Akane had gone home from the theater feeling both inspired and aroused by what she'd seen on screen, though she also believed that the film was severely lacking in displays of naked men. She knew from experience that a strong male body was every bit as pleasing to the eye as that of a beautiful womans, so she could only wonder why the filmmakers would neglect the former to focus almost solely on the latter.

That said, it was always possible for her to retreat into fantasy if reality didn't quite live up to her expectations. Which was what she did after casting off her human form and crawling up the wall to sleep in her web.

She imagined being shown around Pets First by one of her fellow golden orb-weavers, who made a point of talking up the various breeds of puppies, kittens, and other baby animals. However, nothing caught her interest until she saw the specimen of male beauty seated on a stool by the Shiba Inu enclosure.

It was the young man from the department store. He was dressed in a simple white shirt and gray slacks, with his hair styled in a neat side part that accentuated his chiseled features. Akane stopped in her tracks to admire how handsome he looked before she noticed the pain in his eyes.

Please adopt me. I'm lonely. Those eyes seemed to cry out at her. She swallowed, wondering if she was up to the task until the shop assistant's voice startled her.

"So, have you made up your mind? Or should I leave you to it?"

"Uh, I think so," Akane replied with haste. "What do you know about caring for a human?"

"They're very demanding and often too intelligent for their own good. I wouldn't recommend it unless you're able to attend to his needs twenty-four seven."

Time was something that Akane had plenty of, so she decided that it would indeed be possible to take proper care of him. She notified the shop assistant of her choice, and shortly afterward, left the store with her new pet in tow.

They went home, and over the following weeks, they visited the park frequently for walks and games of frisbee, which helped him warm up to her to the point that he would greet her with a hug and a kiss on the cheek whenever she returned from hunting or shopping.

She grew to cherish him as well, but unfortunately, this new sentiment of hers coincided with him undergoing a sudden change in demeanor and becoming aloof in her presence.

"Why are you like this? Have I done something wrong?" she asked him one day while at her wit's end and unable to cope with his coldness for much longer.

"Why?" he remarked with a cruel smirk and a raise of his eyebrows. "You see, I've opened my eyes. There's more to life than being your little pet, so from now on, I think I should try being the master."

At that, he nimbly removed his collar and clasped it around her neck. Then, he patted her on the head and whispered words that made her skin crawl.

"There's a good girl. Why don't we go for a walk?"

******

Kumiko gradually became aware of her surroundings and the soft pillow beneath her head. She blinked a couple of times, then propped herself up with one arm to make sure that she was in her bedroom.

Her chest heaved in relief as she recognized the pine nightstand with a lamp and black Casio alarm clock on top of it. The short and long hands on the clock face were pointed at eleven and ten, respectively, a sight that made her realize what time it was and bolt upright in shock.

Ten past eleven! Thank goodness I'm on leave!

She threw the covers aside and rose to her feet. An absence of weight behind her prompted Kumiko to turn and gaze down her own back. Her bothersome tail had vanished, which meant that she didn't have to worry anymore about someone like Yukari catching on to her furry side.

After a speedy morning routine and breakfast, she made sure to call Futoshi and apologize before informing him that she was ready to come over.

"That so?" he rasped wearily from the other end.

"Of course!" Kumiko squealed, jumping in the air while beside herself with excitement. "Isn't it great?"

"I couldn't be happier..."

"Well, I'll be there in a few minutes. Just you wait." She hung up, then entered the hall to take the key off the hook and put on her comfortable black sneakers for a change.

A peaceful night of sleep had done wonders for her vitality, and right now, she felt as energetic as a cub that had just found a new friend to play with.

******

In contrast to Kumiko's uplifted mood, the atmosphere in Futoshi's living room was one of tension. Her landlord stood slightly hunched with arms crossed and back pressed against the nearby wall, while Tsutomu ate his breakfast with disinterest, and Yukari stared at the former like a buzzard sizing up its prey.

"You look cheerful. Do you have a clever plan up your sleeve?" Futoshi asked with urgency, uncrossing his arms as the other two turned their attention towards her. Yukari frowned.

Kumiko came to terms with her lack of preparedness, but she wasn't about to let Futoshi catch on. She managed to keep a straight face while answering. "Indeed, I do. Could you leave us alone, please?"

"Of course. I've been waiting to do some shopping," he replied, producing his set of house keys for emphasis.

After he was gone, she approached the pair seated at the kotatsu and reminded herself to keep all emotions in check. Tsutomu swallowed hastily and placed his spoon down as she joined them.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" she asked for the sake of courtesy while glancing between him and Yukari.

The two of them turned to give their full attention. Tsutomu opened his mouth to reply. "No, it's-"

"Yes, you are!" Yukari snapped, cutting him off. "I don't know what your game is, but let me tell you, I'm not going down without a fight!"

Kumiko flinched at the sound of the other woman's voice, though she soon managed to compose herself by remembering how one-sided their earlier fight had been. "I'm not here to challenge you," she explained. "There's been enough trouble already."

"Then what do you want?"

"To find out what it is you're after. There are other men to choose from, so I'd like to know why Tsutomu... no, Ichiro has caught your interest."

Tsutomu narrowed his eyes and gave a quiet sigh. Yukari crossed her arms.

"Fine. All I'll say is that we have a lot in common."

"Like what?" Kumiko asked with genuine curiosity, as they seemed like an odd pair to her.

"Did you not just hear me? It's none of your business."

"I think it is. I'm his wife, after all."

"His wife?" Yukari leaned back a little. "Ha, give me a break! You told me that last time!"

Kumiko briefly shut her eyes in irritation. This was going to be troublesome indeed. "That's because it's true. The two of us go way back." She glanced at Tsutomu, and he responded with a reluctant nod.

Yukari's subsequent smirk seemed to indicate that she saw this as an invitation for further argument. "Oh yeah? How long?"

Three hundred and eighty-eight years, Kumiko thought and felt the urge to say while struggling to think of a more credible answer. Fortunately, Tsutomu came to her rescue with a number that sounded reasonable.

"We've been together for five years."

Yukari gave him an incredulous glare. "Really? And how have they been? Disappointing?"

"No, not at all. She's good to me."

"Yeah, for now. But what about when she grows old and becomes a shriveled hag? Will you still fuck her then?!"

The bluntness hit Kumiko like a punch to the abdomen. She stiffened, finding herself overcome by the fear that Yukari had seen through her human façade and was trying to bait her into confessing the truth. 

She decided to feign innocence by acting like a mortal woman. "You're not making any sense. Won't we all get old eventually?"

Yukari's bottom lip trembled as she spun her head around. "Yeah... are you stupid?"

"No," Kumiko said before working out how she could best the other woman. "I just find it strange that you seem to think yourself immune to the ravages of time." She focused on Tsutomu, who widened his eyes in surprise. "He'll age, and so will you. You know it to be true."

"Stop playing dumb..." Yukari hissed, clearly shaken as a result of being reminded of her own mortality. "You have no idea who you're dealing with..."

"And neither do you," Kumiko countered. "Don't you remember what happened on Thursday?"

"Yeah, I do. And let me tell you, I underestimated you then..."

"You can believe that if you wish. I just want to know what you see in him."

"It's not because I'm sexy, is it?" Tsutomu piped up with a teasing smile, much to Kumiko's consternation. He leaned his head lazily against his left hand in a blatant attempt to appear seductive.

Yukari became livid. She rose to a crouching position and slammed her palm against the tabletop. "Don't be so full of yourself! You're not my type!"

"Oh. All right..." Tsutomu said in embarrassment while straightening up and lowering his arm. "I think I'll finish this elsewhere..." He grabbed his bowl of porridge and prepared to stand, but Yukari reached out to yank him back down.

"Stop trying to get away. I need you for this!"

"Uh, why?" he asked, shifting his gaze towards Kumiko. She felt tempted to intervene but instead willed herself to listen to what Yukari would say next.

"Tell her the truth! Like how old you really are!"

Kumiko expected him to answer with something mundane, so it stunned her when he smiled sheepishly, then gave a number far beyond what she'd expected.

"Um, I'm... four hundred?"

"What?"

Yukari smirked and, with a nudge, pressured him to resume speaking. He swallowed while gazing right into Kumiko's eyes.

"Apparently, I'm also an aspiring actor. And I still cry over my-" He abruptly stopped as if to reconsider his words before letting out a gasp. "That's it! I've got it!"

"Got what?" Kumiko could only say in confusion. She observed Yukari's expression and noticed that the other woman was just as puzzled.

Tsutomu ignored the question and scooted over to her side. He rested his palm upon her closed hand without warning.

"Ever since the passing of my beloved wife, I have searched for one who shares her name and beauty." His flowery and somewhat archaic choice of words left Kumiko wondering if he had gone mad. "Now, after many years, my endeavor has come to an end. I have found her. My new love."

Yukari stared at them both incredulously. "Are you serious? You're pathetic..."

Kumiko began to understand what Tsutomu was trying to do and resigned herself to playing along.

"Perhaps. However, I am also happy. Isn't that what counts?"

This seemed to appease Yukari, though she soon said something that would end their sense of relief.

"If that's how you feel, then I guess it can't be helped. I'm gonna have to beat the sense back into you."

At that, Yukari pulled a shiny black object from her pocket, then thrust it down towards Tsutomu's free hand. A long silver blade sprung out, and Kumiko's breath caught in her throat.

Without hesitation, she shot her arm forward to seize Yukari by the wrist and direct the knife elsewhere. The other woman naturally began to resist, turning the weapon on her instead.

Kumiko ground her teeth and reacted by applying as much pressure to Yukari's flesh as she could. A strained gasp left her opponent's mouth, but she did not think much of it until a sickening crunch sounded and the switchblade plopped unceremoniously onto the tabletop.

She loosened her grip before letting go. The weight of what she had just done became apparent as Yukari clutched her limp wrist with a whimper, and Tsutomu fixated on the scene in horror.

It seemed that she had truly underestimated herself this time.