Chapter Text
“What? No! Seriously?!” Janet exclaimed.
“It’s true.” Bo sipped his green tea and sighed. “They divorced last week.”
“Kaze and Kenji?” Bibi questioned. “Are we really talkin’ the same brawlers? I mean, Kenji just went through that whole thing getting her back!”
“And now you’re telling us they’re DIVORCING?!” Bull roared in disbelief.
Gray sat solemnly, drinking from his cup of ginseng. The sushi shop around him was less decorated, more barren. They had taken down all the photos and memoirs of themselves, leaving no trace of their previous marriage behind.
Kenji walked in from the kitchen, holding a platter of sliced fish.
“Your sashimi, Gray.”
Bull clenched his fist on the table. His face went red, and steam spurted from his nostrils. “Hey, buddy!” he huffed. “You got a lotta of explainin’ to do!”
“Yeah! Why’d you do it?” Janet asked. “I thought your marriage was great?”
As they begun to question him, Gray heard the clacking sound of wood sandals on concrete. He looked to the shop’s front door, just as it swung open. In walked Kaze, holding a bag of sweets.
“Honey, I’m home.” she greeted with a lovely smile.
“Welcome back, dear.” Kenji’s face lit up with a tight-lipped smile, but with the happiness he was feeling upon Kaze’s return, he may as well have been grinning ear to ear.
She walked up to him, her geta tapping lightly on the tiled floor. She brought Kenji’s lips to her’s for a tender kiss.
Janet, Bo, Bibi and Bull were speechless.
(Of course, Gray was too, but he had known the whole time.)
“Wha—?” Bibi sputtered.
Kaze giggled. “Have you not explained to them, dear?”
Kenji shook his head.
She politely cleared her throat. “Starr Park is putting a new tax in place for couples who own shops,” she explained. “I couldn’t tell you why, and I honestly doubt it’s legal. But until they decide to get rid of it, Kenji and I decided to end our marriage. On paper, at least.”
Bull scratched his head. “You divorced for tax evasion?”
“Ohhh, so THAT’S the deal with all these break-ups lately!” Janet said, everything clicking into place. “That explains why I haven’t seen Pam and Jae-yong at karaoke in a while! And why Rico and Piper aren’t wearing their rings anymore!”
“And why Bo broke up with Charlie!” Bibi added.
“No… we just… broke up.” Bo coughed awkwardly and looked away.