Bark! Bark! Bark!
JOJO, the Labrador at his feet, suddenly began barking. Jingu Yō raised an eyebrow, left his workspace, and headed down the hallway from the second floor.
"I'm coming!"
The moment he opened the front door, a wave of soft, elegant fragrance drifted into the house.
Standing at the entrance was a beautiful, stylish woman with a voluptuous figure. Too mature to be called a "girl," and yet not quite old enough to be a "madam." She was right in that golden age between the two—at the absolute peak of a woman's allure.
"…Miss Ritsuko?"
Jingu Yō spoke her name with a flicker of recognition.
Yokoyama Ritsuko—his father had mentioned her in a phone call just two days prior. A graduate of the University of Tokyo's prestigious law program. Her mentor? None other than the legal advisor of the Jingu zaibatsu. Known even back at Tōdai as a top-ranking honor student, she followed her professor into the legal department of the Jingu Group, where she quickly made a name for herself as one of the most capable and trusted lawyers within the organization. Her aging mentor already saw her as his natural successor. His father, too, trusted her implicitly—not just for her skills, but for her character.
"Well, well. Long time no see, young master. You're not gonna invite me in?"
Wearing a sharp, form-fitting business outfit, she offered a teasing smile.
"Please come in, Miss Ritsuko… Those behind you—what are they?"
Yō glanced past her at a large truck parked outside his gate. Its flatbed was completely loaded with cherry blossom trees.
"You said you wanted to fill your yard with sakura, didn't you? So I found a landscaping company to take care of it."
Ritsuko explained casually, then turned to the crew.
"Just plant the cherry trees around the yard. I'll leave the aesthetic part to you pros. I've already wired the payment to your company account."
"You got it, Miss Yokoyama!"
The foreman, a rugged man in his forties, responded with a big grin.
"All right, let's head inside, shall we, my young master?"
Without even waiting for a reply, Ritsuko stepped right into the house like she owned the place.
Yō turned back toward the energetic crew already getting to work outside and sighed in resignation.
He had casually asked Ritsuko to recommend a landscaping company for his yard in a previous conversation—he hadn't expected her to take care of it so fast. Truly a capable woman. No wonder his father put so much trust in her.
—
Once inside, Ritsuko glanced around the not-so-large but tastefully cozy living room and gave a playful scoff.
"I'm honestly shocked. Our young master living in such a modest house? Unbelievable."
"Don't lump me in with those clueless spoiled brats."
Yō retorted calmly.
"Well, you've never been the extravagant type since you were little."
"Can you not call me 'young master'? It sounds so off."
He frowned. It wasn't that he cared about the title itself—it was her smirking tone that made it annoying.
"You don't like being called that? I think it suits you perfectly."
"…Fine, call me whatever you want. Want something to drink? I don't have much, so it'll be whatever's around."
"In that case, I'll take an Asahi beer!"
Ritsuko dropped onto the sofa like it was her own home. She glanced over at the Bösendorfer piano tucked in the corner, then elegantly crossed her legs.
"Excuse me? It's broad daylight, and I'm technically still underage. I can't serve alcohol, y'know."
Yō sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Oh, don't try to fool me, young master. A guy who's bold enough to smoke weed wouldn't care about underage drinking laws."
"…Tch. Fine."
He opened the fridge, pulled out two tall cans of Asahi, and set them on the coffee table.
"Heh. I knew it. Your fridge is packed with Asahi beer."
"My family owns shares in the company. I'm just supporting the family business."
Talking to this loud, laid-back woman was oddly relaxing. Yō cracked open his beer and took a long, satisfying gulp.
But beneath the easygoing exterior, this woman wasn't someone to be underestimated. On the courtroom floor, she was a razor-sharp litigator who could dismantle her opponents with precision—an ace attorney with all the flair of a courtroom drama.
Ritsuko also opened her beer and downed a good third of it before slapping her hand against her massive chest.
Yō caught himself glancing. She wore a tight black pencil skirt and sheer black pantyhose that showed off her long legs. Her blazer hugged her curvaceous thighs, and her breasts—those gravity-defying orbs—bounced with every slight movement. Whether in his original world or this one, they were without doubt the most scandalously magnificent pair he'd ever seen.
Black-rimmed glasses with no frames, her hair neatly pinned up—she already had a beautiful face, but her mature aura was the real knockout blow. Even with the mental age of a 25-year-old, Yō felt himself gulp involuntarily.
"…Falling for me already, young master?" she teased, eyebrow cocked. "You should know, I was the campus queen back in Tōdai."
There it was again—that perfectly confident, flawlessly composed "secretary-of-your-dreams" vibe. She radiated womanly charm like it was a biological weapon.
"If you're serious about me, I could divorce my husband right now, you know? Honestly, you've got a great personality and an even better financial background. I could marry into the Jingu family and become a carefree trophy wife. No more stressful court cases—just wine, silk robes, and brunch."
She said it with zero shame or hesitation.
"Cough… Are you seriously trying to seduce a minor, Miss Ritsuko? Also, what about your husband? Wouldn't he cry?"
Oh, right. This mature, voluptuous woman was already married. A damn shame—though, let's be real, married women have their own appeal too…
"He can cry all he wants. Hell, I hope he cries himself into a noose."
Her tone suddenly turned cold and bitter.
Apparently, she'd married her husband because of family arrangements. The guy was just a plain corporate worker she'd known since childhood. In other words, a childhood friend turned ball-and-chain.
"A man who's useless in bed and in life."
With a grunt, she uncrossed her legs, her black-stockinged thighs shifting gracefully as she began to head up the stairs.
"…Useless in bed?"
Honestly, it made sense. A woman this dominant would be a nightmare for most ordinary men.
"…Useless in bed?"
Yō found himself watching her from behind, the way her legs moved tightly together—was it possible…?
Could it be her husband was actually impotent and had never even touched her?
"Hey! Wait! Don't go into my room without asking!"
Suddenly snapping back to reality, Yō bolted after her.
He just remembered—his computer was still on.
And what he'd left onscreen was… not something you'd want a lawyer to see.