Wait, what? Marriage? What the hell kind of situation am I in?
Both Kaori and I sat there, frozen, stared at her parents, our eyes wide as saucers. Her dad's casual words hit me like a punch to the gut. The word hung in the air like a thunderclap. I could feel the weight of it pressing down on my shoulders, my thoughts spinning out of control. Marriage? Us? Bro, how? Why? I could almost feel the gears in my brain screeching to a halt.
For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. I glanced at Kaori, who looked as if she might spontaneously combust from embarrassment or frustration—or maybe both. Kaori's face turned bright red, her lips parting as if she wanted to say something, but no sound came out. Of course, we were both shocked—who wouldn't be? It wasn't just surprising—it was downright ridiculous. But honestly, it was kind of comforting to know I wasn't the only one panicking. Meanwhile, my thoughts were spiraling into chaos. This can't be happening. Did I mishear? Is this some rich-people custom I don't know about? I mean, seriously? Marriage? We're barely holding it together as fake boyfriend and girlfriend, and now they're throwing this at us?
And yet… a tiny part of me—just a tiny part, okay?—thought, Well… it wouldn't be so bad if it were Kaori. But still, nah! No way! I wasn't ready for anything like that, not even close. And how could we even pull it off? We'd barely gotten to know each other properly. And how could something like that even work when we were just pretending?
Kaori finally broke the silence. "What marriage? Mom, Dad, I cannot agree to that! I'm still—we're still—" She stumbled over her words, clearly struggling to find a way to express just how ridiculous the idea was.
Yeah, of course Kaori would respond like that. There's no way she'd go along with something so insane. We're just faking it, after all. It's like an employee-employer relationship—strictly professional. But man, I'd seriously underestimated how complicated this part-time job would be. I thought it would be simple, maybe even fun, but reality hit harder than I expected.
Kaori's dad raised a hand, signaling for her to calm down. "Relax, relax. We were just joking," he said, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Look how cute your reaction is," her mom added with a playful laugh, as she leaned back in her chair, clearly enjoying the chaos they'd caused.
My jaw nearly hit the table. Joking? That's it? I slumped in relief, though my heart was still pounding like I'd just run a marathon. That was a cruel joke. I risked a glance at Kaori, whose face was still flushed, though her expression was now a mix of irritation and lingering embarrassment.
"That's not funny!" Kaori snapped, her voice sharp. "Do you know how awkward that was?"
Her dad chuckled, clearly enjoying the chaos he'd caused. "Anyway," he continued, his tone shifting slightly, "we do have a more serious proposal for you two."
Kaori and I exchanged wary glances. Oh no. What now?
"What we're thinking," her father said, his tone growing more deliberate, "is that starting next month, the two of you should live together. Just the two of you, under one roof. It'll give you a chance to get to know each other better."
"Huhhh!? What!?" Kaori's reaction was so loud, a few diners at nearby tables glanced in our direction. Her chair scraped loudly against the floor as she jumped up slightly, her hands gripping the table.
I immediately followed up, my hands flailing as if I could physically push the suggestion away. "B-but, sir! I don't think I can agree to that just yet! I-I mean, isn't it a bit… early for something like that?" My voice cracked, and I could feel the stares of nearby diners burning into the back of my head.
Kaori's mom just laughed, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Look how pure this kid is," she teased, nudging her husband.
Kaori groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Mom, Dad, can we please change the topic?" she pleaded.
Her dad chuckled but nodded, his expression softening. "Alright, alright. We'll drop it for now."
The rest of dinner was… slightly less stressful. Her parents shifted to safer topics—Kaori's college classes, her mom's latest gardening project, and her dad's new business venture. I nodded and chimed in when necessary, though my mind was still reeling from the earlier conversation. Living together? Seriously?
...
Later, Outside the Restaurant.
Kaori's parents left before us, much to her relief. She practically pushed me toward the opposite side of the restaurant when they offered to walk us out together.
As we stood on the quiet sidewalk, the cold biting at our faces, Kaori broke the silence. "So… what are we going to do now?"
I scratched the back of my neck, avoiding her gaze. "W-well, I don't really know just yet," I admitted honestly.
She raised an eyebrow, a sly smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Or maybe… you really want to live under one roof with me, huh?"
"What!?" My face heated up so quickly I might as well have turned into a human radiator. "N-no, of course not!" I stammered, my hands waving in front of me like I was trying to physically ward off her teasing.
Kaori burst out laughing. "You're so easy to tease, Yuto," she said, shaking her head. "Honestly, I don't even have to try."
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Man, you're impossible," I muttered under my breath.
She tilted her head, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Hey, wait a minute," she said, pointing at me. "Why are you smirking?"
"Huh? Smirking? I'm not—"
"Hey, Yuto!" she interrupted, stepping closer. "Why are you smirking? You're not thinking perverted thoughts about me, are you? You pervert!"
"O-of course not!" I yelped, holding my hands up defensively. "I wouldn't do that!"
She stared at me for a moment before rolling her eyes. "Whatever. Just don't let it happen again," she said, crossing her arms.
I groaned inwardly. Great. Now she thinks I'm a pervert.
After a moment of silence, Kaori's expression softened. "You did great tonight, though," she said quietly. "I didn't expect my parents to say all that, either, so I was definitely freaking out inside."
"Well," I replied, trying to sound nonchalant, "I was just doing my job as your part-timer, ma'am."
"Cringe," she said immediately, cringing herself for emphasis.
"Eek." I winced as if her words had physically struck me.
...
Infront of Sugiyama's Gate.
When we finally reached Kaori's place, she paused and turned to me before going inside. Her expression was softer now, almost hesitant. "Thanks for walking me home," she said, her voice quieter than usual.
"Just doing my job," I said with a shrug, trying to mask my own awkwardness.
"Job, job, job," she muttered, her eyes narrowing slightly. "That's all you can say. Just be yourself, okay? That's enough."
"O-okay," I said quickly, caught off guard by her sudden sincerity.
She opened her door but paused before stepping inside. "See you tomorrow," she said, her voice carrying a hint of something I couldn't quite place.
I turned to leave, but before I could take a step, she shouted after me. "Hey, Yuto! Aren't you going to say something back?"
I faced her, sighing. "Fine. See you tomorrow, too," I shouted back.
She grinned. "Goodnight!"
I waved half-heartedly and started walking away.
...
At Home.
By the time I got home, I was completely wiped out. I flopped onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling.
Man, what a day.
This part-time job was supposed to be easy—play the role of the perfect boyfriend, make some cash, and move on. But now… now I wasn't so sure.
I sighed, closing my eyes. My mind wandered back to the dinner, to Kaori's parents, and to the words her father had said as we left:
"I hope you have your answer the next time we meet, Yuto."
I'd nodded, said, "Y-yes," without thinking, but now the weight of his words hit me like a ton of bricks.
What answer? What was I supposed to say? What am I going to do? I sighed, pulling the blanket over my head. Not tonight, I thought, my exhaustion finally catching up to me. Am I really going to go along with all this?
But before I could think any further, exhaustion took over, and I drifted off to sleep.
And just like that, the evening crisis came to an end—for now.