I’m Hiroaki (in my 30s). I ended up in a shotgun marriage with Shiho, who is six years my junior, after dating for just six months… but I’ve been keeping a secret from her. Long before I ever met Shiho, I was already seeing someone else. Her name is Mitsuki (also in her 30s). She was a year ahead of me at the company I joined as a new grad and was assigned to be my mentor. Before I knew it, we had been dating for eight years. I just couldn’t bring myself to marry her, and my heart ended up swaying toward Shiho…
Even though I stopped seeing Mitsuki at the office, rumors of her success kept reaching my department. Every time I heard a whisper about her accomplishments, it felt bittersweet—part of me was happy for her, but I also felt frustrated and pathetic. Then, when I finally landed a fairly big project of my own, I told her about it. But when I saw her for the first time in a while, she had become even more successful, and she felt completely out of my league. I suddenly felt so ashamed, wondering if my own work even mattered compared to hers. She’s beautiful, smart, and a high achiever—I just don’t measure up to her. I feel so uncool, miserable, and embarrassed! Even though she’s right there, I can’t seem to keep up with her no matter what I do. Feeling like a total loser, I decided to distance myself from her.