Chapter 2
I met Amelia Lily Stafford at the school where I was studying abroad.
Her hair shone like silver, and her eyes were a clear azure.
A fairy-like, delicate beauty.
Skin smooth and beautiful like porcelain.
A body well-proportioned like a Greek sculpture.
I thought England had many cute girls, but she was exceptionally adorable and beautiful among them.
Rather, her aura was different.
Cold as ice, she was a solitary princess who kept everyone at a distance.
Such was her impression, and fittingly, she was called the "Ice Princess," a noble lady from a very good family.
The public school (a boarding private school) where I studied abroad was full of children from good families, but hers was a distinguished lineage that stood out even among them.
She herself was a high-spec beauty, blessed with good looks, intelligence, and athletic ability.
Of course, I didn't suddenly become friends with such a girl.
The first person I became close to was a girl named Mary, who was a Japan otaku.
And Mary was friends with Lily.
Through Mary, Lily and I became friends.
After that, I spent more time with Lily.
Sometimes I asked her to show me around the city, and sometimes she invited me out.
One day, Lily told me, "You can call me Lily instead of Amelia."
At that time, I was calling her "Amelia."
The only ones who called her "Lily" by her middle name were her family and Mary.
And so, I became close friends with the noble lady—Lily.
Why I had a falling out with such a close friend is a bit complicated to explain. Because, to this day, I still don't understand why Lily got angry.
I remember... as soon as I told her I was returning to Japan, she became sullen.
She said she hadn't heard about it.
At the beginning, I had told my classmates that I would be studying abroad for a year, and Lily was there too, so she should have heard...
Lily was one to jump to conclusions. Maybe she had decided in her mind that I would always be in England.
Then she tried to persuade me to stay in England.
She said it would be good to go to university in England, she could lend me tuition fees or even pay for them, and her father's connections could help me find a job...
It was a generous offer, but I couldn't let a friend do so much for me.
So I politely declined.
Then, Lily became furious.
Liar, fraud, mama's boy, idiot, fool, die.
She hurled insults at me.
No one feels good being insulted.
I couldn't help but retort.
"Don't be so selfish," I said.
Maybe I had been holding back some frustration.
From there, it turned into a verbal fight...
"I don't know you anymore. We're done. I hate you! Go wherever you like, Japan or wherever. But never show your face to me again!"
"Alright, I get it. Let's not see each other again."
That's how we parted ways in a fight.
I regretted it later and thought about apologizing, but it felt wrong for me to be the one to apologize.
I didn't contact her.
And she didn't contact me either.
Lily, who was supposed to be out of touch, somehow came to stay at my house.
"This is Amelia's room. How about the furniture? Does it fit?"
"It's fine. I didn't bring that much."
And for some reason, she could now speak Japanese.
Her pronunciation wasn't perfect, but she could manage everyday conversation.
She used to only know words like "sushi," "katsu curry," and "ramen"...
"Well, I'm going shopping. I'll leave the two young ones to it... just kidding."
My mother left in high spirits.
Leaving Lily and me alone.
I inadvertently looked at Lily... and our eyes met.
"What...!?"
Lily had been trying to talk to me with just her gaze since earlier.
It seemed she felt as awkward as I did.
It was Lily who had said never to show her face again, and it was Lily who had come to Japan, so it was natural.
"Um, Lily. Why did you come to Japan?"
Since we were getting nowhere, I decided to ask.
Lily seemed pleased that I asked and smiled happily.
Then she glanced up at me with a shy look.
Her face was slightly flushed.
And with her plump, seductive lips, she answered in Japanese.
"I'm here for bride training."
+×+×+×+
I, Amelia Lily Stafford, have a boyfriend.
His name is Kudo Sota, a Japanese boy.
At first, I wasn’t interested, but as he became friends with my best friend Mary, we started talking.
When we talked (although his English was poor), we surprisingly got along well.
We played tennis together, and it was a good match.
I took him to the British Museum, which he had never visited, and he listened intently to my stories.
He asked me to teach him English, so I started teaching him every day after school.
We went to the movies.
We went to the amusement park.
We went hiking.
I started to enjoy being with him.
I started to like him.
That’s why I told him, “I want you to call me Lily.”
I also told him that only my family (besides Mary) calls me “Lily.”
He was surprised but agreed and started calling me Lily.
And so, we became lovers.
Of course, becoming lovers didn’t dramatically change anything.
It was embarrassing to say “I like you” directly...
Holding hands was shy...
And kissing...
We never did anything that would be considered indecent for an unmarried couple.
Still, I thought our feelings were mutual.
I thought he would stay with me in England.
I thought he would marry me...
But then...
It was when I invited him to join a family trip to the beach during the summer vacation.
I wanted to introduce him to my family.
I wanted to show him my swimsuit.
I wanted to do something bold.
While I was thinking about all this, he told me.
He said he couldn’t come because he was busy returning home during the summer vacation.
...He can’t come even though I invited him?
Or rather, returning home?
To where? Surely not to Japan...?
Even though he has a girlfriend like me!?
I desperately tried to persuade him to stay, but he stubbornly insisted on going back because “his parents would worry.”
Is his family more important than his girlfriend?
Was our relationship just a game?
I had already boasted to my parents and siblings that “I have a boyfriend.”
I had even said I would introduce him!
I got so angry that I said terrible things.
Then he got angry.
He told me not to be selfish.
It was the first time he had ever been angry with me, so I was taken aback.
Even though I felt scared inside, I retorted with “we’re done.”
I thought he would compromise if I went that far.
It was always like that.
But he said in a cold voice.
“Alright, I get it. Let’s not see each other again.”
And so, we parted ways after a fight.
But at first, I didn’t take it too seriously.
I thought Sota would apologize, so I waited.
As I waited, he really went back.
Gradually, I felt lonelier than angry.
I wanted to see him.
But I couldn’t ask him to come to England now after saying “never show your face to me again.”
After much thought, I came up with a brilliant idea.
I should go to Japan.
I started learning Japanese and preparing to transfer to his school.
I chose his house as my homestay destination.
...It’s scary to stay at a stranger’s house.
Fortunately, when I told his mother “because we’re lovers,” she agreed smoothly.
But I couldn’t contact Sota.
At least, I had to tell him about the homestay.
As time slipped by, the day of my arrival in Japan came.
“It’s been a while... hasn’t it?”
“Yeah... um, it’s been a while.”
He was as handsome as I remembered when we met again.
And he looked puzzled.
Naturally, since I hadn’t told him I was coming.
“Um, Lily. Why did you come to Japan?”
Fortunately, he didn’t get angry and spoke to me normally.
I could have lied about being a language student... but I decided to be honest.
My purpose for coming to Japan.
It was...
“I’m here for bride training.”
To become his bride, I’m learning Japanese and Japanese culture, as well as how to help around the house.
And to make him so smitten with me that he can’t live without me.
And to take him back to England.
Wait, this seems like a misunderstanding, our boy doesn't seem to know that he had been her boyfriend though!
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