It's Definitely Not a Collar (4.5k)

As he spoke, he stared intently into Kitagawa Ryo's pupils:

"Tell me honestly, do you hate Suzune?"

"Of course not. Suzune and I have known each other since junior high school, and I don't deny that I have some feelings for her. But it's never a matter of dislike or liking; it's just that I've never thought about becoming husband and wife with Suzune."

"But in other people's eyes, that's enough."

Horikita Manabu simply shrugged at this.

"Among Marriage Contract who are engaged long ago, it's quite rare to find someone like Ryo and Suzune where the man doesn't dislike the woman and the woman likes the man. After all, mutual love is something that can't be forced. In fact, it's quite remarkable that you and Suzune have even a certain emotional foundation in this situation."

"... I feel like I can't connect with someone as successful in relationships as you."

"Oh, do you want to talk to Suzune alone? I know she should be waiting at the door."

Horikita Manabu simply sighed, then got up from his seat and left. Not long after, Horikita Suzune sat down opposite Kitagawa Ryo.

Without a doubt, compared to the little girl who first appeared in the family restaurant reading "And Then And Then There Were None," Horikita Suzune has now transformed into a more mature individual.

She was no longer as stubborn as before, always getting herself into dead ends. She became more tactful in her dealings with people, and every move she made was like a gentle breeze.

But it is precisely because of this that Kitagawa Ryo is now experiencing an exceptionally difficult and troublesome situation.

"Is Liang still unwilling to fulfill the Marriage Contract?"

"In fact, I've wanted to abolish this unreasonable setting for a long time."

As if they had already had countless conversations like this, Kitagawa Ryo was thoroughly tired of debating these issues with Horikita Suzune, and instead decisively pronounced the future fate of this marriage:

"If we really continue down this path, it will only end in tragedy, and it will do neither of us any good."

"That's not how it works."

Even after being told such a resolute thing by her fiancé, Horikita Suzune maintained a calm and rational attitude.

"Marriage is never a tragedy of love, or rather, love is never a tragedy for those who love. Does that mean that for spring, autumn and winter are its tragedies?"

"But I've never felt there was any love between Suzune and me."

Kitagawa Ryo stood up from his seat for the first time, attempting to explain to Horikita Suzune once more:

"Am I really worth you doing this, Suzune, giving me all your feelings? Because from the very beginning, I've never been able to give you the same kind of feelings you've given me."

"It doesn't matter."

Horikita Suzune merely smiled at this, but Kitagawa Ryo could see no light in her purplish-red eyes; all that remained was a kind of incredibly murky obsession and insane emotion.

He suddenly felt a strange sense of fear.

Perhaps it's too much for the person being loved to show such fear or even hatred towards the person who loves them.

But Kitagawa Ryo still felt a chill run down his spine.

Because the feelings from Horikita Suzune were the kind that wanted to strip him bare, even his soul, what she sought was this twisted desire to have any possible relationship with him.

"Ryo doesn't dislike me, right?"

"But it's not love either. If I had to say, it would lean towards a sense of guilt and responsibility, even a feeling of remorse, because it's true that I'm the one who made you this way."

"A sense of responsibility is one of the foundations of a successful marriage."

"... I don't understand."

Kitagawa Ryo shook his head, recalling his initial relationship with Horikita Suzune:

"Why can't Suzune and I just pretend to be friends with our parents and elders, like before, and find some opportunity to break off the Marriage Contract? It's clearly what's binding us."

"Because I want that kind of constraint, I want this kind of relationship that locks two people together in a way that's like confinement."

Horikita Suzune also stood up, reaching out to stroke Kitagawa Ryo's cheek:

"Therefore, I also like marriage as a ritual that establishes a relationship of belonging between us on a social and legal level, where you must belong completely to me, and I belong solely to you."

Kitagawa Ryo inexplicably recalled a sentence he had read in a book in the past:

He wanted a free woman, and then he would put her in a cage and keep her there.

In some ways, Horikita Suzune felt similar feelings for him.

She wanted him, an ordinary person who wasn't a god, and then she wanted to nurture him in the shrine within her heart.

It turns out that when a woman doesn't ask for your genuine love, but simply wants to build an unbreakable bond between you, it's often easier to achieve than the former.

Moreover, the two of them already had a connection called Marriage Contract.

"I can actually wait, but not everyone can."

Horikita Suzune withdrew her hand, using this relaxed attitude to put even more psychological pressure on Kitagawa Ryo.

"But Liang needs to understand that waiting any longer won't lead to a good outcome. After all, no one can go back to the beginning of the story, so we can only face the inescapable ending we have now."

"Ten years ago, Karuizawa couldn't reciprocate Ryo's feelings. Ten years later, Ryo still can't reciprocate Shiina's feelings. Time can change many things, and it can't change many things either. After all, if we go back ten years, Ryo probably couldn't imagine a future where she wasn't with Karuizawa."

"So why resist?"

Like a patient and seductive hunter, Horikita Suzune gradually dismantles Kitagawa Ryo's psychological defenses.

"Just like my brother said, we're not strangers who don't understand each other. Feelings always fluctuate with age. Even if Liang doesn't believe in a future where we love each other, she should still choose me for the future she wants to pursue, because I know you best and won't interfere in any way."

"Whether it's Shiina or Karuizawa, I don't care if Ryo has any lingering connections with them afterward. All I'm looking for is to establish our relationship in the eyes of others."

"If Ryo truly believes in the freedom of her feelings, then marriage should never be a tool to bind her."

Kitagawa Ryo knew perfectly well that these tempting words were all sophistry, but he still admitted that he was moved by the promises made by the other party.

"Actually, it would have been better if Liang had made this choice from the beginning, treating it as just a performance, like we did back then."

And so, Horikita Suzune, seizing the opportunity, took something out of her bag and handed it to him:

"All the ceremonies are ready. I don't care whether Ryo's feelings for me are the guilt, remorse, or sense of responsibility you mentioned, or something more direct like or dislike, but at least in front of the camera, please put on a good performance."

Kitagawa Ryo reached out and took the item handed to him; it was a small gift box containing a ring.

"Proposal, engagement, and the formal wedding ceremony."

Horikita Suzune reached out and placed her hand on Kitagawa Ryo's shoulder again, bringing her face close to his in one breath:

I will put a ring on your finger three times.

"You have to put it on me three times too."

"Now, please practice."

Kitagawa Ryo simply shook his head, seemingly exhausted.

"Maybe next time, that's all for today."

After saying that, he turned and left the room.

Within seconds of Kitagawa Ryo leaving the room, Horikita Suzune, who had been smiling just moments before, collapsed onto the sofa behind her.

Her eyes were unfocused, and her breathing was erratic, yet she exuded a subtle, sweet, and alluring aura.

"Ah... finally... it's been such a long time."

The joyful sounds quickly turned into sobs. Horikita Suzune tightly gripped the ring that Kitagawa Ryo had taken earlier and then put back on the table, gazing at it with rapture for a long, long time.

"No, hold on, hold on, it's so close!"

"As long as we take the final step, we will definitely succeed."

Just as a skilled hunter always appears as prey, the relationship between taming and being tamed can sometimes be reversed in an instant.

For Horikita Suzune, this was a step she had prepared long ago.

The fox tamed by the Little Prince can break free from the millions of its fox brethren and become the Little Prince's unique fox. Conversely, the Little Prince also breaks free from the millions of his humanoid brethren and becomes the unique fox boy.

Although she had just told the other party to at least maintain a proper demeanor in front of the camera, now that the day has come, she herself might be the one to overreact.

After all, she couldn't help but want to display some kind of Carnivore, beastly behavior.

Of course, such an accident did not occur.

"Congratulations!"

May lovers be united in marriage!

"A ten-year love marathon!"

A few days later, the pre-rehearsed proposal ceremony took place without any surprises.

In the presence of other relatives, Kitagawa Ryo knelt on one knee and placed the ring on Horikita Suzune's outstretched left hand.

She was incredibly quiet the entire time, as if she had been so shocked that she had lost all sense of her surroundings.

Really.

A ring is the World's Smallest Collar.

Submissive in public.

Released afterward.

Written request for leave

My daughter has a fever today and will be resting for the day. Everyone, please take care of yourselves as the temperature has dropped these past few days and avoid catching a cold.

Chapter 495: It's Not a Collar (4k5)

"Gurgle..."

The sound of the stew boiling in the pot in front of him pulled Kitagawa Ryo back to reality from the corridor of his memories. He quietly turned down the heat and turned to gaze at Horikita Suzune, who was spreading out a tablecloth and preparing bowls and chopsticks at the dining table outside the kitchen.

While the entire Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School was in an uproar over the post about the Investment and Finance Classroom, he and Horikita Suzune were currently in dormitory room 408. This was not to avoid other Tokyo Advanced ANHS students who came out for lunch during their lunch break, but simply because eating out was never on either of their minds, and today was no exception.

After confirming the time, Kitagawa Ryo put on thick special gloves and carried the stew pot by the two handles on either side, placing it steadily on the tablecloth covered with a heat-insulating mat, announcing that today's lunch was all ready.

Winter should be a time to be surrounded by warmth.

Clean bowls and plates were set on the table, and a plump stew pot held a steaming hot stew. The rice cooker next to it had stopped cooking naturally after its timer expired. A light press of the open button revealed perfectly cooked white rice, steaming hot. The cat yawned lazily in the corner where sunlight streamed in through the window. The two of them took off their aprons and sat down to eat.

Why didn't Ying come over today?

Seeing that the kitten still showed no sign of moving even when it was mealtime, Horikita Suzune turned her head curiously to take a look, trying to beckon it to come a little closer.

"Let's just assume that Suzune is trying to create space for the two of us."

Kitagawa Ryo scooped up a bowl of hot soup with a ladle, sipping it slowly as he gestured to Horikita Suzune not to worry too much, thus changing the subject.

"Today is Suzune's birthday. Would Suzune want a birthday cake?"

"A birthday cake..."

After Kitagawa Ryo that suggestion, Horikita Suzune unconsciously slowed down her chewing, looking thoughtful.

Actually, she did receive birthday cakes from her family when she was little, but because she wasn't particularly interested in these things or even Japan, she gradually stopped receiving such gifts later on.

"If you're just making a simple two-person serving, I think an afternoon should be enough."

Since the idea of a birthday cake had been proposed, Kitagawa Ryo naturally didn't plan to just find a shop to buy one on the spot. Instead, he decided to make one by hand for Horikita Suzune, because it would be better in terms of both taste and sentiment.

"That's fine too."

After hesitating for a moment, Horikita Suzune agreed. If Ichinose Honami was pursuing the future, then what she needed now was the past, to relive those things that were appropriate for her age but which she had always ignored.

"In that case, I feel like we should also prepare the other matching gadgets at the same time."

Kitagawa Ryo, of course, was aware of Horikita Suzune's idea, and immediately followed up with a teasing suggestion:

"If we have the cake, let's also buy some candles for wishing and a little crown for the birthday Suzune, okay?"

"Um... these things."

After briefly imagining herself wearing a paper birthday crown, clasping her hands together and making a wish over the candles on the cake, Horikita Suzune subconsciously showed a somewhat subtle expression, her eyes also starting to wander, but in the end she gritted her teeth and agreed:

"If it's just Ryo and me at the scene, it seems like that would be fine."

"Oh, then it must be just the two of us. Actually, I contacted Horikita-senpai this morning, and he just told me to have fun with Suzune. Graduation season is always so busy."

Kitagawa Ryo appreciated Horikita Manabu's sincere intentions, although he also felt that at this stage Suzune didn't need him, her brother-in-law, to act as a wingman to lure out monsters. Perhaps in the end, Suzune's relationship with Secretary Tachibana wouldn't even progress as fast as theirs.

"Okay, let's go to Keyaki Mall this afternoon. The stores should all be open by now."

After briefly confirming the afternoon's itinerary, Kitagawa Ryo and Horikita Suzune stopped talking and quietly enjoyed their lunch together.

It wasn't until after the meal, when it was time to clear the dishes, that Horikita Suzune finally added one more sentence: