When I started Suspecting my Wife of Cheating, I Somehow Ended up Living in the Middle of Nowhere - Episode 27

When I opened the front door, the village chief and his wife were standing there.

For a moment, my mind couldn’t process the situation, almost thinking that “Secilun” had transformed into the chief’s wife.

“Chief…?” “Excuse us.”

The chief and his wife marched right into our house.

“We came with a request.”

It seemed the chief held a higher position than his wife.

First, the chief plumped himself down on a cushion he placed on the wooden floor. Then, his wife pulled another cushion closer and sat down. We didn’t have any zafuton in our house.

“Um… here’s some tea.”

My older sister served tea on the low table we had in the living room for family gatherings.

“Tch, even the tea is delicious…”

I didn’t miss the chief’s wife’s soft murmur after taking a sip.

My sister is excellent at making tea, and she’s also a great cook in general. I used to think it was due to my ex-wife’s influence, but my sister said she hardly cooked at home, so maybe she was the one who usually cooked for us.

Come to think of it, all the meals we’ve had in this house in this village have been made by my sister. I thought she was perfectly recreating my ex-wife’s taste, but if my sister was the one cooking all along, then it was only natural for the taste to be the same…

Damn it. My mind was racing with completely unrelated thoughts. Maybe I was panicking. Perhaps I was subconsciously escaping from thinking about the chief’s “request,” which felt like it could only bring bad news.

“S-So… about your request…?”

I asked hesitantly. There was no way I could imagine anything good coming from this. Plus, there was no escaping it.

“There are only three ‘villages’ in Fukuoka Prefecture. If things continue like this, we’ll be absorbed by a nearby ‘city.’ So, we want you to revitalize this village and keep it a village!”

Indeed, “villages” are rarely heard of. Their scale is different from “cities,” but that doesn’t mean they’re inferior. There are many good things about them.

I found myself empathizing. I was a junior high school dropout, and my ex-wife constantly mocked me for it. I wanted to believe that being a junior high school dropout didn’t make me inferior just because of that. And I didn’t want to believe that a “village” was inferior just for being a village.

“…Um, isn’t that pink-haired YouTuber already doing that kind of activity…?”

I had the sentiment, but it wasn’t really my character, nor was it a job I was good at… And if there was already an “official” person, it seemed like there wasn’t much a layman like me could do…

“That girl isn’t strong enough. Even an amateur can see that her popularity is superficial.”

Well, she did seem nervous when emceeing the school festival…

However, that was an outsider’s impression, and the situation would be completely different if I were asked to stand there. I couldn’t possibly stand in front of people like that, and emceeing would be absolutely impossible for me…

“That’s where those girls come in…”

The chief glanced at my two daughters.

“My daughters…!? …You mean them?”

To me, it was completely out of left field. My daughters are my daughters. To me, they’re sheltered girls. I couldn’t imagine them doing such a thing.

“Your daughters are popular with computers, aren’t they?”

When older people say “computers,” they might mean online. I had only recently found out my daughters were YouTubers…

“This village has one roadside station. We want you to liven it up and draw people to the village.”

Ugh! Just hearing about it, I had a bad feeling it wouldn’t go well at all. There’s no way I could let my daughters take on such a big role. It would surely fail, and my daughters would get hurt. They might even be blamed by the villagers.

If I refused now, the blame would fall on me. My daughters would barely suffer any damage. In that case, as a father, I should firmly refuse here!

“I’m very sorry, but…”

” “We’ll do it!!” ”

Just as I started to decline, my daughters simultaneously agreed.

“No, big sister, Chieri… that’s… um…”

With the chief and his wife present, I hesitated to use direct words and fumbled for how to persuade them, when I noticed my daughters’ eyes shining brightly.

“Chief, in return, if that direct sales store makes a profit, please give us a stipend!”

My older sister is surprisingly sharp!

“Please clearly define the conditions for payment, whether it’s an increase in visitors or an increase in sales!”

Chieri spoke her mind, no holds barred!

“Hoo-hoo-hoo! Interesting. You girls are interesting.”

The chief laughed amusingly. A peculiar way of laughing.

“Alright, we’ll get a scrivener to draw up a contract. If you wish, we’ll also arrange for your enrollment in the village’s public school.”

My older sister and Chieri exchanged glances and smiled. While Chieri’s junior high school was one thing, I couldn’t afford my older sister’s high school tuition with my current income.

At this rate, my sister would also become a “junior high school dropout.” I know there are many junior high school dropouts in the world, but since I’ve had a hard time because of my educational background, I would ideally like my sister to go to both high school and college.

“Please, we ask for your help.”

I sat up straight on the wooden floor and bowed my head to the chief and his wife. My two daughters followed suit and bowed their heads as well.

It was at this moment that I felt, for the first time, that we had been welcomed into this village.

Kiyomi Zenpuku

He hasn’t come home! Why?! I’m dressing up more than before the divorce, and I’m putting effort into my makeup and esthetics.

Is he busy with work?! When he does come home, we just end up fighting right away, so I think it would be better if he just didn’t come home.

It’s a cycle. Now I have money and time. But I don’t feel happy.

Where is my happiness?!

I thought the girls would come back quickly because they hated poverty, but they haven’t returned at all.

That person is someone who can manage somehow, even without money. I made him change from a cleaner, a shabby, low-class job, to a cool sales job, but he always seemed busy working.

Thinking about it, it was a job that didn’t suit him at all. Perhaps being a cleaner suited his nature. I forced him to change jobs because I hated being poor, but our home became even less joyful.

I was irritated every day, and I noticed my daughters drifting further and further away.

In the end, I destroyed our family with my selfishness. Being a junior high school dropout or his job had nothing to do with it. I was the one who was wrong…

I want to contact him… But clinging to him would be shameful. My pride won’t allow it.

I want to see my daughters. But my daughters, who left my side, hate me, don’t they…? I’m scared to even confirm it.

I want to see them, but I don’t want to. How can I find happiness…?