When Seiji got home from school, Yumi was downstairs, getting ready to take her baby outside in a stroller.
"I think I'll take a long walk," she said and gave him a wry smile.
Her eyes flicked to Haruko in the kitchen, sort of saying, Because of her.
Infighting. It's already started. As I suspected.
Seiji sighed and nodded.
Yumi's face looked radiant to him, despite the signs of frustration.
"Have a nice walk," he said, opening the front door for her. Yumi's fingers brushed against Seiji's hand as she passed by.
She paused just outside the threshold, gazed at him lovingly, and then disappeared.
I should have a talk with Haruko about it. Before it gets out of control.
Seiji didn't have to wait long for that conversation to come.
He noticed Haruko following him upstairs.
"Seiji," she called right before he was going to get into his room.
"Yes?"
She was shaky.
Her eyes were worse.
"Can we talk?"
She wants to talk to me too? Did she read my mind?
"Yeah."
They walked into his room.
A long pause.
Seiji put his backpack in the corner and motioned Haruko to sit down.
She closed the door behind her and stood, undecided.
"Haruko?" Seiji asked. "Did something happen?"
Her throat worked before she spoke.
"Yes," she said. "Well… I wanted…"
She stopped.
Revised.
Tried again.
"I wanted to ask you about Yumi."
There it was.
Jealousy?
Or something deeper?
The way she said it, it felt deeper and hotter.
Haruko moved closer to Seiji, each step more painful than the last.
"Today," she muttered, "when I saw her… looking at you like that…"
Seiji's pulse jumped.
The amulet warmed.
Haruko swallowed.
"When I saw it, it made me… miserable."
It wasn't bitterness.
It wasn't spite.
More like fear.
"I know I shouldn't feel this way," Haruko continued, with an effort. "I've been trying not to. I thought I could ignore it. I thought it would pass."
She lifted a hand to her chest—trying to hold herself together.
Is she afraid to fall apart?
"It hasn't passed," she breathed. "It's gotten worse."
Her voice cracked on the last word.
Seiji caught himself leaning forward. "Haruko…"
That single word shattered her remaining restraint.
She took two more steps and sank at the edge of his bed right next to him. She held her hands clasped in her lap—as if one touch from him would undo her completely.
It would.
She knew it.
He knew it.
The amulet definitely knew it.
All you need to do is touch her.
"I tried to be proper, Seiji," Haruko whispered. "I know I'm your stepmother. I tried to keep distance. I told myself I was only looking after you. That this pull I felt was just… sympathy."
Her breath fastened.
"But when I saw how she looked at you… how you looked back—"
There.
Jealousy sharpened the desire she already couldn't manage.
Her voice lowered some more.
"I realized I'm going to lose. Before I've even said anything—I'm already losing."
Seiji felt his heart beating like crazy.
Not from triumph. Not yet.
Because of how honest she was.
"You're not losing," he said.
Haruko inhaled sharply.
Her knees trembled.
"You don't understand," she whispered, voice shaking.
I do.
Of course, he did.
The amulet pulsed again—heavy, warm, guiding.
"I want you," she said, finally.
The dam was broken. Restraint gone.
"I want you so much I can't breathe. I want you when I see you. I want you when I hear you. I want you when I try to sleep."
Seiji leaned closer, and Haruko shivered.
She took his hand, her entire body trembling.
"Seiji…" she whispered, voice cracking. "Please. Please… don't push me away."
Seiji lifted the other hand—she leaned in and his hand ended up at the back of her neck, instead of the top of the head he was aiming for.
That touch seemed to destroy Haruko.
She gasped desperately and clutched his shirt, looking into his eyes.
"Seiji…"
She was so close… Her breath touched Seiji's lips…
Is this the moment? Is this when she's going to surrender?
The amulet went hot on his chest.
Almost searing.
Haruko's next words were barely audible:
"I can't fight this anymore."