Chapter 10: Tea Gathering

At ten in the morning, Nakano Risa—who had practically melted into a pancake on the sofa—was finally dragged back to reality by the faint protest of her stomach and the sight of an utterly empty fridge.

“Ah… I still have to buy groceries.”

She sat up with a bit of annoyance, rubbing her cheeks.

The level of convenience in this era seemed somewhat different from what she remembered. At least in this neighborhood, proper fresh-food delivery services hadn’t yet reached the point where you could get everything delivered with just a tap.

She scrolled through her phone, checked a few questionable apps, and finally let out a resigned sigh.

Social anxiety was social anxiety, but grocery shopping wasn’t the same as going to work meetings.

She tried to reason with herself: it’s just a trip to a familiar supermarket, just saying “thank you” to the cashier—nothing serious.

Changing into a simple dress and picking up a plain reusable shopping bag, she took a deep breath and stepped out the door.

The sunlight was bright—almost a little harsh—illuminating the quiet residential street.

Occasionally, housewives passed by leisurely with their dogs, or pushing strollers, exchanging nods of greeting. Everything felt peaceful and ordinary.

Following her memory, she first went to her usual supermarket, picking out vegetables, meat, and milk.

Then she stopped by a convenience store to restock some daily necessities.

At checkout, the young cashier behind the counter worked skillfully. She looked up and gave Risa a professional yet friendly smile.
“Mrs. Nakano, you look great today.”

“Thank you,” Risa replied with a smile, though something stirred faintly in her mind.

The girl recognized her—meaning this choice had been correct. The original owner of this body had indeed been a regular here.

That gave her a bit of reassurance. At least within this small sphere of life, her movements followed a traceable pattern.

Carrying the slightly heavy shopping bags out of the convenience store, she was debating whether to head straight home or stop by the bakery when a somewhat high-pitched female voice called out from the side—

“Mrs. Nakano!”

She turned toward the sound and saw a woman in her thirties, slightly plump but dressed quite elegantly, waving at her enthusiastically.

The woman wore a well-tailored dress, her makeup bright and polished. She was also carrying shopping bags and was walking quickly toward her.

Her memory supplied the information just in time—Mrs. Horii, who lived in the next neighborhood. Outgoing, sociable, and a well-known “information hub” in the community.

“Mrs. Horii, good afternoon.” Risa stopped and nodded politely.

“Oh my, it’s been ages since I’ve run into you!” Mrs. Horii approached with a warm smile, speaking as if they were quite familiar. “How have you been lately? Is Shinobu doing well? Mr. Nakano is still as busy as ever, I suppose?”

“We’re all doing well, thank you for your concern,” Risa replied with a proper social smile, though an alarm quietly sounded in her mind.

An overly enthusiastic neighbor often meant excessive attention.

“That’s good, that’s good.” Mrs. Horii glanced around, lowered her voice slightly, and leaned in with a hint of conspiratorial intimacy. “By the way, I’m having a small tea gathering at my place this afternoon. Just a few familiar ladies chatting and having some sweets. You should come too—everyone hasn’t seen you in a while.”

A tea gathering?

With a group of unfamiliar housewives?

Nakano Risa’s social anxiety immediately hit maximum alert, and a hundred excuses to decline flashed through her mind.

However, another thought quickly overrode her discomfort: after confirming her “husband” was suspicious, it had become a higher priority to quickly understand her surroundings, learn about the original owner’s social network, and gather information for a possible “exit plan.”

Someone like Mrs. Horii might be the perfect entry point.

So she swallowed her reluctance, lifted her eyes, and made her smile look as natural—and even slightly expectant—as possible.

“That sounds nice. Around what time?”

“About two!” Mrs. Horii looked even happier when she agreed. “Don’t bring anything—just come as you are! It’s just a little get-together.”

After a bit more small talk, they parted ways at the intersection.

On the walk home, Risa’s feelings were complicated.

On one hand, she felt her scalp tingle at the thought of the social ordeal ahead. On the other, she had a faint sense that she might actually discover something.

For lunch, she made a simple oyakodon—quick and convenient.

Sitting alone in the quiet dining room, that strange feeling of being watched by something unseen faintly surfaced again.

Even though she was clearly alone in the house, it felt as though something, somewhere, was silently “watching” her.

She shook her head, trying to shake off the unsettling thought, but the string of caution in her heart had already tightened.

At 1:30 in the afternoon, she changed into a soft knit top and skirt, then carefully applied a light, elegant makeup in front of the mirror—this had been the original owner’s habit when going out socially, and she couldn’t afford to slip up in such details.

After confirming everything was in order, she headed out again, following her memory to Mrs. Horii’s home.

The door opened almost immediately after she rang the bell.

Mrs. Horii’s enthusiastic smile greeted her. “Come in, come in! We’ve been waiting for you!”

Inside the living room, three or four women—each in their thirties or forties—were already seated around a coffee table filled with exquisite pastries and tea, all dressed and made up impeccably.

As she entered, several gazes turned toward her at once, followed by overlapping greetings.

“Mrs. Nakano, it’s been so long!”

“Oh my, you’re still just as beautiful—haven’t changed at all!”

“Come sit!”

Risa maintained a perfectly measured smile, responding one by one before sitting in the empty seat beside Mrs. Horii.

The atmosphere seemed relaxed and harmonious, with the aroma of tea and the sweetness of pastries filling the air.

However, before long, the direction of the conversation quietly shifted.

“Have you heard?”

One woman with fashionable curls lowered her voice first, her eyes gleaming with excitement. “That new fitness center at the corner—there’s a super young trainer there! I heard he’s only twenty-five. And his body… absolutely incredible!”

“I know, I know!” another woman with short hair chimed in immediately, unable to hide her excitement.

“I went for a trial session last week! When he guided me on the equipment, he stood really close. Those arm muscles… they must feel amazing!”

“You actually touched them?” the curly-haired woman asked.

“Of course!” the short-haired woman lifted her chin proudly. “I pretended I didn’t know how to use the machine, so he came over and guided me hand-in-hand, adjusting my posture. His hand—right there on my waist…”

She deliberately dragged out her words, drawing knowing laughter from the others.

Nakano Risa froze, her teacup held midair.

This… didn’t quite match her expectations of a “neighborly tea gathering.”

“Mrs. Nakano, don’t be shy.” Mrs. Horii nudged her lightly with her elbow, wearing a teasing smile. “We’re all friends here—what’s wrong with talking about this? Or is it that Mr. Nakano is so impressive that you don’t have such thoughts?”

The others laughed along, their gazes converging on Risa, filled with curiosity and a certain hidden expectation.

Risa’s face flushed instantly.

This time, it wasn’t entirely acting—half of it was genuine shock at how blunt the topic had become.

She lowered her head, unconsciously rubbing the warm surface of her cup, her voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz.
“He… he’s always very busy with work…”

“Oh, we get it, we get it!” the curly-haired woman waved her hand knowingly. “Men are all like that after being married for a long time—only care about work and sleep. That’s why we have to find our own fun.”

“Exactly,” the short-haired woman agreed. “That trainer—so many ladies are secretly eyeing him. Too bad the young guy is pretty proper—no one’s successfully ‘asked him out’ yet.”

“That’s because they haven’t found the right method.”

Mrs. Horii lowered her voice mysteriously. “I have a friend who put in quite the effort last month and finally got him to go out for coffee. Nothing really happened in the end… but at least there’s been a little progress, right?”