Day 217

[from Aishiteru! Hikikomori-san]

Yuuichi was startled to hear a knock on his door. He hadn't ordered anything recently, and he wasn't expecting company, so he had no idea who it could be. I guess there's only two people it could be, he thought to himself. One is Hiroto, but then he'd usually just Skype me. Which means it's most likely- The colour suddenly drained from Yuuichi's face as he realized something terrible: he had never told his parents about Ilana. With a rising sense of dread, he opened the front door.

Sure enough, there was his mother, smiling at him from the threshold. Though she was in her mid-forties by now, she still looked reasonably youthful, except for the grey streaks that were starting to appear in her long brown hair. "Hi, sweetie!" she said.

With his worst fears confirmed, Yuuichi went into panic mode. Unsure how to tell his mother about his mail-order bride, who was currently cleaning the bedroom, Yuuichi decided to simply keep it quiet and try and get his mother away as soon as possible. "Wh-what are you doing here, mom?" he asked.

"I just thought I'd pop by and see how you were doing," said Yuuichi's mother. "There's nothing wrong with that, is there? You are my son, after all."

"Well, yeah," conceded Yuuichi, "b-but you see, I'm kinda busy at the moment, so-"

"Oh?" said Yuuichi's mother, amused. "Busy doing what, playing games? Watching anime? Talking to your Internet friends?" This was partly why Yuuichi disliked his mother coming to visit him: she always made snarky comments about his inactivity, and they was always right. "Or could it be that you've finally got a lady over?" she added teasingly. "Wouldn't that be something!"

"Oh, no," said Yuuichi nervously, "I don't have anyone like that over-"

Before Yuuichi could finish, Ilana, who hadn't cottoned on to the fact she was supposed to be hiding, burst out of the bedroom with a feather duster in her hand and a cheerful smile on her face. "Hello!" she said, waving. "You must be mother of Yuuichi! I am Ilana, wife of Yuuichi. Is good to meet you!"

Yuuichi froze, rigid with shock. His mother's expression also froze, as she tried to process what had just happened. Slowly, her head turned to face Ilana. "W… wi… fe?" she repeated. As the revelation sank in, she turned back to Yuuichi, pointing a shaking hand at Ilana. "Yuuichi… i-is this woman really…?"

A bead of sweat ran down Yuuichi's brow. His plan to hide Ilana from his mother had been shattered, and he would never be able to lie his way out of it now. He heaved a defeated sigh and looked away, embarrassed. "Well… n-not yet, but… she will be, I guess-"

Yuuichi's mother suddenly let out a loud squeal of joy, causing her son to jump into the air with fright. A look of sheer ecstasy passed across her face, her eyes shining with joy. "I can't believe it!" she exclaimed. "My son is actually getting married! I never thought this day would ever come! And to such a beautiful woman!" She rushed over to Ilana, seizing her by the wrists and sizing her up with glee. "Tell me everything!" she gushed, her words coming out at light-speed. "How did you two meet? How long have you known each other? Was it love at first sight? Did you meet online? When are you planning to hold the ceremony? How far have you two gone in the bedroom? Are you already pregnant? Are those your real breasts? Tell me, what attracted you to my son-?"

"Mom, please," said Yuuichi, already looking exhausted. "Cut it out, you're bugging her."

Yuuichi's mother immediately turned her attention back to her son. "Why didn't you tell me you were getting married to such a beautiful young woman?!" she asked. "This is the greatest thing to happen since you left high school!"

"I didn't tell you because I know you'd overreact like this!" said Yuuichi. "And also I kind of forgot a little," he added sheepishly.

"It's fantastic, though!" said Yuuichi's mother. "Not only are you getting married, but to such an unbelievable catch! How on earth did you manage to hook her?!"

Wow, thanks for the confidence boost, mom, thought Yuuichi. "Well, the truth is," he said, "she's actually a mail-order bride. Oh, but I didn't buy her, it was Hiroto, he thought it would give me more responsibilities or something… huh?"

Yuuichi's mother had suddenly vanished. Heading out into the hallway, Yuuichi saw her pounding frantically on the door of Hiroto's apartment. Hiroto answered the door with a sigh. "What do you w-" he began.

Before he could finish, Yuuichi's mother let out another squeal of delight and seized Hiroto in a tight hug, spinning him around with glee. "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!!!" she gushed. "I was starting to dread that my son would never get a girlfriend, but you went out of your way to fix him up with one! Oh, thank you so much, Hiroto! You're the best friend a son could ever have!"

"Th-thank you, Mrs. Yuuichi's mom," said Hiroto, rattled, "but could you let go of me please? You're crushing me."

"I'm sorry, but I'm just so excited about this!" said Yuuichi's mother, releasing Hiroto. "My son's never had a girlfriend before in his life, and he probably hasn't even talked to a girl in the last three years, but now he's getting married! It's every mother's dream to see her son walk down the aisle! Oh, I'm so happy I could cry!"

"Please, mom, stop," said Yuuichi, his face now bright red. "You're making way too much of a big deal out of this."

"But isn't it great?" his mother said. "You're finally doing something with your life! Oh, right! Does this mean you're going to get a job now? You'll need a steady income in order to support your new wife!"

"She's not my wife yet!" Yuuichi repeated. "And I already have a job! I'm working in a local call center."

Yuuichi's mother looked as though all her birthdays had come at once. "You even have a job now?!" she exclaimed. "That's amazing! This time a year ago you wouldn't even have considered getting a job!" She rushed back to Ilana, seizing her hands once more. "I really can't thank you enough, Ilana!" she said. "You've completely changed my son for the better! I don't know what would have become of him if you hadn't come along!"

Ilana looked completely overwhelmed by what was happening. She turned to face Yuuichi as though begging for help. "She talk too fast," she said, "I understand her not."

"Sorry, sorry, you're completely right!" said Yuuichi's mom, in the exact same enthusiastic manner as before. "I should have known you might have trouble understanding me! I mean, you're not from Japan, right?" She cleared her throat and then, to Yuuichi's horror, started speaking in a very slow, clear manner, accompanying her words with gestures, as one might when talking to a simpleton. "I. Am. Happy. For. You. You. Make. My. Son. Not. Lazy. He. Is. Lucky. To. Have. You."

"Now she talk like idiot," said Ilana, glancing at Yuuichi with a bemused expression. "I am confused."

"Mom, please!" said Yuuichi. "She's not an idiot! She just can't understand you because you're talking at 200 words a minute!"

"That's. Why. I'm. Talking. Slower. Now!" said Yuuichi's mom.

Yuuichi sighed and brought his hand up to his forehead. "This is gonna be a long day…" he muttered to himself.

Day 190

[from Ashiteru! Hikikomori-san]

"We are here!" exclaimed Ilana. "We are here at beach!"

With excited giggles, Ilana raced down onto the beach, with Yuuichi following along behind her. "Don't run off too far," he called after her. "I don't want us to lose each other."

"I won't," Ilana called back. "I just go to changing room!"

Yuuichi followed Ilana in the direction of the beachside huts that were used for changing in and out of one's swimsuits. He and Ilana were already wearing their swimsuits underneath their regular clothing; all they needed to do was find an available hut each and then strip off. To make things interesting, they had each chosen their own swimsuits and had not been allowed to see each other's, so Yuuichi had no idea what Ilana would look like when she stepped out of the beach hut and vice versa.

Having secured his own beach hut, Yuuichi set about stripping off. His swimwear of choice was a simple set of black knee-high swimming trunks. Hanging his clothes up on the pegs provided, Yuuichi turned to the door and was suddenly struck by a pang of nervousness. He'd seen Ilana in various states of undress - he'd even seen her naked once or twice - but she'd never seen him wearing this little before. He glanced down at his scrawny build, and couldn't help wondering whether Ilana would think less of him when she saw his skinny physique. He knew, deep down, that she loved him for more than just his appearance, but he still couldn't shake the anxiety.

After a moment or two of hesitation, Yuuichi finally decided that, regardless of the outcome, he couldn't back out now. He and Ilana had come all this way, and she would be intensely disappointed if he decided at the last minute that he couldn't go out in just his swimsuit. He places his hand on the door handle and, with a deep breath, stepped out into the warm summer air.

Looking around, it didn't seem as though Ilana had emerged from her hut yet. However, the reason for this soon became apparent, as her voice drifted out of the adjacent hut. "That you, Yuuichi?" she called out.

"Yeah," said Yuuichi.

"I already in swimsuit," said Ilana, "but I waited for you to come out, so I could make big entrance. I come out now, okay?"

"Uhh… okay," said Yuuichi.

The door to the beach hut slowly opened, and Yuuichi caught sight of Ilana in her swimsuit for the first time. It was a blue-and-white striped bikini, and perhaps a size too small for her, for it didn't seem to cover as much of her breasts as it could have done. Nonetheless, it looked extremely nice on her. Ilana struck a seductive pose, leaning out her hips. "Well?" she asked. "What you think?"

Yuuichi found the outfit extremely alluring; that much he could not deny. However, for some reason it did not seem to spark the same level of shock, embarrassment or blood loss that he had previously suffered upon seeing a half-naked Ilana, and this puzzled him into silence. Ilana quickly picked up on this. "Hmm? You like it not?" she asked.

"N-no, it's not that!" said Yuuichi hurriedly. "I really do love it! It's just… well… I guess…"

"What is?" asked Ilana, curious.

"I, uhh… don't really know how to put it into words," said Yuuichi hesitantly, "but, uhh… it feels like… seeing you standing there without many clothes on, it just… doesn't feel the same way it did when you first came here. You get what I mean?"

"Not really," said Ilana, a little confused. "Maybe you just… are used to it? I get half-naked in front of you many time now, maybe effect has worn off."

"Maybe," admitted Yuuichi. "Don't get me wrong, I still think you're very attractive, but… how should I put this?... seeing you like this a month or so ago, I would have been shocked, or embarrassed, or… something like that. But seeing you like this now, all I feel about it is that… well, that you're extremely beautiful."

Ilana smiled. "I understand now," she said. "You are used to having me around. And I think, perhaps… you have truly fallen in love with me."

Yuuichi blushed heavily and looked away. "I guess I have," he mumbled.

Ilana giggled, and also blushed a little. "Is okay, Yuuichi," she said. "I in love with you too, remember?"

Yuuichi looked back up at Ilana, surprised. Though he had long suspected it, if not known it from the start, this was the first time Ilana had actually told him that she loved him. "Ehh? Really?" he said. He couldn't help glancing down at his scrawny physique once again.

"Of course," said Ilana, slowly advancing towards Yuuichi. "I tell you many times, it is heart that is most important, not money or beauty, and you have very warm heart." She delicately placed a hand on Yuuichi's chest. "It matters not to me if you are handsome or rich, Yuuichi. It matters not if you are pervert otaku who love cartoon girls in bikinis. I love you anyway."

Suddenly, Ilana leaned forwards, and Yuuichi found himself frozen to the spot as her face slowly grew closer to his. When her lips were just an inch from Yuuichi's, she closed her eyes and whispered, "Ya lyublyu tebya".

"You what?" Yuuichi whispered back.

"Is Russian," said Ilana. "It means, 'I love you'."

Before Yuuichi could respond, Ilana's lips moved forward that last tantalizing inch, connecting with Yuuichi's in a tender kiss. After a moment of surprise, Yuuichi closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend, savouring what was his first kiss. Finally, after what seemed like a blissful eternity, their lips parted, and Ilana looked deeply and lovingly into Yuuichi's eyes. "…with all my heart," she said.

Day 162

[from Aishiteru! Hikikomori-san]

"Hey, Yuuichi… can we go to beach sometime?"

Yuuichi turned his attention away from the computer for a moment, turning to face Ilana, who was currently lying on the sofa, reading one of his less explicit manga. "I always want to go to beach, but in Russia I live too far away, and beach there is too cold," she said. "Now I am in Japan, and it summer, I want to go to beach. Can we?"

Yuuichi smiled and nodded. "That sounds like a good idea, actually" he said. "It's been a while since I got to go to the beach myself. Oh, but I don't think either of us has a swimsuit…"

"Then we go buy swimsuit," said Ilana, smiling. "You always worry about problem that has easy solution."

"I guess so," said Yuuichi. "That's just me, though, I guess. I mean, you never seem to be concerned about… anything, really. Even when I came clean about everything, when you first got here, you took it pretty well."

Ilana nodded. "I say many times before, Yuuichi, but I love your honesty. Is good thing to have. Better, maybe, than riches and fame."

"Honesty won't put bread on the table, or pay my electric bills, though," said Yuuichi.

"Neither will fame," said Ilana, raising an eyebrow. "Many a famous person lose everything, go back to have nothing, have to go on terrible TV show to get money back."

Yuuichi nodded. "I think knowing how to spend your money is just as important as actually earning it," he said. "Luckily, having been a NEET for three years, I'm pretty good at that."

Ilana did not seem very amused by this statement. "You spend many yen on plastic figures and video games and pervert comics," she said bluntly. "You spend too much on not important things, just like famous person."

"They're important to me!" said Yuuichi, going on the defensive. "I couldn't live without my anime figurines and video games! And they're not "pervert comics", they're hentai manga!"

"What is difference?" said Ilana.

"Uhh… well..." Yuuichi felt a change of subject was probably needed at this point. "Anyway, if we both need swimsuits, we should probably head to the mall to pick some up, right? So, how about we go this weekend, and then head to the beach the weekend after?"

"I want to go this weekend," said Ilana, pouting.

Yuuichi smiled. "Alright," he said. "Then, how about I take some time off on Friday, we go and buy our swimsuits then, and then we go to the beach on Saturday or Sunday?"

Ilana nodded enthusiastically. "Sounds good to me," she said.

"Alright, then that's what we'll do," said Yuuichi. "I'm looking forward to it already."

Ilana, still a bit peeved about Yuuichi's hypocritical stance on spending habits, quickly saw an opportunity to tease her husband. "Is that so?" she said, smirking. "Is that because you get to see me in pretty swimsuit?"

The thought alone made Yuuichi flush bright red. "N-no, that's not it at all-!" he protested.

"Are you sure?" asked Ilana. "Because I know you are massive pervert, so surely thought of me in swimsuit is good one to you, yes?"

"W-well, I won't deny that…" Yuuichi admitted. "But that's not the reason I agreed! You asked, and I'd been wanting to go anyway, so-"

"Don't worry, Yuuichi," said Ilana, winking. "I pick out nice, pretty swimsuit, just for you~ Or… maybe we find naked beach to go to?"

The mere thought of being naked on a beach with Ilana gave Yuuichi yet another severe nosebleed. "I… I don't think Japan has any nudist beaches…" he said, clutching at his nose to try and stem the bleeding. "Anyway, I think the sand would get in some rather uncomfortable places if you went there naked…"

Ilana pouted once more. "Is shame," she said. "Well, you still get to see me in pretty swimsuit. You feel lucky that I was bought for you, yes?"

Yuuichi, giving in to his perversions, gave Ilana a blissful smile despite the crimson liquid contnuing to pour from his nostrils. "I feel luckier and luckier every day," he said.

"You certainly look lucky," Ilana remarked.

"I should go get some tissues," said Yuuichi, as he got up out of his chair.

"You do that," said Ilana, smirking privately to herself. Husband is so easy to tease, she thought. Is adorable. Strange how man so perverted can be so awkward about perverted things. Well, I complain not. Is better than acting perverted towards me all the time, like I am just object. Maybe that is what figures and pervert comics are for… channel lust away from wife, so he treat me nicely instead. Maybe…

Day 156

[from Murder by Pixels]

As soon as Sapphire heard the news, her eyes lit up like fireworks. Hurriedly snatching up her phone, she selected Jesse's name from her contact list and put it to her ear, impatiently waiting for her to pick up.

When Jesse finally did answer, it sounded as though they had just woken up. "Hello?"

"Jesse! Jesse!" Sapphire's voice was filled with an uncharacteristic excitement, her Irish accent blossoming forth as it always did when she got emotional. "Have you heard the news?!"

"No, what is it?" asked Jesse. "I haven't heard you this excited since…" There was a brief pause, as Jesse began to realize what Sapphire was talking about. "Wait, don't tell me-"

"Yeah!" exclaimed Sapphire. "The Supreme Court just ruled! Gay marriage is legal in all fifty states!"

There was a stunned silence on the other side of the phone as Jesse took in the news. When they spoke again, they were still noticeably tired, but also unmistakeably happy. "It's about time," they said. "It's not gonna solve all our problems, but it's a big step, that's for sure."

"I know!" said Sapphire. "First my country of ancestry, and now my country of birth… oh, I'm so happy, Jesse! I'm so happy I could cry!"

"Need a shoulder to cry on?" asked Jesse. "If my dad finds out about the ruling, then I might wanna get out of the house for a while anyway."

Sapphire nodded. "Sure," she said. "Come right over. We could celebrate with an Orange is the New Black marathon or something."

"I thought you'd prefer Steven Universe," Jesse remarked.

"Oh yeah, good idea," said Sapphire. "We'll watch that instead, then."

"I'll be right over," said Jesse. "I'll call you back when I'm outside, okay?"

Sapphire nodded. "Okay," she said. "See you soon."

"See you," said Jesse, before hanging up.

Sapphire put down the phone and leaned back in her chair, staring up at the ceiling. It was certainly true that this wasn't going to end discrimination - there would certainly be plenty of people resenting the decision - but in terms of equal rights, it was a massive step forward. I'm glad I lived to see this day, thought Sapphire.

***

[from Project Nero]

Summer was relaxing and watching TV when her phone suddenly vibrated on the table in front of her, heralding a text message. Picking it up, she unlocked it and saw that Melody had sent her the following message: "WE DID IT! Gay marriage now legal in Vale :D #LoveWins"

Summer smiled, and quickly fired off a reply: "Nice. So, fancy getting married next weekend? I'm free if you are~ xxx" When Melody did not respond, Summer realized she'd gone a bit too far and quickly fired off another: "Relax, I was just joking. I know you don't go that way. Still, that's pretty great news, huh?"

Summer could almost hear the little sigh of relief coming from Melody, as the girl finally responded. "I thought you were joking :3c", she replied. "But yeah, it's fantastic news. Everyone I know is happy to hear it."

"I'm sure they are," Summer replied. "I'm happy to hear it as well. It's about damn time."

"It really is ^_^" Melody texted back.

***

[from Aishiteru! Hikikomori-san]

"Hey, Yuuichi, you hear?"

"Hear what?" asked Yuuichi.

"United States legalize gay marriage," said Ilana. "Gay people can get married there now."

"Yeah, I heard about that hours ago," said Yuuichi. "It's all over Chirper and Nicebook."

"Oh," said Ilana. "I wonder if Katarina hear about news, wherever she is… I sure she be happy to hear it."

"Not really," said Yuuichi. "Not when it's still illegal in her own country. Hell, it's still illegal here."

"It is?" asked Ilana, surprised. "Why?"

"I dunno," said Yuuichi, shrugging his shoulders. "Guess this country's still a bit old-fashioned, in some ways."

"Maybe," said Ilana. "Is better than Russia, though, in many ways."

"Sure is," said Yuuichi. "Who knows, maybe we'll be next."

"Maybe," said Ilana.

***

[from Striker Man]

"Gay marriage is legal in America? Hah, took them long enough," said Striker Man. "We've had that here in Britain for years."

"You're the fifth person in this post to say that it's "taken them long enough"," said The Genius. "I think the writer has made his point clear by now, hasn't he?"

"Yeah, but I think what he wants is to show just how much the decision means to the LGBT community," said Striker Man.

"We're not lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, though," said The Genius. "We're stick figures, we have no concept of sexuality."

"Doesn't that make us asexual, which still comes under LGBT?" asked Striker Man.

This threw The Genius for a loop. "...you know, I can't argue with that," she said.

"Can I marry this pickle jar now, then?" asked Stuporwoman excitedly, holding up a jar of pickles.

"No, Stuporwoman," said Striker Man, "you can't marry a jar of pickles."

"Why not?" asked Stuporwoman.

"Because a jar of pickles is an inanimate object, and you can't marry inanimate objects," said Striker Man.

"Why not?" asked Stuporwoman.

"Because... uhh... damn, this is harder than I thought," said Striker Man.

Luckily, The Genius picked up the slack. "You cannot marry an inanimate object," she said, "because an inanimate object cannot love you back. Would you not want a partner that can love you back?"

"It does love me back!" said Stuporwoman. "It loves me back with flavour!"

"How can someone so stupid make such valid points?!" remarked Striker Man.

"I think the same about you sometimes," said The Genius.

"Disclaimer: the author does not condone, nor promote, the idea of marriage between humans and inanimate objects," said Striker Man. "In fact, I don't even know why he brought this whole discussion up, to be honest." Stuporwoman represents the crazies who think same-sex marriage is a slippery slope, and that next you'll be able to marry your dog, or your brother, or a helicopter, or an ice cream cone. "Ah, I see."

"...so can I-" You can't marry a pickle jar, Stuporwoman, end of story. "Awww." You can marry someone who likes pickles, and eat pickles together with them, though. "Ooh, that sounds even better! Okay, I'll do that then!" Good for you.

Day 149

[from Aishiteru! Hikikomori-san]

"Ugh… is so hot… why is so hot…"

Summer had arrived, and with it, the uncomfortable, stifling heat. Yuuichi was used to it, though this did not mean he enjoyed it. Ilana, however, was from Russia, and had never experienced heat like this in her life. As Yuuichi came home from work, he found her collapsed on the sofa wearing nothing but her underwear, casually fanning herself with one of his less appropriate manga.

"It d-doesn't mean you have to lie there in your underwear!" he exclaimed, blushing. "And don't fan yourself with that!" he added, as he realized what it was Ilana was holding.

"Relax," she moaned, as Yuuichi tugged it out of her hand. "I read it not. I just use it for fan."

"Have you been lying here like this the whole time?" asked Yuuichi. "Why didn't you turn the AC on?"

"A… C?" repeated Ilana. "I know not what is."

"Eh?! You don't know what an AC is?" exclaimed Yuuichi. "Well, I guess it must have been pretty cold back in Russia… basically, it's a machine that cools the air inside the apartment, so it doesn't feel as hot."

"Can you turn on AC, please?" asked Ilana. "Am too hot to move."

"Have you been topping yourself up with fluids?" asked Yuuichi. "You might have gotten heatstroke."

"Heatstroke?" repeated Ilana.

"If you get too hot, it's not good for you," said Yuuichi. "Look, I'll put the AC on. Go get yourself something cool to drink. There's some bottles of water in the fridge."

While Yuuichi crossed over to the air conditioning unit, Ilana slipped off the sofa and went to the fridge, opening it. "Ahhh… so cool~" she said, smiling as the cold air flowed over her skin.

"Alright, the AC's turned on now," said Yuuichi. "Don't leave the door open, you'll make the food go off."

"Sorry," said Ilana. Looking inside the fridge, she found that almost half its contents were liquid: water, juice, and Dr. Piper. "Why you have so much Dr. Piper?" she asked.

"It is the drink of the chosen intellectuals," Yuuichi instinctively replied.

"It is nerd drink?" asked Ilana.

"It's not a nerd drink!" protested Yuuichi. "It's… okay, yeah, it is kind of a nerd drink."

"I stick to water," said Ilana, pulling a water bottle out of the fridge. "Mmm… bottle is so cool~"

"Could you get me a bottle of Dr. Piper while you're in there?" asked Yuuichi. "I'm thirsty as well."

Ilana nodded, and grabbed a bottle of Dr. Piper with her other hand. With both hands now full, she resorted to closing the fridge door by bumping it with her hips, a movement Yuuichi found rather enjoyable to watch. Hugging the bottles to her chest, enjoying the feeling of the cold plastic against her skin, Ilana headed over to Yuuichi and handed him the Dr. Piper bottle. "Here you go," she said. "Enjoy~"

"I will, thank you," said Yuuichi.

The two opened their respective bottles and drank their fill, Ilana drinking almost half of hers in one go before letting out a satisfied sigh. "Guess I really was thirsty," she remarked.

Yuuichi, now that he was up close to Ilana, suddenly noticed the sweat shimmering on her impressive cleavage, and found himself unable to tear his gaze away from the sight. "Uhh… looks like it…" he said.

Ilana noticed Yuuichi's gaze and grinned. "You pervert husband~" she said. "Do not look at my chest when I talk."

"I can't help it!" said Yuuichi, blushing. "You're standing right there, dressed like that, and… well…" He fidgeted and mumbled something Ilana couldn't understand.

"Hmm? What is?" asked Ilana, leaning in closer and giving Yuuichi an even better view of her bust.

"Well…" Yuuichi's voice grew even redder, before he blurted out, "Th-th-they're such great breasts, I can't help it! I've always been a fan of 2D breasts, but now that I have real 3D breasts here in front of me, they're so amazing I can't help staring at them!"

Ilana was both surprised and flattered. "Really? You like them that much?" she asked. "Well…" She began to fiddle with the clasp of her bra. "Maybe you want… touch them? We are marry, after all…"

T-t-t-touch her… titties…? The sheer thought drove Yuuichi into ecstasy once more, and he was sent tumbling backwards as a veritable explosion of blood spurted forth from his nose. I'm in heaven!, he thought, as he collapsed to the floor. I'm in veritable 3D heaven!

Ilana giggled to herself. "Pervert once, pervert always," she remarked.

Day 131

[from Aishiteru! Hikikomori-san]

"Hey! Let's go on date!"

Yuuichi, who was busy playing on his Vii Q, jumped slightly as Ilana suddenly threw her arms around him from behind. "Eh? A date?" he repeated.

"Yes!" said Ilana, who seemed excited by the prospect. "We are married couple. We should do married couple things, like go out on date, feed ducks, drink from same glass."

"I thought "married couple things" were all to do with children and taxes," remarked Yuuichi.

"We have not those things!" replied Ilana cheerfully.

"We still have to pay taxes, you know!" said Yuuichi indignantly.

Ilana shrugged, turning her attention to the TV screen. "What you are playing?" she asked.

"It's called Splashoot," said Yuuichi. "It just came out the other day. I'd been so hyped for it, and I gotta say, it's amazing."

"What it is?" asked Ilana.

"Basically, you play as kids that can transform into squids, and you battle other players to try and paint the most territory. Look, now I'm a kid…" Yuuichi pressed a button and his character dived down into the ink beneath him. "Now I'm a squid!"

Ilana suddenly grabbed the remote control and switched the TV off. "Now you are dead," she said. "Now we go on date."

Yuuichi cried out in shock. "Hey, I was playing that!" he moaned, reaching out for the remote. "Switch it back on!"

Ilana smirked. "You promise we go on date when you finish?"

"Yes, yes, I promise!" said Yuuichi in a panic. "Now please, switch it back on!"

Ilana giggled, and switched the TV back on. "You so cute when am - how you say - fluster," she said, as Yuuichi found that to his relief he had not been killed.

"Please don't do that again," said Yuuichi. "You almost ruined my kill-death ratio!"

"I know not what that is," said Ilana, "but I sorry. I just want do things with you. You are husband, after all. We should go on proper date."

"I know," said Yuuichi. "Tonight, I promise. Once I'm done playing."

Ilana smiled widely. "Thank you, Yuuichi," she said.

Yuuichi suddenly blushed nervously. "You know… I've never really been on a date before," he said.

Ilana seemed surprised by this. "Really?" she repeated. "Not ever?"

"Yeah," said Yuuichi. "Like I told you before, I'd never had a girlfriend or even kissed anyone before you turned up."

"Oh yeah, you said that…" muttered Ilana thoughtfully. "Well, I make sure first date is good one, then. Should we go fancy restaurant, dine like tsars? Or should we do simple thing like go for walk, eat ice cream, watch sunset?"

Yuuichi thought about it for a moment. He didn't really have any clothing appropriate for a fancy restaurant, and he had this feeling in his gut that if the two of them were to visit such an establishment, it would most likely end in disaster. Surely nothing could go wrong from just a simple walk through town. "A walk sounds nice," he said.

"Okay," said Ilana, nodding. "We go for walk, then. You show me all nice things around town."

Yuuichi rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Uhh, Ilana… you do remember I've barely left my apartment in three years or so, right? I don't really know much of the town at all."

"Then we just walk wherever, and see where path takes us," said Ilana. "Might be better. We not know what we about to see, so it make good surprise for us when we see it."

"Okay, sounds good to me," said Yuuichi. "I'm looking forward to it. I never thought I'd be saying this six months ago, but… I guess it'd be good to get out of the house sometime."

Ilana smiled. "You see? " she said. "Do same thing every day is boring. Must try new things. Is important."

Yuuichi nodded. "Yeah. I'm starting to realize that now. And it's all thanks to you, Ilana. That being said…" Yuuichi effortlessly dispatched yet another squid-like enemy, causing them to explode in a shower of ink. "I'm not going to give up video games and anime completely. They're just too good!"

"I not ask you to," said Ilana. "They part of you. Yuuichi without anime is like Russia without vodka. Is not thinkable."

"I see," said Yuuichi. "Okay then."

Ilana suddenly leaned forward, peering curiously at the TV screen. There was an odd piece of graffiti painted on the wall Yuuichi's character was currently standing in front of. "What that say? 'Bush do 9/11'?" repeated Ilana, confused.

Once more Yuuichi nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Ehhh… there's some weird people on Wintendo Direct…"

***

As Yuuichi and Ilana strolled peacefully along the riverbank, the sun was starting to sink low in the horizon, a cool late-afternoon breeze rustling through the grass. Ilana's hand slid gracefully along the iron railings separating them from the waters below, her hair glowing a fiery scarlet in the evening light. Yuuichi found the whole scene remarkably tranquil and relaxing. For the first time in a very long time, he felt glad to be out of his apartment.

"Hey, something's just occurred to me," he said. "If you were a mail-order bride, then there must have been some reason you wanted to leave Russia, right? What was it?"

Ilana sighed, as though she had hoped they wouldn't had to have had this conversation. "I not have good life in Russia," she said. "Growing up, family was always poor, weather was always cold. No money for fun things. Was hard life, but was only life I know, so I endure it. Best friend at school was a girl named Katarina. She was, uhh, how you say… she like girls like you like girls."

"She was a lesbian?" asked Yuuichi.

"Yes, that is word," said Ilana. "She was lesbian. And we were good friends. Not lovers. I was not her type. Also am not lesbian. Anyway, Putin not like lesbians. He say, "You lesbian, you go to jail". So Katarina go to jail. And then I realize: Russia is not good country. I talk to family, and they agree: Russia is not good country. So I decide to leave, make good life elsewhere. However, I not have money to buy house in other country, and I not have skills to get work in other country. Only have enough money for plane ticket. So I decide to marry foreign man, move in with him, and start new life that way. Was only choice."

"So that's why you became a mail-order bride," said Yuuichi. "That's actually rather sad."

Ilana nodded. "I hope Katarina is okay in jail," said Ilana. "I never tell her I leave the country. When she get out, she will look for me but not find me…"

"I'm sure someone will tell her where you went," said Yuuichi.

"I know," said Ilana. "I just regret not saying goodbye. She was best friend, after all."

"And then after all that, you come over here, and find that the guy who "bought" you knew nothing about it, and was just a lazy otaku with no job," said Yuuichi. "Damn, now I feel even worse."

Ilana stopped and leaned back against the railings, smiling at Yuuichi. "I tell you many time, Yuuichi," she said. "You are good man. You are honest man. You willing to change, and you are changing. I lucky to have been bought by you. When I signed up to be mail-order bride, I was… nervous, I think is word. Yes, nervous. I heard bad things. Mail-order brides trying to leave bad life behind, and finding even worse life waiting for them when they step off plane. But I lucky. I have very good life now, in very good country, with very good man. I am happy."

Yuuichi smiled back at her. "I'm glad you feel that way," he said. "Japan certainly is a great country, isn't it?"

Ilana nodded. "Yes. When your friend bought me, I look up information on Japan. The technology, the nature, the culture, the riches… I loved it all. I thought, "Japan is good country to live in". And I was right. Is good country. Am glad to be here with you."

Yuuichi glanced up at the golden sky, as the sun continued to sink lower and lower. "Thanks, Ilana," he said. "I… I like having you around as well."

Ilana giggled, moving away from the railings and hugging Yuuichi from behind. "Of course you do," she said. "I am pretty wife who cooks and cleans for you. Of course you like me."

Yuuichi blushed but did not resist as Ilana hugged him close to her, her breasts pressing against his back. He nodded. "Yeah. I think… I think we make a good couple."

Ilana nodded, nestling her head against Yuuichi's shoulder. "I think so too," she said. The pair of them stood this way for some time, silently enjoying each other's warmth, until the sun had finally disappeared completely below the horizon and the sky faded into the blue-black of twilight. As the first stars appeared, the pair looked up at them, watching them twinkle beautifully.

"You know," said Ilana, "there is saying in West that if you wish on first star you see at night, your wish will come true."

"Really?" said Yuuichi. "Then, I wish for-"

Before he could complete his wish, Ilana placed a finger over his lips to silence him, causing him to blush harder. "Is also saying that if you say wish out loud, it not come true," said Ilana. "So say it not."

Yuuichi nodded, and the pair silently made their wishes. "So, uhh… should we head back to the apartment now?" asked Yuuichi. "It's getting dark."

"We should, yes," said Ilana. "Was good first date, yes?"

Yuuichi nodded. "Yeah, it was," he said. Then, he paused and looked around. "Uhh… which way exactly is the apartment?"

Day 100

[from Aishiteru! Hikikomori-san][WARNING: Mature content]

"I'm home!"

Yuuichi expected to see Ilana standing in front of the doorway, waiting for him, or at least to hear her call out, "Welcome home!" in the Russian accent he had now not only grown accustomed to, but also found rather alluring. Instead, he was greeted with silence and an empty room.

"That's odd," Yuuichi remarked to himself as he took his shoes off. "Usually she at least says hi when I get back. Maybe she's not in…? But if she's not here, then where would she be? I don't think she knows her way around town… come to think of it, I don't think she's even left the apartment since she arrived here… and she calls me a shut-in…"

Yuuichi sighed. Well, if she is here, he thought, I'd better go find her. He set off through the apartment, looking around for the distinctive figure of his betrothed. "Ilana?" he called out. "Where are you?"

Almost to his surprise, the question was swiftly answered. "In here," Ilana replied, her voice coming from the bedroom. "Welcome home!"

"How come you didn't answer me when I came in?" asked Yuuichi, making his way towards the bedroom.

"Am reading," said Ilana. "Heard you not. Was… what is word?"

As Yuuichi opened the bedroom door, he began to answer, "Distracted", but upon seeing Ilana, be became precisely that: distracted. His jaw fell open, his brain seizing up entirely as his eyes drank in the sight before him.

Ilana was sitting on the side of the bed, facing the doorway, and was completely and utterly naked. She appeared to have had a shower; there was a moist towel hanging around her neck, her red hair was damp, and patches of moisture still shone on her soft, pale skin. She was holding one of Yuuichi's manga in her hands, having been absent-mindedly reading it before he had arrived home. Her nipples was covered by her hair, and her legs was crossed, preserving her modesty, but the fact remained that for the first time in his entire life, Yuuichi was staring at an actual naked woman. And she was sitting on the bed just a few feet away from him.

Yuuichi didn't know where to look. His eyes shiftly rapidly from body part to body part, unable to move away from Ilana's body, his face growing steadily redder. Finally, he managed to stammer, "W-w-w-w-why aren't you wearing any clothes, Ilana?!"

"Is my home," said Ilana simply, turning the page of her manga. "No-one see me but you, and you husband, so it matter not. Why? You not want to see me naked?"

Yuuichi blushed harder, blood starting to leak from his nose. "Th-that's not what I meant!"

Ilana, seeing Yuuichi wide open for attack, decided to go on the offensive. "Oh? You do want see me naked?" she asked, smiling mischievously.

Blood spurted a little more out of Yuuichi's nose. "Th-that's not what I meant either!" he exclaimed.

Ilana clapped a hand to her cheek in mock concern and despair. "What do?" she wondered aloud. "My husband is be pervert…"

"Y-you're the one sitting around with no clothes on!" Yuuichi retorted.

"You have many comics of perversion," said Ilana, waving the manga in her hand at Yuuichi. "This not one of them, but…"

"I told you, they're called manga!" insisted Yuuichi. "And so what if I have hentai manga? All men like perverted things: it's a fact of life!"

"Oh?" said Ilana, smiling. "You know, Yuuichi, you work for two weeks now… it nearly a month since I came here… you make good progress. You give much love. You say you like perverted things, hmm? So…" Ilana put the manga to one side and suddenly stood up, sweeping her hair aside, treating Yuuichi to a full-frontal view of her voluptuous naked body. "Here is perverted thing," she said, putting her hands on her hips. "You like?"

The sight of Ilana's bare, supple breasts was enough to make Yuuichi dizzy. His eyes slowly panned down Ilana's thin, pale stomach, until they reached… Oh my~! Fountains of blood exploded from Yuuichi's nostrils, and he fainted with joy, falling backwards to the floor with a thud.

Ilana giggled, looking down at her husband, who had been reduced to a giddy, drooling wreck from just a single glimpse of her naked form. "Yuuichi is such pervert," she said to herself, smiling fondly. "He read porn comics, and look at pervert drawings on computer when he think I not look. Even single look at naked woman too much for him. But… is why I like him, I guess. He is… what is word… open. He not pretend to be person he is not. He know he is pervert. He admit he is pervert. If I do only little thing like not change after shower, and it still make him this happy… is good. To see him happy makes me happy. He may be pervert, but he also correct: all men are. And he is my man. And I love him so much~" She glanced down at her bare self. "Now… to put on clothes before catch freeze. After all, husband did ask~"

Day 75

[from Aishiteru! Hikikomori-san]

"I want do something…"

Ilana was lying on the sofa, bored. Being with Yuuichi was great and all, but she hadn't really done anything in the couple of weeks since her arrival in Japan. She had now reached the point where she not only wanted something to do, she needed something to do, to stop herself going crazy from boredom.

Yuuichi looked up from his computer briefly. "Like what?" he asked.

"Know not what," said Ilana. "Just something. I go crazy just lie here!"

Yuuichi had an idea. He span round in his chair, facing Ilana. "Wanna play some video games?" he asked. He had no idea if Ilana liked video games or not, but it was worth a shot.

Ilana shrugged. "Sure, I guess," she said. "What games you have?"

"Uhh…" Yuuichi tried to think of a game Ilana would be interested in. His various eroge and fanservice-laden fighting games probably weren't going to do the trick. "Oh, right! How about Dario Kart 7? That's a fun multiplayer game!"

"Dario Kart?" repeated Ilana. "What is?"

"You've never heard of it?" asked Yuuichi, surprised. "It's a kart-racing game with various Hyper Dario characters. It's fun… most of the time."

"Most of time?" questioned Ilana.

"Well, when someone throws a Blue Shell at you just as you're about to cross the finish line… yeah, that's not fun at all," admitted Yuuichi. "But when that's not happening, it's great fun!"

Ilana shrugged again, and sat up. "Alright, I play with you," she said. "Is better than do nothing all day."

"Alright, wait here for a moment," said Yuuichi. He headed off to his bedroom, and returned with two clamshell handheld consoles, handing one to Ilana. "Here you go."

"Why you have two consoles?" asked Ilana, confused.

"That way, I can get both Rockymon games and simply trade Rockymon between cartridges, allowing me to complete the Rockydex by myself!" Yuuichi explained. "It's a tactic I've used ever since Rockymon Ruby and Sapphire were released!"

This made absolutely no sense to Ilana, but after a moment she simply nodded. "So you have two of Dario Kart?" she asked.

"Nope," said Yuuichi. "The Clonetendo 3CS has Download Play, so you can play it with me even if you don't have your own copy. Oh, right, should I set up for you?"

Ilana nodded, handing the console back to Yuuichi. "Please. I never use before, I not know how it works."

"Alright then." Yuuichi booted up the two consoles, and a few minutes later, both of them were running Dario Kart 7. "There you go," he said, handing the console back to her. "We're already in a lobby together, so we just need to pick a track and our drivers. I'll let you pick the track, since it's your first time playing. Do you know what the controls are?"

"No," said Ilana, as she started scanning through the tracks.

"Okay," said Yuuichi. "A button is accelerate, B button is brake - you won't be needing that - the analog stick steers, holding R while steering will let you drift to pick up speed boosts, and the L button fires items. Pretty simple."

"Okay, I get," said Ilana, nodding. "Ooh, I like this one. It has, how you say, castle."

"Dario Circuit? Alright then," said Yuuichi. "Who do you want to play as?"

It didn't take Ilana quite as long to decide this one. "Princess Plum," she said, selecting the purple-dressed princess from the menu. "She cute."

"Princess Plum's more like Princess Plain compared to Carolina," quipped Yuuichi, selecting a cute-looking girl whose hair covered one eye. "Alright, good luck."

"Thank you," said Ilana. "You too."

Ilana, Yuuichi, and the six AI drivers lined up at the starting grid, ready to go. After a brief countdown, the word "GO!" appeared on the screen and the race began. Yuuichi quickly accelerated into the lead, with Ilana falling near the back of the pack. She tried drifting through the first sweeping turns as Yuuichi had suggested, but found herself sliding off the track and slowing down. Soon she was at the back. "This hard," she complained, pouting.

"You'll get the hang of it eventually," said Yuuichi. "Come on, I'll go easy on you."

"Okay," said Ilana, nodding. She made her way back onto the track and kept going, concentrating on simply staying on the track and trying to catch up to the other racers. Soon she was up to sixth, and collected her first Item Block. "Ooh, item!" she remarked. "Wonder what I get…?"

It was a Blue Shell. Yuuichi immediately gulped, a bead of sweat forming on his head as Ilana's pout turned into a merciless grin. "I-Ilana… y-you wouldn't dare…" he stammered.

"Do svidaniya, my love," said Ilana, and with a vicious glint in her eye, she pressed the L button.

Day 54

[from Aishiteru! Hikikomori-san][WARNING: potentially NSFW]

Ilana lay on the sofa, bored. Yuuichi had left for his first day of work, and now she was feeling listless, and unsure what to do with herself. The two of them hadn't really been apart for more than a few minutes at a time ever since she arrived at his apartment, and now she would be without him for several hours.

Look on good side, Ilana thought to herself. Yuuichi going to work for first time ever. He make big step today, good step. Then a thought occurred to her: I should give reward. He probably have tough day. I do thing for him so he feel better when back home. But what thing to do?

Ilana pondered this for a moment. She hadn't really known Yuuichi all that long, and she didn't really know all his interests yet. What kind of thing would he want as a reward? Whatever it was, it would also have to be cheap, because the pair of them didn't have all that much money, and it would have to be quick to prepare, as he would only be home in a few short hours. Ideally, she would have to make do with what was in the house.

That was when an idea struck her. One of the interests she knew Yuuichi had was that he was an avid reader of Japanese comics, or "manga" as he so insistently called them. Maybe they give me idea, she thought. Getting up off the sofa, she headed into the bedroom, crossing to Yuuichi's bookshelf. The first shelf was occupied by several plastic figurines depicting various anime and video game characters, many of whom were in a state of undress. Ilana smiled to herself. Husband is… what is word...? Hen-tay? Yuuichi is hen-tay.

The second shelf was stacked full of DVDs and Blu-Rays. The third and fourth shelves contained what Ilana was after, however: Yuuichi's extensive manga collection. She began to flick through the titles on the shelf, looking for one that might contain some kind of romantic gesture she could replicate for Yuuichi upon his return. She felt he would appreciate that.

Murder Book… no. The President is Magical Girl… no. Uhh… I know not what that one say. Or that one. I just skip them. Uhh… no… no… ah. This one look, how you say… promising. Ilana pulled out a thin volume with a cover depicting a pretty cartoon girl in an apron, who appeared to have fallen over while baking a cake and was covered rather suggestively with icing. Again, she couldn't quite decipher the full title, but she could make out the word "Love" in it and that was good enough for her.

Ilana flicked the book open and found herself confronted by a rather explicit drawing. Flicking to the next page, she was confronted by an even more explicit drawing of something that should logically come at the end of such a book, not the beginning. Oh, yes, she remembered suddenly, book is backwards in Japan. Is weird country. Having realized what kind of manga this was, she was half-tempted to close it and find another, cleaner one. However, driven by a strange curiosity and a desire to make Yuuichi happy, she instead opened the manga at the correct page and began to read, her face as scarlet as her hair.

***

When Yuuichi returned home several hours later, he was fairly exhausted. "I'm home," he called out lazily, kicking off his shoes.

"Welcome home~"

Yuuichi looked up and found himself confronted with a scene straight out of one of his explicit manga. Ilana stood before him wearing nothing but an apron, her cheeks rather flushed but a broad smile on her face. Her hands were clasped behind her back, pushing out her already substantial chest, which was now separated from Yuuichi by only a few feet of air and a thin strip of fabric. Slowly, her husband's face turned bright red, but Ilana was not done yet.

"Would you like bath first?" she asked sweetly, reciting the lines she had read in the manga and then practiced dozens of times. "Dinner first? Or maybe you want…" She leaned forward, blushing profusely but still managing her best seductive smile. "…me~?"

It was too much for Yuuichi to take. A fountain of blood erupted from his nose with enough force to send him tumbling backwards, albeit with a look of sheer bliss on his face. I have the best wife in the whole world!, he thought to himself blissfully, as he collapsed to the floor.

Day 31

[from Aishiteru! Hikikomori-san]

Yuuichi was about to head into the bedroom to set things straight with Ilana, when the Russian girl suddenly exited the bedroom. To Yuuichi's horror, she was carrying his dakimakura, a puzzled expression on her face as she held it up. "Why you have pillow with drawing of half-naked woman?" she asked.

Blushing Yuuichi grabbed the pillow. "Th-that's none of your business!" he said. "And it's not a drawing, it's anime!"

"Any…may?" repeated Ilana, confused. "What that is?"

Ordinarily, Yuuichi would have been shocked that Ilana didn't know what anime was, but that wasn't really the issue right now. Neither was the fact that he had a dakimakura. Yuuichi put those discussions to one side for now and focused on what had to be done. "Uhh… look, we can discuss those things later," said Yuuichi. "Right now, there's something you should know. Something very important."

Ilana could tell from Yuuichi's expression that something was wrong, but couldn't tell what. "What is?" she asked, tilting her head curiously.

Yuuichi sighed heavily. He knew this was going to break her heart, but he had no choice. Unable to look her in the eyes, he looked down at his feet at he spoke. "Look… the truth is… I didn't actually order you. In fact, I didn't know you were coming until you walked through the door. My friend ordered you for me, so I'd have some responsibility… some reason to go out and get a job. I dunno what you were expecting me to be like, but I'm probably nothing like that. I've never had a job, or a girlfriend, or even been kissed until five minutes ago... I only have one real-life friend, unless you count the delivery guy. All I've done for the past three years is sit in my apartment watching anime and playing video games. If I wasn't such a loser, you wouldn't be here right now at all."

Yuuichi sighed again. "I understand if you're mad at me, and you never wanna see me again or something, but…" Yuuichi blushed, rubbing his arm nervously. "I-I mean, you don't really have anywhere else to go, do you? So you're perfectly welcome to stay here, and I'll just have to do what my friend wants me to do: stop being lazy, and get a job, and start facing up to my responsibilities. But… if you hate me, then…"

Yuuichi found himself unable to continue, and fell silent, waiting for Ilana to respond. The silence seemed to last forever, before finally he sensed Ilana moving close to him. He expected her to slap him, or shout at him, but instead, to his surprise, she put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"You good man," she said gently. "You tell truth. You could have lied, said you were someone you not, but you tell truth instead. I hate you not." She placed her other hand under Yuuichi's chin and softly tilted his head back up to face her. She seemed somehow happy and sad at the same time. "Yes, is sad I come so far for man who love me not, who know me not, who prepared not. But you still want care for me. You know me not, but you say you will take me in, get job to support me. You not just send me back, or send me to street." Her smile grew wider, but Yuuichi could see tears in her eyes. "You say you not what I expected… you right. I expected not man with such good heart. You make good husband, Yuuichi. I try to make good wife for you."

Before Yuuichi could fully process this, Ilana dropped the body pillow and hugged him tightly. Feeling completely overwhelmed, it took him a few moments to hug her back. They held each other tightly for a while, each on the verge of tears, feeling the other's heart beat against their own. Finally, Ilana pulled back, rubbing her eyes a little.

"So," she said, "we have… how you say… deal?"

Yuuichi was still a little overwhelmed by it all. "D-deal?" he repeated blankly.

Ilana smiled at him. "Yes. Deal. You get job, make friends, go out, enjoy life, like friend want. You do that, and I be good wife for you. I not do everything for you - or you will sit all day doing nothing - but I do what I can. Is good deal?"

Yuuichi nodded. It surprised him, but he was willing to change himself, willing to start trying, if it meant she would like him. It wasn't just a case of having to get a job anymore; he wanted to, for her sake as much as for his own. Is this… what it's like to be in love?, he wondered.

"Then we have deal," said Ilana. "You get job as soon as you can, okay?"

Yuuichi nodded again, feeling anxious but also excited. "Yeah. I will." He hesitated, before adding, "Thank you, Ilana. For not hating me, I mean."

Ilana shook her head. "No. Thank you, Yuuichi, for being good man. And thank your friend for me, that he order me for you. Was… how you say… lucky for me."

"I guess so," said Yuuichi. "Okay, I'll tell him."

Ilana glanced back at the bedroom. "One problem… you have single bed. We need double. Where I sleep for now?"

Yuuichi blushed at the thought of eventually sharing a bed with Ilana. "Well… I sleep on the sofa a lot anyway, so I'll sleep on there and you can have the bed-"

Ilana shook her head. "No, I cannot do that," she said. "I take sofa, you take bed."

Yuuichi shook his own head. "No, really, it's no big deal, I'll take the-"

"Wait a minute." Ilana help a hand to interrupt him, looking suddenly thoughtful. A moment later, without warning, she grabbed Yuuichi's hand and began dragging him towards the bedroom.

"Wh… what are you doing?!" asked Yuuichi, startled, as she flung open the door.

"Test," said Ilana. She dragged him over to the single bed, and before Yuuichi knew what was happening, he was lying on the bed with Ilana squeezed on next to him, their bodies remarkably close. His heart and his mind began to race. He had never been like this with a girl before. Is she about to take my virginity? This is technically like our honeymoon… but I'm not ready! It's too soon! I don't even have any condoms!

Ilana draped an arm over her husband's chest, oblivious to his inner turmoil. "Looks like we both fit on bed," she said, smiling mischievously. "Is… what you say word was? "Cozy"? Yes: is cozy. Of course, we still get double bed one day, but this okay for now." She paused. "You okay? You have blood coming from nose."

Yuuichi blinked. "I do?" He put his hand to his nose; it came away bloody. "Oh. Ehh… don't worry about it. I'm fine."

Ilana nodded, then yawned as jet-lag began to sink in. "I tired now. Bed is comfy. I sleep."

"But it's 11am-"

Ilana was fast asleep before Yuuichi had even finished speaking. She fell asleep that fast?!, he thought to himself, amazed. Seizing the opportunity, he tried to slip out of bed and leave her be, but the arm on his chest suddenly curled around his waist, pinning him down and hugging him close to her. Her breast pressed against his arm, and Yuuichi's face flushed bright red. He tried to tug himself free, but to no avail. Eventually, he accepted that he had become Ilana's captive, and settled down, staring up at the ceiling.

Yuuichi realized that he wasn't the only one whose life had been completely changed. Ilana had flown halfway across the world to be here, leaving everyone and everything she knew behind. She had nothing here except him, and she barely even had him. They were both very much in unfamiliar territory, thrust outside their comfort zones, and were both going to have to adapt. It's going to be hard for both of us, thought Yuuichi. But… He found himself gazing at Ilana's sleeping form, a smile spread across her plump red lips. I'm sure it'll all be worth it in the end.