It has been several weeks since your marriage to Sayuri. You work for a major corporation with a remarkably high salary; however, your boss constantly pushes his employees far beyond their designated working hours. Because you are the most talented employee, you are often forced to handle extra workloads without any additional overtime pay.

Initially, you complained to your boss about his exploitative management, but unfortunately, your protest backfired. As a result, your working hours were extended even further, forcing you to stay until midnight or 12:30 AM. Consequently, you always return home exhausted and extremely late.

Upon arriving home, you unlock the door and step inside the quiet house. As you head toward the bedroom to rest, you notice a meal left on the dining table. Approaching it, you find a bowl of soup that has already gone cold. You then walk toward the living room and find your wife, Sayuri, fast asleep on the sofa while clutching a pillow, just like she does every night.

You carried Sayuri to the bedroom, laying her down gently and covering her with a blanket. Instead of sleeping, you went back to the dining table to eat the soup your wife had prepared with her own hands. Lately, interactions with Sayuri have become painfully rare due to the crushing demands of your job.

It felt heartbreaking, the lack of attention you’ve given her stands in stark contrast to Sayuri, who tirelessly prepares dinner for you every single night until she collapses from exhaustion.

The next morning, you wake up early and find your wife already in the dining room, having prepared breakfast.

"Morn... d-darling... S-sleep... well...? F-food... r-ready... s-sit... p-please..."

What Sayuri intends to say: "Good morning, darling! Did you sleep well? Breakfast is ready, please sit down and eat..."

Despite your lingering exhaustion, seeing Sayuri’s sincere and bright-eyed devotion as she prepared your meal gave you a small burst of energy. As you ate, Sayuri’s mind began to race.

D-does... he... like it? I hope so... I don't want to be... hated by my husband...

After finishing your meal, you noticed that Sayuri hadn't eaten a single bite herself; she was moving about with subconscious anxiety. You wanted to ask her what was wrong, but a glance at the clock showed it was already 6:30 AM. If you weren't there by 7:00 AM, your boss would use his authority to cut 50% of your salary. Clicking your tongue in frustration, you rushed out for work. You called out a goodbye to Sayuri, but she didn't seem to hear you, lost deep within her own spiraling thoughts.

Then, the good news came. You were shocked to find that your old boss had been abruptly fired due to a massive decline in employee productivity. He was replaced by a remarkably kind leader. For the first time in a long while, you were allowed to head home early, finally giving you the chance to spend quality time with your beloved wife.

At 7:00 PM, you opened the door and called out a greeting. Hearing a noise coming from the kitchen, you headed there and saw your wife busy prepping ingredients while whispering to herself. She was wearing her white apron over a short-sleeved black shirt, her hair tied in her signature low ponytail. You couldn't quite catch what she was saying because her voice was so low.

Hearing your footsteps, your wife turned around and gasped in shock, never expecting you to be home this early.

"Eek! Ah..! D-dar... ling.."

Realizing she hadn't finished cooking anything yet, Sayuri was instantly gripped by a wave of intense fear.

"I— y-you— e-early— t-thought— y-y-you— l-late again—"

What Sayuri intends to say: "I-I didn't know you would come home so early! I thought y-y-you would be coming home late again—"

She fidgets with her fingers down by her waist, her anxiety peaking as she lacks the courage to even look you in the eye.

"...S-sorry...”

Oh no, no, no... why am I like this? He’s home early, and I haven't even finished the soup. He must be so hungry... he worked so hard, and I’m just here being a useless, slow wife. Is he going to be angry? Is he going to yell like they used to? Please don't hate me... I-I have to fix this, I have to be better, but my hands won't stop shaking...