The next evening, during the family dinner, everything seemed usual. The same people at the table. The same facial expressions. The same tones of voice.
Seiji's dad and stepmom talked to Yumi about the baby, and Yumi replied naturally and cheerfully as if nothing had happened.
"They are all so fake!"
There was no turning back time for Seiji. Things shifted in his world – irreversibly. He couldn't help but look at his sister with totally different eyes. Yumi's sexiness, which had been lost on him, was now so obvious that Seiji got hard right there, at the dinner table. The way she smiled, the way she picked up her glass, the way she leaned against the back of her chair—her every move made him think of yet another sexual position.
"Fuck, she's hot!" he thought. "Her husband must be the happiest guy in the world."
He glanced away quickly, pretending to concentrate on his bowl. But thoughts kept creeping into his head. He pictured Yumi in bed with her husband, wearing sexy black lingerie, smiling seductively. He saw her waking up exhausted after long nights full of endless sex. Bed rocking nonstop with Yumi moaning louder and louder and louder…
"Stop!" Seiji screamed silently.
Of course, Seiji had no idea about real-life marriage and how quickly things get stale between a husband and wife. He was too young to understand that Yumi's family life contained no nightly sex trysts.
Seiji was excited.
Confused.
Mad at Yumi's husband. Mad at the world. Mad at himself.
The amulet kept emitting strange energy that clouded his mind.
"Your destiny is in your own hands," he kept thinking, for no particular reason.
After dinner, Seiji was slowly finishing his food in the kitchen with only Haruko around, putting away the dishes. Seiji rarely looked up from his plate during meals, but after everyone else left, he was prompted several times by Haruko's questions, so he noticed that his stepmom seemed different.
Her movements were even slower and more graceful than usual. On top of that, she wore her short summer dress that she usually only wore for summertime trips to the countryside with Jun. The dress was out of place in the kitchen, and it showed too much of Haruko's body.
"I must say, she's a very attractive woman," he thought, glancing at her slim legs. "I understand why dad is putty in her hands."
Haruko turned around, catching his gaze, and smiled.
"Seiji," she murmured, approaching the table. "You've been so quiet lately. Is everything alright?"
Seiji returned to staring at his plate. He thought he could feel warmth radiating from Haruko, which surprised him.
"I'm fine," he muttered.
"Are you sure?" Haruko stood behind him, her hands suddenly reaching his shoulders.
Seiji froze.
She began to knead his muscles gently but firmly, her fingers massaging the tension away. "I think you've been too stressed," she said quietly. "I can feel it in your body."
"You have no idea," Seiji thought, now unsure whether it was a good thing or not.
But Haruko's touch felt very nice—too nice—his shoulders gradually relaxing in spite of him.
"You see," Haruko hummed softly. "It's getting better already."
She wrapped her hands around his neck, pressing her face against his cheek. "You should always tell me how you feel. I'm here to help, Seiji."
Seiji barely nodded, feeling his stepmom's breasts brushing against his upper back. Something smelled great: Haruko's body—or her perfume—oh, it didn't matter.
"She smells almost as nice as Yumi," he thought, instinctively closing his eyes.
"Okay?" Haruko asked, her lips almost brushing against his ear.
"Okay," Seiji blurted.
He felt her lips touching his cheek. "Very good," Haruko murmured, her words reverberating in his skull. "I want to be the best stepmom you could have."
He didn't know what to say, so he just nodded again.
"Very good," she exclaimed, straightening. "Now, let me give you a hug."
Seiji got up awkwardly. He couldn't understand since when he and Haruko started hugging. "What is going on with this world? Has everyone gone crazy?"
But Haruko already pulled him into a big hug, her body pressing against his.
"I've always cared about you, Seiji," she whispered. "You know that, right?"
All Seiji could feel was the softness of Haruko's breasts. His heart was beating faster, and he felt the warmth of the amulet spreading up his neck.
The amulet!
Could it be that Haruko was now also under the amulet's spell?
"Holy shit!" Seiji thought.
"Right, Seiji?" he heard.
What the hell was the question?
"Right," he muttered.
Haruko let go of him, her eyes sparkling. "I'm happy to hear that!" She smiled wider, her hands cupping his face. "Have a great night, Seiji. Sweet dreams."