The Forbidden Stash (1)

The weekend. Just hearing the word brings a sweet, cozy warmth—the most sacred day of rest in the entire week. So why, pray tell, am I doing this right now?

"Hup—!"

"Argh...! My, my back..."

The answer was simple. Raon's second-floor guest room, which had only been hastily tidied up on Friday, was scheduled for a thorough deep-cleaning and furniture setup this weekend. She was a high school student, after all; a space where she could only sleep was far from enough. She needed a desk to study at, and her wardrobe had to be organized for easy use.

Planning the layout and moving the furniture naturally turned into high-intensity manual labor. Finally, after lifting a heavy solid-wood desk and setting it in its proper place, Shun let out a groan as his spine popped with a loud *crack*.

"Good job, son. Hmm... This looks about right." There would be plenty of room for a bed later. Wiping the sweat from his forehead with a towel, Shun's father, Tsubasa, nodded as he surveyed the empty room with satisfaction.

He then tossed the towel draped around his neck toward Shun, who was slumped on the floor. Catching it easily, Shun wiped the sweat from his face and asked,

"What about Raon and Mom? When did they say they'd be back?"

"It'll be a while. They're picking out a mattress, and you know how your mother is. She'll be lying down on every single one and nitpicking, so it's going to take ages."

Yesterday, when Raon first moved in, she had slept on a thin, temporary futon. But they couldn't keep someone else's precious daughter sleeping on the hard floor forever. For that reason, Raon and Himari had headed out early in the morning to a furniture outlet to pick out a plush new mattress.

"Why? Got a complaint?" Tsubasa asked playfully. Shun shrugged.

"Of course not. It's just a bit bittersweet to surrender my precious weekend morning and afternoon like this."

"Now, now, boy. Think of it as a wonderful opportunity to atone for the sin of groping your cousin's chest."

"...Haha. Putting it that way certainly makes me feel lighter. I can't even deny it."

Was the weight of one's sweat directly proportional to the weight of one's guilt? Ending the trivial banter with his father, Shun headed up to his own room on the second floor with a much lighter heart.

"Man, I'm exhausted." After a quick shower, a freshly clean Shun collapsed face-first onto his bed. His exhausted muscles screamed for rest. He was just about to close his eyes and drift into a sweet slumber when—

*Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!*

Who's bothering me now? The Line app on his smartphone vibrated frantically in his pocket. At the same time, a familiar voice called out urgently from outside his window.

"Hey! Ueda! Open up!"

"Suzuki?" What was he doing here on the weekend without calling first? Shun dragged himself out of bed and headed to the front door. The moment he opened it, Suzuki rushed inside, panting heavily and clutching something tightly to his chest like a precious treasure.

"What are you doing here?"

"Let's go to your room first. Hurry."

Once they reached Shun's room, Suzuki pulled out a pitch-black plastic bag from his jacket. It was wrapped tightly with layers of tape, looking incredibly suspicious.

"So, what is that?"

"Adult Videos. AVs."

"..." Shun's brow furrowed in disgust. "I didn't ask just to hear such a garbage answer."

"Hey, you're the one who asked what it was!"

"Don't answer my questions so literally. Could you consider the feelings of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the listener before you speak?" Shun made a blatantly disgusted face and gestured toward the plastic bag with his chin. "So, why did you bring those illicit goods to my house?"

"No, listen. Didn't you say you guys were cleaning the second floor today? Well, tomorrow is my house's annual deep-cleaning day. You know how my mom is, right? She's going to tear my room apart, from the closet to under the bed. If she finds these, my life is forfeit."

"And?"

"I need you to hold onto them for a bit."

Shun let out a dumbfounded chuckle. He understood the situation, but it was still utterly ridiculous. "Why should I?"

"Aw, come on, man, please~!"

"You've got a lot of nerve talking about planting a bomb in someone else's house." Shun sighed deeply and sat on the edge of his bed. "First of all, Suzuki, what year do you think it is? You can just stream whatever you want online. Why are you buying bulky physical discs and carrying them around like a security risk? There's a limit to being old-fashioned."

"That's because you don't know anything!" An offended Suzuki jabbed his index finger into the air. "Is watching a movie on your phone the same as watching it in an IMAX theater?!"

"That is a horribly vulgar analogy."

"Whatever! Watching it on a tiny smartphone screen ruins the experience! You need a big monitor for this. You have to see every single bead of sweat captured by a high-definition lens to feel the true realism!"

"I get it, so stop trying to plant a bomb in my room and go home, will you?"

"Come on, don't be like that! What are friends for?" Suzuki whined, desperately clinging to Shun's arm. "If you keep them for me, I'll let you pick one out to watch! I handpicked only the absolute masterpieces for this stash, okay?"

"I'm not falling for it. I'm not interested."

"Dude, these are seriously expensive! They're premium editions that cost over three thousand yen a pop! The picture quality and production value are absolutely insane!"

...Wait. Shun's ears perked up. "Three thousand yen? A single disc is that expensive?"

"Of course! These are on a completely different level from the mass-produced garbage pumped out of factories! They've got the touch of a master craftsman!"

Hmm. Shun's eyes wavered slightly. High-definition. Three thousand yen. Premium.

Every single word was a feast that ruthlessly stimulated a healthy young man's carnal desires. When all was said and done, Shun was still a hot-blooded seventeen-year-old high school boy. And if Suzuki was praising them to the point of spitting, the quality was practically guaranteed. In that case... it was only natural to feel a tiny bit of curiosity.

"Is the difference between watching on a phone and watching this really that huge?"

"You have no idea. Once you watch this, you'll never be able to go back."

Shun cleared his throat and looked away. "...Can I check it out first before I decide?"

"Hell yeah! I'll set it up!"

While an excited Suzuki connected the external disc drive to the PC and set things up, Shun checked the wall clock. It was currently 2:30 PM. His father had to prepare for Chofutei's late opening in the afternoon, so he wouldn't be coming upstairs. His mother and Raon were still picking out a mattress, so considering the distance, they had at least an hour before they returned. The probability of any disaster occurring was—zero.

"..."

Having finished his calculations, Shun quietly walked over and closed his bedroom door. Since he was an only child and his family didn't usually lock doors, he didn't go so far as to turn the deadbolt, but this was enough. Shun sat solemnly in the chair in front of his monitor and gestured to Suzuki. "Start it."

Extremely explicit, wet, flesh-on-flesh moans echoed from the monitor's speakers. In front of it, Shun sat with an incredibly solemn expression, resting his chin on his hand as he analyzed the video.

"Hmm... Eighty-one points."

"What? Even this isn't a perfect score? This was my pride and joy."

Shun replied without taking his eyes off the screen. "I'll admit the camera angles and picture quality are excellent. It's definitely worth three thousand yen. But the actress's looks are critically lacking."

"You're a harsh critic."

Shun scrutinized the screen. The scene currently playing showed the male actor holding the actress tightly by the waist, kissing her passionately in a face-to-face seating position like real lovers. The actress was certainly pretty.

But to Shun, something was missing. Something more... how should he put it? Slender, delicate lines, with an aura that felt untouchably pure and noble. It lacked the catharsis of seeing that enchanting dignity ruthlessly shattered by overwhelming pleasure. Yes, someone like... Raon.

In an instant, a dizzying imagination flashed through Shun's mind. What if that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sleek, black hime-cut hair was damp ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with sweat and clinging to her cheeks? What if that pristine, porcelain skin flushed red, and those usually calm, violet eyes grew hazy and unfocused with pleasure?

Imagine her polite, formal speech completely breaking down as she begged with a thoroughly ruined face. The moment that image crossed his mind—

"Ugh...!" Shun stomped hard on his own foot once again. This was dangerous. He was seriously turned on.

Damn it. What am I doing? How could he have such filthy thoughts about his cousin and housemate? Pricked by his own unwholesome thoughts, Shun took his frustration out on Suzuki.

"First of all, why are all the videos you brought non-consensual stuff? Huh?"

"Do I really have to spell it out for you? That's obviously the hottest genre."

"Are you an aspiring criminal or something?"

"Whoa, chill! That's not what I meant at all!" Suzuki protested, jumping up defensively.

"Then what is it? I'll hear your excuse."

"A preference is just a preference! Haven't you heard of the strict separation between fiction and reality? Are you trying to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠paint all fifty million men in this country as potential sex offenders?"

Around the time the two hot-blooded high schoolers were locked in their uselessly passionate debate—

*Beep-beep-beep. Click.*

The digital lock on the front door downstairs opened. However, drowned out by the loud moans blaring from the speakers, the sound never reached the two boys.

There was one fact that Shun, blinded by his carnal desires, had failed to calculate. His mother, Himari, was the type of person who, once she found something she liked, would pay for it instantly and head straight home.

Current time: 3:15 PM.

Time remaining until absolute ruin: five minutes.