A week had passed since the contract marriage. On the 38th floor of Granveil Akasaka—one of Tokyo's most prestigious high-rise residences—Tsumugi woke to the morning sun streaming through the windows. She rose from bed and gazed out at the cityscape beyond. The buildings of dawn. Tokyo Tower still clung to the colors of night. In that silence, Tsumugi exhaled deeply. (Nothing has changed since that night.) Two days since the argument. The distance between her and Soushi remained unchanged—they lived in the same house yet inhabited separate worlds. Breakfast and dinner were staggered. Contact was minimal. And yet, within that constraint, Tsumugi had noticed something. Things Soushi did unconsciously. The celery incident. Since then, the refrigerator contained none of the vegetables she disliked. The bath temperature remained perfectly calibrated. The hot cocoa brewed in the dead of night had not stopped. And yet Soushi said nothing about any of it. As if he had never done these things at all. The 14th floor of Marunouchi Central Tower, Overseas Procurement Division—a department under the Food Business Headquarters that handled imported ingredients and international food networks. When Tsumugi took her seat at her desk, Junichi appeared earlier than usual. A junior colleague from the same department, in his second year since joining the company. "Senpai, good morning... ah, sorry. It's so early," [nervous laugh] He smiled sheepishly. His amber eyes wavered softly. The silver piercing in his left ear caught the morning light. "No, it's fine. Is something the matter?" When Tsumugi replied, Junichi seemed to hesitate. He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again. The gesture was both innocent and clumsy. "Um... would you like to have lunch together today?" Tsumugi looked at Junichi's face. His expression was filled with pure feeling. Anticipation and a touch of fear. Like the tension of a confession. "That sounds nice." Tsumugi answered. Junichi's face brightened instantly. "Really!?" "Yes. Where would you like to go?" Junichi explained eagerly. A café called "Perla" three minutes' walk from headquarters—a calm atmosphere with natural light, a lunch spot frequented by office workers around Marunouchi. A place where the midday light felt wonderful, he said. As Tsumugi listened, she felt something shift in the depths of her heart. (Soushi's words... they echo in my mind.) That night's words. "Don't grow close to that man." She understood their meaning now, in a way she hadn't before. Lunch break. A window-side table at Café Perla. Junichi sat across from Tsumugi, having ordered two lunch sets. His gaze never left her. Their colleagues had surely noticed by now. That Junichi harbored feelings for Tsumugi. Whispers had already begun in the office. "Doesn't Okuno seem to like Tsumugi?" Tsumugi had pretended not to notice, but deep down, while soothed by Junichi's sincerity, she felt guilt over the secret of her contract marriage. "Senpai..." Junichi opened his mouth. His voice was different from when they discussed work matters. Heavier. More earnest. "Lately, I've been... thinking about you all the time." At those words, Tsumugi's heart quickened. "During lunch, during work, even after I get home. Without you, it's like... nothing feels worthwhile." Junichi spoke with flushed cheeks, struggling to find the words. "I know I probably shouldn't say this... but I couldn't stay silent. I like you, senpai. I really do." Tsumugi couldn't breathe. Junichi's words were pure. No calculation. No ulterior motive. Just honest feeling, plainly spoken. That directness made her chest ache. "Junichi..." The moment she spoke his name, Junichi's face glowed. "So you feel the same way..." "No." That single word extinguished Junichi's smile. "I'm sorry. I..." In that moment, something shattered in a place far away. The 27th floor. Corporate Planning Division—the department overseeing strategic planning for Marunouchi Central Tower. Soushi stood at the window, looking down. Far below, Café Perla. A window-side table. Tsumugi and a young man—Junichi Okuno, a junior from the Overseas Procurement Division. The name Reika had mentioned was now etched into Soushi's mind. The man's head drew closer. Speaking repeatedly, desperately trying to convey something. And Tsumugi, listening to him— laughed. It was an expression Soushi had never seen before. Soft, warm, a smile that seemed to come from her very heart. In that instant, something pulsed violently deep within Soushi's chest. (What is this... sensation?) A tightening in the pit of his stomach. A sharp, constricting sensation. Was it anger? Jealousy? Or— No. Soushi could not identify such emotions. For years, he had kept his heart frozen. This violent pounding was an entirely new experience for him. "Director." The voice of his secretary, Reika, pulled Soushi's gaze from the window. "It's time for the next meeting." But Soushi's mind remained fixed on that distant café. Who was that man? Why did Tsumugi smile like that? She had never shown him such a smile. "Reika." "Yes?" "Investigate that man." "...Yes. Junichi Okuno, you mean? Food Business Headquarters, Overseas Procurement Division, second year since joining. He's been visiting Tsumugi's desk frequently these past few days." "Every day?" "Yes. Yesterday and today as well. Under the pretense of work consultation." Every day, they saw each other. Every day, in the same space. With that man. Soushi's hands clenched into fists. Evening. The 38th floor of Granveil Akasaka. When Tsumugi arrived home, Soushi was already waiting in the living room. He must have come straight from work. Still wearing a gray shirt, he sat on the black leather sofa. His expression was colder than usual. "Don't grow close to that man." The sudden words made Tsumugi freeze. Soushi's voice was flat. Yet beneath it, something fierce seemed to flow. "What are you talking about?" When Tsumugi replied, Soushi stood. "Junichi Okuno. You've been seeing him frequently." "He's a junior colleague. Besides, there's no such clause in our contract, is there?" At her defiance, Soushi's eyes grew cold. "Refrain from behavior unbecoming of a wife. If your reputation suffers, it affects my position." "Is that all?" Those words made Soushi's breath catch for a moment. "Is there another reason?" Soushi didn't answer. Instead, he turned away sharply. "That's an order." With those words, he disappeared into his room. The heavy door closed with a sound. Left alone, Tsumugi stood motionless in the living room. (Was that... jealousy?) The moment she considered that possibility, she became aware of a hidden emotion within herself. Her heart wavering at Soushi's cold gaze. A strange joy at sensing his jealousy. Guilt toward Junichi and awareness of her own feelings for Soushi—they tangled together. (This is... wrong.) A contract marriage. A false relationship. Tsumugi sank onto the sofa, bewildered by her own emotions. Then something was placed on the table. She looked up. Soushi was nowhere to be seen. But there, steaming gently, sat a warm cup of cocoa. The light from Soushi's room was off. Tsumugi picked up the cocoa. Its warmth thawed, just slightly, her frozen heart. (Who is this person...?) Outside the window, Tokyo Tower glowed red. That light, the warmth of the cocoa—everything felt impossibly complex. Within the cold framework of their contract, the emotions of two people had begun to intertwine, slowly and deeply.