Teresa wasted no time in arriving at the Nadia tunnel. She quickly entered the tent that Taji was being treated in and demanded a report.

“Master Taji collapsed but he is doing well. He should recover soon.”

“Have you found the reason for his collapse?” she asked the physician

“Well… Umm…”

“Why are you stuttering? Spill it out already.”

At that point, a maid that was attached to Taji approached Teresa and handed her a series of letters.

“Master Taji collapse after reading these…”

Teresa immediately recognized the letters. They were being spread around the capital before she left.

“Tch… None of you thought to prevent the prince from reading the letters?”

“Forgive us… Someone hid them in the daily reports master Taji reads on the tunnel.”

Who could have done such a thing? Was it that stupid Prince Alex? Or someone else?

“What of the tunnel? How long before it is completed?” Teresa asked.

“The tunnel was already been completed, three days ago.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Master Taji only stayed behind to make sure he didn’t miss anything. We were scheduled to head home the day after he collapsed.”

“Then prepare to leave. We will have Master Taji returned to the royal capital at once.”

“Understood…” the maid replied before springing into action.

Teresa looked down at Taji with a concerned look on her face. The physician said that he is okay but he appeared to be distressed.

It looks like he is having a bad dream?

***

Kitani Taji was raised by a strict mother and father who constantly put pressure on him to succeed in life.

Not happy with only ruining the lives of their three eldest children, they now turn their attention to Taji.

Taji’s bright mind showed promise as his grades were constantly excellent. However, no matter how high his parents praised him, Taji couldn’t help but feel lonely.

It was to be expected, after all, Taji had virtually no friends to speak of. He spent his entire life with his nose in books and books alone.

His mother and father virtually forbade any other sort of activities.

For a while, Taji was content with living as his parents had told him... until he entered high school.

No matter how absent-minded about life a boy is... he will always pay attention to a beautiful flower.

For Taji, that beautiful flower was Sakurai Kayoko.

Her long black hair, slender body, and cute smile were all it took to make Taji’s heart beat wildly.

He could hardly count his lucky stars when they ended up not only in the same class but sat next to each other.

His hands were shaking and sweating.

To avoid embarrassing himself, he hid them under the desk.

“Hi, I am Sakurai Kayoko. I will be in your care for the year. Please take care of me.” She uttered with a cheerful smile as she greeted Taji for the first time

Over the next two years, Taji and Kayoko would often study and work together on school committees like the culture festival and student council.

Eating lunches together in the cafeteria.

Studying for exams.

Going Shopping.

And in their third year, he summed up the courage to as her out.

“What is it Taji?” Kayoko asked with a puzzled expression on her face.

Taji had asked to meet her behind the school. Being one of the popular people at school Kayoko should have guessed what Taji was about to ask.

This was the spot that people often used to confess their feels to the one they liked.

She played with her hair, twirling in with her finger as Taji nervously spoke.

“Umm… Sakurai-san”

“Hai… Kitani”

“Umm… I like you... please go out with me!” he screamed before bowing his head. It was an earnest plea from someone who had fallen in love for the first time.

“Yes… I will be in your care from now on.”

“Really! Then-“

“As if I would say that…”

“?”

She made Taji stumble a bit. His legs were shaking. The girl he loved was showing an expression he had never seen on her face.

She glared in his direction.

“Sakurai…”

“This is why I hate virgins, they don’t know their place. You just had to do as I say and shut…”

“What are you saying? I…I”

“Oi Oi… Kayoko. If you don’t explain properly the poor sap won’t understand what you’re saying.”

The voice that spoke belonged to the popular boy, Hashira Tanosuke.

“Tanosuke…” She said as her expression took a dramatic 180 turn. She skipped to his side and purred like a cat.

Tanosuke had a huge smirk on his face as he grabbed her and embarrassed her tightly. Grabbing her boobs and ass, making her moan in the process.

For all his knowledge and intelligence he couldn’t understand what was happening.

“Listen here wimp, women don’t like little shithead like you. They want a dominant man who makes them feel alive. Do you think someone like you can make Kayoko happy? Don’t make me laugh.”

“I..”

“It was really fun watching you for the past two years. She played a number on you, didn’t she?”

“Eh?"

“Carrying her stuff, doing her homework, buying her stuff, not to mention all the work you did for her in the student council.”  

Taji’s blank mind now flashed through all the memories it had of Kayoko. True enough if he expanded the context of their relationship, all her smiles, cute jesters, and request were constantly followed him doing her a favor or buying her things.

“No… I did that because… because...”

“Because you had a crush on her? Because you thought it would make her happy? Did you think she didn’t notice your feelings from the get-go? She did, and used it to make you do anything she wanted.”

Taji fell to his knees as he gasped for air.

'It wasn’t a lie? She and I? It wasn’t like that!' He thought to himself.

“By the way, what do you think she was doing when you did her student council work?” Tanosuke asked with a sadistic look on his face. “Oi Oi…You don’t have to give such a stupid blank-looking expression on your face. Isn’t it obvious. She was with me. I made her do things you can’t even imagine.”

“Tanosuke stop… its embarrassing,” Kayoko said as she blushed

“Isn’t it too late to be embarrassed?” he replied before kissing her passionately.

Taji couldn’t believe the woman he likes was being so easily controlled by another guy.

All he could do to greet his teeth as Tanosuke looked down on him.

“I guess I will end it here. Take care wimp and remember, a little shit like you will never get a woman like Kayoko to fall for you. Just be content with whatever hooker you manage to buy in future …hahaha.” He spoke as both he and Kayoko walked away.

Taji was never the same after that day. His grades were slowly declining much to the dislike of his parents.

He became untrusting of women. As far as he was concerned, women were something to be loathed.

Eventually, he pushed all these emotions inside him down and regained his academic focus.

He was determined to reach the very top academic top and hopefully land a scholarship abroad. He wanted to escape the living hell he found himself in.

He would often find Kayoko and Tanosuke acting all lovey-dovey in the halls. They had now made their relationship public and were calling themselves the diamond dual.

Tanosuke couldn't help but smirk as Taji would often walk past them with his head low, while Kayoko hardly paid him any attention at all.

It was long and hard for Taji, but the end had finally arrived. The exams were over and all that was left was the graduating ceremony.

It was held outside, rather than in the school hall. Parents of students, teachers, and staff members and of course the graduating students had assembled.

During his graduation speech, took to the stage. He took deep breaths, calming his nerves for the speech he was about to give.

It was here that he saw her. Sakurai Kayoko sat in the front role of graduating students.

In the far back, his eyesight caught the sight of Tanosuke hitting on another girl. He was already known as a player in school.

Despite all these rumors Kayoko, never once spoke ill of him, in fact, one day out of nowhere she confronted Taji.

“Why are you spreading visions rumors about my Tanosuke?”

“Huh? I never did that.”

“Don’t lie to me you little shit. All because I rejected your confession, you dare bad mouth, my boyfriend. You’re pathetic!” she shouted in the school cafeteria.

“Hey did hear that”

“Yah”

“Kitani-kun is responsible for the rumors?”

“I knew Hashira-kun wasn’t like that. He is too cool to do such a thing.”

“Yah… Kitani must have been jealous that the girl he liked was dating Hashira-kun”

“Your right, but still to spread such rumors, he is the worst.”

“The worst…”

The girls in the cafeteria all began to utter such things, not surprisingly the boys didn’t. Most likely they knew it to be fact that Tanosuke was a player, nether less they said nothing.

“I didn’t…” Taji began to speak before he was slapped hard by Kayoko

“Stop talking ill about my man you hear, I won’t say it again.” She screamed before storming off.

Taji spent the remainder of his last days at school as the topic of gossip and mocking by the girls.

It was finally over, he could put all this pain behind him. He opened his mouth intending to speak when a gust of wind blew. The clear sky turned cloudy in almost an instant.

Lighting danced in the black clouded sky.

“Is this a typhoon? I didn’t hear anything about that on the news.” One teacher uttered in confession.

“Everyone get indoors, hurry.” The headmaster instructed as rain now poured down heavily.

Taji was shocked by the things that were happening right now, but the shock was not the reason he could not move.

What is this? Why can’t I move?

“Kitani Taji, hurry up” A teacher screamed at him, but before he could reply. Lighting struck exactly where he was standing.

He was bathed by his light and vanished.

Taji knew he was struck by lightning but at the same time, he felt no pain. He slowly opened his eyes was greeted by a beautiful woman.

She had sexy curves, red hair, and eyes. She wore a beautiful one-piece dress that showed off her big cleverage.

She smiled at him and while she was clearly out of breath she still spoke.

“Hello, my Husband.”

***

When he finally woke up. Taji found himself traveling in the royal carriage. To make his journey as comfortable as possible, the carriage was moving slowly.

He looked around and found Teresa placing a wet towel on his head.

“Are you awake? Master Taji.”

“Yes… Where am I?”

“We are headed back to the royal capital now. Please rest until we get there.”

“Those letters I read… Was she really in a relationship before she met me?”

Teresa hesitated to answer but deemed not answering to be an even worse decision.”

“Yes. It was a political move by her, however, it failed.”

“Is that so…” he replied, “Can I ask one more thing?”

“Yes, Master Taji.”

“How do I file for divorce?”