[Short Story] The Man Likes Sugar Confections

A Paradise in a Can

Keronpa
(6000 characters)

The man likes girls who are like sugar confections.
Fluffy, cute girls who tickle his protective instincts.
But if they don't play their roles well, the man will go looking for another sweet right away.

However, I'm the one who gets the best part.

Look, look.
I've caught an amazing prince.
I think it's quite an achievement myself.

A regular at the cafe where I work.

A night in November.
Even though there were empty seats inside the shop, he sat at the terrace seat as usual.

He drinks coffee while typing lightly on his computer.
He was the kind of person who would choose the outside even on colder days, as long as the vinyl curtains were down.

A sophisticated, mature man who prefers terrace seating.

Unlike other solo customers, he never once cast a probing glance at me.
His profile was completely accustomed to the city atmosphere.

But he seemed a little different that day.
He rubbed his palms together and let out a small breath.
His white breath melted into the night terrace.

I thrust my hand into my apron pocket.

"Do you want to use this?"

I used a slightly familiar tone on purpose.
Seeing the hand warmer I offered, he widened his eyes just a little.

Perhaps that was the first time he really looked at me.
The man who never showed any openings was a little fragile that night.

Someone who I would normally never be able to get close to.

I am aware that I took advantage of the situation.

But what's wrong with that?
If you don't set a trap, you can't get what you want.

—Before I knew it, Tetsuo, who had become my boyfriend,
took me snowboarding.

The people who came with us seemed to be his friends from his student days.

They were clearly a different breed from my friends.

It wasn't that they were being mean to me.
But I could feel the curious gazes directed at me from a distance.
I understood immediately.

—Ah, I'm being compared. Probably to his ex-girlfriend.

Everyone is refined.
But there wasn't a single woman among them who wasn't the type men couldn't leave alone.

Don't underestimate the Madonna of a rural public high school.
In the end, men are weak for young, charming women.
Tetsuo's male friends also look at me with eyes that seem to spoil me somehow.

It's a social climb, after all.
For a woman, it's all about looks and charm.

A city lined with stylish office buildings and luxury apartments.
Tetsuo's apartment was in one such corner.
Within walking distance from the cafe.

Even though he was busy, he still invited me to his room two or three times a month.

A one-bedroom apartment that was luxurious for one person.
I was surprised by the size of the bathroom.

There was absolutely no sense of daily life there.

Only a few single-lens reflex cameras placed carelessly around
left a little bit of the person named Tetsuo behind in the room.

An open-concept kitchen that was disproportionate for someone living alone.

When we spent time in the room, we often ordered delivery.
Sushi, roast beef, stylish Chinese food.

The way to a man's heart is through his stomach.
"Shall we make hamburger steaks today? Let's go shopping, okay? Come on?"

A room with floor heating.
I lightly shook the arm of Tetsuo, who had changed into short-sleeved loungewear.

Arms that were slightly tanned, looking out of place beneath his suit.
It was skin that felt out of place in a Tokyo winter.

A stylish food market where the word 'supermarket' didn't fit.

The ground meat was a little over three hundred grams. The price tag was four digits.

Tetsuo would pay for it anyway.
Even though I knew that, I was careless.

I reflexively tossed the meat with the discount sticker into the basket.

It was expensive meat to begin with.
If it's thirty percent off, the amount saved is significant.

Oh, so many stickers at this time of day.

As I walked along, feeling satisfied, in front of Tetsuo who was pushing the cart, I heard a stifled laugh from behind me.

Ah.

At our usual supermarket, the discounted items are the first to disappear.
But here, they were actually being avoided.

Tetsuo held out the pudding I like.
It had a yellow sticker on it.

"Here, the one you like, Mio."

Was he talking about the sticker, or the pudding?

But, perhaps.
Tetsuo was smiling more happily than I had ever seen him before.

Deep inside, I felt a little warm.
But I mustn't let him take me for granted.

For tomorrow morning's bread, I chose the most expensive one.
Of course, the one without a sticker.

Even though Tetsuo's room is overflowing with cameras,
he has never once used them to take a picture of me.

Feeling frustrated, I took a selfie with him the other day at the park in front of our apartment building.
Because the ginkgo trees were beautiful.

"I've never taken a selfie with a smartphone before."

Tetsuo smiled, looking a bit troubled.

As we continued our walk, a lovely photo frame was displayed in a shop window.

"Hey, I want that."

Tetsuo usually treats me to everything wherever we go.
But this was the first time I had ever asked him for something.

I think I'll learn to ask for things little by little from now on.
But this was what I wanted right now.

We went into the shop and I picked it up.
The price tag said 13,000 yen.

As I hesitated for a moment, Tetsuo's hand reached out from the side and carried it straight to the register.

"Is this a gift?"
"Oh, no, I'll be using it right away."

That exchange made me strangely happy.

I felt like I had managed to step a little bit into his daily life.

It was a surprise attack.

Whenever you raise your level of happiness,
God always suddenly gets motivated to knock you down.

While Tetsuo was taking a shower, I started craving something sweet.
Being a bit of a glutton, I set my sights on the square tin on the shelf.

The tin I pulled down on my tiptoes was lighter than I expected.
Maybe it's cookies. He won't notice if I eat just one, right?

The lid opened with disappointing ease.

――Is this not Japan?

At first, I thought they were postcards.

A sea that looked as sweet and wobbly as blue jelly.
Vibrant tropical flowers.
A small cottage surrounded by lush, dense greenery.

There is a woman.

…Ah, I thought, this is a bit much.
Who is this woman? Her level is way too high. Is she the final boss?

In the photos, she isn't fawning over Tetsuo at all.
She's just laughing with her mouth wide open, so what does it mean that even I, a woman, am captivated by her?

There were also photos of the two of them taken from a distance, perhaps using a tripod.
In those photos, Tetsuo looked just a little bit happier than he does now.

Everyone has a past.

I put the tin back on the shelf and let my gaze drift to the photo frame of the two of them displayed in the living room.

——See, you two are such good friends.

It's okay.
Tetsuo will be coming out of the bathroom soon.

Because tonight, I'm the one who will be sleeping next to him in his bed.

I have the morning shift at the cafe tomorrow.

"Go to bed first."

Even though he had just taken a shower, Tetsuo said this while looking over the work he had brought home.

Just because I come over to stay occasionally, he doesn't ravenously demand me. That sense of security that it's not his goal, and a slight sense of dissatisfaction.

But tonight, I sensed that the atmosphere wasn't right to beg him and pull him into bed.

"Good night. Don't stay up too late."

I closed the living room door, walked down the hallway, and entered the bedroom.

The bed for one was chilly.

When I closed my eyes, the scenery from the photo I had peeked at earlier crossed my mind.

A sea of jelly. A small cottage. It was the same honeymoon scenery I had longed for as a child.

Even after an hour, I couldn't sleep. I felt thirsty, as if I were being scorched by tropical sunlight.

I quietly slipped out of the bedroom and approached the living room on tiptoe. Beyond the glass-paneled door, the living room light was softly bleeding through. I thought about opening it suddenly to surprise him.

At that moment, a smartphone ringtone echoed from beyond the door.

It was past midnight. No matter how you look at it, it wasn't a time for a work call.

"...Are you drunk?"

Tetsuo's low voice. It was a probing tone.

"If I refuse, will you call another man?"

A small sigh.

"I have a woman I'm seeing right now."

—Oh, that's me.

"...Do you even know who you're inviting?"

A voice that sounded exasperated.

"Don't mess with me."

I'd never heard him sound so angry before. The next moment, the sound of a smartphone being thrown onto the sofa echoed through the room.

It must be that woman.

What does she want now? Serves her right. Tetsuo actually told her I was here.

I won. The final boss was weaker than I thought.

—And yet.

Tetsuo picked up the smartphone and touched the screen hesitantly.

—Traitor.

"Akko... you come up with the excuse."

A low, raspy voice. —I've logged the woman's name. Akko.

"An excuse for her. A reason for being gone for a week and coming back tanned black. I'm not good at coming up with that kind of stuff."

A grumpy voice.

"I'm itching to go too, you know. I can't exactly go with her, can I?"

—Oh, so he intends to go there.

With a parched throat, I quietly returned to bed.

What a foolish man. Everything is leaking out.

I wonder what kind of lies he was told to feed that woman. And I wonder what kind of excuse Tetsuo will give me.

--'I can't go with him, can I?'

Tetsuo just wants to go there.
I can understand that. After all, it's that kind of place.
He's only not taking me because he's trying to be considerate.

Boys are still mischievous even when they grow up.

It's okay.
I have to handle this well.

Just a little bit of discipline, maybe putting small rings on those hands and feet that are a bit too free, that should be enough.

When I entered the living room in the morning, Tetsuo was already drinking coffee at the table.

You didn't come to bed, did you?
I wonder if you were thinking up excuses all night long.

It was a little admirable, and I even found it endearing.

Come on, try making your excuses to Mommy.
Even if you throw a tantrum, I'll teach you that what's not allowed is not allowed.
In return, I might even prepare a reward for a child who can behave properly.

It was abrupt.

Without even a good morning, Tetsuo said.

'Sorry, Mio. I want to break up.'

Ah, so that's how it is.
Even though he's such a selfish man, his delivery was so sharp that it made me let out a dry laugh.

Wait, what?
Instead of an excuse for cheating, you're choosing that woman?

Don't mess with me.

'Are you an idiot? Go to hell.'

I kept my voice down.
I'm an adult now, after all.
But I spat it out clearly.

'Oh, I don't need to act cute anymore, do I? This is my true self.'

Even while being showered with such words, Tetsuo had eyes that were gently troubled.

I couldn't stand it, so I turned on my heel and headed for the washbasin.
I check my face in the mirror.

It's okay.
Even just waking up, I'm cute.

I stomped back to the living room and grabbed the photo frame.

13,000 yen.
It's a measly amount to call alimony, but I'd never pay this much out of my own pocket. I have to get it back.

"Well, that's that. Goodbye."

Tetsuo's eyes went wide at my intensity, but he said "I'm sorry" to my back as I headed for the entrance.

I knew it.
I knew all along that he wasn't really looking at me properly.

Even so, Tetsuo had cherished me.
More than any of the shallow men I'd dated in the past.

I went outside and called the cafe manager.

"Yes, I'm sorry for the sudden call, I'm not feeling well."

Perhaps sensing something in my stifled voice,
the manager didn't say anything snide and just told me to "take care of yourself."

Hah, this feels like Tokyo.

Women of Marunouchi, standing tall, their heels clicking as they wrap themselves in short coats. I walk against that tide.

It didn't even last half a year. Amidst the signs of spring, I thought about that vaguely.

"Huh? Mio-chan... right?"

I turned around at the voice calling me, and there was a man from the corner of my memory.
Oh, one of those snowboarding friends I went with when Tetsuo took me.

"Wait, are you crying? What's wrong? Are you okay? If you have time, want to grab a coffee?"

He had a kind-looking face.
He had been a little kind to me back then, too, when I fell while snowboarding.

The moment I thought that,
Tetsuo's voice, which I had heard in the car on the way back from snowboarding, suddenly came back to me.

"He's a really great guy.
He's too kind, so he always gets dumped."

Laughing, he added,
"Well, even among our group, he's a rich kid on a different level, though."

Or was it that he said that, too?

--Ah, I guess this one will do.

A male friend's assessment is,
surprisingly accurate.

I've learned my lesson, too.

Like Tetsuo,
a man who is hard to pin down is no good.

So I won't fail next time.

If I'm going to aim for someone,
it'll be a man who is kind,
not used to women,
and has a proper amount of money.

If it has Tetsuo's seal of approval,
it's even more reassuring.

As summer passed and the signs of autumn were coming to an end,
I was discussing the wedding seating chart with him.

"I really want to invite Tetsuo-san. Even though he was a year ahead of us. Everyone in the ski club admired him."

While smiling nostalgically,

"Since he and Mio-chan dated for a bit, that's how we met, after all."

With a slightly serious voice, he peered at me.

"I mean, I get jealous, of course. He's the kind of guy who makes even other men's hearts skip a beat."

He shrugged his shoulders there.

"Well, he has Akko-san now."

"Is that person from the same school as everyone else?"

"Oh, I think Akko-san was a returnee, wasn't she?"

Well,
if you, the groom, say you don't mind,
isn't that fine?

After all,
you're paying for the entire wedding ceremony.

Whether it's middle school or high school,
it makes no sense to have a ski club at a school in Tokyo.
I suppose that's just part of socializing with schoolmates like that.

"Given how things are going, is it okay if I invite Akko-san too? If you don't like it, Mio-chan, I won't invite her."

Well, I suppose that's fine.

—I had been thinking I wanted to see this so-called "Akko" at least once.

A body polished by bridal esthetic treatments.
A dress that every bride dreams of.

My nails,
my eyelashes,
the hair salon,
everything is flawless.

Bring it on, final boss.

The star of the day,
is me.

I walk down the aisle.

A lovely church where even celebrities have held their weddings.
In the rain of a flower shower, I receive everyone's blessings.

Suddenly, in my line of sight,
Tetsuo was there.
A bit reserved, toward the back.

Seeing the woman next to him,
my breath stopped.

Ah.
—So this is it.

The reason why,
Tetsuo had that look in his eyes in the photos.

She isn't flashy,
but her presence is different.

She is quiet,
yet she's the kind of woman who steals the show.

The final boss actually existed.
I almost laughed.

But the next moment,
I straightened the hem of my dress and puffed out my chest.

Who do you think the star of today is?

Know your place.
Tone down that aura of yours a little.

—Hmm.
Tetsuo, you final boss, you really escorted her smoothly.
You two look good together.

Well, I'm a winner who is leaving for a honeymoon tomorrow,
to a wonderfully beautiful southern island.

Tetsuo is just like a stepping stone for me to get this far.

I suppose I could throw the bouquet for you.

Deep in the back of my closet.
A medal from my single days.
Even if I had such a wonderful lover, it's fine to keep him tucked away in a can, isn't it?
Still inside the photo frame.

I grip my husband's arm tightly.

It's okay.
I understand.

I learned that you can't be happy unless you have real love.

[END]

🔶Click here for Akko's perspective🔶 ↓ ↓

If you have already read Akko's, please go here
🔷Ken-chan's perspective🔷 ↓ ↓

🔶Greetings from the author, Keronpa🔶 Feel free to leave your thoughts🔶
After writing Ken-chan's perspective and Akko's perspective, I received a comment saying,
>Adult romance ends up hurting those around you. But you can't lie to your own feelings.
And other words, and I thought, is that so... I'm a happy-ending believer. Actually, I was curious. About Tetsuo's girlfriend who was left behind in Japan... and I couldn't sit still, thinking if I don't write this now, who will! (←obviously) So I got motivated and wrote it in a day and a half. Oh, I'm glad I wrote it, thanks to those who gave me words. I'm savoring how fun this rally with readers is.
💛So everyone, please read it💛
Ken-chan,Akko, and Tetsuo's girlfriend—there are three of them, but I would be happy if you could feel the excitement of each one in the same timeline from their respective perspectives.

● I would be happy if even one part of this stays in your heart.
● I will continue to post short stories with the same worldview. Please enjoy a fascinating virtual vacation.
● Since this is a novel I wrote a long time ago, the island may have been renovated and its name changed.
● I think even those who don't know the Maldives can enjoy it without any problems. In the Maldives, one island = one resort hotel is the standard. I will depict the story island by island.
● I also write stories that aren't limited to southern islands and essays examining Japanese culture.
★ Feel free to follow or leave your thoughts. It encourages me.