Chapter Text
The number of years they had spent together eventually became proportional to the respect and affection they had for one another. After starting to date in their third year of high school and practically accompanying each other through every important stage of their lives, Shima and Mitsumi finally got married. It was not an impulsive decision. In fact, it was something they had discussed for a very long time. Shima was ridiculously excited about everything from the very beginning. Mitsumi was too, although what worried her most was all the bureaucracy, paperwork, shared assets, documents, planning the ceremony, moving, money, dates, signatures.
They were still living separately. They were in the middle of moving when they found a rather cozy apartment on the outskirts of Shibuya. It wasn't huge or especially modern, but it had large windows, good lighting, and a sense of tranquility that Mitsumi loved the moment she saw it. Shima was more concerned about Mitsumi's reaction. He watched her smile at the real estate agent with that genuinely excited expression.
- Do you like it that much?
He asked, looking at her more than at the apartment. Mitsumi nodded quickly, holding the folder of documents against her chest.
-Yes! Look, Shima, the kitchen has enough space for a small table, and the supermarket is close to the station... and the neighborhood seems safe... and...
She started listing increasingly specific things while mentally reviewing expenses, contracts, and commuting times. Shima simply watched her with a soft smile.
- Then I like it too
- Huh? But you didn't even check the bathroom
- No need
Mitsumi frowned slightly.
- Of course there is. We need to check everything before making a decision like this
- Mitsumi, you've already checked everything for both of us
And it was true. Mitsumi worried a great deal about having all the proper documentation, enough money to rent the place, and every detail perfectly organized. Sometimes too much, according to Shima. But because they talked about everything, because they discussed things until they both felt at ease, Shima knew they genuinely had everything under control. He accepted the apartment the moment he saw Mitsumi convinced and happy with it.
He still hadn't completely lost his tendency to be a people-pleaser, but with Mitsumi it was different. He did it because he wanted to, because seeing her happy was enough.
When they finally received the keys, Mitsumi held them with both hands as though she had been given something extremely delicate.
The move was absolute chaos. They had to transport things from both apartments into the new one, and the process ended up becoming an entire day of exhausting work that left both them and the friends helping them completely worn out.
Yuzu couldn't attend because she had scheduled surgeries at the veterinary clinic, or at least that's what Mako said, although she sent messages every two hours asking whether they were still alive. Mako and Mika were able to come. Mako worked writing young adult novels and also did scripts for production companies, so she complained nonstop while packing things.
- I never want to write a moving scene in my life
she said while wrapping dishes.
- This is inhuman
- You're exaggerating
Mitsumi replied, even though she could barely carry a box without panting.
- Says the person who labeled cables with colors.
- Because it's important!
Mika, who was helping fold clothes on the couch, let out a laugh.
She worked alongside Nao as a stylist while also taking on design jobs. Nao had to stay and work at the shop that day, so she entrusted Mitsumi's well-being to Mika, and Mika had spent the entire morning criticizing Shima's clothing choices.
- Why do you have so many identical black shirts?
- Because they're for different days
He replied.
- Shima, this one literally has the same print
- One is for wearing at home because it's more worn out, the other isn't. Mitsumi gave me the idea
Mika stared at him silently for a few seconds.
- I understand why Mitsumi had to marry you before you got worse.
Later, Mukai and Yamada showed up.
Yamada arrived talking way too loudly the moment he crossed the doorway.
- Move aside, peasants! The man with the new car has arrived!
- Nobody asked you to say that
Mukai muttered behind him while carrying a huge box.
Yamada worked as a business consultant specializing in fashion and took every opportunity to brag about expensive sales or new purchases. Mukai, much calmer, worked as an astrophysicist at the University of Tokyo. Although he was technically Yamada's roommate, he spent more time locked away in his office or laboratory than at their apartment.
The mission assigned to both of them and Shima ended up being moving the heavy things. Which wasn't going very well...
- Careful, careful, careful!
- YAMADA, TURN!
- I AM TURNING!
- Not toward me, IDIOT!
- Then stop standing in the middle!
- THE TABLE, THE TABLE, THE TABLE...!!!!
By some miracle, they managed to carry everything upstairs without getting crushed to death.
Since it was the weekend, almost everyone was able to gather to help the newlyweds. That's why the apartment ended up filled with open boxes, empty drink cups, and garbage bags piled up in one corner.
At some point during the move, while the guys were still trying to survive carrying large furniture through the hallway, Mitsumi, Mika, and Mako ended up trapped in the kitchen surrounded by open boxes, drink cups, and bags full of utensils that nobody knew where to store yet.
Mitsumi was crouched in front of a box labeled -
"KITCHEN / IMPORTANT / VERY IMPORTANT"
Mika stared at it for a few seconds.
- What's the difference between important and very important?
- Very important things have another subcategory, and important things do too. It's so I can separate everything later by subcategory and know where each thing goes
Mitsumi replied completely serious and proud of her organization while carefully taking out wrapped dishes.
Mako was silent for a moment.
- You spend your life organizing absolutely everything
- That's a good thing!
- I didn't say it was bad
Mako laughed while folding kitchen towels.
- I'm just saying that if something ever falls outside one of your categories, you'll collapse...
Mitsumi looked at Mako, realizing she had a point. Mika, sitting on top of a box, held up a package of wooden spoons.
- Important question... Who cooks here?
Mitsumi raised her hand almost by reflex, and Mika immediately lowered it by grabbing her wrist.
- No. You work like 11 hours a day.
- But...
- No. Shima cooks
- But Shima works too!
Mitsumi protested.
- Yeah, but Shima has the face of a husband who says "I already made dinner, sweetheart" the moment you walk through the door
Mako nodded with far too much conviction.
- Totally. He has the energy of a guy who learns recipes by watching videos at 2 AM
Mitsumi thought about it for a moment. The truth was she could picture it perfectly, and that made her laugh a little.
- Well... he did say he wanted to take care of the house more often
- Of course He does
Mika said.
- That man has been in love with you since He was seventeen. Obviously he wouldn't let you do absolutely everything even if you wanted to... and he doesn't have a job-
Mitsumi immediately turned red.
- Mika!
- What? Am I lying?
- Not so directly...
Mako smiled while closing a box.
- You two are weird, though
- Weird?
- Yeah, but in a good way. It's really obvious how much you take care of each other
Mitsumi lowered her gaze to the dishes she was holding.
- I guess... we've spent a lot of time together
- And even so, you still act like you're discovering new things about each other
Mika said, resting her cheek against her hand.
- That's kind of cute, honestly
From the hallway came a huge crash followed by Yamada's voice
- MUKAI, IF YOU KILL ME WITH THIS BOX I'M GOING TO HAUNT YOU!
- STOP WALKING BACKWARDS!!!
The three of them fell silent, then Mako sighed.
- And that's why you're the only functional person in this group
Mitsumi let out such a loud laugh she almost dropped a plate.
When night finally fell, everyone was exhausted.
Well...
said Yamada, spinning the keys to his new car around one finger.
- I'd drive everyone back because I'm generous and attractive
- You just want to show off the car
Mukai replied immediately.
- Yes
Yamada said.
Mika was already putting on her coat.
- I'm leaving before Yamada crashes trying to park
- That happened once
- It was yesterday
Mukai said.
Between goodbyes, jokes, and promises to come back and help unpack "someday," everyone ended up climbing into Yamada's new car, while he insisted on properly breaking it in with his friends.
And for the first time all day, the apartment became quiet,, too quiet.
After spending the entire day surrounded by voices (Yamada dramatically shouting every five minutes), the sound of plastic being torn open and soft footsteps on the floor felt strangely peaceful.
Shima was sitting on the living room floor assembling a small bookshelf while Mitsumi arranged books near the couch.
- Why do you have so many documents?
He asked, looking at a box full of folders.
- Because I need them
- Mitsumi... this looks like a secret government archive...
- Some of them are important!!
- "Municipal Evacuation Manual Version 3"... why do you have this among your things?
She looked offended.
- Because I might need it!
Shima laughed while continuing to tighten screws.
- Of course... in case of an extreme emergency involving city halls...
A while later, Shima opened another box and fell silent.
- ...Mitsumi
- Mmh?
- Why do you have fifteen identical notebooks?
She immediately turned around.
- They're not identical!
- They're literally all blue...
- But one is for work, another is for important ideas, another is for schedules...
- And the others?
Mitsumi hesitated slightly.
- For work
Shima ended up leaning forward, laughing against the box.
- I'm married to a dangerously organized person
She crossed her arms, trying to look serious.
- You left a dead plant on your balcony for three months because "it still had a chance"
- It did!
- Shima it was brown!!!!!!
- It was autumn.
Mitsumi burst into laughter. For a moment they both stopped organizing and simply looked at each other, laughing in the middle of the disaster of boxes.
After a while, Shima finished assembling the bookshelf and dropped himself onto the floor.
- Done
Mitsumi approached carefully, examining it.
- It turned out great!
- I'm glad you like it
he replied smiling
She smiled tiredly before sitting beside him on the floor.
Instinctively, Shima rested his head on her shoulder. Mitsumi stayed still for only a second before relaxing. The apartment was still full of boxes, the kitchen was still messy, and the clothes weren't even put away yet. They didn't have energy for anything else. Shima closed his eyes for a moment.
- I like this
- The mess?
- No...
He laughed.
- Living with you like this
Mitsumi felt her cheeks warm up. While the city outside remained awake, they stayed sitting on the floor of their new apartment, tired, messy-haired, and happy. Only Shima and Mitsumi remained, along with dozens of boxes surrounding them.
- This looks like a storage unit
Mitsumi murmured, looking around.
- Luckily they gave me tomorrow morning off...
At twenty-five years old, Mitsumi Iwakura worked in the government, within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, just as she had always dreamed. She still held a relatively low position, but she worked day and night convinced that she could help improve things, especially for her hometown. Or at least that was what she constantly told herself.
While organizing books and binders, she began telling Shima about some new responsibilities that had been assigned to her department. Shima listened attentively while opening boxes on the floor.
- And they let you handle that part by yourself?
- Well, technically under supervision
Mitsumi clarified.
- But it's still important
- That means they trust you.
She fell silent for a moment before smiling.
- Maybe they do
Shima Sosuke, the same age as his now-wife, had eventually fully rediscovered acting. He now played supporting roles in fairly well-known television series, which had given him a certain degree of local fame. Fame that he insisted on minimizing.
Which made it impossible for Yamada and Mukai to take him seriously.
- "A certain level of local fame"
Yamada had said once.
- Three ladies recognized you in a café!
- Because they mistook me for another actor
Mukai sighed.
- Shima... the giant billboard with your face outside the station doesn't help your argument.
Shima's work operated in seasons, something that didn't worry him too much. Now that he and Mitsumi were beginning to physically share a life together, he had decided to become the one who practically managed all the household chores. And he constantly needed to clarify it because Mitsumi insisted that the responsibilities should be divided equally.
- It's teamwork
she would repeat.
- Mitsumi, you spend 11 to 12 hours working
- And you work too!
- Yeah, but not that often, and you're terrifying when you don't sleep properly
- I'm not terrifying!
- Last week you tried to answer an email using the remote
She covered her face in embarrassment while he laughed.
Part of it was that Shima was genuinely grateful to be able to take care of her this way. To make sure she ate, rested, and didn't keep working until she fell asleep over her desk.
And then came the moment Mitsumi had been avoiding thinking about for hours.
Sleeping together.
It wasn't as if she had never stayed at Shima's apartment before. She had spent many nights there for different reasons. But even then, Shima always ended up giving her the futon without saying a word while he slept on the couch. He had never done anything that made her uncomfortable.
Even so, Mitsumi was extremely nervous, and Shima noticed immediately.
- You're tense
He said softly while making the bed, removing the boxes piled on top of it. Soon they were both sitting on the bed, with the surrounding area still not fully organized, surrounded by open boxes.
Mitsumi nervously fiddled with the sleeves of her clothes.
- I'm actually scared...
Shima tilted his head slightly.
- ...scared of what?
She murmured something so quietly it was barely understandable.
- I tend to move around a lot when I sleep... and kick...
There was a second of silence before Shima started laughing. Not a cruel laugh, but one filled entirely with affection.
Mitsumi's eyes widened.
- Don't make fun of me!
- I'm not making fun of you!
he said between laughs.
- It's just... that's what you were most worried about?
She looked away in embarrassment
- Of course! What if I kick you out of bed?
Shima kept laughing. The thing that worried his twenty-five-year-old wife the most was accidentally kicking him while she slept, and he found it absurdly adorable.
- Mitsumi
He said, moving a little closer.
- If I fall, it'll probably be because I move around a lot in my sleep too
She looked at him in surprise.
- Really?
- Yeah, we might both end up on the floor
Mitsumi let out a small laugh, and then another. Until they both ended up laughing together, exhausted, surrounded by boxes, with an entirely new life beginning around them.