Chapter 3: What ifs.
Author: 長月 Nagatsuki
TN:Mamuni
Three months have passed since my marriage interview. So far I’ve had an excellent relationship with Mizuki, but in the midst of that, there was one problem that bothered me. It’s not the eyes of the people around me, nor the anxieties of our future. It’s the report that I’ve been submitting to Hazama-san.
Since the day of our meeting I have been writing a diary-like report. Everynight I have been working on it has been accompanied by agony and regret.
“When I accepted her proposal I thought I only had to do it for our first meeting. . .This is annoying.”
I lamented while glaring at my typed report on my monitor. I’m still worried about how much to share. After all, it’s putting my bliss romance life out in the public. I was thrilled with the partner I got. Our highly compatible kisses were the best! I really loved seeing her! It’s torture to be desicrating our relationship every day.
Mizuki should also be writing the same report, but I’ve hadn’t asked her about what she wrote. Is she writing more conservatively than I am? She is a shy girlfriend. . . I’m curious, I want to read it a little.
On the days we didn’t meet I only wrote about the telephone conversations, so today’s report was simple. I spoke fondly about my girlfriend to fill today’s quota. As I got up from my chair to take a bath, I heard my phone ring from my bedside table.
I didn’t recognize the number. After thinking for a moment I decided to answer it, when I pressed the answer button I immediately heard, “I’m sorry for the late night call. This is from the SMILE Information Management Department, the Marriage Activities Division, Digital Agency.”
“Ahh, Hazama-san. It’s been a while. I’ve just sent my report.”
“Yes, I saw it. Thank you for your cooperation.”
“No worries. Um, was there something wrong with the report?”
“No, there is no particular problem. I just wanted to hear from you directly.”
Even so, isn’t it a violation to just call suddenly? . . .I just finished my report and am now free, so it should be okay.
Hazama-san will be Hazama-san, so this is expected seeing how eccentric she is. If we just talk normally she’d seem like a decent person, but her eccentric personality oozes out from time to time.
“Even if I talk directly to you I don’t have any more information than what was written in the report. . .”
“Is that so? From the recent report by Minato-san it has gotten me feeling a bit worried.”
“Can you stop reading between the lines from the report? A little worry is common with romance.”
How did she sniff it out? To feel that worry from my bland bulleted reports. Even if I look back on it I have no idea how. Does Hazama-san perhaps have a hidden ability to read between the lines? I don’t think she can. Based on how weird she is, maybe she is just picking up radio waves.
Well, she isn’t wrong about me being a little worried.
I didn’t write about it because I don’t want to share too much information. I hesitated for a while to write it or not.
“Well then. This is a great opportunity. May I ask you some questions?”
“That’s fine, but is there a real problem?”
“No that’s not it. It’s a really simple question. If you want to answer it that is. You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
I swore I could hear a hint of excitement in her voice. She is certainly going to say whatever she wants. So she will probably bring up the trouble she mentioned. Was my response not enough? If so then Hazama-san must actually be good at reading people.
“Okay. So what is the question?”
“Thank you for hearing me out. I’d like to ask, Would Minato-san have fallen in love with Kameoka-san if you encountered each other normally at school or work? Rather than a marriage interview that is.”
What is this about? It was different from what I expected.
However I could answer immediately because that is something I’ve already contemplated.
“We may have fallen in love eventually, but it wouldn’t be a smooth process. Maybe at first we would only be known as friends.”
“But based on compatibility, wouldn’t it be the same?”
“Yeah, even if I felt something special, I probably wouldn’t have recognized it as love until much later. With how we met, and because she confessed to me immediately, I realized my feelings early on.”
In that sense, this was the best way for us to meet. Mizuki said, once we become friends it would take a lot of courage to take it to the next level. That is a common thing for both men and women, but that hurdler is much higher for people of the same sex.
“Well, then, if you started out as a friend, realized that you liked her and then were confessed to by Kameoka-san. Would Minato-san accept it?”
“That. . .I don’t know.”
“Oh? But you were confessed to by your favorite person.”
“True, but I’m timid.”
If that was the case, the A.I wouldn’t have told me my compatibility with her, and you can only rely on intuition at that point.
The reason I couldn’t deny my feelings for Mizuki was because the A.I pushed me into saying we were a good match. If you were told that there was a high probability that you would be happy with somebody you are already fascinated with, you’d be pushed to them. That was a very important factor.
“I’m timid, and I’m cautious. I calculate my own situations a lot. I can’t really step forward even if I like them.”
“That’s extremely common with marriage.”
She managed to squeeze out my regrets, and with a blunt voice she stated.
Isn’t it wrong? But she said it so naturally.
“I’ve been in this line of work for a long time. So I’ve seen many people in your position, 9 times out of 10, they’ve all hit the calculator before getting married. Nobody is perfect, so it’s natural to weigh the pros and cons before love.”
“. . .It’s normal?”
“Yes. A Lot are like Minato-san, cautious and realistic. You are a 25 years old woman, you understand the risk of fantasy.”
“Hahaha.”
I couldn’t contain my involuntary laugh after those blunt pleasant words. Is it okay for a representation of ICONS to talk like this?
Despite Hazama-san’s harsh opinion, it does make sense. Basically marriage is chosen with the future in mind. Personality, income, appearance, health, love. Plus in recent years compatibility value has helped and been added to the equation. In my case, I guess gender could also be included.
“Oh yeah. Minato-san, may I ask you one last question?”
“What is it?”
Our previous topic was cut off as Hazama-san asked in a joyful voice.
“If I said that your compatibility with Kameoka-san was actually 45, would you break up?”
“I-Is it?!”
“Ah, don’t worry about it, just a what if. Your compatibility value is definitely 92. I’ve gone over the results many times, and have talked to many of my higher ups and peers about the data. This is the reason the finalized report was so delayed.”
When she said that my stomach plummeted, a pang struck my heart before the relief that hit after being informed there was no mistake. With relief I pat my chest.
What a horrible question!
But if I think about it. If my compatibility with Mizuki was wrong, and it wasn’t even half the amount, I would- – –
“Not break up.”
Disadvantages, Advantaged, data, and affections were put on a scale, it would be ridiculous to compare them all.
When I was talking about myself, I was talking about the past. I was timid, and calculating, but in the end it is the emotions that move me now. No matter the disadvantages I counted, the anxieties, I knew from the time I kissed her, that our love would win in the end.
I’m sure those who married for their belief in love rather than a compatibility score had similar thoughts. In a world where the answer is easy to get, I truly respect the courage of those who venture forth without even asking.
I have already heard the answer. Our compatibility through data. But that was just a spark, and now I can say that I love Mizuki with my heart, not simply based on statistics.
Knowing that, my guilt that clouded my heart began to disperse.
“I’m glad to hear that. I pray to see your happiness bloom.”
Happiness. Icon’s motto is to see your “happiness bloom”, it’s a call back to SMILE.
I wonder if Mizuki and I can have our happiness bloom.
“Thank you.”
“Mhm. Also in a report a while ago, you asked “Is the pleasure of kisses related to the compatibility value?”. On further research it seems that compatibility values between subjects have a statistically higher chance for bodily pleasure with their partner. So I’m looking forward to your future progress reports.”
“Can you have a little decency?!?!?”
Hazama-san work on your people skills!
Despite the fact that I’ve been reviewing it beforehand, how did she get that information? And after we had such a good conversation!
. . .But still, that’s good. To know.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay an actual translator note: before Hazama-san says “I pray for your happiness to bloom.” It’s actually supposed to be “I pray to see your Sumire bloom. Or Violets as in the flowers. This is supposed to be the ICON motto, as a parody of “SMILE” or “How the Japanese most likely would say. “SUMIRE” I couldn’t think of a way to translate this, so it just ended up kind of awkward. . .
Next chapter is the last chapter. I may look into what other works this author has done. So look forward to that.