Chikage Utsuki/Apathetic Bridal

There's no romance

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2Part 3

Itaru	(Well then, I guess I'll head out for that outside work.)
Itaru	(It's raining outside... It really feels like the rainy season's started...)
Togawa	Chigasaki-kun, do you have a minute?
Itaru	Of course.
Togawa	As support for a client, you've helped out with making a wedding pamphlet before, haven't you?
Itaru	Ah... Now that you mention it, yes.
Togawa	You were a great help then. The other party was also very pleased to have been able to make such a good pamphlet.
Itaru	I'm very glad to hear it.
Itaru	(... I have a bad feeling about this conversation.)
Togawa	So actually, that company will soon be hosting a bridal fair. If you're available, I'd like to ask you to attend it.
Itaru	(Sigh, I knew it...)
Itaru	I'm sorry, but I don't have someone to take with me, so...
Togawa	Oh, the model that you brought along last time wasn't your girlfriend?
Itaru	Huh?
Togawa	The model that acted out the role of the bride for the pamphlet. I've looked at the test pictures, too.
Togawa	You two looked like you were close, so I thought that you'd brought along your girlfriend.
Itaru	Ah—, no, she's...
Itaru	(Now that I think about it, Director-san is currently supposed to be my older sister, and on top of that she's supposed to be going out with Senpai.)
Itaru	(Thinking about it now, it's a pretty chaotic situation... Well, whatever, I'll just keep it simple and say that she was just an acquaintance...)
Togawa	Oh, so you mean...
Itaru	Excuse me?
Togawa	For men and women, where there are encounters, there are also partings.
Togawa	I understand, I'll try to ask someone else. ... Oh right, he should be good.
Itaru	(It seems like he's misunderstanding the situation, but if he's giving up, then I guess it's fine.)
Itaru	(I don't know who's gonna be the one taking a hit in my place, but well, I wish you luck.)
Chikage	(... What is this feeling? I think something bad's about to happen.)
Colleague	Utsuki-san, Togawa-san is asking for you.
Chikage	Understood, I'll see him now.
Chikage	(What does Chigasaki's department's boss want to talk to me about?)
Chikage	I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Can I help you with something?
Togawa	Here, I'll give this to you.
Chikage	... A brochure on a bridal fair?
Togawa	You have a fiancée, don't you?
Chikage	(... Oh, he's talking about that incident around Valentine's Day. That time that I got Director-san to act like she was my lover.)
Chikage	(It seems like Director-san has also become Chigasaki's older sister as well, but this guy doesn't seem like he knows that much.)
Chikage	No, we aren't engaged yet. We're just going out while planning to get engaged one day.
Togawa	Huh, is that so...
Togawa	But this might be a good opportunity for the two of you. If you bring her along to an event like this, don't you think she would be happy?
Chikage	I'd feel bad if I put unecessary pressure on her by taking her there.
Chikage	(—Though, it's pretty obvious that this isn't for my sake, but for the sake of making a client happy or something.)
Chikage	(No matter how much I tell him "no," it's pointless, I'm sure.)
Chikage	Alright, I'll ask her. Thank you for this brochure.
Chikage	—And so, will you accompany me for just one day?
Izumi	This is because you took advantage of that lie...
Chikage	Sorry, sorry.
Chikage	Well, to be honest, I have 0 interest in a bridal fair.
Izumi	I'm not interested, either.
Chikage	I figured. After all, our director has no interest in things outside of plays and curry.
Izumi	Ugh... Well, I can't deny it.
Chikage	But of course, if you accompany me, then I'll give you something as thanks—or more like, I'll give you something as an apology.
Izumi	Huh, something from you, Chikage-san? That's something that I could get my hopes up for...
Chikage	Whether it's a curry shop that I haven't written about on my blog yet, or a specialty shop that sells spices only known to people in the know, you can have whatever you want.
Izumi	Really!? They're all so appealing that I can't choose...
Chikage	Well, when you decide what you want, tell me what it is.
Chikage	Oh, and also... Let's keep this a secret between us. Especially from Masumi.
Izumi	Ah... Yeah, I'll keep it a secret.
Chikage	As long as Masumi doesn't find out, then I'm sure this won't be too troublesome.
Izumi	... Are you sure? Because I kind of have a bad feeling about—.
Chikage	Stop right there. Director-san, if you say it out loud, you'll jinx us, and we'll be doomed.
Izumi	...Okay.

Chikage	Today, it seems like they'll be having a bridal fair on a civil wedding as their model case.
Izumi	Wow, everything is so gorgeous...!
Chikage	Even though you said that you weren't interested, you seem to be enjoying yourself quite a bit. Well, everyone else around here is the same, though.
Izumi	W-Well...
Izumi	A happy wedding ceremony is something that I admire, after all... I just can't help but get excited.
Chikage	Hmm. Oh, right. Director-san, come here for a bit.
Izumi	?
	*click*
Izumi	!?
Chikage	Yep, this looks good.
Izumi	What's come over you, taking a picture all of a sudden?
Chikage	It's proof that we came today. Just in case, you know?
Izumi	I see.
Chikage	It looks like the mock wedding ceremony is starting soon. We should get moving.
Izumi	(There's a lot of things listed in this pamphlet I received. Oh, you can look at rings at this wedding hall's joint jewelry shop, too.)
Izumi	Wow, this diamond ring looks so elegant...!
Chikage	Don't tell me that you want that as your reward?
Izumi	No, no, I could never... If I were to wear a ring this expensive, I would be too terrified to move.
Chikage	I can picture that.
Izumi	(Now that we're talking about rings... Chikage-san always wears the same one.)
Izumi	(It's become such a natural sight that I haven't thought about it too deeply, but I wonder if he's wearing it to be stylish? Or maybe...)
Izumi	(I'm really curious... But it's kind of hard to ask him about it.)
Staff Member	We will be starting the wedding ceremony momentarily.
Izumi	Even though I know this mock wedding ceremony isn't real, I still can't help but feel touched by watching it...
Chikage	Really? Because to me, the groom and the bride are just pretending to look at each other, when in reality they're staring right through the other, and so the feeling that this is all faked is coming through.
Izumi	I was mistaken to talk to you about it.
Bridal Model	...
Izumi	?
Izumi	(...Just now, I thought I saw the bridal model's gaze directed over here... I wonder if I was just imagining it.)
Staff Member	Continuing on, we'll be starting the bouquet toss now!
Chikage	Since we're here, why don't you join them? It's a mock bouquet toss, though, so I doubt there's any benefit to it.
Izumi	(He has no imagination...)
Izumi	I won't be joining. After all, you're right; I don't think there's really any benefit.
Bridal Model	...
Izumi	(There it is again. I'm sure the bride is looking over here...)
Izumi	Um, Chikage-san, from a little while ago—.
Staff Member	Alright then, go ahead!
Bridal Model	Here we goo!
Women	Waa—!!
Izumi	!?
Izumi	(Why is the bouquet coming over here!? If I reach out, then maybe I can—)
Izumi	—!
Chikage	—Careful.
Izumi	Waa...!
Chikage	Are you okay?
Izumi	Yeah, thank you so much...
Izumi	I immediately reached out for the bouquet when I saw it, but if you hadn't been here, I would have had a magnificent fall right onto my behind—.
Staff Member	For both the girlfriend and the boyfriend, nice catch! Both of them holding each other close and not letting go is so great~.
Izumi	... Holding each other close and not letting go?
Izumi	—! Chikage-san, please let me go!
Chikage	Alright, alright.
Bridal Model	...
Izumi	(Again. I wonder what she wants...?)
Chikage	...
Izumi	(Even this wedding hall's restrooms are pretty. They were really particular about the designs.)
Izumi	Umm, Chikage-san is... Huh? That person he's talking to, isn't she the bride from before...?
Chikage	Sorry, but I'm not interested. You should try for someone else. ... Goodbye.
Bridal Model	Ah...
Chikage	Sorry. Let's go, Izumi.
Izumi	Uh, um, okay.
Izumi	(I see... The reason why I kept feeling her gaze was because she was staring at Chikage-san...)
Izumi	Chikage-san, that bouquet from earlier was thrown to you, wasn't it. You really are popular—.
Chikage	...
Izumi	(Oh, that's right... He always treats me normally so it slipped my mind, but Chikage-san hates women.)
Izumi	(Having a woman come onto him probably put him off...)
Izumi	(In the first place, he's been surrounded by girls all day today...)
Chikage	Director-san, what's the matter?
Izumi	... It's nothing. Um, Chikage-san, we can—.
Master of Ceremonies	Well, then, let's all please send the bride and groom off with a warm round of applause and a flower shower.
Bride's Family	Congratulations!
Groom's Family	Wishing you both lots of happiness-!
Chikage	That's—.
Izumi	Wow, it's a real wedding ceremony!
Izumi	The bride and the groom, along with their families, all look so happy... Even though it should be obvious, it's clear that a real ceremony is nothing like a mock ceremony.
Chikage	Yeah, that's true.
Chikage	...
Izumi	(Chikage-san's staring at them, but... I wonder what he's thinking about.)

Izumi	Shall we head home soon?
Chikage	... Sorry for making you worry about me.
Izumi	You don't have to apologize. To begin with, you did say that you weren't interested in the bridal fair.
Chikage	Well, I guess...
Izumi	?
Chikage	I definitely can't picture myself getting married, and I'm not interested in it at all, but—.
Chikage	Seeing that family back there made me think that maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
Izumi	Huh...
Chikage	The bride, the groom, and their families were all laughing so happily.
Chikage	If you can see the people most important to you look like that, then there might be meaning in getting married—maybe.
Izumi	But that's... That wouldn't be for your own sake...
Chikage	There's a reason for me to do it, and even for marrying someone, it doesn't 100% have to be for your own sake, right.
Chikage	For all the people out there in the world who marry their partners, I don't think they necessarily marry thinking it's just "for their own sake."
Izumi	Well, that might be true, but... But that just feels sad.
Chikage	Well, right now, that's the kind of thing that marriage is to me.
Chikage	In the end, it's up to an individual's values. After all, my own happiness is not as important to me as my family's happiness.
Izumi	(That's just like Chikage-san...)
Chikage	—Well, have you decided what you want in exchange for today? If you want to eat at a curry place, then we can stop by on our way home.
Izumi	Hmm...
Izumi	... Actually, I want to buy some things at the supermarket.
Chikage	Huh?
Izumi	Let's make curry together and eat it with everyone. That can be your way of thanking me for today.
Chikage	That's just regular old dinner.
Izumi	More than a delicious curry shop or a special spice, and even more than an expensive accessory—.
Izumi	For the me of right now, this is most important. This is part of my own values!
Chikage	—.
Chikage	Director-san, you're really a weirdo.
CHOICE 1: "I enjoy making curry with you" [+] Izumi I enjoy making curry with you, Chikage-san. Chikage Then, to make today's dinner special, let's put in the specialty extremely spicy spice I blended together... Izumi Huh!? If you do that, it's going to be too spicy, and no one's going to be able to eat it! Chikage Just kidding. Let's use the spice I restocked a little while ago. Director-san, you really liked that one, didn't you? Izumi You remembered? Chikage Of course. I always make sure to remember the things that you liked.
CHOICE 2: "Chikage-san, you're weird, too" [+] Izumi Chikage-san, you're weird, too. Chikage Well, I can't deny that. Chikage As people who are like oddities... We might suit each other pretty well, huh? Izumi Wha... Chikage As a weird pair, let's show off our cooking skills for tonight's dinner.
Chikage	When you announce that tonight is going to be curry, too, I'm sure everyone will be disappointed. But, just like usual, I'm sure that in the end everyone will be storming in for seconds.
Izumi	Haha, that's right!
Itaru	Huh? Senpai, do you have something you need from this department?
Chikage	Yeah, I forgot to tell you, but actually—.
Itaru	... You went to a bridal fair with Director-san?
Chikage	I was invited by your boss. Should I have told you about it?
Itaru	(To think that Senpai was the one who was forced to go... Somehow, I have a really bad feeling about this...)
Togawa	Oh, Chigasaki-kun and Utsuki-kun. Good morning.
Itaru	Good morning.
Chikage	Good morning.
Togawa	Utsuki-kun, how was the bridal fair that you went to the other day? If it's alright, I'd be happy if you could show me even just a picture.
Chikage	Of course, here you go. It's something that I took with my girlfriend, so I feel bad, but...
Togawa	No, no, it's fine.
Itaru	(Hm? Now that I think about, didn't Boss say that he saw a picture of me and Director-san...)
Itaru	Um, please wait a sec—.
Togawa	... Hm?
Chikage	?
Togawa	This girl, she's...
Itaru	(Game over...)
Togawa	No! It's nothing. You two... have quite the complicated relationship.
Togawa	Thank you for showing me this picture. I'll be going now.
Itaru	Sigh— are you for real...
Chikage	What?
Itaru	Another setting has been added to the list, and our relationship has just gotten a lot more complicated, I think...
Chikage	... I think I get the gist of it.
Itaru	We should make a relationship diagram soon.
Chikage	Yeah.

Kou