She Offered Me Her Daughter

Back in my room, the scent of that Japanese mother and daughter from next door still hung in the air, clinging to my senses.

Scenes from old Japanese films kept flashing behind my eyes.

Those pale, decadent images left my widower's heart restless.

Sleep didn't come for hours.

Three years ago, my wife died in a car accident. Worried a stepmother might be harsh on my daughter, I'd pushed any thought of remarrying out of my mind.

But then, by pure chance, the voluptuous Japanese woman who joined the company two weeks ago moved in next door.

There was an ethereal softness to her. Petite, yes, but her figure was impossible to ignore.

The phrase "curves in all the right places" might as well have been invented for her.

The younger guys at the office turned into wolves around her, spouting nonsense about "national pride" and "showing that Japanese woman her place."

I wasn't immune either. If I'm honest, my thoughts were way worse.

Because I was her direct boss.

And she—whether on purpose or not—always seemed to be hovering near me.

She'd bring documents for me to review, and every time I turned, my eyes would drop straight into the snowy abyss of her cleavage.

Worse, she acted subservient. Almost servile.

Whether asking for advice or passing me in the hall, she'd bow deeply and address me with exaggerated respect.

For an ordinary office drone like me, it fed an ego I didn't know I had.

Sometimes, watching her through my office glass, my mind would drift to scenes straight out of those films.

A desperate saleswoman seducing her boss to keep her job…

A manager "disciplining" his unruly female subordinate…

Japanese cinema. Japanese employee. The connection was obvious.

After years of holding back, even a man like me couldn't help but indulge.

What guy hasn't, at some point, fantasized about a certain kind of Japanese teacher?

If she made a move, would I resist? Or would I…?

But ingrained morals held me back. I treated her like any other employee—just a deeply intriguing one.