I Married My Childhood School Crush for a Day to Avoid the Single Tax, but My Wife Has Been Acting Strange Lately - Chapter 5

I went to work, and the office air greeted me as usual.

The elevator opened, and on the way to my desk, colleagues called out their greetings.

I turned on my monitor and checked my emails, but my mind was full of the fake date I had planned with Riona.

She sent me a message last night.

“See you tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it.”

Even though the message was practical and straightforward, my chest felt a little fluttery.

Even if it’s just a fake date, I couldn’t wait to spend time with her.

I started typing on the keyboard, but I couldn’t focus. The morning sunlight streamed through the window, lighting up my desk.

Just then, Shizuku came by first thing in the morning.

She was carrying a file and walked up to me with a smile. Her short hair bounced lightly, and her big eyes shone with curiosity.

She wore a white blouse and skirt while holding a coffee in her hand.

“Good morning, Shouta-senpai! You’re early again today. You look good. Did something nice happen? A weekend date, maybe?”

Her voice was bright, but as usual, she was probing for information. I took my coffee cup and smiled.

“Good morning, Shizuku. Nothing special. You’re full of energy this morning. Thank you for the coffee.”

She sat on the edge of my desk and opened her file. I caught a faint scent of her as always. She had that friendly and approachable smile.

“Hehe, I stayed up late watching Netflix last night! So, about your fiancée… what’s going on with her?”

I took a sip of coffee from my desk cup.

Her eyes sparkled, and she pulled her chair closer. She looked like a reporter. Her knee bumped the desk, shifting her file a little.

I let out a sigh under her barrage of questions. I pictured the setup with Riona and gave answers here and there. I moved my monitor slightly to avoid her gaze.

“S-she has even met your parents already!? W-wow… that’s… that’s amazing!”

Shizuku clapped her hands and was clearly excited.

Her voice got a little louder, and some coworkers glanced over.

I hadn’t expected the fake date story to be questioned so much.

I took a sip of my coffee to cover up my nerves. The warmth of the cup spread through my hands.

“Anyway, it’s time to work. I looked over your code yesterday. You should fix this part.”

I changed the topic and shifted my gaze to her file. Shizuku looked a little disappointed but pushed her file aside.

“Got it! But I’m asking the rest during lunch! Don’t even think about running away!”

She stood up and returned to the desk next to mine. I let out a sigh.

◇

On a weekend morning, I met Riona at the park where we had agreed to meet.

She wore a light blouse and skirt.

Her hair was tied in a ponytail, giving her a fresh and lively look. I wore a simple casual shirt and jeans.

“Good morning. Let’s have a good day today.”

Her voice was calm, as usual. I nodded, and we headed to a nearby café first. The park trees swayed in the morning breeze, and soft sunlight filtered through.

As we walked, she explained the plan.

“First, we’ll talk at the café, then go see a movie in the afternoon, and look for a place for us to live together after that. For now, the goal is just to get to know each other, so let’s take it easy.”

“Yeah… got it.”

“Is something wrong?”

“No… I just feel a little bad about my parents…”

“I see. Then, if you feel that way, do what you can to keep this going.”

When we arrived at the café, it had a calm and cozy atmosphere.

Old wooden tables and chairs were arranged neatly, and retro posters hung on the walls. Soft indirect lighting gave off a warm glow, and the rich smell of coffee filled the air.

Light jazz played in the background, mixing with the gentle sounds of the staff and clinking cups.

We chose a seat by the window. Outside, the street trees swayed in the breeze.

I ordered a latte, and she got a black coffee.

Steam rose from our cups, and Riona took hers in hand and sipped quietly.

“Let’s start with hobbies. You said you like reading. What kind of books?”

I answered, a little nervously.

“Mostly mystery and sci-fi. The last one I read was Haruki Murakami’s new book. What about Riona?”

She squinted her eyes while thinking.

“I read business and psychology books. I like sci-fi too. But I don’t read romance novels.”

She really didn’t seem interested in romance at all. I poked at my cake with a fork and continued.

“Back in high school, you always seemed so busy. You were the student council president, and everyone admired you.”

She shrugged her shoulders.

“Really? I was just doing things efficiently for recommendations and stuff. You’re plain, but serious, and left a good impression. The way you got along with Miyano-san was kind of sweet, too.”

Her mention of my ex made me smile wryly. It stung a little, but I acted like it didn’t bother me in front of Riona.

The conversation flowed, and I learned some surprising things about her. She liked traveling and apparently often went on solo trips.

“I like being able to move freely.”

Then I talked about my hobby of playing games, and she actually seemed interested.

The sunlight streaming through the café window softly lit her face.

Every now and then, when our eyes met, my heart skipped a beat.

◇

In the afternoon, we went to the movie theater.

The streets were busy and were full of people passing by.

Riona had picked an SF movie.

It was like Interstellar, a story set in space with time travel and human drama mixed together. We bought our tickets and sat down.

The theater went dark, and the screen lit up. She was sitting next to me.

We shared the armrest, and our arms almost touched. I was so nervous I could almost hear my own heartbeat. When an explosion happened on the screen, she leaned in slightly.

Probably without realizing it, her hair brushed against my shoulder. The sweet scent teased my nose, and my heart wouldn’t stop racing.

She calmly focused on the screen and was completely unbothered. I tried hard to concentrate, but all I could think about was her.

The story on screen seemed to mirror our fake relationship. It was a talk of the future and unexpected encounters…

By the time the credits rolled, my heart was restless.

Outside, we breathed in the fresh air. Riona stretched and looked satisfied.

“That was good. How about you?”

“Yeah, it was great. The story was deep…”

The truth was, I had only half paid attention because I kept thinking about her.

She smiled. “Next time, let’s watch something more romantic. Since we’re at it.”

◇

In the evening, we headed to a real estate agency.

The next goal was to look for an apartment for us to live together.

Riona had already picked out a few options. A staff member showed us around as we went to see the properties.

The first apartment was a bright 2LDK. As we walked through the kitchen and living room, we stood side by side.

In the narrow hallway, our bodies almost touched. I quickly stepped back, my heart racing. She didn’t seem bothered at all, tapping the wall and calmly saying, “Sound might leak here.”

Next was the bedroom.

“I’d prefer separate beds, but apparently they check that kind of thing during screening, so we’ll probably have to sleep in the same bed for now.”

My face burned at her words. Just imagining it made my heart skip a beat.

She stayed completely calm, taking notes.

When the staff said, “You’re a young couple,” she naturally replied, “We’re still engaged.”

I could only nod and felt conflicted inside. Even though this was fake, being this close made feelings start to grow. Her profile had a focused expression…

The girl I admired in high school was now right beside me in real life.

We visited a few more apartments, and the last one had a balcony.

The evening sun poured in as we looked outside together. The wind lifted her hair. She lightly touched my arm and said, “This one might be nice.”

The touch felt like an electric shock. My heart raced as I nodded.

“Yeah, let’s go with this one.”

She smiled. “We’ll sign the contract later. Today’s just a visit.”

◇

The date ended, and we parted ways at the station. She waved goodbye.

“Today was fun. I’ll contact you again.”

I went back to my apartment and collapsed onto the bed.

The day kept running through my mind. The café conversation, the dark movie theater, and how close we were while looking at apartments…

Even though it was all fake, my heart was stirred. She didn’t seem to care at all.

Practical. Calm. Professional. But I was different.

Bit by bit, my feelings were growing.

I looked up at the night sky outside my window and sighed.

Would this fake relationship ever become real? Or was it just an illusion?

Expectation and worry melted quietly into the night.