When I started Suspecting my Wife of Cheating, I Somehow Ended up Living in the Middle of Nowhere - Episode 10

For starters, my mother was hospitalized. She needed treatment for injuries from my father’s domestic violence and surgery for a spinal compression fracture. They said the fracture might’ve been caused by hormone imbalance due to long-term stress, which led to a decrease in calcium in her bones.

Next up: my situation. I want to move to “Itoyori Village,” a super-rural area in the same prefecture. Apparently, they’re offering houses for free.

Not just anyone can move there though—you have to pass an “interview,” which is really more like a test. They gave us a tour of the village first, but most people dropped out as soon as they saw how deep in the countryside it was.

In the end, only three groups remained: me, a YouTuber in her 20s, and an elderly couple in their 60s. The YouTuber had long pink hair. I didn’t know people like that actually existed in real life.

The person who decides who passes is the village mayor. He’s a big guy who seems pretty nice. Since most applicants dropped out after the tour, you could tell he was getting a little desperate.

He seemed especially hopeful about the pink-haired YouTuber. He was clearly directing his conversation toward her. Can’t blame him—they’re probably hoping she’ll bring in some publicity and help with migration.

“Well then, let’s go take a look at Ms. Okari’s house.”

Apparently, the YouTuber’s name is “Cécile Okari.” Her pink hair suits “Cécile,” but not so much “Okari.” That contrast is kind of funny.

A decent crowd had gathered around, mostly younger villagers. Maybe it’s because she’s a young woman, or maybe just because she’s a YouTuber—either way, they seemed excited.

The mayor, clearly proud, led Ms. Okari to her potential house. The elderly couple and I followed. The house was relatively close to the mayor’s own place and had a good location. Not brand new, but still pretty recent.

Just the house alone must be worth a lot! And they’re really offering it for free!?

“We’re hoping Ms. Okari will help promote the village!”

“Uh, sure…”

It kind of felt like the mayor was getting ahead of himself. That’s a lot of pressure for someone barely in their twenties. Also, isn’t it risky for a YouTuber to have her home address known?

The inside was just as nice as the outside—honestly, it looked like a great place, but I worried it might be too much pressure for her. What if she ends up running away?

“Next is the Kuwakino household.”

The elderly couple’s surname was “Kuwakino.” Sounds like a name perfect for rural life. (Sorry to the approximately 520 Kuwakino people across Japan—total baseless stereotyping on my part.) While I was silently apologizing to strangers in my head, we arrived at their place.

Their house was noticeably older than the YouTuber’s but much more spacious.

“To think our dream home would come true like this…”

The husband was moved to tears. His wife was clearly supportive. It was a good home—big, with a yard—and right in front of the house was a field ready to be farmed.

Then came my turn…

“Um… Mr. Zenpuku, this is the only one left…”

The house they showed me was… something else. And not in a good way. Two stories, with an overgrown yard and a decaying exterior.

“This would just be temporary. We’ll offer a better house once one opens up…”

When we checked inside, they told me there had been a fire on the second floor.

“The first floor is still livable though…”

Even that floor had peeling wallpaper and was clearly very old. I had a feeling they were considering demolishing the place. The mayor kept glancing at me with a sort of “You’ll be okay, right? You’ll manage, right?” vibe. Everyone came in to take a look.

The YouTuber let out a “Whoa…” and the elderly lady whispered, “I wouldn’t be able to live here…” I caught that.

I went through the first and second floors.

“Am I allowed to remodel it?”

I asked the mayor.

“Yes! Yes, absolutely! Remodeling is totally allowed! That’s the kind of property this is!”

Really? I mean, it’s just me. So, whatever.

“Okay, I’ll take it.”

“Great, great.”

It was far from the mayor’s house, and the land right in front of it was a slope. Not cleared at all.

“Sorry about the slope, and it’s not cultivated either…”

“Wait, does this slope count as part of the property too? Can I do what I want with it? I can clear it, right?”

“Uh… yeah, well, we’ve got plenty of land, so sure…”

This is my chance! I’ve always wanted to try gardening!

“I’ll live here! I’m definitely living here!”

“““““WHAT!?”””””

Everyone else was shocked, but I saw real potential in that land.

The Mayor’s Plans

There were a lot of applicants this year, but in the end only two promising candidates… I’m Takayuki Kunezaki, the mayor of this village, Itoyori. I’ve been mayor here for 30 years. I’m turning 60 this year, and the time is coming to pass the baton to the next generation. But this village just keeps declining.

We’ve got no famous specialty products, no major tourist spots. No money, and no people. Worse yet, the young ones born here leave for the nearby cities. And the men left behind can’t find wives. This year, our population will probably dip below 2,000.

Three years ago, I started this program to give away empty houses to city folks in exchange for moving here… but none of them stayed.

They couldn’t get along with the villagers, or they didn’t fit in with the welcome parties we held…

This year we’ve got that pink-haired YouTuber girl, Okari or whatever. Maybe she can promote the village—or get pregnant with one of the villagers’ kids. I’m banking on her.

As a backup, we’ve got the Kuwakino couple. If they spend some money here, that’s a win.

That house of theirs has termite damage down to the foundation and poor insulation, but they’ll probably remodel it anyway. Just living there means spending money in the village. I also gave them a nearby abandoned field—they’ll probably grow something.

And then there’s that big guy, Zenpuku. He must weigh over 100 kilos. No one that size lives around here. He said he’d stay, so I had to find somewhere for him. One house had a fire recently, and nobody’s living there anymore. It’s just rotting away. But if I dump it on him, he might at least do some weeding.