Not one but two people have found out about Takumi and Yae’s fake marriage! Of course, they just so happen to be the man who has been calling Yae his fake girlfriend and the woman who loves Takumi.
And if you think you know what that means…you’re probably only half right.
Takumi decides to “teach” Yae’s body a lesson after news of her date with Jun leaks on the Internet, and the next day, Jun invites Yae for a talk. There, he pieces it together and tricks her into confirming Yae and Takumi aren’t married for real. Jun gets a rise out of both of them about his interest in Yae, although he seems to insist he’s joking. I don’t think he’s serious, but it’s more like he won’t let himself be serious about someone involved with his friend. Yet it’s a friend’s privilege to still mess with them!
And he might have set up Remi to appear at the bar just when the two men are talking about Takumi’s fake marriage. If you don’t remember Remi, she was the woman in volume 2 who was incredibly displeased about Takumi showing up in Singapore with a wife. But now that she knows the truth, Remi sees this as a prime opportunity to win him over — especially since her father keeps pairing her off with significantly older men.
But surprisingly, the whole Remi thing doesn’t turn into a long arc. She might not be going away, as author Tokina may be setting up Jun with Remi. But she’s not going to be interfering with Takumi and Yae for a bit because they’re suddenly off to Dubai! (How many trips does that make it now?)
I’ve mentioned before Takumi’s feelings for Yae have not been this manga’s strong point. I think Our Fake Marriage volume 5 is about the clearest picture we’re going to get in the long term. It doesn’t answer the questions about how he felt about her when they were kids or if/when his feelings changed. Even Tokina’s editor had to double-check when Takumi did not turn down Remi by saying he loves Yae. True, Yae hasn’t said “I love you” either, but Takumi is so confident and/or intuitive, he already knows. In return, Takumi does seem more affectionate, and he even apologizes after a (rather bad) decision to talk privately with Remi in her hotel room hurts Yae. The Dubai trip also part of his apology for that.
Reading between the lines and also clinging to Takumi’s few straightforward words are not the ideal ways to enjoy Our Fake Marriage, but they make the whole volume seem more romantic. There’s the bedroom scenes, of course, but I also liked how Takumi and Yae showed up to a party both with stars on their shoes. Takumi’s idea, of course! It was a subtle but cute way to do couple wear.
Not having Remi being a long-term threat also allows the two of them to enjoy their time together instead of being weighed down by her presence. There are still things I’d like to see in Our Fake Marriage (show me the parents!!), but until then, volume 5 is the sort of story and sensualness that will keep me entertained until then.