"That's why I became Takashi Iwamoto."

- That's understandable. I'm okay with that. And congratulations on your marriage.

Unlike my disapproving grandmother, my mother approves of my new surname without batting an eye over the phone. While the legal system for same-sex marriage is being fixed quickly after the discovery of the MFUU, sadly the bureaucracy concerning surnames in our country has not progressed very far.

When one gets married, he or she has to choose one of the two surnames. So without a second thought, I decided to take the surname Iwamoto. Easy for me to submit new documents to my hospital. Not in the case at Iwamoto's workplace. Indeed, he had told his former boss and wife about his condition (even told her that he is dating me), but not his colleagues yet. Any of them.

Iwamoto will have to explain the situation if he changes his last name. I can understand that. He has lived his whole life as a heterosexual male. He doesn't want to cause any commotion. And I too will never forgive if ever someone ridicules his rare body condition.

Another reason I decided to take Iwamoto's family register is Haruka. I know that not changing Iwamoto's last name is not going to help her in any way and will not change the brother-sister strong bond either, but she is his only relative now. Both of their parents have died. I'm afraid she may feel displaced, and he may feel selfish. Plus, Haruka is now taking a medical major in a completely new place. The initial training is grueling. The environment is harsh. There will be sudden demands to collaborate with a wide variety of professions, she will be required to stay on duty. During my year, several of my classmates dropped out of school.

Until recently, the only way for two people of the same sex to become a family in this country was through adoption, and the child would automatically take the surname of the older person. At first, Iwamoto was also very reluctant when I broached the subject of taking his family name, though eventually, after some explanations, he agreed with that. He seemed very happy.

I repeatedly convince myself that this is a good choice. Yeah, a good choice. Although, part of me is still opposing. Those reasons I just said are truthfully only a cover story. If possible, I want Iwamoto to take my family name instead. Of course, it is not because of my grandmother's concerns about the successor to the Yuge family.

I am simply worried.

Iwamoto is a good-natured man. He is straightforward, cheerful, and open-minded. He is sensitive to others' feelings and has the capacity to respect others' pain more than his own. He must have been loved by many people in his life. He is calm and listens well. He is also good-looking.

No way in h*ll he is not popular. There must be a lot of people fawn over him. I don't mean to say that all of them have romantic feelings or desires like I do. But you never know what people's minds are capable of. No one can predict how things will turn out.

I, on the other hand, am the same as ever. Insensitive, backward-looking, gloomy, and lacking in self-confidence. I know very well that we are not in balance. And that's why, at least now, while Iwamoto's heart is still with me, I want to claim ownership of it. I have to have that right. He is mine.

I don't want anyone else to touch him. I want to go around and declare to people to not touch him. It's okay if he doesn't give up his last name, but I want him to at least put a ring on his finger. I want everyone knows that he is married already.

However, when I tell Iwamoto about the wedding ring, he balks.

He looks away from me, scratching his head, and says, "Um...Takashi-san...do you mind to wait a bit more?"　

I ask him why, he brushes me off.

Why do you not want the ring? Why brush me off? Why am I not even allowed to ask? If it interferes with carpentry work, I won't force you to do it. But at the very least, I want the people around you to know that you already belong to someone else.

it crushes me. I'm anxious. I don't want to think that Iwamoto is ashamed of me.

And then an incident happens―one that pushes me further into a corner. Calling it an incident is an exaggeration, but it is that important to me.

Iwamoto gets home bringing some packages from his workplace.

"What is this?" I ask, despite already knowing that it is vacuum-packed pork. Processed meat from a very well-known brand that usually used for year-end and mid-year gifts, a chunk of pork belly marinated in miso.

It looks delicious. And I like pork in general. I like stewed pork, spare ribs, and braised pork. My mother used to say to me, "For someone who likes pork, you really won't get fat, huh?"

"It's a gift from Aizawa... The ex-roommate guy I told you before," he says. Telling me that I can heat and eat it.

A cold drop falls on my chest.

"I can't keep rejecting him forever, can I?"

Iwamoto says with a slight blush on his cheeks. He looks happy. He had once told me that Aizawa is a good guy. I should be happy for him too.

But I can't.

I can't even get him to accept my ring, but why is it different with Aizawa? Does that guy actually like him? I wonder if he is.

"He gave me a lot of other stuff too...like dried tomatoes. He said he don't know what to do with them so he gave them to me. Hm, maybe we should make spaghetti together on our next day off?"

Oh, what is he saying? I can't hear clearly. A storm is raging in my mind.



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