I had finished my seasoned vegetables in the time it took her to answer that one question.
“Did other kids ever bully you?”
How did people around her handle this incredibly slow pace?
“There wasn’t any severe bullying.
But I often ended up alone since no one really wanted to be friends with me.
And even when I tried talking to people, they usually ignored me.”
That… sounds exactly like bullying.
What do you even call that?
Neglect?
Social exile?
She wasn’t even hated—she just didn’t register as someone worth interacting with.
“What about high school and university?”
“I managed to get through high school somehow, but I didn’t go to college.
I wasn’t good at studying, and I preferred drawing over schoolwork.”
“You only graduated high school?
So you’ve been living like this ever since?”
“Yes.”
“Did you ever work part-time or have a job?”
“I tried working at a convenience store once… but I couldn’t keep up with everything.”
“…”
I was stunned.
How had this happened?
I hadn’t even properly asked about my own wife’s background before marrying her.
I never imagined she was only a high school graduate.
And not just that—she couldn’t even hold down a part-time job.
A complete failure of a life.
How in the world did I end up marrying such a burden?
I should say it outright.
Otoha, you and I are simply on different levels. I honestly don’t think I can continue this marriage.
But before I could speak, Otoha spoke first.
“Um… Rentarō-san, there’s something I’ve been meaning to say…”
“What is it?”
Was she going to withdraw on her own?
Would she say something like, I know someone as high-spec as you is out of my league?
Instead, she smiled—her usual crescent-moon smile.
“Thank you for marrying someone like me.”
“…”
“I’ve spent my whole life just drawing at home. My parents had long given up, thinking I would never marry and would just stay with them forever.
So everything happened so fast, and I barely had time to process it before we ended up in Hokkaido.
But thanks to you, I was able to put my parents at ease.”
“…”
“And… I don’t really understand romance or marriage, but every day, I get to think about what would make you happy, Rentarō-san.
And that makes me truly happy.
Thank you.”
“…”
Her voice trembled slightly, eyes glistening with emotion.
I couldn’t say a word.
And then—
The yuba ankake she made was unbelievably delicious.
Her words had somehow become the main dish in place of the hamburg steak she never got around to making.
No. I couldn’t let myself be deceived.
She was exactly what I thought—someone no one else had wanted.
Sure, Akane had rejected me, but I still had plenty of options.
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