“Yui!”

Yui smiled as her best friend, Karin, jogged up beside her. “Did you finish the prep questions for Economics?”

“Yes. And the bonus ones. And corrected the teacher’s answer key again.”

Karin sighed. “You’re terrifying.”

“Efficient,” Yui corrected, scanning the courtyard. 

Yuki was already surrounded by his usual entourage: laughing girls, overconfident soccer players, and people who mistook arrogance for charm.

Just like always.

They were strangers here. That was the deal.

The day passed normally. Or as normal as a day can be when you're secretly married to your arch nemesis.

In Physics, Yui got full marks.

In Literature, Yuki got caught sleeping but still managed to quote Byron when called on.

In lunch period, they sat on opposite ends of the school ground.

No eye contact. No words. Just silence.

Almost peaceful.

Until the school day ended.

The car ride home was quiet. Neither said a word.

But the second the front door of the Sanada family townhouse closed behind them, reality came crashing back.

One house.

Two bedrooms.

One bathroom.

Zero escape.

"I thought it would be a manor or something? It's actually pretty normal? Its not gigantic but not small either." Yui stared in surprise.

“I’m taking the master room,” Yuki said, tossing his bag on the couch.

“You’re what?”

“Unless you’d prefer to share?”

Yui gave him a deadly glare. “I’ll take the guest room. Don’t come near it unless the house is on fire. And even then, knock first.”

He kicked off his shoes and started stretching like he owned the air.

Yui walked past him, opened the guest room door, and slammed it shut behind her.

Fifteen minutes later, she emerged to grab water. Yuki was still lounging on the couch, scrolling through his phone.

She muttered, “This is going to be a nightmare.”

Yui stared at the contents of the refrigerator like it had personally offended her.

“Did your family forget people actually eat food?” she muttered, pulling out a lone bottle of sparkling water and a container of luxury caviar. “There’s nothing in here but… rich-people snacks.”

Behind her, Yuki leaned casually against the doorway, sleeves rolled up, tie loosened, annoyingly at ease. “We usually have a chef, but my parents figured since we’re a young couple, we should do some good old-fashioned ‘bonding’ over domestic chores.”

She turned, holding the caviar like a weapon. “Do I look like I bond over fish eggs?”

Yuki grinned. “No, but you look like you’d stab someone with the tin.”

She set it down with a clink. “We need actual food.”

Twenty minutes later, after a silent walk to the upscale grocery store a few blocks away (during which they received exactly five stares, two whispers, and one old lady wink), Yui stood in the kitchen trying to remember how to cook anything besides cup noodles.

Yuki to her horror, actually rolled up his sleeves like he was about to help.

“You’re going to ruin it,” she said immediately.

“I can cook,” he said, offended. 

"Fine then. Cook." Yui shrugged and went to sit on the sofa.

Thirty minutes later, dinner was served.

Two plates of pasta that actually looked appetising. Yui looked surprised.

They sat at the short, awkward dining table like coworkers stuck in a corporate retreat. Silent chewing, clinking forks, zero eye contact.

"Why is this actually so good!?" Thought Yui.

"So...are you impressed?" Said Yuki teasingly confident in his cooking skill.

Yui came back to her senses. After all she couldn't slide the fact that it was made by her arch nemesis.

"It's just...so-so." She replied coldly.

"Is that so?" 

They ate in silence—until Yuki asked, “So... do we set rules?”

Yui blinked. “Rules?”

“For living together. You know. Boundaries, schedules and stuff.”

“Rule one: don’t talk to me unless it’s about school. Rule two: don’t leave your stuff everywhere. Rule three: if I find hair gel or anything similar to that in the sink, I’ll pour it in your food.”

He nodded, amused. “Fair. Rule four: don’t glare at me before 9 a.m.”

“No promises.”

After dinner, Yui washed the dishes. Yuki dried them without being asked, which annoyed her even more because it made it harder to hate him.

A while later, 

"I have finished using the washroom. You can go now." Said Yui wiping her wet hair with a towel.

He glanced with a teasing smile. "I see. Goodnight then dear wife!" 

She glared. "Choke on your toothpaste!" 

He laughed-and for a second her chest did this annoying little skip. 

Back in her room, Yui flopped onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.

"Sigh...One day down.."

she had no idea whether she wanted to scream…

Or maybe, just maybe, laugh.