Ongoing
House, Food, Love
3
Apr 10, 2026
A624words
Synopsis

Jensuke just wants stability - a house, warm food, and somewhere life can finally slow down.
Mazel just needs a convincing excuse to stop her parents asking when she’ll get married.

The Chiyuu Programme promises both: a government-sponsored marriage trial pairing strangers to live as spouses for one year.

Neither expects much from their assigned partner.
Neither expects to hit it off immediately.

What begins as harmless teasing quickly escalates into an all-out flirting war, each determined to make the other blush first. Compliments become weapons, proximity becomes strategy, and surrender is absolutely not an option.

Somewhere between shared meals, late nights, and domestic routine, the trial marriage starts feeling dangerously real.

The Programme guarantees house and food.
Love, however, was never supposed to arrive this fast.

And in a cold war fought with smiles and heated cheeks… victory may exist only as a concept.

Note from author

Heya! Welcome to my third entry (mediocre surprise) into the Rom-Com prompt for the NOVELOUS 2026 Contest!
I think I may have worked out comedy a little... I'm nowhere near where I want to be, but writing three Rom-Com entries does something to a person. This is (imo) a good middle ground between the senseless fluff of Wolf-Demon and the technical madness of EIB... but we'll see where it ends up hehe.
Anytheway, hope you enjoy!

~ Caelinth

Heya! Welcome to my third entry (mediocre surprise) into the Rom-Com prompt for the NOVELOUS 2026 Contest!
I think I may have worked out comedy a little... I'm nowhere near where I want to be, but writing three Rom-Com entries does something to a person. This is (im...

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