the silence. "At this hour?"
She didn't answer his question directly. Instead, she swung her legs off the futon with silent grace. The moonlight outlined her body, pale skin, and lean muscle. "Oh, I'm a very light sleeper," she murmured dangerously.
Her smile widened, becoming sharp-edged. "Was Ayane-chan alright?" she asked, her voice dripping with sweet concern that was more terrifying than any accusation. "For a moment there... it sounded like she was choking."
She began walking toward him, moving like a cat, her bare feet silent on the floor. She stopped right in front of him, so close he could feel her body heat. She didn't look at the clothes in his hand, but directly into his eyes.
Then she leaned in, her nose inches from his neck, and took a long, deliberate inhale. Her serene smile faltered slightly, replaced by a small frown. "You smell different," she whispered in a cold, analytical tone. She leaned closer, sniffing at his chest. "You smell like her," she stated as fact, not a question. "And... something else."
"She knows," he thought with rising panic. "No! There is no way she knows what happened there."
Makoto's heart hammered. He tried for a nonchalance, playful deflection. "Ahem, you sure you're not a dog? What smell could it be, haha?" He smiled dryly, reaching out to pinch her nose gently as he looked away.
Mika didn't flinch or blink. With unnerving speed, she caught his wrist. Her grip was surprisingly strong, fingers cool and firm, stopping his hand before it touched her nose.
"No, I'm not a dog, Makoto," she said softly, her whisper cutting through the silence like ice. "But I have a very good sense of smell."
She brought his hand to her face, not pushing it away but pressing his fingers against her cheek. She closed her eyes in almost serene intimacy and took another long inhale of his finger's scent.
Her smile returned, but it didn't reach her eyes. When she opened them again, they were calm and cold as a winter lake.
"It's not just her smell," she murmured analytically. "There's something else. Something thick, then something sharp and salty. Almost like... semen, and ammonia." She tilted her head with sweet, innocent curiosity that was utterly terrifying.
"Did you have a little accident in the bathroom, Makoto?" she asked with false concern. "Did you... spill something on Ayane-chan?" Her grip on his wrist tightened just enough to be a clear warning.
Makoto stuttered pathetically as he tried to pull his arm away. "Nope, nope! I didn't spill anything." His eyes sparkled with false bravado. "Come on, if you don't believe me, we can ask Ayane together, okay? She must be finished showering now."
Mika's sweet smile widened into something predatory in the moonlight. Her eyes turned cold and hard as ice chips. "Ask Ayane?" she whispered in a soft purr that sent dread down his spine. "Oh no. I wouldn't want to bother her. She must be so very tired."
Her grip didn't loosen. If anything, it tightened, anchoring her control. Her other hand came up, cool fingers touching his lips gently, silencing protests. "Shhh," she murmured, thumb stroking his bottom lip intimately yet menacingly. "Don't lie to me, Makoto. It's unbecoming."
She leaned in, voice dropping to a chilling whisper, lips inches from his ear. "I am the second wife," she stated with cold finality, like a law of nature. "It's my job to know everything that happens in this house. Everything you do!"
She pulled back to look him in the eyes, her gaze a bottomless void. "So tell me," she whispered, sweet smile never wavering. "Did you give her a little gift? Did you... mark her in a new, special way?"
Her thumb pressed harder against his lips. "Tell me everything! Or I'll wake Yuna up. And I'll tell her you and Ayane-chan were playing a filthy game in the bathroom without her."
"She's got me cornered," he thought. "There's no escaping this!"
Makoto sighed in defeat. "Geez, fine." He shrugged and leaned in, whispering into her ear. "I did... marking her. Something really dirty back there, so she had no choice but to shower to clean herself off."
He paused. "Is that enough?" He groaned pathetically. "Now, if you want more detail, you can ask her yourself then."
A slow, triumphant smile spread across Mika's face, as if saying, "I knew it. I just wanted to hear you say it". Her grip finally loosened, hand sliding down to take the folded clothes from him.
"Of course," she whispered with pure satisfaction. "I'd be happy to help. A good second wife always helps clean up the mess."
She tucked the clothes under her arm gracefully. "Thank you for being honest, Makoto," she added with sweet, condescending praise, as if he were a dog who'd learned a difficult trick. "You're a very good boy."
She turned toward the bathroom but then stopped. She paused deliberately, back still to him. "Just one more detail," she said curiously, still sweet but with a razor edge. She turned her head to look over her shoulder, eyes gleaming in the moonlight.
"This 'marking'," she whispered, smile never wavering. "Was it a golden shower?" The clinical way she said it was more shocking than if she'd screamed.
"You can tell me," she purred dangerously. "I don't mind. I just like knowing what games we're playing now. So I can be ready for my turn."
Makoto turned away with a fond smile. "No, I don't understand what kind of golden or shower you mean." He lay down next to Yuna and hid his face in her neck instead.
A soft chuckle escaped Mika's lips. It's pure condescending amusement, like a gentle pat on the head for a child who'd told a clumsy lie. "Are you hiding behind Yuna-chan?" she whispered musically across the dark room. "How cute."
"It's alright," she murmured soothingly yet terrifyingly. "You don't have to say it out loud." She turned, holding Ayane's clothes neatly, and began walking silently toward the bathroom.
Just before disappearing into darkness, she paused. "I'll take these to her," she said gently. "And when she's clean, we will be back together... don't worry."
She turned her head slightly, finding him over Yuna's sleeping form. A chilling smile spread across her face.
"I won't say a single word to Yuna-chan," she promised. "This will be our little secret. And I am very, very good at keeping secrets."