[ENG] Soshiki no Shukuteki to Kekkon Shitara Mecha Amai V1 Epilogue

Epilogue

November 12th. Our wedding anniversary.

And yet, I... woke up in the afternoon. There were a lot of plans for the day, but I canceled everything. The reason was simple: I was completely worn out. My body was covered in bruises, aching all over, and I was so tired I could barely stand. The first thing I did when I got home yesterday was repair the broken door (the landlord would probably be furious) and patch up the broken window (I stuck some cardboard over it).

At this point, I made a pact with Ritsuka: the next time we see Kengo, we're going to hit him a few times.

"Sorry... I had a lot I wanted to do today..."

"No, no, it's fine... I'm totally sore all over too..."

We probably sounded like an old couple. We were both collapsed on the sofa, completely drained. Nyankichi seemed tired too, dozing off while sunbathing.

"So, what should we have for lunch?"

"I guess we can't just rot here all day. Let's go to the convenience store for a bit."

"Sounds good!"

So, we decided to head to the convenience store nearby.

"Welcome..."

When we entered the store, the greeting came from a large-bodied clerk with a soft voice.

...And of course, it was Kengo.

"Y-you!? What are you doing here!?"

"Big guy! You owe me! You owe me!"

"........."

Kengo looked terribly awkward, deliberately avoiding my gaze.

He was standing at the register now, while a blonde person, probably a more senior clerk, was watching him from the side.

"Well... my uncle told me to work here... and I suddenly had training today..."

"Hey, Shishikura, you can't chat with the customers while you're working."

"Sorry, manager..."

(He's the manager...?)

He looked younger than both me and Kengo, but... I don't have much experience with this, but I imagine it would be pretty awkward to have someone younger than you as a boss.

But wow, the manager was really quick on his feet. This all happened just yesterday.

While I was fascinated by how flustered Kengo seemed, Ritsuka started tossing items into the basket, then placed it heavily in front of Kengo.

"I'll have a nikuman, a pizza bun, and an anman, please. And I'll also take the red pepper-flavored karaage-san."

"U-um..."

"Actually, can you switch the pizza bun to a negi-shio nikuman? And I'll take two anman, and also, add a black pepper-flavored karaage-san along with the red pepper one. Oh, and I have a point card, so use that to cover the small change first, then I'll pay the rest with electronic money."

"W-wait, um..."

"Could you hurry up?"

She was really giving him a hard time.

It was definitely not something you'd do to a clerk who's been working for only a few hours on his first day of training.

But I suppose this was Ritsuka’s way of doing her "a few hits" on Kengo. Guess there's nothing to be done.

Kengo, looking pale and flustered, was being corrected by the manager, but he didn’t seem to be taking much of it in.

"At the start, you really don’t know what to do with the work, right? I get it."

"But that doesn’t matter to the customers..."

"Don't ask for too much, ‘White Mage’...!"

"Shishikura-san, you can't glare at customers. Smile, smile."

"Sorry, manager..."

It was mostly the manager who handled everything, but Ritsuka took the shopping bag and stepped away from the counter. Since Ritsuka had bought everything we needed, I only grabbed a can of coffee and queued up at the register.

"You must be tired."

"…Yeah, I'm exhausted."

"Shishikura-san—'Sorry, manager.' You can't just say sorry and think it's okay, you've got to improve. I've been told to be strict, so I’m going to be strict, okay?"

"Yes…"

Considering Kengo, it didn't seem like a good idea to stay any longer. I paid the amount without waiting for any change and waved a quick hand at Kengo.

"Next time, let's grab a meal together. I know a good place. …Hang in there."

Had he learned something? Kengo responded with a salute. Of course, he was probably being scolded again for doing that weird pose... It seemed like he was being intentionally toughened up. Maybe it was the manager’s doing.

"He looked fine, even after being beaten up by Rou-kun like that."

"Yeah, Kengo's pretty tough."

Though, mentally, maybe not so much. Well, it's not like we're any better.

It was a convenience store quite close to my house, so I thought I'd stop by now and then to tease him.

"Excuse me, but this package is quite large—"

"Ah, that's fine. The door's coming off anyway."

"Huh? What?"

In the late afternoon, a delivery arrived. It was a rather large package, and Ritsuka was flustered. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the front door was in such bad shape it was almost non-functional, so I had to take the door off again and have the delivery man bring the package to an empty room.

"Wait, Rou-kun, what's this…?"

"Huh? A double bed."

"A double bed!? You didn't tell me about this!!"

"I didn't."

It was a few days ago—when Ritsuka and I went to the hardware store together. While she was busy picking out curtains, I secretly bought the double bed. Of course, I didn’t consult her about it.

This was part of my plan... the one I'd been working on for a while now: "The plan to get closer to Ritsuka so that eventually I can lose my virginity." The grand finale of this plan was the arrival of this double bed.

"Ritsuka, let's sleep together starting tonight."

"...Huh?"

I threw the pitch straight, and it might have been a little too direct, but that's fine.

I’d even gone as far as cleaning out the storage room to make room for it.

Not as a storage room, but as our bedroom.

"W-wait, what about the bedding we’re using now…?"

"We can still use it. Like, when your brother comes over, we can use it for guests."

"First of all, I haven't said Okay! yet…"

"But I already bought it."

"...You’ve been preparing for this day?"

"Yeah."

I answered without hesitation. Ritsuka looked at me with an expression of disbelief, like "Seriously, this guy?" but I looked back at her with a pure, innocent gaze. It was like something a kid would do.

"Sigh... It is our anniversary, after all..."

"So that means—"

"Well, from tomorrow... it’s fine. Today, though, I need to mentally prepare..."

"That's totally fine! Seriously, seriously! Yes!!"

I couldn't help but give a huge victory pose. This time, Ritsuka really seemed to be put off by it.

"You really wanted to sleep together that badly... I'm sorry about everything."

"No, don’t worry about it. Ah, looks like all my bruises are healed."

"That’s ridiculous."

So, despite it being our wedding anniversary, nothing much happened today.

However, for me, it was a day that promised a monumental step forward.

Excited, I began setting up the double bed.

＊

"The plans are all crap. Rework them."

"—That’s what he said."

"Yeah..."

The next day, as soon as I got to the office, I was called into another room, where my fuming brother-in-law delivered that message. The manager standing next to him wore a face that seemed to say, "I give up."

"Honestly, if it were any other situation, I'd be punished for skipping the meeting to go to my wife. But because I asked for leniency, I'm still able to come to work normally. You're welcome, little brother-in-law!"

"There was another key figure who skipped the meeting to visit his sister, though. So, it’s unreasonable to blame only Saigawa here."

"You sure talk big—this bald guy!!"

"I’m not bald."

"Ha-ha-ha..."

The fact that everything needed to be reworked weighed heavily on me, and all I could do was dryly laugh. It was moments like this that made me envy those who could just stand firm. They probably didn’t care about my situation at all...

My brother-in-law laughed at the manager’s sarcastic remark and straightened his back.

"Well, personally, this is more than I expected. I thought for sure that the team would just go ahead and move forward without letting you do anything. That’s how normal companies work. This company’s an idiot. They’re really letting someone with no achievements take on so much responsibility."

"That’s a pretty harsh thing to say. Saigawa, tell him off."

The manager gestured toward me, directing me to respond. I was unsure what to say, but my mind was already clouded with work. So, I knew exactly what I had to say from the start.

"This is—my battle."

"Huh? What are you, some cringe middle schooler?"

"This is where you say, 'I’ll do my best,' right?"

"Wait…! This is awful! Can I go back to work already?!"

I actually kind of liked that phrase. It might be exaggerated, but for me, this project really felt like the biggest battle right now. Seeing my reaction, both of them grinned.

"Ha, this is funny. Well, I’ve got other work to do, so I’ll get going."

"Yes, thank you for your trouble. Just don’t come back unless it’s on meeting days."

"Seriously, this guy’s full of himself! I kind of like it!"

My brother-in-law turned to leave the room, but before he left, he placed a hand on my shoulder.

"—Hang in there. I like idiots like you."

"...Okay!"

"Oh, and if you do anything bad to my family, I’ll crush this third-rate company, you hear me?! See ya!"

He left with that ominous warning. Honestly, if anyone could really crush this company, it’d probably be him, so it wasn’t a joke.

"Though this company would never do anything bad to Ritsuka..."

"What are you talking about? That’s you, Rouji."

"Huh? Why me?"

"Good grief... well, whatever. Rouji, before you get back to work, we need to talk about Kengo."

"Right, I also wanted to talk about that. He was working part-time at a convenience store."

"You saw him? Then this’ll be quick. Do you still want to keep dealing with him? Of course, I’m not forcing you—"

"Yeah, it’s fine."

"That was a quick response..."

The manager looked slightly taken aback. When looking only at the damage Kengo caused to us—breaking things all over the house, kidnapping Ritsuka, and injuring me—it really wasn’t minor. After a ten-year reunion, he was way too wild. The manager probably thought I wouldn’t forgive him.

"He’s my friend. Didn’t even need to be asked."

"...I see. You’ve really changed. Both you and Kengo."

"Yeah, Kengo’s totally different from before. I’m not even sure what happened in those ten years."

"Kengo is like you, and you’re like Kengo. From my point of view, that’s all I can see."

"No, no, your eyes are bad, manager."

"Shut up. The conversation’s over, get back to work, Rouji—time for the battle."

"Got it!"

When I returned to my seat, there was a coffee placed on my desk. It didn’t take much thought to figure out who made it.

"Thanks, Ikoma-san."

"Um, Senpai... about that call just now... it’s about the meeting, right? I’m so sorry! I thought I did everything properly, but I must’ve missed a lot of things..."

"No, no, it’s not that. Well, kind of, but don’t worry, it’s fine."

Ikoma-san lowered her head apologetically. But, in fact, it should be me who’s apologizing to her. I had heard a little about the meeting’s situation from the manager, and Ikoma-san had handled the chairing and facilitation of the meeting far better than I had expected. Without her, my position would have been even worse.

"You really saved me. I’m glad you were here."

"Ah—...yes. Um, I’m happy to hear that."

"As for me, there’s no problem anymore, so I’ll rely on you again starting today. Just now, we were told to rework everything..."

"Ugh. Seriously?"

"Yeah, seriously."

Ikoma-san looked shocked, probably thinking at least one part of the plan would get approved. However, since my brother-in-law had personally rejected it, we had no choice but to start over.

"Senpai, you’re injured, right? If it’s too painful, you can tell me, okay?"

"You noticed?"

"Yes. Your movements are different than usual."

"Is that so...? Well, it’s just that I, uh... tripped."

Although my body still ached, it didn’t interfere with my daily activities. The bruises were hidden under my suit, so I was trying to act normally, but Ikoma-san’s observational skills seemed sharper than I thought.

Since I was passing it off as a family emergency, I didn’t want to delve too much into the topic of my injuries.

So, I decided to shift the conversation a bit.

"By the way, I want to thank you, Ikoma-san. Is there anything you want? I’ll try to make it happen."

"Hmm, well, how about gold and silver treasures?"

"Hey."

"Just kidding. Um, anything’s fine, right?"

"Not anything, but as long as it’s within reason, anything’s fine. Like, if there’s a popular sweets shop you want to go to, I can stand in line and buy it..."

"Then, Senpai, how about we go out for dinner together sometime?"

Ikoma-san smiled brightly as she made the suggestion.

For some reason, even though it was just a normal conversation, a slight chill ran down my spine. It reminded me of the sensation I’d get during battle when I sensed an incoming attack...

"Dinner, huh? Well, I’ll treat you. How about today for lunch?"

"No, dinner’s better."

"Huh? Evening?"

"Yes. Let’s say it’s a drinking party."

"Oh, I see. In that case, Takao and the others—"

"Senpai, you’re only going to treat me, right? It should be just the two of us, don’t you think?"

Ikoma-san smiled again. I’d experienced something similar from Ritsuka before. Not with words, but with the pressure of a smiling face. I had no choice but to agree.

(It’s just a thank-you gesture, so it shouldn’t matter if it’s lunch or dinner, right?)

"Alright, now I’m really motivated! Let’s work hard, Senpai!"

"Y-yeah, let’s do our best..."

It was supposed to just be a thank-you gesture, but for some reason, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Ikoma-san’s smile carried with it some kind of strange trouble on the horizon.

＊

I returned home, had dinner with Ritsuka, watched TV, took a bath, and prepared for tomorrow... And finally, the moment had arrived.

"Nyankichi, don't come to the bed."

[Is this what you call a "setup"?]

"No, that's not it. Not today, okay?"

[It’s not like I care where I sleep, it’s my choice. Well... I’m a clever cat who knows how to read the room, so I'll refrain today.]

"You're clever, but the room... well, never mind. I'll sneak you some cat food next time."

With Nyankichi’s interference out of the picture, the space in the bedroom was now truly just for me and Ritsuka. I drank a glass of water and made my way to the bedroom. Ritsuka was already waiting.

"Excuse me…"

"Oh, please, go ahead…"

We both acted terribly formal. Ah, my pillow and Ritsuka’s pillow are side by side. Is this allowed? It has to be, right? Because it’s a double bed. This is the best.

The room was dim, lit only by ambient lighting. Ritsuka was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking around nervously. As a husband, I should take charge here, right?

"Ritsu—"

"Um, wait! First, I want to tell you something."

"Oh, okay."

I sat next to Ritsuka. She gently placed one hand on top of mine.

This... Should I just go for it? Go as far as I can? Isn't this it?

"It was strange, wasn’t it? I’ve been avoiding this kind of thing. Even though we’re married... I’m sorry."

"I’ve told you before, I don’t mind. Right now, we’re here, in the same bed. So, what did you want to talk about?"

"Yeah... um, about Rou-kun, do you know it?"

"Huh?"

I didn’t catch that. Ritsuka was mumbling under her breath, probably flustered, as her words were barely audible. The ambient lighting made it hard to tell, but she was probably blushing furiously by now.

"Well, uh... the place."

"Place?"

"Ah, the place of the bruise! Do you know? You don’t, right? I haven’t told you!"

"The bruise... you mean, the ‘Blessing’?"

Ritsuka and others who have the "Blessing" have a wing-shaped bruise somewhere on their body.

I knew this well, but as Ritsuka said, I had no idea where her bruise was located. My brother-in-law’s was on his arm, but Ritsuka’s... probably not on her arm.

From what I had seen of her usual clothing, it seemed she didn’t have a bruise on any area that was usually exposed.

"My belly button…"

"Huh? You mean there’s a bruise on your belly button?"

I see. The mystery was solved. She must’ve been embarrassed about showing it.

"I don’t mind where the bruise is…"

"Lower..."

"Huh...?"

"Just above... down there..."

"..........."

That area, well, it was quite a delicate zone. But Ritsuka was braving her embarrassment to come clean about it. In that case, I should put my own embarrassment aside.

"I want to see it."

"Huh?"

"I want to see the bruise."

"Wait, wait! This is so embarrassing! That’s why I didn’t want to show you, Rou-kun! I’m self-conscious about it, okay!?"

Ritsuka hit me squarely in the face with her pillow. It smelled amazing. Why is it that my pillow smells like something might have decayed, while hers smells so good?

For me, it’s just a minor thing, but for Ritsuka, it’s one of her body-related insecurities. I do want to see it, but I can’t push her any further here.

"Thanks for telling me, Ritsuka."

"Y-yeah. Well, um, I think I’ll let you see it... sometime soon."

"I’m looking forward to it."

"St-stop it with that! You’re such a pervert, Rou-kun!"

"Am I really that much of a pervert?"

There’s room for debate on that. Probably depending on whether you’re a guy or a girl.

Ritsuka was still bright red, but she shared one more secret with me.

"Also, there’s one more thing... that I haven’t told you."

"I’ll listen to anything. If it’s about you, Ritsuka."

"Thanks. Um, it’s about... sexual stuff."

"............"

I sat upright on the bed, determined not to miss a single word.

Ritsuka frowned but, seeing my serious expression, she stopped herself from saying anything more.

"You know that I’m not good with that kind of stuff, right?"

"Yeah. Of course."

"Well, the reason for that..."

"Yeah?"

"When I was still around middle school, I went into my brother’s room one night by accident. And, um... he was watching... a dirty video. Naked."

"............ What kind?"

"I’m not telling you... But when I told Yoshino, she said it was... a pretty messed-up one."

"Huh..."

"That became a trauma for me... Ever since then, I’ve had this resistance I can’t shake off."

"I’m sorry, Ritsuka. Just... wait a minute."

I finally understood. The mystery was solved. Ritsuka’s trauma... I get it now.

I quickly left the bedroom, grabbed my phone, and dialed my brother-in-law.

"What's up, this late—"

"I'm gonna kill you."

"Wh—"

I hung up and powered off my phone. I poured all my anger into that. I didn’t even want to know what kind of video that disgusting, perverted man was watching, but if it traumatized Ritsuka, then that’s unforgivable. I mean, it’s pretty clear my brother-in-law is the cause of all this. He said he didn’t understand why Ritsuka became like this, right? Damn it...

I’d deal with him directly at work later, but for now, I returned to the bedroom.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"You got mad at my brother, didn’t you?"

"No, not at all."

"Well, it’s fine... Anyway, I’ve been avoiding this kind of thing because of something so silly..."

"It’s not silly. You talked to me about it, and you’re trying to move forward."

If those secrets and that past shaped the Ritsuka I know now, I won’t deny it, only support it.

I laid down on the bed and stretched out. Everyone moves at their own pace. If Ritsuka is going slowly, then I’ll walk slowly with her. I’ll enjoy that rhythm.

"Hey, Rou-kun..."

"Hm?"

"There’s one more thing, but... I’ll talk about it tomorrow morning. It might be a little much to say now. If you know about my brother, you’ll probably get it, though..."

"I see. You can tell me whenever you’re ready. I don’t really have any idea what it might be."

"Sorry for being a wife with so many secrets..."

"It’s not that big of a deal. I’ve got things I haven’t told you either."

"Huh? What? Tell me."

"...Maybe next time."

"Eh? That's unfair! ...Geez."

Ritsuka lay down as well, and the two of us stared up at the ceiling. In the blanket, we each reached for the other's hand, and it felt nice just to hold it.