In the kitchen, Erina Nakiri was still reeling from the events that had just unfolded. She stared blankly at the ingredients in the refrigerator, struggling to process the situation.
Just then, Renz appeared at the kitchen doorway.
"Excuse me, if I may be so bold… what is your name?" Renz asked, trying his best. He wasn't good at talking to girls. Having long prepared himself for a solitary life, he never imagined such a fantastical turn of events. The dating process had been skipped entirely—jumping straight to having two children. The rapid progression left him at a complete loss. What kind of person was she? To be honest, he was a little curious.
"Erina Nakiri," she replied coldly. "What exactly is going on?"
"Uh, generally speaking, from the existing clues and information, it seems we might have traveled ten years into the future," Renz began, rubbing the back of his head. "First, let me introduce myself. My name is Renz."
He didn't know if the "Life Simulator's" victory conditions were real—if completing three objectives would truly send them back to the past. For now, all he could do was explain the general situation.
"And I'm your future husband," he added, based on the information he had.
"Shut up." Erina's eyes turned icy, sharp as blades. Waking up to suddenly find herself someone's wife—there was no way she could accept such a premise.
How irritable… Renz thought. He felt like he had delivered a fairly normal piece of information, yet it had clearly struck a nerve. It seemed he'd made a terrible first impression.
Still, Renz didn't get angry. Placing himself in her shoes, it was perfectly understandable—waking up to discover she had a husband and children? That would be difficult for anyone to accept. She needed time to process it.
But time, unfortunately, waited for no one. Some things needed to be made clear right away.
"Ms. Nakiri, though this is our first meeting and the situation is unclear, we are, at the very least, in this together," Renz said, adopting the calm composure of a professional gamer. Since this real-life 'game' couldn't be quit, he would just play through it.
"Judging by the clock on the wall, if it isn't tampered with, we've almost certainly arrived ten years in the future. Of course, you might suspect this is some kind of elaborate variety show. We all know how extreme Japanese television can be. And given your family background, it's not impossible for them to pull off such a grand prank."
"But just now, when I took out my phone…"
"I looked up some information online. Everything I found confirmed that we're ten years in the future. You don't have to trust me—you can check it yourself."
"There's even a simpler method."
"See the two children on the bed? You can do a paternity test. It's the simplest and most direct way," Renz said, building his case step by step.
Erina did suspect she might be on a hidden camera show, but after listening to Renz, she took out her phone to verify things for herself. She searched multiple sites and platforms.
Judging by what she found, they likely had traveled ten years into the future. After all, no variety show—no matter how influential—could manipulate every search engine across the internet.
Renz watched as she silently confirmed the situation. After a moment, he continued:
"So, Ms. Nakiri, I assume you now understand the basic situation. We've somehow arrived ten years in the future."
"I can tell you don't have a good impression of me. Honestly, I'm not particularly interested in women either."
"The fact that I got married is surprising, even to me."
"But there are situations we can't avoid just because we dislike them."
His mind was steady and clear.
"We have children, right? Later, I'll figure out a way to draw up a prenuptial agreement—one that guarantees I leave with nothing."
"You want a divorce?" Erina frowned slightly, catching his implication.
"Not now," Renz replied calmly. "I can tell the environment here isn't something I could have attained myself. In theory, I'm most likely a live-in son-in-law."
"This lifestyle from ten years in the future probably isn't something I earned."
"That's why I'm saying I'll leave with nothing—because none of this is rightfully mine."
"So… what exactly are you proposing?" Erina asked, trying to understand his intentions more clearly.
"At the very least, we should live together until the kids are grown," Renz explained. He came from a single-parent family, and he had his own convictions about parenting and stability.
"Education and a healthy family environment are incredibly important. Sure, we could get divorced now—but I think that would hurt the children."
Renz was uncertain whether the "Life Simulator's" conditions were even real. And if they were, he couldn't be sure he could complete all three objectives. So, taking a pessimistic view of the situation, he prepared for the worst—accepting that they might be stuck ten years in the future.
"I can't fully trust you," Erina said, her expression hesitant. The idea of sharing a roof with a complete stranger was hard for her to accept. No matter how calmly he reasoned, her instincts screamed caution. This was her bottom line.
"In my country's criminal law, marital rape is still considered rape," Renz stated flatly after a pause. He had originally planned to study law and become a lawyer after retiring from professional gaming, so he'd learned quite a bit online.
"But this is Japan," Erina replied, her sharp gaze meeting his. "And Japanese police are notoriously passive in such cases."
The most challenging part of marital rape cases was the lack of evidence. It was difficult to prove anything definitively. Since they were legally married, no one could be certain whether the act was consensual or forced. It could just be mistaken for playful banter between spouses gone wrong—leading to "false accusations" at the police station. And then what?
"This is your home, right? I'm unfamiliar with the layout. You have the keys. If you don't trust me, lock the door from the inside. Besides, the children are here, right?" Renz said helplessly. "My morals haven't deteriorated to that extent."
"I would never do something like that in front of the kids."
"Besides, there are other rooms in this house, aren't there? I can sleep in a separate room. The basis of our cooperation should be mutual trust. But you're treating me like a criminal from the beginning."
"So how about this—rent me a place outside?" Renz suggested, spreading his hands. "That way, I can visit regularly, fulfill whatever role I'm supposed to, and leave before 11 PM every night. That could work too."
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What do you think Erina will decide?
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