The storm outside raged on. Wind howled and rain pelted the windows. Inside his room, Haruto sat idle, a steaming cup of tea in hand. With nothing better to do, he settled in front of his computer. For a moment, his thoughts blanked out—he couldn't concentrate. The sound of the wind and rain was simply too loud, dominating the quietness of the room.
"The rain's too heavy… I can't get anything done like this," he muttered.
Staring at the document in front of him, he took a moment to save the few hundred words he'd spent the last hour writing. With a sigh, he opened his browser, hoping to find some inspiration online.
Even though he knew the central theme of his new work would be heavy and tragic, he also understood that too much gloom could make a story dull. A sliver of happiness here and there, a moment of light, could make the sorrow hit even harder. On this front, he had an instinctive talent—no one had taught him that, he just knew.
"I still enjoy writing darker stuff the most," he murmured to himself. "Like a girl who, crushed by family pressure, starts to let herself go… yeah, that kind of setting makes me want to continue writing."
Thinking back on what he'd written so far, he realized he hadn't yet included a plotline like that. He frowned, a bit frustrated.
"Other writers love throwing in those ambiguous, morally messy storylines between the heroine and some random guy," he said, rubbing his forehead. "Even if the overall tone is pretty light, they'll toss in something spicy—like wasabi in an otherwise plain dish—just to mess with the reader's emotions."
He remembered quite a few fellow authors who had a knack for this kind of thing. Some claimed they did it in the name of "realism." Others just enjoyed provoking strong reactions from readers. He could understand the reasoning, but he wasn't the type who could write that kind of content so casually.
Looking at the browser in front of him, his hand unconsciously entered a series of familiar URLs without even thinking about it. After entering the website, he navigated through the menus. 'Other' → click → 'Adult Content'—click.
By the time his brain caught up, it was already too late. The page was asking, "Are you 18 or older?" but his finger had already clicked "Yes." The site refreshed, filling the screen with suggestive, provocative thumbnails.
"…"
Blinking at the screen in front of him, Haruto found himself sinking into a moment of introspection. He tried to recall what site he was supposed to be visiting for inspiration.
"Typing those letters… felt way too natural," he muttered. "I even bypassed the thought completely. It just seemed normal. I mean, yeah, I used to visit this site often, but not that often…"
Why had he instinctively clicked his way there without hesitation? Why that site of all places? It wasn't like it was just some casual photobook site. This was that kind of site—hardly the kind of thing he could chalk up as innocent.
"Well… I'm already here. Might as well see what's new."
With the explicit content already splashed across his screen, he gave up trying to fight it. Maybe he could still find some inspiration among the adult material.
He couldn't deny it: many of his past sensual scenes had been sparked after browsing this type of content.
His eyes scanned the thumbnails—titles like "18-Year-Old Schoolgirl" or "Big-Breasted Girl Knocked Up by the Boss She Hates", or "My Husband's Coming Home… Hurry Up!" all seemed so exaggerated and dull now.
He clicked on one at random. The pricing popped up: high-definition streaming for just 300 yen for seven days, standard quality download for 590 yen, or full HD download for 980 yen.
"Most of these are just click bait," he muttered, noting the preview screenshots.
Still, curiosity got the better of him. He clicked on the sample video. To his surprise, the scenes matched the screenshots exactly—no false advertising this time.
"Huh… unexpected. It's a hidden camera thing? Wife cheats while husband's away?"
He stared at the lead actress for a moment, then exited the video.
She was beautiful, sure. But the setup didn't move him.
"Honestly… live-action stuff doesn't really do it for me anymore."
He scrolled down to the adult game section. Titles like "Shinki Project" and "The Starry Realm Beyond the Heavens" caught his eye—some of these games were still running since back in his day.
"Huh, didn't realize they had female-targeted adult games too. Guess I never really paid attention. Maybe it's for a niche audience… still, not impossible."
Below the games was a monthly subscription section. For just 2800 yen a month, he could access everything. A few titles on the main page piqued his interest.
"Let's have a look."
He clicked one with an intriguing cover. As soon as the sample video started playing, his mind went completely blank. Goosebumps covered his arms as he froze in place, eyes wide in disbelief.
"…Tch!"
With a sharp intake of breath, he slammed the player shut.
"Damn it—I let my guard down because the last one was honest! Of course, most are still clickbait garbage."
He clenched his jaw, annoyed at himself for getting misled. He decided to skip the videos entirely and moved on to the adult manga section.
Unlike filmed content—which was constrained by budgets and logistics—manga allowed for bolder, more imaginative stories. In many ways, they sparked more creative energy for Haruto.
"Just on premise alone, some of these stories are more creative than what runs in shounen magazines. Some of the artists here actually build fanbases through these works before transitioning to mainstream success. It's a rough road chasing that manga dream… you either make this kind of content first, or you starve before you get noticed."
"'Inert Fluids'… what does it mean? Oh… wait, it's talking about tears, sweat, saliva, and… other fluids?"
He clicked into the description. It seemed to be a themed collection around bodily fluids.
Staring at the synopsis, he found himself drifting into thought. He'd never really gone into that kind of detail before. Something like "that fluid"...
"It's not like I can't write it. Hmm… say, if the protagonist lost his girlfriend, and as a result started doing abnormal things… like clinging to her shoes, or her socks, or any item she left behind. Twisted behaviors from grief. That kind of thing would really emphasize his broken mental state."
Grabbing his notebook from the desk, he jotted the idea down before closing it and returning to his browsing.
He stayed there for nearly two hours. When his eyes finally dried out from staring at the screen too long, he looked toward the window. The storm hadn't let up—it was still roaring like mad outside. Alone in his apartment, he felt a bit hollow, a bit lonely. Days like this made one feel small and fragile.
"Still not lunchtime… I'm tired. I'll write more in the afternoon. For now…"
He hadn't spoken to anyone beyond a quick check-in with his family back in Itomori. He scrolled through his contact list and started reaching out to a few close friends to check on them.
The Kiyoura household was already up. Sakakino Academy had notified Setsuna that school was canceled today. Mai clearly wasn't going into work either and was handling her job remotely.
"Wanna come over for lunch?" Mai had asked.
"With this weather? I'll pass," Haruto replied, glancing out the rain-soaked window. "I'd end up drenched. If I catch a cold, it'll be a huge hassle. I've still got plenty of food here, so I won't trouble you."
He chatted with Mai for a bit, then checked in with Setsuna, then made quick calls to Rio Futaba, Koharu, Mito, and finally Sekai. He reminded Sekai not to go out unnecessarily, then hung up. By the time he checked the clock again, it was nearly lunchtime.
"Huh, shortest call was with Rio. Longest with Sekai?" he mused, putting his phone aside and heading to the fridge.
"I'll make a pot of rice and some udon for lunch."
The power hadn't gone out yet, but you never knew with this kind of weather. Cooking extra rice was a good precaution.
The afternoon passed mostly at his desk. The ideas he'd gathered in the morning were paying off—his writing flowed smoothly, uninterrupted, right up until it got dark.
"Well, it's evening… but with this weather, it may as well still be noon."
The rain poured on. Looking out at the shimmering wet streets under the glow of streetlamps, he sighed. He cooked a quick dinner, showered, and finally collapsed into bed.
"Damn, forgot to buy a dehumidifier. It's so muggy in here. I can't even relax lying down… If this rain keeps up, I'm gonna get sick."
Staring up at the ceiling, his mind wandered through random, half-formed thoughts. Before long, fatigue overtook him and he drifted into sleep.
The next morning, the rain had lessened slightly but was still heavy enough to discourage going outside. School still hadn't resumed, so he stayed home again, repeating the same routine. Just before noon, the doorbell rang.
Still at his desk, Haruto looked up in surprise. Who would visit in this weather?
There weren't many options—probably someone from the neighboring Kiyoura household. Either Mai… or Setsuna.
Opening the door, he found Setsuna standing there, soaked and holding an umbrella, a plastic bag hanging from her hand. Inside were neatly packed bento boxes.
"In this rain… Come in. I'll get you a towel."
Her hair was wet, strands sticking to her forehead as droplets slid down her cheeks. Without waiting for her to speak, he quickly pulled her inside and shut the door.
He rushed to the bathroom, turned on the heater and hot water, grabbed a towel, and returned to her.
He draped the towel over her head, gently drying her hair and wiping her face.
"In this kind of rain, why did you come?"
"I was worried about you being alone. I brought you lunch," Setsuna said, handing him the bento.
Looking at the box, Haruto sighed.
"I have food here too. You didn't have to go through the trouble. Go take a shower—I already set up the bath. Rinse off and soak for a bit. Don't catch a cold."
His tone was firm, his expression serious. He wasn't asking—he was telling her.
Setsuna, seeing the concern in his eyes and knowing he'd accepted her lunch, quietly began unbuttoning her clothes and headed for the bathroom.
"…Want to join me, Haruto?"