#suzuka takinami

[lilium-dragomir]

[princeedwivedi]

I love how Takinami says that the drinks can be tea next time. There's going to be a next time!!!

He refused to accept any homemade chocolates from others but accepted hers.

He recognises her talent and has so much faith in her. I love them!!

They'd make a cute couple

P.S. I love Takinami a lot. Like he's so attractive.

[mina-ahavi]

[dailykot]

Volume 30 cover ft. Takinami Suzuka

[choujinx]

KONO OTO TOMARE! (2012-?) by sakura amyuu

[sweetbrier2908]

cw: kot! ch126 spoilers

i really love the difference in every takezo and suzuka's interaction, they always be like:

- takezo 😊😊😊 and then we have suzuka 😒😒😒

or takezo 😠😠😠 with 🤣🤣🤣 suzuka

[suzuka-akira]

we finally meet

Happy Birthday, Takinami Suzuka! (28.9.22) (feel free to read this on ao3 if you prefer!)

Suzuka wakes up to the smell of coffee.

Which is strange, because he’s not the one brewing it. And as far as he knows, he’s the only one who uses this office pantry.

It’s definitely not the type of coffee he’s used to smelling - this one seems to be a tad more acidic.

Maybe they have a new colleague?

(When he gets to the pantry, there’s no new colleague in sight; only an empty pot that he doesn’t recognise, and the smell of freshly brewed coffee.)

--

Suzuka wakes up to the smell of coffee.

He does, every day, because it is liquid fuel for his existence. Deprive him of it, and he will cease to function, in senses both literal and metaphorical.

(He fills the machine with the beans. Cranks it up. Waits.)

It isn’t like it’s his fault. Insomnia is a real problem for some. Maybe it is a problem too, for their new colleague?

He leaves some coffee in the pot, just in case the new colleague has a problem with insomnia, too, and would like some, too.

(He walks back to his office room, coffee cup in hand, thinking perhaps there hadn’t been a new colleague, after all.)

----

Suzuka wakes up to the smell of coffee.

Apparently, they probably do have a new colleague, because this time, again, Suzuka isn’t the one brewing it.

When he gets to the pantry, he realises there are two pots of coffee. One of them, the half-filled one he’d left there yesterday, is as cold as the winter air. The other half-filled one is still steaming, imparting to the pantry air a relatively unfamiliar scent.

There’s a handwritten note on the hot pot of coffee; the one that isn’t his.

Your coffee has turned cold. If you don’t mind, you could have some of this.

(Suzuka makes a mental note to leave a physical note in future.)

------

Suzuka wakes up to the smell of coffee.

He’d even set an alarm for this - he can’t put a finger to the feelings he's experiencing, but something in the deep of his gut is urging him to be the one who brews it this time. And anyway, he figures he still prefers the familiar taste that is his own coffee; the one he’s been drinking everyday for years. So, he figures, he’d better make it to the pantry early.

He does, luckily, and there are two empty pots this time. He brews his coffee, fills his cup and leaves his pot half empty.

(This time, he doesn’t forget to write his intended recipient a note.)

--------

Suzuka wakes up to the smell of coffee.

He still has no idea who’s brewing it. A new colleague? An acquaintance who has recently realised the pantry exists?

In either case, it’s not his coffee, that much he knows.

(As he sips his new coffee, he realises it’s an acquired taste.)

----------

Suzuka wakes up to the smell of coffee.

He’d woken up even earlier, this time, just to make sure he gets first dibs to the coffee-brewing. Not that it’s some kind of competition...but still. Who knows - perhaps there may really be some sort of competitive spirit in him, egging him on to feed his favourite brand of coffee to his long-distance mystery coffee partner.

He’s been using the exact same type of beans for years. A real creature of habit, he is. Maybe if he kicks the habit of coffee-drinking, he’ll kick his insomnia away, too...not happening. Coffee happens to be one of the most important comforts in his existence, and he figures that the lack of it will ironically cause him to lose sleep, out of pining. (Talk about a real chicken-and-egg problem.)

(He hangs around the pantry 5 minutes longer than usual, wondering if said long-distance coffee partner will appear. They don’t, so he disappears, too, leaving nothing but a lukewarm half-pot of coffee in his trail.)

------------

Suzuka wakes up to the smell of coffee.

It’s not the one he’s most used to, though it’s the one he’s getting used to.

He’d forgotten to set his alarm clock yesterday - today morning at 4am to be precise, but yesterday night in terms of normalised time.

What is normal? Suzuka doesn’t know. Maybe he will, someday.

What he does know, however, is that he doesn’t care whether sleeping in his office room is normal. And what he does care about, is that doing this helps save time on commuting to work, which then helps reserve time for work, which then gives him more time for sleep. (Talk about a real chicken-and-egg solution.)

Being a tenured professor has its problems, such as stacks of work, including administrative duties, teaching duties, research duties, or in his case, assisting with police investigations. But it also does have its perks, and having a solo office room to himself is his favourite of them all.

He grabs a cup, fills it, returns to his office room, and sits in the sofabed he’d brought from home, sipping the gift of coffee he has just received.

(As he does, he realises his favourite brand of coffee now has a competitor.)

--------------

Suzuka wakes up to the smell of coffee.

He’d set his alarm way very early this time, so “wakes up”, here, is almost as literal as it is metaphorical. He really wanted to get first dibs on the coffee-making, because he reckons must convert his coffee partner to his favourite brand of coffee, instead of it being the other way round.

That’s a lie, though, and he knows it. He’d really just wanted to attempt to wait around for his coffee partner, out of curiosity.

Unfortunately, his handphone dings multiple times, telling him that the emails have started to come rolling in.

(He abandons the half-pot of coffee as he walks back to his office to answer the steadily increasing workpile naggingly summoning him, telling the half-pot of coffee to accost his coffee comrade for him, telling himself that the day they meet will come.)

----------------

Suzuka wakes up to the smell of coffee.

He can recognise that it isn’t his coffee, so he rushes to the pantry, hoping to catch his newfound coffee companion in action.

Unfortunately, he arrives a tad too late, because all there is in the pantry is a half-pot of coffee, lying in wait for him. (At least, he infers is in wait for him - they’ve been keeping this exchange up for a while and they no longer leave sticky notes for each other telling the other party that they are free to drink it, treating it as assumed information instead. Better for the trees, that way.)

(He sips his coffee on the sofabed in his office, and realises that he’s acquired the taste already.)

 ------------------

Suzuka wakes up to the smell of coffee.

It’s his own beans this time, because he has won - well, he has won the race to the pantry, but his beans have lost, because he has found a new favourite brand in the form of the other coffee he alternates between, these days. Or maybe it’s a tie.

Doesn’t matter anyway, because what matters is that he gets to meet his fellow coffee maker. If the insomnia doesn’t kill him, this curiosity will.

So he waits, and the insomnia almost kills him, because the smell of coffee fails to wake him up fully this time, and he almost dozes off while standing up, propped against the kitchen counter in the pantry.

Before he does, he is saved by a tap on the shoulder. He jolts awake, slightly confused, almost forgetting why he’s there.

“Excuse me, sorry, but I am trying to get my pot of coffee into my mug, and you are sort of in the way.”

Suzuka looks up, and almost forgets to breathe for a moment. What he remembers, though, is why he’s there in the first place.

Pale skin. Chin-length hair. Large, round eyes. Tiny nose, tiny mouth.

These are what Suzuka sees when he looks up, but these are all nondescript characteristics, really, because what he sees cannot be described with any word, phrase, or sentence; the only possible description is that it's a taste he probably doesn't even need any time to acquire.

He finally remembers to breathe, fully awake by now.

"Coffee?" is the only thing he says, a question in ways more than one.

"Yes," is the only thing she says, an answer, also in ways more than one.

[tessenpai]

Kono Oto Tomare Chapter 127 Scans and Rough TL

Disclaimer: Please DO NOT use this translation to make your own TL of the chapter!! The KOT TL group works very hard to give you the most accurate translation, that does as much justice to the original script as possible. This is a ROUGH translation. That means is faulty and there must be mistakes in certain places. This is just for impatient people like myself to get a grasp on what is going on in the chapter! You can REFERENCE my TL if you want to discuss the chapter but never USE it as it was your own.

Scans:

Page 1

Side text: Welcoming the morning of the decisive battle---

Page 2

Sfx: pipipipi pipipipi

Chika: Ngh...

Page 3

Takezou: Good morning, Kudo-kun. The weather is great.

Takezou: Are you ok? Weren't you able to sleep well?

Chika: Ngh---...

Takezou: We still have time so you can sleep until we really have to get ready.

Page 4

Takezou: I will come wake you up later.

Takezou [thoughts]: Maybe I should close the curtains again---?

Chika: Ah!

Page 5

Chika: Sorry, I was still half asleep.

Chika: Mornin'

Takezou: ----Yeah.

Takezou: Good morning.

Side text: It surely will go well---

Chapter Title: Dear

Page 6

Sane: Finally... it begins now. Today is the day.

Mittsu: Yeah... I feel like I'm gonna throw up my breakfast...

Kota: Stop it! You will stiff up!!

Sane: Let's do the ritual we did before the preliminaries!

Kota: Eh? What was it, again?

Sane: If I remember it right, in your hand over here, there are points that ease the tension if you press---

Mittsu: That hurts, you idiot!! Do it in your own hand!!

Chika: Are you guys really getting nervous this early again? Pathetic.

Chika: Takinami also said it yesterday.

Chika: That we are already the best and incredibly awesome, and we should only have fun now.

Suzuka: I didn't say that.

Page 7

Sane: The hell, what's your deal Chika!

Chika: In my dream, our performance was a huge success

Mittsu: It was only a success in your dreams!!

Mittsu: Isn't that, like, a red flag!?

Chika: Shut up! I already have the image of what our success will look like in my mind!

Hiro: Oh, man. Everyone's already here!

Takezou: Ah, Kurusu-san, Hozuki-sa----...

Page 8

Kota: Wooaah, you both did your hair a bit today!!

Sane: Oh, you're right!

Hiro: It may give us a little boost of energy!

Kota: So cute---!!

Hiro: Thank you.

Takezou: ...Lost the timing to say it...

Suzuka: Ok, everyone's here now.

Suzuka: Is a bit early but let's start moving---

Hiro: So- sorry, wait just a moment...! Just- just this!!

Page 9

Hiro & Satowa: For Momoya-kun and Yoshinaga-kun!!

Mittsu: Aaaah--- these!! Woah

Hiro: In the Preliminaries, Hozuki-chan made us charms! So we thought to give you yours!

Satowa: A received help from Hiro-senpai this time.

Kota: We also brought ours--!

Atsumu: !

Atsumu: I-i-i-i-is it really ok for me to accept such a marvelous thing...

Hiro: Of course! It would make us very happy if you did!

Atsumu: Thank you so much!!!

Page 10

Natsu: ...

Hiro: We thought... that you might be uncomfortable receiving handmade stuff, Momoya-kun, but

Satowa: If you don't want it, it's absolutely fine for you to throw it away...

Natsu: No, I wouldn't throw it away...

Atsumu: Should we put it as backpack keychains?

Natsu: No, I'm afraid to lose it if we do that.

Hiro: !

Satowa: Also, Keishi-san if you'd like... This time we've relied on you so much...

Keishi: Whaat, for real!? You're also giving me one!?

Page 11

Keishi: Woaah-- thank you--!

Chika: ...

Chika[sfx]: Rustle

Kota: I'm sitting with Aki-chan today--

Sane: Wha- We gotta decide that with rock-paper-scissors!!

Kota: First come, first served--

Sane: What the hell, you--

Satowa: Giggle

Satowa: !

Page 12

Chika: Hozuki, sit here today.

Satowa: Blush. Eh-

Page 13

Satowa: Eh, wh- why...

Chika: Just sit here.

Hiro [thoughts]: Kyaaaaaaa-----!!!

Hiro [thoughts]: What what what. Excuse me, Chika-kun----!? What are you doing!!?

Hiro [thoughts]: Woaaah--- Ahhh geez--- that's nice--- That's sooo nice---

Hiro [thoughts]: Both being in love in the National Competition is so nice---

Hiro [thoughts]: Bu- but from here on it's all about the performance!

Hiro [thoughts]: There's no time for me to be jealous!!

Hiro [thoughts]: Gotta keep it together---

Suzuka: Kurusu.

Hiro: Yes...

Suzuka: You have people behind you, move to the back quickly

Hiro: Ah, so- sorry.

Page 14

Hiro [thoughts]: To the back----...

Suzuka [memory]: You might as well make that into your strength

Hiro: Ku- Kurata, can I sit with you?

Takezou: !

Takezou: Of course.

Page 15

Takezou: Would you like to sit by the window?

Natsu: ...

Satowa [thoughts]: I wonder… with what intention did he…

Satowa: I mean, we often together at the venues, too. It's not like there has to be a big reason for it now, but...

Chika: ...About that charm

Page 16

Satowa: Eh?

Chika: When you made them last time, you didn't make one for yourself, Hozuki.

Chika: Did you make one this time?

Satowa: ...Hiro-senpai offered to make me one but...

Satowa: I- I refused...

Chika: Eh? Why?

Satowa: Why, you say...

Satowa [thoughts]: Because Kudo wrote my name in his. That made me so happy, that for me it made it my charm and

Page 18

Satowa [thoughts]: Is not like I can say that to him-!!! I did tell Hiro-senpai, though...

Satowa: It's fine, really.

Chika: ...

Chika: Mhmmmmm. I see.

Chika: ...

Chika: ...

Satowa [thoughts]: Wha- what is it?

Satowa [thoughts]: I really don't get it---

Chika: Then I guess you wouldn't want this?

Page 19

Satowa: -----... Tha- that's...

Satowa: Did you make that... for me...?

Chika: ---As- As I thought, you wouldn't really care for it, right!? You wouldn't use it! My bad--

Page 20

Satowa: I would!!!

Page 21

Satowa: I most definitely would... so.

Chika: ...

Chika: Here

Satowa: ...Thank you...

Satowa: Ah, that's right.

Page 22

Satowa: Look! Now it matches yours, Kudo.

Satowa: Wait!

Satowa: Could it be that you also made charms for Momoya-kun and Yoshinaga-kun...!?

Chika: Well, no. I thought you would make theirs this time around as well...

Satowa: I see. That's a relief.

Chika [sfx]: ba-dump ba-dump

Chika [thoughts]: Dangerous... That was sooo dangerous---....

Page 23

Chika [thoughts]: I wanna hug her so bad-----....

Chika: Gonna sleep.

Satowa: Suddenly!?

Page 24

Takezou: Today the weather is so nice.

Hiro: Wha- Ah, yes. The ideal weather to compete!!

Takezou: Ideal to compete! Ahaha

Hiro: ... ...

Hiro: ...Kurata. Um, you see...

Hiro: Only if you'd like, would you...

Hiro: ----Nghh

Hiro: Would you write your name on my charm!?

Page 25

Hiro: I mean, you see- Last time Chika wrote Hozuki-chan's name on his charm and I thought that gave it more power or something... so...

Hiro [thoughts]: Wow this is so embarrassing...

Hiro: Ah bu- but maybe imitating those two would be a bit, you know-

Hiro [thoughts]: Uuuugh--- what am I even saying.

Hiro: Sorry, I said something weird...

Page 26

Takezou: Then, should we exchange charms?

Page 27

Hiro: Ex- Exchange charms with you, Kurata?

Kurata: Only if you'd like, Kurusu-san.

Hiro: I would!!!

Page 28

Takezou: ...Alright. Okay, here's... mine.

Hiro: Ye- yeah! Thank you!!

Page 29

Takezou: Fu

Page 30

Hiro: ---I will protect it with my life!!!

Takezou: Ahaha That's very reassuring. I will do my best as well.

Sane: ...

Page 31

Sane: Should we... exchange ours as well...? Sigh...

Mittsu: Will you protect me...?

Sane: ...If you want...

Page 32

Man: Here

Tougo: Thank you very much.

Page 33

Man: That would be the last one.

Kifune-sensei: Yes. Thank you very much.

Man: I get to send off Ichiei's students every year. But this year is even more amazing.

Kifune-sensei: Amazing?

Man: Yeah. How do I put it..?

Man: Their atmosphere? Or more like an aura.

Man: It's so overwhelming. It's a bit scary.

Page 34

Man: Are they also in peak condition?

Kifune-sensei: Yeah. Of course.

Page 35

Kifune-sensei: Like never before.

Side text: The group of genius koto players is their biggest hurdle to victory---

---Kono Oto Tomare! will continue next month!!!---

[anayaahwrites]

Ficlet Links:

An index of all the ficlets I've written!

A palette of gold (Kudou Chika/ Houzuki Satowa)

An uncomplicated love (Adachi Saneyasu/ Mizuhara Kouta)

When cherry blossoms bloom (Takinami Suzuka/ Doujima Akira)

Someday, my love (Kudou Chika/ Houzuki Satowa)

When the lights starting flashing like a photobooth (Momoya Natsu/ Yoshinaga Atsumu)

Needle and a thread (Kudou Chika/ Houzuki Satowa)

Sugar-coated love (Kudou Chika/ Houzuki Satowa)

[sorairokakera]

characters development, friendships & romances

この音とまれ! Kono Oto Tomare

If I get asked which manga with romance in it that I like the most or would excitedly talking about, I likely will mention Kono Oto Tomare! first or it certainly on my top list. I didn't expect I would like a manga with music theme, traditional music instrument Koto, this much. I really like characters developments and relationships in Kono Oto Tomare!. Some of them seem to bring troubles but they learn to face their struggles together and their bond gets stronger, they really are a good team. Each of them has their own problems but with genuine supports from their team, their true friends, they are able to be their better self and walk side by side. Friendship and romance parts in Kono Oto Tomare! are really good.

/major spoiler alert/

My (two) most favorite characters are Kudo Chika 久遠愛 and Hozuki Satowa 鳳月さとわ!! I love both of them, they are very adorable and charming. I love their interactions. They also one of my top 2 favorite couple (not yet, but their feelings are mutual) among all mangas. I really like when Chika feels the urge to touch or embrace Satowa, oh my heart!!

When Satowa answered Uzuki why she wants to protect Chika (Satowa best woman!!) then Chika remembered his grandpa's last wish, they hugged each other tightly- uwaaaghh all this wholesome moment made my heart burst feeling overload!! While waiting for next chapter update, I read from the beginning of manga again, it just, really good ; ;

What lies ahead of you will, without a doubt, include countless moments where you'll have to make a decision. In those times, do not hesitate. Always choose the road that leads to your happiness. That is something only you can do. No matter how much others extend a hand to you, no matter how much they push you forward, whether or not you take that step, whether or not you take that hand, that is something only you get to decide. So become happy, Chika.

Really, I cried at this part. Chika's grandpa T_T Really— 幸せになれ、愛

Several chapters after, Satowa's feeling got accidentally recorded in the footage they watched in koto club room, when others tried to help the situation after they heard her feeling toward Chika, Chika straightforwardly gave the best response!! (Chika best man!!) MY HEART—!! When Isaki talked about what Chika said at that time, Chika's words made me cried, knowing him feeling that happiness I'm- ;_;

I don't want to make this into something to be "embarrassed" about. To have somebody convey their love for me, and then being able to say that I love them back, I just thought how happy I was to experience that.

I also really like Takaoka Tetsuki 高岡哲生, best best friend!! He cares deeply for his friends, good at studying, cooking and at fighting too. Very kakkoii and gentle man, his father too. Sane, kota, and Mittsu are very nice friends but Tetsuki just-(my heart). Kurata Takezo and Kurusu Hiro, very nice senpai in koto club, their relationship also adorable~!! I love both lovely couples (not yet) in Kono Oto Tomare! I also interested in Takinami Suzuka sensei, wondering will he also be in relationship, maybe with Akira sensei? or Isaki? No romantic relationship is fine too.

I enjoy reading Kono Oto Tomare so much, it might be one of mangas that I re-read most often. Heartwarming and adorable, they also encourage me with their words. I watched anime because I want to listen to their koto, hope they will adapt it till the end with nice improvements. I wonder will I get to watch and listen to koto live performances someday, it's so charming.

[kono-oto-tomare-incorrect-quotes]

Kudou Isaki: *Exists*

The Three Idiots: *Blood splurt*

Amamiya Kiyoka (Takinami Suzuka-sensei’s sister): *Exists*

The Three Idiots: *Blood loss*

[lilium-dragomir]

[shadowsphere]

☼Sphere's Kono Oto Tomare! Masterlist☼

"𝘏𝘦𝘺 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘬𝘢. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥? 𝘐𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦’𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮." -𝘒𝘶𝘥𝘰 𝘎𝘦𝘯 "𝘐 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴." -𝘛𝘰𝘮 𝘞𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘴

☀︎ - 𝘚𝘮𝘶𝘵 ☁︎ - 𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵 ⛅︎ - 𝘍𝘭𝘶𝘧𝘧

🔮Hakuto

☼ Mio Kanzaki

🔮Himesaka

☼ Hozumi Tachibana

🔮Meiryou

☼ Minami ☼ Ousuke Kiryu

🔮Tokise

☼ Akira Dōjima ☼ Atsumu Yoshinaga ☼ Chika Kudo ☼ Kota Mizuhara ☼ Suzuka Takinami ☼ Takezo Kurata

🔮Other

☼ Chiharu Hozuki ☼ Isaki Kudo

[mizunoakira]

Chapter 2: Getting married (for a house)

It is 5pm on a Friday night. Akira has finished her last lecture before the semester break, plus submitted the revised grant proposal to the department head. Her brain is currently in a half-fried state.

And she's in a truck with Takinami Suzuka, on the way to visit Suzuka's parents...to seek their approval for their upcoming marriage.

Things cannot get wilder.

"Takinami-sensei, are you sure I don't have to get changed into something better?" Akira looks at her current attire; thank goodness she'd been lecturing prior to this and as a result, had dressed in reasonably formal attire, though not very "daughter-in-law-like", because which prospective daughter-in-law visits her parents-in-law for the first time while dressed in a blazer, button-up-shirt and chiffon black pants? Is she their daughter-in-law, or grandchild's tuition teacher?!

"Please don’t worry about it," Suzuka responds as he steers the truck. "Actually, my parents will appreciate the smart get-up. After all, I come from a family of academics, and they've always wanted a daughter-in-law befitting of this lineage. This shows them that you clearly fit the bill. You can even pull out your lecture slides later if needed."

"Right," Akira smooths down her formal black pants. What he's saying makes good sense - the Takinami family is quite renowned for their work in Psychology, even if in different subfields. To have a lecturer join the family would make perfect sense, though it may also be lucky that she hasn't gotten tenure yet, because her being of a higher position may have been interpreted as a threat to the existing familial and academic hierarchy.

"I do wish my family isn't as political and stuck-up like this. It's a bit better ever since my father's generation, but it's nonetheless ingrained in the way he was brought up by my grandfather. I apologise on their behalf." Suzuka isn't looking at Akira because he's still driving his truck, but she can hear that he means it. She also knows that he means it, too - he's always been a little different, plus estranged from his family, despite sharing the same line of work as well as line of study. His success had been a product of his own efforts, achieved despite not having had to stand on the shoulders of his family ties with academia, perfect proof of the actual substance he possesses as a thinker in his subfield.

"No worries." Akira is half-lying - she'd be insane to not be worried. After all, to someone she'd met just less than two months ago, with whom she'd never been in a romantic relationship, with whom she’d even hesitate to confirm that the feelings of friendship she holds are mutual…she's getting "married"...

…For a house. Doujima Akira is getting married for a house. And she’d never thought she’d find herself in such a position.

"No worries," Akira repeats, thinking of what her brother might say if he ever finds out. She resolves never to let him - the false-marriage contract will end in two years time, and it'd be like any other normal marriage, where divorce and separation are almost just a normal milestone rather than a major setback.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

When they arrive at the Takinami household, it is nightfall; they are in the outskirts of Kawasaki City, still located in Kanagawa Prefecture but quite a fair distance from Tokise University.

"I'm home," Suzuka announces, taking off his shoes at the entrance, with Akira closely following suit. He's expecting his own mother to jump on him any moment now-

"SON!" His mother buries herself in his arms. "How I've missed you! How dare you not call, only visiting once in every two months. You didn't turn up for the last blind date either-"

"Mom, meet my fiancée, Doujima-sens-” He clears he throat. “-Akira,” He beckons to Akira, who launches into a 90-degree bow.

"Good evening, madam, my name is Doujima Akira. Pleased to make your acquaintance," Akira extends a polite hand while still in the 90-degree bow.

His mother takes fifteen good seconds to process the information, motionless as she does. When she finally manages to, she starts jumping up and down while shaking Akira's hand.

"Oh my god, son, you actually managed to get yourself a girlfriend," she gasps. "And such a pretty one she is, too! Your name is Akira, you were saying? What do you do for a living?"

"I am a newly-appointed lecturer of Food Science in Tokise University," Akira whips out her laptop, showing Suzuka's mother the lecture slides used from earlier today, as discussed earlier. Suzuka stifles a laugh because he didn't expect she'd actually go as far as to do that - he actually finds it pretty cute, how seriously she takes things.

"Oh my god," his mother gasps. "Food science. That's really cool!" She runs to the back of the house, screaming something along the lines of Old man, come out here because your son has somehow managed to score himself a girlfriend, oh my god!, and Suzuka feels a bit of a headache brewing.

"Not just girlfriend - fiancée," Suzuka mutters.

(If he had to be more honest, he'd have said, "Not girlfriend - just fiancée," instead. After all, there requires no girlfriend step to be involved in a contract marriage.)

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Takinami's father is way less scary than he sounds, thinks Akira. The way he's been portrayed to be a no-nonsense academic hyperfixated on hierarchy and power...she could see no semblance of that in the friendly old man, who seems really nothing other than a cat-loving elderly man.

Nonetheless, looks can be deceiving, so she decides not to let her guard down. 

After dinner, she helps to wash the dishes (alongside a Mrs Takinami cooing, such a helpful daughter-in-law! You don't know how lucky you are, silly Suzuka). They sit in front of the TV, catching the news, when Mr Takinami suddenly pulls her aside.

"Let's have a word," is what he says as he sits Akira down at the balcony, offering her a cup of sencha. Accepting it with both hands, she realises how wise it has been to not let her guard down, because "Tell me honestly, why are you marrying my son?" is what escapes his mouth right afterwards.

She doesn't say anything - not yet. Her brain still needs a while longer, to search for the most situationally appropriate answer.

"Is it for tenure? Do you think that by marrying a tenured professor, you can get tenure faster?" He smiles as he says this, and Akira feels...she feels like she's sitting for a test.

And as someone who has spent their youth taking a bunch of tests, Akira knows just what she needs to do - breathe. Calm down. Examine the problem from the perspective of the person who set the question. Come up with an answer that is as vague as possible, but as precise as needed.

"I'm marrying Takinami-san because of love." Honesty aside, she’d thought was the most situationally appropriate answer. She didn't even have the time to process just how embarassing that sounded. "There is no other reason to get married, except for love. He is amongst the kindest people I know."

Perhaps except for the last statement, everything she has said in this string of utterances has been a fat lie. And she knows it.

So does he, Takinami Suzuka, the man at the other end of the contract marriage.

And the thing is, they’re both okay with it. More-than-okay with it, to be precise. Because it’s the way it’s supposed to be - big, fat, white lie, created to benefit both parties, according to Clause 5 of the contract.

Things cannot get wilder.

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Suzuka overhears what Akira says when his father accuses her of marrying him for the sake of tenure.

"I'm marrying Takinami-san because of love. There is no other reason to get married, except for love. He is the amongst the kindest people I know."

Nice save, Suzuka cheers inwardly. This lady is definitely even smarter than she looks. He knows that answer's sure to score with his dad.

And sure it does, because his dad says nothing. Takes a sip of tea. Turns to leave, but before he enters the living room, he says something to Akira without facing her straight-on -

"Don't let him get in the way of your success, then."

Suzuka glances at his mother in the living room - if not for his grandparents' fulfilled wish to domesticate her, she may well have been a tenured professor herself. Before their marriage, she and Old Takinami, her then-fiancé were both lecturers in the same university. Fearing that their daughter-in-law might eventually supersede their son in terms of power, Old Takinami's parents had forced her to quit her lecturer job in the university. Mrs Suzuka may have swallowed it and lived it down, but her husband never has. Not one day has he woken up without being shrouded by a sense of guilt and apology at having imprisoned his wife, would-be superstar in the Child Psychology academic universe, in the old misogynistic stronghold of traditional Japanese society. It is why Suzuka fully understands why his father had said what he did, as well as why he'd asked the question he'd asked to Akira - to let her know that this marriage may well break her academic career, instead of make it.

Well...pretty sure that won't happen, as long as it's this Old Mr Takinami approving the marriage this time round. Plus, the contract's supposedly ending in two years - most likely not enough time to "break" an academic career. Or so he hopes.

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"That was quite well-played, sensei,” Suzuka says to Akira on the way home. "You have a way with words."

Akira pauses for a bit, realising that Takinami-sensei had heard what she said. Her face starts to heat up slightly at the recollection of what embarrassing things had escaped her mouth, but she quickly soothes the blush down by reminding herself of her current role - a pretend wife.

And pretend, was exactly what she was doing, as expertly as she could have in that moment that could have been a crisis averted.

"Thank you. I actually feel really bad for lying. After all, they're already getting old."

Akira glances at the man in the driver’s seat, and she thinks she catches a faint smile, but she can’t be sure in the scant light of the surrounding traffic.

"It's okay, you’re most definitely not at any fault. It was my idea to begin with.” He looks at her, and she can see that he’s definitely smiling, but it’s a smile she can’t exactly read. “Though you did agree after all, so we're in this together."

Akira smiles. She would never have thought she'd feel so assured about the prospect of telling lies together with a man she'd just met almost two months ago - the kindest man she knows, yes, but nonetheless a man she'd just met almost two months ago. Who'd simply been kind enough to provide her with free coffee, and now, a free house.

Indeed, she would never have thought she'd feel so assured about the prospect of getting married…

…For a house.

[dailykot]

Happy Birthday, Suzuka! (28.9.22)

[liliumsmangacaps]