"Imada-san..."
"Yes?"
"Can you show me your hand?"
Why?"
"Just do it, please," Yoko said with a smile. Imada extended his right hand across the table.
"No, not your right hand. The left one."
Following her instructions, Imada withdrew his right hand and extended his left. Yoko grasped Imada's left hand with both of hers and pulled it toward her, silently examining the palm. As Yoko's soft hands touched his, Imada felt his heart rate quicken.
"Oh!" Yoko's eyes widened as she looked at the palm of Imada's hand.
"What?"
"It's the marriage line!"
"What?" Imada leaned forward slightly, straining his neck to peer at the palm of his own hand.
"See, this line is going upward, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is. Is that a bad thing?"
"No, it's really good." Imada had never believed in palm reading, but he let out a sigh of relief nonetheless.
"That's a relief."
"Yes, it is."
They gazed at each other in silence for a moment. For the first time in his life, Imada understood the meaning of love. It was different from the bittersweet longing of unrequited love—this was something fruitful and rewarding.
True love offers a bright future wrapped in hope, free from the sense of defeat. Some might dismiss it as just a video game, but how many fortunate men in the real world ever experience romance with their ideal women? People might laugh it off as a game, but how many are truly lucky enough to find love without compromise, without losing a part of themselves in the process?
"Here's your coffee, sir." The waiter's voice brought them back to reality, causing them to quickly retract their hands that had been touching on the table.
After the meal, Imada drove Yoko to the front of her apartment building. As both of them got out of the car, Yoko thanked him for the meal. Then, she looked at Imada with a serious gaze.
"Imada-san, I don't like games."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm thinking about us seriously."
"Yoko-san, I feel the same way."
Imada couldn't bring himself to say that he also disliked games. He thought the person who created this game was undoubtedly a genius. No, considering it was created by AI, that AI could be called a super high-performance genius.
"Well then, goodnight," Yoko said, bowing her head.
"Goodnight, Yoko-san."
As Imada returned to his car and closed the door, he couldn't contain his overwhelming joy and yelled at the top of his lungs.
"Yeah!"
The next day, Imada woke up smiling. Usually, he'd wake up feeling down. He had always believed no one really woke up with a smile. "Is this what happiness feels like?" he pondered as he launched the game on his monitor.
The Romance points were rising, just as he had anticipated. A new bonus course, previously unavailable, now presented itself. Course A offered a reward of 500 points upon completion, Course B 300 points, and Course C a mere 100 points. The typical Imada, ever indecisive, would have naturally gravitated towards the least challenging Course C—even in a game setting. But that day was different. Yoko's affection had kindled a newfound strength within him. He confidently selected Course A, knowing that securing 500 points would propel him to the next stage. As he made his choice, a warning flashed on the screen: Course A promised increased difficulty and a heightened risk of failure. Imada, undeterred, pressed on.
After their meal, Imada took Yoko to a movie. It was his first time watching a film in the company of a woman. They settled on a Korean romance, but neither expected the heart-wrenching conclusion it held.
Emerging from the dimly lit theater, Yoko's eyes glistened with fresh tears. Without a word, she reached out, interlocking her fingers with Imada's.
It's heartbreaking that they can't be together," she murmured.
"I had no idea it would end that way," Imada admitted, squeezing her hand gently.
"It's okay. It's moving how much he loves her." Yoko assured him with a soft smile.
Outside the theater, the darkness had set in and the once-bustling crowd had vanished. Imada's fingers remained intertwined with Yoko's delicate hand.
"Imada-san, how about a short walk?"
"That sounds wonderful," he smiled.
Still holding hands, they left their car behind in the parking lot and began to wander without any particular destination in mind. The warmth from Yoko's gentle hand reaffirmed Imada's belief that she was, indeed, his girlfriend. They walked in silence, the only sound being the soft echo of their footsteps on the asphalt.
Recently, there had been talk of real-world billionaires who had purchased androids worth several billion yen and treated them as if they were their wives. Perhaps they had become weary of those seeking them out for their riches. Financially, it was more prudent than forfeiting 10 billion yen in a divorce settlement, and these androids maintained a perfect, ageless appearance. The biggest drawback was that their intelligence was set low due to safety precautions, and they couldn't emotionally connect in the same way a human wife would. But Yoko was different. She was intelligent, less compliant than the usual androids, and felt more genuinely human.
"Should we head back?" Yoko asked.
"Yes, I think we should," Imada replied. Feeling content, Yoko and Imada held hands as they walked back to the parking lot. When Imada opened the passenger door for Yoko, a voice echoed from behind.
"Nice car you got there."
Yoko and Imada turned to see three men. They weren't as tall as Imada, but all had strong builds. One man, with tattoos prominent on his neck, approached them.
"Isn't this a Bentley?"
Feeling the man's threatening aura, Yoko pressed closer to Imada.
"Yes, it is," Imada confirmed. The parking lot was deserted and silent, and the areas beyond the lamp posts sank into shadows. The man then sized up Yoko, letting his gaze travel over her.
"Bringing a fine lady, huh? Hey, girl, you've hit the jackpot? Is it really that great to be with a rich guy?"
Yoko moved behind Imada to shield herself from the man, who reeked of alcohol. "We're in a hurry," Imada said, urging Yoko into the car.
"Hey, don't just walk away! Geez, what a stuck-up rich kid. You looking down on us 'cause we're working class?"
"Well, no, we're in a rush, sorry."
As Yoko settled into the passenger seat, Imada swiftly attempted to close the door, but the man grabbed his arm.
"Hey, you disrespecting me?" Despite his heart pounding, Imada realized that this was part of the game's storyline. "What harm can they possibly do to the main character?" he thought. With trembling legs, Imada regained his composure, ready to face the man.
"You think I'm disrespecting you? Well, congratulations, you've got the attention you were craving," Imada said.
"What did you just say, punk!"
"Imada-san! We need to leave!" Yoko urged from inside the car. Ever since he was a child, Imada had dreamed of being a hero, taking down villains. He imagined himself emerging victorious, earning Yoko's admiration, and then smiling as if it was no big deal. The AI that crafted this game seemed to him truly a super high-performance genius.
"Don't worry, Yoko-san. I won't let them touch you. I can handle these guys with just one hand..."
As Imada refocused on the man, a heavy blow blindsided him, sending a shock of pain from his face straight to the back of his head.
"Imada-san!" Yoko's scream pierced the air as she witnessed Imada being hit. "With just one hand, what were you going to do, rich boy?"
Cupping his face, blood dripped through Imada's fingers, staining the ground below. The pain and shock were overwhelming; he couldn't muster a sound. His nose felt, and probably was, broken.
"One more punch!"
The man took another swing, and an agony akin to electric shocks raced through Imada's left ear after the hit. He swayed from side to side momentarily before crumbling awkwardly onto the concrete. Imada's once handsome face was now contorted with pain; there was no heroism in this harrowing defeat.
"The car and the girl are ours now, idiot."
The man kicked Imada in the mouth with his heel as Imada tried to rise, sending jolts of pain through him as he felt his front teeth shatter.
"Imada-san! Help!"
The three men climbed into the car. Imada's fading consciousness caught the desperate cries of Yoko just before everything went black.