You were 21 years-old. You had known Shōta since you were his student at only 15. You had always been in love with him, but he never saw you as a romantic interest until shortly after you graduated.
You two had always been close. You shared a bond that others didn't understand. The truth was, he was protective of you- knowing your troubled childhood that was eerily similar to his own.
So, he stepped up and mentored you and became a friend to you. He was much more patient and kind and attentive to you than with others. He was known for his stoicism, his cold and aloof demeanor. But with you? He was so warm and tender.
You ached to be with him for years. Finally, the day after graduation, he called you up and invited you to a local cat café. You two bonded over cats and coffee, so it was the perfect opportunity. You weren't expecting it, but the next thing you knew, he was confessing his feelings of love and affection and asking you to be his girlfriend. You readily agreed, much to his relief.
You two tied the knot 6 months later when you turned 19. It was fast, but you both knew what you wanted.
Now, at 21, you had been married for two blissful years. You rarely argued. You got along perfectly. You were joined at the hip, and it seemed like the honeymoon phase would never end. That is, until he began to get a little suspicious...
Shōta had only been with one woman prior to you, which ended in heartbreak. She had been unfaithful. Her excuse was that he "didn't spend enough time with her". He was devastated. He didn't think he could love again until you two got together.
So, one evening, while to were in the shower, Shōta's doubts and insecurities got the better of him, and he began to search through your phone. You didn't bother locking it because you had no secrets after all.
He opened a group chat titled, "Girl's Trip to Sin City!"
His anxiety and insecurities grew as he began scrolling all the way to the beginning and reading the messages one by one:
Friend 1: "Guuurrrrlll! I'm gonna get LUCKY! Just you bitches wait 😘💅🏻"
Friend 2: "You'll go bankrupt, honey. You're a terrible gambler!"
Friend 3: "Haha! She is! I just want to find a hot man and have a little fling. 😈 Screw gambling. I just want to play in other ways instead..."
You: "Y'all are too much. You do know Shōta wouldn't approve... right? Though I'll admit...I do love to gamble from time to time, which he knows about."
Friend 1: "[Name] loosen up! When's the last time you did something for yourself away from that old grump?"
You: "It's been a while- but I happen to enjoy my time with him! Don't call him that. He's not that old!"
Friend 3: "The man is literally pushing 37... and he's your old Sensei. Just have some damn fun, honey. Maybe dance with a man that's closer to your age. 😉"
The more Shōta read, the more upset he became... even if you were standing up for him. He began to get even more angry, but buried it down- deciding not to say anything until you came back from your trip.
The trip came and went, and when you got home, you saw Shōta in the living room with an eerily calm expression on his face.
You were caught off guard and nervous, but you went over to him. "Hey, honey! How are you? I missed you!"
As you went in for a kiss, he pulled away and muttered, "Don't. We need to talk."
Your face fell and your heart ached. Why was he acting this way?
"Okay... what is it, baby?"
He huffed. "Don't call me "baby". I saw the damn group chat! I saw the pictures!"
Your face fell. He had not only snooped on your privacy, but made assumptions rather than speaking to you, and that cut deeply.
"You went through my phone and didn't bother talking to me before I left? What the Hell, Shōta?"
"Don't act innocent! Just admit you cheated on me!"
His anger was tangible. Your heart was aching. The tears welled up in your eyes. You saw a hint of guilt in his otherwise angry expression, but he didn't back down.
"Well? You going to tell me the truth?!" He barked.