The day starts with a familiar voice calling out, "Welcome back, welcome back—did you hear? Did you hear? Sophie the girl cried and decided, right, Shary? Why don’t you drink and study instead? All of you kids are getting jobs. That one has been a dropout for five years already. Oh, so long it’s been since then? Yes, thank you for the meal. Yes, um. Ah, I want to die. Hello, I’m here to bother you. Please, please, please, please. I’m sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. Please, don’t make me stand here in the hallway. Come in, right away."
Hikari, the new student, is greeted by the family teacher, Tatsu, who is here to help her prepare for the upcoming exams. The lessons begin with a simple test, but it quickly becomes clear that Hikari has a problem—she’s addicted to alcohol. The teacher insists that if she stops drinking, her grades will improve, and she’ll get into her dream university. But Hikari isn’t ready to give up her little vice just yet.
As the lessons continue, the tension builds. Hikari is distracted by more than just her studies—there’s a certain charm in the way the teacher speaks, the way he looks at her. She finds herself drawn in, even as she struggles with the difficult vocabulary and grammar. The teacher, sensing her hesitation, offers her encouragement, and even a little touch here and there.
The classroom turns into something more intimate, more personal. Words become a kind of seduction, and every lesson feels like a step closer to something more. Hikari tries to focus, but her mind keeps drifting back to the teacher’s voice, the way he speaks to her, the way he touches her.
As the night comes to an end, Hikari feels a little more confident, a little more ready. She knows she still has a long way to go, but with Tatsu by her side, she feels like she can make it through anything. She’s not just preparing for an exam—she’s preparing for a new beginning.
