And still…
Kyouko never complained.
She never said anything.
Never raised her voice.
Never got angry at him.
She simply… stayed.
Patiently.
Holding their marriage together like fine thread in the wind.
Never betrayed him.
Never cheated.
She remained faithful, even as he trampled everything sacred between them.
She kept the home standing.
Kept the family's image intact.
Satoshi walked slowly down the hallway, the sound of his own footsteps dull against the polished wooden floor.
He entered his room.
It hadn't changed in years.
And on the wall… still there, undisturbed.
Framed in soft gold.
Their wedding photo.
Kyouko in a pristine white modern gown, modest and elegant.
Him, beside her, in a tuxedo.
That wedding, he had chosen the style.
He wanted it modern, glamorous.
Not a Shinto ceremony.
No kimonos, no shrines, no torii gates.
He remembered she simply smiled and agreed.
As always.
And as he looked into the still photo… the memories returned.
