Motokano to no Jirettai Gisou Kekkon Volume 1 Prologue

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Prologue

To me, Tamaki Rio is a childhood friend I’ve known ever since I was a little child, an existence like an Onee-chan, as she’s two years older than me—and most importantly, my first love.

“Bridegroom Haru-kun, do you swear to love each other in sickness and in health, in richness and in poverty, with respect and affection?”

“I swear.”

“Bride Rio-chan, do you swear to love each other in sickness and in health, in richness and in poverty, with respect and affection?”

“I swear.”

Standing in front of Fumie-san in the role of the pastor were the young Rio and me. This event happened fifteen years ago, in the Tamaki Household’s garden. The flowers were blooming thanks to the intensive care for them, and the water fountain let water dance through the air. This was a luxurious and spacious garden not losing against ours.

Both our families were regarded as prestigious here in the north east, and our parents had known each other for as long as I could think. As they were talking about their complicated work, I would play with Rio, who was fairly close to me in age.

“Then, Haru-kun, Rio-chan, please exchange your rings.” Fumie-san—Rio’s grandmother spoke with a gentle voice.

Whenever we played at the Tamaki Household, Fumie-san was always with us.

“Rio-nee, give me your hand.”

“Okay, here, Haa-kun.”

Innocent as we were, we swiftly exchanged our rings. Back at that time, I still called Rio ‘Rio-nee’, whereas she would refer to me as ‘Haa-kun’. Also, we called it rings, but they were merely handmade rings with white clover.

“Thanks, Haa-kun!” The young Rio looked at the ring on her finger, and showed a blissful smile.

Watching her react like that, I myself was filled with a feeling of happiness, to the point where I remember that sensation even now. Back at that time, we often acted out a marriage like that. Fumie-san would always be the pastor, with Rio and me being the bride and bridegroom. During that time, I never really understood the meaning of getting married—but I always loved watching Rio smile whenever we played.

We continued to play like that, but in general, the exchange of vows and rings was the peak, everything past that ending up in shambles.

“Fufu, you two really are close.”

“Yup!” I nodded towards the smiling Fumie-san. “Once I grow up, I’ll definitely marry Rio-nee!”

Thinking back on it, it’s a phrase that makes me blush in embarrassment, but…At the time, I truly believed from the bottom of my heart—That once I grew up, I would marry my beloved Rio-nee.

“I’ll marry Haa-kun as well! Because I love him!” Rio on her end showed an innocent smile as well. “It’s a promise, Haa-kun!”

“Yup, a promise!”

We made a pinky promise with the fingers we wore the rings on. Fumie-san watched over us and our promise with a smile as warm as the spring sunlight filtering through the trees.

Now, fifteen years have passed since we made that innocent and pure promise. I was 19, whereas Rio had turned 21. And—it was decided that we would get married for real. However, this marriage ended up in a shape fundamentally different from the happy marriage that our past selves dreamed of.

By the time we made it back to the flat, the hour of the day had already passed 8pm. I walked through the room filled with cardboard boxes used for the move, and sat down on the sofa, devoid of any energy.

“…Finally finished greeting all the relatives, huh.” I sighed in exhaustion, and softened my necktie.

I haven’t worn this suit ever since the entrance ceremony of the university I’m currently attending, but as of late, it’s become like a daily attire of mine. I sunk deeper into the sofa, and looked around the room. It was a single room in a multistory flat that I’ve been living in for around a year now, an auto-lock combined living room, dining room, and kitchen. As for the rent—that doesn’t matter.

This entire flat was actually property of my own family, so while I’m attending university, I can use this free apartment. For a single university student, I’d say it’s a bit too big of an apartment. However, starting today, this place will definitely get much more narrow and bloated.

“You can say that again. I’m exhausted.” Rio, who had returned together with me, sat down as well.

Naturally, not next to me on the sofa, but rather on a chair at the kitchen table. She apparently didn’t like the idea of sitting next to me. As expected, you could say. In front of our relatives, we are forced to act like the ‘happy married couple’. Now that we’re home and alone, she probably didn’t want to stay too close to me.

“How do I say this…Feels so outdated. Do you really visit all your relatives nowadays?”

“Can’t help it. We both have a lot of obligations towards our families. Not to mention—it’s best if we show off our marriage as much as possible.”

“Haaa…It’s annoying, but that’s how it is.” She said, sounding fed-up.

Tamaki Rio, currently 21, had always looked like an angel to me when we both were younger, smiling so kindly and gently, but now that she grew up, none of that innocence could be found any longer. She possessed a cool gaze, and a glamorous appearance, emphasized where it mattered. Honestly speaking, you could call her a beauty without anybody speaking against that…But her personality has grown up to be the exact opposite of an angel.

As she ran her fingers through her long and glittering hair, I could see a ring on her left hand’s ring finger. Compared to the ones in the past, it wasn’t a simple one made out of white clover—but rather a real wedding ring, radiating with a platinum glimmer. Of course, the same kind was also on my left hand’s ring finger as well.

“Anyway.” I said, as if to get back on track. “The marriage ceremony is over now, and we finished most of the greetings. We bought the rings as well. Now we just have to wait for the right timing, and send in the marriage registration…then it’s all over.”

“It’s clearly not over, right?” Rio let out a snicker, and stood up from her chair.

She walked towards me, who still sat on the sofa, and spoke up with a slightly encouraged voice.

“It’s the opposite, Haru. Our married life together has only just begun.”

“Rio…”

Her gaze was filled with hope towards the future. I grew a bit sentimental for a second, but…

“—Well, we’re only a married couple on paper though.” As if to ridicule my emotions, she let out a conceited snicker.

She shrugged her shoulders, showing an expression like she was more annoyed than anything.

“Really, why do I have to be married to you?”

“…That’s my line.”

“Huh? You have it lucky, right? You can brag about being married to a beautiful and kind Onee-san like me, so you better be thankful.”

“You’re as arrogant and narcissistic of a rich lady as always.”

“Did you say something, gloomy third son.”

“I called you an arrogant spoiled lady.”

I’m not going to let her make fun of me. I stood up from the sofa, and glared at Rio, face to face. She didn’t avert her eyes either, her sharp gaze answering mine.

“Hmpf, don’t get the wrong idea. This is nothing but a marriage of convenience! I only got married to you for the sake of my family. I don’t have any feelings for you at all.”

“Same here—I’m just using you for my own benefit. No need to worry, I have absolutely no intention of even looking at you as a woman.”

“Hmph, big talk.” Rio crossed her arms, continuing with an arrogant tone. “Let me tell you this out of pure good-will…You better not get your hopes up just because we’ll live under the same roof from now on. Even if…we were in a relationship for a short period of time, that doesn’t mean you have any more chances with me, okay?” She looked at me as if she was bringing down a judgement in court.

That’s right. For a brief period of time, we were in that sort of relationship. That happened a few years ago, when we were still in high school. I was in my first year, whereas Rio was in her third. During that time, we—were a couple. As we had known each other since we were still very young, we took that one step forward, and progressed our relationship from childhood friends to lovers. However, for this one step forward, we ended up taking three backwards. In the end, our relationship didn’t even last a year.

“I’m already over you, just so that you know.”

“Great news. You’re saying everything that I was about to.” I joined in by using a disrespectful tone. “It’s true that we were in…that kind of relationship before, but that was only a youthful misconception. We were both brats, influenced and led around by our adolescent emotions.”

“You’re still a brat, Mr Underage.”

“You say something, Old Hag?”

“Who’s an old hag?”

“Who’s a brat, hm?”

We glared at each other again. This time, it’s definitely not my fault, alright. She pulled out the age card like that. In the end, I was the one to break eye contact first, and continued with an ‘Anyway’, mixed into a sigh.

“I don’t know how long this will continue, but let’s try our best. Forget about love and feelings and whatever, and just continue acting like a business couple.”

“Hmpf. As long as you understand it.” Rio said. “Let’s get along—in public, Darling.”

“Yeah, so that we become the greatest feigning married couple, Honey.”

After we both threw our words filled with sarcasm at each other, we averted our eyes. Rio put her back towards me, and closed the door to the living room after stepping out onto the hallway.

To me, Tamaki Rio is a childhood friend I’ve known ever since I was young, an existence like a beautiful older Onee-chan—and my first love. Adding to that, she’s my ex-girlfriend I went out with for a short time in high school. And now, after many twists and turns—she became my wife. On paper, of course.

❀

To me, Isurugi Haru is a childhood friend I’ve known ever since I was young, an existence like a younger brother—and my first love. Adding to that, he’s my ex-boyfriend I went out with for a short time in high school. And now, after many twists and turns—he became my husband. On paper, of course.

“…~~~!?”

Right after I closed the door behind me, all the emotions I desperately held back in front of him…came gushing out. My face turned beet red, enough for me to tell, and my heart started racing unbearably.

This is bad. This is seriously bad. What should I do? What am I supposed to do?! This…isn’t a dream, right? I’m not being filmed here, am I? Did I really—get married to Haru!? We got married!? I mean, we haven’t handed in the marriage registration yet, so strictly speaking we’re no married couple yet, but…we’re engaged—we promised to marry each other. We finished meeting each other’s families as well, and the marriage ceremony is over. Starting today, we’ll be living together. Basically, we’re like a married couple.

“~~!” My heart wouldn’t stop beating.

Starting today, Haru and I will be living together, under the same roof. Our…newlywed life will begin. Eating and sleeping, the bath or the toilet…we will share the greater half of our daily lives from now on. O-Oh no…Just thinking about it makes me go crazy~~!!

☀

“…~~!” I felt like falling to the ground, rolling around in agony, but I barely held myself back.

This is bad. This is seriously bad. What should I do? What am I supposed to do!? This…isn’t a dream, right? Did I really—get married to Rio!? I still can’t believe it. We finished the engagement, exchange of gifts, the ceremony, and received blessings from our families, it all was too much for me to even realize what was going on, this sense of reality only setting in now. I keep thinking that this might be a dream.

From here on out, I will be living together with Rio, as the newlywed couple we are, under a single roof. Just thinking about it makes my head seethe.

“………”

No, calm down. I have to calm down. I can’t get excited at this. I’m sure that, in the end, I’m the only one who’s actually happy about this. Just as Rio previously said—this marriage is merely for convenience. This is only for our benefits, a fake marriage. The engagement, the marriage, and our new lives from now on, all of it is solely for the sake of our families, nothing but a pose we took towards the world.

Although we had been a couple before, this is all in the past. I’m sure that she herself doesn’t care about me at all anymore.

❀

That’s right. Calm down. I have to calm down. Even if we became a married couple, we’re nothing but fake one. Even the newlywed life that’s about to happen is not real at all. This entire marriage—only happened because of the other party’s good will. Haru brought this up in order to save our company, who’s currently in danger of meeting bankruptcy. Haru only wanted to save me, save my family. That was probably pure kindness and righteousness—with no ulterior motive at all.

It’s true that we had been a couple before, but that is all in the past. I’m sure that he must be over me already, which is why I shouldn’t be dreaming like this. I can’t get the wrong idea. This marriage is fake, a means for our goal. That’s why I shouldn’t get my hopes up. Otherwise, I’ll look like an idiot. I’m aware of it, I was forced to realize it. And, yet—

☀

And yet—I can’t help getting my hopes up. Now that we live under the same roof, always together, I find myself imagining a possibility that something might happen.

Wow…I’m so lame. Disgusting, more than anything. I can’t believe I would act so pathetic. To think—I would be this much of a coward.

❀

To think—I would be this much of a clingy woman. No, that won’t happen. Definitely not happening! There’s nothing going on between us, and there won’t ever be again! We’ve already broken up! I need to forget about him, and move on!

☀&❀

Anyway.

Anyway.

I can’t have Rio realize.

I can’t allow Haru to catch on.

That I still…

That I still…

Have lingering feelings for him/her.