I froze, blindsided by Toji's sudden declaration of marriage. Beside him, the woman laughed softly and gave his shoulder a playful shove.
"Toji-kun, you can't just drop it on him like that. We introduced ourselves briefly earlier, but let's talk properly. My name is Ayame Kato. I'm the same age as Toji. It's a pleasure to meet you, Touya-kun."
"Ah, yes. I'm Touya Zenin, Toji's cousin. I've heard... quite a lot about you from him, Sister."
...Me? I said that?
I shook off the initial shock quickly. I knew Toji was supposed to get married and have Megumi around this time, after all. Though sudden, it wasn't something to stay stunned over forever. I caught Toji's eye—he was looking at me with a bewildered expression—and gave him a pointed wink.
Read the room, Toji. I'm doing this for your sake.
"Oh, really? This man doesn't seem like the type to talk about others..." Ayame said, her eyes twinkling.
You know him well already. Assessment: Pass.
"Ahaha... please, speak comfortably with me, Sister. If you're Toji's age, you're my senior too. Or should I start calling you 'Sister-in-law' already?"
"Is that alright? Haha... you don't resemble Toji-kun at all. Not in looks, and certainly not in how you speak. By the way, why do you call him 'Toji'? Usually, people call their elders 'Brother,' don't they? Especially with such an age gap."
It's because I'm a brat, honestly... but I can't say that.
"Toji has been incredibly kind to me since I was a baby," I lied smoothly. "He's treated me more like a friend than a younger cousin as I grew up. The name just stuck, and any other title feels strange now."
As Ayame and I chatted amiably, Toji, who had been rummaging through some drinks, spoke up.
"So, how's it going lately? Is that family of yours still... tolerable?"
"Yeah. It's my clan, and it treats me well. You might not know, but I actually made a friend from another family. It's been about three years now."
"Ho? A girl?"
"Huh? Yeah. A girl. She's two years older than me."
"Hmph. Treat her well. Don't go around poking your nose into too many places and get yourself in trouble. I can see your future already—watch yourself, little brother."
"What is that supposed to mean? You're always talking in riddles, Toji."
Ayame, who had been listening to our exchange with a smile, nodded as if she understood Toji perfectly.
"He has a point. You definitely need to be careful, Touya-kun. Especially since you have such a pretty, handsome face."
"You too, Sister? Haha... I really don't follow."
Hearing them both speak in cryptic nonsense piqued my curiosity about their history.
"Ayame-san, how did you two actually meet?"
Ayame's cheeks took on a slight rosy hue as she covered them with her hands.
"Actually, I lost my parents in an accident when I was in high school. I didn't have any relatives to help me. I had to drop out, sell the house, buy a tiny room, and just start looking for any part-time work I could find."
Ah... so Ayame-san was just like Toji. Someone with nowhere to lean.
"It was hard to find a stable job. Eventually, I ended up working at a construction site. That's where I met Toji-kun. He was a rookie who hadn't been there long, but for some reason, even the bosses seemed intimidated by him. In the middle of all that, the other workers were cold to me, excluding me from everything. But you know? Toji-kun was so cool when he worked. He'd pick up heavy things like they were feathers, and whenever I was struggling, he'd just take my load and carry it for me."
Toji... you said you wanted to earn easy money, but you ended up doing manual labor? Well, he is the undisputed king of physical prowess.
"Wait, Toji did that? Unprompted?"
"I'm naturally kind to women," Toji interjected. "Not to brats like you. Besides, the faster the loads move, the faster the day ends."
"A very Toji-like reason. It suits you. Very 'kept-man' vibes."
"Exactly. That was actually the future I dreamed of," Toji admitted with a cool nod. Ayame slapped his shoulder again, harder this time.
"Toji-kun, stop talking nonsense! Anyway, I fell for him after he helped me. I was the one who made the moves. Toji-kun is handsome, right? And he has a great build. But he kept playing hard to get, saying he wasn't in a position to date or whatever. So I just kept working alongside him, earned some money, and confessed again."
Listening to her... I realized she had a certain 'scent' similar to Toji. They were the same kind of person.
"He finally accepted just before I turned of age. We moved into the same room that very day."
...? What? That's moving fast...
"Excuse me?"
"You have no idea how much he pushed me away!" she continued. "So I decided that the moment he accepted me, I was going to grab him and never let go. We started commuting to work together from then on. But the room was a bit small for two people. Then, out of nowhere, Toji-kun took the money he'd saved and bet it all on a horse race. He hit the jackpot. We quit the site, found a house big enough for two, and moved in."
"And... how long has it been since you got the house?"
"Hmm... about two years? Living with him all this time, I just knew. I had to marry him. Toji-kun might make life difficult sometimes, but I knew he'd never make me truly sad."
"I see. Honestly, I think it's great. I've always thought Toji needs someone level-headed by his side... I feel like I can leave him in your hands, Sister."
"Are you my father? 'Leave him in her hands,' my ass," Toji grunted. "Anyway, you heard it all, right? We're getting married."
"It's just a figure of speech. Still, you're getting married quite early."
"Yes," Ayame agreed. "Since we both have no one else to answer to, it's just about us and the children we'll have. There's less burden that way. Honestly, I mostly just want to lock him down officially."
"Ahaha... I think marrying young is good. If you have kids early, you'll still only be in your forties when they reach adulthood. You'll have the energy to play with them. And it's better for the mother's health too."
"Right? You think so too? I had to persuade Toji-kun to agree. He needs to find a proper job soon. I figured once he has a family to provide for, he'll finally start thinking about earning a steady living."
"Toji... were you seriously still just living off your horse racing winnings? Just how much did you win?"
"Seventy million," Toji replied casually. "I won seventy million yen. It was pure luck. I bet on a long shot."
Seventy million? That's massive... so that's why he was always at the track in the original story? He couldn't forget the taste of a win like that?
"That's a lot! You must have had plenty left even after buying a house."
"Yes, we still have about thirty million yen left," Ayame said. "I'm the one managing the money now. I don't know when he might decide to blow it all at the races again."
"A very wise decision, Ayame-san. Never give this man financial freedom. He will bolt straight to the track."
"You want to die? I wouldn't. Probably."
"You sound zero percent confident. You haven't changed at all since you left the estate."
"People don't change easily. Not unless they're on their deathbed."
"I suppose. So, when the child is born, what about the surname?"
"That... we haven't thought about it yet."
"Zenin, obviously," Ayame insisted. "What is there to think about? Toji-kun, the baby and I will all be Zenin. Do you hate the name that much?"
"Yes. I hate it. Just thinking about what those old fossils did to me makes my skin crawl."
"Toji. Those people are part of the Zenin clan, yes. But my mother, my father, Naoya, and I are also Zenin. I told you, I'm going to change the clan. Please, trust me on this."
"Toji-kun," Ayame added softly, "you know very well what it means for a child to take the mother's surname in this society."
Under our combined pressure, Toji let out a long sigh and nodded.
"Fine. I'll discuss it properly with Ayame later. Quit blowing smoke in my ear, kid. You're giving me a headache."
"Understood. So, what's the plan for the wedding?"
"Oh, we don't have many people to invite, so we were just going to file the paperwork."
"Hmm... don't you want to wear a dress? It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Even if you don't hold a ceremony, you should at least have photos."
Ayame's ears perked up, and she gave a hesitant nod.
"I mean... of course I do, but..."
"Then the Zenin will help. Even if Toji left, he's still a member of this clan and my cousin. We'll arrange the dress and a photography studio for you."
"Oh my! Really? You don't have to go that far... thank you so much, Touya."
"Haha, it's nothing. If you're Toji's family, you're my family. Now, I think we've talked enough—shall we eat?"
We shared a meal and parted ways. As soon as I got home, I spoke to my father. Within the next month, we found a studio, picked out a dress, and scheduled the shoot.
"Oh... the dress is so beautiful. Thank you, Touya. How can I ever repay you...?"
"You don't have to. Just live happily with Toji. And stay healthy."
After the shoot was over, Toji—still wearing his tuxedo—approached me as we were about to leave.
"Touya. Thanks. Ayame was really happy."
"Good to hear. Treat her well, and treat me well too. You're a married man now. Take care of your wife."
"Yeah, yeah. Get going. I'll be in touch."
--------
A few months passed before I received a letter from Toji. It was brief: {Ayame is pregnant.}
Is this man allergic to writing more than one sentence? Why the extreme brevity?
I also received a letter from Utahime. She had officially enrolled in Jujutsu High. Her letter was mostly complaints about being bored and telling me to hurry up and join her. I sent back a simple reply.
I met Toji and Ayame-san again, and this time, the Zenin clan provided everything—baby supplies and prenatal care. Thanks to that support, Megumi was born healthy.
Megumi was about six months old now, and he was so incredibly cute that I'd often sneak out of the estate just to see him. Toji acted annoyed, asking why I kept coming over, but he never actually turned me away. Today, on my way to their place, I saw Ayame-san coming to meet me. She was crossing at a crosswalk, cradling Megumi in her arms.
"Oh! Touya! Over here!"
She waved cheerfully. I was about to wave back when I saw it—a vehicle speeding through the intersection, ignoring the lights.
"No... NO!"
I screamed, flooding my legs with Cursed Energy to sprint toward her. Ayame-san realized something was wrong and looked around. She froze for a split second as the car bore down on her, then, with desperate speed, she threw Megumi as hard as she could away from the impact zone.
THUD!
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