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99 Strikes and I'm Out のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 1 - チャプター 8

8 チャプター

Chapter 1

"Your heart rate went three beats over. This wedding test is void."Christina Asbille raised a hand and switched off the projector.The wedding program covering the whole wall went dark in an instant. All that was left was the monitor stuck to my chest, its red light still blinking with every beat.The look she gave me was cold, as if she were looking at a report written in the wrong format."Luke, I've told you countless times. The most important thing in a marriage is emotional stability."Your breathing went off just now during the vows."If a single vow can make you this nervous, are you going to fall apart the moment we run into a real conflict?"I looked down at the number on the screen.Eighty-six.Three beats more than the eighty-three she'd set as the limit.Those three beats had just failed me for the ninety-ninth time.Dr. Wes Perry sat beside us and gently explained on my behalf, "Christina, don't be so strict. Luke was probably just too excited about the wedding

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Chapter 2

Christina didn't take the agreement.The paper hung in midair.The people who'd been cheering a moment ago went silent too, as if someone had them by the throat.The only clear sound was Wes, head down, trying to pull off the ring.He tried twice and couldn't get it off.Christina stared at me. "What's that supposed to mean?""Exactly what it says.""Luke, don't threaten me with a breakup."Her voice was very low.It was what she always did right before she lost her temper.I used to dread it more than anything.I was afraid she'd be disappointed, afraid of her cold face, afraid she'd say I wasn't mature enough. So every time we argued, I was the first to back down, even when I was the one who'd been wronged.I said, "It's not a threat. It's a notice."She snorted. "Your heart rate was out of control today. Any decision you make right now has no reference value. We'll talk once you've calmed down."I set the agreement on the table. "I'm perfectly calm."Christina looked

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Chapter 3

When I got home, the first thing I did was take down the emotion scorecard on the living room wall.That chart had been up for three years.Blue meant steady.Yellow meant fluctuating.Red meant out of control.Next to my name, it was almost all yellow and red.Christina said it wasn't punishment. It was visualized growth.Wes's name had only appeared a few times. And beside it, was blue every time.The note beside it read: Model Sample.I tore the chart down, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it in a garbage bag.Then I went to the bedroom to pack.Half the clothes in the closet had been picked out by Christina.Matching colors, simple cuts.She said it would reduce external stimuli and help me stay stable.I used to think it meant she cared about me. Only later did I realize she just hated it when my clothes made me stand out, because Wes always wore a white shirt.I stuffed every one of those clothes into the bag.My phone wouldn't stop buzzing.Christina had chang

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Chapter 4

When the hotel front desk asked for ID, I realized I'd left my driver's license at home.My phone was down to seven percent.It was raining outside.I stood in a corner of the lobby and called a coworker to ask if I could crash at his place.The call didn't go through, but Christina's messages squeezed in first.Christina: [Where are you?]Christina: [Wes says you might be having an avoidant reaction.]Christina: [Luke, don't make me worry.]The word "worry" almost made me laugh.Her worry always followed strict rules. It had to be certified by Wes first before it could ever get passed down to me.I was about to turn off my phone when an unknown number called.When I picked up, it was building management. "Is this Mr. Ferland? A man by the name Wes Perry fell downstairs at your building. Ms. Asbille asked you to come back with the medicine. She said you know where the first aid kit is."I held the phone and said nothing for a long time.The person on the other end prompted

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Chapter 5

The flight to Mantbelle City took off at dawn.I hadn't slept all night.By the time I'd signed the contract, sorted out temporary housing, and finished my first meeting with the new team, it was ten at night.Monica, the director, handed me a cup of coffee. "You look awful. Got dumped?"I took it. "More or less.""What does more or less mean?""My engagement's off."She whistled. "Then congratulations. You just saved a fortune on a wedding."I laughed. It was brief, but it was real.After I put a new SIM card in my phone, the world got a lot quieter.Christina couldn't reach me. Neither could Wes Perry.All the messages from our mutual friends back home, I archived in one go.The only call I picked up was from my mom.She was silent on the other end for a long time. "So you're really not getting married?""Mhm.""This isn't just another fight?""No."She sighed. "If your dad were still here, he'd have dragged you back home ages ago."I looked down at the traffic outs

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Chapter 6

Christina waited outside my office building for three days.On the first day, she brought breakfast.On the second, an umbrella.On the third, a watch.It was the old watch my dad had left me.Back during the wedding rehearsal, I'd wanted to wear it.She wouldn't allow it. She said a keepsake from the dead would add an undertone of grief and affect the wedding's atmosphere.That was the worst fight we ever had.She locked the watch in the safe and told me she'd give it back once I could talk about my father's death calmly.Now she stood under the blazing sun, holding the watch out in both hands. "I brought it. I'm sorry, Lukey. It was always yours."I took the watch.The band had been serviced, and the glass had been replaced.But the scratch on the back was still there.My dad had scraped it once while fixing a car.When my fingers found that scratch, my hand went still for a long time.Christina watched me carefully. "Can we have dinner together tonight?""Not a goo

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Chapter 7

Christina disappeared for a week.I thought she'd finally given up.Then on Friday, as I was leaving work, the receptionist handed me an invitation.It came with a gold-foil cover.In elegant script, it read: Relationship Repair Dinner.It was signed: Christina Asbille.I looked at those words and almost laughed out loud.She still hadn't changed.Even her apology had to be turned into a procedure.Monica leaned over to take a look. "What's this, some kind of high-end self-criticism session?"I tossed the invitation into the trash. "A project proposal from my ex.""You're not going?""No."But at seven that evening, Christina called the company landline.When the receptionist transferred the call, she sounded a little awkward. "Mr. Ferland, she says if you don't pick up, she'll just keep calling."I picked up. "Christina."Her voice was soft. "I'll only wait for you until nine. After tonight, I won't bother you again."I was silent for two seconds.She added, "I mean

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Chapter 8

Six months later, I flew back home for an industry summit.The day I landed, my mom came to pick me up at the airport.The moment she saw me, she smiled. "You've put on a little weight."I touched my face. "Have I?""You have. You finally look human."Mom never minced words, but I liked hearing them.As we drove into the city, she suddenly asked, "Want to stop by the old house?"I knew what she was really asking.My dad's old house had been sitting empty all this time.Christina had never liked it there. She said the old house's emotional intensity was too high and it wasn't suitable for staying long. So I rarely went back.Thinking about it now, it was ridiculous.My father, my own home, and even those had to be judged by her as suitable or not.I said, "Let's go."The sycamore in front of the old house had grown a lot taller.Our neighbor, Doris Hopkins, spotted me and held on to me, asking question after question. About work, about my health, about whether I was seeing

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