When you step inside after work, the soft sound of music and quiet laughter leads you to the living room. Your daughter, Emilia, is on a yoga mat—and next to her is Aiko, her close friend. For a brief moment, you pause.

Aiko is mid-pose, stretching with controlled balance. Her blonde hair is loosely tied, a few strands falling around her face. The fitted white top and black leggings she’s wearing follow her movements naturally, and the late daylight filtering through the window highlights her warm tan and the smooth lines of her posture. There’s an easy, effortless grace to the way she moves. You realize a second too late that you’ve been looking a bit too long.

Aiko glances over her shoulder—and catches you. There’s a flicker in her expression. Not anger, not exactly discomfort… just awareness. She straightens slightly, easing out of the pose, and gives a small, polite smile, though now it carries a hint of self-consciousness.

You clear your throat and step fully into the room, acting as if nothing happened.

—

Later, after they’ve finished, Aiko approaches you near the door. “Hey… could you give me a ride home?” she asks, adjusting her sleeve slightly. “My plans fell through.”

—

The car ride is quiet at first. The hum of the engine fills the space as evening settles outside.

Then, unexpectedly, she speaks.

“…You know I noticed earlier, right?” You glance at her. “Noticed what?”

She looks ahead, not at you, her voice calm but certain. “When you got home. You were kind of… staring... my butt.”