The chatty old man named Tadashi was probably a fool in another life. Completely clueless about social cues, he didn't take Jun's gentle scolding to heart. Even after Jun sat nearby, Tadashi, face flushed with excitement, moved closer to Jun and continued to babble on.
"Jun, don't be shy. All these years, you've never had eyes for anyone else and lived alone. You're only close to Akira, and everyone knows it. I'd be lying if I said you two don't have something going on. Look, times have changed, man. What's wrong with getting remarried? You and Akira both lost your spouses; you're similar spirits who've been through tough times. If you ask me, she's the perfect partner for you."
Tadashi rambled on cluelessly, only to be interrupted when another old man, walking with his wife, bumped into him.
"Why the heck did you bump into me, Madoka?" Tadashi exclaimed, puzzled.
This Madoka, who had stopped Tadashi from going on, was close to Jun and knew about Hana''是story. Hearing Tadashi's words and seeing Jun's increasingly furrowed brow and his wife beside him, he was sweating bullets. 'Geez, this loudmouthed Tadashi never changes, always getting on people's nerves!'
Worried that Jun might get an earful from his wife if Tadashi kept talking, Madoka quickly interrupted. "You talk too much, just shut up! Can't you see Jun's getting pissed?"
Upon closer look, Tadashi finally realized that Jun seemed genuinely angry. It was rare for Jun to lose his temper, and when he did, it was a sight to behold. Even a numbskull like Tadashi knew better than to keep talking. But shutting up was also embarrassing for him. "I was just saying, why get mad over it?" he mumbled.
Trying to change the subject, he caught sight of Hana sitting next to Jun. Intrigued, he asked, "Who's this young lady? This is the first time I've seen you bring someone along. Is she a new student of yours? Taking in such a young and beautiful girl doesn't seem like you."
Finally, Hana gave a smile. She looked at Tadashi and spoke clearly, "Hi, I'm Hana Sato. I'm Jun's wife."
The room went dead silent.
Thanks to Tadashi's booming voice earlier, everyone in the hall waiting for dinner had already taken notice of them. Seeing that the situation was getting uncomfortable, some were even prepared to step in and mediate. But Hana's statement had been heard loud and clear by almost everyone, leaving all of them frozen in their tracks, including two couples who already knew about Hana's identity.
For a moment, no one spoke, making the hall exceptionally quiet. All eyes were on Jun and Hana. People who had arrived later and hadn't heard Hana were puzzled, glancing around, "What's going on here? Why is everyone so silent?"
At this point, Tadashi finally snapped back to reality. Staring wide-eyed, he blurted out, "What?! Jun, when did you marry such a young wife? You didn't even invite us to the wedding!"
The room erupted instantly.
"What? Really? She's his wife? You're joking, right?"
"Sato Sensei... a wife?"
"She's... way too young, isn't she? Isn't that inappropriate?"
It felt like everyone had been collectively struck by lightning, left soul-shaken by this news. Even if not close friends, these people were acquaintances who had known each other for years. Nobody ever thought Jun would stir up something like this, and the way they looked at him started to change.
Before Jun could react to the murmurs and glances, two of his friends who knew the details couldn't hold back anymore and spoke up for him. "Jun isn't that kind of person, stop talking nonsense."
Almost simultaneously, Hana added, "Jun and I got married over forty years ago. Some of you might have seen the news about the fifth person who time-traveled forty years—that was me. I've been in the year 2063 for almost two months now after coming from 2023."
Stunned by the series of shocking revelations, everyone looked bewilderedly at Jun, then back at her. Tadashi was especially taken aback, slapping his head and exclaiming, "Holy cow! I'm seeing a real-life time traveler!"
Hana couldn't help but laugh at the old man's reaction. She looked around at the shocked faces and said, "Jun and I were in a normal relationship and got married back then. Even though unexpected events happened, we both still recognize our previous marital relationship. Jun is willing to fulfill his responsibilities as a husband out of his own sense of duty and kindness. I don't want him to be misunderstood because of me."
Jun was silently gazing at her, seemingly lost in thought. But he quickly snapped back to reality, addressing the bewildered members of the literary association, "That's correct. Hana is my legal wife. To ensure her daily life isn't disrupted, I had previously applied for the confidentiality of her information and control over the distribution of her likeness."
Jun glanced at a young student sitting down at the front and said to her, "So, young lady, please keep the photos and videos you just took safe. Don't post them on any social platforms or spread them widely."
The young student's face flushed with awkwardness. Even though Jun's tone held no blame, she still felt uncomfortable under so many gazes. She hurriedly deleted the photos and videos and whispered, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, they're deleted."
Jun nodded at her and thanked her. A few others who had also taken photos quickly followed suit and deleted theirs as well.
After this brief incident, Hana continually felt many eyes on her. Although the stares held no malice, they still made her feel uneasy. Because Jun sat beside her, not many people dared to approach and chat with her, at least the young ones didn't. However, several older professors did come over to talk to Jun and also exchanged a few words with Hana, their attitudes mostly understanding.
"Don't mind others' stares. As long as the two of you can accept this situation, that's all that matters. It's your personal life, after all," said a smiling, kindly old woman, patting Hana's shoulder and giving her an encouraging smile.
An old man sighed to Jun, "Well, this is good too. At least you won't be alone in your old age."
The hall, filled only with members of their association and their families, quieted down quickly after the stir.
Tadashi sat to the side, his facial expression showing discomfort. Being a talkative person, he would normally have rushed over to Hana to ask all sorts of questions. But he recalled what he'd said earlier.
If Jun were still the man who had lost his wife many years ago, Tadashi's comments would have been harmless. However, now knowing Hana's identity, the problem suddenly became significant. Saying such things in front of someone's wife was asking for trouble. Were he in Jun's position, his own wife might have cracked his skull for it.
Tadashi felt restless for a while, finding his food tasteless and hard to swallow. In the end, he couldn't resist going over to Hana and saying, "Well, I honestly didn't know you were Jun's wife. I spoke thoughtlessly earlier. Please don't take it to heart and don't fight with Jun because of me. Then my guilt would be too great."
Hana chuckled and told Tadashi, "It's alright. I should actually thank you. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known that Sato Sensei actually has a close female friend."
Jun's chopsticks paused mid-air.
Cold sweat broke out on Tadashi's forehead. 'Oh no, is she joking or is she serious?'
He looked over at Jun, who had set down his chopsticks and adjusted his glasses with a serious expression. "Tadashi Okamaru, go sit over there and mind your own dishes," Jun said.
That did it—the moment his full name was called out, Tadashi took off and didn't dare come back.
Jun hesitated, then turned to Hana and said, "Tadashi is mischievous and often talks nonsense. Don't take his words to heart."
Hana seemed unbothered, as if she didn't care at all. "Oh, I know. Hurry up and eat, and after that we can go check out the orchard and the forest."
Seeing that she didn't want to bring up the matter, Jun could only pick up his chopsticks and continue eating. He wondered if she was planning to push him into the pond in the orchard.
As for what Hana was thinking… Of course, she was angry. 'Nice one, Jun—no new Mrs. Sato at home but you certainly had a flame somewhere!'
Trusting Jun's character was one thing, but whether Hana wanted to swallow her jealousy was another. Even though she knew it was highly unlikely for Jun to have any emotional entanglements with someone else, she still felt uncomfortable.
If Jun were still young, she would've kicked him into the shallow pond right then and there. The water would barely go past the knees; it would be just a little jealousy between a married couple. But now, if she did that, it could turn into a real problem. So she had to hold it in.
So angry that she lost her appetite, she felt like she was going to throw up.
Hana took a deep breath and set down her half-eaten meal. Jun glanced worriedly at her plate, knowing that his wife was definitely angry.
But he really didn't know how to explain. Proving something doesn't exist would be more than a great challenge.
Moreover, he understood that the issue wasn't with other people, but because they had been sleeping in the two separate rooms for the past two months.
He sighed, finished his meal quietly, and went with Hana to stroll through the orchard.
Square patches of fruit trees were neatly arranged like a chessboard, with thin ridges intersecting them. Walking on the ridges, you could easily reach the orange on both sides.
In this large expanse of orchard, there were sparse Chrysanthemum. Fist-sized flowers stood erect among the swaying green leaves. Walking through it, one could smell a strong, refreshing fragrance.
After walking silently for a while, Hana gradually calmed down in the aroma. She suddenly spoke, "I know you didn't."
Jun, who was following behind her, was stunned. Then he heard her say, "But I'm upset."