Chapter 17: Facing Compromise

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Translator: Soafp

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“Alright, alright, that’s enough.”

That’s when I heard Mizuki’s voice. She must have returned at some point. Neither I, lost in my pursuit of logic, nor Maya had noticed, and we both turned around in surprise.

With two claps of her hands, which she then placed on her hips, Mizuki started talking to me.

“Jumping straight to conclusions will only make it one-sided. You weren’t supposed to be trying to overpower her with arguments; you were supposed to face each other and try to understand.”

One-sided, of course, meant me overpowering Maya. Naturally, I couldn’t think of any points that deserved sympathy for Maya. In this situation, I was 100% the stronger party. And besides, I didn’t even want to try to understand her. When did things get interpreted this way?

However, having been admonished by Mizuki, I grudgingly accepted that it would be inconsistent to now turn around and say, “I refuse to face her and come to a mutual understanding.”

“…Even if we face each other, I don’t think we can understand each other.”

I replied with a bit of sarcasm, my only weak form of resistance. I am a coward.

“Hmm… Well, if that’s the case, then so be it. But don’t you think it’s a bit too early to reach a conclusion in just a day or two? At least, take some time to truly confront each other and only then make a decision.”

“…You might be right, Konno. Anger alone won’t heal the wounds.”

Katsuragi, standing beside her, could only echo her sentiment, as confused as he was. Letting them witness this drama was a mistake.

As for Mizuki, it was clear she was quite desperate. She genuinely wanted to help us reconcile, even if it might end up being unnecessary meddling.

“One month.”

I conceded reluctantly. It’s important to set a clear deadline to avoid dragging things out unnecessarily.

“Just one month. Let’s try to be a married couple again. But this is only…”

I hadn’t intended to create a dramatic pause.

Realizing I had hesitated, I cursed my own cowardice once more. What an idiot I was.

With a cynical smile, I continued.

“…a preparation period for us to reach a mutual agreement on divorce.”

Maya frowned sadly at the word “divorce.” But whether that was her true feeling or not, I couldn’t tell. I chose to ignore it.

“If we can’t do it in a month, then no amount of time will make it work. So, until then, I’ll face Maya as her husband. But after that, let me be free. Agreed?”

Instead of looking at Maya, I faced Mizuki as I spoke.

“…You should be saying that to Maya, not me. Are you really going to face her seriously?”

Shut up. I only said that out of a sense of obligation because Mizuki had told me to.

“If you’re unhappy with that, we can make it a week instead.”

“…Okay, okay. Then, for one month, seriously face each other and think about the future. Seriously, alright? Maya, is that okay with you?”

Maya slowly nodded, probably to prevent her tears from falling. Alright, we have an agreement.

The problem now was my own body. I just hope my stomach ulcer doesn’t flare up again in this month.