Hope you enjoy the chapter! We're completely focusing on Mamori and Youichi here! Things are about to take another serious twist!

It was definitely a treat to be taken out for dinner, as Mamori considered the possibility that this was in fact a "date". Not like Mamori needed it to be explicitly said, after all it wasn't the first time they both ate together like that. But it was mostly within the confines of the clubhouse, cafeterias, and especially at his place.

And now here they were, in a small, hidden restaurant that serves French food and desserts. Eating pasta and a fraisier cake (that's actually Japanese strawberry shortcake, a great dessert, Mamori thought, though it remains second to her favourite cream puffs).

So this. This was special, and deep within her heart, Mamori wanted to keep it that way. Even going so far as to label it a date. Even if their marriage was nothing more than a ruse, it was still legit enough to warrant something like this… right?

She felt certain Youichi had the same line of thought. After all, he was the one who suggested to come here. But she will admit that this was risky, coming from him. After all, they could be caught by their peers, and her fears were confirmed when Youichi's sharp eyes noted there was someone familiar in the restaurant. But he grinned. "She's not a threat," he told her.

"You know her?" Mamori asked, as Youichi signalled to not turn around or else the girl would notice them.

"Let's just say I'm aware of her interest in us, but she won't do much to fuel the rumours that already exists about us anyways." Youichi cackled.

Mamori expressed some hesitation, but ultimately decided to place her trust in him. She was certain Youichi had been pulling the strings on the level of rumours around them, and had utilised his little black book to keep things in order too. So it should be okay to let her guard down and savour this moment of just the two of them on a little date.

"How did you know about this place anyway?" Mamori asked, taking another bite of the frasier cake as Youichi took a sip of his black coffee.

"Keh, why wouldn't I know about this place?"

"It just doesn't seem like something you would be familiar with. I mean, it's French food, and it has desserts. Definitely not your kind of place. You would think I would have known about this place before you."

"Kekeke, since your first wish from me was that we eat together more often, I decided that I can take that wish to the next level. And I know your usual hangout spots enough to figure out new places that have a 90% chance of you liking based on your eating habits. Of course, I doubt the dessert would ever compete with your favourite cream puffs but who knows. It would be fun to find a new dessert that will make you change your mind, kekeke."

"That's…" Mamori blushed, pulling her hair behind her ear and looking away. "Surprisingly thoughtful of you."

Youichi noticed her actions. "What the heck are you being embarrassed for?"

"Well… that just feels very…. Boyfriend-like?" Mamori replied sheepishly. "Which is funny considering you're actually my husband." She giggled.

Youichi cackled. "Guess I'm one of the lucky ones to not have to go through all the drama of dating and just get straight into it. Consider yourself lucky, too, Fucking Wife."

Mamori blushed even further at the name he called her. "Be careful not to call me that around others! And besides, we have plenty of drama as it is."

"You got that fucking right," Youichi replied, looking away mindfully as he took another sip of coffee.

It was at that moment that Mamori realised why exactly Youichi was acting the way he did. Memories of Youichi's father being against their marriage, claiming Youichi would be a terrible husband flashed in her mind, and suddenly his actions made a lot of sense.

He was trying. "... Thank you," Mamori said with a smile as she ate the last bit of cake.

"Keh."

It was likely for the best that they had their little date. Because it wouldn't take long for things to take a major turn.

Just the very next morning, as Mamori was in a lecture, she received a text from the Saori that stated an important call would be made today, and that it would be best if Youichi was there with her. They both arranged to book a meeting room at the library after morning classes, and rushed over the moment classes were done.

It was an agonising 10 minute wait after she texted Saori that she was ready to talk. Mamori left her phone on the desk as she and Youichi sat down in silence. The moment one ring went off, Mamori picked it up.

"Mamori-san?"

"Saori-san! It's good to hear from you," said Mamori, putting the phone on speaker mode for Youichi to listen in. "I'm glad you have arrived safely home."

"Yes, thank you very much. I'm sorry for contacting you so soon and suddenly, I know you must have classes to attend to but this is rather urgent. Kaede has made a proposition for you."

Mamori and Youichi shared a glance. "... What kind of proposition?"

"That you would be required to stay within the Sato residence for training."

Youichi let out a low growl and clenched his fist. Mamori placed a hand on his arm, warning him to be patient. "Oh? What sort of training is this?"

"It's a special training that's meant to help you adjust to being part of the Sato family. While you may have married Hiruma Youichi and are, in a way, now part of the Sato family tree, Kaede believes you should train under the Sato family before you can be fully accepted as one of us."

So many questions ran through Mamori's mind at once, causing her to hesitate on her next move. It was enough for Youichi to speak up for her.

"Oi, what the fuck is that fucking damn woman thinking?" spat Youichi. "Training? To do what? Serve traditional tea? In this fucking day and age?"

"Youichi..." Mamori tried to calm him down, but he remained agitated. He got up and walked away as he knew he would continue to disrupt their conversation if he continued listening in.

"I'm afraid it's more than that," said Saori. "It seems that Kaede does not see Mamori as pure enough for the Sato line due to her American heritage, and under normal circumstances that would be enough to not deem her as part of the Sato family..."

Mamori bit her lip, fighting back the sadness and anger those words filled her.

"... But she did see potential in you, Mamori," Saori's voice changed to one of hope and urgency. "And I vouched for you too. I told Kaede you have what it takes, and that your lineage doesn't matter. I know you're a good woman, a strong woman. But you will need to do more to convince Kaede, and unfortunately you being here showing your capabilities this is the only way."

Mamori took a deep, shaky breath. "I understand. When should I arrive?"

"As soon as possible. Tomorrow would be the best."

"Fuck..." Youichi growled, but Mamori couldn't see his expression as his back remained turned against her.

"I will settle the arrangement of your transportation here to Akita, but you will need to settle the issue regarding your education yourself," continued Saori. "Thankfully we do have internet connection in our residence so it's possible for you to take classes online,though you may only have time for those after dinner. You will be busy during the day after all..."

"... I understand," said Mamori. "Let me give you my decision in an hour. I will call you back."

"Of course," said Saori. "I await your response."

Mamori ended the call. She closed her eyes for a moment to help calm her thoughts, but she couldn't quite settle down as Youichi spoke up.

"Fuck. FUCK." Youichi could only mutter these words as he, too, thought about their next steps. "You don't fucking deserve this. You don't fucking deserve any of this."

"Youichi..." Mamori spoke up. "You and I both know that this is Sato Kaede's game now, and we have no choice but to play if we want to win."

"That's what I fucking hate about all of this," Youichi growled. He turned to look at her. "That you're the one being thrown to the wolves. Alone."

They remained silent for a long while after that, as they both continued to analyse their situation and what their next step should be. Having Mamori leave would not just affect her studies, but their upcoming football games as well, and there's the fact that there's no saying how long Mamori would be gone.

Would she even be back at least for the Koshien Bowl in December? It's mid October now. The Saikyoudai Wizards still have another two more games to get to the Koshien Bowl, and then there's the actual Koshien Bowl if they make it.

And if the Wizards win the Koshien Bowl... What about the Rice Bowl? What if the team truly had to go through all those tournaments without her? The thought of it made Mamori's heart break and she bit her lip to keep those emotions in check.

Still, her leaving may work to the team's advantage, Mamori told herself. After all, there was a troublesome team that was targeting her. She could tell Youichi was along the same line of thought as he seemed considerably calm compared to earlier.

"We could still use this to our advantage," Mamori broke through the silence. "I'm sure you're aware of this. If you could at least keep me updated on how the next two games are like, I can still be of use to you even from a distance."

"... Aren't you putting too much on your shoulders already?" said Youichi. "Handling the Satos, assignments, and even the games. Those aren't simple tasks."

"I know, and that's why I'm going to request a second wish from you," said Mamori, standing up and squaring her shoulders. "I need you to come visit me in Akita when you can. You told me that I would be thrown to the wolves alone. They won't chase you away as you're my husband after all. So…" Mamori's resolve wavered for a moment, which she was sure Youichi saw. "... Don't leave me there alone. At least, not for too long."

Youichi let out an annoyed sigh. He approached Mamori, grabbed her head and let her lean against him. "... Wish granted. I'll take a fucking plane to see you if I have to."

"That's too expensive! You can take the train or the bus!" Mamori protested, but Youichi held her tighter, as if he didn't want her to see his face.

"I'll blackmail a pilot, who fucking cares."

"Just so you know, I don't approve of you going that far to see me."

"Keh, stop being so fussy."

Mamori could do nothing but continue to lean against Youichi, as he still refused to let her go. She calmed down considerably now, though she couldn't shake off her worries. "... It would be tiring to come see me, you know."

"I don't care."

"You need to be in great shape for the games. You're not allowed to lose sleep."

"I'll do whatever the fuck I want."

"Mm." Mamori closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of his shirt that smelled like the detergent she always used. "I'm-"

"Don't fucking apologise. It's your wish."

Mamori nodded. She took another deep breath, her resolve now certain. Mamori broke out of his grasp to look at him, a sense of determination etched on their faces as they looked at each other.

Let's win this.

"Well then," cackled Youichi. "Tell me what else do you need my help for."

Mamori smiled as she pulled away from him. "Help me contact my lecturers and arrange for my classes to be done online. I'll need a laptop, and I'll need your help to make it easy for me to use it too. I'll call Saori-san to confirm I'll be there tomorrow in the next half hour. I need to discuss with you about what I have in mind for the team, and I will need you to talk to the team on my behalf. But before all that, I need to make my own personal preparations."

Mamori turned away as she pulled out her smartphone and went through her contacts. Youichi could only look at her back, but he knew she was about to call her mother and lie through her teeth as to why she was about to disappear for a while.

Mamori wasn't surprised at all that, despite it being 1am, Sena instantly called her when she sent that text. "... What are you doing?" he asked her.

"I'm taking a sort of break," Mamori told him, keeping her demeanor calm despite how exhausting the day had been. Youichi had gotten her online classes ready, despite how much their lecturers were against it. Thankfully the little black book came in handy once again and as long as she completes her assignments, she shouldn't lose too much credit. He had gotten her a laptop that was portable and easy enough to use, but he still had to guide her on how to access important programs as she still wasn't as tech-savvy as she hoped.

He also helped her pack her things at his place, as all she could do was grab her essential items like winter wear and shoes from her home. She couldn't get herself to pack everything in front of her mother. She was already doing her best to be as strong as she could be, having to deal with her mother's concern.

And now she needed to walk that tightrope again because she knew she needed to settle one more person, as other than her own mother, the next person to find her disappearance suspicious would be...

"Why do you need a break? Is everything okay? Did that Kurosaki Eric really hurt you? Or are you aware of some secret plans that could end up with you getting hurt? Is that why you're leaving? Is Hiruma aware of this? Can't he do something?"

"Sena, calm down!" Mamori laughed, almost breathless because of him. "... I can't answer everything. But in a way, it is a tactic Hiruma-kun and I cooked up to deal with Kurosaki, considering our circumstances. As you're aware, he is targeting me and the more I'm on the field, the more he's going to hound me, looking for any weaknesses. By me leaving, the Saikyoudai Wizards can take this chance to prove that the team is strong even without me."

"That's wrong, Mamori-nee-chan!" cried Sena. "You shouldn't be forced to hide like that!"

"I'm not being forced, Sena," said Mamori. "This is actually a tactic that has a high chance of playing into our favour. It would drive Kurosaki crazy, figuring out if I may return or not to turn the tides. As you know, there's a high chance the Wizards will go against the Mendou Fighters at the Rice Bowl."

"Not if we defeat them," said Sena. "Then at least it would be the Enma Fires against the Wizards at the Koshien Bowl."

Mamori smiled wistfully. She admired Sena's tenacity, but both hers and Youichi's analysis were showing that the Enma Fires may not make it to the Koshien Bowl after all. Still... "That would be great."

"... Will you be gone long?"

"I can't say." Mamori winced, wondering if Sena would be convinced.

"Guess you won't tell me where you're going too, then," Sena sighed. "You're leaving tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"In the morning?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Get some rest then. Goodnight." Sena ended the call, much to Mamori's surprise. She wondered if Sena was planning something, but it may be too obvious that there was nothing he could do to stop her. Maybe he decided to give up.

Mamori sighed. Was it okay to tell Sena that much? But she needed Sena to be aware that she's safe and fine, or else he may talk to her mother and raise even more alarms. The last thing she wanted was for them to worry about her even further.

"Oi, get some sleep." Youichi's voice broke through her thoughts, as he approached her. She was in the hall during the conversation, and as she looked at the time, she realised it really was getting late.

Mamori nodded, putting her phone away and headed to the bedroom. She was so tired at this point that all she could do was flop on her futon. Youichi hadn't slept next to her, not since the Satos were here, so when she saw the futon next to hers she felt a mix of embarrassment and relief.

She barely remembered him sleeping next to her anyways, but she did feel the warmth of his hand holding hers till morning.

Aaaah Mamori has to leave! Oh no! Can she really prove herself to the Sato family? How will Hiruma handle future games without her?

I hope I can write the next chapter soon! In the meantime, here's a quick update on what happened to me in the past four years.

In 2017, I started taking antidepressants and suffered from all sorts of side effects. It was a really rough year for me as I battled my mental illness as best as I could and it affected my work performance. In 2018 thankfully I finally settled down on a particular job that gave me enough space to emotionally recover. In 2019, I got married! And in 2020, during the pandemic, I cut off antidepressants and started exercising to keep both my mental and physical state healthy.

It's been an insane journey, and yet through it all, I felt the call to write the next chapter of this story. The moment I wrote the draft for Chapter 11, I got super emotional. I swear I almost cried! What an achievement! And seeing others being excited with me meant a lot to me. Your support means everything to me, and knowing how much my stories stayed in your minds despite all these years is the reason why I couldn't let this story go. I will do my best to finish this story, but there's so much to this story that I have no clue how I can complete it just yet.

Do be patient with me on this. Just know that I definitely have no intention to leave this story unfinished. I hope you can keep supporting me in my writing endeavours.