[KSBJ-395]

Falling in Love with My Kind and Beautiful Stepmother Hiraoka Rieko

My father remarried. My new stepmother, Rieko, had a gentle voice and a warm smile that brought comfort to our home. I didn't know how to act around her and could only manage awkward smiles in return. One day, feeling stuck and down after studying, Rieko gently approached me. She sat close, patiently guiding me with such clarity it felt like magic. Her kindness soothed my heart and lifted my spirits. As a further act of care, she softly cradled my head in her lap and tenderly cleaned my ears. Her scent and warmth seeped deep into my soul. A strange excitement stirred in my chest—I realized something had changed. In that moment, I found myself looking at Rieko not as a mother, but as a woman. The feelings overwhelmed me, complex and confusing, tightening in my chest like never before.