Yuri: (I guess this movie’s a good fit for him…)
The plot continued along up on the screen. Even though it was tough to follow, it was good enough to pull me into it. But, feeling somebody’s eyes on me, I looked over at Soji.
Yuri: U-Um…what is it?
I had casually looked over at him, but our gazes met to alarming effect. Sure he was sitting next to me, but he was much closer than I thought.
Soji: Guess what I’m thinking now.
Yuri: What you’re thinking…? Um… were you thinking that I was pretty?
I just said it as a joke, and he sent back a look as cold as one might expect.
Yuri: I’m sorry.
Soji: Somebody who says something like that should be punished. Do something here to make me happy.
Yuri: Huh…?
Soji: Don’t be loud! There aren’t that many people in the audience, but they might notice us.
I hurried to cover my mouth with my hands, and then… I realized what Soji had been trying to get at. Despite the fact the attention of other customers would protect me from any activity too outrageous… I couldn’t help thinking that I should keep quiet.
Yuri: (Am I enjoying…being a slave…?)
No, I’m not. Soji’s just good at giving orders to people. Telling myself this… I kissed him softly.
Soji: …Do you think I would be happy with this?
Yuri: Please. I can’t do anything more…
Soji: Well, it barely passes, given the movie theater environment.
Soji smiled mockingly. He tends to run his mouth, but Soji never forces me to do anything. Even though he calls me slave… I feel he cares about me. I felt the same way when he protected me from Masumi.
Yuri: (Or, am I just being conceited?)
Going out of the movie theater, I decided to wander around the city with Soji.
Yuri: Where do you want to go next?
Soji: Anywhere is fine. The place you will be happy.
Yuri: …But Soji, you’re tired, aren’t you?
Soji: Why do you think that?
Yuri: You said you didn’t have time for movies…meaning you’re busy with work, right?
Soji: Well, that’s correct. I almost never get a full day off like this.
Yuri: In that case, why don’t we relax at home?
Soji: We can do that in the end.
Yuri: In the end?
Soji: I find breathing the fresh, outside air a good way to relax.
For a moment, I felt he looked tired. Being surrounded by pressure and people or... by relatives like Masumi every day, he must feel a great deal of stress.
Yuri: (Soji seems like the kind of person who takes stress in stride, but…)
Even so, he must feel something...
Thinking about that, while looking at the side of Soji’s face, something came into my field of vision.
Yuri: Oh! I want one of those!
Soji: What?
Yuri: Just wait a minute!
I had been facing a soft-serve ice cream shop. I bought a cone and went back to Soji in a hurry.
Soji: What do you need soft-serve for?
Yuri: When you’re tired, you should have something sweet. Say ahh.
Soji: What?
Yuri: Huh? Like I said—ahh.
Soji’s surprised face took me aback. I felt suddenly embarrassed at my own spontaneity.
Soji: You…
Yuri: No, no-no! I was just thinking about what would make you happy, and then…
Soji: What?
Yuri: So, I’m your slave, right? I thought that a slave would do this kind of thing...
Soji: …Are you already experienced with stuff like this?
Yuri: I’ve never done something as embarrassing like this!
Soji: Even yet you did it so naturally.
Yuri: Don’t even mention that… I’m so embarrassed now...
When I was trying not look at Soji, he took a bite of the soft-serve ice cream I held in my hand. Stunned, I looked at Soji, who was still calm. Being unable to withstand his gaze, I decided to focus on the ice cream. It was then that he took hold of my arm and turned me toward him.
Yuri: What!
He licked the ice cream off from the corner of my mouth…
My face burned. When he saw that, he smiled with satisfaction.
Soji: ...It’s sweet.
Yuri: Is that what you have to say…? (My goodness! How did we end up getting so coy?!) Soji...
Soji: What?
Yuri: Don’t you think… we look like those kinds of couples that get lost in their own little world?
Soji: It’s thanks to you following up on what I said.
Yuri: No, it isn’t!
I smiled slyly, and taking my hand, Soji started off walking. It felt like we were an atual loving couple… a warm, fuzzy feeling.
Back at home, Soji took off his jacket and threw it on the bed.
Yuri: Oh, I’ll help you get changed.
Soji: Fine… Yuri.
Yuri: Huh?
Soji called me back to attention, and I realized I was taking off his shirt. Soji looked surprised at how unconscious I was of the fact.
Yuri: …Oh!
Soji: Back when I told you to take off my clothes the first time, you put up a fuss.
Yuri: N-no! I just sort of, like a routine…
Soji: That’s a fine routine to get into.
Yuri: Soji...
He easily covered my lips with his won as I tried to make an excuse. But... I didn’t feel like resisting him at the time.
Soji: …Scared and jumpy as usual, like a small animal.
Yuri: A little animal…
Soji: You were like that from the beginning. When you talk back to me, I can tell you’re scared. When you refused Masumi, you only said one line, and you were shivering forever after that.
Yuri: Well…
Soji: But you accept the fact that you are now my wife… You don’t feel resistant to doing what I tell you.
Yuri: I still feel resistant, you know...
Soji: Even if other guys give you orders, don’t give in like this.
Yuri: I’ll be fine, nobody gives me orders like you do...
Soji: Maybe I should educate you some more to make sure you only obey my orders.
At that, he pushed me down onto the bed behind us. Without any desire to resist, I felt Soji’s lips all over my body…
Suddenly, Soji stoped.
Yuri: ...Soji?
I called his name hesitantly, but no answer came. Moving slightly, I saw Soji had fallen asleep while hugging me.
Yuri: (Well, he did say he neer gets a full day off like this… In the end, I’m not sure why he spent an entire day on me, but…) “Good night, Soji.”
Yuri: “It’s been a while since we went out to eat together, hasn’t it?”
On one day I had particularly felt I had closed the gap between Soji and myself... Sawatari asked me out for lunch, and we went out for lunch at a café near our office.
Sawatari: “You’ve been kind of antisocial recently.”
Yuri: “Have I?”
Sawatari: “You have. We used to go out for drinks about once a week after work.”
Yuri: “Huh… that’s right.” (After I was married to Soji, I kind of felt like it’d be a bad thing to do…)
Even though it’s a contract, we’re married, so I felt it’s ot right for me to go out with a guy other than Soji. I was still unable to tell Sawatari or anybody else at work about my marriage, but I wanted to keep up my image.
Sawatari: “We should eat together like this, once in a while.”
Yuri: “Ah, sure.” (He always worries about me, so I’d love if I could talk to him about this… I don’t want him to worry about me even more, so I should keep it secret until the issue around Soji’s succession is more settled.)
I didn’t know that somebody was watching us from a distance… Thinking about the time I might be able to tell Sawatari everything, I smiled.
Soji: “Who was the guy you were with this afternoon?”
Later that day, just as I entered the door, Soji grabbed my arm.
Yuri: “Huh?”
Soji: “You were with some other guy today, weren’t you? Who is he?”
Yuri: “Well…S-Soji?”
Despite his increasingly gentle treatment of me… his sudden attitude made me cower.
Soji: “Don’t play stupid! Today, you were with some guy!”
Yuri: “Today…? A guy? Are you talking about… Sawatari?”
Soji: “Kosaka told me that he saw you eating together with some guy.”
Yuri: “Wait a minute! Are you having me followed all the time?”
Soji: “He said he saw you while he was just driving by... eating with this guy, Sawatari. Sawatari, I believe, is a guy you’ve gotten along well with since joining the company… right?”
Yuri: “Why? Did you check that out or something?”
Soji: “Don’t make me say the same thing again and again. I have all the information about you in my head.”
The suddenness of it all confused me. I couldn’t understand why Soji is so upset.
Yuri: “Is it so bad to go out for a lunch with a close colleague?”
Soji: “If the colleague is a man, it is. Don’t forget that whatever you do bounces back to me.
The concept Soji left me with was shocking.
Yuri: “Is it because…I became your wife through the contract?”
Hearing my simple inquiry, Soji loosened his grip on my arm.
Yuri: “Will it blacken your name if I do something strange? Will it cause trouble for you in your race to be the successor?”
Soji: “Yuri…”
I had felt like I had closed the distance between us, now that we had enjoyed a date and all our time together…
Yuri: “You mean to say… you never trusted me. I was just a tool… something to help you become the successor...”
Soji: “Yuri!”
Yuri: “…”
I couldn’t say anymore… I shook off Soji’s arm and fled the condo.
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