"Haah~...Iris, I've thought about it and I don't think we should keep doing this. I know what's going on and... ufff~ it's better for both of us if we get divorced."
I finally said it, those words, which for me carried great weight and resolve, were directed at the woman next to me.
I really am a coward.
Yes, and that's why I decided to say it now, while driving our car in the stormy rain and dark night. A convenient excuse not to have to look her in the eye.
I've said it now, all that's left is her answer... haaah~.
It was difficult, but no matter how much I think about it, I believe this is for the best.
Sometimes in life, you have to make difficult decisions for the sake of the people you love, and I guess for me that time has come.
When was it? When did everything go wrong? At what point did just loving each other stop being enough...? At what point did I stop being enough for her?
I don't know the answers to those questions.
We've been together practically our whole lives.
For as long as I can remember, we've been together, since she is the daughter of our neighbor, a close friend of my mother, whose pregnancies happened almost at the same time.
We were basically siblings from different mothers... until the terrible and revealing puberty arrived.
At least for me, that was when I stopped confusing many things, and the thought 'After all, we're not siblings' began to surface
In retrospect, they were good years.
We had our own teenage romantic comedy, and I will remember it fondly.
She was a bundle of energy, lighting up everyone around her.
I, on the other hand, was pessimistic—like a shadow
Yes, to begin with, we were never compatible in personality. But I have to admit that 'opposites attract,' as cliché as it sounds, worked for us.
Only she could put up with my attitude without being affected, and only I could endure her—a whirlwind of unbridled, chaotic energy, and possibly the reincarnation of an evil god—day after day.
Like everyone else, we had our ups and downs in this race called life, but we kept going.
We graduated, moved in together, got married, and finally had years of 'tranquility,' if you can call it that.
We had even discussed having a child when we were both ready, which hasn't happened yet... and I don't think it will.
I don't think I mean the same thing to her anymore as she does to me
I really love her—and I think I will love her for the rest of my life—but it's better to end it now, before something worse happens.
Haah~... if you love something, let it go....There's a reason those sayings exist, right?
I want to think that she also sees the problem, that thoughts like these were already in her head.
Yes, that's why I said it first… I'm a coward who prefers to end something I care about on my own terms, before she does, so I won't get hurt even more.
Who would want to be with someone like me? It's a surprise that she's put up with me for so long. I can't keep holding her back, it's more than obvious what she wants...
All that's left is to wait for her acceptance...
I waited silently for the inevitable outcome, but it just didn't come—
"Huehue~ let's see, this looks good, huehuehue, this is what I meant."
As her response didn't come. Briefly looking away from the road, I turned to look at her, saw her focused on her phone while laughing—and if I had to say it bluntly, she laughed disgustingly, although I never cared.
Honestly, she looked like a pervert. And usually, that laugh didn't bode well. But that wasn't the point right now.
"Iris, didn't you hear me? I'm saying something important here."
"Huh!? What did you call me?!"
"I-Iris, and Like I said, we have to—"
"Hold on there. Before you say anything, call me 'Love'."
"..."
"Honey, did you forget how to call your wife, whom you've been married to for centuries?"
"We've only been married for five years—"
"ey! I told you to start counting from when you gave me that candy ring at five. Let's see, we are twenty-five years old; that makes twenty, plus our previous life where we were also married from the age of five until we died at the same time. If you add it all up, it's a century. It's simple math!"
"I don't think... haah~ fine, whatever... Love."
Yes, it was better not to continue with that. I knew that, just because of that nonsense, we could argue and ramble on for hours. And even though it wasn't the right time, I did what she asked.
"Good, just like that."
"So, you didn't hear what I said, right?"
"Nope! Sorry, Honey, I was using the dating app. I think I saw some good prospects, huehuehue. Don't you think so too? Look at this photo, although it's a little hidden... there's something there, right? Don't you think it's big? Huehuehue~"
"..."
Yes, that's what I meant. What person who sincerely loves another would be browsing a dating app...? And she says it without the slightest concern, as if it were obvious.
The worst part is that I can't complain... after all, I agreed to all of this.
"Huehuehue~ match!"
It wasn't like this at first.
I really didn't think it would end up like this, but I couldn't ignore it anymore, especially when I see the intensity in her gaze and her careless smile when looking at other people's photos.
There's no doubt about it now, this has gone wrong at some point.
Divorce is definitely for the best for both of us. It's time for our story to come to an end.
"Listen carefully, I don't want to say it again, Iri—ahem, Love..., I think it's better if we get a divorce."
"Hahaha~ Honey! I see you're developing a sense of humor as you get older. Although I don't like bad jokes. As your wife, I support whatever you do."
"I'm not joking."
"Oh! Is that so?.... Well, you can't, because I'm pregnant!"
"Huh!? P-p-preg-pregnant!?"
SKRRRT!
"Hey!!, don't lose control of the wheel! Okay, calm down, it's a joke. See? That's how they should be, not like yours. In fact, it's too unrealistic. If you had said 'Love, I like men,' I would have believed you for a moment."
"Ugh! We almost crashed, don't surprise me like that. And I'm serious."
"Yeah, Honey, I think you still haven't got the hang of it. Putting on a serious, solemn face and insisting isn't the way to go. Oh! Look at this one huehuehue. I like red hair."
"That's what I mean. Look, you're still using that app. You say it's for the sake of our relationship, but I think you're just getting tired of me. So, for the sake of both of us, it's better if we break up. That way you can give free rein to everything you want to do."
"Are you serious?"
Why are you looking at me like you don't understand? It's obvious I'm serious. I'm not the weird one here, you should understand my point.
"I'm very serious. I can't do this anymore. This isn't normal. Our relationship... has become distorted to the point where I don't understand it anymore. It's better to take an indefinite break. If you want, you can explore what you really want, and—"
"Stop right there, Honey. Your joke doesn't seem like a joke anymore. What the hell is this about separating? That's not going to happen! We haven't even completed the current century, and we have all the following lives ahead of us. My goal is a thousand years! The truth is, I lost count a little, so I reset the counter in my previous life. It's only been a century."
"Damn it, stop talking nonsense! Past and future lives don't even exist. And don't change the subject! It's obvious you don't want to be with me. Otherwise, why would you be using that dating app?"
"Huh? What do you mean? What does that have to do with anything? What's the problem? Look at this girl! Isn't she sexy? She's perfectly aligned with your tastes. I can see at a glance that she's a size G. I'm going to match and set up a date. It's a shame that today's date fell through..."
"Of course, how do you expect them to react when I show up with my wife and tell them you're just here to keep me company, and that they don't pay attention to you ... It's obvious what will happen."
"Oh, honey, don't be so sure! There are all kinds of people out there. Maybe there's a cute girl out there who wants something with a married couple. We just haven't been lucky."
"Look, honestly, I don't want to keep doing this. At first, I thought it was just another one of your crazy ideas, and that you'd get over it like everything else when you tried it and failed, but I noticed, no!, you don't even hide it. At this point, why don't you just say the obvious? That woman isn't just aligned with my taste, but with yours."
"Well, yes, it's obvious, isn't it? But I still don't understand what the problem is."
"Huh?"
"What?"
"I mean, why are you saying it so easily? Weren't you keeping it a secret or something?"
"No? Why would I? There are no secrets between us."
"There are. And why didn't you ever mention it before?"
"You didn't ask."
"But... don't you think it's something you should have told me?"
"I honestly thought you knew. I mean, I'm more surprised that you seem surprised. Or are you trying to play a joke on me that I don't get?"
"It's not a joke! Then why are we together? Why did we even start a relationship? Was all that love stuff just one of your weird whims? Have I been living a lie, and now you're tired of using me and pretending?"
"Hey, Honey, look ahead, we're coming to a busy area... Besides, what are these questions? For starters, we're obviously together because we love each other. Pure, real love. Yes, I like women, but I like you more. Isn't that obvious?"
"Then why do you feel the need to bring a woman into our relationship? If you loved me, you wouldn't be doing this. You're obviously looking to replace me and eventually you'll ask for a divorce. Now that I know you like women, it's crystal clear."
"Oh, I think I understand the misunderstanding here, honey. You went down the pessimistic route, as usual. Come on, it's time for some simple math lessons. Okay, first let's list the factors involved: you, me, and now why am I looking for an extra girl? There are many reasons, but the main one is simple: because of you, honey."
"Huh? What happened to the math? No?! Why am I to blame?!"
"Hey, look ahead. Or do you want to isekailize us? Well, it would be a shame to end this so soon, but we'd still meet in the afterlife and continue."
"Stop! deviating from the point! Explain why it's my fault."
"Yes, calm down, don't get angry. Look, honey, to sum it up, it's because... you're a monster in bed. And although I'm a little embarrassed to say it, I'm not up to it."
"Huh? I don't understand, what does that have to do with—?"
"Let me finish. Like I said, from the first time we lost our virginity together, on that intense night of passion and unbridled youth, when you grabbed me decisively and... huuff! Honey, I think I got turned on. When we get home, we can—"
"Don't get sidetracked."
"Ah! Yes, from that moment on, I realized that we're not on the same level."
"..."
I'm really struggling to understand the situation right now. First, the revelation—which I didn't know even after spending most of our lives together—she was interested in women.
And somehow, what I thought was another one of her ideas lacking common sense, and which I now regret accepting, is somehow my fault.
It really is a colossal task to understand her, but this time, she has really left me with nothing to connect anything.
"Think about it. Lasting for two hours and more than three rounds is already a lot, isn't it? I had a friend in college who always bragged about that, but you, honey... I've never seen you get tired. Each round with you lasts an hour, and you easily last more than three. Even the time we went crazy and lasted five... you didn't even seem satisfied yet."
"Wait, you're not telling me that..."
"Obviously, I'm not enough to satisfy your libido. You know? When we started, I thought I'd eventually get used to it, or that you'd eventually stop being so energetic, but instead... you became more active, and I became less durable."
"Is that why you want another woman? If so, it's not necessary. I'm fine just with you."
"You're lying! You know I know. Even lately you were losing control, you know? Once you kept going even when I couldn't move."
"This, I-I'm sorry, I was a little—"
"Sometimes I wake up a little sensitive and swollen, and I bet you kept going even when I passed out. And that's not all. I know what you do from time to time at night, when you think I'm asleep."
"Y-you know... Wait, that was just..."
"I don't need excuses. I also know what you did a few months ago, that time you had the next day off after a week of intense work..."
"W-wait, I can explain all that!"
"That time, I pretended I could only last one round and then passed out. Well, honestly, it was because I wanted to experience what it was like to be used unilaterally while pretending to be unconscious. But you had other plans. That's when I saw what you're capable of. It was ten hours. You jerked off with your computer for ten hours, and you only stopped because it was morning and you thought I would wake up soon."
"I-I'm sorry... I shouldn't have been watching other women on those sites while I had you and—"
"Hey, what are you talking about? That doesn't matter. In fact, I did some myself, while I was secretly watching you. They were hot. You know? I really appreciated that you also liked lesbianism and watched some of that genre."
"This..."
"Although I don't agree with double penetration, you watched some with up to five, that was brutal, hmm... You really watched a little bit of everything. You have a wide range of tastes. By the way, I saw that you watched many hours of stepmother and MILF themes, which makes me wonder: why not with my mother, when—?"
"Hey!, stop that already. We had settled the issue of your mother. This and that have nothing to do with each other."
"Tsk, your loss. Although it's not too late yet.... Anyway, my point here is that I realized I wasn't satisfying you nearly enough. So I came up with this great idea. Going back to math: you + me + one more woman = you more satisfied, which equals me happier because you're satisfied."
"Let me get this straight. So you're not doing this because you lost interest in me? And all this wasn't just an excuse to give free rein to your true tastes, to finally get a divorce?"
"Oh, come on, honey. That's impossible. I may like women, but I love you more. By far."
"So you're bisexual?"
"Hmm... I wouldn't say that. Hmm... honestly, no man other than you makes me feel anything."
"Well, I think... hmm, no, wait.... Let me digest what you just said. Honestly, this time you have me very confused."
"Oh, and let me tell you, this doesn't end here. This was just the beginning of my plan. Then there would be a second, third... more! Huhue. My plan is that once they try you and know what ecstasy is that they can't resist, they won't be able to leave us!"
"Wait!, wait!... are you willing to let me be with so many women, just to ease my dissatisfaction!?"
"Aha! So you were dissatisfied, I knew it!"
"Ugh..."
"Hmph. You lied to me. Well, it doesn't matter, I'm an understanding wife. And well, you're a little slow today. I already said that was the main reason. And as you now know, I like women. Huehue~, so honestly, there's no sacrifice here. We'll both have a harem. That's why I have to choose carefully... if you think about it, it's a win-win situation for everyone. I'm a genius! Maybe I sucked your intelligence out of you and that's why you're acting silly today. Divorce? That won't happen... ever!"
"..."
"Huehue... just thinking about how we'll ruin some girls... and the look of ecstasy on their faces when you're pushing them and bringing them to continuous climax... If possible, while she's giving me oral and you're kissing me... imagine that scene, huehuehue."
"..."
What the hell?
That was all I could think. I've known her for as long as I can remember, and I know she's always been eccentric... but this is...
Uh? Wait... if I think about it, this hasn't even been one of her worst ideas.
Yes. If I think about it in perspective, and considering our whole life together... this hasn't been one of her worst ideas. It's not for nothing that I sometimes think she's the reincarnation of an evil god or something.
Her tastes and such took me a little by surprise, but the shared harem, again, isn't the worst thing her mind has come up with. That's why I didn't really refuse at first.
I thought it was just another one of her ideas, and since the plan of action was silly, I didn't give it much thought and went along with it.
It was only when I realized that she liked women and that she might have stopped liking me that I started to think about it, even considering divorce. So she could go and start a life with the woman she liked.
But, as I understand it, nothing really conflicts in her mind, and everything would work out harmoniously.
I know her... and at that moment she was being totally honest.
Everything she said seemed silly, but knowing her, I don't think it's a big deal. In the end, it means that she doesn't want to break up with me, she hasn't stopped loving me, and she's not tired of me.
I mean, things like the issue with her mother and her foolish plan, which was nothing more than double suicide, would rank much higher among the crazy ideas her mind managed to come up with and dared to propose to me.
Hmm... so, shall we continue with this? It's not the worst thing, but... honestly, I'm not very enthusiastic about it. But she is. Hmm... if it makes her happy, and there's no divorce... hmm, and considering she had those tastes from the beginning...
Yes, the fact that I'm seriously considering this shows how much she has corrupted my common sense.
But honestly, now that divorce is out of the question, I felt again that it wasn't such a big deal.
Still, it was a bit of a complicated situation. Apart from my own feelings... she honestly seemed to want to try women and drag me down with her.
And she's the type of person who, once she sets her mind on something like this, won't let it go unless I threaten to take her to a psychologist... or to her mother.
If I do the former, they might institutionalize her and take her away from me, and on the other hand, I really don't want to bother my mother-in-law again, so...
I think we can try it. Until she's satisfied, but we have to keep a few things in mind... hmm.
No matter how I try to make it work, everything is still messed up... but at least our love is still strong. If she started this because of my dissatisfaction, I can do it because of her desire too.
We wouldn't be a normal couple, but honestly, I don't think we ever were... although now we'll be taking it to another level.
Although she also said she wasn't going to stop at just one girl... but even though it's not impossible, it would be difficult to find just one... ah yes, that's the problem here.
Yes, I think that in the end, things will stay the same, and this strange idea will hardly come to fruition, so nothing will really change, the girls will continue to run away.
I just have to be careful with my desire and make sure she doesn't feel the need to keep doing this.
Sooner or later she will give up, and as a bonus, it will distract her and she won't come up with another crazy idea for a while. If I think about it that way, no problem.
It's a little complicated. But I think I finally put some order into all this. In the end, my resolution and everything else about the divorce ended up being meaningless nonsense. But that, in itself, isn't a bad thing.
I really didn't want to separate from this woman who is possibly the reincarnation of a goddess of chaos and destruction. So I think everything was okay.
"Hey, honey, don't get lost in your thoughts. Anyway, don't you think the redhead I showed you looks good? She has very large breasts, and I also get the feeling that she has inverted nipples. I have no proof, but I have no doubts either, huehuehue."
"..." It'll be okay, right?
"But you know, what you said makes sense... I don't think it'll work if we keep doing the same thing as always, so let's change our plan of action."
"Well, as long as it doesn't involve kidnapping or anything that will land us in prison, I'll cooperate..."
"You know what? I've thought about it, but there are too many things that are illegal, which makes it very restrictive to do certain things."
"I think you're the problem here. Okay, tell me what you have in mind; I'll make the moral and logical corrections."
"Listen, this time it's a very good idea! First you go: you have a few dates, you take her to bed, you give her hours of ecstasy, and once she becomes a slave to pleasure... I come in, and you give us both hours of pleasure. You make us both fall into decadence. Oh! But first I'll join you in making her fall... so I can make her like women, heh heh."
"Hmm? Because it seems like a functional idea... I mean, obviously a lot of things are still wrong, but it's weird that it seems possible."
"Oh, come on, honey, they're all excellent ideas. When have my ideas ever gone wrong?"
"Hmm... almost all the time? Rather, don't they almost always fail, including this one?"
"But you always fix it! Rather, I don't understand why this hasn't worked until now if you even helped me with the action plan."
"...Well, I wasn't motivated originally and I didn't make many changes, and even less so when I thought you wanted to replace me. Honestly, I'm surprised that some of them agreed to second dates"
I didn't hide anything. I wore my ring and talked about how I was happily married and all that. And yet, some of them still kept going on second dates with me.
It went on like that until Iris came with me, which made them leave uncomfortably.
"Huh!? Internal sabotage! Honey, that's not right… Well, I forgive you, since there are no misunderstandings. Do your thing. I already gave you the basics, now get to it. You know, you can also reconsider what you said about my mother, not yet—huh?… Honey!, don't you think that truck is going the wrong way?"
"Ah!! Oh no!!"
VRRROOOM—!! SKREEEEEEECH!!—CRAAASSHH!!—KRUNK!!—THUD!!
*****