I Married My Childhood School Crush for a Day to Avoid the Single Tax, but My Wife Has Been Acting Strange Lately - Chapter 10

The sound of the alarm echoed in my hazy mind.

My phone was shaking on the bedside table, and I squinted as I reached out to grab it.

In the still-dark room, Riona’s gentle voice drifted in.

“Your alarm’s ringing. Aren’t you going to get up?”

When I opened my eyes, her face was right there, just inches away.

Soft morning light slipped through the curtains, shining gently on her long hair.

She was still in her pajamas. She looked a little tired from last night, but her eyes were wide open; she was already awake.

She was so close that I could feel her breath mixing with mine.

Still half-asleep, the words slipped out before I could stop them.

“Ah… cute…”

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, then she smiled and giggled.

She reached out and pinched my cheek.

The sting made me fully awake.

“Thank you. Now get up.”

Her fingertips were warm, and I could feel my face heating up.

I hurried to sit up.

Damn… I didn’t get much sleep.

Last night, after hearing Riona talk about her past and being in bed next to such a beautiful woman, I was too nervous and restless to fall asleep.

I tried to sleep on the edge of the bed, but ended up lying awake, listening to her soft breathing. My heart wouldn’t calm down.

I looked at the clock. It was only 6:30.

That was just the first alarm. I always set early, so I could snooze a little before getting ready.

I thought about going back to sleep, but seeing her moving around made me change my mind.

She started tidying up the little things left from the move, then opened the window to let in some fresh air.

Watching how quickly and neatly she moved, I couldn’t help but be impressed.

“…”

I was sitting there, still half-zoned out, when she looked back at me and smiled.

“Did you not sleep well?”

“…No, I’m fine.”

It was true that this new place was closer to the station than my old apartment.

The shorter commute gave me a little more time in the mornings.

Still, I went ahead and made the bed.

Riona headed to the kitchen to start breakfast.

I followed her to help.

“What should we make for breakfast?”

She opened the fridge and took out some bread, eggs, and vegetables.

I set up the toaster and started cooking the eggs, while she chopped the salad and scooped yogurt into bowls.

Morning light filled the kitchen, and the sound of sizzling eggs was soothing.

Her hair was a little messy, her bare face still fresh from sleep, and that somehow made her even prettier.

I poured coffee and set everything neatly on the table.

“Is tea all right? Or coffee?”

“Coffee. Thank you.”

We sat across from each other at the table and had breakfast.

I spread jam on my bread and poked at my eggs with a fork.

She chewed slowly while gazing out the window.

The morning view outside was calm and peaceful.

“I’m sorry. You couldn’t sleep because of me.”

Her voice carried a hint of guilt.

I shook my head.

“No, it’s fine. I’m glad you told me everything.”

She smiled at that and took a sip of her coffee.

The quiet morning felt warm and gentle.

When we finished eating, we cleaned up together.

She washed the dishes while I wiped the table.

After that, we both got ready for the day.

At the door, I turned to leave for work.

“Have a good day.”

Her voice gave me a little push forward.

As I walked toward the station, I found myself thinking about last night, how fast my heart had been beating.

I could already tell I was starting to like this new life.

◇

On the subway heading to work, I ran into Shizuku.

The train was crowded, and as I held onto the strap, I noticed her standing right beside me.

Her short hair was a little messy, and her big eyes locked onto mine.

“Good morning, Shouta-senpai! You look tired. Didn’t sleep well? Your eyes are red.”

She said cheerfully. I gave a tired smile.

“Yeah… just worn out from moving.”

Her eyes lit up, and she nudged me with her elbow.

“Moving? Oh, so the new place! How’s married life? Your wife’s super cute, maybe you’ve been too active at night? Haha!”

“I have not. And hey, don’t tease your senpai like that.”

I whispered back, but Shizuku just giggled.

“Eh!? You’re not? Then, are you already in a rut?”

“Hey, keep your voice down! People are staring!”

I could feel the eyes around us, and I quickly looked away.

Shizuku shrugged and lowered her voice a little.

“I’m sorry, sorry! But you really look tired… I want to hear more about your life with your wife.”

“We just had breakfast, that’s all.”

“Aw, that’s cute! I wanna get married too someday!”

When we finally got to the office, I sat down at my desk.

Shizuku came over right away, still full of energy.

“So, senpai! Did your wife make you a lunchbox? Homemade bento?”

“Not yet. We just moved in, remember?”

She narrowed her eyes and laughed.

“Ehh, that’s too bad! I was hoping for something romantic!”

“Do you really find this kind of talk fun?”

“I do, I love hearing about your happy married life!”

I could only give her a small and awkward smile.

Her teasing curiosity made me think of Riona’s past again and reminded me how much I wanted to protect her.

After that, I forced myself to focus on work, typing away at my code.

In the afternoon meeting, I listened to my boss as usual.

It was the same daily routine, but today, I just couldn’t get Riona out of my mind.

◇

That morning felt fresher than usual.

Life with Shouta-kun… was turning out to be even better for me than I’d expected.

I thought he might look at me differently after learning that I rushed into this fake marriage because of the stalker issue.

But instead, he only showed real concern for me.

That made me happy.

Even last night, he was careful and considerate about everything. Thanks to that, I finally managed to sleep soundly for the first time in a long while.

After so many sleepless nights, I still felt a little tired, but my body was lighter than before.

As I got ready for work, I looked at myself in the mirror.

Maybe… I looked a bit healthier today.

When I arrived at the office, I sat down at my desk.

I turned on my monitor and checked my emails, then organized my tasks for the day.

Voices of coworkers greeting each other filled the room.

And then, my eyes fell on Kamikaze-senpai’s desk.

His messy hair. His gloomy face.

When his eyes met mine, my body stiffened in reflex.

The memory of seeing him at my new apartment flashed through my mind.

How did he find my address?

From the company database?

Or was he following me again?

The thought made my chest tighten with fear.

Later, during a meeting, I had no choice but to sit next to him.

His low voice brushed my ear. “Riona-chan, check the documents.” His breath was close. Too close. It made my skin crawl.

Even after that, I could feel his eyes on me.

I tried to focus on work, but it was no use as my mind kept drifting.

When the long day finally ended, I hurried to clock out.

As I waited for the elevator, I sensed someone behind me. I turned around.

It was him.

Our eyes met.

My heart started pounding.

I got into the elevator and went down to the lower floors.

I tried to leave the office quickly as I was walking fast.

When I glanced behind me, he had gotten off the elevator too, following me.

His footsteps matched mine.

The moment I stepped outside the building, a voice called out.

“Riona! …I came to get you.”

It was Shouta-kun.

Without thinking, I ran and hugged him.

He looked surprised at first, but then he seemed to understand what was happening.

He hugged me back tightly.

“I’m sorry…”

I apologized for everything, so many things. “It’s okay. For now… just follow me,” he said while taking my hand. And just like that, I was able to go home with him.

At that moment… I think I finally…