Story 2
Yamato
"I need you to be my wife. So starting from today, we're married.Got it?"
Samantha
"...!"
My first day in Tokyo, and a sudden public marriage proposal. My mind went blank not knowing what was going on, when Yamato continued to explain.
Yamato
"Of course this isn't real marriage. You just have to pretend to be my wife."
Samantha
"Pretend?"
Yamato
"Of course. Did you think you were really marrying me?"
Yamato frowned.
Yamato
"I don't want to marry someone I'm not in love with."
Samantha
"Hey, you know what?"
(I'd say that right back at you!)
I wanted to yell that at him, but I was speechless from all of these.
Yamato
"So I take that as a yes? Great. Now our fake marriage is established."
Samantha
"Wait a minute, I didn't agree to anything!"
Yamato
"What?"
Yamato eyes widened as he looked at me.
Yamato
"What don't you like about it? Let me know if something's bothering you."
Samantha
"There are too many things to name! I don't know where to start. Anyway, I can't marry someone I just met for the first time today!"
Yamato
"I said it's a fake marriage. In other words, a role-play couple."
Takao
"If you're not legally married, you couldn't call it a role-play couple."
Maruyama cut into our conversation. Then everyone else joined in, too.
Yuta
" What is a role-play couple?"
Saeki
"Doesn't it refer to couples who's married life is destroyed?"
Takao
"They're not going to be legally married, so it would it be weird to call them a role-play couple."
Yamato
"What should I call it then?"
Saeki
"Faux couple?"
Yuta
"Make-believe couple?"
Ren
"A couple deceiving the world."
Kunihiko
"Oh, that's more like it."
Uncle nodded in agreement.
Yamato
"It doesn't matter what we call it. Anyway, that's what we'll do. Got it?"
Samantha
"Why do we have to pretend to be married?"
Yamato
"Huh?"
Samantha
"Please tell me why. Or I can't make a decision either way."
Yamato
"Is that important?"
Samantha
"Of course! It's of the utmost importance!"
Saeki
"Explain it to her. Women like to understand the process of things."
Yamato
"I just want the results. I guess I'll tell you."
Yamato sat up in his seat. I sat up, too, to brace myself.
Yamato
"A few months agom I was hired as a science teacher at a private high school."
Yuta
"It's an exclusive all-girls school, too! I'm so jealous."
Takao
"Yuta."
Yuta
"Sorry..."
Yamato
"As Yuta said, it's a historic and prestigious all-girls school. The school rules are strict, and they don't allow their students to date. Teachers are generally female, the few male instructors they have must be married. They have a rule not to hire single men. So I said I have a fiance, but we haven't gotten married due to personal reasons. I lied during the interview. If they find out the truth, I will be fired immediately."
Samantha
"Fired..."
Yamato
"And to make things worse, the vice-principal is starting to suspect me. He's sniffing around. In order to get him off my trail, I need a fake wife. That's what I need you to help me with."
Samantha
"..."
Yamato
"I'm sincerely asking for you help. Will you be my wife?"
Yamato looked straight into my eyes. Everyone else looked at me pleadingly. I thought for a moment and spoke up.
Samantha
"No."
Yamato
"What?"
Yamato eyes got big as if he wasn't expecting that answer.
Samantha
"Of course not. Pretend to be married? That's crazy."
Yamato
"What part don't you like? Tell me."
Samantha
"All of it! Don't you think that you're asking for is crazy?"
Yamato
"You're impossible."
Samantha
"I'd say those words right back at you!"
(I finally said it!)
I expected him to come back with a straight-forward argument, but... Yamato took a spoon and tapped it against my empty plate.
Yamato
"How dare you say that after eating my pilaf."
Samantha
"What?"
Yamato
"Don't you know the saying, 'there's no such thing as a free meal?'"
Samantha
"I don't need you to provide me a place to stay. And isn't the frozen pilaf?"
Yamato
"Of course not! I made it myself!"
Samantha
"Really!?"
Yamato
"Yes. I would never make a frozen entree!"
Samantha
"No wonder it tasted so good."
Yamato
"Well, if you put it that way, I can't get mad at you."
Takao
"Samantha, you'll only need to pretend to be his wife for a few days."
Samantha
"Oh, really?"
Saeki
"Yamato didn't explain everything, so there's a misunderstanding."
Yamato
"Shut up. I like to talk from the end result."
Takao
"You won't need to pretend for years. You just have to get the vice-principal to stop investigating, so a few days...At most a month."
Yuta
"If it's only a few days, it might be fun."
Ren
"Experience being married..."
Samantha
"..."
Yamato
"You're stil thinking about it? If there's something that's bothering you, let me know now."
Saeki
"Oh, I know. You have a boyfriend."
Samantha
"No, I don't"
Saeki
"That was a quick answer."
Samantha
"I don't have one. But it wouldn't matter if I had one or not. I don't want to have a fake marriage!"
I puffed up my cheeks in protest. Everyone looked at each other, and Uncle finally spoke.
Kunihiko
"I don't want to say this to my adorable niece, but..."
Samantha
"Uncle?"
Kunihiko
"Don't you want me to help you get a job?"
Samantha
"Huh?"
Uncle smiled has he said the dreadful words.
Kunihiko
"Completition for a good job is tough these days. Especially for young women. I'm sure you know that by now, Samantha."
Samantha
"..."
Kunihiko
"All you need to do is bear with it for a few days, and you can have your dream job. You'll be able to make a comfortable living."
Samantha
"..."
It was true that I didn't want to keep job hunting. The fake smile during interviews, wearing suits in this heat, the polite, but insincere rejection letters... I'd had enough of that already.
(So I only have to do this for a few days, right? He'll help me get a job if I pretend to be Yamato's wife for a few days, right?)
I thought about the pros and cons, and I made a decision.
Samantha
"Alright, I accept."
Kunihiko
"Oh?"
Samantha
"I really don't want to do this, but I'll pretend to be his wife."
Saeki
"She finally agreed."
Yuta
"Alright!"
Takao
"Thank you, Samantha."
Yamato
"Alright then. Let's go before you change your mind."
Yamato picked up my luggage and stood up.
Samantha
"Go where?"
Yamato
"My place. Don't worry, it's not far from here."
Samantha
"What are we going to do at your place?"
Yamato
"We're living together! What else?"
Samantha
"I-I can't do that! I can pretend to be your wife, but I can't live with you!"
Yamato
"Then how are we going to look like we're married? Are you going to wear a sign that says, 'Yamato's wife?'"
