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V5 Chapter 9: Is She Supposed to Be His Newlywed Wife or Something?
🕑 Added 2025-06-12 10:58:09 +0000 UTCTogawa Sakiko was in a fantastic mood today.
Actually, ever since she last parted ways with Kazami Haru, her spirits had been unusually high and today, on the promised day, that excitement had turned into pure joy. So much so that even going to her usual grueling customer service job felt lighter, and her steps on the street practically danced on air.
All the fatigue and frustration from the soul-crushing "Black Company: Overtime Edition" seemed to vanish under this wave of anticipation.
Because today… she was going to his place for dinner!
"..."
As she walked down the road, Togawa Sakiko's gaze wandered, and she felt her heart beating faster.
No matter how close she and Haru were, they were still "just friends" and now, as "just friends," she was being invited to his home for a meal, clearly a big step forward in their relationship.
A chance for the two of them to be alone!
Just the thought made her feet pick up speed.
"What should I say when I see him?"
A soft smile crept onto her lips. Once, she could only admire the stage lights from below. But now, Haru was a member of their band. They were tied together by fate, as comrades chasing the same dream.
Before she knew it, her quickened steps had brought her to a neighborhood she didn't recognize.
Right away, she spotted the old apartment building in the middle of the street. The stone walls were worn from years of weathering, the weeds outside varied in length, but it looked like someone still maintained it.
There was a wooden sign overhead, aged and peeling, with a baffling name scrawled on it:
"Chaos Cottage."
"…This has to be the place, right?"
Carrying a bag full of ingredients, Sakiko frowned slightly. The name was weird enough that she figured she couldn't have made a mistake.
Just to be sure, she took out her phone and checked Haru's LINE message again. Once she confirmed it, she headed up the stairs and soon stood in front of his door.
After a moment of hesitation, she raised her slender, pale hand—
Then quickly pulled it back, a little nervously.
"…Whew."
Sakiko slowly lifted her amber-colored eyes, taking a long breath as she stared at the metal door in front of her.
Calm down. Just breathe.
This was Togawa Sakiko, after all.
It was just a dinner at Kazami Haru's place. A little private time, that's all! Compared to her usual work stress, this should be a breeze. Honestly, she should be taking the initiative with a golden opportunity like this.
Knock knock.
With resolve, she gently knocked on the door. As she waited, she fussed with her bangs, then checked to make sure her collar was straight, she had to look perfect.
Click!
The sound of the lock turning made her tense up. Sakiko straightened herself like a proud aristocratic lady, her head held high and a graceful smile blooming on her lips.
"Haru! Good eveni—"
The words never finished.
Her voice froze, as if she had seen something utterly unbelievable.
Standing in the doorway was a small, doll-like girl.
She wore a deep-blue dress covered by a pristine white apron. Her perfectly sculpted, expressionless face looked carved from porcelain, and her light green hair, almost translucent like jade, was tied up neatly in a high ponytail with a pale ribbon.
Warm, bright golden eyes calmly met Sakiko's stunned gaze.
"..."
The green-haired girl didn't look the slightest bit surprised to see her. Her completely composed demeanor sharply contrasted with Sakiko's utter confusion.
"Welcome, Sakiko," said Wakaba Mutsumi, voice and face as blank as ever.
Just one line, delivered flatly, yet it made Sakiko feel like her brain had short-circuited.
Togawa Sakiko: ???
"M-Mutsumi? Why… why are you at Haru's place?!"
"Haru invited me for dinner."
Mutsumi replied matter-of-factly, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.
That exact casual tone only made Sakiko more confused. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess. The bag of groceries in her hand started to wobble.
"Sakiko's here already? Mutsumi, could you help bring the groceries into the kitchen?"
Haru's voice came from inside.
Snapped back to reality by his call, Sakiko looked at the green-haired girl now calmly holding out her hands for the groceries.
Somehow… she felt a little unwilling.
Still, despite the storm of emotions inside, Sakiko could only force a stiff smile and hand over the bag.
"There are disposable slippers by the shoe rack," Mutsumi said flatly, then carried the groceries off to the kitchen, leaving Sakiko standing alone at the entrance, stunned.
It took her a long time to finally suck in a deep breath. Her amber eyes sharpened with determination.
What the hell is going on?
Wasn't this supposed to be a cozy dinner with the Haru? When did it turn into a boss battle at the front door?
All Haru said was that she was invited for dinner. She didn't expect that not only had she been invited, but that her "other half," Wakaba Mutsumi, had been invited too.
If that was all, she might've just been a little disappointed.
But what really shook her was Mutsumi's behavior, acting like the lady of the house.
High ponytail? White apron?
Was she… his newlywed wife or something!?
...
"Haru, I brought it over."
That cotton-soft voice of the cucumber fairy rang in his ears. Kazami Haru turned his head and saw the high-ponytailed Mutsumi walking toward him, carrying the groceries that Sakiko had brought with a bit of effort and placing them on the kitchen table.
In the middle of cooking, Haru instinctively leaned back like a seasoned tactician. Even now, seeing Mutsumi in that outfit still hit him way too hard. Honestly, the idea to have her tie her hair up in a high ponytail had been pure genius.
"Thanks. You've really helped me out, Mutsumi."
"Why don't you go rest and watch TV with Sakiko now? I can handle things from here."
Haru smiled gently at her.
"Okay."
Mutsumi gave a small, obedient nod, then turned and quietly walked toward the living room.
Haru hadn't expected her to arrive so early in the first place.
The moment little Mutsumi arrived, she became unexpectedly proactive. Especially after hearing that Sakiko-san would be coming soon, she ran into the kitchen without a word and insisted on helping out.
Most of all, she was unusually stubborn this time, firmly stating that she wanted to assist Haru no matter what.
Unable to refuse her, Kazami Haru had no choice but to let the little wooden figure help prepare the seasonings and wash the dishes.
But even as an adorable little cucumber fairy, she was still the young lady of the Wakaba family. Just watching her handle the seasonings made Haru's heart clench with anxiety, let alone the fact that she'd inevitably be dealing with water while doing the dishes.
Unable to take it any longer, Haru grabbed one of his own hair ties and tied her hair into a high ponytail. Then, to avoid any seasoning stains on what was clearly an expensive designer dress, he put a brand-new pure white apron on her.
And for some reason… after her "super transformation," her entire vibe changed.
"But yeah, Mutsumi really does look cute with a high ponytail."
"I mean, I tied it myself, it's quality work!"
Kazami Haru couldn't help but flash a proud grin.
Because the cucumber fairy in an apron was just too ridiculously adorable. He'd just barely fought off the urge to hug her tight after losing an internal battle for far too long.
Meanwhile, unlike Haru in the kitchen, Togawa Sakiko, who was sitting on the living room sofa, was starting to look increasingly uneasy.
The TV in front of her played its program, but her mind was anywhere but focused. The reason: her "other half," Wakaba Mutsumi, was sitting calmly right beside her.
This unprecedented awkwardness left Sakiko completely at a loss.
Before coming over, she'd already made up her mind about how she was going to approach things. But Mutsumi's sudden appearance had thrown off her entire rhythm for the day.
Of course, what kept catching her eye the most—
"Mutsumi, what's with the outfit?"
After holding it in for what felt like ages, Togawa Sakiko finally couldn't take it anymore and asked the cucumber fairy beside her.
When she'd first stepped through the door and saw Mutsumi dressed like this, she nearly thought she'd wandered into some kind of parallel world. Even now, she still couldn't take her eyes off the little cucumber.
Sakiko knew Mutsumi and Haru seemed to be on good terms, but something suddenly felt… off.
She got the feeling their relationship wasn't as simple as it looked on the surface.
"I wanted to help Haru, so he got everything ready for me."
"Haru did? Even your hair?"
"Yes."
Mutsumi answered plainly, face still unreadable.
Togawa Sakiko didn't know if it was just her imagination, but the girl she'd known since childhood felt strangely unfamiliar today and as Mutsumi spoke, Sakiko thought she detected the slightest glimmer of smugness in her expression.
Maybe it was just the new hairstyle making her seem different?
"I see…"
Only after hearing the reason did Sakiko's tense nerves ease slightly. Thankfully, it wasn't the worst-case scenario she had been imagining. Still, seeing Mutsumi like this stirred up a quiet jealousy inside her.
If she'd arrived earlier… would she have been the one enjoying this treatment?
Togawa Sakiko, feeling a bit bitter, pressed her lips together and straightened her back before calling toward the kitchen.
"Haru, is there anything I can help with?"
"…Not at the moment. Sakiko, just wait patiently with Mutsumi for now."
The hand holding the knife froze slightly as Haru replied. He could've sworn he just heard something shocking come out of Sakiko-san's mouth, and for safety's sake, he decided to turn her offer down.
Sakiko narrowed her brows slightly, her sharp amber eyes locking onto Haru's back.
There was something in his tone, something that felt a little too much like… distrust.
Which, for someone as proud as her, was downright insulting.
"Are you looking down on me or something? I'll have you know I'm not hopeless when it comes to cooking!"
"…"
Haru glanced in her direction with a look that said more than words could.
The same Sakiko-sensei who, just a year ago, didn't even know how to use the coffee machine… now wanted to help with meal prep?
Oh, come on…
That's like Conan claiming he's a pop idol, or Sanae Furukawa saying she can bake bread.
It wasn't that Haru was trying to insult her skills, it's just that, even now, after a full year of scraping by, Sakiko's daily lunch at school was still humble white rice with bean sprouts.
So when it came to cooking… he couldn't quite bring himself to trust her.
"In any case, can't I at least give it a shot?"
Sakiko glared with those beautiful eyes of hers, lips pressed together in quiet defiance.
Haru knew from experience, if he didn't let her try, she wouldn't drop it. So with a resigned sigh, he rubbed his temples and stepped aside to give her space at the counter.
"Can you handle cutting the cucumber?"
"Leave it to me!"
The blue-haired girl picked up the knife and carefully made her first slice. But under Haru's watchful gaze, the thickness of the second cut was noticeably off from the first.
Even Sakiko seemed to realize how sloppy it looked and, cheeks slightly red, muttered in her defense—
"I'm not great at chopping… but I can do other things…"
"Then could I trouble you, Sakiko, to prep the seasoning for the smashed cucumber? One tablespoon of sesame oil, 3 grams of salt, three cloves of garlic, and one tablespoon of rice vinegar..."
"Salt? Let me see..."
Togawa Sakiko furrowed her brows and stared intently at the tray of seasonings. Without a word, she reached out toward the white sugar. Standing nearby, Wakaba Mutsumi opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but in the end… nothing came out.
The soul of the cucumber was crying.
With no other choice, Kazami Haru stopped Miss Sakiko from helping any further and reassigned her to handle the rice instead.
Maybe it was because of her experience making bean sprout bentos, but Sakiko was surprisingly skilled when it came to cooking rice. Even Haru couldn't help but offer her a word of praise, which given her prideful personality, she took quite well.
At the same time, Togawa Sakiko quietly swore to herself that no matter what, she was going to master cooking.
Knock knock...
Suddenly, the dull thud of knocking echoed again from the door. Standing in the kitchen, Sakiko raised an eyebrow in confusion. A moment later, as if realizing something, she quickly lifted her gaze and shot Haru a questioning look.
It was the kind of look that asked: Did you invite someone else?
Having worked closely with Togawa Sakiko for so long, Haru instantly understood what her expression meant. Without hesitation, he gently shook his head.
He had only invited them because Sakiko and Mutsumi were already close. Just the two of them.
With Sakiko present, there was no way Haru would also invite the girls from MyGO!!!!!, and the others from Ave Mujica mostly interacted with Sakiko in a work setting. If he ever wanted to host a proper group meal, he'd go through Captain Sakiko first.
Of the disbanded bandmates, only Miss Kita might know his address but her household was strict, so there was no way she'd come by at this hour.
"Mutsumi, would you mind getting the door again?"
Busy with cooking, Haru turned to the side and asked Wakaba Mutsumi.
The most obedient of the bunch, Mutsumi was clearly the best person for the job. Without a word, the cucumber fairy gave a small nod and quietly made her way to the entryway. Just like before when she opened the door for Sakiko, she gently pulled open the iron door.
"...!"
Wakaba Mutsumi stood there, gaze calm and unwavering as she stared at the person outside. Standing in front of her was a blue-haired girl, equally expressionless, meeting her stare head-on.
Their golden eyes locked and in that moment, the two stood frozen, locked in a silent standoff that lasted several long seconds.
