The front door of Akane's family home creaked open, and in stumbled her mother, drunk and disheveled. Her new boyfriend lurked behind her, a menacing grin plastered on his face.
"You little slut!" her mother slurred, pointing a finger at Akane. "I know what you've been doing with Nekomaru! I can smell it on you!"
Akane rolled her eyes, unflinching in the face of her mother's rage. "Oh, please. You're just mad because you can't keep a man sober long enough to call him your boyfriend. And this one? He's got lecherous eyes that only a mother could love."
Her mother's face turned beet red, and she threw a bottle at Akane. With a graceful sidestep, Akane dodged it, and Nekomaru entered the room, his towering presence calming the situation slightly.
"Now, now, let's not get carried away," Nekomaru said, his deep voice rumbling through the room.
Akane's mother, still fuming, revealed Akane's pregnancy. Nekomaru's eyes widened in surprise, but Akane remained unfazed.
"Well, I guess I'll be a mom soon," she quipped, poking fun at Nekomaru's shock. "I hope you're ready for some late-night feedings and diaper changes."
Nekomaru recovered from his surprise and leaned down to whisper something in Akane's ear. She blushed, and her mother threw them both out of the house, threatening to disown Akane.
On the streets, Akane and Nekomaru exchanged playful insults, their chemistry palpable.
"Your apartment is probably the size of a shoebox," Akane said, teasing Nekomaru.
"Well, at least it's a clean shoebox," Nekomaru retorted, chuckling.
He offered Akane a place to stay, and she accepted, playfully insulting his modest living conditions.
"I can't believe you call this a bed," Akane said, looking at Nekomaru's small couch. "I've slept on more comfortable park benches."
Nekomaru chuckled and pulled a blanket over Akane, who was already falling asleep from exhaustion. As she drifted off, Nekomaru leaned down and kissed her gently, causing her to stir in her sleep.
He watched her with a soft smile, his mind racing with thoughts of the future. Despite the heavy plot, the humor and playful insults in their dialogue had lightened the mood, and Akane's strong and controlling demeanor had only made him more attracted to her.
He couldn't wait to see what the next day would bring.
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