Chapter 5: The Battle of the Husband and Wife

“Okay, perfect! Now, look back at me over your shoulder… That’s it, nice!”

The shutter clicked repeatedly. The subject posed in front of a white background, responding effortlessly to the photographer’s requests. We were at a photography studio somewhere in Tokyo. Standing off to the side, I was overwhelmed by the surreal atmosphere and the buzz of creative energy.

“She really is amazing.”

“Even you think so, Kaede?”

I asked Kaede Furuoka, who was standing next to me. Today, we were observing the photoshoot for MARIA‘s photo & essay book, which was being published as a Shin-Nihon Publishing Distribution PB product.

“She’s on a different level.”

She was rocking a black military jacket over slim denim jeans. Her provocative makeup emphasized her eyes. Even from a guy’s perspective, she looked cool, yet possessed a fleeting, fragile beauty. Now, she was posing with a book in her hand.

“But this is the first time I’ve seen her this ‘on.’ Sigh…”

“Why are you sighing?”

“I’m exasperated by the plan you two cooked up.”

After smuggling Arisa (a.k.a. MARIA) out of the Kimisaka estate, I contacted my three reliable business partners/drinking buddies. I needed their help for the next phase of the plan. They had already met MARIA for the photo & essay book project, but this time, I introduced her to all three of them again as Arisa—her true self. There was some drama at the time, but let’s put that aside for now… What I proposed was a complete overhaul of the concept for the photo & essay book, which was already in production.

“We have less than a month until the deadline.” Kaede glared at me.

“B-But I’m sure it’ll turn out great…”

“I know. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be doing it.” Kaede grinned fearlessly. “We’re getting involved for real. I never intended to fail, but if you tell me we can aim for a bigger mountain, there’s no way I won’t take the shot. Honestly, my blood is pumping.”

She might be even more into this than I am.

“Still, I didn’t think you’d suddenly bring in such a big-name photographer.”

The man who had been shouting “Nice! Super seriously nice!” was an up-and-coming photographer who shot jackets for major musicians and photobooks for famous actresses.

“He’s the kind of guy who won’t take a job unless the project is interesting.”

“Making the decision on the day of the shoot whether he’ll actually do it or not is a scary gamble…”

Kaede had pulled strings to get him to shoot on his day off, squeezing us into his packed schedule. However, the condition was: “If I’m not feeling it on the day, the shoot is canceled.” Kaede had apparently accepted that terrifying condition without hesitation.

“I thought this project of yours, Ken, and the current MARIA could pull it off.”

And when he met MARIA on the day of the shoot…

『I make it a rule not to work on my days off. But Kaede-chan said this job would get me hyped. If it looked boring, I was going to leave immediately—but hey! You’ve got eyes that say you’re super hyped! Like you’d give your life for your goal! This is insane!』

And so, the shoot was a go. I witnessed Kaede‘s prowess as an editor firsthand.

“But since we added to the budget, the target print run is up by 30%. Sell every last copy, Mr. Distributor.”

“That’s the kind of pressure I hate most.”

“…By the way, are things okay at your office? She really blew you up with that spectacular self-destruction, didn’t she?”

“People are sympathizing with me as the ‘poor guy who got dragged into industry trouble and had his engagement broken.’ …Though the reputation of being a lolicon seems like it’s going to stick.”

“Then let’s make a final appeal to the person you love! With all your might, with all your love!”

At the photographer’s call, MARIA put a hand to her chin, thinking for a moment. Then she turned toward me and—

“Chu! ♡”

She suddenly blew me a kiss.

“The lolicon thing is just a fact, isn’t it?”

I was looked at with eyes cold enough to freeze.

“I firmly assert that it is absolutely not true. …Seriously.”

---

Elsewhere, in a room of a high-end condominium in Tokyo.

“Who are you people!? Are you here to interrupt my writing!?”

We were yelled at the moment we entered the room.

“We agreed it would be just me and MARIA, didn’t we?”

“I’m asking why you two came all the way to someone’s condo together like good friends! It’s annoying, like inviting a couple of friends over! Normies!”

Even at home, Lemon Tsuta was in full Gothic Lolita attire, swinging her blonde twin-tails around.

“You’re giving off the vibe that you’ve been together since leaving the house! Cohabiting couple!”

“W-We aren’t giving off that kind of vibe. Right, MARIA?”

“Eh~, do we really look lovey-dovey~?”

“Don’t flirt in my house! You two should just walk outside together in the middle of a weekday and get questioned by the police!”

Her screaming fit was completely childish, but Lemon is a great author who bought this luxury condo with a single cash payment.

“You guys scolded us like this at the family restaurant the other day too!”

When I introduced Arisa to Lemon and the others, they scolded me like a raging fire.

“Bringing a JC out of nowhere and saying, ‘Everyone, I have a request. I know it’s a huge nuisance, but the two of us decided this. So please help us protect what’s important’—anyone would absolutely think you got her pregnant!”

“I didn’t get her pregnant, and I absolutely haven’t done any acts that would lead to pregnancy.”

Do I really look like a man who would lay a hand on a middle school girl? How rude.

“Anyway, aren’t you going to interview me today~? Is the time okay?”

“…Right.” “Mmm, that’s right!”

The adults (27 years old) were brought back to the main topic by the JC. I had asked Lemon to revise the novel based on MARIA, which she was currently writing, to fit the new concept. Lemon told me that she needed to interview her for that.

“I heard the broad strokes before. But I want to ask a few questions about the details.” Lemon sat cross-legged on the sofa and placed a small laptop on her legs.

“What’s your type in men?”

“That’s not a question to start with.”

“Don’t interrupt, Kenichi! It’s an important point for grasping character creation.”

“Then I have to answer~. Hmm, someone I like… maybe a type like Hinosaka-san!” Playfully, MARIA touched my body as I sat next to her.

“Hey, don’t cling to me.”

“Grrr! Sly! Annoying! But it stirs my creative drive!”

“…If it helps Lemon‘s writing, then fine.”

Is this really okay?

“Then next… You have to bring a bento on your first date with the person you like. Do you make the tamagoyaki sweet? Or salty?”

“Hmm, if I can ask his preference, I’ll ask first~. But assuming that’s impossible, maybe sweet~? Because that’s cuter?”

“This woman is calculating! She’s the type who, if it turns out too perfect like a store-bought one, would purposely mess up the shape to bring out a handmade feel!”

“Eh… that type exists? That’s scary…”

After questions continued for a while, Lemon said, “This is the last one.”

“Describe KIMISAKAYA Bookstore to MARIA in one word?”

MARIA, who had been answering fluently, was at a loss for words for the first time. Lemon, staring at that MARIA, looked like a researcher waiting for experimental results.

“‘Home’… I guess.”

The voice when she said that belonged not to MARIA, but to Arisa.

“I understand well.”

“…I hate it~. I feel seen through.”

“Because an author needs observation skills!”

Lemon‘s smile seemed innocent, but it also looked like a mask hiding something bottomless. That glimpse, seen occasionally, surely supports Lemon Tsuta‘s nature as an author.

“It was my first time basing a novel on a real person, so I struggled. And now a sudden concept change, so I’m going to need your full cooperation.”

“Sorry for the unreasonable request.”

“It’s fine, Kenichi. I don’t do work that doesn’t excite me. If I did work that didn’t excite me, I’d die, right?”

“Then~, if you stop getting excited about writing novels, will you stop writing~?”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Lemon answered casually. “But that day won’t come for a while, gahahaha.”

Standing up, Lemon stared at MARIA‘s face at close range.

“You’re pretty interesting, so I expect you to entertain me more.”

“…Since you’re using me as a subject, don’t write a bad novel, okay?”

“Of course! My creative urge is throbbing right now, so I’ll make something good! Thanks to that, I’m likely to go way over the page limit, but the capable editor Kaede should manage it somehow!”

“You’re gonna get scolded super hard, Lemon?”

“It’ll be fine! What do you think a capable editor is for!”

Saying that, Lemon, who completely ignored the specified page count for the literary magazine in university and was cornered by Kaede every time until she was half-crying, will probably face the same fate this time too.

---

“Sorry. I’m dealing with a customer right now. Please wait a bit.”

After excusing herself to us, Sumire Suhara headed to the customer and handed over a book. The customer, who had been waiting with a memo in hand, thanked her with a beaming smile. Perhaps because of her gentle, laid-back atmosphere, she was approached three times before she could return to us. Sumire‘s handling was swift, efficient, yet polite. In the end, all three customers who spoke to Sumire lined up at the register with books, looking satisfied.

“This is the ‘Angelic Bookstore Clerk’… seriously an angel…! How many books did she sell in this short time…!?” MARIA had reverted to the real Arisa.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Led by Sumire, MARIA and I went around to the bookstore’s back room to start the strategy meeting.

“Are you really okay with planning the promotion around revealing your true identity?” Sumire confirmed with MARIA.

“Of course~. We’re already remaking the book in that direction~.” Combing her loose, permed brown long hair with her hand, Sumire nodded.

“In that case, Kenichi-kun, you have to protect MARIA-chan… or rather, Arisa-chan. You’re sending an innocent girl into a battlefield.”

“I have that awareness and responsibility.”

“Actually~, this is something I wanted to do~.”

“Arisa-chan, you don’t usually talk like that, do you? You can use your normal way of speaking.”

“…But when I’m dressed as MARIA, I kind of want to talk like MARIA.”

“If that’s what you want, I won’t stop you. Ah, the water boiled, so I’ll make tea.”

While Sumire left her seat, MARIA spoke in Arisa mode. (Kenichi-san’s friends are all abnormally sharp and scary!?) (…I’m realizing again how amazing everyone is too.) Seeing them actually work made me feel that way.

“Here, have some tea. Then, shall we begin the book sales strategy meeting centered on revealing that ‘MARIA is the granddaughter of the KIMISAKAYA Bookstore President’?”

“I summarized the proposal.” Sumire flipped through the documents I handed over. The concept change of MARIA‘s photo & essay book was to make it a work where MARIA reveals her origin and talks about her feelings for bookstores. We don’t intend to put her real name or real face in the book. However, her true identity will definitely be exposed, so there was a possibility of unwanted information flowing onto the net. But Arisa declared that this was the place to reveal her true identity.

“The fact that the charisma of teenage girls, MARIA, is the granddaughter of the KIMISAKAYA Bookstore that is currently stirring up the world has news value. On top of that, you’re going to launch ‘Opposition to the acquisition of KIMISAKAYA Bookstore by A&G’, right?”

“That’s right~.”

“There are concerns that the acquisition by the foreign-affiliated A&G will affect the Japanese publishing industry and, by extension, publishing culture. There is plenty of room to get public opinion on our side—I was surprised that Kenichi-kun could come up with such a strategy.”

“That phrasing was subtle on whether I was being praised or not…” It’s Sumire‘s spec to include poison against insiders here and there.

“But even that won’t be conveyed unless people read the book first. We can’t expect promotion on the net, right?”

“…Right now, Shin-Nihon’s PB books are being obstructed by A&G on the net. Especially if A&G finds out about this content, even more blatant pressure might be applied.”

“So we have to sell it in real bookstores, not on the net. In an industry where 200 new titles are released a day, a book with no track record.”

“I’ll tweet and post photos and spread it with all my might on SNS too~.”

“That’s reassuring, but selling only to MARIA-chan’s fans won’t be enough, right?”

“That’s why I want bookstores all over the country to place it in the best possible spots and push it.”

“That’s a difficult request.”

“But it’s a really good book.”

“Who knows that it’s a ‘really good book’?” Sumire said with a voice that didn’t allow compromise, while keeping a smile.

“People will understand if they read it, I suppose. But realistically, bookstore clerks can’t read the book until it’s finished, and even if they try to read it, in the flood of new releases, it’s unclear if they can spare time for this book. MARIA-chan, if your family runs a bookstore, you understand well, right?”

“…Yes.”

“So bookstore clerks always have to think about how to sell books they’ve never read. Well, this is old news to you two.” It would be best if bookstore clerks could grasp and sell all books. But that’s not how it works in reality.

“However, as a bookstore clerk, I will place this book in a good spot and sell it, and I intend to pitch it to bookstores I know.”

“Eh… I’m grateful~. But why?”

“Because Lemon-chan, Kaede-chan, and Kenichi-kun made it, and you say you’ll definitely make it a good book.” Sumire‘s words were powerful.

“There is only one way to judge a book you haven’t read. Who made the book, and what the people involved say. In short, you judge by ‘trust’.” Those words are very heavy.

“Kaede-chan and Lemon-chan have accumulated achievements, but Kenichi-kun is borrowing on credit, okay?” With a gentle smile, Sumire still won’t spoil me.

“…Leave it to me. I’ll make you say that betting on me was a huge success.”

“Actually, the concept of Kenichi-kun’s proposal… is good. ‘A girl standing up against A&G’s unreasonable tyranny’, ‘A fifteen-year-old fighting to protect the bookstore she loves’…”

“I’d like to make the copy catchier though~. It’s not cute?”

“It’s not cute… but it’s cool, and if we can create a public image well…” Sumire clapped her hands.

“Actually, maybe we shouldn’t announce this project on the net?”

“What do you mean?”

“Convey the concept steadily to bookstores and secure sales floors. There are many bookstore clerks who are fans of Lemon-chan and Kaede-chan, so there should be stores that will cooperate. Then, encourage people who read the book to post their opinions on the net… involve a present campaign and urge, ‘Please tell us your opinion on SNS’. If that fits well… what will happen?”

I imagine it. People finding MARIA‘s book in bookstores and writing the content on the net… it would be like.

“Guerrilla-like smoke signals of rebellion against A&G rising from all over the country.”

“The less major publicity there is… the more we can stage a production of resisting a huge enemy?”

“Even A&G can’t deal with all SNS comments~.”

“If the mass media picks that up, the flow will accelerate further, and eventually… become a huge surge.” Sumire smiled like an angel and launched the operation name.

“Right… if I were to name it, the charisma of the Hundred Years’ War era who was deified, the Maid of Orléans—’Operation Joan of Arc’.”

---

Book production was proceeding steadily. All that was left was to sprint full speed until the release—but before that. There was one logic we had to clear.

“Revealing her identity and publishing a book, huh.” Renji Kimisaka, President of KIMISAKAYA Bookstore, muttered while sitting deeply on a leather sofa. “Are you okay with this, Arisa?”

“I decided to do so.”

Arisa and I were facing President Kimisaka in the reception room of the KIMISAKAYA Bookstore headquarters. Since she had work in the morning, parts of MARIA‘s makeup remained on Arisa today.

“You’ll attract more attention from the public than ever before, you know? Slander will also increase.”

“You know I won’t lose to things like that, right Grandfather?”

“…If Arisa wishes, I won’t stop you.”

“Thank you… Grandfather.”

“But what will change with that?” President Kimisaka‘s reaction to hearing our publication plan was cool.

“I know MARIA is famous. And right now, the KIMISAKAYA matter is stirring up the public. If the two are combined, it will probably become a topic to some extent, but… that’s all.”

“I want to issue a formal statement of opposition to A&G’s acquisition of KIMISAKAYA Bookstore.”

“There are those who sound the alarm against A&G’s dominance. Some might side with us. However.” President Kimisaka showed no mercy when it came to business.

“The flow of the times cannot be stopped. If simply crying ‘Bookstores are important’ could protect them, no bookstore would have gone out of business. Am I wrong?”

“But!”

“I think you are exactly right.” Arisa gets too emotional when it comes to the bookstore, so I threw out a lifeline instead. President Kimisaka told me we would never speak again—but he acknowledged it was different if Arisa brought me.

“It is too early to give up, deciding that bookstores as they are now will become outdated.”

“Oh?” With testing eyes, President Kimisaka urged me to continue.

“Overall, the number of bookstores is decreasing. But there are still 10,000 bookstores in the country. New bookstores are born every year. Above all, it is said in many places that this decrease is a problem.” They are decreasing. But that doesn’t lead directly to the conclusion that they are completely unnecessary.

“Such bookstores actually haven’t changed much for a long time. But precisely because of that, there should be a chance to change.” I, who am still nobody, continue talking to the super bigwig of the publishing industry.

“We intend to make this book one of the triggers for that. Of course, a single book won’t cause drastic change. But I want to show the people of the world the power that current bookstores have, and the power of possibilities that bookstores can have in the future, with the help of MARIA… Arisa-san.”

Arisa, listening next to me, nodded greatly.

“Creating a book that illuminates the future of bookstores. And Arisa plays the role of its symbol, huh. …Just a delusion.” President Kimisaka sighed as if exasperated.

“Arisa is cute, smart, kind, and strong-willed; a granddaughter made at the level of a national treasure.” Suddenly, blatant bragging about his granddaughter came out.

“Even without nepotism, I am convinced that she will become a person who can be entrusted with management in the future. But even so, I do not think she can change the flow of the current world.” No matter how much he dotes on his granddaughter, can he not overturn his severe judgment as a manager?

“—However, I thought I simply wanted to see what becomes of the blue dreams of young people.” President Kimisaka grinned.

“It is just idealism, but all matters start from that ideal.”

“Grandfather…!”

“Publishing people of the past surely aspired to change the world in the same way, and that is why the current publishing industry exists. That soul might be the thing that must not be lost the most.” President Kimisaka narrowed his eyes and looked at Arisa, then turned his gaze to me.

“…Shall I believe a little more in the possibility you can show Arisa and watch the battle?” It seems we barely connected by the skin of our teeth.

“As long as Arisa recognizes you as her fiancé.”

“Grandfather. I had a slight lapse in judgment, but my heart is already set!”

“A-Arisa-san? Can’t we save that talk for another time…”

“By the way, when I told James I was returning the engagement with Arisa to a blank slate, he flipped out. He was raging that he would crush that microorganism and make Arisa wake up quickly. Wahahaha.”

“If it’s me, Kenichi-san will protect me so it’s okay! Ufufufu.”

“No, this isn’t the time for you two to be laughing.” What kind of pressure will be applied next…? I feel my life is in danger… But thinking it’s a chance conversely, I say.

“Then, to defeat James, won’t you cooperate with the sales plan…!? “

“I’m only cheering personally. Overcome this trial with your own power and carve out a path.”

“Eh~, Grandfather you’re mean~.”

“Guh… Even if Arisa calls me mean… my will of steel… won’t bend.” It looked like it would bend relatively quickly, but his pride as a manager seemed to have won.

“Sell this book enough to get a reprint within two weeks of release.”

“S-Short…”

“If you can’t even create a trend of that level, gracefully give up and admit you have no power.” President Kimisaka‘s opinion was sound.

“Convince me, the manager, that you are worth betting on.”

“Then if we achieve it, you will also cancel the sale of KIMISAKAYA to A&G, right?”

“I haven’t said such a thing. In the first place, there is a possibility they will acquire us forcefully.” Well, it can’t go that easily.

“…However, I don’t intend to give a bookstore with that much possibility to the enemy whole.”

“Grandfather… I knew it… I love you!” Arisa jumped up from her seat and hugged President Kimisaka.

“S-Stop it Arisa… fufu… hahahaha…” President Kimisaka looks incredibly happy. However, Arisa quickly separated from President Kimisaka and returned to my side.

“Alright, I can’t stay still like this. Let’s do it, Kenichi-san!” Arisa, your grandfather has sad eyes, so cherish him more.

---

“It’s amazing! Thanks to Kenichi-san, Grandfather was convinced too!”

“He’s a person who respects Arisa‘s will, so he’s cheering for you.” President Kimisaka was happy with Arisa‘s lively appearance. Even if it’s a steep path, he probably expects what Arisa can find ahead.

“Sumire-san, Kaede-san, and Lemon-san are amazing too! They are truly reassuring allies!” After meeting President Kimisaka, since we were just going home, Arisa removed her wig and colored contacts. Still, considering the possibility of being noticed, she disguised herself by pulling a cap low over her eyes.

“Don’t shout loudly here.”

“Ah, sorry. But we’re sending our book out into the world, to be lined up on these shelves. It’s exciting, right…!” The good-humored Arisa spins around while pointing at the bookshelves on both sides.

We are at KIMISAKAYA Bookstore, Main Store. Shelves filled with books continue straight ahead, so far that the end cannot be seen. The eight floors are divided by genre, boasting an inventory volume that makes people say, “If a book isn’t here, it’s nowhere in Japan.” Just looking around the shelves probably takes a day. KIMISAKAYA Main Store, also called the holy land for book lovers, was bustling with many people as it was a holiday. Families, students, salarymen, elderly couples… truly men and women of all ages were customers.

“I absolutely won’t hand over this bookstore.” Staring at the inside of the store with a serious expression, Arisa says. “If we leave it to James, he’s likely to say stupid things like ‘If we have a terminal where you can search and order, we don’t need book inventory in the store, right?'”

“It’ll be fine. Because there are so many customers who will be our allies.” MARIA‘s own charm and her way of life. The wonderfulness that bookstores have, and the possibility for the future. We are trying to convey those in the MARIA book. At the same time, we express our position of opposition to A&G’s acquisition of KIMISAKAYA Bookstore. Also, we make public the treatment of Shin-Nihon Publishing Distribution PB products. If we can get public opinion on our side, A&G’s acquisition should become difficult—this was our scenario.

“It won’t go easily, but… first, let’s concentrate on selling MARIA‘s book.” If the book sells, opinions and discussions about bookstores will be born. If just that sprout is born, the possibility should connect.

“I will definitely manage selling the book somehow.”

“Offering yourself to James is prohibited, okay?”

“I know~. I’m not going anywhere, Darling ♡”

“…I didn’t mean stay with me.” Arisa clings to my left arm.

“Eh~, I wonder if that’s true~.”

“Stop it… we’re leaving.” Just as we left the store, we were suddenly called out to.

“You two over there~, are you a couple~? We’re holding an exhibition and sale of paintings right there~, won’t you take a look~? It’s fine just to look~.”

“Hey, they said couple, couple! Couple!” Arisa frolics and shakes my arm.

“I-I get it. We’re not interested, so we’re going.”

“Eh~, we’re not going~?”

“No matter how you look at it, it’s a suspicious pushy sale. …And let go already.”

“Yees~.” Finally, my entangled arm is released.

“Arisa is a celebrity too, so mind your surroundings.”

“I told you, I won’t be noticed unless I’m fully MARIA.” Then we went to the station and boarded a rapid train. Transferred to a local train at a station on the way and arrived at the nearest station. From there, walked to the apartment. Two of us got into the elevator from the entrance and went to the fourth floor. Unlocked room 401 and entered the 1DK room.

“I’m home~!”

“I’m home.” Arisa and I were now cohabiting in my room. On that day I took Arisa out of the Kimisaka estate, Arisa rolled into my room. I thought it was unavoidable for that day and intended to look for another reliable person the next day, but…

“When I called Grandfather, he said it’s okay if it’s Kenichi-san’s place.” So, Arisa successfully ran away from home with guardian approval (?).

“You came back normally, but this situation is strange.”

“Even though it’s just fiancés cohabiting?”

“It’s fake. I question President Kimisaka letting a girl of your age stay at a man’s house too…”

“You heard the circumstances from Grandfather too, right? It’s necessary, so we’re doing this.” James seems noisy about wanting to talk to Arisa, so President Kimisaka was deceiving him with the setting that she “ran away to a distant relative’s place.” Since he presented the broken engagement to James, he can’t come on too strong, and it seems actually letting them meet now wouldn’t be good. Therefore, Arisa couldn’t return home.

“Preparations for temporary housing will be done soon, right?” Still, I can’t keep her staying forever. The place for Arisa to live with a helper is being prepared by President Kimisaka.

“…Tomorrow. Wait, what!? Are you not happy to be with me!?”

“It’s not that…”

“Well, I know. …Ei.” Arisa jumps onto the bed and lies down.

“I’m leaving tomorrow anyway. …So no work talk after this!” Around the bed, clothes Arisa brought are hung.

“I thought I’d do a bit more work. I have to increase the sales of other PB books too…”

“If our book comes out, we can turn that around in one shot, right?”

“It’s not that sweet. …Though I’ve had the manager push it through to the higher-ups saying that.” Because sales dropped, the wind against our department within the company was getting stronger. But we reported to the company that we have prepared measures to recover all sales simultaneously with the release of the MARIA book. For the sake of the people I’m causing trouble for, including the manager, I have to sell the book.

The phone rang while Arisa went to the toilet. It was from Sumire Suhara.

“Is it okay to talk now? You’re not outside?”

“No, I’m inside the house, so it’s okay.” It was a consultation about the promotion plan.

“—So, I wanted to hear your opinion regarding the catchphrase.”

“Then, since Arisa is here too, I’ll ask her.”

“…Wait. Arisa-chan is at Kenichi-kun’s house?” Oops. I blurted out something unnecessary.

“Is that okay? If it’s discovered that MARIA-chan is in a man’s room and posted on SNS or something…”

“I couldn’t prepare another place and unavoidably let her into the room temporarily. But after tomorrow, it absolutely won’t happen.”

“MARIA-chan is already flaming right now, so you should be careful—” Finishing the call, I sat on the futon laid out in the DK area of the room. Since there is permission from the guardian, I think letting Arisa stay itself isn’t a crime. And, I swear absolutely, I haven’t done anything to Arisa. Furthermore, I definitely close the door of the room when changing, and I even set up a timetable so that accidental encounters in the bathroom wouldn’t happen. What a pure and innocent man I am.

“Why are you nodding with a face like an ascetic monk?” Arisa had taken off her jacket and was in a tube top.

“By the way, what should we do for dinner? I can make vegetable stir-fry and pork miso soup. Isn’t it too lonely for the last meal?”

“It’s enough. Or rather, thank you very much.” It was a dish that tended to be “Vegetable stir-fry again…” when living at home, but became incredibly happy when living alone.

“Okay. Then, I’ll prepare so we can start eating at seven.”

“I’ll clean the bath first.” Just as I stood up with a grunt like an old man, “Kenichi-san” called out to me.

“I was a sheltered girl after all, and I was worried about what would happen if I left home, but living like this with Kenichi-san, I’m really glad.”

“What’s up so suddenly.”

“Just felt it deeply. But… wasn’t I a nuisance being here?”

“Rather, it helped a lot. You cooked for me and cleaned too.” Arisa broke into a happy smile.

“I’m glad I chose Kenichi-san as my engagement partner.”

“Fake partner, right. The conditions just happened to match luckily, right?”

“No, that’s wrong. I asked because I thought ‘If it’s this person’.”

“Then you have quite an eye.” I intended it as sarcasm, but Arisa laughed innocently, “Right?”

“I know how to distinguish good people.” With an incredibly gentle smile, Arisa says.

“There are no bad people among those who like bookstores.” The situation remains severe. But even if thin and weak, the path to victory was illuminated by light.

—But two weeks later.

---

Scoop! JC Model MARIA (15), Forbidden Passionate Cohabitation with Man in Late 20s! (Released on Month X, Day X, Year 20XX)

—Charismatic JC model MARIA, who gathers overwhelming support mainly from teenage girls, is a popular figure with the momentum to drop flying birds, currently contracted with five fashion magazines. She hasn’t advanced to TV or movies yet, but there are rumors that she will sign with a major agency and start entertainment activities in earnest soon. We caught a shocking scoop on her. Surprisingly, she ran away from her parents’ home and is living together with a general man in his late 20s who works for a publishing distribution company. MARIA linking arms with the man in the city (Image). After that, the two disappeared into the man’s apartment with familiar looks (Image). (Omitted) The problem is that MARIA is a fifteen-year-old middle school student. If it becomes obscenity with a minor, the man cannot escape guilt. Furthermore, the publishing distribution company the man works for handles many magazines MARIA appears in, and currently has a deep relationship, such as MARIA doing a web serialization. The man also serves as the person in charge of MARIA‘s first photo & essay book scheduled for publication. Was there an inappropriate relationship between the two that also looks like mixing public and private matters? Is it serious dating, or is it pillow sales…? Doubts only deepen. (Continued in next issue)

“—So it seems, do you have any excuse, Hinosaka?” Section Manager Mizuno, sitting in front of me, interrogates me while pointing at the weekly magazine. The department manager was sitting diagonally across.

“I absolutely have not committed obscenity. Also, there is no mixing of public and private matters or inappropriate business relationships.”

“You are free to claim that. Personally, I want to believe what my subordinate says. But.” Section Manager Mizuno didn’t move an eyebrow.

“There is no smoke without fire. You definitely created the source of the fire. You understand?”

“…Yes.”

“However, the fact is that MARIA is President Kimisaka‘s granddaughter, and you were temporarily in an engagement relationship with that granddaughter. So there is nothing unnatural… is what you’re saying?”

“Yes.” If I speak without lying, that’s what it comes down to.

“I’ll keep that in mind. But receiving this report, our company is also being questioned about responsibility. Because it looks like an employee laid a hand on a fifteen-year-old he met through work. As a company, we cannot avoid punishing you.” There was no room for rebuttal.

“Hinosaka. You are suspended.”

---

After typing “MARIA” on the net search screen, the suggested content changed completely. MARIA boyfriend MARIA cohabitation MARIA pillow Due to the weekly magazine report, MARIA was flaming on the net.

[Thought her exposure increased suddenly, turns out it was pillow lol] [Era where industry people eat SNS celebrities (lol)] [Thought she was cool but disillusioned by pillow sales]

Wrong. It’s a lie. I want to say it loudly. But I can’t deny people viewing it that way. Even I, if I saw the article from an outsider’s standpoint, would surely harbor similar impressions. People who actively spread that it’s pillow sales are a minority. The majority just vaguely harbor the image “Was she doing pillow sales?”—but that becomes fatal damage.

Opinions from self-proclaimed sensible people of the net were also filled with criticism.

[Cohabitation at fifteen is impossible. Public institutions should intervene] [Is she going to school? Worried about that too. Anyway, the man has accountability] [It is absolutely not good for a child of this age to leave her parents and live with a stranger man. Men see her as “opposite sex”. But what a fifteen-year-old needs is an adult who sees her as a “child”]

These opinions are probably correct. But is it necessary to impose that correctness without knowing the circumstances of the people involved right now—even if I think so, the flow of public opinion once formed does not change.

The phone rang.

“Ken. What are you doing now?” It was Kaede Furuoka.

“…At home, looking at the net. I got suspended from the company.”

“One report. The reduction of the first edition of the MARIA book has been decided. It was decided at the sales meeting that it won’t sell under this adverse wind where MARIA‘s image has deteriorated.”

“I see…”

“There was also a discussion to cancel the publication itself, but since it’s a joint project with Shin-Nihon Publishing, it was said that our decision alone can’t stop it. Maybe we should be happy that it was a book with adult circumstances this time.”

There was a similar discussion on the Shin-Nihon Publishing Distribution side. However, if publication was canceled, there was a danger of being made a fuss that they implicitly admitted there was some problem in the book production process. They don’t want the company’s management system questioned—such calculations were also involved, and the book was to be published. However, according to Section Manager Mizuno.

“Someone needs to take responsibility if it doesn’t sell and goes into the red. Well, that’s me. Along with the other PB matters, the whole department will likely be erased.” Still, the manager didn’t blame me.

“No matter what happens, in the end, if the book doesn’t sell, it’s all my responsibility.” That kindness hurt my chest.

“Since we’re publishing it, of course, we’ll sell it seriously.”

“But… it’s tough, right.” Kaede‘s silence was an affirmation. Originally, it was a sales strategy relying on MARIA‘s image and charisma. That image has now fallen.

“It’s reaping what you sow, invited by your naive understanding.” It was exactly as Kaede said.

“…Though there is room for sympathy to say that.”

“Sorry… In just one week… we dissolved it the day after the photo was taken…” But whatever I said, it was too late.

“Normally one wouldn’t think the current MARIA is a target for weekly magazines. …We also knew that you two were going out and acting together. Sorry, if we had warned you properly…”

“It’s not something Kaede should apologize for.” I was chased by dealing with James. It was convenient for making the book too. My consciousness that I would protect her was too strong. All are nothing but excuses.

“Hey… can’t we expose the truth in a weekly magazine too? That we were cornered by James of A&G and unavoidably cohabited.” It’s desperate, but it seemed like an effective plan.

“Who would want to read that?” But Kaede told me calmly.

“Besides, you don’t have any decent, or rather scoop-worthy evidence, do you? Even if you can publish it in some gossip magazine, it won’t spread in the world.”

“Even though… it’s the truth.”

“Readers aren’t looking for the truth. They just think what looks interesting is the truth. That ‘looks interesting’ is also decided by tone and atmosphere. Such counterarguments are not sought in the current flow.” I know. Because usually, I am the same.

“…Ken. You fought well against a huge enemy.” Did I fight enough?

“It’s too wasteful for the plan to be buried like this. But… precisely because of that, you should endure now and wait for an opportunity. There is a chance for revenge. So don’t push yourself.”

“I wish there was a move for a turnaround…”

“If you think of doing something, consult me first. Understood? Promise?” Kaede just before hanging up was like a mother worried about her child. But the one causing worry is me. It might be natural since I, who have a flaming phobia, am flaming myself.

I, a “general man in his late 20s working for a publishing distribution company”, was also being denounced on the net. “Lolicon” “Pervert” “Scum who uses his professional position to molest a middle school student” “Die” There is a wide variety of abuse overflowing. My photo is mosaicked, but there are movements to identify the individual. If personal information is posted on the net, it will remain for a lifetime. I imagined I would feel more fear in the current situation. But when actually in that situation, it wasn’t a big deal. Just my emotions are dead. I don’t feel fear, and at the same time, I don’t feel much anger either. Though sometimes, messy emotions well up and I want to scream.

The mobile phone notified me of a new email this time. It was from junior Ayako Senga. “Senpai! How are you? Are you eating? Actually, I feel the smell of fabrication in this flaming. It smells strongly of lies that it’s flaming not purely but by someone’s aim. So if you like, please tell me the information Senpai knows! I will surely expose the true identity of the bad smell! I can properly keep the promise of off-the-record for things that shouldn’t be said, you know? Senpai’s ally, Ayako” The voice of the junior with the always cheeky attitude revived. Just as I finished typing the reply email, there was an incoming call again. It’s a lot. This time it was Sumire Suhara.

“Kenichi-kun? Are you okay? Are you eating properly?”

“…Why is everyone saying things like a mother.”

“Because, you know.” It’s uncomfortable when appealed to implicitly. I urge her to get to the point.

“Because there was a contact of cancellation from the store scheduled to set up the MARIA book special corner.”

“…Yeah, it can’t be helped.”

“Are you convinced?”

“Because if I were in the opposite position, I think I would do the same. …It’s all my responsibility.”

“I read the galley proofs of Lemon-chan’s novel and MARIA-chan’s column I received, and it’s really a good book.”

“I think so too. But if no one reads it, before that if bookstores don’t place it, it won’t sell, right.”

“That’s right, the book is being bashed together on the net too. Only lowest ratings on A&G reviews even though it hasn’t been released yet. It’s rare for a book to have this much bad reputation before release. It will be a terrible loss, and Kenichi-kun might not be able to stay in the company.” That’s not a joke, but likely to happen in reality.

“If you get fired, I’ll hire you at my bookstore.”

The call ended, and I threw the mobile phone onto the bed. Arisa, who was there until a few days ago, is no longer there. I still couldn’t use the bed that became an empty shell. I was careful. I avoided entering and leaving dressed as MARIA, and the photo taken as if we were dating regularly was just that one moment when Arisa playfully clung to me. But if targeted seriously by pros, we are no match. It was cut out in the worst form for us.

I hadn’t been able to meet Arisa directly. Meeting now is like asking to be photographed. Arisa seemingly hasn’t taken a step out of the apartment President Kimisaka prepared. She probably can’t go to school either. It wouldn’t be strange if there were people realizing that MARIA is Arisa.

I remember. It’s just like that time. When I was in third year of middle school. A girl in the class flamed greatly on SNS. Malicious attacks from unrelated people. As if propagated by that, she was bullied at school too. Stopped attending. Disappeared. The flames of flaming are about to swallow me and Arisa right now—

Again, there is an incoming call on the mobile phone.

“…Who is it next…” Groaning, I answer the phone.

“Hinosaka! Come out to the company right now!” The one shouting on the other side of the phone was Section Manager Mizuno, who ordered my suspension.

---

“Hi, celebrity! You’re the person of the hour now!” James Big Mountain, Executive Officer of the Book Division of A&G Japan, was waiting for me in the company’s reception room.

“Oops, despite that, with that stubble, it looks like your first outing in days! That worn-out, lame suit look is completely criminal! But maybe that fits the current you perfectly, haha!” It is true that it’s my first outing in days. Since I came to the company by taxi too, I haven’t walked even a few meters outside. More importantly.

“Why here… with me…?” It’s just me and James in the room.

“Your company and mine are important business partners, so it’s fine to meet here, right?” Told to sit, I sat down. My body sank deep into the leather sofa.

“Since a mediocrity like you must be very busy right now, let’s talk straight. Well, I’m very, very busy though.” Spreading his arms, James smiles beamingly.

“Shall I help you?” His eyes are not laughing.

“Help… what do you mean? Will you buy up the PB books?”

“I see, buying up PB books. If you wish, I’ll buy up the number you desire of the books currently out and the MARIA PB book coming out.” That was exactly what I wanted. If many involved people are saved just by me throwing away my pride, I don’t mind doing so.

“But… anyway, you’re going to say hand over Arisa in exchange, right?”

“It’s already decided that Arisa comes to me, but I want you to speed that up. Won’t you give up soon?”

“It’s not decided, and I won’t give up! I will protect Arisa.”

“Protect, huh.” James chuckles.

“Doesn’t look like you’re protecting her right now? Rather, because of you, she was hurt very much.”

“Guh… gah…” It was true. And, James realizes—that Arisa is MARIA.

“Ah, poor Arisa. I don’t want to hurt My Sweet Honey anymore either.” I thought it was a strange phrasing.

“You… did you do… something?”

“Haha, mediocrities are peaceful idiots. MARIA wasn’t originally at a level to be targeted by weekly magazines yet. Since she doesn’t appear on TV, the demographic that reacts to her is misaligned with the purchasing demographic of weekly magazines.”

“Don’t tell me… you sold it?”

“Sell? I only sell things to customers. I just told the publisher that if it’s a magazine with MARIA‘s scandal, I’d buy ten times the usual number of copies.” Ten times. If that much sales is guaranteed by A&G’s scale, there is no way the publisher wouldn’t do it. Actually, it spread in the world and became a topic, so it’s a huge success for the publisher.

“Didn’t you think… how much Arisa would be hurt?” Nails dig into the palm of my clenched fist. Skin tears and blood is about to come out.

“Everything is just a process until Arisa and I are united.” Undoubtedly this guy is—

“A supremely happy goal of becoming one with me is waiting. What happens until then is absolutely not a big problem.” —Insane.

“So, why don’t we end this soon?” James tries to break my spirit.

“Your limit is already visible. You have no power to protect Arisa. So Arisa should become mine. But because you resist poorly trying to make Arisa yours, futile fighting continues, and I have no choice but to keep hurting her on the net endlessly.”

“…What more… are you saying you’ll do…?” Thinking of Arisa, my chest felt like it would tear apart.

“I can easily delete the low-rating reviews on A&G and the bad reputation about MARIA and the book that hits in search, you know. If left as is, they will probably continue to increase.” This guy is also doing flaming work on the net.

“You were really nothing but small fry named obstacle, but as a character in our story, you can play a reasonably important role at the end! Lucky you!” James is smiling cheerfully.

“You give up marriage and leave Arisa. And then Arisa, with no allies around and continuing to be blamed by the masses, is saved by me like a knight. With that, this story concludes.” What a terrible, self-made performance.

“The masses are all just my foils, supporting roles!”

“To someone like you… Arisa…”

“Ah, you don’t need to worry about Arisa once she becomes mine, okay?” James says as if it’s natural.

“Because I will protect Arisa.”

---

“Hello, Kenichi-san?” Arisa‘s voice over the phone was hoarse.

“I met James today.” Arisa listened quietly to my explanation.

“…I see. He set it all up.”

“You aren’t surprised.”

“I didn’t know, but I feel like I expected it.” It’s not exactly dark, but her tone is sad.

“Then even if we endure the current attack, another attack will come, right?”

“That is…”

“He might target Kenichi-san more directly.”

“You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Don’t worry. It’s okay.” Arisa says flatly.

“I’ll end it. …More than this is impossible.”

“I don’t intend to talk about that.”

“I will marry James. …On that condition, I will negotiate to have KIMISAKAYA Bookstore remain one more time.”

“That didn’t work out, right.”

“Because it’s weird in the first place! This was a problem between KIMISAKAYA Bookstore and James, and Kenichi-san was unrelated! And yet I dragged you in…”

“I told you before, I’m already involved too!”

“Is there a chance of winning from here!? If there is, tell me!?” Being shouted at like that, powerless me can’t find words to return.

“It was fun to be able to dream.” A voice filled with tears, yet soft and calm, shakes my heart.

“Don’t think I’m being forced to marry. If I say I don’t want to marry, Grandfather will absolutely reject it.” It is a fact that President Kimisaka leaves the choice to Arisa.

“But at that time, KIMISAKAYA Bookstore will be messed up. I can’t forgive that. So I will marry and protect KIMISAKAYA Bookstore.” So this is a problem of priority for Arisa.

“This is fine. It was fate to become like this from the start. …Since the scoop becomes meaningless, I can have them cancel the publication of next week’s issue too.”

“Arisa, you!” I am probably about to ask a terrible question.

“Are you… okay with that?”

“…It’s okay.” Ah, even though I should have known she would just answer that.

“Because the current me has wonderful memories.” Arisa laughed, but her voice was crying.

“Thank you for the happy married life.” Arisa is leaving from in front of me.

“Why… can’t our wish… be granted…!?” Not everyone’s dream in this world comes true. I know that. Even so, why.

“Can’t I even… protect Arisa!?” Does even such a single precious wish scatter fleetingly?

“I failed to protect… again…” Tears well up. But I have no right to shed tears. The one who wants to cry most right now is Arisa.

“I… was happy to be Kenichi-san’s bride. …Goodbye.”

The inorganic electronic sound notifies the end of the call. It was a relationship started forcefully by Arisa originally. But from midway, I cooperated willingly. I fell in love with her dream. I wanted to make the dream come true together and change the world. But in the end, I couldn’t change anything. Against this huge world, I was powerless. She chose a painful and sad path for what she absolutely couldn’t yield. Our story ends here—

—Unconsciously, I was standing in front of the door.

Except for the one time I was summoned to the office to meet James, I hadn’t taken a single step outside since the news broke.

In this day and age, you could cut yourself off from the world just by shutting yourself in and unplugging the internet cable. If you did that, it didn’t matter what kind of storm was raging outside. You wouldn’t get dragged into the outside world’s mess.

However, the moment you took a step outside, what would happen?

Now, people everywhere were looking for flaws in others. They wouldn’t overlook even the most trivial mistake. If it got uploaded to the net, strangers would gather to light a match. And then, the rest of the world would continue to watch the burning flames helplessly as bystanders.

There was no way to extinguish the fire.

I, who was currently right in the middle of the flames, surely shouldn’t have gone outside. The correct answer was to stay inside, curl up at home, and wait until everything burned out and weathered away.

Yes, that’s why, I—

Opened the door and took a step outside.

I bolted down the stairs at once. Run. I sprinted full tilt through the city.

Maybe because I was running so desperately, passersby gave me startled looks. Among them, there were probably people who had read the scoop article about me and Arisa. But so what? What did the eyes of strangers matter?

Arisa had been crying just now. She was shedding tears while saying she was happy. I couldn’t let her shed such sad tears. Until I stopped that, our story couldn’t end.

No matter what anyone thought, I would protect this girl. Why? That question raised its head. But the answer came in an instant.

Because she is my fiancé. Because she is my wife.

Even if I turned the whole world into my enemy, even if I had to jump through fire and water, I had to protect my own wife. As long as she was my wife, even if it was just a sham, that alone was absolute.

With that conclusion already set, what could I do? As I tried to cut through the burning flames——————I saw a light.

I stopped, caught my breath, and called her again.

『…I thought I already said goodbye…』

“Arisa… If I say I’m going to fight anyway, what will you do?”

Without waiting for a reply, I told her in one breath.

“I’m scrapping the passive mindset of ‘protecting’ you. I’m going to beat the enemy. Even if I get attacked, I’ll fight with no guard until my chances of winning are absolutely zero. Even if I have to do it alone.”

『Kenichi… san?』

“Arisa, you’re going to keep fighting to protect KIMISAKAYA Bookstore anyway, right?”

To protect me, Arisa tried to end our battle. But even so, her battle wouldn’t end.

For a while, only Arisa‘s breathing could be heard from the receiver.

『…Obviously.』

There was no way Arisa would give up. Arisa Kimisaka is a fifteen-year-old with a steely belief, fiercer and more radical than anyone else.

“I’ll fight too. If you don’t want to drag me down, then your only option is to win.”

The fire had become a massive swell, trying to swallow us whole. A fire that people thought they could only watch helplessly, waiting for it to die down. But what if we didn’t care about the fire and jumped right into it ourselves? What if we tried to swallow that fire with our own power instead?

“Thanks to the flaming, we stand out in a bad way, but we’ve gotten this much attention. If we just flip the script, we should be able to achieve an overwhelming victory.”

Was it reckless? Was I just spouting nonsense, just a daydream? But the original dream was something similar.

“I’ll devour this firestorm… and win.”

Arisa, who had been listening silently to my rant, let out a small laugh.

『Good grief… you’re forceful in such weird places… my husband.』

She sounded exasperated, but happy.

『…No matter what I say, you won’t listen anymore, right?』

“Yeah.”

『Instant answer. …Seriously, what was my resolve just now even for?』

While grumbling, her voice was bouncy.

“But… since we’re continuing to resist, we’ll be attacked by the opponent again. Surely Arisa will get hurt too, but…”

『You’re asking that now?』

A fearless laugh leaked from Arisa.

『I’ve been ready for a long time.』

The enemy was too huge, the established trend of the world didn’t seem likely to change, and we were in a thoroughly disadvantageous situation. It wouldn’t be strange for my legs to freeze, but strangely, I didn’t feel fear.

I wasn’t such a strong person. I was a coward with a phobia of flaming. Why could I suddenly become strong, even if it was temporary—the answer was very simple.

Surely it was because I wasn’t alone; there were two of us. Because I had someone to protect.

“Then come with me.” People can become strong because they are not alone.

『With you, anywhere.』