Track 3

Now then, we shall begin our special, Aino-style marriage lesson!

We’ll be in your care!

Hoho~! How exciting!!

To think you’d go as far as to tie me up… the least you could do is make this worth my time.

(I got tricked by the boss… He told me he’s got a job for me to handle in secret so I came here hoping to get on his good side…)

(All six members are here… I’m grateful…)

First, let me quiz you a little to see how much you all know.

The questions will be displayed on your tablets, so please enter your answers.

Now, question number one.

A wedding held in a chapel or church is called a church-style ceremony.

But what do you call a particular JPN-style wedding that takes place at a shrine, with the couple dressed in traditional clothing?

Um–… since it’s in front of people, maybe a public ceremony?

That’s easy. It’s a Shinto wedding ceremony ♪

The correct answer is… a Shinto wedding ceremony.

A public wedding is a non-religious, free-style ceremony, in which the vows are made in front of family and friends rather than before gods or Buddha.

Now, onto the second question.

What is the current market price of an engagement ring?

I don’t see the point in spending money on something like marriage.

Oh, I think I’ve heard of this before. I think it’s something like… 3 months worth of your salary…?

…...

The correct answer is one-tenth of your yearly income. By the way, the phrase “three months worth of salary” is a catchphrase from my great-grandfather’s time.

(Huh. So it’s an old thing? I’m having a bit of a culture shock here…)

Now then, moving on…

Well, let’s end the quiz here. You can check your individual results on the tablet.

Incredible, all my answers are incorrect…

I got around 60%, huh… I’ve never really put any thought into marriage.

You got a lot more right than I thought, Danny.

I learned a bunch of stuff while in charge of wedding tours at my old job.

Hm… You got all the questions right, Kafukafu! As expected, is it all for Bice’s sake?

Well, something like that. I also keep different funds in separate bank accounts.

Hmm… It seems the birdcage trap is set, then.

I’ve got no intention of trapping them in a birdcage. If they want to fly, I’ll simply fly away with them.

But we’ll need money regardless of what we choose to do, right? You don’t want to limit your options when the time comes.

Oh, so mature…

Hachinoya-kun, do you have an ideal image of marriage in mind? It never hurts to be prepared.

P-Prepared…?

…Um, it’s expensive, isn't it. S-So please put it on a 35-year loan…

…Hm. It seems that Hachinoya-kun treats marriage as something far removed from himself. It looks like you’re taking it too lightly.

First, try imagining a wedding plan for yourself, one that would be the happiest day of your life.

Picture yourself at the center of it all, to be congratulated with applause and cheers—that finest and greatest moment. Don’t be on the sidelines, take your imagination to new heights and make it your own!

…Yes, I’m sorry…

…Ah, the campanulas¹ look like they're about to bloom.

……

(The owner said all that, but… even without marriage, I’m already extremely happy.)

(In the first place, having a partner to spend every day with… that’s too far-fetched for me to even imagine…)

(I’ve never had any experience with romance, and I don’t even have a human family… If I don’t even know what a family is, then how could I ever picture an ideal marriage…?)

These campanulas are beautiful, Nagi.

Kafka.

I made some tea. Tending to the flowers is good and all, but how about a break?

Thank you.

…Um, Kafka, I wanted to ask you something. Have you thought about what kind of wedding you want to have, and if it’s doable?

Yeah, I have. I’ve got 3 different plans in mind.

Th-Three…!

The first is a traditional church ceremony. Walking down the aisle while a pipe organ plays and the choir sings is pretty admirable, right?

The second is a photogenic, public ceremony. Maybe I could ask Chihiro for some advice on incorporating some eye-catching decorations or videos.

The third is a cruise trip around the world. As a bonus, it could also double up as a honeymoon.

I actually thought of a traditional JPN Shinto ceremony too, but the venue would limit how many guests I could invite, right? This is the kind of thing I’d want to be surrounded by as many people as possible for.

Even down to the size of the venue… I’ve never thought about something like that.

Marriage is only one of the paths my life can take, but it’d be a major milestone if it were to happen, so I want to be mentally prepared for the occasion.

(We’re the same age, but Kafka already has someone he’s set his heart on, and has prepared this much…)

(I'm no better than an alien that’s new to Earth… How pathetic…)

…Thanks. That was helpful.

Really? I’m glad, then.

(I’m an adult too… I’m at an age where I can shoulder responsibility.)

(I’ve always thought of ‘marriage’ as something fictional, like it belonged to a distant world.)

(Before even thinking about my own marriage, I need to learn the bare minimum at the very least, so I don’t drag everyone else down…)

Gii~, what are you watching?

A film called 'My Happy Marriage'. It was popular a little while ago, so I thought it might be a good reference for marriage.

Hoho~, so you’re studying for that contest! I’ll watch too!

*sob* I’m so glad… A child who struggled so much is now able to have a proper, happy family…

Can you become instantly happy just by getting married? It seems that this confession thing is what’s really crucial though…

When it comes to a confession leading to marriage, what’s the right way to do it?

All I can tell is that it’s not just about revealing a secret or passing along a fact!

I-Is that so…? I’ll try looking for some work that might be useful as a reference.

Ah, like this one… 'Shouting Love Wildly, In The Center Of The World', also known as 'Yonachu'.²

The center of the world~??? Where is that?

Now that you mention it, where would that be…? I guess it means the best place to shout out your love.

Hmm. If we say ‘the center of the world,’ then scientifically that would be the crust, mantle, core—all the way down, to the very center!

Huh? You can shout your love in a place like that? Could you even survive that?

The inner core has about 3.64 million atmospheres of pressure, with temperatures exceeding 5000 degrees. And since it’s solid—well, it’d be impossible for humans to survive.

No way… If you can’t even reach the best place, then confessing is way too high a hurdle…

So, for a happy marriage, you need a body strong enough to withstand the kind of pressure where iron stays solid even under extreme heat.

…The fuck are you guys talking about…?

Hm? Is someone still up…?

Woah. They’re still going? Talk ‘bout hard workers…

It’s getting late, so maybe we should call it quits–

Don’t worry, Tao. We can still do this.

Come on, hurry up and give us the next question from this Zaxy³ already. Let’s go, let’s go!

Umm… Then… What are the most popular wedding favours?

Vanilla seems to be the safest option.

That’s a flavour… Ah well.⁴ What type of wedding ceremony was most popular last year?

I know! The type where you confess, with a suit that can withstand the pressure!

……

Next. Zaxy’s latest issue…