《The AI Says That My True Love ~ Is Also a Girl?》 Chapter 1 - Pleasure to meet you, Person of my Chapter 1: Pleasure to meet you, Person of my Destiny. Author: L Nagatsuki TN:Mamuni My fated one is, a woman. . ? In a small conference room, while in the middle of a panic I asked. In response, the woman in front of me said with no hesitation Yes. No, no, no way. In my 25 years of living, Ive only been dating men, and Ive never even had a crush on a woman. What kind of joke is this? There has to be a mistake. But with such an earnest face, are you seriously leaving me with that bombshell? I understand your surprise, but we are sure this is the correct choice, and would love for the meeting to happen. Anyways- C I zoned out. I cant be bothered, and my focus is messed up. However, the highest compatibility in the history of AI recommended marriage. A partner with a compatibility value over 90. Its an urban legend. And if fate was real, this would be it. I broke up with my boyfriend half a year ago, and ran to marriage because dating was becoming troublesome. I would have jumped straight to them with no hesitation. C C If I didnt know she was also a girl. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Artificial Intelligence, The culmination of human intelligence- C -AI has continued to grow steadily since it was first created in the 20th century, but a breakthrough in the middle of the 21st century shook the world. An AI specialized to be planted into the human body, made to collect all information that dwelled in the body. This tiny AI chip nicknamed SMILE stores all kinds of information on the individual it is embedded in. It records not only the health status of the person, but location history, personality, regonizes their sexual orientation, behavior paterns, what you like and dislike, all of them is processed. Of course at first it was protested against due to the invasion of privacy and human rights, but progress cant be stopped, and certain countries obliged to embedding all of their people. Problems plaguing humanity were drastically reduced, to reduction of crime, massive health improvements, and a Quality of life never before seen. All of it came soon after its adoption. In response to those few countries seeing so much success, other countries one by one began to introduce SMILE. Japan had a deep-rooted opposition, and although it stayed behind the other developed nations, eventually they capitulated and embedded all of its people. This all happened 5 years before I- C -Minato Aki( ˮTϣ) was born. And as I celebrate my 25th birthday, I was able to apply for a certain special service using SMILE Hmm, Icon what is this? I was scrolling down the screen of my tablet, looking through my recommendations picked out based on my data, and found an AI infused marriage service, known as ICON. There were only a few questions required for an application. The sex of the desired partner, the age range you are willing for, closeness of partner to your area, etc. This helps narrow it down in advance, but most of the work is done using your SMILE information. No matter how good the AI is, it will be difficult for a person from Hokkaido to meet recommended people in Okinawa, so it looks like you can choose how close or far the other person can be. Please introduce me to a good person. And entered. I quickly finished the application and admitted it. After that, I will be messaged so I could be introduced to a person that is compatible with me, then we would meet if the person accepts within the period. However only the age, sex, and rough area of residence are disclosed to each party. So next week Ill be able to meet my future candidates. Im looking forward to it. I hope they are handsome. . . .More than a month has passed since then. Why wont they contact me!? I havent heard anything back. I applied in early March, but its going to be May next week. I rechecked everything to make sure it was processed, but I received an automatic reply stating it was accepted, and there were no issues. Then what does that mean if its being delayed by so much. It doesnt seem like its a system or administrative issue. . . Why!?!?! Is it because they have no candidates for me!? Am I cursed to be single for the rest of my life?!?! Its been a month since I had my panic and thought about making an inquiry. I was hesitating on whether or not I should just admit defeat and say I wasnt sure about getting married, but before that happened, I got a message. (We are deeply sorry for the tardiness of this message. We would like to discuss the matter involving your application. Therefore, we would require some of your time in the near future, please contact us back on times that are convenient.) It was actually longer than that, but that was the summary of it. At first I thought it could be a scam, however that doesnt seem to be the case. Its just searching for a marriage partner, so why would I be summoned to an official office? Is this it? Because Im someone that cant find a partner they are going to present me with alternative life plans. Im sorry, mom. Expect my sister to show you your grandchilds face. Two days after making my decision, what was awaiting me in the conference room was a monitor. With a woman Minato Aki, AI Marriage future results and plans. Yeah, I have no idea what Im looking at, but Im guessing this is the results from my data, and it will be used to plan possible avenues. Um, can you please explain this? The woman in the suit raised her face from the monitor- C C Along with a wonderful business smile, She introduced herself as Hazama-san. She claims to be incharge of here. First of all, Id like to apologize for the delay in contacting you. I hope it was not worrying. No no, not at all~ It was anxiety inducing. Im sorry about the wait. I would like to explain why the delay happened, but first the results. While searching for compatible partners with Minato-san, we found a compatibility value of 92 with a possible partner. Hahh!?! 92?!?!? The scale ICON uses for compatibility is valued from 0 to 100. Most people who find partners are usually with people around 50 to 60. 60 is good. If you have a 70 then get married immediately. It is said that if you have 80, you should never let that person go. If its over 90 then its fate, Your true love. That being said, the highest ever recorded would be 88. T-Thats amazing. I would love to meet him! Yes, I would love for you to meet them too. However I must mention that it came a little out of Minato-sans parameters. . . If they have a compatibility value of 92, I would love to meet them at once, even if they are a little older or live far away. That is good to hear. Well, here is their document. Oh, its prepared already? If thats the case, show me immediately. . .Huh. I excitedly turned my eyes to the monitor where it displayed their information. The only thing written was the minimum necessary information. Age, sex, place of residence, and of course the compatibility rating. My excitement then froze. Age: 28 Sex: Female Place of Residence: Kanagawa Prefecture. Compatibility Score: 92 . . .Female? Yes, female. Well thats the only thing that didnt meet my requirement. Although same-sex marriage is legal unlike the past, are they really recommending me for it. My target was a man. My fated one is, a woman. . ? Yes. With this, we returned to the beginning. My high spirited mood quickly vanished after that bombshell. I understand it is a surprise for you, but we definitely still want you to meet. After all, this is the first time in history that weve had a compatibility score over 90. I understand. . .By the way, what was the second best match? 48. So low!??! Wow, thats nearly half? 48 is not super uncommon for an ICON compatibility score, and if it was the highest I got, Id be a little disappointed, but Ill still try to meet him. After hearing about the rare value of 92, I dont really feel interested in that sub-par number. Just because you meet doesnt mean you will get married immediately, so why not meet them once? Hmm, thats true. . . If Im honest, I am pretty curious. A couple, with the previous highest score ever said in their interview (The moment I first saw them, I wanted to be with them for the rest of my life!) So how would somebody feel when they meet someone with a compatibility value of 92? There isnt a reason not to give it a look. Okay, Ill meet them. Thank you very much! While not mandatory I have a request for when you have your meeting. After saying that, Using her hand, Hazama-san displayed on her monitor the title my future. Its obvious she wrote that title for me. In short, what this was was. I will give you a reward if you report everything about your encounter. I dont wanna do that! You have to! I dont know if there will ever be another compatibility value of 92! There is something called privacy. . . And look at what this says! results might be presented in an academic conference! Absolutely not! Please! Please! Please! Please! We can negotiate a reward, anything you want!!! In the end, Hazama-san lost her grace. She threw out all her shame, and after seeing that display I decided to accept the report on the condition that I got the permission of the other party. Also that I could decide if there was something I wanted to leave out. Plus the amount offered was quite good. . .It was a healthy amount of extra income. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Even though the other party is the same sex, we will still be going in as a marriage interview. Our first meeting is held at a hotel lounge at 11 pm, on a beautiful green May day. I arrived 10 minutes before the appointment and called out to the lounge staff, they told me that my companion had already arrived, and guided me to a seat by the window, slightly away from the entrance. As I slowly walked to her, she looked a little surprised. Pleasure to meet you, Im Minato Aki. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to meet me. Ah. . .I am Kameoka Mizuki(wϣ). I should also say, Please treat me well. She stood up in a hurry and bowed back, but her face still looked astonished to see me. But if Im honest I understand the feeling. The truth is I couldnt help but feel shocked when I saw her. Kameoka-san was a woman with a gentle expression and relaxed eyes. She is about the same height as me, and has a normal appearance. She isnt particularly what youd call a beauty in an objective way, but she isnt bad looking either. And yet I cant keep my eyes off her. . .This is supposed to be our first time meeting, but for some reason it feels nostalgic. Like somebody Ive been looking forward to meeting for a long time. Is this what a partner with a compatibility value of 92 is like? Its like she was my previous soul mate or lover in a previous life. The attraction I felt was intense. . . .This is something else. Honestly. It was like we were having the same thought. I got a sudden response to my thought without even elaborating. Truthfully, I didnt think the influence of compatibility would do anything. But its quite the opposite. 92, I guess that would cause this reaction. Hahaha, yeah, 92 was quite the shock. Definitely. I was even more surprised to hear that my partner was a woman. But I feel like its okay now. Yeah it was hard. And the person in charge was quite unique. . . Apparently Kameoka-san was also attacked by Hazama-sans request. Perhaps she was remembering what happened because the light in her eyes dimmed as she gently narrowed her eyes. What did Hazama-san do? Well, lets just order for now! Seeing as the food and drinks will be covered, lets order whatever we would like! People covering your expensive meals are the best! We looked at the menu on the table as a cool breeze met us. Yeah, this hotel lounge was the best marriage interview spot, and when I heard it was all being paid for I was over the moon. Oh, I want to try the famous short cake. I never had the courage to buy a slice seeing as Id have to spend 3000(Yen) I was talking about my choice, when we both looked up. Our eyes met and then she suddenly burst out in laughter. . . Did I say something strange? Ahaha, Hahah, Sorry! Its so weird! I wonder if we really are a perfect match. . .Ahh, its been a while since I laughed so much. She said that as she wiped some tears. Afterwards she looked a little shy with a cute smile. Though she didnt mean to, it made my heart beat. No, wait a minute. Thats no good, not now. Umm, whats wrong? Oh, Im sorry. Actually, Ive always wanted to have that shortcake too. Ive been looking forward to trying that ever since you asked me to meet here! She said with a like minded smile, and again my heart throbbed. No, its for another reason. Minato-san, Do you also like sweets? If you do, we can talk about various things while eating. Yeah, Id also like to talk more. Our talk led from one subject to another until we learned a good amount about each other. We had surprisingly many things in common. Our chemistry worked well with each other. The conversation was so natural. We had the same taste in our favorite artists and favorite writers. Tea being better than coffee, sake being better than beer. We both dont like spicy food, and our favorite foods were very similar. We both loved traveling, live concerts and sweets. If you want to watch a live concert, virtual viewing is possible at home, but there isnt anything better than being there in person. . . I totally understand! No matter how advanced technology gets, the sense of being actually there cannot be reproduced. Yeah yeah. Besides, if you arent there in person you cant interact with the band. Like for a live 10th anniversary concert, or special event, when they call to the crowd you can feel the energy! Being there live means you can add to that energy directly. For real! Honestly its for that reason Ive been going to local concerts more, and thats how I came to love traveling. Searching for delicious local sweets is also a huge plus. Though the expenses for it arent something to sneeze at. The conversation led to our favorite artist, gradually we both became more passionate about the topics, and before we knew it, we were talking casually. By the time we finished 2 deserts, it was like we were lifelong friends. This doesnt look like a marriage interview no matter how you look at it. It looks rather like excited fans on the way home from a concert. The ones youd see people at a family restaurant or bar after a live venue. Unfortunately, I dont have any concert friends, so Ive never experienced it. Ah- Im so glad I came today! Thank you so much, Kameoka-san! Ahaha, you are exaggerating. Im not, this is the first time Ive ever felt like this with someone. This must be what someone with a compatibility value of 92 is! I reached for my lukewarm tea in a great mood. As expected, the tea in this luxury hotel is delicious even when cold. I wish we could have met earlier. We could have been best friends. Despite meeting how we did, I hope we can get along well in the future. We could go to concerts together, have sweets together. It will definitely make it more fun with Kameoka-san around. I want to know more about her. I want to talk a lot more! . . .Well, I think Im glad we met this way. Kameoka-san then muttered. Eh? I reflexively asked why, but she kept her gaze down and squeezed her rested little fists. Because this meeting means there is a possibility that this relationship can become more than friends. . . I met Minato-san with the thought of being a possible marriage partner. If we met normally at school or work and we became friends, Im not sure we wouldve. Umm, that means. . . She said that in a quivering voice, and her face was bright red. I already understand what she is trying to say. She tightened her lips, gathered determination, and looked straight at me with moist eyes. Clearly saying. I like you. Please go out with me not with the intention of being friends, but getting married. Those words made my heart race. Is it because Im easy, or because its Kameoka-san? Im not sure why, but Ive never imagined marrying another girl, but I think I might be crushing on her. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here is the new novel I will be translating. I found it randomly while going through syosetu. Its a light hearted yuri love story. There are only 4 chapters. The second chapter will be out tomorrow, and the 3rd maybe a few days after that, leading to the finale. Hope you enjoy. Link to RAW: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n6564gx/ Chapter 2 - Liking somebody is Scary, but I also like it. Chapter 2: Liking somebody is Scary, but I also like it. Author: L Nagatsuki TN:Mamuni Click LINK TO PREVIOUS CHAPTER for the followers who didnt get email. The night after the matchmaking. I returned to my small 1LDK condominium(TN: Its a single room apartment.), I was reminiscing about last night while soaking my shoulders in the lukewarm water in my bath. My first marriage interview, and my first confession from a girl. Both were exciting experiences, and it really took a lot out of me. Although I had a lot in common with Kameoka-san, I dont feel like our personalities are very similar. Unlike me, who is rather rough and energetic, she is a calm adult woman. Always having a soft smile, and a slightly low voice that is pleasant to the ears. She is calm but not quiet, and her gorgeous voice when talking about her favorite things is captivating. Always smiling with her relaxed eyes, and her round nails on her fingers are cute too. The time I spent with her was fun, pleasant, and I wanted more no matter what. Actually we decided to meet the next day. C C C And I promised the next time we meet I would have an answer to her confession. I mean, I already like them. . . If I dont deny my feelings I can just admit it. If I abandon the idea that same sex = friend, logically my feelings for Kameoka-san are love no matter how I slice it. The A.Is judgment is correct. There was a possibility she just spoke recklessly based on the scenario, but I have to admit she is speaking from the heart because I was also aware of my fluttering heart. Im definitely attracted to her. However, romance and marriage is a different story. When my grandma was a child, same-sex marriage was legally permitted in Japan, and advancements in reproductive technology have made it possible for same-sex couples to have children. Thanks to that, there is no real difference between straight and gay marriage. Unfortunately, human prejudice is another issue. In general same-sex marriage is more likely to be seen one step lower than hetrosexual marriage. It also spills over to children conceived in those marriages. This prejudice is particularly prominent for people over the age of 60. Ive never actively scorn or show disdain for people living that lifestyle, but I myself am not a saint, I cant say Ive never had any prejudice. And with me being the person in question doesnt mean that all my discomfort is gone. Thats why Im unsettled about this. Marriage is also not a one man thing. If I believe in the value of compatibility, Kameoka-san and I will have a happy marriage. Wed enjoy our time laying on the sofa together watching videos, enjoying sake together. Our body shapes arent too different so we could lend each other our clothes. We only spent a few hours together, but I could easily imagine living with her. However, that is regarding the compatibility between each other. That value does not include compatibility with those around you. You could be a great match, but I often hear the family could be a make or break factor. A little while ago, a popular actress came out saying in the entertainment news that her relationship ended for that reason. What about our families? I hope they approve. . . Huh? The more I think about it, I really want to marry her. Its so amazing. Until yesterday morning, I never would have even thought about marrying another girl. I can hear a voice in my head screaming. Its that person!. Its in the back of my head. I want her, she is my destiny, its a desperate feeling. And, that scares me. I feel scared about being with her. She is still waiting for my reply, I could still run away. Give up. Although I wanted to be with her, I still lacked the courage to voluntarily jump into a minority group- C -A group that can be looked at with prejudice. . . ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next time I met Kameoka-san was on a friday night. She said that there was a great Izakaya that serves delicious Sake. When we got there we sat in a private room with a nice atmosphere. With a shine in my eyes I ordered high brand sake and shochu. Seeing me order all that, Kameoka-san giggled and said Dont drink too much. Dont drink too much, well see about that. I never make mistakes with alcohol. Oh, are you a heavy weight? Hmm, maybe just normal. How about you? I think Im also normal. Though originally I didnt drink too much. She brushed her hair to be above her ear, looking down at her menu with her long eyelashes, sipping her drink. As I thought, I like her. Why is she so attractive? Each casual gesture stirs me, and just listening to her voice warms my chest. I want to touch her small soft earlobes, I want to put my face to her nape and smell her in, its kind of perverted. I was staring at her while she looked at the menu, noticing my stare as she looked up, her cheeks then dyed lightly red. Its a little embarrassing to be looked at that intensely. . . S-Sorry. . ! Ah, that was bad. Even though I havent taken a sip my head is giddy. The reply to the confession was mentally postponed. We should know more about each other during tonights drinking, but it might not be necessary. The other day I wasnt aware of my attraction to her, but being self conscious of it makes it now impossible to ignore. My heart is racing so fast I might die. I mean, isnt her shy face too cute? Its also kind of sexy. Cute and sexy. Have you perhaps thought about my confession? Kameoka-san came out swinging. Eh, Um . . .Yeah. Ah, thank you. I hope you thought about it seriously. I feel like listening to it sooner would be nice, but lets talk a little after our meal. Thats true. It would be awkward if the clerk came in the middle of our talk. I havent even ordered, but it seems we werent about to go to the main event. The order of things is important. It would be smart to order first, then after all our stuff is delivered we enjoy a little chat. Kameoka-san bitterly smiled at me, when I gave my yeah yeah response. If I get rejected we cant have fun drinking. Im just going to put off the scary thing. Im sorry, but Im pretty anxious. Oh dont be, its okay! Because I like you! . . .Eh? Ah. . . I said it!! I hadnt even ordered, and the final payload was delivered. I was too busy thinking about having a fun chat, but I ruined all of the setup in 5 seconds! Ah man. Shit. I really wanted to have a natural momentum. But now I just shoved it all on Kameoka-san. Please tell me it will be okay, Maybe I can pass it off. Ah, Um wait. nevermind . Eh, n-nevermind? Kameoka-san deflated in a pitiful frown, her eyes moistened as in an old Shoujo manga, she leaned forward and whimpered. No its true! I didnt know it would hurt you saying to forget it! I just wanted a fresh start, Im sorry! Um, wait no. No nevermind. I like you. . . .Really? I cant lie about this. Im not sure about marriage yet, but I do like you. Thank you, Im so happy. Illuminated by the soft light of the cabin, with a screaming smile she brightly said, I like you too In our private room, two people stared at each other with bright red faces, when suddenly there was a knock at the door. Pardon me. Have you decided on your order? With a hurried expression, the clerk asked with a nice smile. I said Juyondaiand I would also like that! followed. Weve only ordered drinks for the time being. Also I was so taken off guard I just ordered from the premium sake section, isnt that expensive? Well, its a celebration sake, so its alright? Hey, about our conversation. . . Wait, I dont want to talk about it now, they can hear. The walls are thin. Is that so? Because I like you too! they could definitely hear if she says that. Kameoka-san spoke in a moderate voice, but Im sorry. Surely the clerk just before entering was waiting for their time. We waited quietly until the liquor arrived, and then enjoyed the delicious liquor. Chatting lightly until going into a deeper talk when our food arrived. By the time we were almost over with our meal we finally began to talk about it. Um, I said Im still not sure about our marriage. Yeah, I did say that. Im wondering if I should say more, but Im really worried. What will my family think, what will the people around me think? Kameoka-san quietly listened to my woes. I talked about the things that have been troubling me at home. Giving me the ocassional conversation response. I like her, and I would love to get married if possible. But the eyes around me are scary. She finished listening to my selfish anxieties until the end. Yeah, I understand. She nodded easily. Um, you do? Yeah, Im worried about the same things. Eh, really? Then why did you quickly confess? On the day I met her, she confessed after only knowing me for 3 hours. Because of that I thought she was simply somebody who didnt worry about gender. Kameoka-san shyly looked away after my retort. Because Minato-san wanted to meet up as friends. . . I thought you wouldnt look at me as a possible love interest if we met like that. Ah, uhh. Is that so? I did say that! I fell in love with you at first glance, and when we talked I became more fond of you. So when I confessed, I simply didnt want to miss the chance! I was desperate. Huh!? This is my first time hearing that! I could understand if you see a beautiful person, but I just have an average face. This is the first time Ive ever been told that. But isnt that similar to me? It may be because we were destined once that we both were charmed immediately after meeting. One thing to note however, is that Ive always known that I was bisexual. So those troubles for me have already passed. Ah, is that so? Huh. . . Does that mean she was with a girl before me? Maybe they were also dating. . .No, Ive dated before too. Ive had former boyfriends. But now I feel bothered. . .I cant complain though. . . Sigh. I asked you out with the premise of getting married, Im sure that was bothersome. Im sorry. Dont apologize, I was happy! Thank you. But you dont have to think about marriage right now. Id be happy enough if we could get to know each other more, and perhaps get married when you feel more confident. She said with a dazzling smile. Simply stating to do my best. Perhaps its because she is older than me that she knows exactly what to say. I dont want her to put up with me. I may live with her my entire life, so I want us to get along together and not have her overdue it. Well, you know alot about me. Yeah. Id like to know more, Minato-san. She wants to know more about me. And I want to know about her. What does she like, what does she dislike? What does she want to do, what doesnt she? What does she want from me, what do I want from her? Weve spent less than 10 hours together, thats far too little time to know each other. Hey, can I sit besides you? Uh, sure. What happened? Im just a little tipsy. Thats a lie. You cant decide that, but I wonder if I should get closer to be safe. Kameoka-san replied in a pouty voice, but ignored my response. She got up and then sat on the seat to my left. She pushed closer into my shoulder, allowing me to smell her soft, sweet aroma. Shampoo, liquor, and probably her own scent. Maybe its because of our compatibility but smelling her feels good. Ill refrain for now, but Id like to have a deeper whiff sometime soon. Kameoka-san. I actually have a thing for scents, and you are smelling really nice. Ehh, Im happy but. Kinda embarrassing. Hmm, I. . . She glanced at my face and shyly turned immediately. Ah, there is something about her. I want to know about Kameoka-san. Thats playing dirty! Kameoka-san moved her upper body to escape my eyes, but I followed further into her. She was cut off from her retreat, turned red to a point she couldnt go further, and diverted her flustering eyes. She usually looks so adult, but she is very shy and cute now. I mean, she is always cute, but a shy Kameoka-san is insanely cute. I want to kiss you. . . I placed my left hand on her cheek and turned her towards me. With her eyes rounded, I saw the light of expectations flicker within them. Understanding her desires, she pulled her lips closer. A gentle soft few seconds happened with a kiss-like greeting. However the heat, the softness, the sweet sigh was too perfect. Leading to a captivating kiss. I managed to ignore the temptation to go into a deep kiss, with a sigh we parted. With similar regrets she looked with eyes that screamed to chase. I guess we also have a 92% kiss compatibility. Fufufu, perhaps. . . Kameoka-san smiled embarrassed. She looks kind of like an innocent teenage girl. So I wonder if kissing on the first day was too much. Seeing how giddy I am, I wonder if Im also thinking like a teenageer. Minato-san, Um. . . Aki is fine. Eh? That is what her face said. Id prefer if the people I like call me by my first name, and if I also called them by their name. . .Mizuki. I wanted to have a smarter relationship where we could call each other by our name, but why is it so embarrassing to say. I feel like I didnt have such a bittersweet exchange with my ex-boyfriends, even when I was a teenager. Still I cant help it. I really want her to call me by my name. Thank you, Aki. I like you. Me too. . .Mizuki. From then Mizuki initiated, the lip piling was stronger than before. Intoxicated by the sweetness of her touch, and more fragile from the alcohol, all I could think about was her. Just a little more. I dont think it took so much time, so please wait. Until I got the courage to live together. Full speed forcing through my worries to be with Mizuki. Just when we were leaving, Mizuki laughed and told me she had a kissing kink. Afterwards, in the self-driving taxi, we kissed again. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This chapter is much more, umm. Is it hot in here? Chapter 3 - What ifs. Chapter 3: What ifs. Author: L Nagatsuki TN:Mamuni Three months have passed since my marriage interview. So far Ive had an excellent relationship with Mizuki, but in the midst of that, there was one problem that bothered me. Its not the eyes of the people around me, nor the anxieties of our future. Its the report that Ive 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. Im still worried about how much to share. After all, its 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! Its torture to be desicrating our relationship every day. Mizuki should also be writing the same report, but Ive hadnt asked her about what she wrote. Is she writing more conservatively than I am? She is a shy girlfriend. . . Im curious, I want to read it a little. On the days we didnt meet I only wrote about the telephone conversations, so todays report was simple. I spoke fondly about my girlfriend to fill todays quota. As I got up from my chair to take a bath, I heard my phone ring from my bedside table. I didnt recognize the number. After thinking for a moment I decided to answer it, when I pressed the answer button I immediately heard, Im sorry for the late night call. This is from the SMILE Information Management Department, the Marriage Activities Division, Digital Agency. Ahh, Hazama-san. Its been a while. Ive 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, isnt 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 shed seem like a decent person, but her eccentric personality oozes out from time to time. Even if I talk directly to you I dont 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 dont think she can. Based on how weird she is, maybe she is just picking up radio waves. Well, she isnt wrong about me being a little worried. I didnt write about it because I dont 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? Thats fine, but is there a real problem? No thats not it. Its a really simple question. If you want to answer it that is. You dont have to if you dont 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. Id 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 Ive already contemplated. We may have fallen in love eventually, but it wouldnt be a smooth process. Maybe at first we would only be known as friends. But based on compatibility, wouldnt it be the same? Yeah, even if I felt something special, I probably wouldnt 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 dont know. Oh? But you were confessed to by your favorite person. True, but Im timid. If that was the case, the A.I wouldnt have told me my compatibility with her, and you can only rely on intuition at that point. The reason I couldnt 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, youd be pushed to them. That was a very important factor. Im timid, and Im cautious. I calculate my own situations a lot. I cant really step forward even if I like them. Thats extremely common with marriage. She managed to squeeze out my regrets, and with a blunt voice she stated. Isnt it wrong? But she said it so naturally. Ive been in this line of work for a long time. So Ive seen many people in your position, 9 times out of 10, theyve all hit the calculator before getting married. Nobody is perfect, so its natural to weigh the pros and cons before love. . . .Its 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 couldnt contain my involuntary laugh after those blunt pleasant words. Is it okay for a representation of ICONS to talk like this? Despite Hazama-sans 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, dont worry about it, just a what if. Your compatibility value is definitely 92. Ive 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 wasnt even half the amount, I would- C C 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. Im 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. Im glad to hear that. I pray to see your happiness bloom. Happiness. Icons motto is to see your happiness bloom, its 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 Im looking forward to your future progress reports. Can you have a little decency?!?!? Hazama-san work on your people skills! Despite the fact that Ive been reviewing it beforehand, how did she get that information? And after we had such a good conversation! . . .But still, thats good. To know. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Okay an actual translator note: before Hazama-san says I pray for your happiness to bloom. Its 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 couldnt 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. Chapter 4 - Determination and Commitment. Author: L Nagatsuki TN:Mamuni What does Mizuki think of me? When I think about her and feel those butterflies, I cant help but worry about how she thinks of me. It doesnt mean I dont trust her kindness, I actually think she is too sweet. But what does she want in the future? Dating on the premise of marriage, with the momentum of love at first sight, and our honeymoon feelings should calm down soon, I think its been a different time now. So even though its been more than three months since we began dating, I think Im still trying to move on from the playful kisses. Because of that anxiety, our relationship has become stagnant. Immediately after I met her I felt something. Mizuki might have liked me more then, but now I feel that my feelings are uncontrollably growing . If I had any free time I would check if there were any messages from Mizuki, if not, then Id feel terrible. Im afraid of being too clingy, so I dont contact her often. I want to feel her more, but Im afraid of being rejected, so I limit the amount I touch her. I love her, but I try to limit it because Im afraid. This wasnt like me, Thats why its so confusing. It was the phone call with Hazama-san that helped me. At the end of that call I fully organized my feelings. So lets talk properly after the weekend concert date. There I will properly convey my feelings. Ahh, Im so nervous! It feels like Im a teenager in love again. My heart is racing. At that time I was unfamiliar with love, and everything was a huge event. Im not a woman with a lot of love experience, but I made a huge mistake thinking Ive experienced it all with my ex-boyfriends. No matter how old you are, serious love will always be an important affair. The day of the date we finally met. The two of us wore the band T-Shirts, lifted our arms while getting sweaty and enjoying the live concert along with the crowd. It was the best performance theyve done, and they even played my favorite song in the encore, so I left my spot with spirits raised to the heavens. It was awesome. . . Truly. Mizuki nodded and muttered best several times. It was just the two of us, and we were going to talk about the highlights of the concert. But it was too much. The concert was so hype that both of us lost our voices. Geeze, we are both Otakus. As we walked side by side and digested the concert, a group of three, 1 man and 2 women looked towards us in the hectic lobby- C -Mizuki noticed and waved her hand to them. Good evening. Oh, are you guys friends? Good evening, nice to meet you. Although the word friend struck me the wrong way, I couldnt suddenly burst out saying she is my girlfriend. Seeing as they called out to Mizuki as an acquaintance, I simply smiled and greeted them. I wonder what kind of relationship they have? It doesnt seem like there was a particular planned meeting, but she called out to her like it was a normal coincidence to see her. After this we were planning on going out to drink, how about you two? No, we are going home for today. Oh is that so, what a shame. The exhilaration of the concert quickly cooled down. Im just crashing into Mizukis social life. I dont like being considered my girlfriends friend, and I dont like that the man who is actively talking seems to be interested in Mizuki. I get it, If I were a man, Id also want to be her lover. It was such a fun night, why did this have to happen? By the way, did you meet that person? Mizuki-san, you are always looking out for them. Who are you looking for? When I asked her, her face cramped up and her eyes darted around. Its an easy to understand habit. She doesnt make eye contact when she is in trouble or has a problem finding her words. So she probably didnt want me to know about this person. That person you are interested in often comes to concerts, you used to always look around the lobby for them. Seeing how much you care, I wish youd be interested in me. So how handsome is he? We want to see, but you never tell us anything. I dont want to hear this. Mizuki is a 28 year old woman, and she would have obviously loved somebody and have dated others. We are in the same boat, and I have no intention of blaming her, but my heart is curdling. Somewhere in this lounge was somebody Mizuki liked, somebody I was kept in the dark about. Im sorry. Ill leave first. I ignored the objection and ran to the exit. I heard her calling for me, but I want to leave here as soon as possible. If we stayed together like this, that special person may pass by and she may be entranced by them. I definitely dont want to see that. What should I do? It was my favorite venue, but I cant come here anymore. Run, run, push through the crowd. I ran to the point where my lack of exercise finally stopped me. I was already sweating, but after this I was drenched. It looked like I was in the shower with clothes on. Whipping the sweat off my face with the bands merch towel, tears began to spill out. Ah this is the worst. Mizuki isnt in the wrong, but I got so jealous and ran away, now Im here just crying alone. What the hell am I doing? How more annoying could I be? I started to walk further from the venue, wiping my tears, trying to think of my apology for later, when suddenly wet hands grabbed my arm. A strange voice came out from a strained throat. I turned around to see Mizuki who was breathing heavily on my shoulder as she desperately tried to stay standing. Hahhh, Haahh. . .S-Sorry, Cough*. . .One second. . . I feel sorry and happy for seeing her as sweaty as I was. I feel terrible for making her run to the point of being tired, yet still happy that she chased after me. She didnt have to. It wasnt my intention. Still, I couldnt help but feel warm seeing how desperate she was. Im sorry, I ran away. I apologized as I whipped the sweat from her forehead with my towel, yet what met me was a relieved smile. Is it okay for me to be with such a nice person? Im so troublesome. She should be with a more wonderful person, male or female. Lets get out of here for the time being. Then talk. Yeah, but we have to change clothes as soon as possible. Its a bit too much for us to be entering a store or getting on a train. . . Ah, thats true. . . Then how about that? She pointed to a business hotel in front of the station. Ah yeah, that should be perfect. We could talk over there without worrying about eyes on us, plus we could clean ourselves. Perhaps she had the same imagination as I did, I might have telled if I hadnt had to blush and look away from her face. No, the reason Mizuki proposed a business hotel is probably for the business, but at the same time, I cant help but feel shy about the possibility for the latter. This person is too cute. Yeah, lets go. I dont know what will happen, but this is definitely the best choice. Despite it being summer, if we stay outside drenched in sweat at night we will most likely catch a cold. And us talking on the roadside with people coming back from the concert looking at us will be very weird. I just want to be alone and talk properly. We awkwardly checked in and went to our room. After washing away our sweat first, we sat on the semi-double bed. I didnt have any ulterior motives, just wanted to get out of that disgusting sweaty state. But here we were, 2 people wearing hotel bathrobes, sitting on a bed. A strange nervousness came. Ive never seen Mizuki without makeup. This is the first time, although she is older, she has much cleaner skin than me. With her skin slightly lit after taking a hot shower, it amplified her sexiness. I know its not the time, but this is just unfair~ Regardless, what we have to do now is talk. I must have restraint. Um, I have a lot of things to talk about, so can you listen to me? I may not be good at getting this across, but. . . Yeah, talk away. Thanks. Um, I, Love Mizuki. I love you so much that I have to hold myself back a lot. T-Thanks. . . After giving eachother eye contact, looking closely and spewing my emotions. Its cute to see her ears gradually turn red. At first I was confused because you were a girl, but Im no longer confused. I cant think of a future without you. I want you to stay with me forever. . . C Aki, thats. . . With her eyes only on me, I touched her hand, and said. I love you Mizuki. Will you marry me? At that time, She spread her arms wide and jumped onto me. It was so quick, being hugged by her, smelling the hotel shampoo in her hair. We should have used the same shampoo, but for some reason, why is her scent so soothing? Is it the compatibility score, or is it simply love? It wasnt just that sensation that met me. She was driving into me with no bra, leading me to the edge of consciousness. I didnt even know she left her bra hanging to dry in the bathroom, but I now know she is one cup bigger than me. Thank you! Im so happy. You say that, but. . .Im a pretty clingy woman. I just ran away because I was jealous of some unknown concert goer you liked. Ah, as I thought. Mizuki with tears in her eyes hugged me tighter. I wonder if she is just shocked. But Im still really worried. She said she fell in love with me at first sight. She may have fallen for others at first sight too. Im sorry for being petty. Noo, Im just happy about that. I have to apologize. Apologize. . ? Well, I lied to Aki. I didnt fall in love with you at first sight during our marriage meeting. I fell in love with you at first sight two years ago. . . .Oh yeah? 2 years ago. . . But we just met 3 months ago. . . Huh? I fell in love with you two years ago at a concert venue. It was love at first sight, and every time there was a performance I would go and look for you. Always looking around and watching for you in the lobby. Gazing at you from a distance. Im sorry, its rather disgusting. . . . . The person you were looking out for. Was me? Mizuki nodded saying Yes. My shoulders lost all their strength. That was it. She told me the details. She saw me at a live concert about two years ago, and fell in love with me at first sight. Even though she had only been to a few venues up to that point, she thought shed be able to meet me at more if she went to more local concerts. So she started to go out more. When she saw me she couldnt muster up any confidence, never able to call out to me, simply staring at me from a distance. A ridiculously wuss, but I dont know if I believe that. I wish I had told you sooner. No way! We are fine like this, and maybe I wouldve been taken aback. Sure. If you heard about this right after we met, itd be normal to be scared. I would be a careless stalker. You were a pretty good one. Ah, I had no clue I was being followed! Ahaha. I had a reputation to hold. Maybe I would have treated her suspiciously if a person just called out to me at a venue, and if I heard about it immediately after the marriage interview, I would have been a little more on guard. I feel like if I was called out and I felt something, its highly likely that it wouldnt have led to romance. Its funny because the way we met, and the time we spent with each other, got us to understand our emotions. Its miraculous that it happened at all. I had a fruitless crush on someone I didnt even know about for two years. If the miracle happened that we were able to get along, I decided I wanted to cherish it no matter what. Mizuki said so as she put her strength into the arms around me. Even the way she put effort into it was gentle, and I was able to feel cherished like this alone. It was a long wait for her, after waiting that long, I will make sure to cherish her from now on. I want Mizuki to smile all the time, I want her to be happy that she fell in love with me those years ago. Did you feel disappointed when you actually got to talk to me? You werent what I expected, but Im far from disappointed, I love you more now. Thank you, I love you too. . .So I want to tell you that in more ways than just words. Eh, what- C -Wah!?! Like holding a cute lamb, I slowly pushed her sideways, flopping her onto the bed. For a while now, there was a certain amount of defenselessness around her. Putting on a bathrobe with no bra, hugging the wolf, I could see her thighs for a while now, plus we just finished a shower and that finished all the prepwork. Moreover, in such a state, I was staring at a face that spelled out I love you. How was I going to endure? I think its good. Its okay, right? Sure it is! Is this okay? I-Its okay, but. . . what about Akis? Yeah. We can change later, but first I want Mizuki to feel good. So. . . We put our forehead together, noses touched, like a familial animal expression, I whispered Is it actually okay? She replied. Idiot of course it is. She accepted me, our lips finally meeting in a sweet sensation as usual, yet a hotter temptation drew me in. There is absolutely no other person who makes me scream with just one kiss. Our compatibility is the highest ever. So lets be the happiest two in the world together. No matter what happens in the future. I swear to love you in all time, in sickness and health. How did our compatibility go that night? Its a secret only for two. Not even Hazama would ever know. The End. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~