A/n This work is dedicated to our dear friend Kristinochka, who always supports us and believes in us!

It's not beta-read yet, so we are sorry for the errors. We will correct them later. Please, enjoy reading! 3

Fate can be neither passed by, nor driven round.

Chapter 5

When Doppo got home that evening, it was already past ten. No matter how hard he tried to finish work in time, his boss would always add extra work. Would this torment ever come to an end?

The moment he crossed the threshold, a pleasant smell of something delicious touched his nose, and the next second he saw Sumi coming from the kitchen. She had a cute pink apron on her and a welcoming smile on her pretty face.

"Welcome home! Another busy day is over, congrats!"

Doppo couldn't hold back a smile as he took off his shoes and coat, which he put in the wardrobe along with his suitcase.

"Thanks for waiting for me, but really, you don't have to do it. You have work tomorrow," the young man uttered apologetically and was about to add something, but the girl didn't let him.

"As you do. And besides, I can't go to sleep knowing that you are hungry. So hurry up and come to the kitchen. The supper is ready. I hope you'll like it!"

With those words, she headed to the kitchen, leaving him standing in the corridor with a faint blush on his face. No, really… was it okay to rely on her so much? They did get along pretty fast, but he felt like he was depriving her of her personal time. When he was living with Hifumi, it was always him, Doppo, who came home first even after having overtime. But now…he was coming to a place, where someone was waiting for him. Especially for him. And not only someone, but it was Sumi herself.

It wasn't right to feel so good and content about it, was it?

He didn't even feel being hungry after leaving the office. There were only extreme exhaustion and emptiness, but when he heard Sumi's supporting words, he felt as if life was getting back to him. He finally realized how hungry he was and how much his tired body wanted to have a hot shower before going to sleep.

Maybe it was a little selfish to think like that, but for now Doppo was really glad that Sumi was there for him and offered him her company. He always felt better and recharged after sharing a small talk with her, while having a delicious meal prepared by her hands.

Of course he didn't know that right now in the kitchen the girl was having similar thoughts regarding his person. After that unexpected meeting with the Vice Principle, she couldn't find peace. Something inside her was telling her that she should be cautious around that man. And only when she heard Doppo's careful moves in the corridor, she was able to let out a sigh of relief. She didn't even know that the situation with the VP was bothering her so much. With a lighter heart she went to greet her tired husband and offer him a small support she knew was vitally important to him.

And she was indeed happy to see his face and catch a glimpse that merely visible shy smile he showed her.

Twenty minutes later Doppo joined her in the kitchen. Now, dressed in casual clothes, he looked more at ease. Sumi placed two plates with omurice on the table and took a seat across from the guy, whose eyes rounded in disbelief the moment he spotted the food in front of him.

The girl didn't know how to accept his reaction to her cooking. Did he hate omurice?

He was speechless for good thirty seconds, just staring at his plate with indescribable expression on his face. Sumi started to get nervous and was about to ask if he wanted something else to eat, but the next moment Doppo snapped out of his mute trance and looked at her with visible stars in his sparkling blue eyes.

"I don't know what to say! Thank you so much, Sumi! This is my favourite!"

His ecstatic tone caught her off guard and his sudden gratitude made her feel bashful.

"Really? I was getting worried that you didn't like it," she let out a small chuckle and received a chain of rapping apologies from his side.

"I am so sorry for making you worried. Please, forgive me! It wasn't my intention at all! I was just being so happy, but my happiness caused you trouble. I am so very sorry for my behavior! It's my fault you are upset now and -"

"Hey-hey! Please, stop!" She reached out and touched his wrist that lay on the table. A sudden contact of their skins made him shut up instantly and look up at her benevolent face. "It was never your fault, Doppo. I just misunderstood your reaction and that means I still don't know you enough to read your expressions. It's my flub."

"But you don't have to get so worked up about me. I am not worthy of your time and attention. I would rather you ignore me and have your life under control, than spending your free time on someone who doesn't deserve it."

Sumi let out a restrained sigh. His harsh self-deprecation was a serious case, Uncle Jakurai had mentioned about it earlier and even asked her to monitor Doppo's mental health for him. And, Uncle, she would have done it even without your advices.

The girl tightened her grip on her husband's wrist, forcing him to snap out of his traditional self-humiliation and finally notice her. It worked, since Doppo closed his mouth and gazed in her eyes with utter bewilderment.

"Look, we decided to become good friends, right? And good friends do care for each other. I care for you, Dopppo, and of course I want to spend more time with you to know you better. And for that, we need to communicate. I don't like the idea of living with a total stranger for a year, I'd better form a cozy atmosphere and have a friend by my side, who I know I can talk to and share a meal with. This is what I think. And I'd be happy if you support my vision of our friendship. And please, if you have to say something or tell me about anything that bothers you, I will be happy if you share it with me. We entrusted our lives to each other for this year and I think we need to rely on each other more from now own. I know that sticking together under the same roof was neither your intention, nor mine, but, if to be honest, I feel happy that Uncle Jakurai chose you for this role. You are a great guy, Doppo, and I like you as a person. I am happy to be friends with you."

Sumi knew that she had said too much, but she couldn't stop herself. Looking into his eyes, so innocent and unconfident, she just felt like telling him the truth that lay inside her heart.

Doppo was silent for some time, his gaze travelled to her hand, that was still holding his wrist in a tight lock. The touch of her warm skin to his made him feel nervous. It was a new and incomparable sensation. The rings on their wedding fingers were glimmering under the light of the kitchen lamp, and for some unknown reason this image was bringing peace to his heart slowly. Her speech was impressive and it touched the strings of his soul. He suddenly wanted to believe in everything she had said, because it didn't sound as a lie or pretending.

And so, he started to choose words carefully and form them into his sincere speech.

"Actually, I wanted to tell you something," he didn't leave his gaze from their hands, as he continued. "I was having a lunch break when my colleagues noticed my ring. I had to escape their careless interrogations and hide on the rooftop to have a chance to eat in peace."

Sumi chuckled a little to his remark, and he smiled too, recalling the events of the day.

"And I really liked your bento. It was so appetizing that I even wanted to call or text you and thank you for your cooking, but I didn't get the courage to disturb you. So, I am telling you now." Doppo lifted his gaze and looked at her earnest eyes with warmth. "Thank you very much for preparing such delicious bento for me and taking care of me. I know that I am an extra burden to you, but really, I am very grateful."

Sumi's navy blue eyes filled with silent joy and inspiration.

"I am so happy to hear it from you!" she exclaimed cheerfully.

"And I also want to say that I like you as a person too, Sumi. I am glad we became friends, but I am still not sure about the living together situation. Sensei told us to do it, since it's important. I hope he is right, because it's…well…" Doppo paused for a second, trying to find the right words to describe his concerns. "I assure you, that I have no ill intentions regarding your person, but I am a man after all, and I'm afraid that it makes you feel uncomfortable around me."

"When you put it that way, it starts to feel awkward indeed," the girl uttered thoughtfully, feeling a warm blush on her face. She had lived with this man for three whole weeks and she had never felt anything close to the feeling of uneasiness she had sensed from the Vice Principle this evening. It was the perfect proof that Doppo was a pure-hearted guy and he would never lay a finger on her, or touch her, or look like a newlywed in love in a public. The realization of their sour situation regarding imagining a married couple in love made her think hard about a way to progress. She added carefully. "But we don't have any other choice. Besides, we do need to improve our acting skills."

"Huh?" Doppo was surprised to hear her sudden statement.

"Let's trust Uncle Jakurai's guidelines. He is the wisest man I have ever known in my life, so I want to trust his words. If he told us to look like a newlywed couple in love, it means he has his visions and apprehensions of the entire situation."

"And what do you suggest?" the guy looked at her with confusion clearly written in his eyes.

Sumi stood up, never breaking the lock she had around his wrist, and tugged him to stand up too. Now Doppo was beyond puzzled by her actions. Meanwhile, Sumi looked up at his face. Her cheeks were bright pink, but she was trying to emit an aura of confidence.

"It will definitely feel embarrassing at first, but we will fight through. We have to," her voice was shaking a little.

"What are you talking about? I am afraid, I don't understand what you are up to," Doppo's voice gained notes of uprising panic, as the girl he was married to came closer to him and gulped nervously. The guy absentmindedly reached for his neck to ease the tie, but there was no tie, just a collar of his casual sweater. In panic he wanted to take a step back, but her fragile hands suddenly took his in a gentle grip. Doppo's face coloured red. He gulped uneasily too.

"We will never look like a couple in love, if we are afraid to stand close to each other or hold hands," she explained quietly and gave his hands a shy squeeze. Sumi heard her husband holding a breath. She couldn't control her own heartbeat at the moment. The feeling of holding his big and warm hands was too new to her, but still it wasn't enough in achieving the goal. "The sooner we get used to be close to each other, the better our pretending love will look to the others."

Doppo gulped. Then he gulped again.

"I…I understand that it's something we have to do, and it's something Sensei told us to do, and we really suck at pretending being in l-love, the photo shoot was the main proof of it, but…but S-sumi… I am so sorry you have to do it with someone like me," he was getting uncontrollably nervous, his words were stuttered and too quick to comprehend, his voice got higher in panic, his eyes started to widen in upcoming hysteria.

Sumi was nervous too, but now she was getting worried about her partner's mental state. They were just holding hands and he was already freaked out that badly.

"Doppo, have you ever been in relations before?" her sudden question made him stop for a second and look at her again in astonishment.

"N-no, and I thinks it's pretty obvious."

She tried to smile in return to make him feel better, but her attempt didn't look that convincing.

"I have never been in relations, too. And I have never hold hands with a guy before."

The situation was too much for both of them. They were opening their private secrets to each other so randomly, that it seemed even funny.

Doppo looked down at their hands and froze. She was holding his hands in hers, the golden wedding rings were sparkling enthusiastically, while he was on the verge of fainting.

"I am sorry it has to be me with your first experiences of such kind," he finally found words to describe his true feelings.

"No," the girl shook her head slowly. "I am glad that it's you. I hope you are not upset to experience it with me as your first try."

The talk was too strange and the atmosphere seemed too tight. But both Sumi and Doppo came to understanding that they needed to discuss this issue and find the right solution.

"Of course, not," he even chuckled a little and rubbed her wrist with his thumb unconsciously. His sudden action made Sumi hold her breath for a second. "I even think that you will be not just the first girl but the only one."

A second later the meaning of his words hit both their heads with a hard realization. They stared into each other's eyes in total embarrassment and cleared their throats in sync, to ease the tension.

"T-thanks," was all she could master for an answer.

"I've said something irresponsible, I deeply apology," he looked down to hide his eyes under his bangs.

"No, really, thanks. It was very sweet of you," she added in a melodic voice, and he truly enjoyed its sound.

"Please, don't mention it," he breathed out in defeat, to which Sumi smiled earnestly.

After a comfortable silent she said in a thoughtful voice.

"It's good that we decided to talk everything out. Although, we still have a long way to go in getting used to each other."

"If to be honest, my heart beats so fast that I can hear it in my head," the redhaired rapper uttered with a whimper.

"I have the same problem," she laughed lightly and took a little step closer to the person, who was standing just some centimeters away. "But just imagine, if the simple act of holding hands makes us feel this way, what will an embrace do to us?"

Doppo's eyes widened in panic again. Sumi decided to kill him that evening, for sure. He wasn't ready for any more experiments.

"Why do you say such embarrassing things all of a sudden?" he tried to stay calm, but there was a voice inside telling him to hold on and wait.

She was gorgeous with a visible flush on her face and ragged breathing. It was obvious that she was anxious, but she still stood her ground firmly and did what she wanted, even if it was opposing to Doppo's wishes.

"Because we must look natural and the only way to make it real is to practice," her words were reasonable, of course, but was it alright to try out all of her ideas at once? Doppo's heart wasn't ready for it. "We have to make a rule."

"What rule?" he gulped uneasily and the next moment Sumi leaned in to him and embraced him gently, putting her head on his stiffen shoulder. "Huh?!"

"Every morning after breakfast and every evening before going to sleep we will be embracing to get used to each other's touch."

"It's too flustering, Sumi," he shut his eyes and tensed in her arms. "I am not cut for this."

"Do you hear me heartbeat?"

Her sudden question caught him off guard and forced him to concentrate. Doppo could swear that his own heartbeat could be heard in the streets, but then he sensed something pounding against his chest. It was Sumi's rapid heart that was rapping its own lyrics in a fast flowing of beats. Along with his own heartbeat it made a perfect crazy duo.

That sound could mean only one thing – she was as flustered and embarrassed as he was at the moment.

"It beats as fast as mine," he finally answered her question in a calmer tone.

"That's right. This is a new sensation to me, too, and I am a little scared of it, but we will never get over our discomfiture if we don't practice being in close proximity. It may be embarrassing now, but in the future we might need to use our new skill in public."

"This is something Sensei had mentioned, too," Doppo said finally and let out a sigh of total defeat. He had to go through this with Sumi. He had promised to protect her from any harm and suspicions, and he would never be able to do it in public, if he would freak out from every touch of her skin. So, she was right. They had to practice being close to each other. Perhaps, soon it wouldn't be as awkward and heart-exploding as it was now.

Without saying anything else, Doppo slowly lifted his hands and encircled his strong arms around Sumi's petit body. She fitted perfectly in the lock of his embrace and it made him wonder, why it felt so wonderful to have her soft fragile body being pressed to his chest. And the way she smelled made his mind go into a fantasy of a flower garden in the rain. For a second he compared their embrace with an island and ocean, where she represented the latter. Having her in his arms and feeling her warmth sent pleasant shivers down his spine, while his worries were melted away by the power of this unpredictable ocean.

She returned his gesture by tightening her grip around his torso and exhaling slowly. She closed her eyes and concentrated on their fast heartbeats. For some odd reason, she felt content and secure in the arms of this man, who was much older than her. She found him funny, eccentric and depressive, but he emitted the aura of stability and trustworthiness, in which she eagerly wanted to be enveloped. His warmth felt good and the scent of his cologne calmed her nerves. She had never been in a man's arms like that, but if it was Doppo, she wouldn't mind to repeat it. Because he was the same – as naïve and innocent in love affairs as her.

"And, Doppo," she uttered quietly, never opening her eyes, "just so you know, if you ever decide to call or text me, it will make me really happy."

He paused for a moment before humming his positive reply with a small nod.

That first experience was so meaningful, that the newlywed couple lost the track of time. They just stood there embracing each other in silence and trying to figure out what future would bring.

The supper had gotten already cold and was long forgotten on the table.