I Married My Childhood School Crush for a Day to Avoid the Single Tax, but My Wife Has Been Acting Strange Lately - Chapter 6

When I arrived at the office building, the elevator doors opened, and the usual morning noise welcomed me.

Walking down the hallway, my footsteps echoed. I placed my bag on my desk, turned on the monitor, and checked today’s schedule.

Project updates, meeting prep… Life at a top company was as busy as always.

The morning sunlight from the window gently lit up my keyboard. Yesterday’s fake date with Shouta was still lingering in the back of my mind.

Our talk at the café, the dark movie theater, the apartment viewing…

Everything went just as planned, yet somehow my heart felt a little lighter. It was logically just a contract. And yet, his honest reactions left a warm feeling deep inside me.

This fake relationship seemed to bring an unexpected softness into my perfectly calculated world. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt like this.

But I told myself to focus on work. Emotions only get in the way of efficiency. That was my rule.

Just then, a voice came from the next desk.

“G-good morning… Riona-chan.”

I turned around and saw my coworker, Kamikaze Shintarou-senpai, standing there.

He was one year older, my direct senior in the same department. His messy hair stood out, his shirt looked unwashed, and his tie was crooked.

He always looked gloomy, not even a bit interesting. Ever since I joined this team, I’d noticed how his eyes always followed me.

He waited for me at the subway station… He even followed me home once.

That fear still made my chest tighten. I tried to handle it calmly, but it took a toll on me.

Even when I reported it to my boss, he only got a warning. After that, his stares became even stickier, and it was more uncomfortable.

That incident was one of the reasons I rushed into marriage. Not just for gain or convenience but to escape from a man like him.

In my heart, I silently thanked Shouta. Because of him, maybe I could finally feel a little free.

“Good morning, Kamikaze-senpai.”

I couldn’t just ignore him. We still had to work together.

He leaned on my desk and stared at me again, as usual. His eyes looked a bit bloodshot. His breath smelled bad. I wanted to keep my distance, but he stepped closer.

“Riona-chan, you look beautiful today. What did you do over the weekend?”

I sighed inwardly. I wanted to tell him to stay out of my private life, but I decided to stay calm.

Instead, I moved my left hand so that the silver ring on my ring finger caught the light.

The shine reflected right into his eyes. The simple design sparkled under the morning sun. His gaze froze on it.

“Th-that… ring…? Wait, on your left… ring finger? Eh?”

Just as I expected. His voice shook.

I answered calmly while feeling quietly in control. That small sense of power felt nice.

“Yes. I’m getting married soon.”

His face turned pale.

“Eh!? But you didn’t have a boyfriend…”

“I don’t have one. But I do have a fiancé.”

He stared at me in shock.

His mouth hung open, but no words came out. His eyes darted around, and sweat started to form on his forehead.

This ring would be my shield. Even if it was fake, thanks to Shouta, I could finally breathe a little easier.

After a moment, Kamikaze-senpai managed to mumble, “I-I see… congratulations…” before walking back to his desk.

His back looked small and tense. Another heavy morning began. I sighed quietly in my heart.

I was reminded again how much this man had stained my everyday life.

I just hoped the news of my marriage would finally make him keep his distance.

◇

The morning was filled with team meetings.

When I entered the conference room, the project timeline was already drawn on the whiteboard.

Everyone took their seats, and I handed out the documents. My job was data analysis and strategy planning. Using numbers to remove waste and build efficient plans. That was my strength.

Logic was my weapon.

The meeting began, and Kamikaze-senpai led the discussion.

His voice was low and gloomy, as always. When it was my turn to speak, his eyes locked onto me again.

Maybe because of the ring, he was a little quieter today, but it still made me uncomfortable.

“Arimoto-san, please present your analysis.”

I turned on the projector and showed the graphs, explaining the sales forecast in a calm, steady tone.

As the members nodded, I thought to myself. I actually like this job. It’s predictable and controllable.

But people like Kamikaze make it stressful.

When the meeting ended and I returned to my desk, I felt him approach. My back stiffened.

“Um… about your ring… congratulations.”

His voice trembled, and his eyes looked slightly red. He tried to sound polite, but jealousy slipped through.

Inside, I thought coldly that he should just go away already.

“Thank you,” I replied shortly, pretending to focus on my work.

He finally walked off, and I let out a quiet sigh of relief.

During lunch, I ate a salad alone in the company cafeteria. I chose a seat by the window and checked my phone.

I could hear the laughter of my coworkers in the distance.

Then I thought of Shouta. Yesterday was fun.

His reactions were surprisingly cute. I could tell he was nervous, his heart beating faster.

If I looked at it logically, he was just a contract partner.

But somewhere inside me, a small warmth was starting to grow.

As I poked at my salad with a fork, I analyzed myself. Someone like me wasn’t supposed to feel this way. It didn’t make sense.

This relationship began for practical reasons, but maybe his honesty was filling the quiet spaces in my heart.

Through the cafeteria’s glass windows, I watched the busy streets outside. People rushing about and living their fast-paced lives.

My life has always been about efficiency.

But the time I spent with Shouta… moved to a different rhythm.

In the afternoon, I focused on making reports.

Typing into Excel, I built charts and graphs while listening to soft jazz through my headphones.

The air in the office felt a bit heavy. I could still feel Kamikaze-senpai’s eyes on me, but I ignored him.

Then my phone buzzed.

It was a message from Shouta.

“Thank you for yesterday. I had fun. Next time, what about furniture shopping? Do you have anything in mind?”

Just a simple message.

But somehow, it made me smile. My cheeks felt a little warm. My fingers moved on their own as I typed back.

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. I like simple designs.”

When I hit send, my heart felt lighter. It was a strange feeling for someone as logical as I.

I looked around, but no one noticed. Even I was surprised at myself for smiling like that. What was this feeling?

It was supposed to be a fake relationship, yet little by little, Shouta’s presence was melting something inside me.

It’s inefficient… but maybe that’s not so bad.

I went back to work, though I couldn’t fully focus. Shouta’s face kept appearing in my mind. I couldn’t wait for our next date.

Near evening, during the team’s progress meeting, I saw Kamikaze-senpai again.

His eyes fell on my ring, and his face darkened. Inside, I felt a quiet sense of victory. It felt like his shadow over my life was starting to fade.

When it was time to go home, I left the office. At the subway platform, I looked around carefully. There’s no sign of anyone following me today.

On the train, I watched the city pass by through the window. My relationship with Shouta was slowly changing. Maybe our fake marriage was starting to feel a little more real.

When I got home, I sat on the sofa and looked at the ring on my finger. A small smile formed on my lips. I didn’t know what would happen next, but a quiet excitement filled my chest.

Something beyond logic was starting to grow inside me. And today made that feeling even stronger.